A sharp gasp left my lips as I jolted awake.
For a few seconds,I just lay there, staring at the thin slice of blue sky above. My chest rose and fell in steady controlled breaths. But something felt… Off.
It wasn't the fact that I could see out of both eyes again.
Nor was it the fact that I seemed to have woken up in a trash-heap alley.
What happened to me…?
Ah. Right.
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
–YESTERDAY–
I woke up in a void…
Like a proper void—emptier than when an English robber empties thy pockets or your bank account after a bad life decision (looking at you).
Some dumbass might say, "Look around!" To which I say: Are you an idiot?
Can I fly? No.
Am I standing on something? No.
Then shut the hell up.
Weirdest part? I wasn't even panicking. Shouldn't I be freaking out? Either that, or meeting a rob. But no, the fanfics lied to me. (Insert Darth Vader Scream) NOOOOOOO!
What else did they lie about? Are there no big-bootie isekai waifus waiting for me? No OP protagonist package deal? Hated, then loved, then harem?
… That was way too specific, wasn't it?
Wait–who the hell am I narrating to? Oh no… I've got the main character syndrome. I've become what I hated the most. NOOOOO!
Wait, is that someone watching me? Is that me? Is that me stronger than me? I will fucking kill me.
…
"Sup, fucker."
Who the fuck starts a conversation like that? I just got here!
"Seeing as you are already narrating your life you should be on the right track."
Why does his voice sound better than mine? The fuck!
"Ladies, gentlemen, boys and girls, and that technicolor rainbow in between, I am ROB. You may remember me from the following fanfics___. Of course, if you are the person in them, you might not remember me. But that's not what I am here for. Today I have a new subject. A new universe to entertain me. If I do get bored, well… you know what happens."
Who the fuck is he talking to? And why is it all beleeped–-was he swearing? Wait… What was I doing again?
"Ignoring the dumbass in front of me. We seem to have gotten a marvelous case at hand. The universe I have chosen is one of heroes and villains. Of Gods and mortals Of cosmic entities to living bacteria. Let's just say, it will be quite the ride."
What is he on about–Wait a second. Did he just say the universe he chose? Wait a ducking minute. I am being isekaid right. WOO-HOO!
…Wait did he just say 'Marvelous.' NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
"Ignore him, he isn't in his right mind. The void does that sometimes. Uhm–Now where was I? Right, his special ability. Seeing as this universe is already on the path to being fucked like the average Hollywood female star. I have decided to give him the powers to change the very course of history. Ladies and Gents, welcome the template of Ben 10000."
…Holy Fucking—
(We will be right back after the break)
-X-X-X-X-X-
This break thing is only happening once and the story won't be this sarcastic type. I just wanted to pay homage to my first two drafts. Also if you like this story, be sure to check out my other story: A Cursed King's Adventure.
Ciao
-X-X-X-X-X-
(And back from the break)
—Shit!
It's one thing to have a golden finger. It's another thing to have the whole hand. Hax, hax I tell you.
The Biomnitrix. Alien X. Master Control. The whole Ben 10 package. Not the fuck up's that braindead fanfics give you. The entire powerset.
That's why this ROB is the goat! The GOAT!
"And he is insane," he muttered. "Well, good luck. Try not to screw this up."
Wait, I zoned out for a second. Wha—
-X-X-X-X-X-
"Yeah," I muttered. Now staring at the green-lined gauntlets clamped to my forearms. "That happened."
My new instincts seemed to kick in as I rose into a quick, low crouch. My eyes scanned the alleyway like a crime scene, my new photographic memory taking in every nook and cranny of the place.
Everything seemed normal. Garbage bags. Mold. Rusted emergency staircase. An orange stray cat looking at me like I was the dumbest being it had ever seen.
I checked my pockets. A wallet. A phone. That was it.
The wallet had a few crumpled bills and a license. The name hit me harder than I thought it would:
Benjamin Kirby Tennyson. Age 21.
So that's me now, huh. Ben Tennyson. The "Hero of Heroes." Not the Hero of Heroes yet, but I was Ben now. That's all that mattered.
The bills added up to roughly 200 bucks. The phone on the other hand gave me a major shock.
It looked like those old iPhone Models, maybe a 7? It was slimmer for sure, sharper even. On the back, one word stood out: STARK.
That name felt important , like a key to a massive puzzle, but my attention was snagged by the date on the lock screen.
11 July, 2003.
I shoved the phone back in my pocket and rushed out of the alley, nearly colliding with the crowd outside. Neon signs, car horns, chatter–it all felt normal, if a bit dated. My eyes were drawn to a storefront window full of TVs, all displaying the same news channel.
The ticker at the bottom of the screen made my blood run cold.
—Hammer Industries secures a major military contract—
—Oscorp announces promising new medical ventures—
—Stark Industries Charity Gala next week, here's all you need to know—
Hammer, Oscorp, Stark.
The phone. The logo. The date.
I wasn't just in some random world. I was in the Marvel Multiverse.
I stared at my reflection in the glass, my new face pale, my green eyes wide with a terrifying understanding. My mouth hung open, but only one word came out.
"...Shit."
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-
Author's Note
Hey everyone,
THIS STORY IS BACK, BABY!
Unsurprisingly I got covid. That to while I was writing this.
I'm still recovering, but I'm finally in a condition where I can start to write a little bit again, which is why I could get this new chapter out to you.
For those who want to know, my Pat-reon has advanced chapters of both Thisfic and my other ongoing one (A Cursed King's Adventure). So if you want to read advanced chapters or just support me. The link is Pat-reon . com / st_scarface
Thank you all so much for your patience and for supporting me. It really means a lot.
Ciao!