I woke up in pain.
A soreness throughout my body, as if before I slept I was doing something physically taxing. The pain was similar to when I was just starting to work out, the pain you felt in your biceps after doing your first reps is too familiar for me. I felt something in my mouth. I caressed my face, and noticed a line with a texture similar to a plastic bag; it stretches across both ends of lips.
Then I realized I was not on my porch.
I bolted upright, heart rate increasing, my eyes darted wildly across the yellow-lit cell. Cold metal walls. A reinforced yellow barrier flickering in front. The scent of sweat, oil, and sterilize air filled my nose. Then a sudden eureka came to mind, I was not in my body anymore.
Staring at my hands that were not mine. I turned to the reflected metal walls, and saw someone's reflection. Not mine, last time I checked I don't have long hair, my face don't resemble a skinny Mad Mikkelsen, and I certainly don't have a scar carved on my face.
Then my brain suddenly felt a stinging sensation, as if forcibly being ordered to remember. This face, this gaunt and crazy face belongs not to me, John, but to someone named Split Jaw – and we are not of the same universe. You see, I came from Earth, well the real earth in my opinion. Split Jaw belongs here, in this world, where superheroes and villains exist where monsters roamed the land and aliens fly across the stars… A reality fitting of a comic series, one that I find familiar.
Rattling my brain for more memoires. A vision returned, of me, or Split Jaw being captured by a hero team. There name was fight force, and they cornered Split Jaw in a building after he got exhausted… Fight Force? I remember that name! Not with Split Jaw's memory, but from a comic series.
On my seat, my body went still. Eyes dilated, and arms tightening. A realization formulates on my mind. Made from Spit Jaw's memories, and my own. Guardians of the Globe, Teen Team, the Global Defense Agency, and man with a mustache: Omni-Man…
I'm in Invincible.
I slammed my fist on the walls creating a loud thud, which surprised a passing guard who turned to me with a pissed off expression.
"Keep it down, Freak! Else, I'm gonna come in there, " The guard taps his baton on the barrier, and I didn't give him a response. He looks at me confused, "Weirdo.."
I'm so fucking dead!
This world of all worlds in the multi-fucking verse, really!? Did some god just transmigrated me here just to die!? Is this a fucking punishment? If so, what action constituted me being placed inside the body of a villain?! Last time I remember, I did neither good nor bad actions – my way of life was decent, mind my own business least provoke.
Constant alien invasion, a fucking agent from a tyrannical empire is gradually softening this planet for conquest and to turn it into a breeding ground. Supervillains, who even after seeing the larger threat decided, not to come together as one, but instead made use of their finite time fighting teens in spandex
The heroes aren't shit either! Don't get me started on them. The strongest team here got packed up by one Viltrumite, one fucking alien from that empire.
the replacement of that said hero team consisting of a Dr Disrespect: Robot edition. Literal meat shield provider. Wannabe Cool guy. And lab experiment number 1, who should be in therapy instead of playing Powerpuff Girl. And most of them are kids mind you, fucking kids. What the fuck is Cecil doing? That man has the entirety of the US military budget, and the best he could do is send young heroes to their deaths. Jesus Christ.
They don't even train properly. At least from what I've seen in the show. Mark was given that attention, I don't know if Cecil is playing favorites because he even treats Mark like time bomb instead of a damn kid.
The emotions swirling in my head is mixture of anger, frustration and fear. Anger for why I am here, frustration because of the flaws this world has, and Fear for my inevitable senseless to the hands of the antagonist of the story. I tried to calm down, I really did. But, my teeth gritting against each other betrays that effort.
I'm fucking afraid bro.
"Why-ack!" A sharp pain cut through my rant. It came from my back, and memories flashed back again.
"Really?" I muttered, reviewing my memories, "This all I got? A fucking metal spine?!"
The original Split Jaw's defining power is his cybernetic spine that could increase his speed and perception. This Johnny Silverhand wannabe Anarchist got used as a lab rat by rogue Russian Scientist, whose desire to replicate Red-Rush's speedster ability made him create a spine meant for that purpose, and he put that prototype into Split Jaw. Who just got out of a rigged court case, persecuting him of sexual assault of a minor, this fuels his hatred of the system and lashed out his anger to the whole of America itself.
He didn't impact much, the dude basically just became a city menace with him robbing, injuring civilians, and destroying public property. What earned his place in the GDA prison is his fight with Fight Force. Don't know what type of crack Split Jaw snorted to enable him to fight against a group of heroes, but he did. With this, and along with a piling criminal cases, he found his ass here.
"Does the world hate me that much?..." I covered my face with my hands. This shit ain't it.
[GACHA SYSTEM ONLINE]- ]
Analyzing Host…
- Detecting Cognitive Collapse…
- Rewarding Roll for Existential Dread…
[Would you like to roll?]
"What in the… A gacha system?"
My face is now closer to crying than before.
Really? REALLY? A damn gacha of all things?! Have you seen my fucking luck with these types of games, I'm shit at it even though it is luck-based! I somehow become bad at playing games that don't require skills! Fucking hell…
"Are you real?" I remove my hands to look at the floating screen, smudging my face, "You know what? Who cares if you are or not, just distract me for a bit, "Dread and Misery is a damn good couple you know that?
"Yes I would like to roll." I said in low-tone, making sure no guard heard me.
[...]
I saw the screen turned into a single slot machine, making me feel insulted even more. However, I paid no mind as I'm genuinely curious as to what I'll get, even if it's not real.
The spinning stops, and I barely have enough time to react before the screen lights up.
[You have received: Sandevistan (Modified)]
Wait what!?! –
I felt a burning sensation on my back, and inside my implant – wriggling inside my flesh. Barely even gritting my teeth in response to the sudden pain, it stopped. Like time itself held its breath, and in that moment something ripped out my spine and was replaced with something… New.
[Cybernetic Implant: A Military-grade Sandevistan, improving reflexes and speed beyond normal human limits. Modifications detected—superior to baseline Split Jaw cybernetics.]
My back felt heavier.
"It's real," it's fucking legit. I don't know, if I want to smile or convulse in shock, maybe I'll do both, " Sendavistan… it's not ideal, but I'll work with it."
Certainly much better than malfunctioning, second-rate, excuse of an implant. At Least I could actually move and perceive like a speedster.
This changes things… not the Cyberpunk implant, but the gacha system. Ignoring my attitude of it, I cannot deny the absolute necessity it gives for my survival in this world. I mean that I cannot be weak, because I could gain powers – it's random, but I could do it nonetheless and that's all that matters to me.
With a power like this, it's impossible to stay weak.
I could do things, change things. Maybe not now, but I have faith it will be soon. Maybe if I gain enough strength I could help the guardians defeat Omni-man, and try to talk him – redirect his purpose to what his heart truly believes in. I could intervene in Teen Teams fight, giving them a much higher advantage than canon. Like the Lizard League debacle, they come out of that conflict and battered and lesser in numbers, but with more around maybe… just maybe, I could change the fate of the people of this world.
But first I need to escape.
And I already have a plan for that.
…
..
.
Split Jaw, or John, collapsed into the ground. His body convulsing, and his back glowing with sparks of electricity. He squirm on the ground, faking a short-circuit of his implant and his acting nigh-perfect even I could be a fool with it.
And the ones watching on the security feed is no different. The observer gulped down his cup of coffee, as he saw Split Jaw thresh on the ground. He calls the other, while pressing down on the microphone button.
"Shit. Is he dead?"
"His spine was acting up. Maybe it finally fried him."
"We should check."
John hears the door slide open, and two footsteps. Double guards went inside, their weapons pointed at him; safety on. They cautiously approached his body, and John counted their distance mentally.
'Just a little more.' He didn't move
One guard kneeled down, reaching for his wrist. And John acted immediately.
In an instant, the circuits of the Sandevistan ignited - firing electrical signals throughout his body and his brain.
Time slowed, and the world turned green.
His body surged upright, hands snapping towards the guards throat before the man could register his movement. A precise strike knocks the prison guard unconscious.
The world snapped back to its normal pace like a whip.
John's eyes widened in shock; he lacked control!
The kneeling guard falled down, and the other registered and pointed the futuristic rifle at him.
"WHAT THE FUCK!!" He shouted, and his finger pulled to the trigger
John tightens his face, forcibly reactivating the Sandevastan. The world slowed once more, and John dodge the encroaching plasma shot towards him. He twisted his body as he approached the guard, and a precise elbow attack met the guard's temple knocking him out.
John blitzed out of the cell, and bolted across the hallway. John's afterimages followed him as ascends towards the exit.
The slowpitch of alarm sound came in too late, as John moved like a green blur throughout the underground.
He eventually finds the exit hatch.
Time snapped back to its former pace, and returned once more as John sent a barrage of punches that ripped the skin of his knuckles but slowly dented, and subsequently tore the hatch open. Revealing the stars of the night sky.
The world's slow tempo shattered like glass, as John took in the outside air.
His hand is bleeding, but the adrenaline numbs the pain.
"I'm free," A smile forms on his scared face. He looks onto the city, and that smile disappears remembering the suffering this city will face in the future…
The ground shook, and the mechanics of the turrets being deployed resonated in the desert air. The weapons turned their heads in his direction, their laser honing onto him.
"Can't celebrate too early, " he said, and the world convulsed into green. John watched as the turrets charged their initial shot slowly, and without waiting anymore pushed the Sendevastan to full throttle.
John weaves through the plasma shot, as he blitz towards the city. His afterimages followed like an animation frame, and his speed leaves a large dust cloud behind him.
He eventually stopped when he reached the outskirts of the city road. He rests momentarily, as his heart beats like a broken drum. It's already taking a toll on his body, but John could not afford the privilege of stopping for long. The GDA probably already deployed a manhunt, so he needs to hide.
"What the, who in the bloody hell are you?!" John's eyes widened as he heard a voice behind him.
He turned and saw a chubby man carrying a pack of bear in his hand. John took in a deep breath
"You saw nothing-"
John's speed exploded, and flee the scene immediately. Leaving the man behind the dust….
"Was that a met- Hey, my beer!"
And no beer.
John held the pack tight, "Can't deny a free drink."
The augmented man reached and entered an under-construction building, he decided this will be a perfect hiding spot for the night.
]
Analyzing Host…
- Detecting physical strain …
- Rewarding Roll for a successful Jail break…
[Would you like to roll?]
"Yes." John crawled on the concrete floor, resting on a dark cranny of the corner.
[You have received: Total Concentration Breathing]
Before he could react to the effects, John fell unconscious due to immense fatigue and strain.