Chapter 3: Rich Kids and New Quests
Sleep was hard to come by my first night in Gotham. It wasn't just the lumpy cot or the throbbing pain in my arm—it was the existential dread of knowing I was in a city where a man dressed as a bat regularly fought a clown.
That, and the fact that my feet wouldn't stop tingling.
"Cant complain though…literally have Mega Man boots," I muttered, flexing my toes for the hundredth time. Every movement felt supercharged, like I was perpetually on the starting blocks of a sprint. It was like drinking ten espressos but only on my legs.
I'd spent half the night in my maintenance room "apartment" experimenting with my new abilities. Blink was straightforward enough, though it took some getting used to.
The dash boots were trickier. In the tight confines of the maintenance room, even a short burst of speed sent me crashing into something. I'd finally cleared a small practice area by pushing the cot against one wall, but all I'd managed was to confirm that yes, I could run three times faster than normal, and yes, I could run a few steps up a vertical surface before gravity remembered I existed.
"Great for escaping," I'd told myself. "Terrible for not drawing attention, but with time and more gatcha…"
When morning finally came, I checked my phone out of habit—still no signal, obviously—then accessed the system clock.
9:32 AM.
The Gotham Academy scholarship ceremony was at noon. I had time to get cleaned up, find something to eat, and make my way across town. Without using my abilities, if possible. Nothing says "please investigate me, Batman" like a teenager blinking between rooftops or running up walls in broad daylight.
I took stock of my meager possessions: forty dollars, my useless phone, keys to an apartment in another dimension, and a handkerchief with mushroom patterns that made me feel "slightly more dapper." The system had at least been honest about that last part—I'd tried it, and yes, I did feel about 2% more dapper. Which was still 98% less dapper than I needed to be to blend in at Gotham Academy.
My arm needed attention. The makeshift bandage from my torn shirt had stopped the bleeding, but the cut needed cleaning. I'd have to find a pharmacy or convenience store on my way.
Before heading out, I checked my daily quests.
[DAILY QUESTS] [• PRACTICE BLINK 50 TIMES (REWARD: PRECISION INCREASE)] [• RUN 5 MILES USING DASH (REWARD: 1x GACHA TICKET)] [• DEFEAT 5 CRIMINALS (REWARD: 1x UPGRADE TICKET)]
"Still trying to turn me into a vigilante, huh?" I said to the empty room. The system didn't respond.
I also checked the special event quest that had appeared last night.
[SPECIAL EVENT QUEST: OBSERVE GOTHAM ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY] [REWARD: 3x GACHA TICKETS] [CONTAINS FURTHER QUESTLINES]
Three tickets was nothing to sneeze at. If I saved them, plus the daily pull I'd get at midnight, I'd be on my way to the ten needed for a higher quality ticket. Which might give me something more useful than a decorative handkerchief.
With that in mind, I slipped out of my hideout and headed toward the more affluent part of Gotham.
The transformation of Gotham as I walked west was like watching a time-lapse of urban development in reverse. Crumbling buildings gave way to renovated storefronts, which yielded to gleaming high-rises and historical architecture lovingly preserved by people with too much money.
After stopping at a corner store to buy bandages and antiseptic (and a cheap t-shirt to replace my torn one), I found a fast-food place where I could clean up in the bathroom and grab breakfast. Nine dollars poorer but significantly less bloody, I continued toward Gotham Academy.
I'd decided on a simple plan: find a spot where I could observe the ceremony without being seen, complete the quest, get my tickets, and leave without drawing attention. No interaction with Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne, or anyone else who might take an interest in a suspicious teenager lurking around a prestigious school.
The Academy itself was... well, exactly what you'd expect from a place that educated Gotham's elite. Gothic architecture, ivy-covered walls, perfectly manicured grounds that probably cost more to maintain annually than my medical school tuition would have been.
I made my way to a tree-lined area at the edge of the property and found a decent vantage point where I could see the ceremony setup in the main courtyard. Chairs had been arranged in neat rows, with a stage and podium at the front. People were already gathering—men in expensive suits, women in designer dresses, all exuding that unique blend of wealth and self-importance that seemed to be Gotham's main export besides crime.
As I settled in to wait, a new notification appeared.
[MAIN QUEST INITIATED: MEET ALL MEMBERS OF THE TEAM] [REWARD: 1x DIMENSION TRAVEL TICKET] [COMPLETION REQUIREMENT: FORMALLY MEET EACH MEMBER OF THE YOUNG JUSTICE TEAM] [CURRENT PROGRESS: 0/6] [• ROBIN/DICK GRAYSON: NOT MET] [• KID FLASH/WALLY WEST: NOT MET] [• AQUALAD/KALDUR'AHM: NOT MET] [• SUPERBOY/CONNER KENT: NOT YET EXISTING] [• MISS MARTIAN/M'GANN M'ORZZ: NOT ON EARTH] [• ARTEMIS/ARTEMIS CROCK: NOT ACTIVE]
"Are you serious right now?" I whispered. "Half of them don't even exist as heroes yet!"
But the potential reward caught my attention. A special dimension travel ticket—the exact thing I needed to start finding my way home. Meeting the entire Young Justice team would be challenging, especially since some of them weren't even active heroes yet, but at least it gave me a concrete goal.
Plus, the system acknowledged that Superboy didn't exist yet and Miss Martian wasn't on Earth, which confirmed my timeline placement—about a year before the Cadmus incident. That meant I had time to prepare, to figure out how to approach each team member when they did show up.
The ceremony began precisely at noon. Bruce Wayne himself took the stage, looking every bit the billionaire playboy philanthropist. It was surreal seeing him in person, knowing that beneath the charming smile and tailored suit was Batman. The World's Greatest Detective. The man who could probably tell I didn't belong here with a single glance.
Beside him sat a dark-haired boy who could only be Dick Grayson. Even from a distance, I could see he carried himself differently from the other kids—a bit too alert, a bit too controlled. The first Robin, already active as a crime-fighter despite being what, thirteen?
As Bruce began speaking about the Wayne Foundation's commitment to education, I found myself wondering what my plan was, exactly. I'd completed the observation part of the quest, but "contains further questlines" suggested there was more to it. Would the system expect me to interact with Dick Grayson? That seemed like a monumentally bad idea. The last thing I needed was to be on Batman's radar.
I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice the security guard until he was practically on top of me.
"Excuse me, young man," said a stern voice. "This is private property."
I turned to find a tall, broad-shouldered man in a Gotham Academy security uniform looking down at me with suspicion.
"Oh, sorry," I said, putting on my best innocent smile. "I was just watching the ceremony. I'm interested in applying for a scholarship next year." The lie came easily, though I wasn't sure how convincing a sixteen-year-old Afghan kid with a cheap t-shirt and no student ID would be.
The guard wasn't buying it. "The application process doesn't involve trespassing. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"Of course, no problem," I said, rising to my feet. "I'll go right now."
[OPPORTUNITY: APPROACH DICK GRAYSON DURING CEREMONY DISRUPTION] [WARNING: MAY ATTRACT UNWANTED ATTENTION]
I ignored the system prompt. There was no way I was going to risk approaching Dick Grayson with Bruce Wayne right there. That was practically begging for a Bat-interrogation.
The guard's hand moved to his radio. "I'll need to see some ID first."
And there it was—the complication I'd been dreading. I had no valid ID in this universe. Worse, if they ran my name through any system, there would be no record of me.
"Actually," I said, backing away slightly, "I just remembered I have an appointment. I really should go."
"Hold it," the guard said, his tone hardening. "I need you to come with me to the security office."
My eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. I could blink away, but using my abilities in front of witnesses was exactly what I was trying to avoid. I could try to run normally, but the guard looked fit, and there were probably others patrolling the grounds.
Before I could decide, another notification appeared.
[QUEST UPDATE: OBSERVE GOTHAM ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY] [OBJECTIVE COMPLETE] [NEW OBJECTIVE: ESCAPE WITHOUT USING ABILITIES] [REWARD: +1 ABILITY GATCHA TICKET]
Four tickets instead of three if I escaped without using my powers? That seemed worth it—plus, it would keep my abilities secret.
"Look," I said, raising my hands placatingly, "there's been a misunderstanding. I'll just leave, and we can forget this happened."
The guard reached for my arm. "That's not how this works."
I sidestepped, backing toward the street. "I'm not looking for trouble."
"Then stop acting suspicious," he countered, advancing on me.
I turned and walked quickly toward the main road, trying not to look like I was fleeing. The guard followed, his footsteps heavy behind me.
"Stop right there!" he called, loud enough to draw attention from people nearby.
I broke into a jog, then a run—still keeping my pace human-normal. The guard gave chase, speaking rapidly into his radio. Great. Now I'd have multiple security guards after me and if I start my Vigilantism Batman is gonna immediately suspect the guy with no background who ran at Dick's ceremony.
As I reached the street, I glanced back and saw two more guards emerging from the academy gates. Time to get creative.
I darted across the street, narrowly avoiding a taxi, and ducked into an alley between two buildings. The moment I was out of sight, I sprinted normally—not using my dash ability—to the other end, emerged onto a different street, and immediately slowed to a casual walk.
I turned another corner, then another, putting distance between us without looking like I was running away.
After about ten minutes of this strategic retreating, I found myself in a small park several blocks from the academy. No sign of pursuit.
[QUEST UPDATE: ESCAPE WITHOUT USING ABILITIES] [OBJECTIVE COMPLETE] [REWARD: 3x GACHA TICKETS ACQUIRED 1 ABILITY GACHA TICKET ACQUIRED]
The tickets materialized in my inventory—four glowing, pixelated slips with cryptic symbols on them.
"Nice," I murmured. Now I had five tickets total, halfway to a higher quality pull.
I was about to check my map for the quickest route back to my hideout when another notification appeared.
[NEW QUEST: INVESTIGATE SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY NEAR DIXON DOCKS] [REWARD: 2x GACHA TICKETS + INFORMATION ABOUT DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL] [WARNING: MODERATE DANGER LEVEL]
Information about dimensional travel? That caught my attention.
But "moderate danger level" didn't sound great, especially in Gotham. In this city, "moderate danger" probably meant "armed thugs working for a supervillain."
Still, seven tickets plus information about getting home... that was tempting.
As I weighed my options, I realized I'd wandered into a less savory part of town. The neat storefronts and clean streets had given way to shuttered businesses and graffiti-covered walls. A group of rough-looking men stood on a corner ahead, eyeing me with predatory interest.
One of them nudged another and nodded in my direction. They started moving toward me, spreading out slightly to block potential escape routes.
[COMBAT SITUATION IMMINENT] [OPPORTUNITY: DEFEAT 5 CRIMINALS QUEST CAN BE COMPLETED] [REWARD: 1x UPGRADE TICKET]
Five criminals... and there were five men approaching me. The system had a sick sense of humor.
I could run—with my dash boots, I could easily outpace them. I could blink away to safety. But part of me wondered if this was inevitable. I needed that upgrade ticket if I wanted better abilities. I needed better abilities if I wanted to survive in this world long enough to find a way home.
Plus, these weren't innocent people. The way they moved—these were predators looking for easy prey.It didn't help that they looked cartoonishly evil
As they drew closer, I made my decision. I wouldn't use my abilities unless absolutely necessary. I'd try to talk my way out first. But if they attacked...
"Hey, kid," called the largest of the group, a burly man with a scarred face. "You lost? This ain't a good neighborhood for sightseeing."
"Just passing through," I replied, keeping my voice neutral while subtly shifting my stance. The endurance boost from yesterday's push-ups left me feeling stronger than I expected.
The men exchanged glances, communicating silently in that way that told me they'd done this before.
"Thing is," said Scarface, "there's a toll for passing through our street."
"I don't have any money," I lied, not wanting to give up my remaining thirty dollars.
One of the others, a wiry man with tattooed arms, snickered. "Everyone's got something worth taking."
They moved in closer, forming a loose circle around me. Five against one. In my old body, I might have been worried. But now I had abilities they couldn't anticipate.
"Last chance to walk away," I said, surprised by the calm in my voice.
Scarface laughed. "You hear this kid? Thinks he's tough."
He reached for me—and the fight began.
[A/N: I feel like the system is too noisy, might tone him down. Also fight scene incoming....]