On a hot summer's day, in America, a man typed away at his keyboard. He was a man of European descent, with a white complexion to match, though it was slightly tanned due to the nature of his work. He held an average build with a hint of muscle lining his body. His brown hair was disheveled, and his cool blue eyes held interest as they peered onto the screen.
The screen held a blue text box. It read 'You've been invited to the MRE group chat, would you like to join? Yes/No.'
"What the hell?" He said as he attempted to click off the box. "Is this some sort of Ad?" Noticing that his attempts to close the ad ended in failure, he begrudgingly decided to humor the potential Malware.
"Fuck it. I was going to throw out this pile of crap anyways."
He clicked 'yes.'
A new text box opened, replacing the old one. 'As the first participant to accept, you have been given Moderator privileges within the group chat. You will also be given a special reward. You will be given an additional cheat ability of your choice and the choice of world for your reincarnation.'
"What?"
The computer before him dissipated and turned into light green particles made up of numbers and random characters, ranging from Greek to Wingdings and several he did not know.
From behind the computer, the walls around him began to dissipate in the same manner. Surrounding him is a green text and characters as he ascends into another realm.
-----------------------------
As the characters begin to fade into darkness, he is enveloped in darkness. That is, until an oddly familiar mechanical, but feminine voice is heard throughout the area.
"Now then, you will be given the normal reincarnation package. Reincarnated into another world along with a random 'cheat ability.' Due to your special reward, you will be given an additional ability of your choice and get to choose your world of reincarnation."
'There doesn't seem to be anyone around here,' He thought. 'Hmmm… I should ask how the reincarnation thing works, that and how this group thing works too…'
"As stated before, you will be placed into another world. All parties will join the group chat when all recipients have either accepted or declined the invitation. Until then, you will be given free rein in the world you have chosen."
"I think get what you're going for then." He spoke out loud to the voice above, realizing that it could read his thoughts.
"What am I getting for my cheat ability then?"
As he spoke, a giant wheel appeared in front of him. The wheel had an uncountable number of different options. The ones he could read ranged from the Goku template to the below-average running speed. A box under it read, 'Spin yes/no?'
"If I get something I don't like, could I refuse it?"
"No. But you can sell it within the shop for the appropriate amount of points."
"There's a shop?"
"Yes. You will be given the option to sell anything that you acquire. When you have gained enough cumulative points, you will be given access to higher tiers of purchasable goods."
"I get the jest then. This means I'll get an inventory?"
"Yes."
'Neat,' I press yes to the spin button.
As the options spin by, I see an unbelievable number of cool abilities pass by. But as the ticker slows, it slowly begins to stop. My eyes begin to bulge as it moves onto Gojo's limitless. Only land on one next to it.
"Dam-!" My yell of disappointment was cut short as I read what it landed on.
'The Flood: Gravemind'
"HAHAHAHAHAHA," I begin to laugh to myself, uncaring about how I appear. "So, it's gonna be like that, eh?" I continue to laugh as my stomach begins to hurt.
A blue text box appears before me, reading this: 'Do you accept? Yes/No.'
I click yes immediately. Looks like I'll be playing the villain this life.
A new box appeared, named inventory, with a single item in it. The item was labeled '[The Flood: Gravemind]'. Its description brought a funny smile to my face.
[Description:
The Gravemind, known in Latin as Inferi sententia or "Thinking Dead," and occasionally called the Ancient One, represents the apex of the Flood's evolution in the Halo universe. This compound intelligence embodies the collective consciousness of the entire Flood species, emerging when the parasite advances to the Coordinated Stage.
While the Gravemind's presence permeates all Flood forms, it is most prominently manifested in specialized processing nodes composed of amassed Flood biomatter, referred to as key minds. These key minds function as hubs for the Gravemind's intelligence, coordinating the actions of the Flood across vast regions. The complexity and capabilities of the Gravemind are directly influenced by the size and number of these key minds. At the zenith of a Flood outbreak, the proliferation of key minds can lead to the assimilation of entire planetary ecosystems, effectively engulfing worlds in the Flood's grasp.
In essence, the Gravemind serves as the central intelligence of the Flood, orchestrating its expansion and adaptation through the integration of countless minds and forms.]
[The user becomes The Gravemind.]
[The user's body mass acts as their beginning keymind.]
[The user's body is will now be entirely made of flood super cells.]
[The user's consciousness is shared through all flood cells via neuralphysics. The user's consciousness lies within a higher plane of existence.]
[Due to the user's status as Gravemind, they will be able to mold their cells into any shape they wish. When the user gains access to new DNA, they can add it to their cell memory and use it at will.]
[Use: Yes/No]
'It seems like I can choose to use this ability whenever I want. Good to know, I suppose.'
Hmmm… How evil am I? Hmmm…
I click use.
"This cheat ability I can choose, can I make edits to it?"
"Yes. Due to the nature of the ability, it is your choice to make. Whether or not it resembles one from fiction is up to the user. It must be one singular ability."
'hehehe'
After a moment of thought, I got an idea.
"Could I use Kamui from Naruto as a base for my ability?"
The mechanical voice from above answered. "Yes. Bear in mind that the ability 'Kamui' originates from the power granted by the Uchiha Mangekyō Sharingan."
"Yes, yes, I know. Here are my edits. First, I will not require the use of Chakra to perform any powers from this ability. Second, it shall be an innate power, not reliant on my eyes, and with unlimited use and no drawback. Third, the Kamui Dimension shall be a space that I have full dominion over."
The voice was silent for a moment.
"Acknowledged. Ability undergoing categorization… Created."
A new item appeared in my inventory.
[Custom Kamui]
[Description:
Kamui is a powerful space–time ability, enabling users to transport objects or themselves to and from a unique, inescapable dimension known as the Kamui dimension. This technique manifests in two primary forms:
Short-Range Kamui: Allows the user to teleport themselves or objects they touch into the Kamui dimension. Additionally, it grants intangibility by shifting parts of the user's body into the dimension, letting attacks pass through them.
Long-Range Kamui: Enables the user to warp distant targets into the Kamui dimension without physical contact, making it effective for both offense and defense.
Once inside the Kamui dimension, targets are completely isolated; their signatures become undetectable, making escape nearly impossible without Kamui. The Kamui dimension can be changed and manipulated at the user's discretion.
When both forms are used together, the capabilities of Kamui are enhanced, allowing for advanced techniques like Kamui Shuriken and complete Susanoo integration.]
'Fair enough. I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.'
Looking back at my fantastic abilities, I start thinking of worlds I wish to conquer. Currently, I think the world of 'invincible' seems like the best option.
'Relatively easy hurdles for becoming a god and an interesting universe to play around in. Not to mention that it has its own multiverse. Sure, why not.'
"Alright! I'll be going with the world of Invincible!"
"Acknowledge… Transferring…"
And like that, my vision was gone.
-----------------------------
I blinked, and I now stared at a ceiling I didn't recognize. I felt a blanket covering my body. Removing it, I saw that this was, in fact, not my room.
[MRE Group Chat system activating]
[Chat function entering standby]
Looking around, memories not my own flooded into my head.
'An orphan, eh? Kinda cliché, but that checks out. Looks like I got bought by the GDA a few months ago when they found that I had regeneration abilities. 16 seems pretty late to buy a kid, but then again, it seems like they were mainly playing the parental guardian role.'
My new memories showed me that they were training me up for a new superhero group they decided to sponsor, the Teen Team. Part of their adoption and the emancipation deal I signed.
'I can work with this.'
'System'
Looking into my inventory, I can see that [Custom Kamui] is still there. I still need to activate it. I'll wait for a good moment.
For some reason, the system decided that my pre-self could access a portion of my abilities. Namely, the fact that I can control my cells to repair themselves. That's all I could do. Judging by the fact that I do not feel any of my cells being out of my body, meaning that they haven't run any experiments yet.
'Odd. How careless of them... For now, I play into the whole cell manipulation thing. I have 2 check boxes I need to cross off in order to become invincible. And not just in name. The bodies of Dupli-Kate and Atom-Eve'
An evil grin stretches across my face.
My room is pretty bare. Blue painted walls, a bed, a night stand, a dresser, and a TV with a console. I also had a shelf of multiple books about biology and some comics like séance dog. I get out of bed and walk into the bathroom, taking a good look at my new body. Looks like I'm the same here. Same looks, same build.
'Let's try this.'
Opening my mouth and getting a clear view of my tongue, I begin to manipulate it.
My pinkish-red tongue splits in half, spurting out in blood onto my mirror. I quickly cover my mouth with my hand, trying to stop the blood from leaving my mouth. Yelling with my damaged tongue.
"FOCK!"
'Holy Hell, that hurts! I can't even describe it. Damnit!'
Focusing on my tongue, I push the cells in my mouth to reproduce and repair at an alarming rate. In a moment, I let go of my mouth, and my tongue was repaired.
'I can feel my blood on the mirror. Its likes my fucking head is being split into multiple sections. Like I'm feeling the cells individually. I've got to stop this for a second.'
In a moment of pain and confusion, an idea came to me: What if…
Using my control of the flood super cell, I command my blood to degenerate on the lowest level I can access. Down to the individual cells. I can feel the blood, losing its connection to me. No longer connected through neuralphysics, dissipating in the air.
I hear a loud banging at the door.
"Hey Kid! You alright!" I hear the man on the other side. He's the agent sent to look after me before I get assigned to the Teen Team in a few days. His name is Agent Tim. He likes this world's anime.
'I have an idea.'
"I am alright! I think I found something out!" I yell to him as I approach the door.
With his persistent banging over with, I open the door. Revealing the guy dresses like he's from Men in black, black glasses and all. He has curly blond, and a lean build. At least half a foot taller than me—I am about 5,9 at this age.
"Kaleb, are you hurt anywhere? It sounded like you got stabbed." The worry in his words was evident.
"Yeah. I had a strange dream where I was made of rubber. It gave me an idea when I woke up, and somehow I split my tongue open. Fucking hurt."
He pulls down his black glasses to look me in the eye. He showed his bright green eyes that held a bit of skepticism.
"Look," I say, holding up my hand. I focus on my pointer finger, playing up the stress and focus I am using.
After a moment, my finger begins to slowly spin unnaturally, cracking loudly. I visibly wince in pain, this does actually hurt quite a bit.
Agent Tim recoils at this. "Hey, stop for now, we need to run this by command so they can give you a check-up.
"Wait! Let me try something first."
With actual focus, I begin to change my nerves, specifically the pain receptors. For now, I will be keeping them turned down. Way down.
A moment later, I start to play it up again, shaking my arm and then the rest of my body. About a minute later, I stop, heavily panting.
"Alright! Look!"
This time, I command my arm to spin. It still cracks unnaturally as my bones and ligaments reshape and move. Only now it just feels like my arm went numb.
"I turned off my pain receptors."
He looks at me, dumbfounded for a bit. He sighs before shaking his head. "Let's just get going."
"Oookay," I say, returning my arm to normal.
'What can I say, I am a pretty good actor. Though it's mainly half-truths.'
As we walk down the halls—I currently live in a government facility—we make our way to the med bay for my check-up. Oddly, it's a simple physical with a blood sample at the end. I made sure to make my flood cells deform and form into normal cells. I keep my presence within them completely undetected.
'Gotta say, lore accurate Gravemind control over cells is terrifying.'
As the day turns to night, I am given time to rest and retire to my quarters. To be honest, I am a bit surprised by how the GDA is treating me. I'll have to look into it, maybe this is how they curry favor with the hero community.
I take a seat on my bed and cross my legs in an attempt to 'meditate.' My pre-self would meditate after long bouts of exercise and study to help retain knowledge. What I am actually doing is scrolling through the shop.
A blue text box appears like before, only this time in front of me rather than on a computer screen.
At the moment, my inventory does have a space limit. Inside, I find three categories: storage, ability, and familiar. I seem to have a storage weight limit of 2,000 lbs, an ability storage of 30, and a familiar limit of 5. Seeing as my Gravemind ability doesn't appear in the ability storage list, that must mean that used abilities leave storage.
Taking a closer look, I see that at the top of the blue screen, there is bolded text. 'Status. Store. Chat. Mission.'
Chat and Mission are currently shaded grey, and I can't seem to access them. What I can access is the shop.
A new window pops up, this time it's purple. Before me is what seems to be Amazon?
'What the hell?'
Looking through the search bar, I can see a section for abilities. Clicking on 'Hot,' I am given a selection of pretty much infinite abilities, and of course, at the top is Limitless and Gear 5. Not far after is Wolverine's regeneration and Kryptonian DNA.
'Fucking hell those are expensive. The Kryptonian DNA can only be bought by tier ten shoppers. And the price is 5 billion credits. The System admins didn't give me any credits.'
Letting my mind wander for a bit, an idea comes to mind. I look through the mech section and make use of the handy filter button. I filter for Armored Core 6 items.
The hottest item seems to be an assembly bay. It costs 100,000 credits and Tier three. The description says it acts like a pocket dimension in which I can enter and store mechs. The bay's main use is for mechs from the Armored Core selection, but modifications can be made to accept different sizes. It also says in big bold letters, 'PARTS NOT INCLUDED.' Figured
I look forward to seeing it has additional offerings. 'Assembly Bay + Small Mech Adaptability: 150,000 credits, Assembly Bay + Large Mech Adaptability: 250,000 credits, All size Assembly Bay: 300,000 credits, Assembly Bay Ultimate Edition: 1,000,000 credits.'
The titles are a bit self-explanatory, that is, except for the ultimate edition. Clicking on that brings me to the description page.
The description is the same, with one main difference. Only this one comes with all parts from the Armored Core 6 selection and infinite power while within the Assembly. It's also tier four.
'Neat. Might just get this later.'
I go back to the search section and type in Coral.
A few things pop up, like C weapons and some generators. What really gets my attention are the familiars. Ayre and Coral flock.
Ayre is from Armored Core 6, and the Coral flock says it is a flock of Coral that will gain sentience once the user summons them for the first time. Ayre is 100,000 credits, and the Coral flock is 50,000. Both are tier three.
I look and see I am tier zero at the moment.
'Looks like I'll have to add Coral to my checklist. But I'll take a look at my status screen before going to bed.'
Pressing the Status button, a new screen pops up. It is just an overview of my person; it shows me a 3D projection of myself, and I can move it around to get a good look at myself. It also lists off my current abilities. I don't seem to have any actual stats like strength or HP, no mana either.
My flood abilities are laid out along with my Gravemind and Keymind stuff. There's also a section called Neuralphysics that only has the phrase 'Gravemind consciousness.'
With that, I decide to rest. Lying down, I realize something: I don't need sleep.
'Fuck it I'll sleep tonight and figure out things in the morning.'
The next few days move by quickly. Applying my newfound knowledge of biology, gained from my pre-self, and my intrinsic control over my cells, forming constructs from my body is quite simple.
The GDA has decided I am ready to join the Teen Team.
------------------------
Standing in front of the Teen Team entrance, I took a few deep breaths. Before I slapped my face to calm down. I slapped with enough force to turn my cheeks red, but in an instant, the redness left me.
Moving the backpack I held into a more comfortable position, I began to think of how to approach this. I showed up in a tracksuit. My 'Hero suit' is a bit special after all.
'Alright… I got this.'
Staying up at night to prepare might be detrimental to some, but not to me.
I bring my hand up to the metal door and ring the bell. The intercom lit up before a mechanical voice spoke; this one was male in tone.
"You are Reform, yes?" his voice was cold like metal, but I could tell there was some intrigue in there.
"The very same!" My voice was a bit chipper than usual. Probably because I finally get to see what these guys look like in the flesh—pun intended.
A small smirk comes to my face before I put it away. I'll have to play cool with this, I am in this for the long con. If my suspicion is correct, I'll need to find Kate zero and find a way for Eve to physically accept my intrusion. Viltrumites will come sooner or later, and then everything will fall like dominoes.
"Good. You are half an hour early. I will be at the door in one minute and thirty-two seconds."
Out of curiosity, I pull out my phone to time him.
The door opens, revealing what seems to be a humanoid robot. He had a rust color, and lime green glowed from his orifices and joints. His frame stood about 6 feet.
'Hmmm… on the dot.'
I quickly put my phone away. "A minute thirty-two on the mark." Giving him an impish smile. "Good to know my new boss is a man of his word."
His response was short. "Yes… I will call the others, it may take a few moments before they arrive."
The man before me was quite literally a robot. Or a drone, if I am not wrong. Though he could count as a prosthetic if we want to get technical. Holding out my hand, the cyborg in front of me looks at my hand for a minute.
He shakes my hand. I feel the cold metal of his hand against mine.
We walked to a decent-sized meeting area. The interior of the base had a modern metallic theme to it. If some random walked in, they would definitely know this was a secret base.
The place we were going to meet was more of an open space, I think it's some sort of workout area. It's sort of a large arena now that I look at it. They probably want to see my power set. I don't blame them, seeing is believing after all.
"The other members of Teen Team will meet us here," Robot spoke with his usual mechanical tone.
"Aye aye, captain," I say, giving him a two-finger salute.
He returns with a nod, and we wait.
The Teen Team was formed a few months ago with Robot as their team leader. Smart choice.
The GDA saw the good they were doing and decided to let them run, but when I came into play, the GDA decided that it was better for me to join their team rather than play hero on my own. I was operating in the same area.
While Teen Team was their own individual organization, they still had to play by the GDA's rules.
I wasn't going to complain. Especially when it put my main goals within arm's reach.
In an attempt not to seem quiet, I pull up some conversation.
"I have a question, Captain."
His eyes glow green with interest. "Please ask away."
"I know your name is Robot and all, but are you actually a Robot? Are you a cyborg or something? No judgment if you are."
He recoils ever so slightly. He becomes stuck in thought before answering.
"I am… my mind is a specialized AI. My main objective is." The door slammed open.
"Robot! What the hell, man! We agreed that you wouldn't wake Me Up before 10 am Unless It is an Emergency!" A tan-skinned teenager walked in, wearing an orange and yellow hero suit that had a few metallic bars on his waist. He had brown gloves and boots. Orange-tinted googles hung from his neck, not showing any regard for secrecy, and he had his face completely uncovered.
Robot turned its head to answer the boy. "Rex. It is currently 10:29 am."
Rex's reply was a guttural sigh.
"Whatever." He said begrudgingly before sitting down in a chair in the back of the room. He pulled out his phone and started… watching TikTok?
'Can't even avoid it here, can I?'
I decided to walk over and introduce myself.
Standing in front of him, I reach out with my hand. He doesn't acknowledge my presence.
"I'm Reform. Judging by your outfit, you're Rex Splode, right? I've seen you on TV, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
He looks up at me. "So, you're the new guy. Hmmph. Good to see you know about the pecking order! I'm a big deal around here, so you better keep that in mind, newbie!"
The door opened again to reveal the last heroes. "Don't give too much trouble, Rex," Dupli-Kate spoke with a resigned expression, having expected this response from Rex. I put down my hand.
The clone wore her purple skin-tight suit, which had the number 1 symbol on it. It didn't leave much to the imagination, though her more intimate areas were left covered by what I assume to be underwear, it showed all of her curves. Her suit was a mix of light and dark purple, and the number was colored in dark purple and it resided above her breasts.
Her breasts were on the smaller side, but that didn't take away from her proportions as she had a slim figure and thin waist. From here I could see that she had a surprising amount of muscle on her, with her butt has some good definition. I'd say she was a good 5,6 feet tall.
Behind her was Atom-Eve, also in her superhero suit. Eve had a much more shapely figure than Kate, with a bigger bust and butt to match. Her suit, like Kate's, didn't leave much to the imagination, showing off her hourglass figure. She held less visible muscle definition than Kate, but she made up for it with a curvier build.
Atom-Eve's suit was a mix of light and dark pink and had a small cape over her shoulders. Her suit left her legs exposed, and she had calf-high pink boots. Eve looked to be 5,8 foot tall. Like Kate, she had a symbol over her breasts. This one was a female symbol with elections and the nucleus of an atom.
I had to stop the predatory glare that was about to form on my face and smiled instead.
'Now that I've had a good look at everyone, I can say that we're all about the same age. I could be wrong, but I believe Eve was around 17 in season one. I guesstimate that I am probably a year or two before the story starts. Judging that we judging from the differences between Kate and Eve's suits, the universe may be a mix between the show and comic continuity. It should have been a bit clearer which version I wanted. Oh well.'
"What are you, my Mom!" Rex responded in his childish manner.
Robot walked towards us as he spoke. "Good, now that we are all here. I would like to introduce Reform. Our newest member."
Looking around, I bring my hand up in a still wave. "Nice to meet you all! I've seen all of your work, especially what you all can do together. I hope I can add to the team."
Kate and Eve both look at me with a raised eyebrow, and they share a look. Even walks forward and smiles.
"I'm Atom-Eve. I look forward to working with you." She extends her gloved hand as we form a handshake.
Kate follows up with her own greeting. "It's nice to meet you."
Robot sees that we finished up with introductions and decided to move on. "Now then. Reform, while we have been given a rundown of your abilities, could you provide us with an illustration?"
I move back about ten paces, leaving enough room between us.
'The trick is to appear as if I actually care about their safety. Be heroic and so on.'
Taking off my backpack, I place it onto the ground, and as it touches the floor, it makes a heavy, metallic thud.
"I have what you would call super regeneration. Oh, none of you are squeamish, right?"
Kate responds with a "no." The robot shakes his head with a no. "Not particularly," said Eve. Rex, still tired and abrasive, spoke with less care. "Get on with it already."
"Very well," I say with a shrug. I pull out a pocketknife and stab my hand with a knife. I can see their eyes open in shock, barring Robot.
Pulling out the knife, I show them the wound, as it quickly stitches itself together. "Now, recently, I found my abilities are more… Hmmm… What's a good word for it… Ah!" I snap my fingers when the word comes to me. "All encompassing when it comes to my cells. I have complete control over every cell in my body."
I put away the knife, slipped off my jacket, and let it fall, revealing the white T-shirt beneath. Then I spread my arms wide, palms open to the sky. And I split my arms down the middle, not dropping a single drop of blood or even showing the redness of my flesh. It almost appears that they have always been this way.
Moving around with my extra pair of arms, I grab four pocketknives this time and begin to juggle them.
'Juggling somehow to longer to learn than actually splitting my arms.'
Grabbing the knives from the air, I store them away in my backpack with the arms on my left and pull out a large cylinder with the arms on my right. It weighs about 55 lbs, with 50 pounds being beef.
The cylinder had some gnarly-looking spikes in the back, along with straps to equip it. Placing the cylinder on my back, I stab the spikes into my back.
"This here is a storage tank. It's filled with cooked beef. Ground beef because I can eat it quickly and cooked for sanitation. Using this apparatus, I can add to my biomass and pose a bigger threat to enemies. Now that's not to say I don't already, the idea is that if there's more of me, then there's more to shape."
Bringing my two right arms, I puff out my chest, making room for the bio-matter entering my body from the tank. My two arms combine and start to grow into an arm four times the size, with enlarged muscles, claw-like fingers, and spikes protruding from my knuckles and elbow. I can say this arm is pretty scary-looking.
Pulling my new giant arm into a flex to show its mobility, "Any questions?"
They all look at each other for a minute, and Robot walks forward. "Welcome to Teen Team, Reform."
A grateful smile comes to my face, but on the inside, it is much more malicious.