The sewer was shrouded in darkness, illuminated only by a few flickering candles. Water dripped from the ceiling, each drop landing on the forehead of a naked man sprawled on the cold ground. The steady rhythm of the droplets finally stirred him.
He awoke with a jolt, sitting upright and wiping the water from his face. His fingers brushed over unfamiliar features, sharp cheekbones, a lean jaw.
"Ugh, what happened?" His voice echoed in the damp tunnel as he stood. His gaze dropped to his body, and he frowned. "Why am I naked?"
He scanned the dim space, then froze as he took in his unfamiliar form, the lean build, the strange proportions. His hand drifted downward. 'This isn't my… And why am I not fat?'
"Did I get kidnapped or something?" he muttered, his voice tinged with confusion.
In the shadows, something caught his eye, a strange, gooey mass.
"What the hell is that?" he said, squinting at the puddle. His reflection stared back from the water's surface, and he froze. 'Who's that?' He touched his face, shock coursing through him. "Did someone perform surgery on me?"
The thought didn't add up. 'My whole body is different. This doesn't make sense.'
Scratching his head, he grappled with the impossible situation. The longer he stayed, the more unease crept in.
His eyes darted around until they landed on a book resting on a nearby table. He approached cautiously and opened it. The pages were filled with notes, detailed profiles of various people, as if someone were studying them, trying to become them. His discomfort grew as he read names and personal details.
'Is there something about me?' He flipped through the pages, heart pounding, until he reached the final entry: Zach Warren and his girlfriend, Emily. His name wasn't there. He sighed in relief and closed the book, pushing it from his mind.
"This doesn't make a lick of sense," he muttered, frustration mounting. 'How did I get here?'
"Last thing I remember, I fell asleep. Did someone knock me out and kidnap me?" He exhaled sharply, his breath visible in the cold air.
Itching uncomfortably, he scratched his left arm too hard. Pain surged as a patch of skin tore away.
"What the—?!" He stared in shock as the skin hung loosely. Panic set in, but then he watched, wide-eyed, as the torn flesh fell to the ground, dissolving into the same gooey mass he'd seen earlier. When he looked back at his arm, the wound was already healing, new skin knitting over the raw patch.
"What?" he whispered, stunned. "Do I have powers? Am I a mutant?"
Excitement bubbled up. For a fiction lover like him, this felt like a wish granted. Then a wild thought hit him. 'Did I transmigrate?' It was the only explanation that made sense in a world where powers like this didn't exist.
"Regeneration, huh? Interesting." He grinned. "Maybe I can sprout claws like Wolverine."
"Let's try." He clenched his fist, imagining three bone claws emerging like Wolverine's. Pain shot through his forearm as something shifted beneath his skin, pushing toward his knuckles. He gritted his teeth as the jagged, sharp claws pierced through his flesh.
"Hell yeah!" he gasped, staring at the claws. "This is real. I've got powers!"
Eager to test them, he slashed at the wall with all his strength, leaving faint scratch marks. Disappointed, he retracted the claws, wincing as they slid back into his forearms.
"That hurts," he hissed, checking his knuckles. The wounds were healing, but slowly. 'My regeneration isn't that strong. I need to be cautious. Maybe I'm some failed Wolverine experiment.'
"I'm probably in the Marvel universe," he reasoned. "But just to be sure, I need to check the internet."
He couldn't exactly stroll out naked. Searching the room, he found a set of clothes and a wallet stuffed with cash. He dressed quickly, pocketing the money. A knife lay nearby, but he ignored it, his claws were weapon enough.
As he made his way through the sewer, he passed more gooey masses. "This body must've been regenerating a lot," he muttered, grimacing. "Still disgusting."
Shaking his head, he pressed on, searching for an exit. A loud noise echoed from above, and he spotted a ladder. Breathing a sigh of relief, he climbed up, pushed the manhole cover aside, and emerged into the open air.
He grinned, taking in his surroundings. "I'm out." Closing the manhole, he looked around, ready to figure out where and who he was.
He glanced around, exhaling sharply, and kept walking, desperate to learn more about his bizarre situation.
Spotting a woman passing by, he flagged her down. "Excuse me, can I ask a few questions? I'm a bit lost," he said, adopting a pitiful tone.
"Okay…" She eyed him warily but nodded, willing to help.
"What year is it? And where are we?" he asked.
"It's 2005, and this is St. Louis," she replied.
His face fell. 2005? Damn, the internet's barely a thing unless this is Marvel. "Does the name Tony Stark ring a bell?" he ventured.
She scrunched her nose, puzzled. "Why would you mention a comic book character all of a sudden?"
"Huh? He doesn't exist? What about Bruce Wayne?" he pressed.
"They're both comic book characters. They don't exist," she said, her confusion growing. "Why are you asking about comic book characters?"
"It's nothing. Thanks for answering my questions," he said, dodging her curiosity.
"You're welcome." Shaking her head, she walked off, clearly baffled by the encounter.
'What the hell kind of world am I in?' He stood frozen, mind reeling. 'This isn't a dream either.' The vivid pain from his claws earlier had already ruled that out, but the thought resurfaced now.
"Seth, what have you gotten yourself into?" he muttered, sighing heavily.
With no clear answers, he resumed walking, hoping to stumble upon something anything that might offer a clue.
After wandering aimlessly, Seth slumped onto a bench, exhausted. He hadn't found a single clue about what kind of world he was in, leaving him utterly clueless about his next move.
'Have I been dropped into a normal world with powers? Maybe,' he thought, staring at the empty street.
"I can't believe this crap," he muttered, shaking his head. 'Other transmigrated people figure out their new world right away. Me? I'm stumbling around like an idiot.' He sighed heavily, frustration weighing on him.