Chapter 1: The Last Stand-up and the Shocking Revelation
The last thing Adam Stiels saw was a comedian, mid-punchline, sweating under a spotlight. The last thing he heard was the collective gasp of the audience, followed by a sickening crack. He'd been laughing, a genuine, belly-aching guffaw, when the ancient, poorly maintained chandelier above his head decided it had seen enough bad jokes and opted for a dramatic exit. "Well, that's one way to get a standing ovation," he'd thought, a fleeting, morbidly humorous observation as the world went dark.
Then, nothing. Just a vast, echoing void, like the inside of a really, really empty theater. He floated in it, or at least, he felt like he was floating. No pain, no light, just… existential boredom. "Is this the afterlife? Because if it is, it's a lot less exciting than the one they promised in that one episode of 'Supernatural'. Where are the angels? The demons? At least give me a grumpy Dean Winchester to complain about the lack of pie."
Just as the silence was starting to get truly oppressive, a blinding flash of white light tore through the darkness, followed by a sensation akin to being shoved through a very tight, very long, and very brightly lit dryer vent. He tumbled, disoriented, the sound of rushing air filling his ears, until he landed with a soft thud.
"Okay, definitely not the afterlife. Or, if it is, someone needs to seriously redecorate. This looks suspiciously like… a hospital."
He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the sterile white walls and the faint hum of medical equipment. A nurse, bless her soul, was hovering over him, a look of mild concern on her face. "Mr. Stiels? You're awake. How are you feeling?"
Adam's first instinct, as always, was to deflect with humor. "Feeling? Like I just went ten rounds with a particularly enthusiastic washing machine. And then the washing machine won. Also, 'Mr. Stiels'? Did I get a promotion? Last I checked, I was just 'Adam,' a humble connoisseur of questionable life choices and late-night comedy."
The nurse chuckled, a polite, professional sound. "You've been through quite an ordeal, Mr. Stiels. A rather nasty fall. Luckily, no serious injuries, just a concussion and some bruising."
"A fall? Nasty fall? Last I checked, I was getting a free, unscheduled cranial massage from a very heavy light fixture. Unless 'fall' is some new, euphemistic term for 'death by decorative ceiling fixture,' I think there's been a slight miscommunication." He tried to sit up, a dull ache blooming in his head. "So, I'm guessing I'm not in Kansas anymore, Toto? Because this hospital looks suspiciously like something out of a CW show. Is this, like, Starling City Memorial? Because if so, I need to know if Oliver Queen's brooding jawline is going to make a cameo."
The nurse's brow furrowed slightly. "Starling City General, actually. And I'm not familiar with an 'Oliver Queen' in our records."
"Oh, honey. You will be. Trust me. He's like a bad penny, always turning up. Usually with a bow and arrow." Adam's mind raced, the pieces of his absurd new reality clicking into place with terrifying speed. Starling City. Hospital. Arrow S02E08: "The Scientist." The episode where Barry Allen first comes to town. "Holy mother of all plot twists. I've been transmigrated. I'm in the Arrowverse. This is… this is either the best fanfiction ever written, or the universe has a truly twisted sense of humor."
Just as he was processing this, a shimmering, translucent blue screen flickered into existence directly in front of his eyes, visible only to him. It was sleek, minimalist, and looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie.
[WELCOME, HOST: ADAM STIELS][INITIATING LUCK SYSTEM PROTOCOL][DETECTING NEW REALITY: ARROWVERSE – STARLING CITY – PRE-FLASHPOINT TIMELINE (ARROW S02E08)][PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE AND ENGAGE WITH NARRATIVE EVENTS][CURRENT LUCK POINTS (LP): NON-PERMANENT LUCK POINTS (NON-PLP): 0 | PERMANENT LUCK POINTS (PLP): 0][TUTORIAL INITIATED. PLEASE REVIEW SYSTEM MECHANICS.]
Adam stared at the floating interface, then back at the unsuspecting nurse who was now checking his IV drip. He pinched himself. Hard. "Ow! Okay, definitely not a dream. Unless this is one of those inception-level dreams, in which case, bravo, subconscious, you're really upping your game."
"A System? Like a webnovel? Oh, this is rich. I'm literally a character in someone else's fanfic. And I'm the protagonist with the cheat code. This is either going to be amazing or I'm going to accidentally cause an apocalypse by misclicking a 'buy' button."
The System, seemingly oblivious to his internal monologue, continued its tutorial, a calm, synthesized voice echoing in his mind. [LUCK POINTS (LP) ARE THE PRIMARY CURRENCY OF THIS SYSTEM. NON-PLP ARE VOLATILE AND CAN BE EARNED, SPENT, AND STOLEN. PLP ARE PERMANENT AND REFLECT YOUR OVERALL LUCKINESS.]
"Stolen?" Adam muttered aloud, earning another curious glance from the nurse. "So, like, someone can just walk up to me and be like, 'Yo, give me your luck, bro,' and I just... hand it over? That sounds like a terrible banking system. Do I get a loyalty bonus if I don't get robbed?"
[NON-PLP CAN BE ACQUIRED THROUGH SYSTEM MISSIONS, PLOT PROGRESSION, LUCKY ENCOUNTERS, AND SIDE MISSIONS. THEY CAN BE CONSUMED FOR SHOP PURCHASES, LUCK MANIPULATION, SKILL ACTIVATION, AND ITEM USAGE.]
"Luck Manipulation? So I can make things happen? Like, if I want a coffee, can I just manifest a barista? Or is it more like, I wish for a coffee, and then a rogue pigeon drops a Starbucks gift card on my head? Details, System, details!"
[YOUR FIRST MISSION HAS BEEN ASSIGNED: 'THE BEGINNING OF LUCK'. OBJECTIVE: ENGAGE WITH THE CANONICAL TIMELINE OF ARROW S02E08. REWARD: 100 NON-PLP.]
"Oh, a mission! So I'm basically playing a video game, but with real-life consequences and probably a lot more existential dread," Adam quipped, a wry smile playing on his lips. "And my first quest is to... exist? In the right place at the right time? That sounds suspiciously easy. What's the catch? Do I have to, like, wear a specific shade of green? Because I'm more of a 'sarcastic civilian' kind of guy, not a 'brooding vigilante' type."
The System remained silent, its blue interface glowing steadily. Adam sighed dramatically. "Right, no witty banter from the omniscient overlord. Fine. I guess I'll just have to provide my own. This is going to be a long, strange trip. Hopefully, there's a good soundtrack."
He leaned back against the hospital bed, a new, unsettling calm washing over him. Death, transmigration, a mysterious system – it was all a bit much, but then again, his life had always been a series of absurd events. This was just the latest, and perhaps, the most interesting. He was Adam Stiels, sarcastic, pop-culture obsessed, and now, apparently, the universe's newest plaything. And if the universe wanted to play, he was certainly up for the challenge. He had 100 Non-PLP to earn, and a whole Arrowverse to annoy.
System Status After Chapter: Non-PLP: 100. PLP: 0.