Chapter 4: Simulation: Alex Mercer, Part 3
[SYSTEM: Objective: Confront HYDRA leader.]
Adam's body ached. The wound from the subway station had long since healed in the simulation, but the memory of the pain lingered. The stakes were higher now. No more playful pranks, no more lighthearted banter. This was a war.
He and Agent Carter stood on a hill overlooking a desolate, snow-covered landscape. Below them was a massive, concrete bunker, a fortress carved into the side of a mountain. This was it. The HYDRA cell leader's base. The last piece of the puzzle.
[SYSTEM: In the thirteenth year, you and Agent Carter infiltrate the HYDRA base to stop the cell leader's plan. You must face a series of traps.]
Thirteenth year. Wow. Time flies when you're being a hero.
Infiltration was their specialty. Adam used his advanced engineering skills to disarm traps, his energy powers to fry security cameras, and his stealth to navigate the labyrinthine corridors. He and Agent Carter were a perfect team, a symphony of destruction and espionage. He was the chaotic force, the wild card. She was the calm, cool professional, the voice of reason.
"Nice one, Alex," she said, her voice a low whisper as he disarmed a laser grid with a flick of his wrist.
"I have a degree in 'causing chaos,'" he said with a grin. "It's a very specialized field."
They reached the central command room, a massive, domed chamber filled with blinking lights and humming machinery. In the center stood the HYDRA leader, a sneering man with a shock of white hair and a gaudy suit. He was holding a briefcase, and Adam's heart sank. He knew that briefcase. It was a chaos agent, a localized EMP that could cripple an entire city grid, throwing millions into darkness and chaos.
[SYSTEM: You confront the HYDRA leader. He reveals his plan to unleash a localized chaos agent, forcing you to make a choice: kill him or sacrifice yourself to stop the agent.]
"You lose, 'Mercer'," the leader said, a cruel smile on his face. "The city will burn, and HYDRA will rise from the ashes."
"Not on my watch," Adam said, his hands glowing with a furious blue light.
The leader pressed a button, and a timer on the briefcase began to count down. Five minutes. Five minutes until a city went dark.
Okay, plan B. The suicidal one. But hey, it's for a good cause.
Adam looked at Agent Carter. She nodded, a silent understanding passing between them. He had a choice. He could kill the leader and save himself, but the chaos agent would still go off. Or he could sacrifice himself, contain the blast, and save a city of millions. The choice was clear.
"Go," he said to Agent Carter, his voice a low growl. "I'll handle this."
"Alex," she said, her voice filled with a desperate plea.
"Tell the city... tell them I died for a really dumb reason," he said with a grin. "But hey, it's better than nothing."
He lunged, not at the leader, but at the chaos agent. He grabbed the briefcase, the cold metal a stark contrast to the burning heat in his hands. He felt a surge of power, a torrent of energy flowing from his body. He was a conduit, a living battery, and he was going to use every last ounce of it to contain the blast.
[SYSTEM: In your final moments, you use a massive energy burst to contain the chaos agent, saving the city. The System logs your death at age 30 and prepares your rewards.]
The world was a blinding flash of blue. He felt a searing pain, a burning, all-consuming heat that stripped away his simulated life, leaving only a glowing text box in its wake.
[SYSTEM: Simulation terminated. Rewards are now available.]
The box glowed, presenting him with a list of options.
Plasma Combat Training: The ability to imbue his strikes with a searing energy, making him a formidable fighter.Tactical Datapad: A small, sleek device that provides real-time analysis of enemy movements, strategies, and weaknesses.Strategic Insight: A passive skill that grants him a preternatural understanding of combat situations, allowing him to anticipate and counter enemy moves.Advanced Infiltration Skills: The ability to bypass and disable complex security systems, from lasers to biometric scanners.Enhanced Stealth Tactics: A skill that makes him a master of stealth and shadows, allowing him to move unseen and unheard.Energy Manipulation: The ability to control and manipulate ambient energy, from small sparks to massive bursts of power.Symbiotic Bond (Venom): A symbiotic bond with an alien entity, granting him a wide range of powers, from enhanced strength to shapeshifting.
Okay. This is... a lot. And I only get to choose one. Ugh.
He sighed, his disembodied consciousness floating in the void. He had to choose wisely. This wasn't just about a cool new power. This was about a new life. And he had a lot of work to do. His choice would not only define his future but would also directly impact his ability to survive the very real dangers that awaited him back in Hell's Kitchen.