A/N: The template system truly is RANDOM. I put characters I know, and sometimes add people I've forgotten about, into a wheel and spin it. I will show you all the wheel in the comments.
For people who read my other 2 fics, I have a new update schedule.
Monday & Tuesday - Naruto: Monarch of Time
Wednesday & Thursday - DC: Shadow King
Friday & Saturday - Hero of Sokovia: Template System
This schedule will be started monday.
Enjoy
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(Max's POV - 2003)
I screamed. I was a little ashamed to admit it, but I did. How would you react to seeing a strange screen pop up in front of you and a voice speak in your head?
[Host, please calm down]
"Calm down!? What are you!? Who are you!?"
Before the... thing could even respond, Marco stirred. "Marco!" I cried out
I immediately picked him up with ease, surprising myself till remembering 'Oh yeah..super soldier serum.'
I ignored my own astonishment and ran with his body to the upper floors. I saw multiple PURE agents looking at me in surprise till I stopped in front of the Med-Bay.
The medics immediately rushed to him, placing him on a gurney.
A slim woman with dark hair and tan skin came up to me. I recognized her immediately, Eva Svoboda, the head medic of PURE; she had long hair reaching her upper back and glasses framing her face.
"What happened to him, Max?" She questioned with a serious face as she checked over Marco's body. Then looked at me, "And what happened to you-"
"Explosion, we were testing-"
She looked at my body and stated, "Oh, I bet you were, with your new physique, whatever you've been doing down at that lab should have called for a medic." She sighed, "I am honestly surprised Marco didn't get one."
My cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "I told him not to."
"Which was stupid of you," She glared at me before turning to the other medics, "Get him to an ER, quick!"
I watched as they rolled him out of the room, finally letting myself relax and lean against the wall.
I looked at the blue screen floating in the corner of my sight, and I looked around the room, seeing how no one else saw the screen.
I walked out of the medbay, into a different room, which was just a cramped janitor's closet.
"Ok, explain, what the hell are you?"
[Well, host, I thank you for finally paying attention to me, I am the Template System-]
"Huh?"
[I am a result of your X-Gene.] The system explained [When you were injected with the Super Soldier Serum, your dormant X-Gene, me, had awakened]
"I'm a mutant?" My voice cracked, "That's impossible. Pure tests everyone; they take blood samples."
[Yes, but some X-Genes can stay hidden from human tests]
I felt my breathing quicken as I processed the information. I knelt over, trying to catch my breath.
I was a mutant, a race discriminated against all over the world. But…this could be a good thing, couldn't it?
It meant more power, a better chance at freeing Sokovia.
"So… what can you actually do?" I said quietly
[Well, as The Template System, I can give you the template of a character from a random universe, and apply it to you.]
[Here is how it works: you get a template of a random someone, you have to advance in the progression bar, the more progress you make, the more of their Potential and Power you get]
"First off, so much to process there, the multiverse is real?"
[Yes]
"And the template is completely random? How do you even choose?"
[I run a random generator to pick a character. Due to the limitations of your body, you will not unlock the more powerful characters until your body is capable.]
'What kind of freaks are in this generator that even the Super Soldier Serum wouldn't be able to make my body capable of handling their power?'
"Ok, so I can just unlock the skillset of a random civilian? What skill would I get, accounting?"
[The system assures you get notable figures in different universes]
That filled me with some relief at least, "and how do I get a template?"
[You unlock it gradually. When you complete 100% of a template's progression bar, you unlock the next template.]
I think I was beginning to understand, however confusing this situation was.
"And how do I progress further?"
[I will issue quests from time to time, quests of importance that can unlock more XP, but you can also unlock more manually by training and exploring your templates' capabilities more.]
"Quests? What kind?"
[It depends on the situation; it could range from buying milk to taking over the world.]
I gulped, "...I can reject quests, right?"
[Of course]
I sighed in relief
"And capabilities?"
[Skills you would have to explore, I would give you a list of skills the template has, and you would need to excel in them.]
'That could..be good or bad really.'
[I also come with multiple features, 1 other than the template system]
'Oh great, more confusion'
[The sub feature is the System Shop; you can buy items from across the multiverse with credits.]
I blink at the info dump the System gave me, and rub my eyes tiredly, confused as hell. "And what stuff does the store have?"
[Armor, suits, weapons, the system store has a wide variety]
"Ok, so how do I earn credits?"
[You can earn credits from the quest feature.]
I nodded, gaining more understanding. "And how do I get my first template?"
[I can generate your first one right now if you'd like]
I take a deep breath, "I'd-"
Before I could even finish the sentence, the door slammed open, the system screen disappearing from my sight, and I turned around quickly, and I froze.
Because Josef was standing there.
"Maximilian König!"
Josef was dressed in his signature revolutionary suit, a leather tactical jacket with padded sections, a utility belt on his waist, black tactical pants with reinforced knee pads, black tactical gloves, and reinforced steel black boots.
He didn't have his helmet on, showing his face, his grey eyes shining with an emotion I didn't want to read, his black hair slicked back.
"Eva told me there was an explosion! Marco is getting surgery, and you were there with him-"
He looked at me, finally taking in my new body, "...What did you do?"
I tried to put up a smile, "Ok, don't be mad-"
"Mad!? Mad!? No, no, I am furious! Max, how did you…"
"I told Marco to help recreate the Super Soldier Serum," I rushed out the words.
I was pretty sure I could see steam rising from his head.
"You…did what!?"
I coughed, "You heard me."
"Do you have any idea what repercussions could have come from that!?"
"Yes! And I also knew what opportunities could arise! I'm strong now! I can fight!"
"You are a child! You could have died!"
"So what!? If it could have any chance of working, my life is nothing!"
Josef flinched back from that.
"I need to fight, to save our homeland! If you go outside, you can see people getting raped, murdered, and robbed! Dying from a random air strike that could come any moment!"
Josef was quiet for a moment. "You think I don't see it? Max, I found you on the streets, orphaned. My wife died in one of those Air Strikes, you do not know the real world."
"You are a child, still naive to the real world. This is not some fairy tale; you are lucky you are not dead from that serum."
I clenched my fists, but before I could talk, Josef continued.
"You are not Captain America, you are not some scrawny pebble who can take a drug and make sure everything is alright, you are a child…the child I swore to protect."
"Did you think of the repercussions if it didn't work? The resources we could have lost, Marco would be blamed for your death, and most of all, YOU WOULD BE DEAD!"
I look at him, my eyesight slightly blurry, and I try to talk, but Josef doesn't let me.
"Go to your room, clean up, get dressed, we will talk about this later."
I nodded silently and walked out of the closet, past the PURE agents who stared at my new body, ignoring any eye contact as I took the elevator down to my room.
As I entered my room, I caught a glimpse of my body. I was taller, about a whole foot, my muscles were defined, carved into my arms with an 8-pack of abs on my chest.
I sat down at the plain bed. My bedroom designs have changed since I was 10. Sure, there was still Captain America memorabilia, but the rest was pretty bland.
A punching bag hung from the ceiling, several dents already marking it, showing my previous usage.
Josef had been right, I'd been careless, no preparation. I'd have to be stronger, smarter, someone greater than Captain America.
"System…generate me a template."
[Affirmative Host]
[Rolling]
[Generating]
[Template found…Slade Wilson]
[Would you like to view the template's profile?]
"Yes"
A panel popped up, showing a man with his height on the right side of the screen and other details: 6'4, male, veteran, 55 years old.
The man had bulky shoulders, wearing orange and black plated armor around his body. He looked intimidating
On the right, however.
[Template: Slade Wilson]
[Alias: Deathstroke]
[Universe: Earth Prime - DC]
[Classification: Metahuman]
________________________
[Progress: 0%]
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[Abilities]
[Enhanced Senses: Unlocked]
[Toxic Immunity: Locked]
[Enhanced Physiology: Locked]
[Enhanced Brain Activity: Locked]
[Healing Factor (Strong): Locked]
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[Skills]
[Acrobatics: 0% Completed]
[Martial Arts: 15% Completed]
[Firearm Mastery: 5% Completed]
[Katana Mastery: 0% Completed]
I scanned the panel a few more times, a grin slowly coming up to my face, ok, I could work with this.