I woke up strapped to a cold, metal exam table.
It was the kind of industrial discomfort that makes your bones ache.
The room reeked of ozone and harsh disinfectant, a clinical tomb filled with experimental tech that looked like it belonged in a high-budget sci-fi horror flick.
After what felt like an eternity of staring at the flickering fluorescent lights, a woman in a lab coat stepped into my line of sight. Her eyes were as cold as the scalpel in her hand.
"I see you're finally awake, Subject Zero."
"Where am I?" I croaked, my throat feeling like I'd swallowed glass.
She didn't bother answering. Instead, she picked up a massive syringe, its needle gleaming under the LED lamps, and drove it into my arm without a word.
She drew so much blood I watched the world turn gray. My heart slowed, the rhythmic thump-thump of the machines faded, and I slipped into the dark.
[ Inside the Mindscape ]
I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a sea of crimson mist. Opposite me stood... well, me. But this version was a monochromatic nightmare—blood-red from head to toe, with eyes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Hi," he said, his voice sounding like a blade sliding over silk. "If you're wondering who I am—I'm you. Or rather, I'm the manifestation of your potential. My name is Bloodcode."
"Hi, Bloodcode," I muttered, remarkably calm.
"Where are we?"
"Inside the attic of your consciousness," he replied with a sharp, predatory smirk.
"Do you know what's happening out there? To the body?"
"Right now? They're treating your veins like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Why? Because of me. When you dropped into this world, I woke up and let out a bio-energy spike that probably lit up every radar on the continent. You were out cold. A fleet of black SUVs rolled up, and some guy in a lab coat pointed at you and said, 'Take him. He's the one.'"
He paced around me, his movements fluid and unnatural. "They brought you to a bunker decorated with a very specific logo: a red skull with six tentacles."
My blood ran cold—literally. "Hydra," I whispered. "I'm in the Marvel Universe."
I felt a surge of panic, but forced it down. In a place like this, fear is just a chemical they use to track you. Think. Be rational. How do I survive?
"Hey, Bloodcode," I asked, looking him in the eye. "What can you actually do?"
"Heh. I can do plenty. Think of me as your operating system. Here's your current build:"
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Zero | Surname: Bloodcode
Core Abilities:
[Bloodcode]: Grants access to your internal stats and sub-categories.
[Bloodlust]: Passive. By consuming the blood of another being, you can permanently siphon one of their abilities.
[Bloodlock]: Active. Drinking a target's blood allows you to induce total paralysis. (Effectiveness scales with the target's willpower/power level).
[Bloodcontrol]: Active. Allows you to accelerate your own blood flow for enhanced physical output. (Hint: Requires mastery to improve).
"My name is... Zero?"
Bloodcode scoffed. "Everything I just showed you, and you're hung up on the name? Look at it this way: To this world, you are a Zero. A blank slate. Use that. Remember your goal: Become Infinite."
"Infinite," I repeated. The word had a nice ring to it. "Too bad I'm currently a lab rat pinned to a table in a Hydra basement."
"Details. We're leaving."
"How, genius?"
"Think about it," Bloodcode grinned, his teeth looking like shards of glass. "If they sensed my energy, they've probably found others. People with gifts. If we can get a taste of the right 'samples' in this facility, we won't just walk out of here—we'll tear the doors off."
THUMP. THUMP.
The sound of my real-world heartbeat began to roar in my ears.
"You're about to wake up," Bloodcode warned, his form beginning to dissolve into mist. "I'll stay in your head. Remember: I'm a secret. If they find out you have a sentient 'System' helping you, they'll lobotomize us both."
"Got it," I said, bracing for the cold reality.
"See you on the other side."