Hey guys, since you got this fic to Rank 1, I've got a surprise for you.
I just uploaded my first ever 6k word commission for Marvel CYOA. This one meant a lot to me since it let me revisit the story and expand on the future of Jay and his family.
Go check it out and let me know what you think.
-x-
Done with all my shopping, I walked out of the mall looking like a pack mule.
A billion-dollar bounty will do that to a guy.
'Master, you must be uncomfortable carrying all those bags. Please come back to the castle. It's not safe out there, now that you have a bounty on your head.'
Nakime's voice echoed in my mind, filled with worry.
I moved into a secluded, dimly lit alleyway.
With a familiar twang echoing softly from the ether, a tatami door slid open against the brick wall.
I dumped all my purchases: the clothes, the stockpiled rations, and the medicine, right onto the wooden floor of the Infinity Castle.
But I didn't step through.
"Nakime, I think I'll go for a walk," I muttered softly to the empty alley. "It's been one thing after another since I entered this world. It's finally nice to enjoy some peace."
Even across the gate, I could see her hesitation, her single eye looking at me with concern.
"Master, don't you think it'd be best to be safe with me? Even with your disguise..."
"Thank you for worrying, Nakime," I interrupted gently. "But I really need to be among people right now. Even if it's just to feel a bit of normalcy among all these weird things happening."
She bowed her head gracefully, submitting to my request.
"As Master wishes. But do know I am always available at your beck and call."
The door slid shut, blending back into the brick wall until it vanished completely.
'Damn, she's really good to me,'
My chest suddenly tightened with a familiar warmth.
Shaking my head as I stepped out of the alley to take in the city nightlife.
It was surreal.
I was currently the most wanted man on the face of the Earth.
Cecil Stedman and the Global Defense Agency had literally put a billion dollars on my head, albeit at my request.
Yet here I was, walking down the street with a brand new face, blending right in with the crowd.
The night air was cool against my skin, carrying the scent of fried food from nearby restaurants.
People were walking around. Kids were giggling outside a diner. Lovers were holding hands. Some corporate asshole screaming at his secretary over the phone. A group of teenagers skateboarded past, their wheels clattering against the pavement. There was even a homeless man sitting on the corner, holding out a crumpled paper cup.
I stopped.
Without really thinking about it, I reached into my jacket, pulled out the high-calorie energy bars I'd bought for myself, and dropped them into the guy's cup along with a crisp fifty-dollar bill from the cash I'd just taken out of Cecil's slush fund.
"God bless you, son," the man rasped, looking at the food and cash like I'd handed him gold.
I just nodded and kept walking.
'Huh. Getting killed really does change a person,' I mused.
TING—
[Feat Achieved! Commit your first good deed in this universe]
[Reward: +1x Bronze Random Gacha Ticket]
A sharp, high-definition chime rang out in my mind.
I just absent-mindedly rolled it, not even feeling much excitement, wanting to feel the peace a bit longer.
D20 Roll: 8 (Nothing happens)
[The Cursed Ticket]
|Uncommon Item|
"Fancy your chances?" A ticket that, when torn, spins the Curse Roulette for the user, and automatically applies the result and the ticket they would have gotten to the recipient.
I stopped mid-stride.
Wait, What?
I helped someone, and got a cursed ticket for it?
'This is a fucked-up joke even for you RNGesus.'
The irony wasn't lost on me, doing something decent for once and getting a literal curse in return.
After a few hours of just roaming around, I finally reached Englewood.
The neighbourhood changed as the buildings got shorter and more run-down, with flickering streetlights casting uneven shadows.
I was finally ready to go back to the castle.
BANG! BANG! RATATATATAT!
The heavy, unmistakable sound of automatic gunfire shattered the peaceful night air.
My casual attitude vanished in a second as alertness took over.
I sprinted around the corner, my boots skidding against the pavement as my new teashades nearly flew off my face from the sudden movement.
I took one look down the adjacent street and immediately assessed the absolute clusterfuck in front of me.
A massive man made entirely of jagged, grey rock, wearing nothing but a pair of torn pants, had just crashed through a second-story window, causing shards of glass to rain down.
He landed heavily on the street, clutching a small kid tightly to his chest. The impact cracked the asphalt beneath his feet.
A dozen suited crooks poured out of the woodwork, raising assault rifles and submachine guns.
"Light him the fuck up!" one of the goons screamed.
"Die, you rocky piece of shit!" another yelled, already squeezing the trigger.
They didn't hesitate as they unleashed an unrelenting hail of lead.
The rocky man hunched over, curling his massive body to shield the little girl under him, taking every single bullet squarely in the back.
But even with his stone hide, the sustained fire was doing damage. I could see chips flying off him, as fine cracks spread across his body.
'Wait, is that Titan? Then that must be his daughter?! No….not aga…'
I didn't have time to overthink this.
I quickly slotted in Lesser Hydrokinesis and Wind Flight abilities as I launched myself off the pavement, taking flight.
And immediately fucked it up.
I overshot the trajectory completely, rocketing way too high and nearly eating the brick facade of a high-rise building.
Like I said before, I was a dangerous idiot when it came to using these abilities.
I quickly pulled the Temperance card from my item storage and activated it. A wave of crystal-clear focus washed over my brain. Combined with Iron Nerves, I finally felt the chaotic air currents under my control.
I could sense every eddy and swirl and feel them respond to my will like extensions of my own limbs.
I nudged my momentum, guiding myself smoothly through the air until I was hovering directly above the group of heavily armed thugs.
'Time to make it rain.'
I held my palms out and activated Lesser Hydrokinesis, violently pulling the moisture from the surrounding air and concentrating it directly above the thugs.
The temperature around me dropped noticeably as I stripped the humidity, gathering it into a massive, wobbling sphere of water suspended above their heads.
It was called 'lesser' for a reason. It wasn't strong enough to tear their flesh apart like Aquarus could, but it definitely did the job.
I finally dropped the payload. A massive, concentrated burst of water slammed down on the thugs.
"What the fuck?!" one of the shooters yelled as water streamed down his face, plastering his expensive suit to his body.
Shocked by the sudden deluge, the goons looked around in confusion to check their soaked clothes and the wet ground beneath them.
Seeing the perfect opportunity, I pulled out Havel's Greatshield and used the massive slab of stone to cover my body as I landed down hard right between Titan and the wet thugs. The shield casually taking the brunt of bullets they fired in panic.
[Image Here]
I finally slotted in Arc ability in my final slot.
I didn't even bother to look at them. I just aimed my fingers at the puddles pooling around their expensive leather shoes.
BZZZZZT.
Bright, crackling lightning shot from my fingertips, striking the wet ground. The electricity painted everything in stark white and blue, casting dancing shadows on the surrounding buildings as the smell of ozone and burnt hair filled the air immediately.
The water conducted the electricity perfectly, delivering a massive, high-voltage jolt straight up their legs.
"Now that's a 'shock' they'll remember for a lifetime."
A dozen thugs screamed in perfect unison.
A second later, the screaming stopped as they all collapsed to the pavement, twitching and spasming in the puddles.
Silence fell over the street, save for the crackle of residual electricity.
Behind me, Titan slowly uncurled from his protective stance.
He looked up, expecting to see Machine Head's executioners. Instead, he saw a guy with teashade glasses holding a giant greatshield from some medieval flick, standing between him and the shooters.
When he glanced to the side, he was surprised to see about a dozen crooks lying on the floor, completely fried, as the foul smell of burnt flesh filled the air.
Titan saw the arcs of lightning still dancing on my fingers and took a step back, instinctively covering Fiona a little more. The little girl whimpered, pressing her face against her father's rocky chest.
I looked down at the twitching bodies on the ground, the adrenaline still pumping. "You stupid mother—"
"Yeah, these dumbass mother—" Titan started, glaring down at them with pure hatred.
We both froze at the exact same time.
We locked eyes, then slowly looked down at the tiny, terrified little girl peeking out from behind his massive rocky legs. Her wide eyes were darting between the two of us.
I cleared my throat, adjusting my tinted glasses. "—mothers' disappointments. You gosh-darn hooligans."
Titan coughed into his massive stone fist, looking incredibly awkward. "Uh, yeah. Frickin' jerks."
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.
'He must have made the connection to the mob. Not bad.'
He took another step back, his words came out in a gravelly, cautious voice. "Are you one of these heroes flying about? Should I be thanking you?"
A snort escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Pfft
"Sorry, it's just funny you thought I was a hero? Man, you really are something, Titan. Or should I call you Craig?"
He immediately dropped into a lower, defensive stance. His calves pumped ready to bolt .
"Are you with Machine Head?" Titan growled. "Look man, I already told him I'm done with this shit. I've paid my debt in full."
The calming effect of the Temperance card kept my mind incredibly sharp as I finally saw an opportunity to take care of my biggest headache.
"Tch, tch, tch. You need to think bigger, Craig. Here."
I unequipped the shield, casually tossing the heavy slab of stone right at him.
Titan's eyes widened, but his reflexes kicked in.
He caught the massive greatshield with one hand. His arm dipped under the sheer weight of it, but he let it suspend in his grip, looking at me like I was insane.
"Use this," I told him. "It'll make you sturdier, and your rocks much stronger. Trust me, Machine Head's goons won't be able to scratch you with that beauty on your arm."
Titan just held the shield, looking at me with deep suspicion.
"Look here man, I don't know who you are and what you're planning. But I'm not one for handouts. What do you need from me?"
I looked down at little Fiona, remembering exactly how his story played out in the show.
"You know, even after all of this, you can't provide a safe environment for little Fiona," my voice cutting straight to the core of his insecurities as I gestured at the destruction surrounding us. "Not to mention how expensive her treatments are going to get. So, I'm proposing a deal. I want you to call me when you decide to take down that chip junky. And since I'm feeling generous, I'll sweeten it. Take the shield as an advance payment."
Titan tilted his head. His expression was covered under his stone mask, but I could see the way his hands clutched Fiona's shoulder.
"I told you I'm done with this life," he said stubbornly. "I just want to be left alone."
He pulled his arm back, fully intending to throw the shield back at me.
But I just raised my hand to stop him.
In the distance, the faint wail of police sirens began to echo through the city blocks.
"Well, looks like we're out of time," I said, feeling the wind currents picking up around my boots. "Better skedaddle. Just call me when you're ready to free yourself from the tin-head's grasp."
And with that, I activated Wind Flight, blasting straight up into the night sky before he could argue further.
"What number?!" I heard Titan yell out from the alley below.
"Daddy," Only for Fiona's small voice to point out. "Look at the shield!"
Titan lowered the massive slab of stone.
And sure enough, written across the front of the shield in bright red permanent marker was a phone number.
Right at the bottom, scribbled in messy handwriting, was a playful
Xoxo
Titan shook his head, holding back a curse.
He scooped his daughter up, checking her for any injury, finally feeling safe enough to hold her in his arms, and made a run for it into the night.
[A/N]: Drop them Stones if you don't want me to send you that cursed ticket
Support my work and get early access to advance chapters, exclusive content, and bonus material at my P@treon - Max_Striker.
If you wanna hang out, join my Discord server- https://discord.gg/XxGEYk2PM5