DC Animated Universe: The RPG (Skyrim!Gamer SI/DCAU Crossover - Haremfic)

[Fulcon]

The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. Please support the official release.
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My name is Jacob Richard Graves.

Let me give you the cliff notes of my life story.

Twenty-one years ago, I fell off of a roof, hit my head and came face to face with the Grim Reaper. He was a tall man, with skin as gray as a tombstone and hair so dark it hurt to look at. He took a monocle out of his eye, wiped it with a bone-white washcloth and said I had qualified for a rare opportunity.

Apparently, some paperwork had gotten crossed and I wasn't actually supposed to die yet. As compensation for the blunder, I was offered another life. Of course, I said yes, and he introduced me to a hot goth girl, with skin as gray as tombstone and hair so dark it hurt to look at.

She was also Death, and she was grinning from ear to ear. Apparently, she didn't get to do this very often. Or was this the first time?

Either way, she asked if I wanted super powers. The answer yes. Still haven't figured out why she felt the need to ask, probably a formality.

Of course, I went with 'The Gamer'. One of the most fun and powerful super powers I've heard about. But then my grim reaper stepped in and said I hadn't qualified for 'the closest thing to godhood since kryptonian genetics'. I was crushed, but the girl pointed out that I could still pick an RPG system.

I picked Skyrim. My Grim Reaper pointed out that it would need adjustment since the sun of the DC universe doesn't act as a gateway to all magical power and my only reaction was to be stunned that I was going to be sharing a world with Superman, my favorite superhero.

The girl agreed and presented me with a sheet of all my skills.

DC Universe: The RPG – Skills

Combat​	Stealth​	Knowledge​
​	​	​
Marksmanship​	Sneak​	Physics​
Defense​	Light Armor​	Chemistry​
Heavy Armor​	Lockpicking​	Mathematics​
Striking​	Pick Pocket​	History​
Smithing​	Disguise​	Biology​
Athletics​	Speech​	Economics​
Grappling​	Acrobatics​	Computer Science​

At first I was sad at the lack of magical skills until I remembered that the DC Universe was primarily a science-fiction setting, so maxing out those fields of scientific understanding was going to be just as good, if not better.

It also meant that what magic there was isn't bound to a skill, which means if I can pick up some magic, I was good to go, regardless of my level.

While reading what I presume was the game manual, Death the Endless told me that my Health, Stamina and Energy levels would scale with my level.

I asked, "What about super strength and stuff? Does Athletics let me do that?"

"No," my grim reaper had replied. "If you want superhuman athleticism, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

My internal monologue filled itself with profanity that moment. What a killjoy!

My last question was about needing sleep and food. The goth girl snapped her fingers and thanked me for reminding her, and she switched Survival Mode on for me, meaning I had to eat, drink and sleep like everyone else. I still haven't figured out how to turn it off.

But with that, I was all set to go. The two reapers wished me luck in my new life and I was off to the races!

Childhood was...rough. I barely knew what was going on around me most of the time. Had zero strength or say so in how I handled my life. Because I was an infant, then a toddler, etcetera.

My second parents, bless them, had a hard time with me. I was not easy to raise and I do regret that. William Harold and Reilly Jacobson Graves. Had a beautiful baby boy that didn't scream very much, until he got hungry. Not sure why, but I was always hungry; the hunger bar in my vision did not last very long. I did my best not to scream when the frustration set in that I was a helpless infant, but I usually failed at that.

Speaking of 'the hunger bar', my Heads Up Display was like a cross between Skyrim's HUD and Subnautica's HUD, if that makes sense. I had my three bars that would disappear unless the resource in question was being taxed and above the Energy (Magicka) bar were the circular meters for hunger, thirst and sleep. The center of the circle was some kind of icon and when I ate or drank something, that icon was replaced with a picture of what I had just eaten so I could remember what bonus I had active. When the bar hit about half-way, it went from green to yellow and the picture of my last meal or drank or the last bed I slept in was replaced with a standard icon featuring a loaf of bread or a drop of water or an ascending trail of Z's.

Things changed when I learned to walk and talk. Dad was a day trader, and a successful one at that, so we had a home in New Athens, a suburb of the City of Metropolis. It had a decent back yard, so I ran laps. I ran a lot of laps. I dug in the sand box as deep as I could. I found milk jugs in the garbage and filled them with sand to lift. Because my Athletics skill wasn't going to train itself.

Dad was thrilled, of course, and took to chasing me around the yard which worked fine for me. Made it more fun, oddly. But I never stopped running laps. The most frustrating day of my life was when Mom took my to preschool because then I couldn't run my laps and train my athletics. But then I wound up training my speech skill talking to the preschoolers, so it worked out.

Due to the amount of laps I ran, I maxed out my Athletics skill before I reached kindergarten. Sprinting doesn't affect my stamina meter anymore and it doesn't accelerate my hunger, thirst and sleep meter's decay anymore, either. In kindergarten, talked to everyone. No matter who they were or what kind of stranger they were and I made deals. Mom would send me with lunch and I'd trade stuff out. She sent me with a PBJ, so I'd trade for an egg salad and so on. I want your soder cola, you want my fruit juice? I maxed Speech in Kindergarten.

If my parents had thought my trouble-making days were over, I'm afraid I had to disappoint them again. Midway through Kindergarten, I starting training Lockpicking. I'd open the back door, lock it and try to pick the lock with a bobby pin. It was really rough until I got a point or two and I figured out what it was that I was actually supposed to do. That Christmas, Mom and dad got me a lock picking set, but I had already maxed out the skill. Still use the set, though.

At that point, I started training Sneak. That's when the trouble began, because I started hiding from my parents. Constantly. I was down in the basement creeping and crawling around. You see, unlike the video games, I didn't engage 'stealth mode' by crouching down slightly. Being unseen was about actually trying to hide and actually trying to move silently. I got caught a lot. But eventually I got good enough that I was confident I could sneak around at night. I would sneak outside, then sneak back in a different way. The real difficulty was in making sure I didn't leave any foot prints.

Unfortunately, Mom and Dad heard me at one point and sneaking back to my room with my Dad looking for intruders, pistol in hand was the most nerve wracking thing I had to do in my entire time in the DC Universe. But it didn't happen again, and I maxed the skill out a few weeks later.

I do regret scaring them like that, though.

Next Christmas, we got ourselves a trampoline! Yeah, I trained Acrobatics to a hundred, training myself to do back flips, side flips, corkscrews, everything, Took me from age seven to age thirteen to do, though.

...what else? Oh, right. The quadfecta of Striking, Grappling, Defense, and Light Armor. So when I got into first grade, I basically demanded to be put in martial arts, so they put me in Tae Kwon Do. Fun little detail is that even though that martial arts primarily focused on kicks, it increased by Striking skill, so I got just as good at punching alongside kicking.

But the fun part was in maxing out the Defense skill. When I hit a hundred Defense in the 6th grade, I...for lack of a better turn, I got a Danger-Sense. Yeah, that's right. I could sense attacks coming for me before they arrived and, thanks to being so great at defense, either dodge or block as appropriate. In martial arts, that's game breaking.

Add my sparring gear counting as Light Armor and I was invincible as far as commercial martial arts were concerned.
Of course I took those two maxed skills to a Tae Kwon Do national tournament and won first place. Judges said I was the greatest Tae Kwon Do practitioner they'd ever seen.

Was an awkward conversation with my parents when I said I was dropping Tae Kwon Do so I could join Metropolis Middle School's wrestling team. They were flabbergasted, but I explained to them that I got everything out of the martial art that I could. I wanted more.

So, I joined the wrestling team.

I sucked.

Like...really badly. It was just...my skill started at 0 and a 0 is what I was. The team made fun of me. But it didn't bother me; I had sucked before and I would stop sucking before long.

Specifically, in the 8th grade, when I maxed out Grappling and could not be beaten by anyone, taking my ridiculousness to the state finals and winning. Because I'm a gamer, and winning is what we do.

Well, when we're not baby-raging, anyway.

Marksmanship got started when I got a Nerf gun for Christmas in the second grade and it grew to be one of my favorite games. Would play with the kids in my class all the time. Didn't max it until high school, though, because martial arts and wrestling took up all of middle school. I got into airsoft and it was like I had found my calling. Guns are cool, I like shooting them and I pretty much always hit my targets.

Let's see...that's Athletics, Speech, Lockpicking, Sneak, Acrobatics, Striking, Grappling, Defense, Light Armor and Marksmanship. What am I forgetting?

Right! The scientific skills.

I maxed them out. All of them. My first time in school, in my first life, I was a terrible student. Absolutely horrible. Not this time. Time time, I cherished and relished the opportunity and neural plasticity of my brain to take advantage of the opportunity.

All of those skills were maxed after my first year of middle school and I took High School classes for my second and third year classes. Then I took extra classes in High School and wound up graduating in my Sophomore year. The petition took longer than I wanted to go through, but they let me out.

Aside from that? Heavy Armor is at 0 because I've never worn a suit of heavy armor in my life, Disguise is at, what, 32? I had some fun on my Halloween but aside from that, nothing. Pick Pocket was too dangerous to level up, because I didn't feel like going to juvenile hall when I got caught. And I would be caught. Smithing is also 0, because I didn't have the time or equipment to train the skill and this is one I really wish I had grinded.

My level as of today is 66. 66 levels of grinding and not a single noteworthy adventure worthy of a comic book, hence the cliff notes.
Speaking of Sophomore year, that's when Superman showed up.

Do you have any idea how cool it is to watch footage of a man ripping the head off of a life-sized robot T-Rex is? I was about to pass out from awesomeness overload!

...of course we were there when Superman...got brainwashed by Darkseid and invaded earth. That...that was not awesome. Thankfully, we made it out. Shaken, but unscathed. I know a lot of kids from Metropolis High whose families weren't nearly as lucky.

Public opinion on Superman was negative for a very long time after that. I remember there were protests. A lot of protests. One such protest, a plane nearly crashed on top of them, but Superman saved them all the same. Even when they were throwing rocks at him.

I think Superman finally earned the forgiveness of humanity when he prevented a terrorist group called 'The Dark Earth Society' from bombing the UN. Personally, I never doubted him; this is comic-book land and brainwashing happens all the time.

Right. Anyway.

Since I graduated two years early, Dad took me under his wing to learn day trading. "Never hold a stock for longer than a day," he'd tell me. "The market is most volatile when it opens in the morning and that's where most of your opportunity lies. Buy low, sell high, make sure the companies you trade around are on an upswing when you buy and then sell before the downswing."

He set me up with a simulator and I got pretty good by the time my eighteenth rolled around. That's when I started trying to use real money. Specifically, the prize money I earned from that martial arts tournament back in middle school. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough.

...I had some pretty bad losses when I first started out. Trading real money and simulated money was different and I struggled with the adjustment, but when I figured it out, it was fine. I made back my losses earned enough money to move out on my own, got an apartment and continued to trade.

My money situation was fine, I was living on my own and now I just needed to figure out what to do with my life.

I mean, it's obvious, right?

Time to become a super hero!

Quest Added: I need a hero!
Establish a Superhero Identity (Incomplete).​

---

Author's Note: Hey, I'm back. I'm really sorry for the long info-dump. I promise the rest of the story isn't like this. This story is the result of a brain child, asking 'what if a gamer started the game on his literal day of birth and then just lived his life'? So here we are.

Jacob Graves has lived a full-ish life and accomplished some things prior to becoming a super hero. Its just part of the gig. I didn't want to bore you guys trying autistically record every single detail of his life when you're all here to see him team up with the Justice League. But I also didn't want to leave you guys hanging without any details since a complete unknown tends bother some, hence the cliff notes.

I've taken a long, long break and I've had to figure some things out. I enjoy writing and I'm going to be taking this story very easy. I let the stress get to me and I realized that in trying to make everyone happy, I made no one happy and myself miserable. So I'm trying to write what makes me happy. I'm really enjoying the DCAU right now, especially Batman: The Animated series. I think it took a few episodes to find its footing but now I understand why its a classic, but what I have planned for his character doesn't really fit Gotham City or Batman, but it would fit the Justice League.

Also - yes. Harem. It's a haremfic. Part of the whole 'writing what makes me happy' is experimentation and I want to see what I can do with the concept. You may voice your approval and aggravation in the comments below, I'm interested in hearing what you have to say.

Until the next time!
~Fulcon

 

[Huitzilopochtli]

Honestly a bit of a rough start with the info dumb but i think you can turn this story into a great one

 

[soulreaper22]

(shock face) did Death forget to turn off the system exploits with the potions and smithing daggers
Joking, but am looking forward to the story

 

[Galacticplumber]

An excellent setup prologue. Like.... I get that you'd think this is boring because society trains us to glaze over when high action isn't happening, but this is quite good and optimized.

Over the span of a short, breezy prologue that wastes absolutely no words you've given us a workable base understanding of the power system, reasonable speculation about how it's likely to be different from previous work overall, and a feel for how early problem solving is likely to work. What's more that was only half your work.

You also established early and hard not just what brand you're working in, but what subheading of it, and at what point in the timeline. Further you established points of characterization, and how they DIFFER from last work. Maxed speech with littlins, a proclivity to approach EVERYONE socially, and going full bard to manipulate things in your favor with trades? That says THINGS to me boy. Some similarities aside this ISN'T last work, and doesn't seem to want to be.

All of this work done at standard or even short chapter length with blistering pacing speed. Never feel shame for this. It's an extremely high quality rendition of something that stories which want to hit the ground running need even if some don't appreciate it.

 

[Fulcon]

Honestly a bit of a rough start with the info dumb but i think you can turn this story into a great one

Click to shrink...

Have a cookie.

I appreciate your candor. Next chapter will be more traditional with less info dump.

(shock face) did Death forget to turn off the system exploits with the potions and smithing daggers
Joking, but am looking forward to the story

Click to shrink...

NO. NO I PROMISE THOSE EXPLOITS DON'T EXIST!

...I keed. Thanks for the kind words!

An excellent setup prologue. Like.... I get that you'd think this is boring because society trains us to glaze over when high action isn't happening, but this is quite good and optimized.

Click to shrink...

Ooh, thanks, Plumber! You know I love it when I get meaty comments. Have a cookie, this is going to be fun to respond too.

Over the span of a short, breezy prologue that wastes absolutely no words you've given us a workable base understanding of the power system, reasonable speculation about how it's likely to be different from previous work overall, and a feel for how early problem solving is likely to work. What's more that was only half your work.

Click to shrink...

High praise! I had actually looked up some videos on how to creatively write and I found a goldmine of a channel which I can link if you're interested. It changed my attitude about what fiction is and supposed to be which I think has come out in far more efficient prose.

You also established early and hard not just what brand you're working in, but what subheading of it, and at what point in the timeline. Further you established points of characterization, and how they DIFFER from last work. Maxed speech with littlins, a proclivity to approach EVERYONE socially, and going full bard to manipulate things in your favor with trades? That says THINGS to me boy. Some similarities aside this ISN'T last work, and doesn't seem to want to be.

Click to shrink...

I got really, really tired of writing anti-social, toxic people with hearts of controversial quality. I'm so glad that Cloud Knight (working title, but I like it) has differentiated himself so thoroughly from my previous work. Because goodness gracious, you can't expect a harem to organically grow around a misanthrope, can you?

All of this work done at standard or even short chapter length with blistering pacing speed. Never feel shame for this. It's an extremely high quality rendition of something that stories which want to hit the ground running need even if some don't appreciate it.

Click to shrink...

Thanks again! I appreciate your kind words, they always lighten my day.

 

[Tomato]

I like this but it isn't really a Gamer system if it doesn't reach superhuman levels. It's also not much of a Gamer story if the protagonist starts with everything maxed.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just not a Gamer story as-is.

 

[Galacticplumber]

I like this but it isn't really a Gamer system if it doesn't reach superhuman levels. It's also not much of a Gamer story if the protagonist starts with everything maxed.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just not a Gamer story as-is.

Click to shrink...

You realize that no mention of perks means that he's almost assuredly working with a skill separate leveling system based on, likely, combat and quests right? Until proven otherwise I'm working on the assumption that he's level one. And IF that's so no amount of maxed skills are going to make up for scaling, perks, and equipment that just isn't there yet.

Also this shit is DC. Barring something I'm just not seeing here, he's basically trying to be batman as a STARTING POINT.

 

[Fulcon]

I like this but it isn't really a Gamer system if it doesn't reach superhuman levels. It's also not much of a Gamer story if the protagonist starts with everything maxed.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it's just not a Gamer story as-is.

Click to shrink...

The story is basically the gamer-fic version of creating a max level character for an epic-level TTRPG campaign. Also, he doesn't have everything maxed, but enough to actually be able to compete at these absurd levels.

As for 'super human levels', that's what Perks are for, which are the reward for completing certain quests. Just decided now, based on your input. Thanks, have a cookie.

You realize that no mention of perks means that he's almost assuredly working with a skill separate leveling system based on, likely, combat and quests right? Until proven otherwise I'm working on the assumption that he's level one. And IF that's so no amount of maxed skills are going to make up for scaling, perks, and equipment that just isn't there yet.

Also this shit is DC. Barring something I'm just not seeing here, he's basically trying to be batman as a STARTING POINT.

Click to shrink...

Per the fic, he is level 66.

My level as of today is 66. 66 levels of grinding and not a single noteworthy adventure worthy of a comic book, hence the cliff notes.

Click to shrink...

However, you are right. He is right now a Batman-type figure but that will soon change.

 

[S!ËGFR!ÊD]

Holy shit, he's alive. Praise be! Glad to see you back.

 

[Fulcon]

Holy shit, he's alive. Praise be! Glad to see you back.

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Glad to be back! Have a cookie.

 

[Fulcon]

The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. Please support the official release.
---

Quest Added: "Where's the Blacksmith?"
Attain 25 ranks in Smithing: (0/25).

Click to shrink...

I walked in my apartment door and kicked it shut behind me. The boxes I was carrying barely fit through. Safely inside, I placed them down on the floor and… hang on, where's the remote?

Oh, there it is.

With the click of a button, the TV turned on to the news. After a few moments, I figured out it was a UN summit. I bent back over and picked up the boxes to take them over to my apartment's balcony.

"My people believe a lasting peace can only be achieved by eliminating them!" The TV shouted at me.

Who are we talking about? Please tell me this isn't one of those 'anti-cape' discussions that comes up every now and again.

"Nonsense!" The TV debated with itself in a different voice. "Those weapons are our only defense against aggression!"

Oh, WMD's. Eh.

Very carefully balancing the boxes against the wall with one hand, I used the other slide the balcony door open and then carried the boxes out, placing them gently on the wood. Wasn't going to be a permanent home, of course, but it was the best place for them at the moment.

"Is this your official position?" The TV's first personality asked.

"No, General Wells does not speak for our government." Hey, I recognized that voice!

I stood and turned to watch the TV as Senator J. Allen Carter took the stand. Sandy brown hair, black suit, a stately looking man by all accounts.

Honestly, I was really disappointed when the Astronaut, the first man to set foot on Mars, came back and immediately got into politics, with politics that are the complete opposite of mine. Most people who demand they stay apolitical are people who don't want you lobbying against their interests but you're not supposed to say that out loud.

"But Senator Carter, only a fool would-" the only sane man in the room, General Wells according to the TV, began before being rudely cut off.

"General, when I was an astronaut on Mars, I survived an experience that profoundly changed my life." Senator Carter, a man who I wasn't sure could even see Earth at that time on mars, paused to look around the room and meet the eyes of his audience. "I saw, for the first time, how small and fragile our planet is."

Which is the paradox of Mutually Assured Destruction. We have enough weapons and explosives to detonate the planet, which makes those whose primary concern is self-preservation skittish to try anything; everyone knows the demon of envy, whose most well known quote is 'if I can't have it, neither can you'.

Ironically, if we got rid of our WMD's, we'd be making it safer for the world's super powers to wage war.

"It's fate is in our hands," Senator Carter continued. "Ladies and gentlemen, that is a responsibility we must not take lightly."

Then again, there's a few military dictatorships I'd really like to see toppled so maybe I can be flexible here.

"Therefore, today I propose a bold new solution for peace." Senator Carter closed his eyes, took a breath and spoke with a smile. "One that would use a force more powerful than any before, a force dedicated to the good of all mankind. A force known to all…"

The camera panned to the entrance, which opened to reveal – wait you've got to be kidding me!

"As Superman!"

Superman, the big blue boy scout, walked into the UN and down the stairs to the stage. When he got to the stage, he shook Senator Carter's hand, the two men smiling at each other like close friends.

Oh, come on, Clark! You're not a god, this isn't something you can just handle like it's one of Luthor's myriad schemes. This is going to backfire! Horrifically! You have to...oh, he's still trying to make up for the whole 'brainwashing' thing. Yeah, that makes sense.

Frustrating, though.

"With all due respect, Senator," General Wells began. "We can't entrust the security of the entire world to one man!"

The good General is correct. I'm glad we have a voice of reason here at this conference.

That's when Superman took to the pulpit. "I understand your feelings, General, and when Senator Carter first approached me, I was reluctant to get involved."

Uh huh.

"But after meeting with him and his advisors, I became convinced that I could make a difference," Superman said, surveying the room. "I have fought hard over the years to earn your trust, and I solemnly swear to all of you that I will continue to uphold the ideals of truth and justice, not just for America but for all the world."

The room full of dictatorships that make a mockery of human rights applauded.

Senator Carter took back the pulpit. "Thank you, Superman."

I turned off the TV.

Right. Well, that was an unpleasant hiccup in my day! Nothing for it but to start on the next step on...wait what's the name of that quest, again?

I dug around in my back pocket for the small black book that functioned as my game manual and journal and paged through it.
There it is. I need a hero! With the only goal being to 'establish a Superhero Identity'.

First goal, max Smithing. Next, make the tools to make the tools that make the tools. Then, get to work on that Super Power Serum and apply it to me to obtain the super strength I've been wanting since forever. Then, armor, jet pack, etcetera.

I'd love to give myself all of the super powers, but there's something that I like to call 'genetic load'. A living organism can only take so much change at once before they start to fall apart or their cells become cancerous. You want to watch someone grow to ten times their size with spikes sticking out of their skin? That's how you do that. So I could give myself more powers in like a decade or two, but until then, I'm stuck with my initial, limited set.

Flight alone is a huge ask due to the sheer amount of factors that complicated power has going for it. Surfing on graviton waves without crumpling like a piece of paper in the hands of anyone frustrated by life is, well, it hurts my brain.

My very large, densely wrinkled brain.

Then, my cellphone rang. Caller ID said 'Regina Stone', who is one of the girls that I'm dating.

I answered. "Hey, Regina."

"Hey you!" She said, sounding cheerful and perky. "Are we still on for tonight? I've been thinking about you."

Regina was...okay. Kind of a pain. Pretty, but that's par for the course for my dating life. Some might say it's greedy to want a pretty girl with a great personality, and they'd be right. But if I'm going to be the package of a handsome, hardworking provider that will put anyone who threatens me and mine six feet under, I'm going to be greedy.

...I'm breaking up with her. "Yeah, we're on. Got something important to talk about with you tonight, actually."

"Really?" She sounded excited.

"Don't get excited," I told her. "Just something that needs to be handled in person is all."

I don't do breakups over the phone or text. If I can't break bad news to someone I don't really care about, I won't be able to do it with anyone I really care about. You can't enforce boundaries without a spine.

"Oh." Suddenly she sounded nervous. "Can you tell me what its about?"

"I don't want to," I replied. "See you tonight."

Her farewell sounded annoyed. "Okay, see you."

I hung up and my hunger bar just turned yellow. Used to be that physical activity of any kind would make the bar degrade even faster, but maxing Athletics eliminated that problem, so I hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours. Typically, I don't eat until the stat bar reaches the red anyway, since that's when the penalties start to hit.

Should be fine until dinner.

I got on my desktop and booted up Leif, the internet browser on my computer. Named for the esteemed Leif Erikson if I wasn't mistaken. I was looking for a new place to live! Somewhere outside of Metropolis. As much as being a hero inside Metropolis, alongside Superman, was appealing, I didn't want to become another Steel.
You know, someone who only does hero-work when Superman is busy somewhere else?

Nah, no thanks.

Let's see… Jump City already has the Titans. Space City, cool name, has someone named Dynamo Girl...Sky Peak?

The City of Sky Peak.

Capital of the state of Red Mountain, situated on the east side of the Pikes Peak mountain range. No current superhero...oh wow, it hasn't had a costumed hero for eleven years.

I did a bit more digging. Sometimes on the internet people postulate that perhaps our cities would be better without super heroes and their destructive conflicts. Lets see if there's anything to it?

The pictures that came up, once I got past the tourist publications...weren't good. With a population of a hundred-thousand and falling, some skyscrapers had been straight up abandoned. The streets looked empty and what people in the picture looked worried and haggard.

...Sky Peak it is!

Quest Added: I must go, my people need me!
Move to the City of Sky Peak: (Incomplete).

Click to shrink...

Yes, Game. Very good, I do need to move. I'm glad it's official.

Let's see, who were the previous heroes here? Maybe I can find out more about this city.

There was Mountain Man, a ten foot tall giant who wore flannel and a thick, lumberjack's beard and an axe. He disappeared a month after his first appearance. Huh.

The second one was a heroine named Cybergirl. Technopath in a white lab coat and a high-tech visor. Disappeared after two months. No explanation.

Solar Forge was the last one. Wild gadgeteer. Like a discount Green Lantern with a hand made out of pure energy. That is so cool, how have I never heard of this guy?

Well, he disappeared after two weeks.

...this looks less like the city never had a hero and more like there's something that's killing them off.

Then I guess people stopped trying and Sky Peak started to decay as the productive members of society fled and all that were left were the dregs who couldn't afford to leave. That's a shame for them.

Well, I guess we know what happens when a city doesn't have a super hero – it dies a slow, painful death. So, I'm moving over there and changing that. Can't ignore a challenge like that, can I? No, of course not.

The only thing of real note in the city is the Sky Peak International Airport, which is more like an army base with how secure it is, and I know its secure because the list of complaints of people who've had to move through it to get across the country doesn't actually stop, no matter how long I scroll.

No, wait. Never mind, there's the bottom. A thousand negative reviews, all to do with their absurd security measures.
Hey, there's one by Lois Lane!

The slowest layover flight I've ever been on, it read. Their Airport Security double checks everything, so the lines reached outside of the airport itself. It's absurd. Pick any other layover destination, even if it means two extra flights! Never go through Sky Peak!
Yikes, that's nasty.

I wonder if she's tried to do a story on it? Eh, if it doesn't concern Metropolis, probably not. Might not be the real Lois Lane, now that I think about it.

Apartments for rent?

A search and a few clicks, I was faced with some really cheap apartments. Even the 'luxury' items were half my Metropolis rent. So, I picked the one that looked best to me and made a phone call.

---

Trojan Garden, an italian restaurant which wasn't the best, but fit my price range, was only a ten minute walk from my current residence. I got sat at the table and handed a menu. I got the same thing every time; Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara.

For a drink, I asked for water. Not that I didn't like Soder, or Soda as it used to be in my old world, but pound for pound it was the most efficient way to fill up my now red thirst-bar. Throat was dry, my visions was starting to get a little blurry, that sort of thing. When the cup arrived, I chugged it and brought the bar back to the half-way point where it was barely yellow.

I looked at the waitress with newly cleared vision, seeing her tan brunette with great legs, whose name tag read Joyce, instead of a blur. "May I get a refill, please?"

"Of course!" She said with a chuckle, taking the cup and walking off.

The restaurant was packed, as was typical for a Friday, people wanting cheap Italian to help wind down after a stressful work week. I liked to think I understood, even though I retired about a month ago. Day Trading was ten hours a week to make or lose a fortune in the blink of an eye. Even if you made money the first four days of the week, you could lose it all on Friday because you got careless. If you were uneducated about the market worked, you would probably lose all of your money and never be able to make it back.

Unless you got lucky.

And I got lucky a couple times.

A few million invested in the right long-term stocks and the dividends can pay your living expenses.

My date, Regina, showed up. Her long, chestnut colored hair was curled and styled to perfection, and she was wearing a green dress with a low cleavage and high skirt. Pink lips curled into a smile when she saw me. "Hey, Jacob."

She leaned in and kissed me on the lips before sitting opposite me.

Dating is a lot like day trading. You had to be smart about who you chose to spend your time with or you could lose everything on a bad trade. Pull out early on a loss and let your winners keep winning.

Regina was a loss.

"Hey, Regina," I returned with a smirk. "How's your day been?"

"It's," she began, pouting her lips lightly. "It's been alright. Been okay. Yours?"

"It's been alright," I answered. "So, you probably guessed that we're breaking up."

Regina froze, closed her eyes and smacked her lips before she opened her eyes and responded. "Why? What did I do?"

"Nothing to do with you," I said, arching an eyebrow and wondering if she did, in fact, do something that I maybe needed to know about. "I just realized I'm not really feeling a connection between us and I don't know where I'm going to be in three weeks, so I didn't want to lead you on."

All of that is true! I don't know if I'll get that apartment within the next few weeks or not.

"Oh," she was frowning and were those tears? Yeah, they were. "I just really thought we had something. I feel something between us."

"I don't. And I am sorry for that," I said with a frown. She might've been a little annoying, but she wasn't a bad girl, as far as I knew. "But I felt I needed to tell you so you could start looking for someone that does feel that connection. You deserve that."

She was staring at her lap. "Thanks."

"I wish you all the best," I said as the waitress returned with my refill of water. I raised the glass to her. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she replied, smiling and turning to my date. "What would you like to drink?"

"Oh, uh, I'm actually not staying," Regina said, standing up. "Thank you. I'll see you later, Jacob."

"Drive safe," I told her as she walked off.

"Thanks," she replied over her shoulder.

Maybe I could've offered to treat her? Nah. Again, didn't want to lead her on with good intentions, that'd be mean.

Honestly, though, scenarios like this are why I'm glad I'm celibate until marriage. If we had shared a bed at some point, that breakup would've been a lot worse.

Actually, since I'm going to be moving soon, I'm going to have to start breaking things off with the other girls I'm dating. Oh, that's going to be just fun, isn't it?

Quest Added: Heart Breaker.
Break up with Regina: (Complete).
Break up with Jane: (Incomplete).
Break up with Melissa: (Incomplete).
Break up with Danielle: (Incomplete).
Break up with Reese: (Incomplete).
Break up with Marcella: (Incomplete).
Break up with Jesse: (Incomplete).

Click to shrink...

That's a little dramatic, don't you think, Game?

Also, I didn't realize I was seeing that many girls. Huh. Well, that's neat. Maxing Speech proving its worth for the millionth time.

"Sir, can I get you anything?" The waitress asked, seeming a little impatient. Guess she'd just been standing there for a bit.

"Oh, sure. Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara," I said. "And can I get a glass of Root Beer?"

"Okay, sure," she said, taking the unopened menu from my table. "I'll be right out with it."

Now that that's taken care of, what do I need? Trying to become a super hero, so what do I need to do that I haven't already done?

Perhaps some situational awareness training? I'm pretty sure there's some really high quality classes available here in Metropolis and I've got some time before the move. I mean, you can find anything in Metropolis.

Quest Updated: I need a hero!

Click to shrink...

Establish a Superhero Identity: (Incomplete).
New! (Optional): Complete (Situationally Aware).

Click to shrink...

Quest Added: Situationally Aware.
Complete a Situational Awareness Course: (Incomplete).

Click to shrink...

Okay then. What else is there? You know, I probably should train up my disguise skill if only to make it easier to maintain my secret identity in costume, even if I plan on it being a full body costume. Don't want to slip by saying something my heroic identity wouldn't know to say, you know? An acting class should be fine for that.

Quest Updated: I need a hero!
Establish a Superhero Identity: (Incomplete).
(Optional): Complete (Situationally Aware).
New! (Optional): Complete (Masquerade).

Click to shrink...

Quest Added: Masquerade.
Raise your Disguise skill to 50: (33/50).

Click to shrink...

Alright, sounds like a plan. What else can I- No, no, no! I've had enough quest added to my poor journal for tonight! We are sticking with what we've got, thank you!

---

Author's Note: So, here's the first proper chapter of the story. One of the things I've noticed about Harem stories from what I've read is that most harem protagonists are, in fact, emotionally weak. They get a harem not because they want one, but because they're too nice to say no. I wrote Jacob as a way to rebel against the concept, who has decided he wants a harem but isn't quite sure how to go about it. One thing he does know is that he needs to find the right women and that he hasn't.

Another thing I noticed is that this fic is a little odd in that it starts with a majority of the skills being maxed out during the prologue. There's been some comments saying that this isn't really a gamer fic because of that. While the traditional gamer fic is about starting from level 1 and going to the stars, I wanted to see what I could do with the concept of creating an epic level character for an epic level campaign.

Make no mistake, Justice League is an epic level campaign. It features alien invasions that shrug off conventional military solutions, Hades himself walking the earth, the Legion of Doom, and so on. No character is walking into that at first level, that's absurd. But its very rare for fics to actually reach that far along in the timeline, much like its very rare for Tabletop RPG's to get that far due to scheduling conflicts and other tragedies, so Jacob is epic level.

Let me know what you think!

Until the next time!

~Fulcon

 

[Josematos977]

No no. It doesn't make sense for a guy that is cheating on so many girls not to have sex with them. Its just stupid

 

[Fulcon]

No no. It doesn't make sense for a guy that is cheating on so many girls not to have sex with them. Its just stupid

Click to shrink...

I see what you are saying.

On the first date, Jacob goes out of his way to explain that following: "I am not looking for anything exclusive. I don't care if you see other guys, because I will be seeing other girls."

I do not believe that's cheating. It's not monogamous, certainly, but its not cheating.

EDIT: Oh, sorry. Your issue is with the celibacy. My mistake.

Well, I'll just say this: his moral conditioning is extremely strong - it has to be if he's going to be a superhero.

 

[Zeldomnyo]

I see what you are saying.

On the first date, Jacob goes out of his way to explain that following: "I am not looking for anything exclusive. I don't care if you see other guys, because I will be seeing other girls."

I do not believe that's cheating. It's not monogamous, certainly, but its not cheating.

EDIT: Oh, sorry. Your issue is with the celibacy. My mistake.

Well, I'll just say this: his moral conditioning is extremely strong - it has to be if he's going to be a superhero.

Click to shrink...

Honestly the dating multiple girls at once thing was a concern for me for a moment until I read your reply that he does make sure they are aware of each other and still agree to date him. So long as they are aware of each other in the situation and still agree knowing that then as far as I'm concerned it's okay. It's if he was going behind their backs to do so that would make me think very poorly of him.

 

[Fulcon]

Honestly the dating multiple girls at once thing was a concern for me for a moment until I read your reply that he does make sure they are aware of each other and still agree to date him. So long as they are aware of each other in the situation and still agree knowing that then as far as I'm concerned it's okay. It's if he was going behind their backs to do so that would make me think very poorly of him.

Click to shrink...

And it should! Jacob makes it clear he's just looking for a casual relationship and that he's not going to be a hypocrite about it. Though I will clarify that none of them have met, to Jacob's knowledge, but he's okay with that because he hasn't met or asked about any other guy that they're seeing.

EDIT: By the way, have a cookie. Thanks for your comment.

 

[Unoriginal_Nick]

...jesus, talk about a 180. For a second I thought I was reading a different story cuz this all came outta nowhere. Not really my thing but good luck bro

 

[Fulcon]

...jesus, talk about a 180. For a second I thought I was reading a different story cuz this all came outta nowhere. Not really my thing but good luck bro

Click to shrink...

I appreciate the comment, regardless.

 

[The Radiance's Follower]

TFTC. Story look good for now. Glad that he won't be one the simps who are weak enough to not know how to say no to a pretty face.

 

[Fulcon]

TFTC. Story look good for now. Glad that he won't be one the simps who are weak enough to not know how to say no to a pretty face.

Click to shrink...

Thanks! Have a cookie.

Also? I love your signature.

 

[Aureus]

High praise! I had actually looked up some videos on how to creatively write and I found a goldmine of a channel which I can link if you're interested. It changed my attitude about what fiction is and supposed to be which I think has come out in far more efficient prose.

Click to shrink...

What channel?

 

[Fulcon]

What channel?

Click to shrink...

Mechanics of Fiction

A channel for Fiction Writers serious about learning their craft inside and out.

www.youtube.com

That channel.

 

[The Radiance's Follower]

Also? I love your signature.

Click to shrink...

Thanks. I stole it from someone in either QQ, SB, or SV. don't tell anyone tho.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Watching
Continue on
Cheers!

 

[Fulcon]

Thanks. I stole it from someone in either QQ, SB, or SV. don't tell anyone tho.

Click to shrink...

*seals lips and throws away the key*

Watching
Continue on
Cheers!

Click to shrink...

Thanks, I will do so!

 

[Fulcon]

The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Justice League and Justice League Unlimited are all owned by DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation. Please support the official release.

---

"Alright, which one of those bitches did it? Tell me! Now!"

"But – but… why? I don't understand."

"Fine. Whatever, I didn't really like you anyway. Thanks for the free food!"

"Why are all men stupid? Not just you, but especially you!"

"Should've known better than to date a player…"

"I can't believe I wanted to sleep with you!"

Quest Completed: Heart Breaker.
Break up with Regina: (Complete).
Break up with Jane: (Complete).
Break up with Melissa: (Complete).
Break up with Danielle: (Complete).
Break up with Reese: (Complete).
Break up with Marcella: (Complete).
Break up with Jesse: (Complete).

Click to shrink...

Well, that was as fun as I thought it would be. Not fun at all, in case my sarcasm was too subtle. At least now they were free to chase relationships that would actually work out for them. Hopefully they don't wind up doing something they'll regret. Most men are not like me; they're shameless about getting what they want.

Honestly, it was a relief. Maintaining those relationships without, you know, doing what any other man would've done? It was getting stressful. I should stop dating until I've found a solution to my dilemma.

My complex, legal and ethical dilemma.

Anyway!

The apartment called me back after mulling over my application for a week and a half and told me I was accepted. Sadly, that meant breaking my current lease, which meant I forfeit my deposit and was on the hook for rent on the rest of the two-year lease. Only three months, but it still kind of hurt.

Well, it didn't hurt, really, it was just annoying.

Regardless, I didn't have time to enroll into a situational awareness class here in Metropolis. Disappointing, but there's places in Sky Peak. Found a couple that look good to me, at least. I also had to look into rent-able warehouse where I can practice my Smithing skill.

What am I going to be doing, you ask?

Making nails. And screws. Bolts, too. It doesn't really matter what I make so long as I go up in skill points. The point is to get my skill up as fast as possible and then use it to make my costume.

And to make a gas chamber to administer my super soldier formula, because while I may be super humanly skilled, I don't want to be Batman. I am taking what powers I can and will shove them straight up my nose if I have to.

...with proper testing and trials, of course. Didn't feel like outgrowing my own skin.

---Two Weeks Later---

The flight had landed. Finally.

A tone sounded and the seat belt light turned off. I had a window seat, so I had the privilege of waiting as the other two passengers I sat with got up and got their luggage, making their way out to trudge in the slow line of human flesh, reminding me of the poisoned vein running down the back of a shrimp.

When the last person, an old lady, finally walked past me, I stood up and got my carry on out of the compartment above and started walking at a normal pace down the aisle until I got to the back of that same old lady, and walked down the extended bridge into the airport.

The air was cold. It was a different cold than Metropolis, though. The crisp mountain air felt emptier somehow, but I couldn't put my finger on why.

As I exited the bridge from the plane to Sky Peak International Airport, the first thing I noticed were the armed guards. They were stationed at desks, patrolling the walk ways, and especially by all the scanning platform, circular things with antenna that orbit the body as they does their work.

For a moment, I was a little stunned. I thought this was the DC Universe, not Judge Dredd.

When I approached, one of the security personnel, hefting a full on rifle spoke to me in a bored voice. "Please place all your luggage on the conveyor and hand over any keys, change or coins on your person."

I had absolutely no desire to give this man the gift of excitement, so I did as I was told. Keys, wallet and loose quarter went into the dish provided and my carry on went onto the conveyor. Then I stood on the platform, striking a t-pose when instructed so that the antenna could do their job as they circled me and the platform.

When they were done, I was let go, and given back my stuff.

"Sir, just so you know, there's three more scanners you'll need to go through before you exit the airport," the security guard said. "Just continue down the stairs, it'll be straight ahead."

"Why do I need to be scanned twice?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

"It'll take too long to explain sir, just move along."

"Understood." I turned and made my way down the stairs, a nervous pep in my step fueled by a building anxiety running like an electrical charge through my nerves.

I turned a corner to the left and found myself in front of a massive corridor filled with people going through airport security. There were three rows of six scanners that I would have to go through in sequence.

...suddenly, Ms. Lane's review of the place made complete sense.

The first row looked like it was moving the fastest, so I got in line there. Took a moment to review my quest journal and my survival bars. Sleep was green, hunger was green and thirst was green, so I didn't need to worry about that at all.

But the air, though. The chill seemed to be getting worse, somehow. No...it wasn't the air. There was something hostile in the room. Hostile, and dangerous. I may have been the only one with a danger sense, but I could see the guards grip on their rifles start to tighten as the familiar feeling of unease started to set in my stomach. Felt like a shark was swimming through the air above us.

To take my mind off my nerves, I considered my quest 'Where's the Blacksmith?' and the work that would go into completing it. I wonder if instructional videos counted as training for the purposes of increasing skills? One of the funnier little hacks I've found in maxing my skills is that, when I've gotten around the mid to upper nineties and grinding the points takes forever, I just go read a book explaining the basics to take me over the finish line. Videos on the internet could follow the same principle, right?

I hope so, it'd save me a day of reading.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, stopping my attempts at distracting myself dead in their tracks. There was a threat here, and the only thing I had to defend myself were four priceless limbs that I didn't want broken.

Glacially, the line moved forward and I got on the first platform, with an armed guard repeating the same instructions. I moved through it without incident, but then had to wait for the second platform.

Because there was a middle age women with a bob haircut making trouble for security.

She was whining like a kicked puppy. "I've been through these scanners twice! This is ridiculous, you'd think you'd get whatever you needed the first time!"

The guard she was arguing with was very clearly resisting the impulse to take aim at her empty head with his rifle. "Ma'am, I don't make the rules, this is just the procedure. If you continue to refuse the scanner, we will have no choice but to detain you for more invasive procedures. And we will."

"Don't you dare threaten me!" Her face twisted intensely with anger. "I refuse to take this abuse! If you don't let me through this instant, I will drown this airport in lawsuits!"

I clenched and relaxed my fingers in sequence. Lady, we've got to move. Go be a Karen elsewhere.

"Ma'am, if you don't get on the platform, my boys are going to come in here, tackle you straight to the ground, tase you, then haul you away in cuffs at gunpoint where we will scan you for telepathic interference, alien parasites and who knows what else." The guard's glare made me take a breath, because he was a hairs breath away from placing her in a very messy arrest. "Get on the scanner and spread your arms and legs. Do it now. Final warning."

The threat of violence made the woman clam up and she got on the scanner. As the machine did its work, I could just barely hear her muttering to herself. "I'm going to see my lawyer about this."

"I don't care, ma'am," the guard replied, maintaining and tightening the death grip he had on his on his weapon.

With a disgusted hmph, she collected her things and walked toward the final scanner.

"Alright, you know the drill, anything metal or sensitive goes in the tray," the guard said presenting said tray. "Carry-on luggage goes on the conveyor. Step onto the platform, nice and easy."

Oddly, when I placed my carry-on on the conveyor, the cold feeling seemed to get further away, as if the danger were in my clothes and toiletries, but that's ridiculous. Eager to finally get this over with, I stepped onto the machine. But instead of the machine turning on to scan me, the guy manning the scanner, sitting at a desk protected by bullet proof glass, rapidly stood up and drew his rifle from his back. "We got something!"

Wait, what?

Immediately, klaxons filled the security checkpoint and one of the guards shouted. "Everyone down on the ground! Now!"

I looked at the conveyor which had devoured my luggage, where I could hear the sound of tearing fabric, then tearing steel. At this moment, my sense kicked in and I got down as it exploded, taking my luggage with it.

Shielded my eyes with my arm before I lost one of them to shrapnel.

Health: 91%.
Your right arm has been crippled!

Click to shrink...

Oh great! My first taste of combat and I don't even have a weapon! And OW that really hurts!

I looked at my arm and saw that a large chunk of shrapnel had lodged itself in my forearm, and my right hand refused to work properly. Fantastic!

A snarl which sounded pieced together from technological noise brought my attention back to the conveyor's compartment, where something had broken out. I say something because I couldn't make heads or tails of the thing; it had four limbs and seemed to be made out of television static with a single eye-stalk protruding out of the center, holding a neon-blue orb with a black diamond iris cutting through the center.

Quest Added: Welcome to the City of Sky Peak!
Survive: (Incomplete).
Retrieve your remaining Luggage: (Incomplete).
(Optional) Destroy the monster: (Incomplete).
(Optional) Find a safe place to hide: (Incomplete).
(Optional) Use the chaos to bypass airport security: (Incomplete).

Click to shrink...

There was a cold trail leading from the monster to my chest. I pushed off with my working arm to get out of the way of that cold trail right as an azure laser beam appearing where the trail had been. I bolted further down the aisle and slid beneath one of the conveyors, gripping one of its legs and using it to turn on my slide, barely avoiding the prone form of a man trying to hide from the monster. Grabbing the conveyor and pushed to my feet in a hunched position and then hopped back over the conveyor I had just slid under.

Sneak Check Success! (100/65)

Click to shrink...

Acrobatics Check Success! (100/50)

Click to shrink...

Good I lost it.

Destroying the monster may compromise my identity later. Bypassing security is illegal. We're finding a place to hide.

I heard someone shout in the distance. "Open fire!"

The terminal was filled with echoing shouts of automatic gunfire. Up above, I saw that the creature had leaped onto the walls and was climbing up, returning fire, its laser bolts being met with cries of pain.

Over the intercom, a prerecorded voice sounded throughout the room. "Look for the green light. Look for the green light. Evacuate the terminal. Look for the green light…"

Immediately, people started to stand. The green lights were shining on the passages going backward toward where they had come from before getting to security while the doors forward were quickly barred off by descending gates. Then it was a stampede of people, all rushing to the exit.

The fact that my optional objective to bypass security hadn't failed at this point tells me that there was a way to either open those gates or another way out. Still.

Looking around, I saw a door with a glass window in the top half, marked as 'employees only'. If there was a safe place to hide, it'd be through there.

It was then that I saw an old man trip and fall in the ground. Immediately, I ran over, pushing through the rushing crowd. "Here, let me help you out!" I grabbed him by the arm with my good hand and hoisted him up.

His face was bruised and bloody from having been stepped on, his gray hair matted with blood. "Th-thanks!" He bloodily sputtered out before running toward the green-lit staircases.

Biology Check Success! (100/20)

Click to shrink...

Thankfully, the man didn't look concussed. As I slunk back under the conveyor. That cold aura had cross the room. Gunfire had ceased, and I could hear people start to speak.

"I lost it! Can anyone see it?"

I did. It was moving forward like some sort of demented crab on the ground beneath conveyors, but it wasn't looking in my direction. Coming out of my hiding place with my bad arm up, I pointed with my good hand. "It's over there! Underneath the conveyor!"

Immediately, the armed guards turned with their rifles to where I had been pointed.

"Contact!" Gunfire resumed a midst the frustrated roars of whatever it was they were shooting at. "Aim for the eye!"

Another one of the guards took cover next to me. "Sir, you need to evacuate immediately! Follow the green lights! We'll get you medical attention when all this is over!"

The green lights that thing was obviously making its way towards?

Actually, I could see it scrambling toward one of those stair cases. If it got up there, they'd never be able to find it in the horde of people and those people would then have to go back through security, starting this whole thing over again.

...well, I'm trying to be a superhero, aren't I? Lets see if I can get it to follow me.

I stood up and waved my good arm. "Hey! Weirdo! Yeah, you! Over here!"

Speech Check Success! (100/90)

Click to shrink...

The azure eyeball turned to look at me and immediately, I felt the cold trail connecting me to it. I dodged down as a laser fired at me and I hopped onto the conveyor and then jumped to the next one before reaching the staff entrance, which I closed behind me.

Acrobatics Check Success! (100/45)

Click to shrink...

I found myself in a long corridor with twin corridors joining at the center, going in opposite directions. Sprinting for them, I turned left and found myself with a single option; a conference room with a large glass window.

Well, that was no good. I turned around and heard the sound of a laser discharge and the door I had shut being blasted across the floor. Didn't have a choice, I ran to the conference room. Long table, lots of chairs, a whiteboard on the wall, and a wall of steel cabinets, and another wall of shelves, creating a corner. I slid inside, painfully bumping my bad arm but thankfully having enough grit to stifle my whelp. The angle would be perfect to hide from it when it blasted the door open.

I heard gunfire. Hopefully, it wouldn't immediately turn left and come to this room.

After a few seconds, the sounds of gunfire died down and I heard security officers shouting at each other.

"Spread out! There aren't any exits here, we'll find it."

"If I ever get my hands on whoever let that guy on a plane with those things…"

They can't seriously think I'm responsible for this! Well, I mean, it was my luggage but – but...crap.

"Can it. Also, don't shoot the lunatic that lured it here. Check your fire."

Oh, different guy. At least, it sounds like a different guy.

"You got it, Pedro."

It was then that I saw a ventilation shaft along the left wall, the wall that I was sandwiched between as well as the lockers. A cold feeling in the pit of my stomach arose as I realized that that thing might very well be able to navigate the vents.

That cold sensation externalized itself, coming from the vent and I realized that I needed to leave. Dodging lasers was much harder when the shooter was close and didn't have to worry about spread, which was a problem with weapons-grade lasers – issues with the beam as it emits from the lens and hits atmosphere can and do cause it to go slightly off target.

Except the entire room was now cold and when I peaked, I saw airport barely sneak into view of the window, only to look in the room and signal to his buddy and he backed off.

Psychology Check Success: 100/15.

Click to shrink...

They saw it.

It was at that moment, the ventilation shaft started to bend and it shot out, slamming into the wall below the window, and it leaped out, landing on the table. It's blue eye was looking around and hadn't found me yet.

This was going to be close. I took a breath...then bellowed. "Here!"

Immediately, the crab's eye turned to look at me, it's eye glowing brighter as it began to charge the blast that would end my life. But the security officers hiding out of view immediately swung into view, aimed and fired.

A bullet ripped through the blue orb, causing it to shatter and explode in a corona of blue light.

I let out a deep breath and slid down against the corner.

Quest Updated: Welcome to the City of Sky Peak!
Survive: Complete!.
Retrieve your remaining Luggage: (Incomplete).
Failed: (Optional) Destroy the monster.
Failed: (Optional) Find a safe place to hide.
Failed: (Optional) Use the chaos to bypass airport security.

Click to shrink...

I'm glad to know you still reward all the options except the ones I take. Never change, game.

The door to the conference room opened as I was extricating myself from my hiding place.

"You alright, sir?" One of the officers asked, his weapon low.

"I will be, once my arm is figured out," I said, raising it up. "Hurts something awful."

"We'll take care of that. Simmons, if you'd call the infirmary?" he said.

Simmons, the officer behind the first, nodded and got on his walkie-talkie. The rest of the security team, six of them, filed into the room and took positions around the conference table, not taking their eyes off of the crab, which no longer looked like it was made of static, but instead was a robot made of steel with four legs.

"Can I get your name?" The first officer asked, extending his hand. His helmet, the visor down, hid his facial features.

"Jacob Graves." I extended my left hand, as my right was out of commission. Awkwardly, he withdrew his right and offered his left.

"That was a brave thing you did, son." He said, sounding warm. "But please never do it again."

"Yes sir," I said, agreeing. I'll need weapons, armor and powers before I even think of trying something like this again. Still! I consider it a success! I saved lives and I survived the ordeal. "You have me at a disadvantage, officer…?"

"Malcolm. Malcolm Brown," He said. "Sorry this happened, we thought we had gotten them all."

"This has happened before?" I asked.

"It happened about a month ago," Malcolm said, cradling his rifle in his arms like it was an infant. "Some scientist creep came through here from Space City, heading for Gotham. He built those things and apparently, they didn't like being scanned. All hell broke loose and we had the firefight of our lives. Sometimes things like to hide in people's luggage, so we scan them repeatedly."

I offered a look of empathy. "That's rough."

"Yeah. I thought we got the last of the stragglers two weeks ago," Malcolm continued. "I pity the families who lost someone today. Not everyone made it out. Plus, whoever it was who lost their luggage. Hopefully they don't sue."

"Nah, I won't," I said. "It was just clothes and toiletries."

"That was you?" Malcolm asked. Then he looked at my bad arm and made the connection. "Oh, right. Yikes. We've got some great doctors here, they'll fix you up."

"Thanks," I said.

Right on cue, people in white uniforms arrived with a stretcher. The lead, an African-American whose black hair was tied in a bun, spoke. "Whose the patient?"

I raised my bad arm. "That's me."

"Oh, that looks bad," she said, eyes wide. "Get on the stretcher, we'll get that situated immediately."

...well, at least I'm well off or this bill would haunt me for years.

---

Author's Note: This chapter is the one where I really felt like I had returned to form. Felt great writing it and I had a lot of fun. Hopefully, you all had just as much fun reading it!

I will note that the reaction to Jacob surprised me. Wasn't bad, the reactions made sense, I just felt bad for not anticipating it. So, let me address them. Very minor spoilers below, just so you know.

1. Jacob dates honestly. He tells them at the beginning that he's not looking for anything exclusive and, because he will be seeing other women, they are free to see other men. Whether or not they took him up on this isn't relevant to the story; I'll let you guys decide.

2. Jacob's celibacy has to do with alleviating negative consequences. Apparently, casual sex can be very bad for a woman's psychological health, according to the studies he and I have read. Not always, but enough that it's a problem. Since Jacob's moral conditioning is quite strong, he couldn't take advantage of their willingness with a clear conscience since he didn't think they were worth truly committing too; that commitment being marriage.

3. Is it a harem fic? I'd say so. This is the spoiler: Polygyny is what Jacob actually wants out of his relationships. The issue that he's run into is that it's completely illegal in all 50 states and at a Federal Level and he wants to be a superhero.

I hope that helps everyone! And please let me know what you think, I do want to read what you have to say.

Until the next time!

~Fulcon

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Fulcon]

thanks for the chapter

Click to shrink...

And thank you for the comment!

Have a cookie.

 

[Grand Munchkin]

Hmm. Neat! Thanks for the chapter

 

[The Radiance's Follower]

TFTC. That was unlucky. At least now he knows what life will be like in the new city. It looks like to be a city where security is taken seriously but due to that, threats rather than hide and bide their time are actually getting discovered early and killing a lot of people before being destroyed.

 

[Galacticplumber]

An amusing first encounter. I do like the common sense to not do anything too revealing, and to lure the thing away from civvies. Hopefully nothing comes up in discovery while the doctor works. Getting found out due to video game regeneration, or a limb uncrippling due to medical care in an instant would SUCK. Would be hilarious as an obstacle, but man that'd be an unfortune roll.