When Clark woke up, the first thing he saw was the sterile white ceiling of a hospital.
The second thing he saw was more of a feeling than an actual thing- the pulsing behind his eyes every time he thought and every time he moved was hard to ignore, after all. It was a migraine the likes of which he'd never experienced before; the pain built up inside his head before moving through his head.
As he grew more and more awake the pain only increased. It felt like his skin was crawling, with tiny needles etching tiny marks into his body for the sake of simply making him experience a taste of agony. All he could do was sit on the bed he was on and endure it- even the tiniest movement felt like misery itself while his entire body was undergoing this strange torture.
"Clark? Clark!" Jay's familiar voice made him turn his head to the side despite the agony he was in to see him, giving him a better view of the place he was in. The view, however, made the pulse of pain worth it.
It seemed like he wasn't in a hospital room. While he was in a bed, the cheap and metallic furniture was placed out in the hospital lobby. All around him were other people, some of which seemed to be going through the same thing he was with hands clutched tight against whatever was nearby and faces the same color as the sheets they were on. He even saw some of the hospital staff collapsed onto beds, a sight that filled him with anxiety- did whatever that happened in the park also target the hospitals too?
"Oh thank God you're awake dude, I was so worried." His eyes flicked to the side and caught Japy with a distressed expression, but the fear in his eyes was nothing compared to what must've popped into his face at all the blood covering his friend's clothes.
"Jay?!" His voice rasped out. "Your side-"
"Ah, no no, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He lifted up his shirt and revealed nothing but pale skin and lean muscles underneath with a thin smile on his face. "The System thing healed everybody, but not everyone woke up. All the hospital could do was give everyone a place to rest while the doctors that are still awake can get a chance to check them all. Dude, it's horrible out there- the exploding phones thing didn't just happen in the park. Everywhere I looked, there were people covered in blood with no idea what to do."
"It's a miracle that I even managed to carry you back here before it got filled with people."
'System?' Clark was confused for a moment before the memories of what had happened flashed before his eyes.
A green screen, numbers that were supposed to represent the overall capabilities of his 'stats', his mangled hand getting healed, and the-
"S-seeds!" Clark exclaimed after gaining some more control over his voice. "The fuck is going on??"
All Jay could do was grab his hand and give it a squeeze, not knowing that his action caused a spike of pain to travel all the way up his arm. The forced smile on his face told him everything he needed to know; which was that nobody knew anything. And with technology being out because of the solar flare... everyone was in a state of panic.
People would have already been claiming the 'end of the world' was coming if they lost their technology, but for something like this 'system' to appear at the same time... it was a disaster. No, a nightmare.
"H-hey! The TV's working again!" A voice broke through the clamor of countless people being absorbed in their pain and worry, drawing all their attention. "It's the bald- uhm, fuck his name, whatever! It's the Head of Congress!"
"What? What happened to the solar flare?"
"Why isn't the President up there?"
"They better have some kind of explanation for all this!"
Dozens of voices sounded in response to the sudden burst of life from the electronic device, but the vast majority of them were quietly listening to the broadcast in the hopes of finding out what was happening. Although most of the people here at the hospital were those who'd fallen unconscious after the appearance of the Universal System, there were some who'd stayed awake through the entire thing, and it was them who were the most confused. After digesting the information given by the System and picking a Seed, it was understandable that after there weren't any noticeable changes they'd be extremely confused and in some cases, wondering if there were all trapped in some kind of high-tech illusion.
The voices died down immediately when the broadcast started, showing the Head of Congress (Lowry something) in the ceremonial office that always appeared whenever the government made an official statement to the press. The official feeling that was always there in the press releases was completely absent this time though, replaced by a heavy somberness that quieted everyone listening.
"...Everyone, I am here to announce with a solemn vow that everything that you have experienced in the past hour is not a terrorist attack, nor is it an attack of any kind on our people." The man held their head in between their hands like they were too exhausted to even look at the camera and address the nation. "While to you, those in urban areas and even those in rural zones, these events may look like acts meant to terrorize our great nation, that is only because you have not seen the vast scale of this so-called 'System'."
"What does he mean by 'scale'? Is this happening in other places too?" One person voiced the question that everyone else had in their minds.
"He said urban and rural zones?! What the fuck is happening!"
"Shut up!"
"Jay, were you awake the entire time?" By the time the broadcaster stopped to collect their thoughts, the pain underneath his skin had stopped writhing and he'd gained some semblance of control over his body again. Well, enough so that he could move willingly. Now, he was focused on figuring out the significance of this 'System', and how worried he should be. The concept of a 'system' wasn't unfamiliar to him- stuff like this was common in video games and novels, but for it to even appear in real life...?
There was a girl next to him who whispered just loud enough for him to hear that this had to be some kind of experiment with virtual technology, and for a second he believed her- just until another wave of pain rocked his vision.
'There's no way this is fake... but I don't know if this being reality is a better alternative,' he thought bitterly.
In most cases, something apocalyptic followed the appearance of the system. The fact that the 'sources' of that idea were completely made up of fiction called the authenticity of the statement into question, but the concept that anything beneficial must also come at a price was widely agreed upon even in those disgustingly promiscuous fictitious works; such was the law of the universe. Give and take. Barter and trade.
"Huh?" Jay looked back from the broadcast with a weird expression. "Oh, yeah, for the most part. Most of it was a blur though... I had to carry you all the way here while everyone was screaming for help," Jay said while his eyes were still glued to the screen.
"Did this 'System' do anything else while I was unconscious?"
Finally, Jay's eyes lit up in understanding before he shook his head. "No, after it mentioned something about skills it just disappeared. It hasn't done anything since; it freaked a lot of people out because they thought something bad was gonna happen."
"I see..." Clark rubbed at his head with the palms of his hands. If nothing had happened yet, then he could only prepare for what was to come. He vaguely remembered the System mentioning a 'Trial', too.
The man in the broadcast finally gathered up the will to continue speaking. "But this event did not leave us with no damage. Reports are coming across the nation, and my fellow leaders in different parts of the world have confirmed that they're experiencing the same thing."
'World?! So this isn't just an isolated event? Oh god...' Clark clenched the edge of the bed tightly.
"People with electronic devices too close to their person suffered fatal injuries, and the number of deceased is immeasurable as of now. We do not have the personnel nor the resources to record data. We do not have an explanation for this event. We, well, to be frank, we don't have anything to give you except our word that we will do our utmost to find and catch those responsible for the deaths of so many of our neighbors and friends." A tired but determined expression flashed across the man's face while he looked down at the podium.
With that, the man looked up at the camera for the first time in the entire broadcast, revealing eyes that shared the same determination as his expression. "While we work towards accomplishing this goal, we must ask a favor from all of you. Do not panic. Do not worry. Even if these are unprecedented times, you have to realize that none of you are alone. Look around you, and you'll see yourself surrounded by people who experienced the same thing that you have. Don't let yourself be engulfed by your fears, and if you can do that, then we will all be okay. Help each other, and we will survive this and come out stronger as a nation of united peoples."
The broadcast continued even after the man stopped speaking until it eventually looped and started playing back everything he said, but everyone was so focused the first time that none of them needed to hear it again.
Clark looked around like the Head of Congress said and noticed that he was right- while none of them were injured, almost all of them had splotches of blood on their clothing with tense expressions. There was a child who seemed ignorant of what was going on around her while her mother fidgeted with a nervous smile on her face, trying to be a steady anchor for her kid.
Sitting a chair was an old man wearing a veteran's hat with shaking hands reaching out and plucking the stray hairs on their adult son's face away. Right next to them, grandchildren that giggled to each other, enwrapped inside their own world.
Across from him, there was a doctor who seemed to be inches away from a nervous breakdown. Everyone they checked appeared to be fine, with the only evidence of any injury being the small dots of blood painting their clothing and the slight trembling of their fingers. The doctor himself was only a young man only a few years older than him, but the way he held himself in the face of such an unprecedented event... Clark held nothing but respect in his heart for him.
'Ahh... what am I worrying for?' After listening to the Head of Congress'- no, to Mr. Lowry's words and experiencing their meaning for himself, Clark waved away the panic that started inching its way through his body and ignored the pain underneath his skin to focus on the bigger picture.
"Huh? Wait wait wait, what're you doing? The doctor hasn't looked at you yet!" Jay tried pushing him back down to the bed but failed miserably against his significantly larger frame. If Clark wanted to do something, it would take at least four Jay's to stop him, even in his weakened and pained current state.
"Dude, I'm fine." He forced a smile to hide the fact that even that small movement seemed to set off a series of explosions inside his bones. "Shouldn't the doc focus on people who actually need help? Look, I can walk and move; there's gotta be other people who need him more than I do."
He gestured to the people around him, only now noticing that the crowd inside the room was only growing larger as more people shoved their way in demanding medical attention either for themselves or for someone else. With cell phones and mobile service out and no way to contact the police, directly heading towards a hospital like this was the only way to get help.
That'd be a perfectly reasonable thing to do, but right now? With so many people entering the already cramped hospital lobby? It just worsened the stressful mood in the room, and there were already some arguments starting in the entrance where two men were arguing over who needed medical attention more. Neither was hurt, obviously, but by the time anybody realized that it had already escalated into a fight that needed the people around them to step in and break up.
But if this continued, then the people who got hurt from stuff unrelated to the Universal System wouldn't be able to get the help they need. That was why Clark was getting up, and why he forced himself to ignore the pain in his body. Even if he couldn't force people to leave, there was no reason for him to stay if he was perfectly healthy, right?
While he moved, Jay continued to pester him with arguments as to why he should just stay still but his head was too busy thinking about the message the System manifested before he fell unconscious.
'A [Mutation], huh... that must be what this feeling is, this damn ache that's everywhere in my body. But which one did it pick?' There were only two options out of the five total 'Seeds' he saw that were mutations- the Living Armor (Which sounded cool, but scared him if he thought about it), and the Monster mutations. Neither of which inspired any positive emotion in him, and to be honest, he was terrified of what was happening to him.
He could feel himself changing, molding into something different. Something inhuman. There was no other evidence to support his thinking other than his own beliefs but even without reason to, Clark trusted his instincts more than anything.
There weren't any mirrors nearby, but based on the way Jay looked at him, the changes must not be obvious- or at least they weren't right now. Whether that was a good thing or not, he'd have to find out later.
Were there other people that were experiencing the same thing as him? A quick glance around the room told him that there were plenty of other people in pain, but what if they all had different causes? What if he was the only one transforming into a monster, or a Living Armor?!
The only way he could find out which Seed was currently changing him would be to activate the System again and maybe see what it recorded, but... how?
'Status!' He called in his mind, feeling dumb when nothing happened. 'Uhm. System!'
Again, nothing. Frustration started building in his chest even as he started walking towards the exit, but he quickly pushed it down with the words of the Head of Congress. Even if something bad was happening inside of him because of a Seed the System chose, the government would help him.
"Ah, excuse me please. Sorry, coming through. Careful, yep, sorry, sorry," he said, trying desperately to not scream every time a person bumped into him in the crowded space and sent another wave of pain through him. In the short time that it took him to get up and get across the room, dozens of people pushed through the hospital entrance and yelled for help, increasing already sky-high tensions even more.
"Clark, wait! If you're leaving then I'm coming too! Just, God, give me a second!" Jay had much less luck with pushing all the sitting and groaning people and was currently trying his luck with following the gaps Clark made when he had to force a way through some people.
"Yeah, yeah... oh, hi little miss." Without even noticing, Clark ended up in front of the little girl he noticed earlier on the opposite side of the room. "Sorry, do you mind if I get past you? I don't know about you, miss, but I don't think I should be bothering that nice doctor with my complaints right now."
His eyes flashed at the bloodstains covering her flowery yellow shirt. "...it seems that there are a lot more people here who need more help than me. Are you okay?"
The last question was directed at the little girl's mother, a woman with light brown hair and eyes containing the same exhaustion that they all had.
She smiled, exuding a friendly presence, "Yeah, I'm scared to death, but healthy, so I can't ask for much. The problem-"
Boom!
The hospital lobby they were all packed into shook with the force of the explosion, with people flying to the floor as the shockwaves the impact created rocketed through them. The tempered glass windows of the building cracked before shattering, shooting glass everywhere into the crowd.
Before he could even get a chance to think, Clark yanked the girl to his side and leaped in front of the woman, moving before he could even think. The small family was the closest to the glass and they were the first ones to get hit, but by some miracle, the majority of the glass lost most of its momentum by the time it reached his back.
But even then, the tiny projectiles were sharp enough to cut. Clark screamed in pain as shards slashed through the skin of his back. The feeling was only amplified by whatever was happening inside him, and it took all his willpower to remain crouched over the two of them and not fall over. But despite his best efforts, it was a losing battle; it felt like his mind would slip back into unconsciousness at any moment.
But when he looked down and saw the mother with brown hair and a more muted version of her daughter's flower dress hugging the girl to her chest, all his exhaustion seemed to wither away. The fog threatening to engulf his mind disappeared- if he fell now, in such a crucial moment, then who would protect these two? Who would protect this child, who might not even understand the situation?
When glass stopped raining in from the windows, and the ringing in his ears threatened to explode, the only people left on their feet in front of the window where Clark and the family were was him, the girl, and her mother. The two of them were forced up in his arms, unwilling as he was to let them go.