sorry for the late upload went on a trip and forgot my laptop charger so i just decided to skip the week and make an extra long chapter. first villain introduce next chapter.
comment, criticisms and compliments are always welcome would love to here you thoughts and idea . PS chapter tittles from now on are just for me, expect random bullshit.
enjoy the chap ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ
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Derick sat on the edge of his hospital bed, fingers hovering over the system screen. The system screen was always bright but for some reason, this particular prompt seemed brighter and more vibrant it also made him wonder if he could get a dark mode version of the system.
Before he accepted the prompt Derick took a moment to consider his situation. A second ago he was just surprised to see he had a stat sheet and now he would get gacha as well. What would happen if he accepted would the gacha gods be by his side or would he get the universal equivalent of socks for your birthday? The whole this made him feel strangely anxious and for some reason, he was having trouble concentrating. He looked at his hand and felt like something was missing but for the life of him, he could not figure out what.
Moving the strange feeling to the back of his mind, he brought his attention to the bright screen glowing enticingly in the air. He raised his head about to accept the prompt when the door swung open. The same nurse from when he first woke up stepped inside. Mabey it was because he was groggy the last time he saw her or the fact that she was short and easy to overlook but he never noticed how creepy she was. With her sharp features, teddy bear voice, and an unsettlingly wide smile, she had a way of making him feel both cared for and unnerved.
"Hello mister Gallagher," she chirped enthusiastically, her tone a mix of cheerfulness and a kind of optimism he couldn't quite place nor did he want to. "We need to change your room. Can you go for a walk while we do that?"
Derick hesitated. "A walk? Now?" he was kinda confused cause he assumed after the day of talking to the Police and then CPS he would get the time to relax.
Seeing the confusion in his eyes she smiled and explained " This room is supposed to be for the pediatric ER we need to make space in case of an emergency" Derick showed a look of surprise and understanding, especially in a place like Gotham it's better to be safe than sorry.
"Just for a bit! You know, fresh air and all that." Her smile widened. " come back to the desk at the front and I'll take you to your new home when it's ready."
"Uh, okay," he muttered, tightening the rope around the hospital gown as he made his way out of the room, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was watching him more closely than usual but he shook it off. Being in Gotham has got his paranoia on high alert and he needs to remember not to lose his head.
...
The sterile smell of the hospital faded as he stepped outside into the bright afternoon sun. The courtyard was quiet, the sound of distant laughter and the rustle of leaves filling the air. Derick wandered along the path, trying to shake off his apprehension. He looked back at the hospital that towered above him and was in awe. The building was huge with shiny glass sparkling in the sunlight. His eyes followed the vines climbing one side of the grey concrete, adding a touch of green that softened its harsh appearance.
The courtyard as a whole created a cheerful atmosphere considering they were in a hospital. He walked past the Flower beds that overflowed with bright daisies, marigolds, and lavender, on the cobblestone path that wound through the garden, leading to wooden benches where patients and visitors could sit and relax high enough to see the city of Gotham.
The city was surprisingly bright, from all the movies and comics of Gotham he got the feeling of constant dreary fog looming over everything but this Gotham was different although he supposed in the real world even Gotham has good weather days. This made him think, this world was as real as he was. Signs and billboards for Lex-corp, and Wayn-tech were scattered everywhere and really drove home the fact that he would have to live in a world that until a couple of hours ago was just a work of fiction. Batman wasn't just a character but a vigilante who worked actively in this city.
In his introspection, he realized he didn't really know what to do from here. He could try to follow the plot maybe try and fix the things that played out kinda wrong but, did he really want to? Having powers is cool and all but he didn't feel like the hero type. He found himself deep in thought when a question slipped out.
"what do I do with my life?"
"Hey there kid calm down or you're going to blow a gasket," an old man rasped, looking up through a veil of smoke. His eyes were sharp, pale blue, and they seemed to see right through Derick. The man sauntered over to Derick's side, his medium-length white hair gently tousled by the breeze, fell softly around his face. He puffed slowly on a cigarette, the smoke curling lazily into the air before disappearing. The man turned his gaze to the city and spoke. "You do what you can."
Derick was taken aback for a moment and just stared at the man but the old-timer just continued to look into the distance and for a moment he seemed lost in the memories of a life long lived. " you asked what you do with your life right?" Derick nodded "You do what you can, when I was a kid my father used to work in a paper mill back when the Gazette and the Globe just started publication. Long story short his hands got caught in one of the machines in the factory. We lost everything my mother, bless her heart, tried to pick up the slack but still, we eventually lost the house. But still, in all the tough times, do you know what we did? We did what we could because the alternative was giving up and when you give up there's no one else to blame but you.
Derick kept his gaze on the old man for a couple of seconds and then he took a deep breath and repeated the lesson "You do what you can." The two silently watched the city for a while in comfortable silence. The smoke drifted into his path and when it did he felt the same sensation he felt when he was in the hospital and that familiar itch in his hand. Derick looked over at the cigarette in the man's hand.
Derick coughed "I don't suppose you would loan me a smoke."
The man looked over to Derick, laughed, and handed him three cigarettes and a box of matches."
Derick looked at the box and grinned." Matches, how old are you?"
The old man turned around and started walking before he responded. " no one steals matches but you can keep that one."
Derick watched the man walk into the hospital with a small smile on his face.
He looked at a little girl and her mother who were coming his way and decided to move to a more empty space.
Walking to a far corner of the courtyard that led to a glass door that was an emergency exit of the hospital. Derick placed the cigarette between his lips, lit the match, and took a deep inhale of the smoke.
The first inhale felt like a mistake. As soon as the smoke hit his lungs, it burned—sharp and hot, like inhaling something he was never meant to. He coughed, the harshness catching him off guard while the heat clawed at his throat, leaving a bitter, acrid taste. His eyes watered, and for a second, he wondered why anyone ever did this. Yet, despite the discomfort, there was something about holding the cigarette in his fingers that felt right—like he'd crossed a threshold into a world he was only just discovering.
He tried again, this time slower, more deliberate. The second drag was less intense. The smoke filled his lungs more easily now, heavy but not as overwhelming. A strange sense of calm started to settle in, though his body still felt uneasy. The world around him blurred, like looking through a haze. A light buzz crept into his head, leaving him dizzy but strangely focused, his thoughts quieter than usual.
The words of the old man again moved through his mind and he closed his eyes as if to focus on it. What could he do? In the D.C. universe things were crazy no doubt but they were also fantastic. In his old world, he always hated his job. He only became an assistant because he couldn't afford to stay in university long enough to complete his engineering degree instead pivoting his credits into one for communications and choosing to work at a tech company. In this world, with Five's added intelligence and the system he could fulfill his dreams of turning his imagination into reality.
He opened his eyes and saw his reflection in the door. Only now did he realize he hadn't seen what he looked like since selecting his first Persona. The experience was strange like looking in the mirror and seeing someone else look back. As he looked closer, however, he noticed his eyes. They were a deep, piercing blue, rimmed with darker shades that made them look sharper, more intense—like they could cut through everything he tried to hide, always moving, searching, as if they held more emotion than he was ready to confront. These were definitely his eyes.
"This is my life now. "
With that declaration, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He looked to the hand that still held the cigarette and took another drag. As he exhaled, watching the smoke twist and fade into the air, he felt in control. It wasn't exactly enjoyable, but this clarity was well worth it.
Time passed as Derick finished the cigarette and sat down looking at the Gotham skyline. He felt the best he had since he moved to this place and in that moment he remembered why he was out here in the first place. He got up and looked at the now-empty courtyard and panicked. Forgetting the nurse's instructions he ran for the room he woke up in and in that moment he felt the world suddenly slow down as if the air had become physical. Almost by instinct, he reached his hand forward and pulled. Space time in his area suddenly tore and he found himself in the hospital room once again. The feeling of misjudging a step and falling occurred as he landed on the hospital floor. Standing up in the empty room he instantly realized what just happened. 'holy shit did I just teleport he looked around the room and once he was sure it was empty he freaked. the fuck, out '
" holy shit holy shit "
he remembered the feeling he looked at the other side of the room and almost instinctually did it again. Looking at the spot he was standing before Derick and lost his shit. "why the fuck didn't i do that first!" he looked in another corner and repeated it again this time, however, he misjudged the distance and promptly slammed his head into a wall. Falling to the ground while hoping he didn't have a concussion, he laughed and looked at the system screen he summoned and decided it was time to do the gacha.
[would the host like to pull the daily Gacha?]
He answered the system prompt and watched as five inventory spaces manifested each holding an item.
[Frag granade: Call Of Duty]
[orange tootbrush: Monogatari]
[Cortana secure watch prototype: Halo Doombuggy(fanfiction)]
[Johns brown trench coat: Hellblazer]
[Spining metal top: Inception]
'is that a bomb?' Derick looked at the space and read the item's descriptions and in the end, three things stood out to him the grenade, because no shit. The toothbrush which he didn't remember but he knew he had watched the Monogatari series and for an inexplicable reason, he felt the urge to burn it in holy fire. Deciding to never touch the orange toothbrush-non-grata, he looked at the final item and thought 'If the System also takes fanfictions does that mean there is a chance that I can get one of those OP self-insert items' Thinking this he looked at the watch that looked more like a white cable white a black face. He willed the watch into his hand and felt the heavy watch in his hands. His thumb brushed the face of the watch and before he could examine it further he heard a knock.
The nurse appeared in the doorway. She smiled warmly, but there was something about her eyes that felt a little off as if they held a hint of weariness that didn't quite match her cheerful demeanor. "Derick, there you are," she called softly " I've been looking for you, your rooms ready let's go ". Without waiting for a reply, she turned and motioned for him to follow, her footsteps making a faint rustling sound on the linoleum floor. As they walked, the corridor felt oddly silent, the fluorescent lights overhead buzzing softly, casting a steady hum in the background.
Derick followed without knowing that this would be one of the worst decisions of his life.
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Gotham, 12:00 am
unknown location.
Lazlo Valentin sat on a chair with a cup of coffee. He brought his nose close to the cup and took a nice long inhale of the wonderful aroma. Directly in front of him stood a clear glass cage with a floor painted white.
The man breathed out the earthy aroma and smiled. He raised his voice and said to no one in particular.
" Honey be a doll and fetch the next batch?"
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ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ { WHO'S THAT VILLAIN ...IT'S? }