The energy surged through Steve like a rush of adrenaline, but not the frantic, heart-pounding kind—it was more controlled, precise, as if every cell in his body was aligning in perfect harmony with whatever power he had just touched. His vision blurred for a moment, and he felt a slight ringing in his ears.
"What... what is this?" Steve whispered to himself, pulling his hand back instinctively. He looked at the small metallic container, now softly pulsing with light. The air around him seemed to hum, almost as if the object were alive.
Suddenly, the device emitted a soft click. A thin seam appeared on its surface, spiraling open like the delicate unfurling of a flower. Steve's heart raced, but his feet stayed planted firmly in place. Despite every instinct telling him to run, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
From within the opened device, a small, perfectly round disc floated upward, hovering at eye level. It radiated a cool, bluish light, casting eerie shadows across the crater. Steve reached for it slowly, his breath catching in his throat. As his fingers made contact with the disc, it snapped out of the air and latched onto the back of his neck.
A searing pain exploded in his skull, spreading like wildfire through his brain. Steve screamed, clutching the sides of his head as he fell to his knees. The disc seemed to melt into his skin, fusing itself with him, sending wave after wave of electricity into his nervous system. His vision flickered between blinding white light and utter darkness, images flashing before his eyes—worlds, places he had never seen, faces he didn't recognize.
His heart pounded so loudly in his ears he almost didn't notice the faint hum of the device now fused to the back of his neck.
"Yup... should've just stayed home and binge-watched My Hero Academia instead of chasing after those idiots," Steve thought, gritting his teeth as pain racked his body. "This is why I never leave the house."
The metallic disc had melted into his skin, sending sharp jolts through his nervous system. His vision swam, flickering between bursts of blinding white and utter darkness. Just when Steve thought he might pass out, the sensation shifted. It was no longer pain—it was... something else. Something bigger, as if the universe was opening itself up to him.
"You have been chosen to wield the Chronospace Nexus, With it, you may traverse the infinite timelines, dimensions, and realities that exist beyond your world."
Chronospace Nexus? Steve groaned inwardly, barely registering what the voice was saying. Why does it sound like I've just been downloaded into a terrible anime protagonist arc? His whole body felt like it was buzzing, but he couldn't decide if it was power or more pain.
Suddenly, his surroundings blurred and started to spin. The wind kicked up, swirling around him like a tornado. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!" Steve shouted, but his voice barely cut through the roaring in his ears. He felt his feet leave the ground. Is this how Deku feels right before he wrecks every bone in his body?
Steve collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. His whole body trembled as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. The night was silent again, as if the world had held its breath, waiting for him to recover.
Without warning, the world around him began to blur, the trees and rocks melting into streaks of light. his whole world exploded into streaks of color and light, stretching endlessly around him. He was falling—no, more like being yanked through a tunnel of pure energy. Time and space twisted and collapsed around him. There was no up, no down, just a swirling vortex pulling him faster and faster.
And then, as if the universe was done toying with him, the spinning stopped.
Steve hit the ground with a solid thud, his breath knocked from his lungs. He lay there for a second, dazed and confused. His head pounded, but at least he was still conscious. As he rolled over to push himself up, something caught his eye—a reflection.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," he whispered, staring at his own body.
Gone were his torn-up jacket and worn-out jeans. In their place was sleek, jet-black armor that hugged his body like a second skin. The material shimmered faintly in the low light, glowing with strange symbols along the edges. It covered him from neck to toe, but it wasn't heavy. It felt... right. Almost like wearing nothing at all, except he could feel the raw power coursing through it.
"Holy crap," Steve muttered, looking down at his armored hands. "I look iron spider covered in venom . When did I sign up for this DLC?"
Steve blinked, still running his hands over the smooth, black material. "Great, so I've got plot armor now. Guess that means I'll survive until at least season two."
Then, without him even thinking about it, the armor shifted. A sleek, black helmet materialized over his head, its visor flashing briefly before going transparent, letting him see through it. He touched the side of his head, and the helmet vanished as easily as it had appeared.
"Okay... that's actually kind of cool." Steve couldn't help but grin. Definitely something out of a futuristic mecha anime. He was about to make another wisecrack when the world around him flickered, like a glitch in a video game. The forest was gone.
He was standing in the middle of a bustling city square—except it wasn't any city he recognized. The architecture was a bizarre blend of ancient and futuristic—towering skyscrapers made of stone and metal, glowing with holographic displays, and bustling streets filled with people in strange, flowing garments. There were no cars, no noise, just a steady hum of energy in the air.
Steve swallowed hard, trying to wrap his mind around it. "So... I can go anywhere? Any time? Any universe?"
"Yes. But beware—the more you use the Nexus, the more you will attract the attention of those who wish to control it. You are not the only traveler"
The voice faded, leaving Steve alone with the weight of its words. He stood there, staring down at his hands, feeling the power humming just beneath his skin.
He had no idea how the Nexus worked, but he was starting to get a sense of its potential. And if it really let him travel between dimensions, maybe he could just... command it.
"Alright, Nexus," Steve said aloud, his voice firm. "Take me home. Now."
The suit hummed to life, and Steve felt a surge of energy ripple through his body. His vision blurred for a moment, and then—
BOOM!
In a flash of brilliant light, Steve vanished from the alley.
The next second, Steve found himself standing back in the same dense forest where it all began, the wind rustling the trees, the distant sounds of nature grounding him again. He blinked, disoriented for a second, but the buzzing in his body settled as the energy from the Nexus pulsed one last time.
"Whoa..." Steve looked around, heart still pounding. "Did I just jump my way across dimensions? Okay, that was actually awesome."
He chuckled, the absurdity of it all settling in. He had just teleported through time and space with a thought. Like it was nothing.
"Okay, Nexus," Steve said, shaking off the last bits of shock. "You're not just some plot device. You're the ultimate plot device."
He could feel it now—the endless potential of the Nexus pulsing at the edge of his mind. He wasn't just some guy anymore. He had access to every reality, every timeline, every universe. His world had just gotten a whole lot bigger.
But first things first—he needed a game plan. After all, this wasn't just about him anymore. There were other worlds out there, and Steve had a feeling he'd be visiting them soon.
"Alright," Steve grinned, looking up at the sky, "let's see what kind of universe-shattering shenanigans we can get into."
Steve stood in the forest, still buzzing from the rush of teleporting across dimensions. His thoughts raced as he started to realize the true potential of the Nexus device. He took a deep breath, eyes narrowing with a mischievous glint as an idea popped into his head.
"Hey, Nexus," Steve said, his voice casual but curious. "Can you travel through time, too? You know, like... go back to a specific moment?"
"Affirmative," the calm, mechanical voice of the Nexus replied. "Chronospace Nexus is capable of traversing all points in time across multiple dimensions."
Steve's lips curled into a slow, dangerous grin. His eyes gleamed with a hint of madness as he thought back to that obnoxious couple—the ones who had shattered his emotional moment during I Want to Eat Your Pancreas with their EDM rave.
"Oh, this is gonna be good," Steve muttered, the grin widening into something almost sinister. He cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck like a boxer preparing for a match. "Okay, Nexus. Take me back to when those idiots were about to blast their music."
In an instant, the world around him blurred, twisting and warping like melted glass. The forest disappeared, replaced by the familiar sight of his apartment complex. Steve stood on the sidewalk outside his building, the sound of muffled voices drifting from a nearby window.
He could see them now—the couple, oblivious to the chaos they'd caused in his life. They were bickering over something trivial, both red-faced and tipsy from whatever cheap wine they'd been drinking. The man slurred some half-hearted apology while the woman rolled her eyes and swayed to the rhythm of music that hadn't even started yet.
Steve's fingers twitched in anticipation. Oh, they have no idea what's coming.
The man stumbled over to the speaker, about to press play on what Steve could only assume was yet another horrific EDM track. But before his finger could touch the button, the air around them seemed to ripple.
With a sudden whoosh, Steve materialized out of thin air, his sleek black armor gleaming under the dim light of their apartment. The couple froze, their eyes wide in disbelief, as if they had just seen a ghost.
"Hello again," Steve said, his voice smooth but carrying an edge of menace. He gave them a little wave, as though they were old friends reconnecting at a reunion.
The woman screamed, dropping her wine glass with a shatter, and the man stumbled back against the couch, his face pale with fear.
"How did—wha—what the hell?!" the man stammered, his voice trembling.
"You!" the woman gasped, clutching her chest. "How are you—how did you—"
Before they could finish their panicked questions, Steve moved with lightning speed. In a single fluid motion, he grabbed both of them by the collars of their shirts, hoisting them off their feet like they were rag dolls.
"Oh, come on," Steve said, shaking his head with a mock sigh. "Don't act so surprised. You knew this was coming." He paused, then added with a grin, "Well, maybe not this exactly."
The couple struggled, but Steve held them effortlessly, their feet dangling above the floor.
"Nexus," Steve said, his voice dripping with dark amusement, "how about we take these two for a little trip? Something… educational." He glanced down at the terrified pair and smirked. "Let's go to the Attack on Titan universe. I think they'll appreciate the view there."
"Understood," the Nexus replied, and in an instant, the world around them began to twist and warp again, the couple's screams barely audible as they were swallowed by the swirling vortex.
The next thing they knew, the sky above them was an ominous gray, the ground beneath their feet shaking with the distant rumble of something massive. Steve stood there, still gripping the couple, his grin widening as they found themselves standing on the towering walls of Shiganshina District. Below them, the terrifying, monstrous Titans roamed, their grotesque forms lumbering toward the city with destructive hunger.
Steve released them both, and they collapsed to the ground, their legs too weak to support them. He turned his back to them, the armor glinting in the dim light as he stood at the edge of the wall, staring out at the oncoming Titans.
The man scrambled to his feet, trying to run, but there was nowhere to go. The woman just sat there, sobbing uncontrollably.
He turned to face them, giving them a mock salute. "Good luck with that."
As the Titans closed in, Steve casually tapped his wrist. "Nexus," he said, "bring me home."
In a flash of blinding light, Steve vanished, leaving the couple alone on the wall, their screams echoing in the distance as the Titans drew ever closer.
Steve reappeared back in his apartment, the familiar surroundings bringing a sense of calm. He stretched, rolling his shoulders.
"Man," he said with a chuckle, "that was way more satisfying than I thought it'd be."