I woke up in darkness. Not just any darkness—an endless void stretching in every direction, suffocating in its emptiness.

I couldn't remember how I got here. I couldn't even remember who I was. My name, my family, my past—gone. All I had were scattered memories of TV shows, comics, and movies, remnants of entertainment that once filled my life. But none of it helped me now.

"This is boring…" I muttered. "I wish something would happen."

As if answering my plea, a voice echoed through the void.

"You died."

I jolted. The voice was smooth yet powerful, neither near nor far. Spinning around, I searched for its source, but there was nothing—just the abyss.

"Okay, thanks for the info," I said cautiously. "But, uh… can you show yourself? Kinda weird talking to the darkness."

A brilliant light erupted, pushing back the void. And then, she appeared.

She was beautiful. Dark skin radiating warmth, pure white hair cascading past her shoulders, and a pair of majestic angelic wings—two large ones arching above her and two smaller ones lower on her back. She wore a flowing white outfit lined with gold, and atop her head rested an ornate golden crown-like halo.

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"Hello, my son," she said, smiling softly.

I blinked. "Wait… did you just say 'son'?"

"Yes, I did."

"Uh… no offense, but I don't remember having a mom like you."

She chuckled. "That's because I'm your new mother. I claimed your soul before the void could destroy you."

I swallowed hard. "Wait… the void was killing me?"

She nodded. "A normal human soul cannot last long here. First, you lose all memories of your life. Then, unbearable pain sets in. And finally, you cease to exist. No heaven, no hell—just nothingness. I saved you before the second stage began."

A cold chill ran down my spine. "Oh… crap baskets." I hesitated before adding, "Thanks… Mom." The word felt foreign, but she had just saved my existence. It was only fair.

Her smile grew. "I'm happy to help, my son."

"So… what happens now?" I asked.

"Now, I grant you a new life—in a world both dangerous and exhilarating."

My curiosity piqued. "What kind of world?"

"DC and Marvel."

My eyes widened. "...Did I piss you off already? If I did, I'm sorry!"

She laughed, a light, melodic sound. "No, you didn't anger me. This is to help you grow strong, to one day reach my level."

I exhaled. "Right… and how exactly do I do that? I'm just a regular guy."

"Not anymore. I will grant you a system to aid your growth."

My thoughts raced. A system? That sounded… promising. But then a worrying thought hit me. "Uh… won't the higher beings notice me? The Presence, The Endless, The Source, Lucifer, One Above All, the Celestials… I mean, that's a lot of gods in one place."

She waved a hand dismissively. "I've already spoken with The One Above All and The Presence. They owe me a favor, so they've agreed to let you exist in one of their many universes."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Well, that's a relief. Anything else I need to know?"

"You won't be just a regular human—you'll be a demigod."

"Because you claimed my soul?"

"Exactly."

I hesitated. "Can I ask… how do two of the most powerful beings in fiction owe you a favor?"

"One of my daughters helped their heroes defeat a great evil. She loves superheroes."

"You have a daughter? Wait—how many siblings do I have?"

She smiled. "Too many to count. Over a hundred, most of whom are already gods."

"Wow. Probably should've asked this earlier, but… what's your name? And what are you the goddess of?"

"My name is Eliora. I am the goddess of goodness, hope, motherhood, and family. But for now, you may call me Mother. Or Mom."

I took a deep breath. "Alright, Mom. Since I lost all my memories and I'm starting a new life, I don't see the point in trying to get my old ones back."

She nodded approvingly. "That's for the best."

"Will I ever meet any of my siblings?"

"Perhaps. One of your sisters, Vaelthrya, frequently visits both DC and Marvel. She's the goddess of heroics and dragons. She's also in a relationship with Jason, Wonder Woman's brother."

"Huh. Good to know, I guess. So, what's my new name?"

She smiled warmly. "Your new name is Edward."

I repeated it in my head, testing how it felt. "Edward… I like it. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Ed. Now, it's time for your journey to begin."

"Alright. Hope to see you again—but not too soon," I joked.

She chuckled, and just before darkness claimed my vision, I heard her final words: "Good luck, my son."

I woke up in a spacious bedroom. Everything looked pristine and elegant, and I felt incredible—like every cell in my body was brimming with energy. As I took in my surroundings, my eyes landed on a mirror across the room.

I looked good.

My hair was white, a stark contrast against my smooth, flawless black skin—no scars, no acne, nothing. My body was in perfect shape, lean and toned like a swimmer's. My eyes, now a striking shade of gold, shimmered under the light.

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This is amazing.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my head, but just as quickly as it came, it vanished. Then, memories flooded in.

My name is Edward Valtheris.

Age: 18.

No family. No friends.

I live in New York—of course I do.

And I'm rich as fuck. Thanks, Mom.

Alright, first things first—let's activate the system.

"System," I called out.

"Gotcha! System is now online."

A screen appeared before me.

Name: Edward Valtheris

Height: 6'2"

Age: 18

Race: Demigod

Powers: None

Summons: None

Items: None

Gotcha Points: 10 (Points reset at the start of each month)

Free Package Available

"Okay, I've got a Gotcha System and a free package," I muttered, processing the information.

"System, open package."

"Opening package," the system responded.

Supersuit (Customizable)

A customizable super suit? Not bad. I can work with that. But I wasn't planning on jumping into hero work just yet. First, I needed to get my powers and figure out where exactly I was. This universe is a DC and Marvel mix, and I couldn't rely solely on what I knew about either.

"System, use points."

"Activation Gotcha," the system confirmed.

A list of ten rewards appeared before me:

Brainstorm IQ (ben 10)

Steven Universe Shield

Sanji's Cooking Skills (One Piece)

Pearl Jam (JoJo's Bizarre Adventure)

Armament Haki

Deep Sea King Physiology (One Punch Man)

Quirk: Float

Eyes of the Lord

Quirk: Danger Sense

Starlight (The Boys) [Summon]

I took a moment to process what I had just pulled.

Damn, this is a good Gotcha.

Brainstorm IQ—This basically makes me the second smartest alien in the Omnitrix. Insane. Deep Sea King Physiology—I'll assimilate this first. Enhanced speed, underwater breathing, and crazy durability? That's a must. Eyes of the Lord—Basically the Sharingan? Hell yeah. Armament Haki—That's going to take serious training, but it'll be worth it. Quirk: Float—Flight? Can't wait to use that.Quirk: Danger Sense—Like Spider-Sense, but probably weaker. Still useful.Steven Universe Shield—Cool. I wonder if I can coat it with Haki? That'd be dangerous. Pearl Jam & Sanji's Cooking Skills—Food buffs and gourmet-level cooking? That's a win. Starlight (Summon)—Now this one's a surprise... but a welcome one.

Having Starlight as a summon could be a game-changer. A powerful, heroic partner would help me train, and she could actually take on the role of a hero in this world.

"System, summon Starlight."

Time to meet my first ally.

A bright light flashed, and Starlight appeared in front of me. She looked around, confused, before her eyes landed on me.

"I'm guessing you're the one who summoned me here?" she asked, her voice cautious.

"Yeah... well, kind of. I have a power that can summon people randomly from different universes," I explained. I wasn't about to tell her about the system.

"So, tell me about yourself. what was it like being summoned here?" I asked.

Her expression darkened, sadness flickering in her eyes.

"I died," she said bluntly. "Homelander killed me and my friends when he became president."

I stiffened at that. Homelander as president? That was a terrifying thought.

"Then I woke up in a white void. A voice spoke to me and said, 'You have a choice—to live on in a new universe. Do you accept it?' I said yes… and then I appeared here."

I almost let my surprise show. So I can summon characters from different universes… but they might not be the ones I know. That was important information for the future.

"I'm sorry for your loss… and for everything you went through," I said sincerely. "Go find a room, get some rest, and take your time to process everything. We can talk later."

She looked at me, surprised. Maybe she expected me to be some kind of villain. I couldn't blame her, given what she had been through.

"Okay… thank you," she said before leaving my room.

I let out a breath. That was unexpected. The characters I summon might have different backstories than the ones I know. That's good to keep in mind.

Now, I needed to focus on myself.

"System, assimilate my powers."

"Assimilating powers," the system responded.

A jolt of pain shot through my head, but it faded quickly. My body burned, muscles aching as if I had just gone through an intense workout. Then, suddenly, the pain was gone.

I felt… incredible.

I could feel my strength. My mind felt sharper—far beyond human limits. My senses were heightened. I couldn't wait to test everything out, but first, I needed to do some research.

I stepped out of my room and walked through my mansion—because that's exactly what this place was. I was in a high-class neighborhood, meaning I was definitely rich.

Eventually, I found a computer and got to work.

One Hour Later

This universe was insane.

I already knew I was in a mix of DC and Marvel, but seeing it laid out in front of me? That was something else.

World War II was different. I found an old photo from the era, featuring Captain America, Wonder Woman, Wolverine, Bucky Barnes, and Steve Trevor.

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Damn. I almost felt bad for the bad guys—then again, they were Nazis, so fuck them.

Superman had been active for a long time, as had Batman. But Wonder Woman seemed to be lying low.

The Flash? He hadn't appeared yet. Central City's particle accelerator explosion happened a month ago, meaning Barry was probably still in a coma—but he should be waking up soon.

Tony Stark was still the arrogant genius, but he wasn't Iron Man yet.

And Dr. Banner's accident? Yeah… that already happened. The Hulk was out there somewhere.

I leaned back, exhaling.

This world is a time bomb just waiting to go off… and I need to be ready for it.