It had been 25 years since the man Dolan Gold was reborn in this world.
Starting out as an abandoned experimental subject at an underground Vaught laboratory, due to a worthless ability that could only make his skin glow gold, he had survived for 25 years in this distorted world of heroes.
Of course, he was only able to survive and thrive in this world due to an advantage gained during his travels to this world.
[Fusion Gem]
For some reason, a Ruby Gem from the popular mobile game: Forge Heroes, had traveled with him to this world. A game item that was used to fuse game equipment to enhance its rarity had completely changed its effect as it was materialized.
He used the [Fusion Gem] the moment he awoke here. He used it with himself as a target.
At that moment, his soul, body, and the remaining Compound B in his system were perfectly integrated and fused.
It's a bit funny to think the [Fusion Gem] treated himself, a reborn person, and his superhuman body as only [uncommon items] to be fused.
So, he should be a [Rare Item] now?
The combination caused by the fusion gem completely changed his appearance from the experimental records inside the Vaught database. He took on the look of his previous life's look and his new body. It combined the best traits between them... along with a lot of 'Gold' from his golden glow ability.
The result?
A very handsome new body with golden eyes and golden hair. It wasn't a blond color, it was shiny thick gold with a slight gold that would shimmer inside it.
And his superpower was completely pushed to the limits of what his new combined genes could handle. There was no trace of Compound B in his body system, he was a completely 'natural' superhuman. His ability still produced a 'Golden Light' across his body's cells, but it also allowed him to perfect control his body's cells.
Muscle memory could be programmed into his muscles with half the practice.
He could manipulate the growth hormones produced in his body to make himself stronger, taller, and more resilient.
It wasn't an absurd power, but it was one with wide applications.
He was not anywhere near the top of the food chain in this world, especially with the Super Seven being here.
This was the world of The Boys, but it also contains some mixed elements in it.
Dolan Gold wanted to live and enjoy his new life. He didn't care to get too close to the drama of superhuman heroes. He had to live a simple life.
He kept a low profile, worked hard, got a legal identity, got rich off stocks, and married a beautiful wife.
This brings us to this day, the day of his sons' and daughters' birth.
=====================
Pennsylvania, New Charter Hospital
A man with long golden hair paced back and forth in the waiting lobby near the delivery room anxiously. The loud wails of a woman giving birth could be heard through the doors to the room. This man was Dolan Gold and his wife was giving birth to quintuplets.
His forehead was sweaty as he constantly glanced worriedly at the door of the delivery room. The light bags under his eyes tiredly glanced at the clock on the wall.
2:07 AM
He moved his eyes away and continued to pace.
Finally, the screams of his wife stopped and 4 soft baby cries echoed in the room.
*Creak*
A nurse with a pale face appeared with the open door, her eyes glanced over at Dolan with confusion and panic in her eyes.
"Mr. Gold, your wife is fine. But your children..."
Without letting the nurse finish speaking, Dolan pushed her to the side and stepped into the delivery room. His heart was in his throat, knowing that something that made the nurse uneasy was most likely not good news.
His eyes darted to his beautiful wife but saw nothing wrong with her beyond the exhausting effects of child labor. His heart skipped a beat as a thought crossed his mind.
'Could something have happened to my children?'
He moved quickly to check on his newborn sons and daughters wrapped tightly in hospital cloth. And when he saw their faces, his heart finally dropped and filled with the soft piercing pain of sorrow.
"This... my sons. My daughters..." His voice trembled without knowing it.
Two baby boys and two baby girls rested together, but each contained hideous burn-like scar tissue across their faces. The skin was wrinkled and broken in many places, most likely caused by the pressure of childbirth. On one of his daughter's hands, a soft golden light would flicker as his hand moved.
Dolan had a guess just from seeing that soft flickering light about why they could have ended up with such serious birth defects and scars. He was a superhuman, whether he admitted it or not. And a special superhuman that was no different than an unheard-of natural superhuman. His children would also be with his genes.
But, for some reason, they were exhibiting effects similar to babies who were injected with Compound B and produced 'failed' superpowers. Perhaps, his wife's genes were not enough to combine with his half in their children.
Dolan focused on the soft light, glowing on the tips of his daughter's fingers as she slept. His eyes softened as he reached out to touch his daughter's scarred newborn hand. His own fingertips lit up with a golden glow that was denser than hers.
'Her glow is lighter than mine.' Dolan thought, smiling sadly as he touched his daughter's shriveled hand.
His eyes moved and glanced at the light on his own fingertips, flickering and ... moving onto his daughter's skin.
What?!!
Dolan took a closer look and confirmed it. His 'Golden Glow' could move through his daughter's own cells. This was an unprecedented surprise. His superhuman power allowed him to adjust and control his cells, but it never allowed him to affect other people.
'Is it... my blood?' Dolan thought with hope.
It turns out, the [Fusion Gem] had affected him much deeper than imagined. His 'Golden Glow' did not affect his cells at the cellular level but at the gene level. His genes turned out to be a carrier for affecting others with 'Golden Glow'! This changes everything. He thought that his children might die due to the strangeness of his genetics, but now it seemed that his genes could save them.
Dolan took back his hand and glanced at his other three children. It might take a long time for genetic adjustment by his 'Golden Glow', but his children's problems could be solved! Not only solved, but he could also use 'Golden Glow' to try and maximize and solidify superhuman powers within them. They could become 'natural superhumans' just like him!
A smile spread across his face, and he walked quietly to his exhausted wife's bedside.
...
6 hours later, Unknown room, New Charter Hospital
A man in a doctor's gown tapped his fingers steadily across the wooden stand in front of him. A report lay on the man's side, set here from the nurse who delivered the Gold children hours ago. It contained a detailed report of the four scarred children and samples of their blood in vials.
"Strange." The man spoke, pausing his tapping fingers.
He picked up his half-finished cigar from the ashtray and placed it in his mouth while dialing a number on a small blue phone.
"Yes, Director Yore?" A woman's voice came from the other side of the phone.
"Stella, schedule a call with Vaught for me." Director Yore stated and hung up.
His fingers resumed their tapping as he smoked his cigar in thought.