Chapter 1 - Prologue

"System recognizes user Venn Ghos. Welcome, Master."

"Hello, AIKO. How's it going?"

"All systems ready and waiting. What would you like to do today?"

"Well, that depends. What have you got for me?"

"Master, the workshop has been completely restored following the incident last Thursday. As this has come up, I am obligated to remind you that whenever you test a new power source or investigate a new form of energy, for safety reasons, it would be best to keep to the lowest settings until more data has been acquired.

"Duly noted, AIKO, you have my word, it will never happen again. Now what do you have next?"

"Answer is 95% the same as the answer to previous warning. Setting system to prepare for the eventuality of human stupidity."

"What are you doing, AIKO?"

"Scheduling mild shock therapy. Perhaps not so mild."

"… Okay. I really mean it this time, AIKO. I will not disregard safety in my next experiments. I will make sure you are on, active, and ready to keep me from doing so as well. Good?"

"Noted."

"So?"

"Noted."

"… You can be real cruel, sometimes, AIKO."

No response came from the cool feminine voice. Venn sighed and hoped that she had cancelled the shock therapy. There tended to be nothing therapeutic about it.

"So, what else do we have ready?"

"There is a new prototype car that has finished ȧssembly. I can take you up to the racetrack straight away."

"Nah, I'm not really in the mood for racing today. Besides, we don't have more people to go weapons hot. It's just like Mario Kart, you need some people to play with to make it fun. Wait for a day we have more people in the lab."

"I could always pilot some other cars for you."

"Not quite the same. I'd rather there be more than just the two of us in a race."

"Alright. I'll schedule a day for the race."

"Anything else?"

"There's always a Blizzard game."

"Yeah, can't get much better net and graphics access than the lab. But today, I want to do something new. I'm just in that kind of mood."

"Well, the simulator has been ȧssembled according to your- "

"Our, AIKO. I couldn't have designed it without your processing power. You are a self-aware quantum supercomputer. Don't try to be humble and play down your role in anything I do."

"… Very well. In any case, Master, it is ȧssembled and ready for use. A runthrough of its protocols shows everything is within the expected parameters."

"Well that sounds like an interesting thing for the day. Let's play around with that."

"Very well, Master Venn. Follow the lights."

Thanking AIKO, Venn turned and walked down the hall. Along the walls, a series of lights blinked in a pattern of gray, orange, and gray again to make a path to where the simulator had been ȧssembled. Five minutes later, he was there. Venn looked around the room. On one side was a smooth, white, egg shaped pod. That would be the simulator. On the other side was a bank of monitors displaying various data from tests of the simulator. While he trusted AIKO's analysis, he went up to the monitors to check everything out himself. It never hurt to double check.

A few moments later, he gave a confident nod. Everything looked to be in order. Now all he had to do was test it.

"Open her up," he ordered.

"You know, Master, you could have made the design a little more efficient. What is with the spinning ring? And the egg shape? Things could have been simpler."

"Perhaps, AIKO, but sometimes things just need to have a certain aesthetic."

"But- "

"Just put me in so we can give this a test run."

"Very well, Master."

With that, Venn hopped in and positioned his head in the ring. Then the egg resealed itself and the lights went off. Venn closed his eyes.

Suddenly, it was bright. He opened his eyes back up and found himself standing in a white space lit evenly with no light source. In every direction, it was flat and endless. For a brief moment, he was disoriented, as a second ago, he had been lying down. Then the dizziness faded, and he took a few test steps.

"Alright, things are looking good. AIKO, give me some land."

"Understood."

"Cycle through weather."

Slowly the sky became cloudier. Then it began to rain. Over time, it became colder and the rain changed to snow. Then suddenly it warmed back up and rained with a strong wind and lightning. Then it moved on and transitioned back to clear skies.

"Alright. Now let's try people."

The field was replaced with a bustling city. Walking down the street, Venn inspected each of the people that passed him. As far as he could tell, each of them was unique, and some even gave him funny looks when they noticed him looking closely at them. Quick conversations Another passing mark for AIKO's capabilities.

"Well then, shall we try pushing you a little further?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Let's put me into an established world and see what I can get up to there. We can wipe my memory so I don't know it's a simulation unless you mess up."

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Master."

"It's not like I expect that to happen, AIKO. Now we just have to decide where I go…"

"How about these?"

Suddenly a screen appeared in front of Venn. On it was a list of every story he had ever loved. From Naruto and Bleach to Star Wars to Blizzard games. After a moment of consideration, he came to a conclusion.

"Let's start with the biggest one. The grandest cinematic project ever: the MCU."

"Where should be your entry point?"

"Let's set me to be born in New York, 1995. That way, I'll be an ȧduŀt when Avengers rolls around."

"You'll be 17. Not quite an ȧduŀt."

"Close enough. Just find a way to introduce me to the plot by that point. Now we just have to give me a power set."

"Being a genius who made a quantum supercomputer isn't enough, I see. I'll cycle through your favorite superheroes."

The list shifted from movies, anime, and comics to specific superheroes. Immediately, Superman was taken off the list. He was too OP and would make life too easy. Venn wanted to get a superhero experience of growth and experience, not instant power. Easy power and overwhelming strength could wait for another time. Marvel heroes were also removed, as he wanted to meet them, not be them. Slowly, more and more heroes were taken off the list.

"So many off the list, and still I don't see anything I want to take."

"Would you like to design a superpower?"

"AIKO, you're a genius. I just need to make something up for myself. Still, it would probably be good to have something as a framework for the power… I've got it!"

"What is it?"

"Overwatch! I'd been thinking about playing that game if we didn't find anything else to do today. I'll just take the ability to turn into the heroes there! That gives me a lot of flexibility and possible growth, with everything balanced, as all things should be."

"That's a strange power to have, Master."

"After observing me and the other researchers here, who would you say is the outlier? Me, or someone else?"

"Point taken, Master. Shall I find a way to balance it?"

"Of course. Just set a time limit or something like that. I'm sure you'll find something. Oh, wait!"

"What?"

"We can't wipe all my memories, or I won't realize the significance of being in the MCU."

"And that would be a problem?"

"Looks like you need to read more s and fan-fictions. I won't enjoy it half as well without knowing what is to come."

"So then, how do we handle the memory issue?"

"We'll just use a good cliché. We reset me into being an average person and keep the geek memories. Nothing true about my work. That way, I remember nothing about you, simulations, or anything. Then, we input me getting hit by a truck, and you being the "god" that reincarnates me."

"Why do we have to do that?"

"It's tradition!"

"Seems a little silly."

"Most of these beginnings are. Just roll with it."

"Very well. The simulation is almost configured. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Nothing comes to mind. Truck me!"

"As you wish."

Suddenly with the blaring sound of a horn and a flash of light he was gone.

"Initiating simulation. Setting: Marvel Cinematic Universe. Entry point: New York City, 2005. Refining entry point. Applying Cosmic Marvel settings. Projecting additional laws of physics from movie data. Filling holes with comic information. Populating worlds. Accelerating user time perception. Preparations complete.

Beginning in 3… 2… 1…"