I Got a Friend in My Head

"WOAH! Man… what a rush. Is that how world travel feels?" I exclaimed in excitement.

I was still currently in my enlarged AC, surrounded in purple vail as bubbles filled with various scenes ranging from multiple worlds new and old. I turned my AC back to normal when I exited out from its chassis. I sure as hell ain't no mountain climber and I'm not going to start now. As I hit the ground, a familiar scene presented itself as water splashes underneath my boots.

"Haha- neat!"

"Now what world would be fun?"

I scrutinized world after world for a while. It's like how the crime net in Payday worked. Jobs pop up and go as time passes. In this case, it's worlds. Speaking off, the world I just came from is more than likely gone. I just killed billions you say? It's fine, they say, 'As the universe expands, so does the harem' or somewhere around that ballpark. I don't know about the letter half but if the universe does expand then no worries. One dies, another takes its place like an Imperial Guardsmen.

Also it was weird, the people were different. I don't know much about Pacific Rim since I just skipped to the fights but Mako seemed really aggressive. Not just her, Stacker felt off and the brothers didn't seem right. As if the entire world felt simulated and halved assed by some webnovel fanfic writer. Might just be me or something but thank god I got oughta there. However, Mako was pretty attractive. Are strong women my type? Maybe, but I do regret ogling her a bit. Maybe not a bit but all the time… I gotta stop that. Maybe I'll visit a similar version of that- hold on, how the hell was an abomination of a mech in that world that early. Wasn't the you-know-what-sequel-that-never-existed taken years after the destruction of the alien glory hole? It WAS an alteration of that source material, honestly I was expecting a gender-bent version of the Gipsy Rangers.

Well enough of that, gotta think about the future. 

DBZ, Full Metal Panic, Demon Slayer, etc. So many choices for my giddy self. Though this does make me wonder: is time still relevant here? If so, I could wait here while watching different worlds but that's also pretty boring considering there's no sound.

As I watched the potential worlds to invade, multiple intrusive thoughts came to me, whispering sweet humor like a devil on my shoulder. Ultimately I decided on a world: Marvel. Why? Well I know most of that world and with it being a world where I can die any time… makes me want to poke the hornet's nest. Finalizing my thoughts, I decided on the battle for New York (Cinematic Version) being my entry point. I needed some kind of combat as I was getting bored.

Just as I was about to enter, someone else exited the wormhole. A humanoid in all but the brightest of lights gracefully stood before me, hand held behind their back.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A potential intruder, or potential friend I wonder?"

"Both, One Above All." I answered his rhetorical question confidently. As for his name, who else was as flashy as a light bulb? Not only that, he came out of the world I was just going to mess with; it being Marvel.

"So you know me? Good, that'll make this quick. I'll be frank Mr. Vulta," I squinted my eyes at him knowing my name, "You can't enter my universe. And before you ask… It's because there's an overabundance of otherworlders taking residence in my creation. Most of which are doing more harm than good."

"So How-"

"A a ah! I was just getting to that," He interrupted me, "*Ahem*, I can grant you passage IF you'd be my clean up crew once in a while. Cool?" He put two thumbs up waist high and tilted his head a bit, as if saying 'Ay, Yes? No? Maybe so?'

"Hold on Mr.-Walking-Light-Bulb, you're telling me that YOU have a WORLD HOPPER PROBLEM when YOU'RE the CREATOR of SAID UNIVERSE?" I questioned him, emphasizing important words.

"Well, even we higher-beings have rules to follow. The reason they're abundant is because they have plot armor."

"Huh?" I gawked at him in disbelief.

"*Sigh* These people have backers called authors or fanfic writers right. Well, they too are gods of creation in a way considering they make stories come to life. And their medium is their main character. Well, they can make their main character as strong as a fourth grader. Just when you  thought they're dead- BOOM! They stand up stronger than ever and declare 'Nuh uh, I'm immortal' and bullshit like that."

"Ok, I kinda follow…"

"Ok, here's the stupid part. I can't regulate or banish them because the authors employed such strong plot armor on their characters. I'm sorry, I'm the anchor of the Marvel universe, the WILL of my authors that created me! Yet I can't touch one measly fanfic writer that just writes for fun. Well that FUN is destroying the ecosystem that I built!" He started getting louder and breaking down, spilling out his misery.

I stared at him in disbelief then it hit me. If these authors are using MCs to generate worlds. Then am I also… Screw it, so what if I am but fiction. That's just better since I can TRULY be whatever I can become.

"Yeah, the one watching over you is another author; a wretched one at that." OAA interjected.

"Quit reading my mind!" I requested calmly, "Also wretched how?"

"NO," OAA said smugly, "Anyways, essentially a battle of plot armor, I want you to take out potentially or already troublesome MCs."

"And when I mean wretched, I mean stupid, he barely knows a fraction of the source material," OAA quickly added.

"Ho-"

"How, you ask?" I swear I had a tick mark on my head for the many times he's interrupted me, "Well, why do you think your previous world felt simulated and weird?"

"First of all, how do you know where I just came from when we're literally in a void and secondly, yeah it did feel weird."

"I'm the One Above All for a reason! But yeah that feeling you just got, that was the author influencing you to move on."

I retrieved my AC back into my soul space and sat down, digesting the information. He seemingly understand the storm inside my mind and left with a note,

'I'll leave you be to let that mind settle. I'll program the portal to Marvel to let you through, in which you are also consenting to hunting down otherworlders whenever possible. Beside, The Merc With The Mouth is causing more ruckus again. The good kind though as he shoved a live, full size unicorn on another worlder's ass. Thank god for all the deadpool variants putting up a good fight, if it weren't for them, I'd have lost my sanity. Anyway, see ya kid! Say hello to your mommy universe for me when you get the chance!'

I was left again confused after reading the letter half. Oh well, another question piled upon thousands of questions. Back on my train of thought, usually world hoppers have some type of gift no matter how small.  Could that be a tracker as well- like lets take Gacha Systems for instance. Is that just an excuse to give their MCs broken or dumb shit?

[Yes Azule, that is the case]

"WHAT THE HAIIIL!" Azule broke out in an Asian surprise, "..."

"Are you my author?"

[Yep. Hello my child 👋]

"EGh, let's get one thing straight pal: don't call me 'my child' and secondly, don't use emojis. That's cringe."

[Nope, I will not stop. 😂]

"*Sigh* So, how are you talking to me?"

[Through your sign-in/login system. 🙃]

Silence befell between us. It was awkward, like a father just coming back with milk.

[Soooo, whatcha want to know?]

"Just one, for now at least."

[Shoot!]

"How influenced are my actions?"

[Ten percent]

"Wha?" I was surprised, I thought I would be a slave to its words.

[All I do is give you shit, generate the world around you based on my knowledge, and write your story for my viewers to see] [I'm not the type to control you TOO much. I will however influence you to act upon my whims at times, like moving out of that last world we were in. Though, I did make sure that it's strong enough to where you can still break out of it.]

"That's… good to know."

[Don't look so surprised, I got your back buddy! 👍]

"*Sigh* I don't know how to feel about this…"

[Think of me as a stalker that marks down all your actions for others to view for the great sense of entertainment.]

"You're not helping."

[😂] [So, do you want to change anything up before you step into other worlds?]

'What is this, a Fallout intro?' I thought.

"Yeah, I want to partake on the greatest evil of all times: Gacha."

[No… you wouldn't..] Even if it's talking through written words, I could tell it was fearful. Not of me, but of that wretched system. It's understandable, once you say or think of 'just one more role' you're done for.

[...][It would make for great content][...][Fine I'll replace your current sign-in system rewards to gacha, may god have mercy on your soul.][...]

{I'll use {} so my viewers don't get confused between me and your given system.}

"You don't have to tell me that!" I shouted, already too mind boggled to think straight.

Now that I had what I needed, I sat up and looked up towards the world of Marvel.

{You planning to take his offer?}

"Yeah, fighting other Main Characters sounds fun!" I answered the Author immediately with excitement, "Also, do you want me to call you a certain way? Master, Creator… Daddy?"

{no, NO not that, anything but daddy that's- ELGH }

"Hahhahahah, alright then how about Origin? You know, since you created me in a way."

I didn't hear back from it for a bit, as if thinking about the name.

{yeah, Yeah! That's cool as heck! From now on I shall be called Origin!}

"Haha, glad you like it. Now, how's that system exchange going?"

{Oh that, it's already done. 👏}

"Alright, bring up the Gacha system"

[System Actuated: Bringing Up New System Details]

A small hologram-like box just appeared just above my chest, holding details about the subject at hand. As a short explanation, this new system allows me to- well roll for anything in any world. From cash to a whole planet, only my luck can show me what I gain. With that said, I do need achievement points. As it goes, one point for one roll and ten for ten rolls- standard gacha procedure. Although, the achievements are going to be a bit difficult as I can't just go and do something that would be considered an achievement. Those are given out by the system itself and they vary depending on my situation and world I'm currently in. Let's say I was currently meeting the Ancient One, I could get a random event to use her bald head as a bongo or steal Professor Xavier's mode of transportation. Basically, I get random requests for trolling. Pretty cool if you asked me.

{What do you think?}

I raised a thumbs up.

{Good to know.}

"Hey, can you like- you know- change the way we talk? It feels disconnected."

{...}{Ok, how about I act as your Cortana and live in your head?}

"Yeah that sounds fun!"

{Should I start calling you stud muffin too?}

"Fuck off you third rate novelist"

As if life was an anime, I heard an arrow pierce someone or something in the distance. Then, as the situation became normal, I felt as if something invaded my mind as a slight discomfort engorges within it.

{Yeah, sorry about that. Won't take long-  promise, Just making room in your head.}{...}

{Not like there's much to move anyway}

"Hey- rrgh!"

I kept my mouth shut as rebuking would possibly make it worse. As time passed, the discomfort faded and I returned to normal. Well, normal as can be since I now have another being in me- my head, I meant my head.

{Don't let the readers catch you lacking bucko 😂}

I could feel multiple tick marks form on my forehead. Nevertheless, having the author in my head feels weird. It's like having a roommate living rent free. But at the same time I don't have to hear it-

{Him, I'm a him}

Right, I don't have to hear that system *Ding* everytime he talks. With these accommodations, his thoughts directly transfer to my head. With all the loose ends settled for now, I took one step towards the portal. One was all it took as I got sucked in.

{Now the story can truly begin! 🎉}