Chapter 2: Getting started

A Gamer's Rise in Marvel

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any other work of fiction.

A blinding white light and blaring noise are never nice. It takes too long to focus. Where did I end up in Marvel? SYSTEM, if I wake up in some lab or dungeon, then you're never gonna hear the end of it.

Just wait it out

Deciding to heed her advice, I calm down, and slowly, my senses return to me. One of the first things I notice is an awful smell. That's good, I guess, since I doubt many labs (or dungeons) smell of rotten eggs and sewage. Slowly standing up I finally become aware of my surroundings.

Yup, a dirty, smelly alleyway. Eh, it could be worse. Sorry SYSTEM.

Told you.

There's no need to start with some big danger from the get-go.

Can't start without some foreplay, after all.

So you are hitting me with some super difficult crap later.

Great, can I at least have today free or something, please?

Relationship with SYSTEM +10 (25) for asking nicely and for being entertaining.

Is that a yes?

Actually, no. You see, while I'm aware of your current surroundings and where you are, I can't control the events or people you might encounter. Those are, like this world was, randomly generated. My power and survival are actually dependent on you.

If I understand this correctly: A, you were talking shit earlier, and B, that some superpowered bullshit could literally squash us today.

Basically, yes.

Sorry.

It's fine. It's better to know this now instead of later in case something happens. If that happens, I expect you to get us out of a pinch. So… no harm, no foul?

[Relationship with SYSTEM +20 (45) for forgiving her lies so easily.

Are you not used to kindness or something? These reputation gains are getting a little extreme.

Well to tell the truth my previous masters merely saw me as a tool to be used. Usually blaming me when stuff goes wrong.

Considering you gave me a new life and are my only friend right now, I can't see myself being cruel to you. There'd be nothing to gain after all.

Right. I forgot you were a bit sociopathic.

I prefer aggressively pragmatic. 

Making my way out of the alley, I notice something about all the passerbyes. They're really tall, meaning I'm really short. SYSTEM, why am I so short? Seriously! I don't like this at all. Wasn't Jeanne D'arc at least 5'4 feet tall?

She wasn't, and you won't be short forever. 

What's that supposed to mean?

Check your status

I don't like where this is going. Fine.

"Status"

Jeanne Dark 

Class: Magus (Thaumaturgy)

Race: Human

Title: None

Lv: 1 (0/100 Xp)

Hp: 100 (LV x VIT x 100)

Mp: 500 (LV x INT x 100)

Hpr: 1/m (LV x VIT)

Mpr: 50/m (LV x INT x 10)

Stats:

Strength-1

Vitality-1

Dexterity-1

Wisdom-3

Intelligence-5

Charm-2

Luck-2

Looks fine to me. A bit on the nose with the last name, though.

I thought it would be a good fit. Besides, Jeanne D'arc is the French terminology. Here she was known as either Joan of Arc or the Maiden of Orleans so you should be fine. For the mystery of your height, you should focus on your name.

OK, I guess. Let's see, then.

"Status: Name"

Jeanne Dark (age 12)

WHAT! I'm a brat? You turned me into a child.

It will make sense eventually ;}

Sure it will. Fine, let's just see where we are now. Looking at the streets around me, I can only discern a few things. I'm definitely in a western-styled country, which doesn't help much. This is Marvel, the place where every fictional nation is pretty much designed from an American perspective. I could be in Latveria for all I knew. Now, that sends shivers down my spine.

For thinking things through and coming up with a fun scenario +3 INT

Don't even joke about that.

Considering that I hold the potential for magic not seen in Marvel, there's no way I wouldn't attract Dr Doom's attention. I'm pretty sure I'd have to kill him to get out of his clutches. That would leave an entire nation in chaos. Now that I think about it, I could abuse that chaos to try taking it over myself. Ruling a country with absolute power doesn't sound too bad. That's in the far future, however, especially if I'm only twelve. Though some might like the idea of a loli dictator, I definitely can't accomplish it now.

Back to the task at hand, I can't really ask where I am without looking like a moron. People around me seem to be speaking English, but this doesn't help much if the [Game] is translating for me.

It's not. You're taking too long. Turn left and look at the store.

Following her directions, I see an appliance store selling a bunch of TVs behind a display window. Walking towards them, I'm greeted by the iconic mug of J. Jonah Jameson talking with the words "The Daily Bugle" behind him. Yay, I was transported to New York. Couldn't it have been any other American city? Maybe one with only 4 or 5 heroes or villains? Instead, I have to be in the city with heroes, villains, and other super schmucks practically around every other block.

[Gamers Mind] activated

Really? Fine, I'm calm now. At least it's not Latveria. More importantly, I need to know what my position here is. Apparently, I'm a small-time criminal, according to [Sliver of Darkness]. Time to check me out. My clothes aren't raggedy or cheap at first glance. They are not brand clothes, but they are definitely better than orphan wear.

For your deductive reasoning +2 WIS

I'm also wearing a satchel of sorts. Opening it, I find it empty except for some white smudges in one corner. Fearing for the worst, I use Observe.

Methamphetamine Residue

Quality [Average]

[Unsellable]

Great, I'm a meth courier. Every 12-year-old's dream job. Checking the rest of my pockets, I find a flip phone and a set of keys. I apparently have an apartment in Hell's Kitchen, which is totally going to be fine until a certain lawyer decides to beat me black and blue. I could probably talk myself out of it. I'm cute, and people love children. However, he would probably try to "help me out" by sending me to an orphanage. I don't know why, but just thinking about it causes an angry feeling in my gut.

That would be your new memories integrating into your mind.

Oh, can we maybe increase that? I'm kinda in need of a backstory.

Forcing it will cause an aneurysm. However, I can supply you with relevant memories upon request. This is limited to once a day, though.

Fine with me. Give me my sad and mopey orphan story. Suddenly, I feel my brain being flooded with images and moments that cause a terrible stinging in my mind. I think I nearly passed out when it finally stopped.

Damage resistance LV1 gained: [absorbs physical damage by 1%]

At least something good came from it. I gained a new personal goal along with my memories.

Quest added:

Punch Your Parents in the Face

Rewards: 5000000 XP

THANK YOU SYSTEM! Doing it was one thing but getting rewarded for it as well? Hell yeah. What's with the huge amount of XP, though?

It's gonna take some time before you meet them, but by then, the reward might not be worth that much anymore.

There goes my enthusiasm. Even if my parents are special in some way or another, I expect them to have a bit more human decency. Most stories like this go with the children being left in a basket on the doorstep of an orphanage. Maybe even some rain for dramatic effect, along with a crying parent hidden in shadows in a heart-wrenching farewell. No such luck for little old me because, apparently, the police found me crying in a dumpster. As I said, they are really great parents.

Orphanage life was ok at first, but after two years, my first real problem came around. Turns out I eat a lot. It wasn't a ton more than average, but so much more than a human body could possibly digest without some organ rupturing. [Sin of Gluttony] is hard at work, I see, ruining my life without any benefits.

Apparently, my food habits put quite a dent in the orphanage's budget. This caused me to be ostracised not only by the staff but also by the other children. This ended with me developing my current personality. These two factors combined didn't really make me eligible for adoption. The final straw for the orphanage came in the form of hospital bills.

When I was 9, I was involved in a traffic accident that ended with me getting intensive surgery to remove some steel Wires that impaled my lung. This event also gave me my white hair. You see, that colour doesn't show up that often except if you're albino. But apparently, there is something called Marie-Antoinette Syndrome, which causes a sudden and permanent whitening of hair caused by extreme stress or traumatic experiences. Isn't that neat?

Although the orphanage paid the bills, they pretty much kicked me out after that. While not legally capable of doing that, they compelled the other children to bully me a lot harder. This naturally caused me to run away on my own.

Dammit, where's the rest. I need more info.

Sorry, but I can't give you any more today.

You can get more tomorrow.

Argh, fine. Going through my other pocket, I find a wallet filled with at least $1200. Not bad, even if I had a feeling that I keep even more at home. I do have to question why a 12-year-old is carrying that much money around. Then, almost as if on cue, my stomach starts rumbling. Ahh, that explains it. Heading to a small bodega on the street corner, I decided to sate my gluttony before it became an even bigger problem.

-1 hour later and $100 shorter-

I really need to resolve this hindrance before it becomes too much. I was still carrying too much money, which was a weird issue. Finally, after deciding to look through the flip phone, I gained some more information. Most of my contacts are initials, which doesn't really help me out. It probably is to deny dealings and connections should I ever be arrested. One name sticks out as it's also the last text I got.

Come by the bar tonight at 6. I've got a job and your order's waiting for you. 

Don't be late, this job's a bit bigger than usual.

-Josie

Well, this is a problem. Who the hell is Josie, and why do I have a job with her? Ok, let's think a bit. We've got a bar, a woman named Josie, and an illegal job. Racking my brain, I remember the answer after a few minutes.

Josie's Bar, better known as the bar with no name, is a neutral territory where gangs and criminals can meet without killing each other. Looking at the clock from my phone, I realize it's 5.30 and I don't know where I am. Oh boy.

Once again, +2 INT for remembering that. By the way, I've got you covered.

Suddenly, a small screen pops up in my upper right view showing a minimap with me at the centre and a blinking dot in the distance. Well, that's gonna be annoying after a while. Even so, thank you very much.

By the way, I should mention the rest of the game's features before I check out.

I'm a bit exhausted after everything that happened, so listen up.

Other than your status, you also have inventory, map, skills and perks.

And yes, the inventory is infinite.

Don't forget that you can access them through mental commands and that only you can see them.

Well, goodnight for now.

Oh, before I forget

Quest added:

Go to Josie's Bar before 6:00 pm and learn the details of today's job.

Rewards: One new weapon and a job. 500 XP

Failure: Decreased Reputation with Josie and the rest of the underground.

Thanks a lot, SYSTEM. Get some rest; you deserve it.

Using my newly acquired Mini-map, I start running in the direction of Josie's. I don't want to be late after all. While sprinting past pedestrians, I process that last bit of information I got from SYSTEM.

An infinite Inventory can be exploited. I don't think most people could truly appreciate

a completely safe and private pocket dimension with unlimited space. I will definitely be exploiting that. I immediately realise that the inventory also responds to my mental commands and absorbs the Apartment keys that I returned to my pockets earlier. JACKPOT!

For thinking of exploits within the game and how to utilise them, +5 WIS

I thought you were asleep?...

Oh, so it's automated, that's good. Coming back from my thoughts, I keep running to my destination.

-15 minutes later.-

For continuous exercise +2 VIT +1DEX

Skill created Sprint LV 1 (active): 

Increases your speed by 30% when active (uses 10MP/s)

Grinning at my new stats, I reach Josie's Bar. At this time of day, the bar is fairly empty, with very few patrons occupying it. Entering the place, I'm spotted by an older woman attending the bar, who I can only assume is Josie. With a smile, she waves me over. "Jeanne, you're early. Did you run all the way here? You're out of breath." She asks in a caring way. Did she become a mother figure to me or something?

"Well, you mentioned this job was important, so I definitely didn't want to be late. Besides, you got what I wanted, right?" 

[Acting] levelled up to 35 

With me suppressing my grin, she moves closer and starts talking silently.

"Yes, I did. Can't say I approve of you getting a gun but who am I to judge? I got it for you all after all. You also get two mags and 2 boxes of ammo as requested. Do you have the money here?"

In response, I hand her the remaining $1100.

"You know this is a bit too much. I thought you weren't one to get numbers wrong?" She looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Well consider it a tip to a good friend, you did help me out after all." I respond quickly.

[Lying] levelled up to 31

[Acting] levelled up to 36

Huh, aren't they basically the same when I use them? Gotta ask SYSTEM about it later I guess. Maybe I can merge them?

Interrupting my thoughts, Josie continues. "Well if that's the case I should at least give you something on the house. What will it be?"

[Charm] increased by 1

[Reputation] with Josie (Josie's Bar) +10(58) 

New perk "Favourite Patron" 

Bartenders, waiters, and baristas are naturally ensnared by your charming personality and good behaviour (REP x3 with food industry employees)

"Well, in that case, give me something strong. I always wanted to try bourbon." I remark while grinning at Josie.

"Coming right up," She says while moving behind the bar.

Waiting for my drink, I use [Observe] on her

Josie (Josie's Bar) 

Rep (58)

Obe (5)

That obedience throws me off for a bit. Oh, the beautiful applications. This opens a lot of doors for me, everything from loyal minions to loving sex slaves. I'll have a lot to choose from.

What? Just because I'm in the body of a kid doesn't mean I'm not still an adult mentally. One with a very active libido for one. Can you blame me for thinking of how I'll use this? Marvel has some of the hottest men and women ever imagined. No way am I gonna ignore that and be some boring prude. Sadly, I will have to age a few years before any of that happens. I'll also have to be much stronger before I try to enslave any heroes and villains. Not to mention, I prefer doing such things in an adult body.

For embracing a future of lust and debauchery, [Grimoire of Eromancy] has been added to the inventory

Of course, there's a branch of Magic devoted to sex. My adult life is definitely going to be fun.

Focusing my attention back to Josie's info screen, I realize that a lot of options are locked out. I probably need to upgrade Observe first.

Deciding to get started with that, I observe the drink Josie placed in front of me,

Glass of Milk

A normal glass of chilled cow milk (increases HPr by 2% for 5 minutes)

I stare up at Josie in mild irritation to see her grinning.

"You didn't really think I'd serve alcohol to a kid, did you? By the way, you will have to wait a bit 'cause your client isn't here yet." And here I thought I was starting to like her.

Jeanne will remember that.

Leaving me to my drink, which I reluctantly enjoy, I covertly sneak the bag with my purchases into my inventory. I now have an M1911 handgun with two clips and 100 .45 ACP rounds. Taking a magazine out, I realise that my inventory automatically loads magazines if bullets are available. Loading mags are for NPCs. WOOHOO!

Checking my phone, I see that I have ten minutes left before my supposed 'client' arrives. I use this time to start observing my surroundings and every person in the bar. Blitzing around with my eyes, I don't even read the descriptions showing up; I just want my sweet level-ups. Before I realise it, those minutes are up, and I finally read my notifications.

Observe Levelled up to 18

HELL YEAH. I'm brought out of my inner celebration by Josie saying my client is here. I turn around and see a bespectacled man, in a tailored suit and a suitcase in hand, sit down in one of the private booths. Deciding to use my newly upgraded [Observe], the results leave me somewhat nervous.

James Wesley

 LV 18

Title: Right Hand of the Kingpin

Rep (0)

Obe (0)

Oh, come on, it's only my first day here!

Authors note: Chapter 3 will be up shortly.