Preparing For What’s To Come

"Good evening, New York. This is Jessica Matthews, reporting live from Manhattan. A violent encounter between a monstrous creature and the Fantastic Four unfolded earlier today."

The camera showed the wreckage, with emergency services working to clear the streets.

"The Fantastic Four arrived quickly to handle the threat. Human Torch, Mr. Fantastic, and the Thing were all involved, with the Invisible Woman protecting civilians. Despite their efforts, the creature proved difficult to contain before retreating into the river."

Footage showed the team battling the monster Johnny unleashing flames, Reed stretching to restrain it, and Ben hammering at it.

"While many praise the Fantastic Four for their swift response, the origin of the creature remains a mystery. Questions linger: Why was it here, and how many more are out there? Was this always meant to exist, or was it the result of someone's experiment?"

The broadcast cut to a talking head, a so-called 'expert' debating the usual talking points mutant incidents, secret government experiments, the ethics of enhanced beings.

"We will keep you updated as more information becomes available."

I switched off the television, the screen fading to black with a soft click. Silence settled over the room, the echoes of the destruction still playing in my mind.

Lying back on the couch, I let my eyes drift to the ceiling.

A single monster, and multiple city blocks were left in ruins.

If it had been the Hulk instead…

A cold sensation crawled down my spine.

People idolised superheroes, but I had the advantage of seeing them for what they really were walking disasters. Every battle they fought, every villain they stopped, it always came with a cost. Buildings, lives, entire cities could be wiped off the map if things went sideways.

And this was only the beginning.

"I can't handle all of this alone," I muttered.

Sitting up, I rubbed my temples, the weight of reality pressing down on me. I was living in a world where Mutants, Superhumans, Monsters, and even Gods roamed the streets.

Every corner of this city could become a battlefield overnight.

And I was just… me.

Exhaling, I swung my feet onto the floor.

I couldn't afford to drift, waiting for disaster to find me. If I wanted to survive, truly survive, I needed plans.

Connections.

Power.

I couldn't afford to be passive anymore.

The Juuzou template had already given me an edge speed, reflexes, battle instincts. I was more than ready for street-level fights. Gangs, some mutants, enhanced humans, nothing I couldn't handle. But there was a clear ceiling to what I could do with just that.

I wasn't Superman. I wasn't Rimuru. I couldn't just walk up to Thor or Hulk and expect to win. That wasn't my level. Not yet.

But with the new world unlocked, I didn't have to worry about getting a variety of superpowers. I could start with the locals, build my strength, and gradually work my way up.

Those bodies covered in blood… they made me realise something.

I couldn't wait any longer.

I had power, but power wasn't everything. I wasn't untouchable. There were plenty of people out there who could still wipe the floor with me. That was just the reality of this world.

So, I needed to be strategic.

I wasn't aiming to be a hero. My priority was survival. That came first. But if I could help people along the way without screwing myself over, I wouldn't turn my back on it either.

The system would eventually grant me summons, but relying solely on that would be a mistake.

This world had its own resources. Its own people. And ignoring them would be foolish.

I couldn't assume the Avengers, X-Men, or Fantastic Four would always be on my side. People loved to talk about heroes being 'good,' but morality was just a matter of perspective.

What happened when they saw me as a threat?

What happened when one of them decided I was 'too dangerous'?

Who knew when those psychopaths might decide to kill me, seal me away, or send me to another planet if I didn't follow their rules.

Since I couldn't fight all of them together, the more allies I had, the better.

Not just one group, but multiple.

That didn't mean revealing my identity. If I built a team, they wouldn't need to know who I really was.

In fact, the safer play would be to set up proxies.

Multiple identities, different names, different personas. Each one with a different set of connections. That way, even if one got exposed, I wouldn't.

Unless I had no choice, my real identity would stay hidden.

Though, deep down, I knew that certain people especially those with time-related abilities had probably already taken notice of me.

It didn't matter.

There was nothing I could do about that yet.

What I could do… was prepare.

I couldn't predict everything, but I could prepare for something. Escape routes, backup locations, contingency plans every possibility had to be considered.

Because in a world like this, hesitation meant death.

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

The chaos wasn't going to slow down.

Spider-Man's events would begin soon. Then the Avengers, the X-Men, the cosmic threats.

If I wanted to survive, I had to move now.