A sharp pain in my ribs dragged me back to reality before the cold did. My entire body ached—bruises from my earlier beatdown throbbing like a relentless drumline. I tried to sit up, but my muscles screamed in protest. Superpowers or not, getting stomped by a gang of Maggia goons still hurt like hell.
I took a shaky breath, watching as it curled into the night air in wispy clouds. The metal pipe I had crawled into for shelter was damp and reeked of rust and mildew. The grime clung to my clothes, but I didn't care. It kept me hidden.
Then I heard it.
Footsteps.
Distant at first, but getting closer. Voices followed—low, sharp, and pissed off.
"Boss says the freak's still around. Spread out."
Shit. Hammerhead's men weren't giving up.
I peeked through a small gap in the pipe, careful not to make a sound. Three of them. Dressed in dark suits, scanning the area with flashlights sweeping across the construction site like searchlights. One had a pistol, the other two carried shotguns. Their faces were hard, eyes sharp and searching. These weren't just hired muscle—they were trained killers.
I swallowed hard. My copper form made me tougher, but I wasn't invincible. If they spotted me, I'd be fighting for my life. And who knew how many more were lurking in the shadows?
I had two choices—stay hidden and hope they moved on, or make a break for it and risk getting shot. My heart pounded in my chest. I needed a plan. Fast.
Then—I felt it.
That strange, weightless sensation in my chest. Like something deep inside me had been unlocked.
The dice were rolling again.
My vision flickered for a moment, and then—
9-7 Superpower Wiki Roll: One Punch Man – Ecolo G
"A C-Class hero wielding a stone axe, passionate about justice. Hates bullies, hates criminals even more. Due to the low roll, he's taken from the middle of his fight with Eyesight of the Monster Association and since the roll is less than 10, he will only stay here for four hours."
My mind barely had time to process before—
BOOM!
A caveman with a stone axe materialized out of nowhere near the gangsters.
"The hell?! Where did he come from?!" One of Hammerhead's men spun around, aiming his gun at the newcomer.
The caveman—no, Ecolo G—ignored the question entirely. He lunged at them, swinging his massive stone axe like a madman. The blade clashed against their weapons, sending them scattering. A thug raised his shotgun, but Ecolo kicked him square in the chest, sending him crashing into a pile of debris.
In a single breath, the hero had them all at his mercy.
Ecolo planted his axe against a fallen thug's throat, his wild eyes burning with fury.
"WHERE THE HELL AM I?! WHERE IS EYESIGHT?! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY FRIENDS?!"
The thug whimpered, scrambling for an answer, but Ecolo pressed the axe deeper.
"ANSWER ME—BEFORE I LOP YOUR HEAD OFF!"
Before he could press further—gunfire erupted from the distance.
More Maggia goons poured into the site, their weapons flashing in the dark.
Ecolo's head snapped toward them. Snarling, he yanked his axe away and vanished in a blur of speed, charging straight into the incoming attackers.
I wasn't about to waste my golden opportunity.
The second their attention shifted, I slipped away into the chaos and ran—again. my legs felt like lead.
This time I wasn't stopping till I made out of this area and keeping caution, I chose to stick to back alleys and secluded streets.
Soon I was at the Brooklyn bridge and I crossed it hastly, I had wiped the blood of my face but it was still swollen so I was getting all types of looks while I was hurting worse than I looked.
I take a long hard look at the Hudson River the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, stretching golden fingers across the water, it's another reminder of my new place in the world but I don't stay long. I keep moving and soon arrive at pearl street.
I find a secluded alley and I am hit with hunger pangs which reminds I haven't eaten anything for 18 hours plus and just collapse behind a dumpster.
I need to find accommodation and food soon, If I am to survive here I also need to plan out things before some b-grade villain organizations finds me curious and tries to recruit me for one of their stupid plans.
I made a lot of noise and mess while I was escaping the Maggia warehouse, I wouldn't surprise me if some cameras saw my copper form which means my status as a parahuman might be out in the world and if I remember it right shield and other intelligence agencies have active filters searching for displays of superhuman activities.
Suddenly I feel the pressure of my power building and I hear the dice being rolled again,
7-17 Digimon - Elecmon is a Mammal Digimon. It's very curious and lively, and inherited its prank-loving personality from Tsunomon. Also, Elecmon possesses nine tails, and during battle t fans out its tails like the plumage of a peacock to intimidate its opponent, since he has come with a high roll arjun gains a Data link digivice which can act as a normal smartphone and allows digivolutions like burst mode and other modes if their Digimon evolution tree allows.
A black smartphone like device falls in my hands, it looks awful lot like the one of those used in Digimon data squad like the one Marcus uses, I press one of the buttons on it and suddenly a small mammal like red squirrel or rabbit with spiky blue stripes and a fox-like tail materialises out of thin air and falls in my lap.
The squirrel looks at me with his big questioning eyes and ask "Okay, who the heck are you, and why don't you smell like a Digimon and why do you look hurt?"
And before I could answer he rattles off with more questions "Are you some kind of weird new evolution? You're way too smooth-skinned to be a Digimon."
"Wait a sec—how did I even get here?! The Digital World's been kinda... off lately."
""You're not working with those creepy 'glitch-things,' are you?"
I smush his mouth shut to keep him quite "Look look I'll explain everything to you just keep, okay?"
He nods in affirmation and I continue "I am not a Digimon I am a human, you know about humans, right?"
"Humans? Oh yeah, I've heard the old stories. Supposedly, you guys show up, make friends with Digimon, and somehow get super strong without even Digivolving, I also heard about Tamers and DigiDestined from who fight alongside Digimon from elders." He replies.
"Well, I am one of those, this is the human world and it's not like the one you know about at all, like you Digimon have special powers like some can breathe fire or ice I too have one. My power brings items and peoples from another world to this world to help me"
The Digimon looks at me dumbfoundedly and there's a sudden lull in the conversation and then suddenly he starts laughing "HAHAHAHA you sure know how to joke around, another world what are you talking about I can go back to Digi world any time I want, just wait I'll go there and come back in a few minutes"
Elecmon suddenly turns into a stream of light and goes back into the digivice and the screen on it lights up.
It takes a few minutes but sure enough the rookie Digimon comes back and he looks angry and buzzing with electricity "What have you done to me !!, I can't find entrances back to the digiworld, there's a cyberspace there but no Digi world, return me back right now before I hurt you!"
Seeing his anger, I panic a little but I have to try and pacify this situation" Wait wait, I can't control my power and what or who it brings over but I know one thing it makes me strong and If I keep getting strong maybe I can help you find your way back home or bring over other Digimon and together you can find a way back"
I turn my skin copper for a few moments "Look my power gave me this ability yesterday I can turn myself into a metal, and in future who knows what will I get and maybe one of those abilities can send you back home"
He powers down a little and looks a little more amenable to my words and asks "You said you can't control your power; how do I know that you will get something that will help you, maybe you will get something that will hinder you?"
A sigh leaves me and I reply "I don't know whether this power will help me or not, frankly speaking my own power brought me to this world yesterday and I also want to go back to my home and I only have some knowledge about this world and nothing else but do you what's worse than getting lost ?"
" Letting the fear of not finding your way back paralyze you into inaction, I don't know whether I can go back or whether I can get you back heck I don't even know whether I will be alive tomorrow but I can promise you this I will sure as hell try to help you get back, so maybe we can call a truce and enter into a partnership that helps us both?"
He looks at me with his big eyes and squishy cute face and contemplates and put his paw forward "Promise me that you will help me get back and I'll help you, I don't why but I feel like trusting you, maybe this is a test from the sovereigns for me or maybe this is the start of my own adventure like the stories about Digidestined I have heard about from the elders"
I grab his paw " I promise, I mean we don't have to entirely rely on my power to get back, this world is connected to multiple other worlds and maybe one of those is your home but we have to very very careful because there are things here that can even make your sovereigns and mega level Digimon look like children and you might even like your time here I mean there is a whole cyberscape for you explore which no other Digimon has ever touched before just think about the possibilities"
Elecmon's eyes light up after listening to my last line, there's no thought behind those eyes right now just thoughts about the tasty data available to him.
YAY COMPANION GET!
There's nothing to celebrate about, I just gaslit a human equivalent of a teenager into accepting to help me, I am trash.
I briefly explain to Elecmon about the marvel universe and how dangerous it is and his responses went from mild shock to dismissive to afraid to nonchalant.
I then asked him "how good are you with data Elecmon ?"
"I am made out of date dummy; I am very good at eating it or manipulating it if that is what you are asking" he said playfully.
"Then can you access the local internet and find if their any empty apartments or buildings around us that we can use as temporarily?" I ask hopefully.
He again vanishes into the digivice and a few moments later a voice comes out of it "Yeah there are lots of those around, something about a monster fight a month ago making a lot of people move out their homes around a place called Chinatown."
"Find out the building with least people in it or an empty house where population density is less"
A few moments later a small google maps like app appeared on the screen and Elecmon told me to follow it.
30 minutes later I was standing in front of a worn-down old building, It looked like some of the floors on it were bombed or something because most of the rooms in it were either burnt down or destroyed and some are filled with large boulders. I then asked Elecmon who was still inside the digivice "Can you tell happened here?"
He again takes a few minutes and answers back "The old news reports say that there was a fight here between someone called She hulk and the wrecking crew, it says that the wrecking crew was stealing something from the nearby temple and were stopped by this she-hulk thing/Person"
That was good I didn't expect to find any building lacking tenants since New York is one of the densest places on earth population wise but looks like the strain of hosting so many superheroes and supervillains is starting to show on the city.
"Are you sure there's no one in there?" I ask again
"Are you sure you are not a dummy?" He replies sarcastically
If he wasn't so cute I'd idefinitely punch this brat but I'll let it go since he is basically a kid.
I make my way into the building and the door of it is closed shut, I turn my arm copper and apply pressure on its doorknob with my enhanced strength and the door comes ajar.
I quickly go inside and shut it behind me.
I scan the interior and quickly spot the staircase to upper floors and the doors to the rooms on this one.
Taking precaution, I move silently and check the rooms. Most of them are unhospitable and cleaned of their belongings. Looks like the building is indeed empty.
On the third floor I found a room which was the least damaged, It head an intact bed and the rooms too looked like they weren't badly affected.
I turned on the light to check whether it had a running electric connection or not and the bulbs turned and I quickly turned them off for the fear of someone spotting lights on in an abandoned building.
I checked the cabinets and to my surprise and absolute delight it had a few cans of canned foods like beans, tomatoes and tuna. My hungry brain can't resist the sight and I immediately take them out and head to hall.
Since there is no gas for me to cook them in the kitchen, I gather some wood from the destroyed use them to start a small concentrated fire in a steel bowl and heat the cans on it.
After they are heated, I devour them with a ferocity that I did not know I had, I don't why even the taste is better than I expected.
After I am done eating, I go lie on the bed and call for Elecmon and he instantly materialises in front of on my chest.
"What did you find?" I ask him as I had tasked him to find out about the history and present conditions of this world to ascertain in which continuity I actually am.
He starts telling me about various events that have happened.
Spiderman Has been a Hero for about 2 Years. Reed and Sue have been married for 4 years Captain America was rediscovered and has been an active hero Avengers had formed after they fought off Loki, the current members are Ant Man, wasp, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Black widow, Black Panther, Captain Marvel and many more. The whole skull war debacle was exposed and earth now knows that there are aliens present that are hostile to us. Avengers have defeated villains like Thanos, Kang the conqueror, High evolutionary, Count Nefaria and many more. X-men are usual fixture in the news, with them assisting in taking down volatile mutants and battling magneto. Doctor Doom is the king of Latveria.
All in all from the sound of it all it looks like I am in the 616 Universe, which means things that can go wrong will go wrong and I have to plan my next steps ahead very carefully but first I need to find a way to get myself an Identity that will hold up to scrutiny, a stable source of income, and then I have to decide I want to affect things here because my actions can have far reaching consequences.
I make a list of short-term goals in my mind
Get an Identity, get some money, Find a stable base of operations. Find and befriend either the local superheroes or the local superhuman community. Get rid of Sublime (Seriously fuck this piece of shit) Check about the situation in Genosha Get started on accumulating power so that no one can Mess with me Stay away from X-men or Xavier or any other Telepath that likes to take other's privacy very lightly.
Before I get back to sleep, I think I should use my power again, I focus on it and soon I hear the familiar sound of dice rolling.
11-12 Tekken - Armor King/Tekken 7 Movelist – Arjun gains the entire moveset of Armor king II from Tekken 7, Arjun is now a world class pro wrestler who can fight with best, his style is more "shoot" oriented which involves a lot more striking than holds.
My mind is suddenly filled with various fighting techniques which I had seen only in Pro wrestling but these ones aren't for show, these can actually in capitate them and also kill them if required.
Wow this is not something I was expecting but I'll take it all the same.
Since I was feeling lucky, I thought I should try to use my power again.
Again, I felt the roll of the dice and this it was something different.
3-16 Naruto – Barrier Tag- These tags are special pieces of paper inscribed with the kanji to "tie" or "bind"), which is short for the word "barrier" The tag most likely forms a barrier to protect whatever is located within the perimeter it forms. Since this a high roll Arjun gains the information of how create them and how they function.
Suddenly a stack of paper's fall infront of me and there's a influx of information, I can now create Barrier tags from Naruto which create a barrier that can prevent from things either coming in the barrier or going out of the barrier or both.
The problem with this is they are not very strong and I don't think they will hold up to decent firepower but I'll take them, I could always roll something worse.
This roll saps away the last of my strength and I slowly drift away to sleep, at least I am doing better than yesterday.
I now have a temporary roof over my head, food in my belly and a companion.