"So… I have a secret island, a creepy science cult under my control, and a billion-dollar legacy tied to a Squid Game war criminal grandpa," Hiroto muttered, standing on the balcony of his new villa overlooking the shimmering ocean.
A moment later, a massive landmass emerged from the sea like the world's most dramatic reveal.
Dharma Island: Established.Access Granted. All facilities fully operational. Staff: 412 members.
"Sweet Jesus," Hiroto whispered, mouth slightly open. "This looks like someone let Elon Musk, Rick from Rick and Morty, and the cast of LOST team up on a tropical Bond villain starter pack."
He descended into the main underground facility through a disguised elevator hidden beneath a waterfall (yes, he picked it. For the drama, obviously).
Inside, he was greeted by dozens of Dharma scientists and personnel in vintage beige jumpsuits with circular logos, all standing straight and saluting him like he was some kind of god-tier K-pop villain.
"Welcome, Director Hiroto," said a gray-haired scientist named Dr. Inoue, stepping forward.
He looked... suspiciously like a Japanese version of Doc Brown.
"The facilities are ready. The research labs are prepped. And Project: White Rabbit is standing by."
Hiroto blinked. "Wait, you actually named a project after an Alice in Wonderland reference?"
"Sir," Dr. Inoue deadpanned, "we're a mystery science cult. Branding is everything."
Project White Rabbit
Inside the main R&D lab, Hiroto stared at the device: a slim black bracelet with silver accents, covered in glowing runes and nanotech patterns. It pulsed gently like it had a heartbeat.
Project: White Rabbit – Dimensional Signal Scanner and Stabilizer.Allows detection and brief stabilization of cross-dimensional rifts and anomalies.
"So… basically a Marvel GPS for plot holes?" Hiroto muttered. "Bet."
He slipped the bracelet on. It locked in place with a satisfying click.
"Alright, System. Let's test this sucker."
[PING!]Dimensional Anomaly Detected— Coordinates: Manhattan, New York— Subject: One Peter Benjamin Parker— Status: Mid-web-sling, unaware of surveillance
"Peter Parker, huh?" Hiroto smirked. "Guess I'm diving head-first into the Spidey-Verse."
Using a stealth-hovercraft Dharma had lying around (as you do), Hiroto zipped from Asia to New York under radar. When he touched down in an abandoned rooftop garden in Manhattan, he flicked his White Rabbit scanner and cloaked himself.
It didn't take long before—
Thwip!
Spider-Man soared overhead, swinging between buildings with acrobatic flair.
Hiroto, lounging on the roof rail, clapped slowly. "Ten out of ten. Would swing again."
Spidey landed hard. "Whoa! Who the hell are you?!"
Hiroto smirked, letting the cloak drop. "Oh, just your friendly neighborhood science cult CEO."
Spider-Man tilted his head. "...What?"
"Relax, I'm not here to fight. Yet. I just wanted to say: big fan. Also, maybe don't chase the shimmer in the sky next Thursday. Multiverse turbulence. Just saying."
Spidey stared. "That was… the weirdest warning I've ever gotten. Who are you?"
Hiroto turned and began walking away. "I'm the guy who shows up in episode two and makes things complicated."
Flashback:
That night, Hiroto sat in a Dharma memory simulation room. The walls shifted around him, and suddenly, he was sitting in a recreated, hauntingly familiar room: a sparse apartment with green wallpaper.
Across from him sat Oh Il-nam, old, wrinkled, and smiling like a man who knew too much.
"You're here," the old man said, softly.
"You're dead," Hiroto replied. "So... AI? Memory echo? Force ghost?"
Il-nam chuckled. "Let's just say… you're my legacy now. And legacy means you have to carry the burden of the games."
"Yeah," Hiroto muttered, arms crossed. "About that. Why the hell did you create a murder Olympics for desperate people?"
Il-nam looked up. "Because people reveal their true selves when they're desperate. Pain makes them honest. And I needed to see honesty, even if it cost lives."
"That's messed up."
"I know," Il-nam sighed. "And now you get to do better. Or worse. The world you're in now—it's full of people playing games on a universal scale. Gods. Mutants. Heroes. Monsters."
He leaned in.
"Sooner or later, you'll have to run your own game. The question is… will it be to test people, or save them?"
The memory faded, and Hiroto was back on his Dharma balcony, looking out over the ocean.
He clenched his fist.
"System. Let's start cataloging anomalies. Mutants, gods, Avengers, whatever. I want dossiers, weaknesses, locations. If the game's already started in this world, I'm not playing it blindly."
Acknowledged. Beginning multiverse-wide surveillance protocol.
"And get me more coffee," he added. "This is going to be one hell of a crossover."
End of Chapter 2
Next chapter could include:
Hiroto building his first "Contest of Survival" (inspired by Squid Game, but superhero-level).
Recruitment of morally gray characters (maybe Deadpool or Moon Knight stumbles onto Dharma Island).
Introduction of a villain watching Hiroto's rise through dimensional cameras