The harsh fluorescent lights flickered to life, their sterile glow flooding the small dormitory room. Sarah Matthews groaned, her hand fumbling for the snooze button on her phone. As her fingers brushed against the cool glass screen, a sharp pain lanced through her head. She winced, forcing her eyes open against the sudden discomfort.
"Just another day." she mumbled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. The worn carpet felt rough against her bare feet as she stumbled towards the tiny bathroom. Sarah caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror – disheveled brown hair, dark circles under her hazel eyes, and the same unremarkable features she'd seen every morning for the past nineteen years.
As she splashed cold water on her face, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling of emptiness that had been gnawing at her lately. Her second year of college stretched before her, a bland tapestry of lectures, assignments, and social obligations that felt more like going through the motions than actually living. She'd always dreamed of doing something extraordinary, of making a real difference in the world. But here she was, just another face in the crowd, struggling to find meaning in her ordinary existence.
Sarah reached for her toothbrush, her movements mechanical and uninspired. The minty foam filled her mouth as she scrubbed, her mind wandering to the day ahead. Biology lecture at 9, followed by a study group for her upcoming chemistry exam. Maybe she'd grab coffee with her roommate later if there was time. It was all so... predictable.
As she rinsed her mouth, the dull ache in her head intensified. Sarah gripped the edges of the sink, her vision swimming. The pain crescendoed, a white-hot lance of agony that tore through her skull. She tried to call out, but her voice failed her. The world tilted, the bathroom tiles rushing up to meet her as darkness claimed her vision.
And then... nothing.
~
Awareness returned slowly, like wading through a thick fog. Cathleen Bate blinked, her eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows. She stood in a sleek, modern office, the skyline of a bustling metropolis spread out before her. But something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Cathleen's hands trembled as she raised them, staring at unfamiliar skin – smooth, unblemished, and radiating a subtle strength she'd never possessed before. She caught her reflection in the polished surface of a nearby desk and gasped. The face that stared back was not her own – or rather, not Sarah Matthews' face.
'Where the hell am I?' She thought to herself, yet the answer came soon enough.
Memories flooded her mind, a dizzying whirlpool of two lives colliding. She was Sarah Matthews, a 19-year-old college student from a world without superpowers. But she was also Cathleen Bate, a 22-year-old newly minted Pro Hero in a reality where extraordinary abilities were commonplace. The cognitive dissonance was overwhelming.
"Ms. Bate?" A crisp voice cut through her confusion. Cathleen turned to see a smartly dressed woman standing in the doorway, a tablet in her hands. "The agency director is ready to see you now. Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale."
Cathleen – Sarah – no, Cathleen forced a smile. "I'm fine, thank you. Just a little nervous about my first day."
The woman nodded sympathetically. "Perfectly understandable. This way, please."
As Cathleen followed her guide through the bustling office, her mind raced. This was impossible. She had died – she remembered the stroke, the feeling of her life slipping away in that tiny college bathroom. Yet here she was, alive and in a world she'd only known through manga and anime. 'My Hero Academia' had been one of her favorite series, a story of heroism and the struggle to become the best version of oneself.
And now she was living it.
The reality of her situation began to sink in as they approached a set of imposing double doors. Cathleen Bate wasn't just any Pro Hero – she possessed one of the most formidable Quirks in existence. New Order, the power to impose up to two rules on anything she touched, including herself. The possibilities were staggering, limited only by her imagination and the somewhat vague restrictions of the ability.
'Who the hell reincarnated me? And why would they do it as the future Number 1 Hero of America?' She thought to herself, yet she would get no answer.
As the doors swung open, revealing a spacious office dominated by a panoramic view of the city, Cathleen felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Sarah Matthews had dreamed of making a difference, of being extraordinary. Now, she had the power to reshape reality itself. It was terrifying. It was exhilarating.
"Ah, Ms. Bate!" A tall, distinguished man with red and white hair rose from behind an impressive desk. "Welcome to the Paragon Hero Agency. I'm Director Holloway. Please, have a seat."
Cathleen moved forward on autopilot, her mind still reeling from the implications of her new existence. As she sank into the plush chair across from the director, she felt the weight of two souls settling within her. Sarah's yearning for purpose merged with Cathleen's unwavering sense of justice, creating something new – a hybrid of idealism and determination.
"I must say, we have high hopes for you, Ms. Bate." Director Holloway continued, his piercing blue eyes studying her intently. "Your performance at Harvard Hero Academy was nothing short of extraordinary. And that Quirk of yours... well, let's just say it has the potential to change the face of heroism as we know it. Many have been following your career since you declared your interest in attending a Hero institution, and I must say, I am proud to have you decide for us to be your choice."
Cathleen nodded, a lump forming in her throat. She knew the expectations that came with a Quirk like New Order. In the original timeline, it had been wielded by Star and Stripe, America's top hero. But that future was no longer certain. Her presence here, in this body and with her unlikely to follow whatever path the original did, she had already altered the course of events.
"Thank you, sir." she managed, her voice steadier than she felt. "I'm honored to be here, and I promise to do my best to live up to those expectations."
Director Holloway smiled, but there was a hint of concern in his expression. "I'm glad to hear it. But I must ask – are you truly prepared for what lies ahead? The responsibilities that come with your power are immense. The decisions you'll face, the lives that will depend on you... it's not an easy path."
For a moment, Cathleen was silent. The enormity of her situation threatened to overwhelm her. She had knowledge of future events, of threats that could shake the very foundations of this world. And she had the power to potentially stop them before they even began.
But as she opened her mouth to respond, she felt a shift within herself. The timid uncertainty of Sarah Matthews receded, replaced by a steely resolve that was uniquely Cathleen Bate's. This was her chance to be the hero she'd always dreamed of becoming, to make a real difference in a world that desperately needed healing.
"I understand the weight of this responsibility, sir." Cathleen said, her voice filled with quiet determination. "And I'm ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead. My power... it's a tool, nothing more. What matters is how I choose to use it. And I choose to use it to protect people, to inspire hope, and to make this world a better place."
As the words left her mouth, Cathleen felt a surge of power coursing through her veins. In that moment, she made a decision that would alter the course of history. Drawing inspiration from the greatest symbol of hope she knew – not just from this world, but from countless stories across realities – she focused on her own body and spoke her first rule as her new self:
"⭐Cathleen Bate can absorb sunlight to gain the powers of Superman⭐"
The office seemed to shimmer for a moment as reality adjusted to accommodate this new law. The world around her seemed to hum silently, as if it pondered her request before inevitably granting it, and the results of her action seemed nearly instantaneously.
Cathleen gasped as she felt an influx of energy, her senses sharpening to an almost painful degree. She could hear the heartbeats of everyone in the building, see the individual fibers in the carpet beneath her feet. And deep within her cells, she felt the latent power of the Sun already strengthening her every second, with her wondering why her counterpart had never done such a thing.
Director Holloway blinked, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "Ms. Bate... what did just you just do?"
His quirk allowed him to sense and absorb energy, yet the sheer amount of power that had just come from the girl in front of him was on an entirely different level.
Cathleen stood, her movements imbued with a newfound grace and power. She walked to the window, basking in the warm sunlight that now fueled her in ways she was only beginning to comprehend. As she turned back to face the director, her eyes glowed with an inner light – the light of hope, of possibility, of a future yet unwritten.
"Just an application of my powers and a reaffirmation of my goal." she said, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "To become the hero this world needs. To be a symbol of hope that can stand against any darkness. And this... this is just the beginning."
As she stood there, silhouetted against the city skyline, Cathleen Bate – once Sarah Matthews – felt the last vestiges of her old merge into her fully. She was no longer just a girl with unfulfilled dreams. She was no longer bound by the limitations of a single world or a single story.
She was a hero. And her journey was about to begin.
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