[ Chapter III (3): "FIRST STUDENT?" ]
On second thought, I wasn't that hungry anyways.
About to step away from the door, Matthias was stopped by the jittery masked robber, the pistol in the guy's arms then pointing at him. [ "Y-you crackhead. Get in here!" ]
Is he talking to me? Curious, Matthias glanced behind him, then at himself, then at the robber and froze in his tracks when he realized a real-life gun is being pointed at him. [ "O-oh shit. You're talking to me?" ] He tried to humor the situation, which no one inside the bodega found funny; not even the cashier behind the register, being held at gunpoint found it funny. He only looked terrified in his direction.
[ "Tough crowd, yeah...?" ]
[ "Idiot!" ] Frozen in his tracks, Matthias wasn't able to dodge the masked assailant from hitting him in the head with his gun; then dragging him by the shirt inside the bodega, without at all caring about the tearing noise it made.
Falling face first on the floor, out of breath and somewhat confused. He touched his forehead which was bleeding, then at his hand which had drops of blood in it, [ "It hurts." ]
Previously, and still, he thought his situation was funny. He died, reincarnated, acquired a System, learnt magic. So there's that childish aspect in there, but the blood dripping from his forehead and the robbery in progress behind him pulled him slightly out of that said illusion.
[ "Shit's really real." ] He mumbles, staring at the back of the armed robber while on the floor. And for a moment, he clutched at his wand, wanting to murder or at the very least immobilize the said masked man.
At the moment due to limited knowledge of magic, especially because he just learnt how magic works hours prior, he couldn't perform any complex spell, one that can either murder or immobilize someone; like let's say a robber robbing a bodega in broad daylight.
So even no matter how mad Matthias looked, he couldn't do what he wanted to do and instead lies there on the floor, slowly backing away from the robber who's currently forcing the cashier to empty out the cash register.
[ "You think I'm d-dumb, all the money!" ]
[ "Th-that's all the money w-we have, please let us b-be!" ]
[ "Shut up!" ] Oh shit- the robber hit the man in the head before then rummaging inside the register himself, taking even the pennies in there. Truly desperate, leaving nothing.
Matthias who's watching this could only look at the man with disgust. Unless he does what he could do and performs magic, using the sole offensive spell that he knows— the Severing Charm, capable of mutilating anyone the caster hates. Which is funnily enough taught to first-years.
But he doesn't want to act. Primarily because of two things. One, his magic may possibly fail, mispronunciation or nerves, either way, it might and it could cost him his life. Or, two, the spell not being enough, before then he gets shot in the head, or someone else does. Either way, too risky.
And besides, even if successful, how would he explain magic to No-Majs? He can't. He himself doesn't fully understand magic, what he does know are mostly second-hand, from the books, from the movies, from Wikipedia.
[ "Tch, might as well let this one go." ] So instead of doing the so-and-so "right" thing, or the thing that all protagonists would do in the situation, he didn't, instead sitting down and letting the robber continue his work.
Lowering his wand, he waits as patiently as he could on the ground, trying his best not to use the Severing Charm on the back of the head of the said robber. Which is especially difficult for a hot-blooded person, like Matthias.
Thankfully before he could act, the said unknown assailant felt satisfied with the amount he got and pocketed his gun; hiding it in his jacket's pocket; one which has a white skull, something that Matthias tells himself to remember. Before then exiting the bodega, running away. [ "Lovely." ]
Glancing around the small store, he wasn't able to find any other individuals, aside from the fatman who's handling the register and a little girl, about 10 years old huddling near the counter, crying and hiding from the robber.
Perhaps due to her small stature or the fact that she is great at hiding, Matthias wasn't able to see her. But now he can, as she screams in worry. [ "Grandpa!" ]
[ "And great, there was a child." ] Worried about the unknown cashier, he approached them. Instantly noticing the man clutching his head, annoyance written on his face, but also relief. Wounded, but not dead.
Then at the black haired, dark skin child which is hovering besides the cashier. Seeing that both of them are alright, Matthias felt relief; about to find the nearest police he could find, he stopped, momentarily frozen.
His eyes glancing at the flickering in and out of existence text above the young girl's head. [ "Fate is funny." ] Before then finally stabilizing, giving him the chance to read.
[ SOJOURNER MULLEIN (UNCOMMON) ]
[ DESCRIPTION: FUTURE GREEN LANTERN MEMBER. MS. MULLEIN IS CAPABLE OF WIELDING MAGIC, THUS THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZES THAT SHE CAN BE RECRUITED AS THE PLAYER'S STUDENT ]
Widening his eyes in seeing the "Green Lantern" in the description, Matthias quickly composed himself as he then tries his best not to stutter, or look like a weirdo. [ "Hey, you guys alright? Should I call the police, or, uhh-" ] He doesn't know how Gotham works, perhaps this is a monday thing.
Perhaps calling on the cops would make the situation worse, perhaps they wouldn't even do a thing— as in popular media, they are after all prone to corruption and malpractice. So he first asked, ignoring for the moment the description about the student thing
The child upon hearing what Matthias said, looked rather panicked. [ "No!" ]
[ "No?" ] Raising a brow, he asked.
[ "No, no need." ] The dark-skinned old man clarified, still clutching his head which is thankfully not bleeding. [ "It'll only bring us more trouble." ]
[ "Yeah, I uhh- agree." ] So Gotham's Police are corrupt, that checks out. [ "But, you just got robbed. Now what? Something should be done, right?" ] But still, holy shit, that robber needs to be tracked and beaten up to near death.
[ "Son, you not from around here, are you?" ] About to answer, that no, Matthias is indeed from around Gotham. Actually living in it for 23 years before death.
But those memories are fragmented and small in comparison to the new soul, so he instead did the next best thing and mixed half truths, not fully telling, not really lying.
[ "Yeah, uhh- sort of, I just moved in hours ago." ]
[ "Great place, really. 10/10." ] His forehead is leaking blood, and he nearly died. But aside from that, he did acquire a System, an American Citizenship, and magic. So he wasn't really lying about. [ "So, yeah, about the police situation... what's the matter with them?" ]
He steered the conversation back to the police issue, primarily because he is quite curious what the old-man actually meant. He never experienced police corruption before, only ever hearing about it in the news.
Something entirely different from the real thing and this is Gotham City, a supposed fictional city. So part of his curiosity was also there.
[ "You know nothing?" ]
[ "I know nothing." ]
[ "It's better if you don't." ] He then turned to the crying child, wiping her tears away before comforting her.
[ "Gotham is a scary place, young blood. I'll advise that you leave this godforsaken place as soon as you can." ] He continued, [ "Or keep your head down, that is unless you want to die young." ]
Matthias wiped the blood from his forehead using his shirt. Luckily it's grey so it wouldn't be that noticeable. Curious, he asked in return. [ "Why don't you, and her?" ]
[ "Circumstances." ] The old-man then pointed at his granddaughter, [ "Jo on the other hand... Her parents— my son and his wife are fighting each other in court, custody, divorce and whatnot." ]
[ "Jonathan, my son, asked me to take care of her for the time being. But I guess she needs to go back to New York faster than I expected, where it's safer." ]
Upon hearing that, Jo, who's sobbing on the corner, worried about her grandfather's health, quickly interjected. Not really wanting to go back to either her father, or mother, and the hectic life that both of them have. [ "What!? NO!" ]
[ "Grandpa, I'm staying, please." ] She pleaded, which was responded by a round of scolding, she fired back, a debate ensued, and finally it ended with her stomping her feet in anger, going back to her room upstairs the bodega.
Matthias who is wondering how he could probably reveal his magic, or that the little girl is capable of magic, wisely didn't, and instead waited his time. Perhaps another day, when he understands the theory of magic more, and when he could finally defend himself without getting bloodied up.
[ "So, uhh- is this the wrong time to buy?" ] Fixing first his main problem— hunger, which is solved by food. Upon seeing the old-man shake his head, he then continued, [ "Great, thanks. How much for those hotdogs behind you?" ]
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[ FUN FACT: Sojourner "Jo" Mullein is really a Green Lantern in DC Comics, she is of African-American roots and is assigned to a place so far, that she even wonders if it's numbered; she just calls the place the Far Sector. As a young child she witnessed the 9/11 alongside her father, this gave her motivation to be a police in New York. But due to a corrupt partner, she lost faith, before then finally one day getting recruited as a Green Lantern. She is a fan of anime and Tales of Our Own— the in-universe equivalent for Archive of Our Own. ]
[ 09/28/2025 ]
[ 09/29/2025 ]