The yellow school bus rumbled down the streets of Queens, New York, filled with the chatter and laughter of elementary school students. In the back row, an eleven-year-old boy with neatly combed brown hair gazed at the television mounted at the front of the bus. His eyes narrowed as the breaking news played across the screen, Tony Stark, billionaire CEO of Stark Industries, had just publicly announced to the world: "I am Iron Man."
Jerry Carmen let out a long, heavy sigh. "Iron Man... I really am in the Marvel universe. And not just any version, the dangerous one."
Unlike his classmates, who excitedly pointed at the screen, Jerry's reaction came from a place of genuine concern. Though he appeared to be an ordinary boy approaching his middle school years, Jerry harboured a secret: he was a transmigrator, someone who had died in one world only to be reborn in another. He'd adapted to this new life for eleven years, initially believing he'd been reborn in a foreign country.
But the signs had been accumulating, subtle references, technological advancements that seemed just ahead of what should be possible, and now this: Iron Man's debut. The confirmation sent a chill down Jerry's spine. This wasn't just any fictional universe; it was the Marvel world, where cosmic beings could snap their fingers and erase half of all life.
In his previous life, Jerry hadn't been a dedicated Marvel fan. He'd seen the original Maguire Spider-Man trilogy and the first Avengers film, dragged along by a lonely colleague who didn't want to attend alone. The rest of his knowledge came in fragments: clips watched online, conversations overheard between enthusiastic coworkers. Most ominously, he remembered talk of a purple villain who would eventually appear and decimate the universe with a single gesture.
"The demon lord of ice and snow that lurks in the far and cold places, obey my call!" a theatrical young voice suddenly proclaimed beside him. "O black blizzard that freezes everything! Turn everything into white snow! Freeze and seal the formation!"
Before Jerry could react, a wave of soap bubbles hit his face. He turned to find a small blonde girl triumphantly pointing a bubble wand at him.
"Elsa, I told you not to play with bubble wands on the school bus," Jerry said with exasperated fondness. "The teacher will be upset."
The ten-year-old girl, his sister in this life, lifted her chin defiantly. "Hmph! You devil Jerry from the abyss, I, Elsa the Snow Queen, shall end your reign! Ice freezes waves!"
Another barrage of bubbles flew toward him as Elsa Hathaway continued her imaginary battle. Since she could walk, she'd been obsessed with magical animations, constantly pretending to be an enchanted princess or powerful queen.
Jerry smiled indulgently. He understood childhood imagination well. Previously, he'd once wielded tree branches as legendary swords, roleplaying as a martial arts master in the countryside. He'd even trampled a neighbour's rapeseed field during one particularly spirited adventure, earning a three-mile chase from his mother wielding a broom. Some memories remained embarrassing enough to make him cringe decades later.
"Hahaha! Since you've discovered my true identity," Jerry played along, "I shall no longer hide! I am Jerry, demon lord from the abyss!" He reached over, tickling his sister as she giggled uncontrollably. "Take my ultimate technique: the claw of dark death!"
Taking advantage of her laughter, he snatched away the bubble wand and tucked it safely into his school bag.
The playful moment shattered when the bus suddenly slammed to a halt. The violent deceleration threw several children from their seats. Jerry's reflexes kicked in as he grabbed the nearby handle with one hand while securing Elsa with his other arm. Around them, less fortunate students crashed into windows or tumbled into the aisle, their cries filling the air.
"Mr. Paul, what happened?" Ms. White, the teacher supervising the trip, called out as she rushed to help fallen children back to their seats.
Jerry motioned for Elsa to help comfort the younger kids as the bus driver responded angrily, "Some idiot cut me off! I nearly crashed into them!"
Before anyone could fully process what had happened, the calm was shattered by rapid gunfire. Bang! Bang! Bang! The bus door was kicked repeatedly until it flew open.
"Nobody move! Stay where you are, or I'll paint these windows with your brains!" A massive masked man, nearly seven feet tall, burst through the entrance brandishing an assault rifle. Three more masked figures followed, each carrying weapons and large duffel bags.
"Just my luck," Jerry muttered, immediately pulling Elsa back into their seat and positioning himself protectively in front of her.
The tallest intruder pressed his rifle against the driver's temple. "Drive out of the city. Head for the suburbs. Now! Or I blow your head off!"
"O-okay, okay," Paul stammered, hands trembling as he restarted the engine and reversed direction.
Police sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer by the second.
"It's just a school bus, they won't fight back," the apparent leader barked to his accomplices while keeping Ms. White at gunpoint. "You two, take the back windows and give those cops something to think about!"
Two of the masked men nodded, rushing toward the rear of the bus. They slid open the windows and unleashed a hail of bullets at the pursuing police vehicles.
Crouched in the last row, Jerry held Elsa tightly against him, his heart pounding in rhythm with the gunfire beside them. Despite practising martial arts for years in his previous life and maintaining excellent physical condition in this one, enough to outmatch most kids his age in a fight, he knew he was outclassed here. These were grown men with firearms, and he was still physically eleven years old regardless of his mental age.
As his father had often said, "Talking about fighting without physical capability is just hooliganism."
"Demon Lord Jerry," Elsa whispered excitedly, attempting to peek over the seat, "are those demons under your command? Give me back my wand so I, Snow Queen Elsa, can punish them with my magic!"
Her small hand reached toward Jerry's schoolbag where he'd stashed her bubble wand.
"Girl, you really are fearless," Jerry muttered, gently pushing her head back down.
As the sound of police sirens gradually faded into the distance, Jerry's expression darkened. "Looks like we can't count on the police. We'll have to rely on ourselves."
His eyes narrowed in concentration, and suddenly, a translucent panel materialised before him, visible only to his eyes.