A weathered bench nestled amid the vibrant greenery of New York's Central Park held a haphazard pile of books. The collection of books covered a diverse range of subjects, including: the intricate principles of chemistry, which explored the building blocks of matter; the dynamic world of biomechanics, delving into the complex mechanics of the human movement; the technical rigor of structural engineering, focused on designing safe buildings; and the essential nuances of New York's city codes, guiding urban planners and architects alike.
With a donut in hand, Wyatt took a bite of his food as he read through another book focused on the creation of the atomic bomb and its workings.
"Okay… knowing that I can create an atomic bomb with ease is something I don't think I needed to know." Wyatt had a shaky smile and closed the book. Placing it on the pile, he leaned back and stared out at the scene in front of him.
Dozens of people were enjoying the beautiful sunny day as they either walked, jogged, walked their dogs, or rode their bikes through the lush park. Wyatt smiled at the peace around him and was about to reach for a different book when a random police officer came into sight.
The officer appeared to be on his daily foot patrol and smiled at a few passing citizens. It didn't seem as if he were in search of anyone specifically, but that didn't stop Wyatt from discreetly creating a pair of shades and a baseball hat from inside his backpack. Grabbing his book, he raised it in front of his face and acted naturally.
Classic MCU disguise. Wyatt grinned and began reading on New York's building codes and intricacies. To any observer, he would appear as an enthusiastic future architect.
When the officer eventually walked passed Wyatt, he glanced at the young reality warper with little regard and then moved on.
"It's nice to see the youth reading a book. Everyone these days is always on those damn phones." The officer muttered as he walked off.
With a small sigh, Wyatt took off his sunglasses and relaxed. Ever since he had escaped police custody, he became rather nervous at the sight of any NYPD officer in sight. Luckily, he was able to control himself and act naturally whenever he did come across an officer.
For the next two hours, Wyatt immersed himself in the book's pages, soaking up its strict guidelines and intricate explanations. When he finally stood up, a loud groan escaped his lips as he stretched his stiff muscles, feeling the tension release.
After packing his books into his backpack, Wyatt stepped out of the serene park, feeling the contrast of the bustling city and the serene park around him. The busy streets of New York were alive with the sounds of honking horns, chattering pedestrians, and street vendors calling out their daily specials. He expertly navigated through the throng of people, taking in the sights and sensations of the city that never sleeps with a calm smile.
"No, no! I told you to put fifty thousand down! Not ten!" A middle-aged man dressed in an expensive suit barked at his phone.
"Like, I'm right outside. Don't you see me?" An attractive woman said as she adjusted her earrings.
"Fuck yeah, man. We should totally watch that movie! Did you hear they casted…" A teenager spoke excitedly on his phone as he biked past Wyatt.
"Maybe that officer was onto something." Wyatt muttered as he stopped at a crosswalk, his eyes scanning over several more people on their phones.
At the crosswalk, dozens of people waited beside him until the light turned green. Once it did, like a raging river unleashed, everyone from both ends of the street moved forward.
Once across, Wyatt ventured onward on foot through the vibrant city until he arrived at a charming pizza shop nestled in the heart of Harlem. Luigi's Pizzeria, with its inviting façade and gleaming window displays, exuded a warm, welcoming charm.
As Wyatt stepped inside, the soft chime of a bell tinkled overhead, drawing the attention of a man in his late forties, whose weathered hands deftly placed a bubbling pizza into the stone oven, the tantalizing aroma of melting cheese and fresh basil filling the air. Behind the counter, a young girl with tousled dark brown hair offered Wyatt a bright, friendly smile.
"Wyatt! My young friend! It's been weeks since you last visited. I was starting to worry your business was stolen from me," Luigi laughed. "Come! Sit! I'll prepare your usual."
"Come on, Luigi. Do you really think I'll go anywhere else but the best pizza shop in the city?" Wyatt grinned and took a seat on a table near the counter, his gaze falling on the girl behind the counter. "Serena. It's been a minute."
Serena perked up and smiled at Wyatt. "It has. I was beginning to think your bad habits finally landed you in jail. That or you finally pissed someone off enough to find yourself sleeping with the fishes."
Technically… I did. Wyatt thought as he nervously chuckled.
"Please. As if anyone would do something like that to a face like mine." Wyatt grinned at Serena.
Serena blinked and squinted her eyes at Wyatt. She remained silent for several moments; the only noise that could be heard was Luigi's singing as he made Wyatt's custom pizza.
"Wyatt… are you okay? You're acting… differently." Serena asked softly—concern in her eyes.
Slipping slightly, Wyatt frowned and readjusted himself on his stool. "I… I've just had a rough couple of days. But everything is fine now. Really."
Serena hummed in thought and nodded at his response.
Grateful for the fact she didn't push the issue, Wyatt leaned on the table and closed his eyes.
After the younger Wyatt had been kicked out of his group home, which was undeniably his fault, he had struggled to survive on the streets for the first couple of weeks. He barely had the money to buy himself food. Often resorting to stealing from grocery stores and bodegas.
When he did have money, Wyatt had always visited Luigi's for a slice of pizza. And why wouldn't he? The Italian man served great tasting food for a great affordable prize. There were even times when Wyatt had been short on cash, but Luigi never let it bother him. He accepted what Wyatt had, and even when he was flat out broke, the kind man always gave Wyatt free food. Luigi would even talk to Wyatt and offer him advice when he had gone through tough times. The man never judged him, he simply listened and offered help when it was needed.
The man's acts of selflessness had impacted Wyatt, but his young, rage-filled mind never truly appreciated it. He did, however, care about the man. More so than he ever did for Sean, his actual past caretaker. Despite himself, the young Wyatt grew to see Luigi as his pseudo father figure. Now, as a being of two lifetimes, Wyatt would always appreciate the man.
Serena, Luigi's 16-year-old daughter, had initially been suspicious of Wyatt. She had seen him as like any other rough, troubled, and untrustworthy hoodlum. To her, Wyatt was just trouble waiting to happen. His past short-tempered attitude did not help the situation. However, over time, she steadily warmed up to him and eventually came to see him as a friend.
"Your food is ready, my young friend!" Luigi laughed and placed a box of freshly made pizza in front of him. "Serena, grab Wyatt something to drink!"
Serena rolled her eyes but did as she was told, her expression one of amused resignation. After grabbing a bottle of coke from the fridge behind her, she placed it down in front of Wyatt and took a seat next to him. She grabbed a slice of his pizza and began to eat as if it was her order. The two chatted and caught up while Luigi continued working on some of his other orders.
"So what's in the bag? Drugs?" Serena asked as she looked over at Wyatt's bag.
"Nah, not this week," Wyatt said jokingly. "All you'll find in there are books. Go check if you don't believe me."
Serena looked at him disbelievingly and zipped open his book bag. She hummed in surprise as she found several books in his bag. She even went as far and pulling out a book to check its contents. "It must be raining cats and dogs out there. Our little Wyatt is reading! Papa, I think he's been replaced with an alien!"
Luigi laughed and threw up some pizza dough into the air with expert ease.
"Ha-ha. Very funny," Wyatt said dryly. "I do read now and then."
"Does that mean you're thinking about going back to school?" Serena asked excitedly. "It's not too late."
"School? Me? Nah! Schools for those who need an education to make money." Wyatt smirked and leaned back. If he wanted to, he could transmute Luigi's entire pizza shop into gold and diamonds.
"Well, duh... That's how it works," Serena looked at Wyatt as if he was stupid, which she assumed he sort of was. She stood up and headed back to the counter. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head or something?"
Wyatt laughed and shook his head. Standing up, he closed his pizza box and walked over to the counter. "Pretty sure. But I do have some blanks in my memory here and there, so who knows?" Pulling out a thick wad of cash from his pockets, Wyatt didn't bother to count and grabbed several hundred dollars. "Consider my tab paid. Oh, and there's a tip in there for you, too."
Serena's eyes grew wide at the stack of money. There must have been at least three thousand dollars worth of hundreds in the bundle. She looked up at Wyatt with worry. "Wyatt, be honest with me… Are you actually selling drugs?!" She whispered and turned back to look at her father. Luigi was too razor-focused on his craft to notice. "Where did you get all this money?!"
"Easy there, Serena. It's legit. Take it," Wyatt smiled softly and pushed the bills closer to Serena's person. "You and your father have been there for me when nobody else was. I owe you two this and more."
"But Wyatt…"
"No buts!" Wyatt grinned and dashed to the door. He was careful not to forget his remaining pizza. "Thanks for the food! See you next time, Luigi, Serena!"
"Ha! Take care, Wyatt! Be sure to come back sooner next time!" Luigi turned back and smiled at Wyatt.
Wyatt nodded and quickly left. Not willing to give Serena time to try and return the money he left in her hands.
Leaving that much behind was no issue for Wyatt. With all the gold he has been selling to Victor, the shady yet resourceful pawn shop owner, over the past month, he had more money than he knew what to do with.
"Wyatt! Get back here!" Serena yelled as she ran out of the shop to watch Wyatt run around the corner of the street.
••o••o••o••
With a satisfied burp, Wyatt discreetly transmuted his greasy pizza box into oxygen. The vibrant city lights of the Harlem streets flickered around him, casting a kaleidoscope of colors onto the asphalt as they illuminated the night life around him.
Just as Wyatt prepared to soar into the starry sky and make his way home, he was suddenly jolted by a loud boom that reverberated through the alley.
"The fuck?" Wyatt muttered, slightly shaken. It didn't take long for another ear splitting explosion to be heard in the distance. "What's… going on?"
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Wyatt listened to the distant screams and sounds of chaos in the distance. He was about to fly off into the air, but he found that his legs wouldn't move. They were frozen.
With great power comes great responsibility.
"No! Not now!" Wyatt cursed as one of the most iconic lines in history echoed through his mind. It didn't help that the very same person to have said those words was very real.
With a frustrated grunt, Wyatt spun on his heel and ran towards the sounds of chaos and terror.
It didn't take him long to reach the epicenter of all the chaos and destruction that was occurring. Turning to the right, Wyatt's eyes widened at the sight of a large, grey beast surrounded by fire and destruction.
The beast towered above everyone, its imposing figure sculpted by bulging muscles rippling beneath its leathery skin. Sharp, jagged bone protrusions jutted from its massive frame, giving it an even more fearsome appearance. A deep, rumbling laugh, both amused and menacing, echoed from its terrifying visage as it lifted an empty car and hurled it across the street with utter ease. The vehicle sailed across the air in a ball of fire, narrowly missing a group of panicked people who sprinted away in sheer terror.
"The Abomination…" Wyatt whispered as he watched Emil Blonsky, now the Abomination, laugh as he destroyed everything around him.
With a laugh, the Abomination picked up another car and launched it down the street directly at a running woman. She was completely unaware of her incoming doom.
Before he knew it, Wyatt's body moved.
At the last moment, Wyatt arms shot out with a bright glow engulfed the vehicle, transforming the car that would have crushed the woman into water. The water harmlessly splashed over her, leabing her soaked but unharmed. The woman blinked in confusion but quickly to continued run away.
What am I doing? Wyatt thought, his extended arms shaking before him. I can create anything, but I'm not physically strong! I'm not fast, and my body is as durable as a normal human! So why! Why am I putting myself in danger?!
"Come on!" Abomination roared and kicked a flaming car down the street. In its path, an injured man who was limping away screamed.
A flash of red-pink energy exploded from under Wyatt, launching him into the sky. Waving his hand, he created a glowing wall construct in front of the man. Stopping the flaming car from crushing him.
The man blinked and turned to look up just in time to be blinded by a flash of light in the air. This flash of light stole the attention of those running away, making them pause in their rush to get away.
Flying in midair above the street, Wyatt was now covered in a hastily constructed costume. The suit that was over his form was a combination of Mark Grayson's Invincible suit and Atom Eve's uniform. A red motorcycle helmet rested over his head, concealing his identity. The materials used for the suit included a mix of rigid and elastic fabrics, such as carbon fiber and graphene, designed to absorb the impact of any blows he might receive. Although the costume was not well thought out and rushed in its creation, it would serve its purpose.
Am I really doing this? It's not too late to fly away. I can just leave the Abomination for Hulk to handle. Wyatt thought, but at the sight of all the unconscious people sprawled nearby the Abomination, he knew he couldn't fly away and leave them behind.
Wyatt's mind flashed to Serena and Luigi.
Their restaurant and home was only two blocks away. If Abomination's rampage led him to their location and resulted in them getting hurt or worse, Wyatt wouldn't be able to look himself in the mirror for allowing that to happen.
No... I can't. Not when I have the power to give everyone time to get to safety. At least until the big guy gets here!
"Hey, ugly! I suggest you put on some pants! And a mask while you're at it. Geez, you have the face only a mother could love!" Wyatt quipped as he flew closer to the Abomination. He was thankful for his helmet. Otherwise, his terrified expression would be evident for all to see.
"Who are you?" Abomination said with a glare before grinning. "It doesn't matter. You'll make do until he gets here."
"Hey! I'm not your appetizer, you overgrown Anglerfish!" Wyatt yelled and flew higher. His hands trembling slightly at his sides. "I'll give you one chance, surrender, and no one has to get hurt!"
Abomination laughed and grabbed a nearby car. With little difficulty, he threw it at Wyatt as if it were a softball.
"Okay, looks like we're doing this…" Wyatt said and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
With fear gripping his heart, he flew straight at the car.