Chapter 6: Leveling Up and Multiversal Motion
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: CURRENT TP: 400. SKILL: BASIC SUPER-SPEED (INITIAL VELOCITY: 20 MPH). INVENTORY: MARK II BOOT REPULSOR (PROTOTYPE), BOX OF INTERDIMENSIONAL DONUTS (PARTIALLY EATEN).]
The first few days in National City after my whirlwind introduction to Kara and Team Flash were a strange blend of exhilarating novelty and mundane reality. My apartment, while perfectly functional, still felt like a temporary holding cell for a cosmic refugee. I'd spent a good chunk of my TP on it, which, in retrospect, was probably a solid investment. You can't save the multiverse if you're sleeping on a park bench, no matter how adaptable your body is. Plus, the fire escape looked promising for future dramatic exits, or just, you know, getting some fresh air without having to deal with the inevitable small talk in the lobby.
My date with Kara had been… surprisingly normal. We went to a small, unpretentious Italian place she knew, and we talked about everything and nothing. Her job at CatCo, my vague "recent move" and "consulting" work, our favorite movies (she was surprisingly into obscure indie dramas, which was endearing), and the general weirdness of living in a city where alien attacks were a Tuesday afternoon inconvenience. I didn't drop any meta-knowledge bombs, didn't hint at my system, and definitely didn't mention the Nth Metal Locket again. It was just… a date. And it was good. Really good. She was even more charming and genuinely kind in person than she was on screen, which, frankly, was saying something. The easy laughter, the shared glances, the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled – it was all refreshingly normal in a life that had become anything but. I found myself genuinely enjoying just being with her, unburdened by the cosmic weight of my new reality, even if only for a few hours.
"Okay, Adam, don't get too comfortable," I reminded myself, staring at the ceiling of my new living room. "You've got a nascent superpower, a cosmic vending machine, and a potential superhero girlfriend. Now it's time to actually get to work. Twenty miles per hour is great for avoiding slow-moving traffic, but it's not going to outrun a rogue metahuman, let alone a pissed-off alien. You're faster than a civilian, sure, but that's like saying a very slow snail is faster than a rock. It's a start, but it's not a solution. Time to hit the gym. The cosmic gym, that is."
My immediate priority was leveling up Basic Super-Speed. The System Market was my go-to. I brought up the holographic interface, navigating to the "Skills" section, then filtering by "Speed." Options popped up, ranging from "Enhanced Reflexes" (50 TP) to "Temporal Perception (Minor)" (150 TP), all the way up to "Speed Force Conduit (Major)" (a staggering 5000 TP, which was clearly a long-term goal, like saving up for a down payment on a small moon or funding my own private space program). The sheer variety was almost overwhelming, a dizzying array of ways to become faster, stronger, smarter. But I had to focus. One step at a time. Or, in this case, one very fast step at a time.
My eyes landed on "Minor Speed Force Conduit Module" for 200 TP. The description promised to integrate directly with my physiology, upgrading my current speed significantly. It sounded like exactly what I needed: a solid boost without breaking the bank entirely. The details promised increased velocity, improved stamina, and a nascent ability to perceive time differently. This wasn't just about raw speed; it was about integration, about my adaptable body truly becoming a vessel for accelerated motion.
"Right. Two hundred TP. That leaves me with two hundred. Enough for a few more strategic purchases, or maybe a really good pizza. Decisions, decisions. But speed first. Always speed first. Unless it's pizza. Then it's a toss-up. But seriously, the pizza can wait. My life, and potentially the lives of billions, might depend on me not being outrun by a particularly enthusiastic jogger. No offense to joggers."
I confirmed the purchase. A faint, ethereal hum filled the room, and a small, glowing, crystalline object materialized in my hand. It was warm to the touch, pulsating with a soft, blue light, almost like a miniature heart beating with pure kinetic energy. It looked like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, the kind of MacGuffin that would drive an entire plot. Before I could even fully process its intricate design or theoretical implications, the module dissolved into my skin, leaving no trace. A wave of tingling energy washed over me, starting in my legs and spreading throughout my entire body. It wasn't painful, but it felt like every cell was suddenly vibrating at a higher frequency, buzzing with an almost imperceptible energy. It was as if my very atoms were humming a new, faster tune.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: TP EXPENDITURE: 200. ITEM PURCHASED: MINOR SPEED FORCE CONDUIT MODULE. SKILL UPGRADE: BASIC SUPER-SPEED HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO ENHANCED SUPER-SPEED. CURRENT VELOCITY: 50-100 MPH. NEW ABILITY: MINOR TIME PERCEPTION SHIFT.]
"Whoa. Okay. That's more like it. Fifty to a hundred miles per hour. I can actually keep up with a car now. Or, you know, outrun a particularly aggressive squirrel. And 'Minor Time Perception Shift'? That sounds fancy. Like I can see the world in slow-motion, just enough to dodge a thrown banana peel. This is going to be fun."
The next few days were dedicated to practice. I found a secluded, abandoned industrial park on the outskirts of National City, far from prying eyes and concerned citizens. The moment I started running, the difference was immediate and exhilarating. The world blurred around me, the wind roaring in my ears, and the sensation of speed was intoxicating. I wasn't just moving fast; I felt fast. My new adaptable body handled the strain effortlessly, no muscle cramps, no shortness of breath, just pure, unadulterated velocity. My limbs felt lighter, my strides longer, and my footing unbelievably sure, even when I pushed my limits on uneven terrain. I experimented with sharp turns, sudden stops, and bursts of acceleration, each time feeling more in control, more connected to this newfound power.
I experimented with the Minor Time Perception Shift. At top speeds, the world around me seemed to subtly slow down. Not to a crawl, but enough that I could perceive individual raindrops, the fluttering of leaves, the subtle shifts in traffic patterns on a distant highway. It was like having a built-in bullet-time, only without the actual bullets (yet). This wasn't just about raw speed; it was about control, about reacting to the world around me with a newfound precision. I could anticipate obstacles, plot my course with uncanny accuracy, and even appreciate the fleeting beauty of a world seen through a lens of accelerated perception. It was a subtle but profound enhancement, elevating my speed from mere velocity to a form of enhanced awareness.
"This is awesome. I'm basically a budget Flash now. Or, you know, a very fast human who hasn't figured out how to vibrate through walls yet. Baby steps, Stiels. Baby steps. But these baby steps are, like, really, really fast baby steps. I bet I could even beat Barry in a race… if he had a particularly bad hangover and I had a head start and he forgot his boots. Still counts!"
Beyond just personal training, I also used this time to refine my Portal Creation. My first wish had granted me the ability to open portals between Arrowverse Earths and the MCU. Now, with practice, I could make them smaller, more precise, and open them with less conscious effort. The shimmering distortions were no longer a struggle; they coalesced with a mere thought, the energy flowing freely from me. I started making quick, almost casual jumps.
One afternoon, I portaled from my National City apartment to a quiet alleyway in Central City, Earth-1, just to grab a specific brand of coffee from a cafe I remembered Cisco raving about. The jump was seamless, taking less than a second. I was in a different universe, ordering a latte, and then back in my apartment before the barista had even finished wiping down the counter. The thrill of it was addictive.
"This is the future. No more waiting in line. No more traffic. Just instant gratification, courtesy of my cosmic travel agency. Take that, rush hour! And take that, expensive interdimensional shipping fees! I am my own two-day delivery. Except it's more like two-second delivery."
I used these small jumps for convenience, for observation, and simply to build my comfort level. I'd pop over to Central City to see if Team Flash was dealing with anything major (they usually were, bless their hearts), or briefly glimpse a street in New York City (MCU) just to confirm the timeline was progressing as expected. It was like having a remote control for the multiverse, allowing me to monitor events without direct intervention. I could watch a minor villain attack from afar, or confirm a key plot point was unfolding as expected, all without ever being detected. It was the ultimate form of meta-aware voyeurism, and it was incredibly empowering.
My dates with Kara continued. We explored National City, went to a concert, even had a ridiculously competitive board game night at her apartment (she was surprisingly good at strategy games, which was both attractive and slightly terrifying). I kept my new abilities under wraps, but the subtle changes in me were becoming more apparent. My reflexes were sharper, my movements more fluid. I noticed her sometimes giving me a curious look, a slight tilt of her head, as if sensing something was different. She had that alien intuition, after all, and she was always observant. It was a fine line to walk, showing just enough without giving away the entire cosmic farm.
"She's Supergirl, Adam. She's probably got a sixth sense for 'guy who just got superpowers.' Just play it cool. Blame it on a new workout regimen. Or too much coffee. She'll buy it. Probably. Or she'll start running tests on me. Hopefully, the former. I'm not quite ready for the DEO's medical bay just yet."
One evening, as we walked back from dinner, a sudden gust of wind nearly ripped a flyer from a lamppost. Without thinking, my hand shot out, moving with a speed that was definitely beyond normal human capability, and snatched the paper mid-air before it could fly away. I handed it to her with a casual shrug.
"Whoa," Kara said, her eyes wide, a flicker of something unreadable in their depths. "Nice reflexes, Adam. You play a lot of video games or something?"
"Something like that," I chuckled, trying to sound nonchalant. "Years of dodging rogue pigeons and aggressively enthusiastic street performers. You learn a thing or two. Plus, I've been hitting the gym hard. Gotta stay in shape, right?"
She smiled, but her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than usual, a thoughtful expression on her face. She was definitely picking up on the changes. "Okay, she's noticing. Good. It means she's paying attention. Bad. It means I need to be even more careful. Or, you know, just embrace the weird. Probably the latter. It's me, after all. Weird is kind of my brand."
The ease with which I could now traverse between Earth-38 and Earth-1 was liberating. It meant I wasn't just stuck in one place, waiting for events to unfold. I was an active participant, a silent observer, and soon, a strategic player. The multiverse was my oyster, and I was just learning how to shuck it. This improved mobility and growing comfort with my abilities made the prospect of jumping to the MCU, a truly alien (to me, as a former civilian) landscape, feel far less daunting. I felt a surge of readiness, a quiet confidence that I was truly becoming the "Broker" I was meant to be.
"Next stop: the MCU. Time to meet a certain exiled Asgardian. Hope he likes Pop-Tarts. Because I'm pretty sure that's going to be my opening gambit. And if that doesn't scream 'cosmic broker,' I don't know what does. This is going to be epic. Or, you know, I'm going to accidentally get stuck in a dimension where everyone communicates exclusively through interpretive dance. Either way, it'll be a story."