Chapter 1: The Deal Beyond Death
"Ahh... where am I? What is this place?"
I blinked. Everything around me was pure white—endless and empty. My last memory was drinking alone in the rain... and then—boom—a thunderclap, and everything went black.
Did I... die?
"Yes," said a voice from behind.
I turned, startled. Standing there was a middle-aged man who looked like life had chewed him up and spit him out. His tired eyes met mine.
"Wh-Who are you?" I stammered. "Did I really die?"
He nodded casually. "Yes, you're dead. What you're seeing now is your soul form." He paused, then added, "As for me... you can call me 'The One Above All'."
I blinked. Was he serious?
'Wait. Did I really die while drinking in the rain? There wasn't even a storm—just some light drizzle. Life really is unfair…'
But then his words hit me like a second bolt of lightning.
"Wait, did you just say you're The One Above All? Like the god of the Marvel multiverse?!"
"Yes," he said with a smug grin. "I created the Marvel Multiverse."
I stood there, slack-jawed. 'Okay... if this is real, then maybe all those reincarnation theories weren't just online fiction. The soul really doesn't die—it just moves on...'
"So... are you going to reincarnate me into the Marvel universe?" I asked, unable to hide the hope in my voice.
"I like that you catch on quickly," TOAA said, eyeing me with a strange intensity. "You're right. I'm going to reincarnate you into one of my infinite universes. But don't worry—I won't send you empty-handed."
I lit up like a kid getting their first comic book. Who wouldn't want to explore space, wield magic, invent gadgets, and fight alongside—or against—gods?
"So what will you give me? What era? Which universe?" I asked rapidly.
TOAA chuckled. "Excited, are we? You'll learn everything once you're reborn. As for your power, I'm giving you an ability called Total Control. With it, you can manipulate any form of energy."
"Wait—that sounds like Vulcan's power from X-Men. He's an Omega-level mutant!" I interrupted.
TOAA just smiled. "It's similar, but more. You'll not only be able to control and absorb energy—you'll be able to create it too."
"Doesn't that break the law of conservation of energy?"
He smirked. "I'm The One Above All, kid. Laws? I write them."
My excitement was hard to contain, but caution crept in. 'He's giving me a second chance and a cheat ability. There has to be a catch. There's no such thing as a free lunch—especially not in the omniverse.'
I took a deep breath. "So what's the catch?"
TOAA smiled again, this time like an uncle about to dump all his work on you. It was the kind of smile that says I'm not sorry at all.
"You're right," he said. "There's no free lunch. I want you to eliminate a certain species."
My gut clenched. "Which species?"
"Beyonders."
"Fck this sht, I'm out." I said instantly, panic and frustration flaring.
The Beyonders? The same multiverse-wiping, Tribunal-killing cosmic nightmares? Not one, not two, but the whole species?!
"I know it sounds bad," he said quickly. "But I'm giving you a powerful ability, right? Also... I can't send you back home."
"Why don't you do it yourself? You're literally God!"
He waved dismissively. "I can't destroy my own creation. Besides, I prefer not to interfere. That's what the Tribunal's for."
He chuckled. 'Also, if I delete my own creation, The Presence would never let me live it down...' he thought to himself.
I frowned. That excuse didn't sit right with me, but fine.
"What happens if I say no?"
"Then your soul gets erased by the Void," he said nonchalantly.
Great. Eternal nothingness or suicide mission?
I sighed. Screw it. At least reincarnation gives me a fighting chance.
"Fine... but I doubt this ability alone can defeat the Beyonders."
"All you need to do is reach Tier 2," TOAA said. "At that level, your soul and mind will be strong enough to handle the true form of your power."
"I'll be lucky to reach Tier 3 with this ability, let alone Tier 2," I muttered.
He looked at me with the calm assurance of a god. "You will reach Tier 2. That's a promise."
I sighed again, slightly reassured. "Still... why do you even want the Beyonders gone? Aren't they beyond death itself?"
He looked visibly tired now. "I created the Beyonders to add diversity to the multiverse—to evolve it. But they've gone rogue. The first one almost destroyed everything and killed the Tribunal. I had to reboot the multiverse."
"They started experiments, caused incursions, killed the Tribunal again. Another reboot. Now they're at it once more."
He rubbed his temples. "I'm sick of it. I need someone who can erase them from existence once they're vulnerable. And that someone is you."
I looked at him silently, watching the weariness behind the omnipotent facade.
"Fine. I'll do it," I said quietly. "Not like I was anything in my past life anyway."
TOAA chuckled. "I knew you'd make the right choice."
Then his tone shifted. "Oh, one more thing. A Beyonder recently transmigrated someone into the same universe you're going to. He tampered with the guy's memories using a 'viewer's POV' effect."
I narrowed my eyes. "Wait... did you do something like that to me too?"
"No," TOAA said. "You're from a different multiverse. You already knew about mine. No memory tampering needed."
That was a relief.
"So… do I have any variants in your multiverse?"
"None," TOAA confirmed. "You're a unique existence."
"And this other transmigrator? What should I do?"
"Up to you. If he becomes unstable—kill him. If he's useful—ally with him."
"Do I get any details on him?"
TOAA thought for a moment. "His name is Lucas White. You'll both start in the same universe. He has a template system."
That gave me pause. A template system? If he gets someone like Superboy Prime… that could be dangerous.
"So… are you ready?" TOAA asked.
"Yeah," I said after a moment.
"Good. One last thing." His expression turned serious. "About your origin and goal—only my five children and I will ever know the full truth. You can reveal your origin to someone if you want, but never your mission. I've placed a soul barrier on you—powerful beings will only see you as an anomaly, like America Chavez. They won't read your past-life thoughts."
I nodded solemnly. That made sense. I wouldn't tell anyone—about my goal or my past.
He gave me one final look. "So, are you truly ready?"
I took a deep breath.
"Yeah."
"Then off you go."
And with that, darkness claimed me once more.
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