I woke up with the feeling that something wasn't right.
Not from pain, not from fear —from plain confusion.
The ceiling above me wasn't mine.
Nor the room. Nor the bed.
The digital alarm blinked red — 6:45 a.m. — and a tinny voice on the radio talked about traffic and…
"Tony Stark, director of Stark Industries, has announced that he will soon unveil his new defense project…"
I blinked twice.
—Stark… what?
I shot out of bed and ran to the bathroom mirror, frozen.
The reflection showed a sixteen-year-old boy: messy black hair, gray-blue eyes, a sharp jawline, an athletic build.
A model's body.
And definitely not mine.
I touched the glass, dazed.
—Okay, either this is one hell of an expensive dream… or I'm fucking inside the MCU.
My heart was pounding. The detail of the news, the name Stark, the date… it all matched.
This was the Marvel world.
And from the way the bulletin sounded, it had to be before Iron Man.
—Great, I went from being a spectator to becoming an extra with an expiration date —I muttered, rubbing my face.
The apartment was small but decent: a bed, a desk with schoolbooks, and a half-empty fridge.
On the table there was a backpack with the Midtown School of Science and Technology logo.
—Midtown… —I repeated, unbelievingly—. Peter Parker's school.
I opened the backpack. Notebooks, a cheap laptop, and an ID card with my name: Ethan Blake.
The body's memory brought a few blurred memories: Ethan's parents had died in an accident months ago, leaving him the apartment and some insurance money.
He lived alone, kept decent grades… and no one in the world suspected that another consciousness now occupied his body.
I sighed, put on the uniform, and left the apartment.
On the way to school
Queens greeted me with a cold autumn breath.
The sky was overcast, and the noises of cars, horns and street vendors wrapped me in an odd sensation: familiar, yet foreign.
Stark Industries advertisements were everywhere.
The city had no idea that a first alien incursion would hit it in the near future.
The school bus took forever. I sat at the back, looking out the window.
I had gone from being a mere fan to a privileged witness of the future…
And I had no idea how long my luck would last.
Midtown High
The school was controlled chaos.
Corridors full of teenagers, the smell of cheap disinfectant and cafeteria burgers.
Everything like in a movie, but with the volume cranked up.
As soon as I stepped in, a tall kid with a shark smile came up to me.
—Hey, you're the new guy, right? —Flash Thompson asked.
—Yes. Ethan Blake —I answered, trying to sound normal.
—Welcome to hell. Don't cause trouble and you'll survive —he said, giving me a pat on the shoulder before walking off.
I smirked. Classic Flash.
I got to class just as the bell rang.
And there they were.
Peter Parker, with that friendly nerd face; Ned Leeds glued to his side; Gwen Stacy, with headphones hanging around her neck and the air of a girl who doesn't need to try; and MJ, silently judging everyone from her seat.
I couldn't help smiling.
I was in the classroom where Spider-Man would be born. Literally.
Ms. Warren scanned the roll call.
—Okay, biology project in groups of three. Parker, Stacy… and Blake.
Perfect.
Life was laughing at me in HD.
Experiments and conversations
We spent the rest of the morning in the lab. Peter was brilliant, though a bit more nervous than I remembered.
Gwen, on the other hand, was precise and direct, with that confidence that almost bordered on intimidating.
—So you're new —Gwen said while prepping the samples.
—Yes, I arrived a few weeks ago. I'm getting used to things —I answered.
—Queens can be rough at first —Peter added—, but it's a good place.
—I guess. Though I'd prefer no aliens falling from the sky or anything like that.
—Aliens? —Gwen laughed—. Are you watching too many sci-fi movies?
—I just have good intuition —I smiled, shrugging.
If only they knew.
Class ended with laughter and chatter. Gwen waved me off and Peter offered to include me in his study group.
—It'll help if you're lost in biology —he said with a friendly grin.
—I might take you up on that —I answered.
A calm afternoon… for now
The day went by quickly. After school, Peter and Ned invited me to join their study group, but I preferred to go back home.
I had too many questions in my head.
I walked through Queens as the sun set. The city took on that orange tone that made it seem alive.
People passed by without looking twice. No one suspected that, among them, walked a kid who knew his future.
A future full of chaos, gods and villains with god complexes.
I climbed the apartment stairs and opened my door.
Small but cozy: a bed, a desk, a half-empty fridge and a window overlooking an alley.
—Alright, Ethan —I murmured, throwing myself on the bed—, you're in the MCU.
You're sixteen, no parents, no powers…
And if the timeline holds, Tony Stark hasn't built his first armor yet.
I could take advantage of that. Prepare.
If only I had more than a nice body and my fan memories.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm my mind.
And then I heard it.
A soft, metallic voice echoed directly inside my head.
[Dimensional Progression System activated.]
[Welcome, Ethan Blake.]
I opened my eyes instantly.
—What the hell…?
[Initializing interface.]
[Main functions available: Interdimensional Dungeon | Classes | Missions.]
[Tutorial recommended.]
A blue screen floated in front of me. Lines of text scrolled with an electric hum.
A chill ran down my spine.
[Tutorial mission: Clear the first floor of the Interdimensional Dungeon.]
[Reward: Selection of initial class + additional passive skill.]
—Dungeon…? —I repeated under my breath.
[Confirmation: Access available. Enter now? (Yes/No)]
I looked around the room in silence.
The air vibrated with a strange energy.
I could feel something inside me waking up… as if the universe itself was offering a door.
I swallowed.
—If this is real, I want to see it with my own eyes.
—Yes… enter.
The world distorted.
The walls dissolved into a white mist, and the floor crumbled beneath my feet.
And while I fell through the void, one last voice echoed:
[Welcome to Floor 1.]
And that's how my second life began.
In a world where heroes were barely being born…
And I, without meaning to, was destined to become something much bigger.