The first thing Patrick Jane noticed was the noise.
Not the wind.
Not the screaming.
Not even the fact that he was falling through the sky.
The noise.
A deafening, unnatural roar surrounded him as the air tore past his body. His clothes whipped violently against him while the ground below grew larger by the second.
"What the hell?!"
Patrick flailed uselessly in the air.
'I'm falling.'
That realization was followed immediately by another.
'I'm definitely falling.'
Then came the more important question.
'Why am I falling?!'
He twisted his body, desperately trying to find something—anything—to grab onto.
There was nothing.
Below him was a massive city.
Buildings.
Cars.
Thousands of people.
And, as his rapidly approaching eyes recognized the giant illuminated screens and familiar streets, one thought slowly formed in his mind.
'No.'
His stomach dropped.
'No, no, no.'
He could see the famous intersection.
The giant advertisements.
The crowds.
Times Square.
Patrick's eyes widened.
"You're kidding me!"
He was still falling.
Very quickly.
'Okay. Think.'
He had been a university student.
He had been studying—or, more accurately, failing to study—for an exam.
He had consumed far too much coffee.
His heart had apparently decided that was enough.
Then he had died.
Then God had appeared.
Then the One Above All had given him a system.
And now—
"WHY AM I FALLING OUT OF THE SKY?!"
The answer arrived a few seconds later.
He hit Times Square.
The impact was spectacular.
The street shook.
Cars swerved.
Windows rattled.
People screamed and scattered in every direction as dust and chunks of pavement erupted into the air.
Patrick disappeared into the crater.
For several seconds, there was silence.
Then a hand slowly emerged from the rubble.
Patrick pulled himself upward.
He coughed.
"Ow."
He looked around.
Dozens of people were staring at him.
Some were filming.
Others were running.
Sirens could already be heard in the distance.
Patrick slowly looked down at himself.
His clothes were damaged.
His body hurt.
But somehow, impossibly, he was alive.
'Okay.'
He looked at the crater beneath him.
'That should have killed me.'
He looked at his hands.
Then at the surrounding buildings.
Then at the enormous number of people staring at him.
'So either the system gave me something without telling me...'
He paused.
'...or God and the One Above All really don't care about my health insurance.'
A loudspeaker suddenly echoed through the street.
"DO NOT MOVE!"
Patrick froze.
He looked toward the source.
Military vehicles were arriving from several directions.
Soldiers poured into the area.
Weapons were raised.
Behind them were heavily armed agents wearing tactical equipment.
Patrick's eyes narrowed.
'That's not the NYPD.'
More vehicles arrived.
The crowd was being pushed back.
A helicopter hovered overhead.
Then Patrick noticed the symbol on one of the vehicles.
A familiar eagle.
His stomach sank.
'SHIELD.'
He slowly raised both hands.
"Okay! Okay!"
He took a careful step forward.
"I'm surrendering!"
The soldiers kept their weapons trained on him.
Patrick looked around at the army surrounding him.
Then he sighed.
"Oh, really? Thanks, TOAA."
He glanced toward the sky.
"I am getting killed on my first day."
A few minutes earlier...
Patrick Jane had been dead.
Or, at least, he was pretty sure he had been.
The last thing he remembered was sitting at his desk, staring at a textbook he should have started studying days ago.
His exam was tomorrow.
He hadn't studied.
Not properly, anyway.
His coffee cup was empty.
His second coffee cup was empty.
His third coffee cup was—
Well.
His heart had apparently decided there was a limit.
Patrick remembered clutching his chest.
Then everything went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in an endless white space.
There was no floor.
No ceiling.
No walls.
Just white.
And standing in front of him was a man.
Patrick stared at him.
The man smiled.
"Hello, son."
Patrick blinked.
"Oh."
He looked around.
Then back at the man.
"Hello, God."
God raised an eyebrow.
"Very good. You're not panicking."
"Thanks."
Patrick looked around again.
"So... Heaven or Hell?"
God smiled.
"Heaven."
Patrick shrugged.
"Seemed safer."
"You were a good kid, Patrick."
Patrick shrugged.
"I wasn't exactly winning any awards."
"You lived well."
"That's debatable."
"You were kind."
"Sometimes."
"You helped people."
"Occasionally."
"You didn't kill anyone."
"That's a pretty low bar."
'I masterbaited a lot.'
"every human got some falls"
'you heard that? of course you did'
God smiled.
"And you lived a rather boring life."
Patrick's expression fell.
"Well..."
He looked away.
"Yeah."
There was no point denying it.
He had been an ordinary university student.
No great accomplishments.
No extraordinary adventures.
No legendary achievements.
Nothing that would make anyone tell stories about him after he was gone.
Patrick sighed.
"I guess I didn't really achieve much."
God's smile became slightly wider.
"So you want to achieve something?"
Patrick looked at him.
"Are you offering me a job?"
"Something like that."
"Hmm."
Patrick folded his arms.
"What's the salary?"
God laughed.
"You're going to like this."
"Okay. I'm listening."
"I have a little friend."
"A little friend?"
"A god."
"Of course."
"He created a new universe."
"Okay."
"Unfortunately, things aren't going according to his plans."
Patrick waited.
"And he doesn't want to interfere directly."
"Understandable."
"He also doesn't want to simply destroy that universe and start again."
"Also understandable."
"So he needs someone to stabilize things."
"which is me."
"if you want to."
"That's actually kind of cool."
"and for the universe u already know about, its marvel."
"oh, cool."
"Would you find that boring?"
Patrick laughed.
"Definitely not."
God nodded.
"Good."
Patrick's expression changed.
"Wait."
He pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"In the Marvel universe?"
"Yes."
Patrick looked at himself.
Then at God.
Then back at himself.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Patrick scratched his head.
He gestured toward himself.
"And aren't I a little too OP for that little weak universe?"
God stared at him for a second.
Then laughed harder.
"Don't be sarcastic."
God shook his head.
"I wouldn't send you there as you are."
Patrick's smile faded.
"What do you mean?"
God extended his hand.
A strange light appeared between them.
"I'll give you something."
Patrick stared at it.
"What is it?"
"A way to grow. A system that will recognize the things you accomplish and reward you for them."
Patrick looked at God.
"So you're not making me powerful?"
"No."
"Then I'm still going into Marvel as a completely normal guy?"
"Yes."
Patrick stared at him.
"That's... reassuring."
God laughed.
"You wanted the chance to achieve something extraordinary. I'm giving you the opportunity, not doing it for you."
Patrick considered that.
That actually made sense.
He wasn't being handed unlimited power.
He was being given a chance.
"Okay."
He looked at the strange light.
"So how does it work?"
"You'll learn as you use it."
"Fair enough."
God extended his hand.
The light moved toward Patrick.
The moment it touched him, information appeared in his mind.
Not memories.
Not knowledge.
Something else.
A system.
[Achievement System has been acquired.]
Patrick stared.
"...Seriously?"
God nodded.
"Seriously."
Patrick looked at the message.
"What exactly does it do?"
"Accomplish things. The more difficult and significant the accomplishment, the greater the potential reward."
Patrick's eyebrows rose.
"Potential?"
"You won't know every reward beforehand."
"Huh."
Patrick smiled.
"I can work with that."
God nodded.
"Good."
Patrick looked back at him.
Despite everything, he smiled.
"Thanks."
God nodded.
"Take care of yourself."
Patrick hesitated.
"Wait."
God looked at him.
"Anything else?"
Patrick smiled awkwardly.
"Thanks for everything."
God nodded.
Then Patrick disappeared.
Patrick found himself somewhere else.
In front of him stood another man.
Patrick immediately knew.
The presence alone was different.
The man looked at him with amusement.
"Oh."
Patrick blinked.
"You're the One Above All?"
The man smiled.
"You can call me that."
Patrick looked around.
"God sent me."
"I know."
Patrick nodded.
"Okay."
There was an awkward silence.
"So..."
Patrick cleared his throat.
"What exactly am I supposed to do?"
The One Above All shrugged.
"As for your purpose..."
The One Above All smiled.
"I'll add something to your gift; that'll guide you"
A brief flash of light appeared.
[Quest Function Added.]
"The universe and timeline you're going to..."
He paused.
"You'll have to figure those out yourself."
Patrick nodded slowly.
Patrick blinked.
"Wait—"
The One Above All waved.
"Good luck."
"You impatient god, wait!"
The world disappeared.
Patrick returned to reality.
He stood in the middle of Times Square with both hands raised.
Hundreds of weapons were aimed at him.
Helicopters surrounded the area.
SHIELD agents were closing in.
Patrick looked toward the sky.
Then at the soldiers.
Then at the crater beneath his feet.
He sighed.
'First day.'
A system window appeared in front of his eyes.
[Welcome to the Marvel Universe, Patrick Jane.]
Patrick stared at it.
Then slowly smiled.
'Well...'
He looked at the soldiers.
'At least I'm not dead.'
A soldier shouted again.
"GET ON YOUR KNEES!"
Patrick sighed.
"Okay, okay."
He slowly lowered himself.
'This is going to be a long first day.'