Capítulo 2: Chapter 2: Staying Low
Alex walked through the bustling streets of New York, his mind still buzzing with the weight of his new reality. Every step he took seemed surreal. He was in the Marvel Universe—something he never imagined would happen. Yet, here he was, with no idea how he got here, and even less of an idea of how he was going to survive long-term.
The sounds of honking cars, chattering pedestrians, and the distant hum of construction filled the air, but Alex was far too focused on his thoughts to notice. He stuck his hands in his pockets and kept his head down, doing his best to blend in. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself.
First things first, he thought. I need a plan.
If he was going to survive in this world, he couldn't afford to make any rash moves. The Marvel Universe was a dangerous place, especially for someone with no powers. Sure, the system promised him that he could gain abilities from both Marvel and DC characters, but the catch was he had to earn points by interfering with events. And as far as Alex was concerned, that was a double-edged sword.
Interfere too much, he reasoned, and I could end up on the radar of people I really don't want to mess with—like Doctor Strange, Nick Fury, or even worse, the cosmic entities. But if I don't interfere at all, I'll never get the points I need to survive here.
Alex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. There had to be a way to earn points without sticking his neck out too far. If he played this smart, he could subtly influence things without getting noticed. He just needed to find the right opportunities.
As he walked, Alex started paying closer attention to his surroundings. He passed by a newsstand and glanced at the headlines. It was mostly mundane stuff—politics, celebrity gossip—but one article caught his eye.
"Stark Industries Announces New Initiative to Provide Clean Energy Solutions"
Alex smirked. Tony Stark was making moves in the tech world, which meant he was still riding high after revealing himself as Iron Man. That gave Alex a rough idea of where he was in the timeline. The events of Iron Man had already happened, but the Battle of New York and the formation of the Avengers hadn't. That was good. He had time to prepare.
He continued down the street, keeping an ear out for anything unusual. New York was a hotspot for superhero activity, and if there was any place to earn points discreetly, it was here. All he needed to do was find a small event to intervene in—something that wouldn't draw too much attention but would still earn him points.
Alex wandered for hours, watching the people, the streets, and keeping an eye on any disturbances. As evening fell and the sun dipped behind the skyscrapers, his stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten all day.
"Right," he muttered to himself. "Food. That's probably a good idea."
He spotted a nearby diner and decided to duck inside. The place was small, with red vinyl booths and a worn counter. A bell jingled as he pushed open the door, and the smell of greasy burgers and fries filled the air. It wasn't anything special, but it would do.
Alex slid into a booth near the back and grabbed a menu, though his mind was still elsewhere. As he skimmed the options, his thoughts kept circling back to the Lottery System. The panel had said he could check his points and progress at any time, but he wasn't entirely sure how that worked. Did he just… think about it?
Feeling a bit silly, Alex focused on the idea of checking his system status. To his surprise, the transparent panel appeared again, hovering just in front of his face.
[Current Points: 0]
[Next Spin: 50 points required for Silver Wheel]
Alex frowned. It was a stark reminder that he hadn't earned anything yet. He needed a plan—and fast.
The sound of the bell above the door jingling again pulled him out of his thoughts. Two men walked into the diner, looking like they were up to no good. They were both wearing dark, worn-out jackets and had shifty eyes that immediately put Alex on edge. They glanced around the room, then headed straight for the counter.
Alex kept his eyes down, trying not to look too interested, but he couldn't help overhearing their conversation with the waitress.
"Give us everything in the register," one of the men said in a low, threatening voice.
Alex's heart skipped a beat. A robbery? He quickly glanced around the diner. There were only a few other patrons—a couple in the corner booth and an old man reading a newspaper. The waitress, looking terrified, slowly backed away from the register.
"Come on, lady," the second man said. "We don't have all night."
Alex tensed, his mind racing. This was exactly the kind of situation where a superhero would swoop in and save the day. But Alex wasn't a superhero. Not yet, anyway. He had no powers, no weapons, and no training. He was just a regular guy—one who had somehow ended up in a world full of people way out of his league.
But then he remembered the Lottery System. Could this be his chance to earn points? Was this the kind of event the system wanted him to interfere with?
He glanced at the transparent panel again, but it didn't give him any more information. There was no prompt, no encouragement, nothing to tell him whether stepping in would help him earn points.
Alex gritted his teeth. He couldn't just sit here and do nothing. But rushing in without a plan was a good way to get himself killed—or worse, expose himself to the wrong people.
He slid out of the booth quietly, trying not to draw attention. If he could get closer to the exit, he could leave unnoticed and call for help. The police would deal with the situation, and he wouldn't have to risk his neck.
But just as he was about to make his move, one of the robbers turned toward the couple in the corner booth. "You two! Hand over your wallets."
The man in the booth complied, his hands shaking as he pulled out his wallet and handed it over. But the woman next to him hesitated, clutching her purse tightly.
"Give it to me!" the robber snapped, stepping closer.
That's when things went south. The woman screamed, and the robber lunged for her purse. The sudden commotion caused the old man near the window to jump up, knocking over his coffee in the process. It was chaos.
Alex's instincts kicked in. He couldn't wait any longer. If he didn't do something, someone was going to get hurt.
Without thinking, Alex rushed forward. He wasn't sure what he was going to do—he wasn't exactly a trained fighter—but adrenaline was coursing through his veins, and he couldn't just stand by and watch.
He grabbed a salt shaker from one of the tables and hurled it at the robber closest to him. It wasn't much, but it hit the guy square in the face, startling him enough to make him stumble back.
"What the hell?" the man shouted, clutching his nose.
Alex didn't give him time to recover. He grabbed a chair and swung it at the second robber, knocking him off balance. The man crashed into the counter, sending napkins and menus flying.
For a brief moment, the entire diner went silent as everyone stared at Alex in shock. Even the robbers seemed momentarily stunned that some random guy had just taken them on.
But that moment of hesitation was all Alex needed. He grabbed a nearby coffee pot and threw it at the first robber, who was still reeling from the salt shaker to the face. The scalding hot coffee splashed over him, making him scream in pain and drop to his knees.
The second robber, recovering from the chair attack, looked ready to retaliate, but by then, the couple had jumped up and were fleeing the diner. The waitress had already ducked behind the counter, frantically dialing the police.
Alex backed away slowly, keeping his eyes on the remaining robber. His heart was pounding, and his hands were shaking, but somehow, he had managed to survive the encounter.
As the sirens of approaching police cars filled the air, the robber cursed under his breath and bolted out of the diner, leaving his partner behind.
Alex exhaled a shaky breath, feeling the adrenaline start to wear off. He glanced at the transparent panel in front of him.
[Points earned: 10]
Alex blinked. Ten points? That was a start.
Maybe this system wasn't so bad after all.
As the police arrived and started questioning the diner's patrons, Alex slipped out the door and into the night, a small smile on his face. He was forty points closer to his first spin.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder