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Chapter 1: Well, This Is Unusual
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"Phew, quite cold outside... Perfect for the next adventure." A young dark-haired man stated. He was rubbing his itching eyes, seemingly just woken up.
He had only a grey bathrobe on. A large part of his chest was apparent, and he didn't care. He appeared to be quite leisurely, lazy, and simply living the life.
He also appeared to be healthy with a well-defined and maintained body, and his smile could tell anyone of his satisfaction with his life, so one has to wonder what led to his next course of action.
He wasn't too handsome but handsome nonetheless, let's say he lies in the average line of handsomeness though his healthy and strong body gives him a few more points.
He took one last glance at the window before going to wear his clothes. There really wasn't much to see outside, just a small town, cars and pickup trucks passing by from time to time.
However, there was a bit of beauty apparent far away, green hills and grey rocks in the far distance, that was his goal.
He wore his clothes which consists of a black sports suit and a grey coat, quite the inconsistent clothing but he cared for none of that now.
He picked up his large duffel bag before heading downstairs. He handed the hotel receptionist the room key before getting into his car.
He also has a pickup truck, a black RAM 3500 to be specific, simple, and nice. He placed his bag in it then set out.
The way there felt nothing but boring. The beauty of nature kept that from happening, and the scenery only got better the closer he got to his destination.
A dramatic scenery. He made sure to drive far away to an isolated place, right in the coastline, at one of the most dangerous cliffs in the world.
The man exited his truck already feeling the coldness of the air and the heavy wind that's especially dangerous if one's too close to the edge... Like he was.
He glanced at the waves colliding with the rocks far down the cliff, and the ocean going as far as the eyes can see, the beauty of nature is something he will never get bored of.
The man walked back to his car with a smile of excitement apparent on his face. He was in his late twenties yet his expression was that of a child looking forward to unpacking his Christmas gift.
The difference is that his Christmas gift is strange, too bizarre. He took off his coat and even went as far as taking off the upper part of his sports suit leaving only the sports pants on.
He then took off his shoes and placed all of his stuff in his truck before rubbing his hands together and walking towards the cliff edge.
"I wonder if it'll be like last time or something different... Something more exciting.
I missed this. Well, it was my fault, my last adventure was too dangerous leaving me with broken legs... Now that I think about it, this is even more dangerous, perhaps I'll even die?"
His bright brown eyes shone more than ever as he spoke to himself. It was as if he truly believed he will live through it.
His goal was obvious. What was going through his head wasn't known because before him is a jump almost nearing the 100 meters mark, that's certain death.
However, his goal doesn't seem to be suicide, and he doesn't seem to be that crazy.
"Phew, no reason to wait any further, just jump." And indeed he jumped without even a sliver of hesitation, and his scream sounded right after, one of excitement and happiness as he fell to what can presume to be his death.
"Wait what?? This is new." However, something different happened this time, something he had never witnessed as he muttered to himself.
A bright light that formed into a large bright whirlwind formed far beneath him, and he didn't get to wonder much about it as he fell right through it.
All that the man witnessed after that is an even brighter light a white from all directions that seems to go for only a few seconds.
The man didn't seem to be too worried as he thought in his mind, 'Did I die? Well, that's a surprise, but what about the light before?'
He didn't dwell much on that thought nor did he get time to as he muttered one last thing before disappearing, "Well, whatever happens, happens... And this.."
His words came to a halt as he found himself in a dark alley. The stench was bad and he could see puddles of... Well, disgusting things all around.
'What's happening? And what just happened?' The man was certainly confused but also strangely calm as if what happened isn't the most bizarre thing he's ever witnessed.
He started observing his surroundings, noticing it was incredibly dark. It was night and there were very few lights around.
Moreover, he had only his sports pants on, and he was barefooted, those weren't exactly good circumstances.
He wasn't bothered by that, in fact, he was smiling as he thought to himself, 'Fucking exciting, an adventure I didn't expect. Now I just have to solve the mystery.'
He started walking through the alleyways, not that bothered by the disgusting stench. He noticed a few beggars around and the deeper he got the more there were.
He continued until he reached what looks like an abandoned warehouse. Its state was quite poor, so the poor chose to take it from themselves. It was indeed filled with beggars.
The man knew he needs to get information about his location first, so chose the easiest way to get them. One of the used newspapers around the trash.
He opened the newspaper and took a close look at it, specifically anything that can insinuate his location.
'Hmm? Gotham??' Various expressions surfaced on his face until he simply let it all out, "Hahahahahahahahah... Hahaha..."
He was laughing like a maniac, and he would've continued to do so if not for the timely interruption of one of the homeless.
"Buddy! have you gone crazy? You look better than most of us, did the wife throw you out of the house or something?"
"Indeed, it honestly feels like the whole world has thrown me out though I'm thankful for that." He recovered his normal cheerful self and responded.
"Aw? The wife was that much of a nuisance huh? Anyway, you're welcome here until you get your shit back together. I'm Ralf by the way." The homeless man said, too used to cases such as these.
The homeless man also got his answer on the reason behind all the scars all over the man's body. Perhaps the wife beats him up, quite roughly at that.
"Well, I guess thank you for having me, and I'm Ian, just Ian."
Make sure to check my Patre.on out if you want to support me and want to read advanced chapters: Patre.on.com/voidness75
[10 Chapters in Advance on Patre.on]
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Chapter 2: A Night With The Homeless In Gotham
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"Well, I guess thank you for having me, and I'm Ian, just Ian."
Ralf took a bite from the apple in his hand before lifting it and saying, "Want a bite?"
"Nah, I'm not hungry, not yet at least."
"Well, this is your first lesson, be an opportunist. Take every opportunity before you no matter how small. That bite of apple could save your day someday.
I will also give you some extra advice if you stay here. Never ever argue with anyone, be a good boy. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain so we can really do anything."
"I see, I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Ian responded a smile was still on his face seemingly not bothered by the circumstances around him.
Ralf thought nothing of Ian's strangeness, he just assumed his wife was that much of a bitch that even such circumstances were acceptable for him.
Ralf raised his brows as he seized up Ian from top to bottom, then he pointed out something.
"You actually smell good as if you've just taken a shower. That probably won't matter that much, but you're also good-looking... Hmm.
I'll give you a week or two before you start to smell like the rest of us. Before that, keep a low profile else people will start eyeing you... For several reasons. Fitting in is another piece of advice for you."
"Do you usually help everyone like this?" Ian curiously asked.
"Sometimes, I've been there, I needed that help at one point, and someone did help, so I understand.
Anyway, follow me inside, you can stay in my place for a while if you can call it that." Ralf started walking inside the warehouse directly after saying that while stroking his long grey sticky beard.
As he had just said, it wasn't much of a place as much of a blanket spread in an area with a lot of garbage around.
"Oi, uncle Ralf, who's the new kid?" In Ralf's place were two people, both seem like middle-aged men, they look and smell just as bad as Ralf but that seemed to be the normality around here.
Ian also wanted to get more information first before doing anything else. He wanted to verify whether this is actually happening or he just had a concussion and he's actually lying in the hospital like always.
"Yeah, I'll just give him a place by the side there." Ralf casually responded. He seemed to be the boss of the place, not the warehouse but just this small corner.
"Then as we say to all newcomers, everyone here fetches their living for themselves, don't expect sympathy from anyone."
The other middle-aged man also added, "Also, did you get robbed? You seem fresh for a homeless."
Ian sat down on the blanket while answering, "Yeah, I kinda was robbed of my house and all of my stuff." He technically didn't lie.
The middle-aged man raised his brows, "Oh?"
Ralf then explained in Ian's place, "You know marriage problems, and perhaps divorce. The greatest legal robbery to ever exist."
"Oh, I understand." The two beggars eyed Ian with sympathy and understanding, "It happens to the best of us."
"I guess but I'm not worried, I rather see this as a fortune. I will surely make the best of it." Ian said while observing the surroundings, the people to be specific.
'It's all too real. I can feel pain clearly and everything I observed so far says that this is reality. I was never one to stay in disbelief for long, so I'll indeed make the best of it.
Most importantly, if I'm truly in the world I think I am, then the possibilities all endless, and if my gift works in here, then what lies before me is a magical adventure... I can't wait to let all my.'
His thought process was interrupted by one of the middle-aged men, "Right, surely everything is gonna be alright. That's what we all think before realizing the painful reality..."
"Enough of the gloomy talk. We'll stay together for a while so let me introduce you to each other. This is Ian and those two are mike and barney." Ralf interrupted them and said.
The three nodded at each other, then Ian said, "Do you have any recent newspaper? The one I have is quite old. Also, any spare shoes?"
"Quite the guy we have here huh, but here, these were my old ones so they're in a bad state," Mike said before handing him a pair of brown dirty shoes.
Ralf brought a newspaper from his large brown coat and handed it to him, "I just picked this one today, give it back when you're done with it."
"You're also keeping up with that bat shit? Crazy things happening in the world, ain't that right." Barney casually said while picking up a bottle of wine.
Ian smiled and nodded. He had already got the answer he wanted but still continued to read through the newspaper.
'I am really in a fictional universe... Just what the fuck is going on? I gotta say though, I'm already hooked, I very much like where this is going.'
As one may have already understood, he's quite the strange man with a strange gift. After all, he has seen and experienced things that are kind of magical, not as much as this but experiences that made him numb to certain emotions.
"By the way, have this, it's quite cold this time of day," Ralf said while handing him a brown sweater, quite dirty with a few holes.
Ian took it and wore it right away with no change in his expression which led Ralf to ask the question, "You don't seem bothered by all of this, used to such stuff?"
"Yeah, I've gone through worse. I like to camp outside and go adventuring in dangerous circumstances, so I've had to deal with a lot."
Ian started stroking his chin while saying so. He then said something strange, something that baffled the trio, quietly enough for only the three men to hear.
"Want to rob a store and get some cash?" He said casually as if it's the easiest thing to do.
"What nonsense are you speaking? Want us to get shot?" Ralf responded, apprehension apparent in his voice.
One might think that it's easy to do such a thing in a corrupted city but it's the opposite.
You'll likely face a corrupt cop, and they'll likely shoot you down without a second thought before taking their 'service fees' from the store manager.
There are so many possibilities on how things would go and death is many of them. To a certain extent, meeting Batman is a fortune, he'll at least leave you alive.
Ian released a small smile, "You said it yourselves, we have nothing to lose. If we get shot down then whatever. Think about it, why take a bite of the apple when we can take a box of apples for ourselves.
Are you willing to stay like this forever just waiting for opportunities to get to you? Let's create them ourselves."
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