CHAPTER 5: THE GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM
The next few days were a blur of nervous energy. Supergirl was officially a thing. The news couldn't stop talking about her, dubbing her "the Angel of National City" and "the Girl of Steel." I spent most of my time glued to the TV, watching every grainy cell phone video, every breathless report. My internal geek was doing a happy dance, while my traumatized, newly-powered imp-human hybrid self was calculating the precise moment I needed to subtly insert myself into her orbit.
[ANCHOR PROXIMITY: OPTIMAL. RECOMMEND INITIALIZING ENGAGEMENT PROTOCOL.]
"Engagement protocol?" I scoffed, pacing my ridiculously oversized living room. "What, am I supposed to send her a formal invitation to my 'Cosmic Anomaly' tea party? Or just, you know, accidentally-on-purpose float a dozen donuts directly into her apartment window?"
The System remained, as always, unhelpful in the specifics of social interaction. It was clearly designed for power management, not for navigating the treacherous waters of hero-stalking. And yes, I realize how creepy that sounds. But in my defense, she's literally my existential tether!
My meta-knowledge was both a blessing and a curse. I knew her schedule, her routines, her weaknesses. I knew about Cat Grant, James Olsen, Winn Schott. I knew about the DEO, about Alex Danvers. It was like I had a cheat sheet for life, but the problem was, I couldn't just use it. The Rule of Subtle Integration was practically etched into my brain. I couldn't just walk up to Kara and say, "Hey, I know about your secret identity, your alien cousin, and the fact that you have a crush on James Olsen! Also, I'm a Fifth Dimension being, and you're literally the only thing keeping me from unraveling reality! Wanna grab coffee?" That would either get me locked up in a padded cell or experimented on by the DEO. Neither sounded particularly appealing.
So, I started small. Extremely small. My first "subtle integration" attempt involved CatCo Worldwide Media. I knew Kara worked there. And I also knew Cat Grant was a particular kind of… force.
One morning, while enjoying my (magically made) perfectly brewed coffee, I saw a news report about Cat Grant being particularly demanding with her staff. Typical Tuesday. A mischievous idea, a tiny spark of pure impish delight, ignited in my mind.
"Alright, System," I murmured, a wicked grin spreading across my face. "Time to unleash the Glitch. Operation: CatCo Coffee Chaos. Objectives: Minor annoyance. No permanent harm. Pure, unadulterated absurdity."
My Sensory Illusion skill was still at Level 2, meaning I could create visual or auditory illusions, but not both simultaneously with any real precision. I needed something simple, something that would sow confusion without revealing my true nature.
I focused on the CatCo building, picturing the bustling offices, the frantic interns, the perpetual aroma of burnt coffee. I honed in on Cat Grant's personal coffee machine, a high-tech monstrosity she probably had flown in from an alien dimension herself.
Visualize desired outcome.
I imagined the coffee, brewing normally, then… subtly changing. Not in flavor, or aroma. But in color. And just for a moment. A tiny, inexplicable anomaly.
I closed my eyes, concentrating hard. I pictured Cat's outrage, her perfectly manicured hand hovering over the cup. "This is not latte. This is… periwinkle!"
A low hum, almost imperceptible, resonated through the mansion. I felt a slight drain on my internal energy reserves, a familiar warmth in my core.
[SKILL USE: SENSORY ILLUSION. XP GAINED: 1.]
I waited, my heart doing a strange little jig of anticipation. Minutes later, the news report on the TV, which had reverted to general city updates, flashed to breaking news. A reporter, looking genuinely bewildered, was outside the CatCo building.
"We're getting unconfirmed reports from inside CatCo Worldwide Media that CEO Cat Grant experienced a rather… unusual incident this morning involving her morning coffee. While details are scarce, sources close to Ms. Grant describe the beverage as having briefly turned a 'disturbing shade of lavender' before returning to normal. Ms. Grant is said to be 'outraged beyond words' and is demanding a full investigation."
I snorted, a laugh bubbling up. "Lavender coffee? Oh, that's just gold. Absolute gold." My inner Stiels Stiles, the one who found joy in the perfectly executed prank, was thoroughly delighted.
My first interaction with National City, with Kara's world, wasn't to save a plane. It was to turn Cat Grant's coffee purple. Priorities, people, priorities.
Days turned into weeks. I continued my subtle interventions, always small, always designed to cause a momentary ripple, a flicker of confusion, a hint of something other without being overtly supernatural. I made pigeons briefly sing opera outside the D.E.O. building. I made traffic lights randomly cycle through all colors, including plaid, for a full ten seconds, just to see the chaos. I even subtly influenced a few lottery numbers for myself – nothing huge, just enough to explain my continued wealth without raising eyebrows.
My goal was to become the city's charming, inexplicable anomaly. The "Glitch." The one everyone heard rumors about, the one who caused minor, harmless, but utterly bizarre incidents. This would, I hoped, pique the interest of National City's resident Girl of Steel without instantly marking me as a threat.
Then came the reports of an actual meta-human, or rather, an alien. Not a friendly one. Vartox. An escaped Fort Rozz prisoner. The news was filled with images of Supergirl clashing with him, the fights growing increasingly destructive. She was still finding her footing, still unsure of her powers.
The "Primary Anchor Detected" marker on my HUD was a constant, insistent throb now, a vibrant red.
[THREAT LEVEL: HIGH. ANCHOR VITALITY: DECREASING.]
I paced, a frantic energy coursing through me. I knew how this played out. Kara was going to struggle. She was going to be pushed to her limits. And she was going to win, but not without a significant cost to her confidence.
"Okay, Adam," I thought, my voice firm. "Time to step it up. No more lavender coffee. Time for… chaotic assistance."
I watched a live news feed showing Supergirl barely holding her own against Vartox. He was strong, brutal, wielding a giant axe. She was getting battered. My heart pounded. I couldn't just sit there. The Rule of Subtle Integration. The Principle of Subtle Integration. It was screaming at me.
Show, don't tell.
I needed to help, but without revealing the full scope of my powers. Without directly interfering in a way that screamed "cosmic being." Something… subtle. Something absurd. Something that would just… happen.
My eyes landed on a nearby construction site, visible from my living room window. Cranes, steel beams, piles of rebar. A thought sparked.
"Alright, System," I whispered, a slow, predatory grin spreading across my face. "New objective: Distract, disorient, and mildly inconvenience alien baddie. Skill focus: Minor Telekinesis, with a dash of situational awareness."
I closed my eyes, picturing Vartox mid-swing, focused entirely on Supergirl. I pictured a loose steel beam, just hanging there, unnoticed by him. And then, I pictured it… gently, almost imperceptibly, shifting. Not falling. Not flying. Just… swaying. Just enough to catch his peripheral vision. To throw him off. To give Kara an opening.
I poured my focus into the task. The hum inside me intensified, a gentle thrumming that resonated with the very fabric of reality. I wasn't just lifting something. I was nudging the universe, whispering a command.
The news feed, zoomed in on the fight, showed Vartox raising his axe for a finishing blow. Then, from the background, a large steel beam, suspended from a crane, began to sway. Slowly at first, then with increasing momentum. It wasn't a natural sway. It was too fluid, too… deliberate.
Vartox, his focus on Kara, paused, a flicker of confusion crossing his brutal face. He looked at the swaying beam, then back at Supergirl, clearly bewildered. That split second, that moment of distraction, was all she needed. With a renewed burst of strength, Kara unleashed a powerful punch, sending Vartox staggering back, creating the distance she needed to unleash her heat vision.
I watched, holding my breath, as Supergirl, capitalizing on the opening, defeated Vartox. The chaos was over. The city was safe.
I slumped back against the couch, exhausted but exhilarated. I hadn't overtly revealed myself. I hadn't broken the timeline. I'd just… nudged it.
A new notification flashed on my System.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: SENSORY ILLUSION (LVL 3). NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: AUDITORY ILLUSIONS.]
[SKILL PROGRESS: MINOR TELEKINESIS (LVL 4).]
[ANCHOR VITALITY: INCREASING. ENGAGEMENT PROTOCOL: SUCCESS.]
"Success," I echoed, a genuine smile replacing the sarcastic one. This wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about making a difference. Even if that difference involved purple coffee and mysteriously swaying construction equipment.
"Alright, Kara Danvers," I thought, looking out at the city where a new hero had just truly begun her journey. "You might be the Girl of Steel, but I'm the Glitch in the System. And trust me, the universe is about to get a whole lot weirder."