Chapter 2: Simulation: Alex Mercer, Part 1
[Earth-10005, New York Alley, Night – Simulation, Year 1, Age 18]
The air was thick with the scent of ozone and something metallic, a stark difference from the Hell's Kitchen alley he'd just left. A glowing text prompt materialized before him.
[IN THE FIRST YEAR, YOU AWAKEN AS ALEX MERCER, A VIGILANTE WITH LATENT ENERGY POWERS IN EARTH-10005. YOU EVADE A GANG AMBUSH, DISCOVERING YOUR AGILITY.]
He dodged a rusty pipe swung at his head, the thug's grimy face a mask of rage. This wasn't a game. It was a life. But Adam Stiels was a professional. He was a sarcastic, chaotic force of nature. He was going to have fun.
"Who's there?" a second gang member shouted.
"Just a guy with a spark!" Adam chirped, a grin spreading across his face.
"You're dead!" the thug growled, swinging his fist.
"Dead? I'm just starting!" Adam responded, ducking under the punch and sprinting away. He activated his fake SHIELD alert, a silly prank that made a loud, ridiculous jingle blast from a hidden speaker. The gang member tripped over a discarded pipe in his confusion, crashing to the ground.
[THIS BODY'S GOT JUICE. TIME TO SHINE.]
[Safehouse, Night – Simulation, Year 1, Age 18]
Another text prompt appeared, and Adam found himself in a dusty, dimly lit safehouse. He was no longer running, but facing a stern-faced woman with a familiar S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem on her jacket.
[IN THE FIRST YEAR, YOU MEET SHIELD AGENT CARTER, WHO TRAINS YOU IN BASIC COMBAT. YOU UNLOCK BASIC COMBAT TRAINING.]
"Combat training? I'm gonna be a beast!" Adam declared, his enthusiasm overriding his pain as she delivered a sharp jab to his gut.
"Focus, Mercer, or you're done," Agent Carter said, her voice a low growl.
"Done? I'm unstoppable!" he retorted, swinging a clumsy punch that, to his surprise, connected with her pad with a solid thud. He tried another, putting his new strength into it, and dented the training bag, startling Carter.
"Less talk, more punches."
"Punches with flair!" Adam said, winking.
[CARTER'S TOUGH. SYSTEM'S TOUGHER.]
[City Streets, Morning – Simulation, Year 2, Age 19]
A new text prompt appeared as Adam patrolled the city streets. He was getting the hang of this.
[IN THE SECOND YEAR, YOU USE BASIC COMBAT TRAINING TO FIGHT GANGS, GAINING LOCAL FAME. YOU DISCOVER LATENT ENERGY POWERS.]
A gang of thugs surrounded him, their weapons drawn. Adam's hands began to hum with a faint blue light.
"Energy powers? I'm a walking light show!" Adam yelled, a mischievous grin on his face.
"You're finished, Mercer!" one of the thugs shouted.
"Finished? I'm glowing!" he said, and an electric spark flew from his fingertips, frying the gang's radio. It started playing static, cutting off their panicked comms.
"Control it, kid," Agent Carter's voice buzzed in his ear.
"Control? I'm electric!" he shot back.
[POWERS ARE WILD. GOTTA MASTER THEM.]
[Warehouse District, Afternoon – Simulation, Year 2, Age 19]
[IN THE SECOND YEAR, YOU INFILTRATE A GANG HIDEOUT, USING STEALTH AND COMBAT. A MAJOR CHOICE APPROACHES.]
Adam's feet barely made a sound as he moved, a new instinct guiding him. He moved silently, like a ghost, until he reached the entrance of the warehouse. He saw a few more thugs guarding the entrance. He created another spark, this one bigger, and hurled it at a nearby gas can. It made a loud WHOOMPH sound, but it wasn't an explosion, just a flash of light.
"Fake explosion!" a thug shouted, diving into a pile of crates.
"Choice approaching: Confront or evade leader," a new prompt appeared before him.
"Confront? I'm taking him down!" he said, his voice a determined whisper.
"Don't be reckless, Mercer," Carter's voice was firm.
"Reckless? I'm heroic!" he shot back, a grin on his face. He moved forward, his hands humming with power.
"Big choice, big rewards. Let's do this." He took a deep breath, and prepared to face the gang leader.