The night air of London was cool.
Even though the city's light pollution hid most of the stars, the sky still had a quiet beauty to it.
In a narrow alley squeezed between two old brick buildings, a seventeen-year-old boy with voluminous white hair lay slumped against a dumpster. His white button-down shirt was slightly wrinkled, and a stray cat stood nearby, curiously poking his cheek with its paw.
The alley was silent.
At midnight, the only things that wandered London's alleys were cats, rats, and the occasional unlucky drunk.
The boy's fingers twitched.
The cat froze.
Then his breathing deepened.
His eyes snapped open—sharp, clear, and fully aware.
The cat hissed and bolted.
Other stray animals scattered like someone had fired a starting gun.
Eli slowly pushed himself upright, rubbing the back of his head.
"...Well," he muttered.
He looked around the alley calmly, his bright blue eyes scanning everything with eerie focus.
Dark alley.
Brick walls.
Dumpster.
London sounds in the distance.
A slow breath in.
A slow breath out.
"Alright then," Eli said quietly. "If my guess is right… I should be in London. Which means…"
He stepped out of the alley into the street.
Across the road, illuminated by warm lights, stood the building he was looking for.
He stared at it.
"The British Museum."
He crossed his arms.
"So step one confirmed. I'm in the Marvel Cinematic Universe."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Step two… steal a the Wakandan War Dog weapon from inside the museum…"
He looked at the guards walking patrol outside.
"...without getting caught."
A pause.
"...Easy."
Another pause.
"...Okay that's a lie."
He sighed.
"So the plan is: sneak in, find the weapon maybe swap it with a fake, and run before anyone notices."
He stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"But first… I need a place to sleep that isn't a dumpster."
He started walking down the street.
Streetlights illuminated the pavement in warm yellow pools.
After a few minutes, Eli noticed something on his sleeve.
Small black hairs.
Cat fur.
He stopped.
"...Huh."
He held his sleeve up.
"What if I smelt this?"
He squinted at it.
"Do I need the whole cat… or…"
He shrugged.
"Guess it's worth a try."
He touched the fur and focused.
The black hairs dissolved into faint smoke and flowed into his hand.
Eli blinked.
Then his body tingled slightly—like static electricity.
Not painful.
Just… strange.
It felt like something deep inside him shifted.
Not his muscles.
Not his bones.
Something deeper.
Then information flooded his mind.
[Abilities Gained: Enhanced Agility & Reflexes
Perfect Balance (Safe landings from high falls)
Night Vision
Enhanced pupil control
Retractable Claws
Wall Climbing
Enhanced Hearing & Smell]
Eli stared at his hand.
"...It worked."
He blinked again.
Suddenly the world became very clear.
He could see deeper into the dark.
Hear insects moving.
Smell the pollution in the air mixed with dozens of faint scents.
His nails slid out slightly like small blades.
"...Oh."
He flexed them.
"...OH." than he grinned "Oh that is cool."
He looked around excitedly.
"If cat fur gives me this, what would bugs give me?"
He activated his night vision and scanned the street. Within seconds he heard tiny movements.
Scratching.
Crawling.
Tiny vibrations.
He followed the sounds back to the alley he woke up in. Near the dumpster he saw them, Ants carrying crumbs, A spider weaving its web, A beetle crawling through a crushed chip bag.
Instead of disgust…
Eli smiled like he had just found treasure.
"Jackpot."
He crouched down and said "Let's see what you guys can give me", He picked up one ant, One beetle, One spider. Then toought of smelting them, they dissolved into smoke as he smelted them and the same strange transformation spread through his body.
Then the information appeared again.
[Abilities Gained: Ant- Super Strength (50× body weight), Hive Coordination (Perfect multitasking), Endurance.
Beetle- Natural Armor, Impact Resistance
Spider- Surface Adhesion, Super Reflexes, Web Creation, Vibration Sense]
Eli slowly stood up "...Wow." He flexed his arm.
The muscles felt dense.
Powerful. His skin felt tougher. His mind was sharper. "I could probably do calculus and biology homework at the same time now."
He looked down at the pavement and he could feel it all the ant vibrations, every step, every movement.
He tested his strength by squeezing his hand. "...Okay yeah." He nodded. "I'm definitely superhuman." He thought for a moment. "If I compare myself to some heroes I'm ptobably stronger than Captain America and Spider-Man."
Then he looked at the sky.
"but definitely still weaker than Thor or Hulk." He stretched his legs.
"But…" A grin appeared on his face as he tohught "...how high can I jump?"
He bent his knees, Then jumped. The ground CRACKED beneath him "OHHH—FU—" he screamed as he shot 60 meters into the air, wind rushed past him, London spread beneath him like a glowing map.
For a moment he just floated there.
"...Okay" He looked around calmly eyes showing surprise "This view is actually amazing." but just then gravity kicked in and he started falling.
Fast.
Panic immediately hit him "Oh crap!!"
He looked down and the ground was getting a bit closer, "If I land like this I'm going to make a mini earthquake!"
His brain raced "think. Think. Think." then it hit him 'Spider'.
"Oh right!"
His wrist flicked and a thick web shot downward.
Then another.
And another.
He created a giant web mass to cushion his fall, a second later he landed softly like falling into a huge pillow.
Eli lay there for a second.
"...Okay." he stood up and thought to himself "That was terrifying and nice I should try diving from space on day."
He grabbed the web and stuffed it deep inside the dumpster. "Last thing I need is some scientist finding this and announcing:" He raised his hand dramatically "'BREAKING NEWS: LONDON DISCOVERS GIANT SPIDER.'"
He brushed his hands off. then walked back to the street.
A few minutes later his stomach growled.
"food and accomodation problem." He sighed.
"I need food and a place to sleep." He checked his pockets.
Nothing.
No money.
No phone.
"Great." He thought for a moment then snapped his fingers."Oh."
A mischievous grin appeared on his face and a thought strark.
"Why not steal from thieves?"
He then turned into a nearby alley and contenud talking to himself "Statistically speaking… there should be at least a few idiots wandering around tonight."
He checked one alley nothing.
Second alley nothing.
Third alley still nothing.
"Come on London," he muttered. "Where are the criminals when you actually need them?"
Then in the fourth alley he could hear footsteps behind him, Three sets and he smiled
"There we go."
He then slowed down so they could catch up to him.
Two men rushed ahead and blocked his path.
A third pressed something against his back.
"Hands up," the man growled. "Don't try anything funny, girl." giving his partners a sign to search Eli.
Eli raised an eyebrow.
"First of all… rude."
The men searched his pockets.
"Second," Eli continued calmly, "I'm a guy."
"Shut up," the robber snapped. "What did you find?"
One man shrugged.
"Gum and a pen."
The other spread his hands.
"Nothing."
The robber frowned.
"She's poorer than us."
Eli sighed.
"Like I said… guy. And yes, I am broke."
Then suddenly his hands moved so fast but he still lightly chopped the two guys in front of him.
They dropped instantly.
The robber froze.
Eli grabbed the wrist holding the knife and slowly turned around.
The man tried to pull away.
His arm didn't move.
Fear filled his eyes "H-how are you so strong?". He panicked and punched Eli in the face Eli didn't even duck.
when the punch landed the robber winced like he had punched a brick wall.
Eli blinked.
"...Huh."
He rubbed his cheek.
"So my skin really is harder."
Then he lightly tapped the guy.
The robber collapsed instantly.
Eli checked their pockets.
He counted the money.
"One hundred thirty five pounds."
He shrugged.
"Not bad."
He than stood up.
"Sorry guys."
He patted one of them on the shoulder.
"Consider this a tax on bad career choices."
He left the alley and walked back toward the museum.
At the entrance, security guards stood near the gate.
Eli approached them.
"Excuse me, do you know where the cheapest motel around here is?"
The guard smiled politely.
"Of course, miss—"
"I'm a guy."
"Oh… sorry." the guard nodded.
"Anyway miss—"
Eli stared.
"... " the guard cleared his throat awkwardly "Right. Down the street, second left."
Another guard whispered to the first.
"That's definitely a girl."
Eli sighed deeply.
"...men this people always thinking I'm a girl." he looked at the guard and asked "do I really look that much like a girl"
The guards nodded.
Eli looked at the sky.
"For the record… I was this close to proving it."
Then he muttered while walking away.
"But apparently public indecency is still illegal in this universe."