Pilot

Daniels walked out of the Army Recruiter's office completely devastated. Due to a long-term condition he'd had, he found that he was medically disqualified from the service permanently. His entire family line since the Revolutionary War had served in the United States Armed Forces, the majority in the army, with a few Marines and his grandfather a pilot for the Airforce. Now he would be the only one to break the family history of serving and protecting the country and its interests.

The logical part of his brain told him it was what it was, to move on and go to college. Perhaps get a good paying job. His heart though felt completely crushed. While it's not like he felt he had an obligation to serve, he really wanted to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers. It was a feeling that the majority wouldn't understand, and maybe he was weird for it, but it was a proud aspect of his family. When he was younger he would listen to his father tell him his brighter stories of his time at war, only telling him the darker stories as he grew older and voiced his decision to follow in his family's footsteps.

His father although one who'd carried the family's tradition still cared dearly for his boy, and didn't want to see his son die in a war. Ultimately his father knew he couldn't dissuade his son, hell, he knew he didn't have many years left. He was right, dying when Daniels was 17 from compilations related to smoking. Daniels supposed that his father had gotten his way after all.

Daniels had gone to the recruiter's in the late evening, and the sky was dark as he walked down the street. He figured he'd stop somewhere for some food or maybe hit up the bar for a beer. Well, that was until he saw a couple of men grab a woman and pull her into an alleyway.

Daniels drew his father's prized Springfield M1911 that'd been in its concealed holster and rushed to help. The cold yet comforting feel of the grip quieting his beating heart, letting him fall into one of many familiar drills.

One of the men dragging off the girl spotted him. Raising his gun held in a ridiculous grip he shot at Daniels, missing completely. That was the last mistake he'd ever make in life, as Daniels with cold practiced precision brought the sights to line with the upper torso of the fucker. With a squeeze of the trigger the high grain .45 hollow point round rocketed through the air before striking the man in the chest. The bloodspray and shouts of pain as he dropped grimly satisfying to Daniels, who with an icy look in his eyes didn't even let the body hit the floor before another round ventilated the man's brain matter all over the floor. Before the blood could even start pooling Daniels had switched target.

With people already rushing to the commotion, His partner brutally shot and killed the other man put his dinky little HiPoint to the girl's head. Getting a better look at the girl she couldn't be more than 16, and had a look of utter terror on her face. Despite the rage Daniels felt he let it wisp away leaving him feeling cold and pressie.

The use of a human shield had zero effect on Daniels. His father'd taught him to hit a tennis ball at 25 meters. Daniels slowly raised his hand while keeping the gun in an easy grip. The kidnapper seeing the opportunity began to point his gun at Daniels. Time slowed, Daniels like a cowboy from the old west in a flash went from surrendering to capping the fucker between the eyes. Watching as the man's head exploded like a watermelon, spraying the unfortunate girl with gore.

Daniels grimaced and scanned the alley, a slight glint all he saw before muzzle flash illuminated the darkness. Daniels felt the round hit his shoulder like a punch from a freight train. Gritting his teeth the adrenaline numbing the pain he shot the assailant once, but it did little to stop the crazed looking man shooting him twice more in the chest.

Daniels fell and hit the ground hard, the warm sticky feeling of blood covering his chest and seeping through his shirt. Frantically trying to get air in his lungs but failing. He struggled to raise the Colt to the fucker.

Both thankfully for him and unthankfully for the girl the crazed likely drug addled man cracked her across the face and began choking her. Gritting through the pain his vision darkening Daniels snarled and raised the gun with a newfound bout of strength, firing once, twice and then three times. One round harmlessly hitting the wall of the alley, another hitting the man in the leg and the third round finding lucky purchase in the man's skull as his leg gave out.

The gun dropped from Daniels hand, his body going limp. Sputtering hacking and trying to bring air into his ruined lungs he felt himself slipping away as the girl rushed to him speaking (more likely screaming) words at him he couldn't comprehend. The final thing he saw before his eyes shut forever was a security guard rushing to separate the girl and futilely attempt first aid on him.

-----

He awoke with a start, panic setting in ass he looked down at his body, seeing his bloodstained clothes. Yet he felt no pain. Gingerly he felt at one of the places he'd been shot only to find no wound.

Now confused as hell he looked around. To his grim amusement he found himself in a large reception area. About as normal as could be were it not for the people in the waiting room looking like they'd just come off the set of a horror movie. Looking to the left of him was a man in a bloodied suit looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

Daniels awkwardly cleared his throat, "Uh.. Would you happen to know what's going on?"

A look of pity flashed across the man's face, "Well I'm sorry to say that you're dead, just like the rest of us," he motioned around the room, "And odd as it sounds ya gotta go pick a number and wait to be called," he pointed over to a number dispenser similar to what you'd see at a blood draw reception.

In a state of numbness and shock, Daniel's muttered a thanks to the man, getting up to go get a number before sitting back in his chair feeling dumbfounded. Everything seemed to pass by in a blur until he heard his number called.

"Would number 318 please come to reception desk C please?"

Looking down again at his number he confirmed it was his, he stood up and solemnly walked over to the receptionist.

"Hello sir and welcome to purgatory. Don't be alarmed sir, it isn't purgatory in the sense you're familiar with, this is the place dead souls go to get sorted out into whatever is next for them. Could you please place your hand on this plate here sir?"

He obediently placed his hand on the plate and she looked at what appeared to be a computer from the early 2000s.

"Daniel Whitman?" she asked.

"In the flesh... or I guess not so much," he replied.

"One moment please sir," she hummed cheerfully to herself as she read what was on the screen giving him plenty of time to think about the absurdity of it all. He couldn't think of any religious teachings that spoke of this.

"Let's see here sir, it seems you've been a good man, and it says here you gave your life to save a young woman from being abducted. That alone sir would warrant reincarnation bearing no terrible deeds in the past, and it seems the worst you've done is get in some petty fistfights. Alright, sir if you could wait just a moment I will transfer you to the proper services. I wish you luck sir," she said smiling.

She hit enter on her keyboard and in an instant he found himself sitting in a rather well-furnished office across from what appeared to be a dapper bored seeming middle-aged gentleman. The nameplate on his desk read Gabriel.

"You're Gabriel? Like the Gabriel from the Bible?" Daniels asked.

"Ah Daniels!," he perked up a bit, "No no no nothing so dramatic, merely just a coincidence in naming I'm afraid. You should hear the teasing I get from my co-workers... Ah, I apologize you're here for more important things than to listen to my struggles, and from where I'm sitting the issue that you currently have out trumps mine."

The man's charming and joking demeanor helped settle some of Daniel's anxiety.

"No no you're fine. I'm sorry I wouldn't feel right if a higher power was apologizing to me," Daniels said.

Waving it off with a smile Gabriel responded in that charming tone, "Oh I'm not someone so important, I'm merely in charge of sending people off to what's next for them."

To Daniels that seemed like a rather big deal but apparently not so much to Gabriel.

Gabriel suddenly spoke up, "You know, your father, John Whitman came through this same office. I admire your father for his acts of valor. If I remember correctly he got a medal of honor in the special forces,"

This was certainly news to Daniels.

"My father never spoke of that, he only talked about average grunt stuff," Daniels replied.

"Sounds about right, he was a regular rifleman in the army, but his bravery and intelligence netted him a spot in, what was it again, Delta Force they call it?"

Daniels was shocked by the number of bombshells going off in his head.

"Your father, although an accomplished and valiant warrior in your world, requested he go somewhere he could be of use to those in need, and in doing so he was able to do me a great favor. I owe him a great deal you see, but he asked that I save all of his just rewards for you."

Daniels felt tears well up in his eyes. He hadn't truly cried since his father's funeral. His father was more amazing than he had ever known, and even in death, his father decided to sacrifice himself again so that others could be happy and even left him a cosmic will of a favor.

Gabriel offered him a tissue which he gratefully accepted. Gabriel gave him a nod, the kind of nod that can speak far more than words ever could.

"Thank you, I'm sorry about that," Daniels said.

"No need to apologize, it's quite understandable, I cried a bit myself once he had gone off on his way to his next endeavor actually," Gabriel admitted, "Throughout all of the worlds and people who come through here, there aren't as many as virtuous as your father."

"Now, I have an offer for you, of course, you can refuse and ask for something different within reason, but I believe from what I know of you you won't be able to refuse," he paused, "I understand you've read a few Japanese works depicting an average man being gifted extraordinary abilities powers or a 'system' as some put it. I also know you were quite interested in not just the military itself, but all of the toys they use. Now correct me if I'm wrong here..." he looked at Daniels, and after no objections continued, "What I offer you is a 'system' type ability, one I have created from scratch to suit your needs. It will allow you to procure military equipment including vehicles from your world, along with complete mastery of said equipment and weapon systems. In exchange for being able to use mana for magical means, it will become the currency you use to create what you wish from the system. That said, it will have a leveling system which you will have to progress through to get higher quality equipment."

Daniels was very much so intrigued, he'd often found himself fantasizing about other worlds, but at the same time couldn't quite get with the idea of archaic weapons and warfare after being so enamored with modern weapons, no. But what Gabriel offered him...

"This is a completely all-encompassing system right? Say I wanted something that existed, but never in real production... Could I use that? What about the flaws of certain designs? I wouldn't want to be using an original style M16 just to catch a bolt carrier to the skull due to some dirt in the barrel. What's more, what about other people? Essentially my ability comes from my weapons and equipment, but the same could be said if someone were to manage to get ahold of and use against me and my interests the equipment in question?"

Gabriel smiled wide, "You're father didn't give you empty praise, it seems you really are as smart as he claimed."

"If you wish for a prototype or paper design that existed and could function within the laws of your world? Yes, you can use it, and any unintended flaws of the design will be fixed in turn. As for the weapons being used against you, I intend to add a safety feature that omnipotently bricks any weapon or equipment if it is ever wielded against you, or as you put it, 'your interests'. I have left no flaws in this system, and how could I? How could I do such a thing to the son of the man I owe a great debt? If my system were to cause you harm then by the moral code of heaven itself I would be vanquished."

Daniels nodded. "I'll be honest then, it's not a deal that I could ever refuse. There is something incredibly appealing to me about asserting modern warfare's greatest marvels against magic and fantasy."

Gabriel stood up and offered his hand. Daniels gave a firm handshake.

"I wish you triumph in your endeavors," Gabriel told him and he was gone.

Gabriel reclined in his chair and said, "It is truly the Army's loss that he's now gone, he would've likely been just as great a fighter as his father."