4

I landed in the alleyway with a sigh of relief. I felt my excitement slowly fade away, replaced by a sense of exhaustion and bewilderment. Escaping that nightmare was like being born again, but now I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place.

I didn't know what to expect from this new world. The Tempad had the power to send me to different Marvel timelines, and who knows which one I was in now. I could be in the potential universe where Hulk uses his cousin as some sort of incubator.

Considering that I was previously trapped in the Marvel Zombies world, I deduced that everything that had happened in the Loki series had already occurred. I highly doubted that "the one who remains" would allow a universe full of zombies, or any other that didn't follow the sacred timeline. But regardless of the assumptions, night was falling and I needed to find shelter.

Moreover, my appearance left much to be desired. The lack of hygiene in the apocalyptic universe had left its mark on me. I rubbed my unkempt beard, feeling the roughness of the hairs between my fingers. With my current look, I could easily be mistaken for a homeless person. Well, in a sense, I was one.

I stepped out of the alley and began to walk, searching for any sign of a place where I could spend the night. It didn't take long before I spotted a sign around the corner. "Hotel".

I entered the lobby with a mix of nervousness and determination. It wasn't the first time I found myself in a situation like this, but it never ceased to be uncomfortable. The receptionist's look of surprise and distrust made me feel even more out of place.

"Do you have any rooms available?" I asked, trying to maintain composure despite my disheveled appearance.

The receptionist examined me carefully before responding, her expression revealing some reservation.

"Yes, we have some rooms available. How long do you plan to stay?"

"Just for tonight," I replied, pulling out some hundred-dollar bills from my backpack and sliding them towards her. Her attitude changed upon seeing the money, and her look of distrust gradually faded away.

After completing the registration and obtaining the key to my room, I climbed the stairs with a sigh of relief. At least I would have a safe place to rest for the night.

I tossed my things aside and collapsed on the bed. Damn, how I missed it. It had been a long time since I saw a decent bed. I lay there for a while, letting the feeling of comfort envelop me before getting up and heading to the bathroom to take a shower. I won't be too explicit here, but let's just say it almost gave me an orgasm to feel the hot water.

After an hour-long shower, I shaved off my unkempt beard. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing a face I had long forgotten. The years of relentless travel had left their mark on me: deep dark circles under my eyes, worry lines etched into my forehead, and a tired expression I could barely recognize. But beneath all that, I was still me.

With my freshly shaved face and a bit of dignity restored, I returned to the room. I flopped onto the bed and nestled myself between the crisp sheets. For the first time in a long while, I could sleep without worries. The feeling of the bed's softness enveloped me, comforting me like a warm embrace after a long day.

I closed my eyes and let peace wash over me, allowing myself to finally rest. The accumulated exhaustion slowly faded away, replaced by a sense of relief and tranquility. There were no plans, no places to rush to, just me and the gentle whisper of the nighttime silence. In that moment, I realized how much I had missed this simple pleasure of resting without worries.

...

...

...

"

The next day.

"No, no, no, how long until we get to the news channel?" I kept repeating to myself as I frantically changed the TV channels in the hotel room. I wanted to catch up on what was happening before leaving. The remote control slid between my hands impatiently, searching for the exact channel number that would broadcast the latest updates.

Until I finally found it. A chase was going on in the news; The reporter in a helicopter began to narrate what was happening. My eyes focused on the screen intensely, absorbed by the tension of the moment. The helicopter continued its aerial tracking of the fleeing car, patrol lights flashing in a flurry of police activity.

I thought about changing the channel, frustrated by the lack of useful information, but before I could do so, the tone of the reporter suddenly changed. "Film that, Alex!" he exclaimed urgently, and the camera moved obediently at his command. A golden flash streaked across the horizon, heading towards the pursued car, and in the blink of an eye, everything changed.

The car stopped abruptly, the doors opened, and four figures emerged. Three of them were the criminals, now unconscious, but my heart stopped when I saw the fourth man. He stood, unfazed, dressed in a red suit that looked familiar, although at first I couldn't understand why.

"Thank goodness, a hero came to help the police! It's none other than..." The reporter couldn't finish his sentence before I jumped out of bed with an exclamation.

"Don't fuck with me, it's Flash!" I shouted, my shaky voice reflecting a mix of surprise and worry.

I was not only amazed by the universe switch, going from Marvel to DC in a confusing way, but I was also overcome with a sense of unease as I recognized the distinctive suit that Flash was wearing. It was the same suit I had seen in the game "Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League."

"Shit," I muttered, as I tried to process the situation.