Rex Çulsen
Suddenly, consciousness slowly seeped back into Rex's weary mind, and he was greeted by a bewildering sight that defied all logic and reason. Grumbling from the discomfort that enveloped his body, he reluctantly opened his eyes, only to find himself lying in a room shrouded in unfamiliarity.
The space around him bore no resemblance to the world he had known, its decor akin to that of a typical teenager's abode. Discarded underwear littered the floor haphazardly, while comic books lay scattered about, their vibrant covers a stark contrast to the muted reality that surrounded him.
Standing on unsteady feet, Rex surveyed the unfamiliar landscape of his new surroundings, a sense of disorientation clouding his thoughts. With tentative steps, he made his way to a nearby mirror, his heart pounding with anticipation and trepidation.
As his reflection stared back at him, the truth of his situation sank in like an anchor in a stormy sea. It was indeed his face that greeted him, but the body it adorned was not his own. Questions raced through his mind, each one more perplexing than the last.
Could this be some form of transmigration or reincarnation, a phenomenon beyond the realms of possibility? The very idea seemed ludicrous, yet here he stood, a living testament to the inexplicable.
Fueled by a desperate need for answers, Rex reached for the phone resting nearby, his fingers trembling with urgency. But as he attempted to unlock the device, a sinking realization washed over him - he did not possess the memories of this body.
Before confusion and perplexity could set in, an unfamiliar sensation, akin to a flowing river, filled his head. The chilling sensation eased his vigilant state.
"These memories... this body's memories," he muttered as the memories of the body he found himself in flooded his mind like a tranquil river. Everything it had experienced, everything he had done, became clear, fragments fusing together to form a complete picture.
As the memories flowed in, he sat on his bed, concentrating on recalling every detail he could. After about thirty minutes, everything had settled. He opened his eyes as the last of the information integrated.
"This can't be... Omni-Man? Aliens, heroes, villains, Guardians of the Globe, dragons... am I in the Invincible universe?" he thought in turmoil. Panic was evident, yet his calmness overrode his fear, allowing him to remain composed.
"Invincible," an animated series he had watched with his kids during their teenage years, he thought, recalling the days spent with them, cherishing every moment before they grew up too fast.
Yet in the end, he was the one who buried them. A part of him had known he might not make it back alive, which led him to decide to bury them with his own hands.
"It's all my fault," he acknowledged, his head bowed but without tears. The strong attachment he once had for his family was now just a fleeting memory in the back of his mind.
As a former member of the League of Assassins, an organization so powerful and secretive that even the government was unaware of its existence, he had been taught never to let emotions get the best of him. However, in the end, his love for his family and the hatred for those who took them away led him to rush in blindly, charging into danger, which contrasted sharply with his usual calculative mind.
"Now I'm Rex Çulsen, an average 14-year-old in the world of Invincible—a world where the plot does not favor humans, a world of unpredictability, where death is always on the move," he thought.
"How do I survive?" The question gnawed at him, his thoughts in constant turmoil. But then he paused, realizing he no longer held the title of an assassin.
There was no reason to continue being one. This was a new life, a new world, and a new beginning. He couldn't let survival be his only guide. He had to live his life as he never did in his previous one, where most of his childhood years were lost to training as an assassin. Now, he had the chance to truly live.
Taking his phone into his hands he glanced at the time noticing it was around 5am in the morning, he began to check around his room, making sure to tidy things up, the scattered underwears, comic book and dirty laundry they were all take care of, before he finally sat behind his computer.
Switching it on, he was met with a picture on his home screen, an image of his mom and dad. In an instant memories played back in his head. Remembering a tragic day, a day he had lost his father.
Who simply sat in the living room watching, his regular football match however all of a sudden, the body of an alien was thrown through the house immediately crushing his dad who was almost instantaneous killed, his bones crushed an mangled beyond recognition. On that day he could remember his mother failed attempts at covering his eyes as she burst into tears, the horrific scene forever etched into his very soul.
Forcefully shrugging of the replaying memory he continued on his objective, immediately searching up some latest articles, to possibly gain information on when the invincible plot would begin and to his convenience it seemed he still had some time left.
[17 years since Omni man's arrival and yet his title as the world's strongest hero remains unchallenged]
According to my calculations, it seems I still have around 3 to 4 years before the plot begins, he muttered silently contemplating his plan and direction to possibly survive the incoming tragedy.
"Mark should be around my age,"to he thought opening an archive, where he began to fill with all sorts of information he could recollect, from the guardians of the globe, to the defence agency to all various aliens and villains he could remember, he had been typing for around an hour before his fingers finally felt sore forcing him to stop his storage of information.
The birds had began chirping, the sky starting to brighten up, feeling a little bit hungry, he quickly left his room, making his way towards the kitchen, checking his fridge he found no leftovers forcing him to glance at the raw materials.
"Guess am doing some cooking," he said with a slight smile, remembering when the body he was now in tried to cook almost causing some a fire outbreak.
"Well, not anymore, it's time to prove her wrong," he thought with a forced smirk, clearly still hit by a feeling of sadness within in, but he couldn't blame himself after all he was human, it was normal to feel emotional especially with something of such scale, it would probably take time to adjust...
"We are actually quite well off," he acknowledged glancing around at the quite luxurious house, attempting to shift his thoughts and it seemed to have worked.
Taking out some steak, he wondered whether it was appropriate to have steak so early in the morning, but now he tongue seemed to be craving for some crispy, juicy meat.
"I have to hurry," he thought remembering his mom could get home at any moment, having going out with Ryan her new boyfriend, who she had never brought home in fear that he might not accept her having someone who she now loved.
But it's really been five years since his dad's death so he wouldn't really complain, after all he knew what it was like to want some closure, having someone to relieve stress and burden of all sorts.
Spreading some butter on the pan, he began patting the steak with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then, seasoning it generously with salt and pepper along with other seasonings.
Once the butter had melted, he added a small amount of oil into the mix before carefully placing the steak into the pan, ensuring not to make too many movements so the crispy crust could develop properly.
After both sides were crispy enough, he transferred it onto a tray before inserting it into the preheated oven. After a few more minutes of cooking, he took it out, allowing the steak to rest for some extra minutes while he fried some eggs with the leftover oil and butter.
"I can already taste the delicious steak," he mused silently. Having already showered and cleaned up while the steak was in the oven, and now dressed anew, it was now 8 am in the morning.
He sat down by the kitchen counter, glancing at the sink to make sure he had tidied everything up. As he dug his fork into the steak, the sound of keys jingling could be heard from the door.
"What smells so good, is it steak?" the lovely woman with jet-black hair thought deeply as she caught the aroma of something delicious in the air.
"Wait, is Rex cooking again?" In panic, she closed the door and rushed towards the kitchen.
"No smoke, no fire, nothing burnt, everything's tidy," she counted, glancing around the kitchen. Relief washed over her as she caught sight of Rex, who sat down with his utensils properly arranged.
"Mom, you're back," he said as he noticed the woman, glancing over at him. He spoke, noticing that calling her mom didn't feel as awkward as he thought it would.
"Rex, what's all this? Did you cook? Were you burned? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, checking all over his body.
"Mom, I'm fine," he said in slight discomfort, snatching himself out of her grasp.
"Wanna take a bite?" he inquired, noticing her shifting glances between him and the food nestled on the table. Without replying, she took the utensils swiftly, cutting a piece. Glancing at the piece of steak, she felt skeptical, but judging from the scent, it should taste good. As she inserted the piece of steak into her mouth, her expression changed as a myriad of flavors burst into her mouth.
"So good," she thought, falling into a trance. She carried the plate of steak, walking off to her room, as Rex just stared blankly at her fading figure, walking into her room.
"Argh~" he sighed. "Guess I'll have to make another one."
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