Chapter 6: Into the City
1 hour of searching the internet yielded no contact or information about his best friend. [Master, the task is completed] Ciel suddenly said to Shiro.
"Thank you. I'll inquire about the details later. For now, I must leave this place before Hydra arrives," Shiro replied.
Ciel responded, [Hydra operatives are on their way here. They will arrive in approximately 15 minutes, Master.]
"Well, that's not a good news," Shiro muttered in disbelief. "I should make a swift exit to avoid attracting their attention."
Fifteen minutes later, Hydra operatives equipped with rifles arrived at Dr. Alex's facility. They meticulously searched every corner, determined to assassinate him. Additionally, they hacked into the facility's main server to access every information on his recent experiments. However, to their dismay, the facility was empty, devoid of any human presence. All files and documents related to Dr. Alex's experiments had been completely erased, rendering their efforts to retrieve them.
'It seemed highly unlikely that Dr. Alex alone could have erased all the data and escaped within an hour, this indicates the possibility of assistance or maybe he got killed already.' Crossbones thought.
"Continue searching for any information on Dr. Alex's whereabouts!" Crossbones commanded his men.
"Sir, we've discovered something. The training facility wall bears several five-fingered claw marks. It appears that these marks were not made by a normal human but by a beast," one of his men reported.
"We've also found evidence in Dr. Alex's office—a pool of blood that matches his DNA. It suggests that he may have been attacked by one of his recent experimental subjects," another Hydra fodder added.
"What about the experiment data?" Crossbones inquired.
"Sir, it's bad news. All of the files have been completely erased, and our attempts to recover them have been unsuccessful."
"Very well. That's enough for now. Let's return and report to the higher-ups."
Meanwhile, Shiro walked the streets of Queens, wearing a white and red jacket with a black shirt underneath. Lost in his thoughts, he contemplated his existence in this unfamiliar universe.
"It's evident that this is not the world I once knew. But for now, I should refrain from dwelling on it. Ciel, where are we currently located?" Shiro muttered.
[Queens, NYC, Master], Ciel replied.
"Ah, Peter Parker's city! I need to get to a city or town. I've been walking this road for a while, yet I haven't encountered anyone, not even a passing car," Shiro said, contemplating his next move.
Suddenly, a truck stopped near him. "Hey, lad, need a ride?" an old man wearing sunglasses offered. "Are you headed to a city?" Shiro asked. "Indeed, lad. Hop in if you want to get there."
"Really? Well, thank you for your generosity," Shiro replied, hopping into the left front seat of the truck.
"He might appear suspicious, but to my eyes, he resembles an old man who strongly resembles Stan Lee. While it's unlikely to be Stan Lee himself, perhaps this is the One Above All disguising as Stan Lee," Shiro pondered as he glanced at the Stan Lee look-alike.
"Is there something on my face, lad?" the old man inquired, noticing Shiro's prolonged gaze.
"No, it's nothing. You just remind me of someone from my past, haha," Shiro responded.
"With billions of people out there, it's inevitable for some to bear resemblance, lad," the old man replied, continuing to drive.
"You're right, of course," Shiro concurred, shifting his attention to the window. The old man's response brought a smile to his face as they drove toward the city.
Upon arriving in the bustling city, Shiro exclaimed, "Wow, we're finally in a city! This is where I'll disembark, old man." Excitedly, he added, "Take care lad, I hope you don't get lost again", the old man said to Shiro. "Thank you! Take care old ,man!," Shiro called out to the fading truck.
"Now, what should I do? I've already taken most of Dr. Alex's money, which should be enough to provide food and lodging," Shiro contemplated, glancing at his $1000 cash. "Ciel, where is the nearest inn located?" Shiro inquired.
[Affirmative, Master. I recommend the Starry Night Inn, situated in the eastern part of Queens, NYC, within view of your current position.]
"Provide me with a map, then," Shiro instructed his AI.
[Here is the map. The green dot represents your location, while the blue dot marks the Starry Night Inn's location], Ciel responded.
"Excellent. The streets are teeming with people here. I'll utilize my powers where there are fewer individuals," Shiro decided as he set off toward the inn.
During his walk, Shiro noticed a group of three individuals gazing at him from an empty alley, conversing among themselves. "Isn't that Shiro? How is he still alive?" one of them nervously whispered.
"Boss, I thought you already killed him?" another questioned.
"I believed the same, and I made certain he wasn't breathing," their boss replied.
Observing their discussion, Shiro pondered, "They know me? I don't even recognize them." Turning to Ciel, he asked, "Can you provide any information on whether I truly got transmigrated to this world?"
[Apologies, Master. The available data I possess is insufficient], Ciel promptly responded.
"That's unfortunate. I suppose I'll have to navigate through these cliché moments where a gang underestimates the main character," Shiro remarked as he approached them.