Chapter 1: Catalyst

Ethan adjusted his headset, watching the flickering data streams on his monitor. The particle super-collider stood at the center of the room, its massive, metallic form humming with barely contained energy.

Around him, a team of researchers murmured amongst themselves, fingers tapping against touchscreens. Each one focused, hoping this would be the breakthrough they'd been waiting for.

"Magnetic resonance is holding steady at ninety percent," Dr. Sanderson reported from across the room, his tone tense but steady.

Ethan nodded, eyes scanning the rapidly changing figures. "Particle flow's stable. No anomalies so far. Keep an eye on the containment field, though. Last test showed fluctuations near max power."

Dr. Harriet chimed in, her voice clipped, "We're within range, no issues yet. If we're going to run it, now's the time."

They had run the numbers dozens of times. The collider was as ready as it was ever going to be. Ethan stole a glance at the observation window. Kingpin stood there, hands clasped behind his back, watching. Waiting. His hulking figure barely contained by the suit he wore. For him, this wasn't just a science experiment. This was a gateway to something far bigger..

Power.

Ethan gave a small nod to Kingpin, signaling that they were ready to proceed. With a deep breath, he turned back to the console. "Initiating phase one. Locking particle beams in place."

The collider whirred to life, its twin beams beginning to charge. The massive machine pulsed, energy crackling in the air. Lights danced across the monitors, reflecting the culmination of years of research and development.

At first, everything seemed perfect.

"Everything's holding," Harriet called out. "Power levels are good. Containment-"

She paused.

Ethan's fingers froze above the keyboard. "What is it?"

"Magnetic field's starting to fluctuate," Harriet said, her tone rising with concern. "We've got a 10% deviation."

Ethan's stomach dropped as he glanced at his own screen. Sure enough, the readings were starting to skew, the once smooth data turning jagged. He slammed his hands down on the console. "Shut it down. Now."

Dr. Sanderson hesitated, his fingers shaking as they hovered over the emergency stop. "But we haven't reached-"

"Shut it down!" Ethan barked, his voice cutting through the rising panic.

Too late.

The collider groaned, its once graceful hum becoming a guttural whine. Sparks flew from the control panels, and the entire facility seemed to shudder under the strain. Ethan's heart pounded as the lights flickered, plunging the room into brief moments of darkness before the emergency systems kicked in.

Then...

Silence.

The collider's once glowing beams flickered out, leaving behind the acrid smell of burnt circuitry. It had failed. The experiment had failed.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the control room as Kingpin entered, his massive frame casting a long shadow. His expression was unreadable, but the tension in his jaw said everything. This was not how things were supposed to go.

"What happened?" Kingpin growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The other researchers looked at each other, eyes wide with fear. It was only a matter of time before someone threw Ethan under the bus. And sure enough, Dr. Sanderson was the first to speak.

"Magnetic containment failed. But… we followed all procedures," Sanderson stammered. "Ethan was in charge of particle alignment. Maybe something went wrong there?"

Kingpin's gaze snapped to Ethan, his dark eyes narrowing. "Is that true?"

Ethan felt the heat of everyone's eyes on him. He wanted to scream, to explain that it wasn't his fault, that something beyond their control had caused the collapse. But he knew it wouldn't matter. They needed a scapegoat. And today, it was him.

"Yes," Ethan admitted, his voice steady despite the rising bile in his throat. "But the system-"

Kingpin cut him off with a raised hand. "I'm not interested in excuses."

Ethan braced himself. He knew what Kingpin was capable of. The crime boss's fingers flexed, but instead of delivering the blow Ethan expected, Kingpin simply nodded to his enforcers.

"Fire him. I don't want to see his face in this facility again."

It was almost worse than death. Ethan had poured everything into this project... his time, his energy, his ideas. And now, in an instant, it was all taken from him. He didn't argue. He didn't beg. He simply turned and left, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

....

Back at his apartment, Ethan stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his hands gripping the edge of the sink. The fluorescent light buzzed above, casting a harsh glow over his face. He looked exhausted, dark brown skin stretched tight over high cheekbones, black hair unkempt, eyes sunken with the weight of too many sleepless nights.

He let out a shaky breath, staring into his own reflection. "How did it come to this?"

The answer was simple. Kingpin. The man who saw him as a disposable tool. His lips curled into a snarl. He'd been fired, disgraced, all because they needed someone to blame. And now, what did he have to show for it? Nothing but the dark bags under his eyes and the faint tremble in his hands.

After a long shower, Ethan found himself standing in his living room, a glass of juice in his hand. He never drank alcohol, too much control lost. As he sipped from the glass, he couldn't stop thinking about everything he'd lost. The betrayal burned in his chest, a deep, smoldering anger.

But he wasn't an impulsive man. Revenge wasn't about rage; it was about precision. If Kingpin thought he could throw Ethan away like trash, then Ethan would remind him who really had the brains.

....

The plan took days to prepare. While most of the researchers attended a tech expo in the city, Ethan spent every waking moment gathering information. He studied the facility's blueprints, found weaknesses in the security systems, and timed the guards' patrols perfectly. If he was going to break in, he had to do it flawlessly.

On the night of the expo, Ethan moved swiftly through the abandoned facility. His heart raced as he passed through corridors, his steps silent on the tiled floors. The security cameras were easy to bypass with the small device he'd built, a simple override to trick the system into looping old footage.

Finally, he stood before the collider. It loomed in the center of the room, quiet now, but still imposing. Ethan approached the control panel and quickly began reprogramming the machine. This time, the goal wasn't to open a stable portal. No, this time it would be a random teleportation, straight into the heart of the multiverse.

He entered the new parameters, fingers flying across the keys. The collider's settings adjusted, the lasers realigning with a soft whir. All that was left was to hit the final command.

"Here we go," he whispered, pressing the button.

The collider roared to life, its twin beams sparking as they clashed. The room filled with an eerie glow as the machine strained against the new settings. Colors flickered wildly, reds, blues, purples, shifting between dimensions in a way they never had before.

And then, the alarms. They rang out, piercing the silence.

"Shit," Ethan muttered, backing away from the console. He could already hear voices shouting over the facility's intercom.

"Unauthorized activation! Get everyone back to the facility! Kingpin needs to know about this!"

Ethan's eyes darted back to the collider, its chaotic energy growing more unstable by the second. He had no idea what would happen next, but one thing was clear: he was no longer just a scientist. He had set something into motion that couldn't be stopped.

----

The more engagement this books receives, the more chapters i will post, especially if new people sub on my Patreon.

For every sub, i will drop a chapter.

Patreon: ConceptAuthor