04. Beginning of the Journey

When I opened my eyes, I noticed the midday sun, which means that I was unconscious for more than 15 hours.

Only after a few seconds, I realized that before I did not know how to determine the time by the sun. In addition, I began to look at the world differently.

Now, I saw things that were previously invisible or incomprehensible to me. And I must say, it was a very refreshing feeling.

I felt a new yet familiar force in my mind trying to break free. Emma's experience and knowledge helped me take control of telepathy, the power of which I now very clearly felt.

Rising sharply to my feet, I noticed a huge amount of new knowledge that was recorded in the subcortex of my consciousness. It seemed as if I remember every second something new, something that I seemed to have learned many years ago, but at the same time this knowledge was always with me and now it came out.

In addition to the changes in my mind, I also felt new strength and new experiences in my body. The experience of many years of study and struggle. An experience that changed my body and gave me the muscle memory of a Batman apprentice. The experience of a man who, from the age of nine, fought against criminals and devoted himself to heroic work, constantly improving and not stopping for a second.

Automatically taking out my double sticks for arnis from the inventory, I began to perform kata, so familiar and at the same time unfamiliar to me.

After a little warm up, I started shadowboxing by imagining in place of my opponent Batman himself, with whom, as it seemed to me, for many years I sparred, although this, of course, never happened.

When this little obsession subsided, I stopped and looked at my body, which, at my request, turned into an organic diamond. Along with the transformation, I also lost all the emotions that washed over me after my awakening and now I can think calmly.

Looks like the assimilation was successful and I got the essence of Nightwing and Emma Frost. To be honest, it's a very pleasant feeling. It was as if I was reborn again, but at the same time remaining myself.

The experience and knowledge gained through the lottery prize has changed me, but to be honest, I like it. I'm still the same person, but I got two new perspectives on life that taught me a lot.

I didn't get the identity or memories of Emma and Dick, but I did learn important lessons from them that will come in handy throughout my life.

The process of assimilation was clearly deeper than I initially thought, but now I understand that it could not be otherwise, and I'm grateful for this opportunity.

What I got from the Character Cards has already become my essential. Now, I know everything that Emma and Dick knew, I can do everything they could, I have their experience and abilities. And this is just amazing. It's easy to get addicted to this feeling.

- Okay, that's enough. - I stopped myself from further reflections and canceled the form of the diamond.

- Status. - I said and activated another lottery function.

< Name: ---- >

< Gender: Male >

< Age: 17 >

< Race: Homo Superior >

< Lottery Tickets: 0 >

< Next Ticket Price: 1 g (g = kilogram of gold)>

< Prizes:

1. [ Character Card: Nightwing];

2. [Vehicle: Avengers Quinjet];

3. [Character Card: Emma Frost] >

< Assimilated Characters: Nightwing (100%); Emma Frost (100%). >

< Superpowers: Telepathy; Organic Diamond Form.>

< Skills: Nightwing; Emma Frost (expand full list...) >

< Vehicles: Avengers Quinjet; Wingcycle. >

<Weapon: Escrima Sticks>

<Costumes: Nightwing's Suit; Emma Frost's Dress.>

< Inventory: Nightwing's Equipment. >

- Oh yeah, I don't have a name…- I muttered, not at all surprised by my race change. Along with Emma's powers, I got her X-gene, so it's not surprising.

- Well, if that's the case, then I'll…. Nemo. Yes, Nemo. Nobody. I think it is very suitable for starting a new life in this wonderful world. - I said with a confident smile, looking at the horizon.

After standing like this for a couple of minutes, I decided it was time to get off this f***ing island.

Once again, when I checked my inventory, I noticed that all the Nightwing gadgets that I received with his card have a limited supply, so I should use them sparingly. After all, no one will give me a new set of wingdings, smoke capsules and other junk. At least I can use the rebreather, binoculars and bat-claw for as long as my heart desires.

However, I don't know what to do with Emma Frost's dress, which was also in the set. I certainly won't wear it, it's not my size, and it's too frank for my taste.

But the Nightwing suit, I decided to put it on right now. In addition to the fact that there is never too much protection, it is extremely comfortable and great for combat. In this world, people wear stranger things, so I won't stand out too much from them.

When I tried to take the suit out of inventory, my body glowed and the suit appeared on me as if I had used the Requip Magic from Fairy Tail.

Now I was dressed in a black tight full body suit, with a blue bird emblem on the chest, which passed to the shoulders and turned into two blue stripes going to the gloves.

At the same time, I was left with the blue Hawaiian shirt and shorts that I had worn before. Luckily I was barefoot and the comfortable black boots that were part of the costume got on my feet with no problems.

- Well, that's good. - I said out loud, looking at how the suit fits me and how it goes with my shirt and shorts. I decided to leave it like that, except that I unbuttoned my shirt so that the Nightwing's emblem was clearly visible.

- Though I can do without it. - I said and removed the domino mask from my face, which was also part of the Suit. Finally, I also took off my gloves, since they were not needed now.

- That's all. I think it's time. - I involuntarily said, glancing for the last time at the ship in which I lived for the last month.

Taking a bag that contained my spare clothes, provisions for a few days and the Mera Mera no Mi, I summoned the Quinjet and climbed aboard, having previously opened the gangway. Fortunately, I was able to find the lever to open it without any problems.

The Quinjet itself is 15 meters long and 18 meters wide, while 12 meters are occupied by the wings, and the rest is the width of the inner cabin.

Most of the interior decoration is occupied by the command center, with several seats and a large briefing table. I think you can say that this is both the living room and the dining room of the jet.

In front of the aircraft, there was a seat for the pilot and an on-board computer. There was a small bathroom at the back, with a toilet and shower, and even a rather comfortable cabin in which I left my things. Luckily, I already thought that there would not even be a place where I could sleep.

The last room in the Quinjet was a small weapon ammo storage and a mechanical compartment that houses two of Tony Stark's miniature Arc Reactors.

With that, of course, I'm lucky, I don't have to worry about fuel, and I think I can use reactors as a power source, with which I can charge the engine of the Wingcycle and the battery in the Escrima Sticks.

But the ammunition is limited, there are only ten missiles, so they will have to be used wisely.

After I finished inspecting my airship, I sat in the pilot's seat and began to examine the on-board computer. Quickly entering myself into the database as the sole owner of the Quinjet, I began to read the instruction manual and did not see anything complicated in it.

I think I would have figured it out, even without the piloting skills of Dick and Emma, ​​but with their help the process went faster.

With a final check of the ship's internal systems and a couple of tweaks, I activated the onboard computer and let it take control.

- [Welcome aboard, Captain Nemo!] - a female robotic voice said as the jet's ladder closed and its jet engines fired up.

- Thanks, Oracle. Activate the disguise and let's go. - I said with a satisfied smile, because it was for the sake of this phrase that I chose my name.

- [Yes, Captain.] - The Oracle replied, and the outer skin of the jet unfolded to reveal reflective panels that allow the aircraft to blend in with its surroundings and remain invisible to normal eyes.

The Oracle is the ship's on-board computer, and although it cannot be considered a full-fledged Artificial Intelligence, it is a fairly advanced virtual assistant, able to control the Quinjet on its own and perform many other tasks that greatly simplify the flight on this jet.

I decided to give her a name and improve her systems in the future so that she becomes my first mate and navigator in this dangerous world, with strange geography and weather.

- [Sir, our current location is unknown, and also, there are no maps in my database.] - said the Oracle as we slowly began to rise into the air.

- It was expected. Does the compass work? - I said calmly, expecting this, and then asked my assistant, hoping for a positive answer.

- [Yes, sir.] - answered the Oracle, highlighting on the screen the image of the compass, which pointed to the north, although there is no way to prove that this is the north, because it is not known where the magnetic poles are located in this world, but the main thing is that it works, and we can determine the direction.

- Well, then we fly to the east, sooner or later we will meet a ship or an inhabited island. Also, start tracing our path and create your own map, which we will later navigate. And don't forget to mark a Sixis Island. - I ordered.

- [Yes, Captain.] - answered the Oracle and we went east, gradually picking up speed and moving away from the uninhabited island on which I lived for the last month.

- Keep heading and let me know when ships, large islands, a 10,000-meter high red mountain, or other anomalies appear on your scanners. - I said, getting up from the pilot's seat.

- [As you command.] - said the Oracle in the end, and the quinjet flew even faster.

'Hmm, who would have thought it would be so easy.' - I thought as I watched the Quinjet fly smoothly on autopilot.

The on-board computer turned out to be much more advanced than I thought. Although, if remember who had a hand in the creation of this jet aircraft, then this is not surprising.

Given that there are no other flying vehicles on this world, and the need for maneuverability and human piloting is practically eliminated, I can completely trust the control of the Quinjet to the Oracle.

It would likely take quite some time to find the next island, so I decided to put that time to good use and use my new telepathy to create a psionic shield that would protect my mind from external influences.

The experience and strength of Emma Frost, allow me to create a 10 level shield, the strongest psionic shield ever created by mutant telepaths in the Marvel universe.

There are various Devil Fruits in this world, and there must definitely be those who possess the powers of fruits that are able to send hypnosis and illusions, influence emotions, and so on. It would be nice to have protection from effects that can affect my mind.

For example, I think, thanks to the psi shield, the power of Boa Hancock's Mero Mero no Mi, which allows the user to control the emotions of lust to turn people to stone, would be useless against me. As I said, there is no such thing as too much protection.

Sitting on the floor in the lotus position, I began to meditate using the method that Bruce had taught Dick, and began to build shields around my mind, following Emma's experience.

***

— [Sir, I think you will be interested.] - The voice of the Oracle sounded, awakening me to deep meditation.

— What is there? - I asked as I got to my feet and walked over to the windshield.

- [My scanners spotted a bird. A very unusual bird.] - the Oracle answered and displayed an enlarged image of a seagull on the monitor, on the head of which there was a hat, and a bag was thrown over its shoulder.

- Fine. Slow down, turn the jet around and open the ramp. Try not to scare the seagull. - I said quickly, recognizing News Coo, the postman of this world, who delivers the newspaper and leaflets with the bounty on the head of the criminals.

- [Yes, Captain.] - said the Oracle, and did exactly what I asked.

- Hey, over here! *FU-YU* - I called out as I approached the open ramp, and then whistled to get the seagull's attention.

Fortunately, she heard me and was not even afraid of my unusual transport. A minute later, a seagull flew up to the Quinjet and calmly sat down on the ramp right in front of me.

- May I have a newspaper? - I asked uncertainly, not knowing how to deal with these birds, since none of them had ever visited Sixis Island, probably because it is considered uninhabited.

Hearing me, the bird nodded and took out a folded newspaper from the bag with its beak and handed it to me.

- Is that enough? - I asked, showing some coins, with a total denomination of 400 belly, which I found in the wrecked ship. This is the only money that was there.

News Coo nodded again and now pointed to a small red briefcase, which hung around her neck, and apparently it was there that the payment for the newspaper should be put.

- Thanks. - I said, putting the money in bag and taking the newspaper from the bird's beak.

Nodding once more, the seagull flapped its wings and took off, heading towards the next customer.

- Oracle, follow the bird. It can lead us to humans or to inhabited lands. - I ordered quickly as the ramp closed.

- [Yes, captain.] - said the Oracle and, turning the quinjet, we flew after News Coo.

- Hmm, so today is October 28, 1518. Approximately six months before the start of Ace's journey and three and a half years before the start of the plot of the whole story. I'm not as far away as I originally thought. - I involuntarily said when I saw the date on the front page of The World Economy News Paper.

- So, what is interesting going on in the world right now? - I said with a smile, sitting in the pilot's seat and starting to read the newspaper.