Chapter 1 - Might Makes Right

Chapter 1: Might Makes Right

Morality. 

The centuries old debate over what actions should be considered right and wrong. The debate that has split nations, both in mind and in borders. The dilemma of morality, or lack thereof, has brought hardships to almost all, but eventual peace, ease of mind, and sanctuaries to a lucky few. A concept that even decades upon decades of human philosophy has yet to fully define. 

Wait, scratch that. Something society has long since fully defined, but has yet to acknowledge or know how to selflessly follow. 

Why? Well, simply put, because of human complacency. 

Why would those with the influence, those with the capability, those in power, attempt to change the status quo? They would rather monopolize resources to further stabilize their own position, because all humans feel the need, even an excessive greed to feel secure. 

Security that when tomorrow comes, they wouldn't need to worry about anything they need or desire. So any change, any ripple in the water, that could later come crashing down upon the societal elite is mostly met with disdain. Because while the rest of society would benefit or even thrive from change, there was a chance, albeit a negligible one, that the elite could lose everything. 

But isn't our society today (even if there is still some discrimination) morally better than the past, you ask?

True for the most part, but those changes were definitely not brought about because it was what was morally right. 

Wars over slavery, wars about Revolutions against the Monarchy, World Wars over genocide, to our own current societal intellectual war to protect what we currently define as 'individual rights'. The list is endless, and it will continue to persist by the time the next problem is pointed out. 

Society eventually finds a way to root out what oppresses others. But not because it is right. But because of the victims themselves, their resilience, their will, their might.

Society decided to change not because of some lofty ideals to create a utopia, but because enough people were tipped beyond their breaking point, and had long ago ran out of options. They were pushed until all there was, was to fight back, no matter how bloody it got. And the only thing that guaranteed their rights, their freedom, was the strength that backed them. 

Because ultimately in this world, might makes right. 

Your voice is only as powerful as your ability to put it into action. No matter how noble your intentions, without sufficient power to back it up, you're just another plebe in the mindless mob voicing your desires.

A lesson that was deeply ingrained in my soul: that, 'Might makes Right'. Might makes right. 

Might. 

*SMACK!*

Makes. 

*SMACK!*

Right. 

*SMACK!*

"I shall only ask you one more time Zuhayr (pronounced Zoo-hair). Who spilled the drink in the dining room?"

Practically red with rage, staring with her black beady eyes, but accompanied by a disturbing smile, Ms. Rankin, an orphanage caretaker, whipped Zuhayr's palm with a metal metric ruler another time, lifting a little blood with it. 

This caused Zuhayr to wince a bit, and a little amusement to gloss over Ms. Rankins eyes. A small everyday victory in her book, that made up for her otherwise bland life.

A depressing rain trickled in the background against the classroom's windows, working in tangent with the gloomy mood, bringing about a heavier silence. All the orphanages' kids sat in their usual seats, staring with a mix of pity, horror, and a little anger (which they tried their best not to show). Most tried not to look at the borderline torture they were evidently witnessing, but shutting their eyes closed only heightened the noise of the crisp smack of the ruler on Zuhayr's raw palm, followed by his suppressed flinch and rare murmur of pain. 

The two main actors of this tragic play were standing in the front of the classroom near the chalkboard, Ms. Rankin, a short and stout woman, dressed in all pink, standing proudly, ruler in hand, to show her absolute power in this place. (Imagine umbridge from Harry Potter).

And then there was Zuhayr, a thin 12 year old boy, somewhat tall for his age, with short, black curly/wavy hair and light bronze skin. Both of his hands were held out, showcasing his bleeding palms covered in marks that outlined the bruises that would soon form. Underneath the wounds were thin strips of scars that were almost hidden under the fresh wounds. 

"Well?" inquired Ms. Rankin, with both annoyance and a hint of glee from the current power ride she was having.

Zuhayr replied with a voice close to indifference to not give the Demoness any satisfaction from her sadistic tastes "I'm telling you, I was the one who did it". 

Another silence reigned over the classroom, before Ms. Rankin broke it, shaking her head "I am disappointed in you Zuhayr. This is why you'll never get adopted, how could I let a liar enter another household. You and I both know quite well you didn't stain my new rug. But if you're so adamant on lying to me, then I'll reciprocate your feelings and punish you for it." 

A slight pause until she continued and said, "There is no need for your presence during meals for the next 2 weeks."

One kid, attempting to help, pleaded with shock "But that's —"

"NO ENOUGH!" Ms. Rankin screamed at the top of her lungs as she smacked the ruler against a desk, causing everyone including Zuhayr to flinch back. 

Quickly calming down again to form an innocent smile, Ms. Rankin smoothly explains "Misbehaving is one thing, but one thing you children have to remember is that lying to ME, is unacceptable." 

Giving the kids one more glance over, she slowly left the classroom with an egotistical walk, relishing the punishment she gave out. Even with the 'insolence' Zuhayr decided to give her. 

A couple of seconds passed by with everyone listening to make sure their warden had officially left the prison, until bursting from their seats and rushing over to Zuhayr. 

Leo, a frail 7 year old boy with brown mop-like hair on his head, had both tears and snot running down his eyes and nose, stuttering between breaths "I- I'm s-so sorry Zuhayr. W-Why did you? F-For me.  A- Are you okay—"

"I'm fine Leo" Zuhayr cuts in, pulling Leo in for a hug to calm him. He carefully pats his head with his hand, avoiding the area that was just struck with the ruler. Then continued-

"I don't blame you Leo. It was only an accident, I know you didn't mean to ruin the rug. And don't ever think you did this to me, I chose to step in. I'll always make sure to protect you guys, that's what a family does. We protect each other", nodding to the other children in the room. 

Another orphan voicing his worries, "but are your hands okay? It looks really bad this time."

"My hand only looks worse than it is. Besides, she's done it so many times, I'm used to it, I barely felt anything this time" shrugs Zuhayr. 

Leo: "R-really?"

"Promise. I would do a pinky promise, but you know" Zuhayr joked, trying to lighten the mood. 

Noticing that everyone was still looking at him with worry, he smiled into a grin, raised his arm, flexed it, while tapping the small muscle bulge that formed "Come on guys, you think I'm weak? I swear one of these days I'll be so strong, I'll make sure to hit her with the same ruler, once for each of us, see how Ms. Piggy likes it then". 

That image got a couple of chuckles and smiles from the kids, but the overall mood didn't improve as they still glanced at Zuhayr, or more specifically, his palms.

"Okay okay everyone, as much as I'd like to talk and have you be my therapists, it's almost bedtime and I'm sure no one wants to give Ms. Rankin another excuse for her sick punishments." 

Memories of the recent incident made all of the kids shudder, remembering what happened just a moment ago. 

"So go do what you need to, and get ready for bed. I'll be there in a bit, just need to clean these" raising his hands. 

"O-okay" Leo replied meekly before walking away with the others. 

Some were smiling and nodding to Zuhayr when passing him, their eyes filled with love and respect for what he did. The older ones patted his back with a look of support, growing used to his acts of selflessness that had saved them before too. But all were rightfully still worried.

Once they had all left, Zuhayr's smile effortlessly dropped into a tired and pained face, as he headed for the miscellaneous cabinet in the back of the classroom. 

His goal was the first aid kit that he's had far too many encounters with. He could probably even draw every detail of the kit from his memory, every dent, every scratch, from its years of use. 

With his slightly numb and trembling hands taking out the alcohol wipes and gauze to wrap his hands, small droplets form at the corner of his eyes, while he choked back a sob. 

Part of it came due to the stinging pain from cleaning his hands that are clearly missing the upper epidermis of his skin, and the few deep cuts from the edge of the ruler. The necessary burn of the alcohol to clean his wounds to prevent further injury to his body was a sad correlation to the situation. Enduring the necessary punishment from their so-called 'caretaker' to protect his family from being hurt.

But most of his tears were due to how tired he was. How tired he was of the pain. How tired he was of the abuse he and his siblings got. Tired of the unfairness. Tired of this… Hell. 

But who could he tell? As the oldest of the group, they all looked up to him, whether for answers, or protection, and he was always glad to give it because after being with them for so long, they were family. They were all each of them had known.

With an agonizing and sluggish push, Zuhayr got up after putting the kit away, wiped his tears away with his scarred hand from years of whiplashes, and headed to his room. 

Due to the lack of an air conditioner during the summer, he removed his shirt to cool down, revealing a myriad of scars that stretched from limb to limb. During her peak moments of anger, Ms. Rankins' punishments never stopped at his palms. They continued to larger surface areas of skin due that would cause more bleeding, and thus, more joy to the caretaker. 

Once he was laying down, he glanced out of his window, the slight sprinkle of rain still ongoing. Despite it being around 7-8 pm, instead of the brilliant sunset with a warm and smooth mix of red and orange, it was a bleak black and dark blue that offered no light to his room. 

Turning over to face the other way, his scarred back to the window, Zuhayr recounted his time at the orphanage. He bore the brunt of the punishments, and he could confidently claim there was no area on his body left unscarred. Except his face, oddly enough, she never struck a child's face. 

Usually, this level of abuse would normally be reported, and the orphanage shut down, but this was simply an unlucky case, an outlier. 

A small orphanage, on the outskirts of a small town, that wasn't on any well known map. No kids having been adopted meant it didn't allow them to tell their story. And in the rare instances where inspectors came to review the orphanage, scars or marks were attributed to rough housing between kids or accidents that injured them. 

Even cries of abuse from the kids to the various inspectors were met with indifference. Some workers ignored it to increase their own pockets in exchange for their silence. Other ignorant adults did it due to the fact that they saw it as the lesser of two evils, because if the kids aren't in an orphanage, they're in the streets as homeless people. 

Escape was out of the question because Ms. Rankin had their windows barred, and hallway locked shut, encasing them in this hell of bricks. Furthermore, the entire perimeter of the orphanage was shielded by slick metal gates, making it impossible to climb.

With all that, Zuhayr could only bide his time until he saw an opportunity. 

But that never stopped him or the rest of the children from hoping and wishing, that things would get better by itself.

Someone, somewhere, evidently heard their prayers, because of a certain event that changed all the lives at the orphanage a few days later.

************

[Zuhayr POV]

Waking up in the morning was… tiring to say the least. My stomach was aching for some form of nutrients. I had hidden bottles of water and bread since this wasn't the first time this has happened to me, but I had to use it sparingly. On top of that, I was also suffering from lack of sleep. 

Everyone would usually wake up early by ourselves, otherwise we would risk the demoness raining hell upon us. There was one kid who slept in late once, and Ms. Rankin burst into the room and threw boiling water on him. That was the day I learned I had to start taking attendance of all the kids.

I woke up first as usual, around an hour before morning assembly, and went to the restroom to brush my teeth. It also doesn't hurt to be able to have the bathroom to myself.

When I was finished, I walked into the hallway to go wake up the others. 

That was, until I saw a huge mass of red and blue lights flashing on and off outside the windows.

"What the hell is—" But I was soon interrupted by a wailing siren.

*WEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOH*

Before I could piece together what the iconic wailing siren and the colored lights meant, the front door bursts open with armed men and women rushing in with bulletproof vests over their standard blue uniform, yelling "THIS IS THE POLICE!l

I watched in awe, and probably a stupid face, as they split into two groups. One group started heading towards me and the kids, while the other group was scouting the rest of the building. 

After the initial shock, I finally realized in that moment what was happening, we were finally being rescued, and tears of joy and relief formed in my eyes. 

***

A Couple of hours later, me and the rest of the kids were sitting in one of the rooms of the police station. Each of us held a cup of hot chocolate and had shared some cookies amongst us. By far the best things we've ever eaten. 

Some of the kids were crying nonstop, but who could blame them. We could only ever dream of eating delicacies like these, in such a peaceful manner. 

Out of curiosity, I eavesdropped on the police's conversations whenever they passed by. Turns out we were going to another orphanage, but one they guaranteed was safe as it was directly run by the government and wasn't in a secluded area. 

I never heard how they found us, but at the moment I could care less. We were safe now, and that's all that mattered to me in the moment.

***********

[Third Person POV]

When the kids initially arrived at the station, the police who weren't sent on the rescue were horrified by what they saw, some even teared up.

"Hey chief… you need to see this…" Lieutenant Bree said as she grimly nodded in the direction of the children.

Chief Vander Ryker, a large and muscular middle aged Japanese man with gray eyes, dark brown hair, and a neatly trimmed graying beard. He was a respected policeman throughout his entire career. His iron fist for justice, and distaste for the slightest sight of immortality, quickly raised him up the hierarchy. 

Sternly replying with his tired face, paired with a set of dark eye bags, "What is it lieutenant?"

Chief Ryker had to wake up in the middle of the night because they got an anonymous tip that some random orphanage caretaker in their county was secretly abusing their kids. 

'KIDS for Gods sake' he internally  raged.

Since he found out the tip was in fact true, he called every lawyer, every inspector, every official he knew, to find out how the hell this wasn't found out earlier. And he'd be worthless if he didn't make sure everyone involved paid dearly. Mid thought, he put down some papers he was filling out, got up and followed where the lieutenant was pointing and froze. 

For the first time in his 20 years on duty, Chief Ryker was speechless at what he witnessed. He was used to seeing bullet/stab wounds, drug overdoses, even murder, but he couldn't stomach what he regrettably saw and his face soon formed a grimace, before quickly returning to normal. 

He saw skinny, frail children, some even with scars on their palms and knuckles, coupled with clear signs of physical and emotional trauma. 

And the one who had the worst of it all was the curly haired child. 

His hands were riddled with scars that could still be seen despite having fresh wounds overlapping them. But even with wounds that looked like he punched windows on a daily basis, the child just wore a smile, as if in relief.

To see such wounds on adults would get the Chief's pity, but to see them on children was… heartbreaking, to say the least. 

After processing what he saw, the Chief reeled in his emotions as he marched back to his office, his primal rage on the edge of bursting out as he picked up his phone and dialed a number. 

He knew what judge would eventually see this case, and he would do his absolute best to ensure that the wicked spawn of satan who caused this would get life in prison at least, and at best, the death sentence. No compromises. 

***

A while later after his call, Chief Ryker was handed a folder regarding the testimonies of all the children. The wounds they had were the result of some sort of twisted punishment from the caretaker. 

As he had seen earlier, the curly haired boy had it the worst. The wounds not only stayed on his hands, but the punishments spanned his entire body, scarring mainly his back. 

But the most surprising thing he learned was that the child would willingly take the punishment of others. That was what caused the buildup of scars on his body that vastly outnumbered the other children. 

The chief was again left speechless by the 12 year old boy, who showed such resilience and sheer will to protect the other kids. That level of responsibility is hardly found even in adults. 

Looking down at the boy's information, his name was simply written as, 'Zuhayr'. 

'No last name huh?' Thought Chief Ryker. 

"Guess we'll have to change that". 

*************

4 years later

[Zuhayr POV]

As I fixed my tie in the reflection of our parked car in the driveway, I thought of how much my life has changed over the past 4 years. Sheer bliss honestly. 

Soon after we were rescued, Chief Ryker and his wife Joyce adopted me. I was a bit hesitant at first to leave everyone so soon, but they assured me they'd be fine. And they were ultimately right, life for everyone was incompaingly better. 

Although I do miss some of the others (like little Leo) from the orphanage, I still messaged them sometimes, and they've all ended up doing great for themselves. 

My adopted mom (Joyce Ryker) was around 5' 4'' and had a bubbly personality with long, shining blonde hair. Any room she entered immediately brightened up with her kindness, paired with a smile that she never lost. 

The kindness she showed was also unparalleled, especially towards me after knowing what I went through. 

But don't let that innocence fool you, when she gets angry… *shiver*… I get goosebumps just remembering. I swear she gave my dad PTSD from something in the past, but he doesn't say anything about it. Something about the repercussions of sharing such a story.

Anyways, my new family lived in a modest house, which was where I first met my two younger twin sisters, who were currently in middle school. They were named Yuna and Hana, and they honestly couldn't be more different. 

(A/N: NO! They are not love interests now, or in the future.)

Yuna took after our mom with her blonde hair, confidence, and inability to stop talking. In fact, I can hear her from outside the house right now. 

Hana looked more like our dad, with short and dark brown hair, but she was quick to get flustered in social situations. She was normal in front of us, but was pretty shy in general, especially around others.

We were a lively family, never having a quiet day in the house. Someone was always being chased, screaming in excitement, laughing, or a mixture of the three. 

We weren't a perfect family in any way, and we obviously had our own fair share of arguments, but we easily made up soon after. 

After double checking my suit looked fine, I picked up the cake I had just brought back from the nearby store. My parents had ordered it after they found out I had been accepted into a BS MD college program I had applied to. 

I had applied to the program after I had an early graduation from High school at the age of 16. I wouldn't say I was a genius, but I was definitely hard-working. 

I mean, after living through a life of hell, and then living in bliss right after would do that to any person. I wasn't going to lose this peace due to being lazy. 

Also, I wanted to repay my parents for everything they've done for me. They saved me from my hell, so I'd ensure I had enough power to protect them.  And in this world, the best way I saw how was to amass money. Money, both the salvation and corruption of humanity. 

(If anyone doesn't know what a BS MD program is, it basically lets you immediately get accepted into medical school after you graduate college and complete a few conditions. Takes away a lot of the stress of having to apply to schools and do interviews).

I entered the front door, immediately being hit by a wave of nostalgic smell that never failed to assure me that this was my home. Following right after, I was tackled by Yuna as she grappled my leg and greeted me with a bright smile.

"Yaaaay Zayr (Pronounced Zair) brought cake!!!". 

A nickname she came up with because she couldn't be bothered to pronounce 1 more syllable. 

I half laughed, "Hah, If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were happier to see the cake than me Yuna". 

"Uh-uh" she shook her head, "You brought the cake. So obviously I would like you equally. No 'you' would mean no 'cake' ", as she pointed between me and the cake.

"…"

'Bruh' was the only thing I could think of at the moment.

I wasn't sure whether to laugh at her logic or be sad that I'm worth less than a cake. Instead I returned the favor and used my hand to pinch her chubby cheeks, "At least I won't make you any chubbier than the cake". 

"Hey! You Meanie! Mama says I'm cute, not chubby!" Yuna said as she tried to escape my grasp. 

I let go before she swatted me away, and started to head towards the kitchen. Mom and Hana were setting the table with plates and spoons, while my dad was setting drinks down for everyone. 

"Hi Mom! Dad! Aaaand Hana" as I ruffled her hair. 

Hana: "Hi Zayr" 

Dad: "Hm. Welcome back." 

Mom: "Hi pumpkin!"

Hana gave me a quick hug as a greeting, my dad just smiled while he nodded , and mom gave me less of a hug, and more of a mother bear death grip that would put any pro wrestler to shame. 

After being able to breathe again, I placed the cake on the table. It was specifically an ice cream chocolate cake. 

Personally I don't like ice cream cakes, but Yuna and Hana prefer it. 

So we compromised, and got the ice cream cake. 

"Why are we eating cake again?" Hana piqued up. 

"Because your brother got into a program that'll let him become a doctor" my mom replied.

"Wooooah! Does that mean you'll make a lot of money?!" Yuna, who was previously mesmerized with the cake, excitedly asked as she found a new target. She looked at me with what I could only assume was greed.

"Yes I will hopefully be a doctor, and no, I'm not buying you cake everyday if that's what you're thinking". 

Yuna, who was jumping in excitement, froze and looked at me as if I had just destroyed her life's dream. And knowing her, I might have, but she'll find another one in a couple of minutes. So I wasn't worried.

Hana slightly tapped Yuna's shoulder and gave her a spoonful of cake from her own slice to cheer her up. Which it did, 

I felt a heavy hand placed on my shoulder, and turned to see my dad saying "I know I congratulated you earlier kid, but I'm proud of you. You've come a long way". 

"Thanks dad, but I couldn't have done it without you". "And you too mom" I added as I turned around again, greeting her with a smile.

"Okay!" My mom exclaimed as she clapped her hands together, "let's take a quick picture before eating!"

We all rounded up together as I went to set up the camera for a timed picture, then quickly ran back. 

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"Cheeeeese!" We all yelled a little too loud, minus my dad. He had that half smile that most dads try to do to look stoic, but we all know they're real softies inside.

As I got up to look at the picture to see how it turned out, "Hey guys, this picture came out perfect, look at—"

*POP*

I heard the light and subtle sound of a bubble pop, and saw my family disappear right before my eyes. 

Just gone.

No trace of them anywhere.

 A couple of seconds passed as my brain tried to process what just happened. 

"Mom?"

…

"Dad?"

…

"Yuna? Hana?"

…

Before I went completely ballistic, I felt a presence behind me, and I turned to see two floating bodies. 

Specifically, two smooth bodies that looked exactly the same, all white, featureless in almost everything. No ears, no toes, no facial structure, except for two black and void-like eyes, and a bottomless mouth. They would have been indistinguishable if not for the voices I heard. 

The one with a raspy voice, on the cusp of being venom to the ears, smacked the other on the back of his head screeching in annoyance "You daft idiot. This is the 4th time you've done that this week! How could you just extinguish a whole family like that!". 

The other had a smooth, but deep voice. He wasn't trying to, but just the sound felt like my eardrums were about to burst, "Ouch! Hey! My bad, my bad alright? But it's just so confusing. Why aren't these things labeled?? And where are the instructions??"

Smacking him again, "You moron! You had both! You just threw them away! That's why I need to babysit you and waste my time!!!"

"Oh yeeeeaaah… Why didn't you try to stop me? Haha, that was dumb of you. You had one job."

A visible vein bulged out of the other and he mumbled, "…Ugh, I don't get paid enough for this nonsense" as he pulls out a glass sphere, shook it a bit, tossed it into the air, and an exact image of every member of my family appeared inside it. Floating unconsciously, in a state of zen.

'What the hell is happening' was the first thing I thought. 

Is my family dead? Are they in danger? Why are these… things here? That one just said he caused this to happen. 

I tried to question them, but realized I couldn't even move towards them. As if every fiber in my being was rejecting the notion of confronting them. But how the hell could I just do nothing? My family was just killed as if someone casually stepped on ants on their way to school. 

Breathing heavily, my past trauma was starting to resurface. It was like my orphanage all over again. I felt insignificant, inferior, powerless to do anything. 

But it couldn't end like this. I won't let it end like this. 

So I pushed on. I pushed and pushed, using every ounce of willpower I had in me. The pain was unimaginable, it felt like the inside of my body and my very soul was being torn to shreds. 

Eventually, I could feel what I was assuming to be blood, dripping down from my nose, and eventually my eyes. And before I could move, before I was free—

"Let's stop you right there," the annoyed one casually said. 

He raised his hand and I fell straight through the floor as if it didn't exist. 

My stomach droped as I plummeted endlessly into nothingness.

…

Suddenly, I woke up and we were in a huge box shaped room, completely empty, completely white, and completely silent, before I heard-

"We should probably introduce ourselves" the annoyed one said while slightly bowing. "My name is @#*$&@*#&§€¥£§, and this half-wit next to me is—"

"My name is Z#&$%-#@&*)(, h !" He chuckled while floating upside down, his legs criss-crossed, and his right arm simultaneously saluting me. 

When they told me their names, the language was indescribable. 

But if I were to try, it sounded like a foreign language, multiplied by nonsense, with the physical pain of dragging your teeth against a chalkboard. 

I tried to speak again, but still couldn't move. Though, it did feel different than when I tried to move last time. Actually, something felt… different about this situation now.

Noticing this, @#*$&@*#&§€¥£§,  said, "you can't move because of me. I had to wipe away the ensuing trauma that was about to break your mind from losing your family right in front of your eyes. Much less the trauma of someone like you, being in our presence."

Walking towards me he continued "You are most likely confused about this situation, so allow me to explain".

Leaning over me with his hands grasped behind his back, "We are, what you humans would call for lack of a better term, a higher dimensional being." 

I wasn't dumb, I knew they weren't a mortal phenomenon. But hearing him say that, while looking at me in my eyes with his own hollowless ones was… horrifying beyond words. 

It would have broken me if not for whatever he did. Screw that, it felt like I was already broken, but I knew I could still function, albeit barely. Then he began again,

"Now moving on. No thanks to this dingus next to me-" pointing a thumbs up at the floating imbecile that caused this whole mess,

"we owe you some… compensation. And before you try to glare a hole through me, let me finish, and I'll let you ask whatever questions you deem necessary at the end. And to your obvious question, yes, you can be with your family if you desire so. 

I'm sure you've heard of the multiverse theory, so let me give you a quick summary. Every possible outcome, from the beginning of this universe to the current timeline, CAN and DOES occur. The world just makes copies of itself whenever it reaches a split road along its path, making sure every path is taken. So that means somewhere, those quote on quote 'fantasy' authors on your planet, were describing a completely real world.

(A/N: No, this is not a multiverse story. He's not jumping between worlds.)

Now where do you come in" he turned and pointed to me while grinning ear to ear. Wait, he doesn't have ears. Maybe cheek to cheek? Across his face? 

"As compensation, we will transport you to one of these random worlds, given that they are up to standard and are sufficient enough to… entertain us.

You will have two choices, both of which benefit you. 

The 1st is where you are randomly reincarnated into one of the 'animes' you have seen. You would keep your memories from Earth, and are guaranteed of getting at least an above average power/talent corresponding to that world. In this option, your family would reincarnate with you, as if you've always lived in that world, but they would obviously forget this-" circling the room with his finger "ever happened."

"The 2nd option… is where you choose to forget everything. 

You would live as if nothing happened, and your family never existed. Your family would reincarnate randomly with no memories as they're supposed to-"

"BOOOOO! Don't choose the boring choice!" "Z#&$%-#@&*)(,  said while shaking his head. 

@#*$&@*#&§€¥£§,  shot a glare in annoyance to shut the other up, before looking back at me for my answer and snapping his fingers. 

I realized I could move again, but continued to stand still as the situation was moving so fast. I never thought I would reincarnate like this, like an anime protagonist. But my choice was already made. 

A life without my family, was not one I could live. So the first option was what I would choose. But if I was going to choose it, I needed to know what I was in for. 

"What worlds qualify for me to go to?"

"Simply put, any world that is too peaceful, too safe, is rejected. We need proper entertainment after all."

"You keep saying that, but what do you mean when you say I need to 'entertain' you? And why do I need to do that in the first place when you guys caused this mess." 

@#*$&@*#&§€¥£§ smirked and replied "Quite simple really. How do you humans say it? 'No such thing as a free lunch'. 

While I do admit my partner was in the wrong, we could just as easily wipe your memories, have your family reincarnated as they're supposed to, have this whole ordeal be forgotten, and all is well with the world.

But by transferring you to another world, we get some sort of entertainment out of it. And Entertainment in our eyes, is showing your mark on the world, whether by being a revolutionary in a field, or becoming the most powerful in the world. As long as you can say you have no regrets by the end, you'll know you entertained us.

And on the off chance you don't entertain us enough, then the deal is broken. An automatic death for you, and a memory wiping for your family." 

'Hmm', it kinda irks me how they're going to be watching me like I'm an actor in their play or something, but I have to admit, it seems kind of fair to me. And knowing the few anime I've seen, I can confidently say I can survive all but two of them. Especially if they give me an above average talent. On top of that, I get to keep my memories so using the plot to my advantage should be extremely helpful.

"I'll choose option 1"

As soon as those words left my mouth, @#*$&@*#&§€¥£§ and "Z#&$%-#@&*)(,  both grinned at me with a hint of devilish mischief. 

"Z#&$%-#@&*)(,  snapped his fingers and of all things, a toy spinning wheel appeared with all the anime I've seen written on it. He whipped his hand so fast it looks like it teleported between positions. This caused the wheel to spin faster than any car wheel I've seen from an IndyCar tournament 

*tik tik tik tik tik tik tik tik!* 

@#*$&@*#&§€¥£§  smacked him behind the head again "Are you TRYING to break everything you touch you dimwit" 

"Sorry sorry, I just got excited", he apologized while rubbing the small bump that formed.

As I watched the duo exchange their common comedic stunt, the wheel started to slow down. All three of us watched it decelerate as it turned and clicked onto a yellow background, with white and red lettering at the top. It had the iconic image of an extremely buff man with a wide grin, and two tufts of yellow hair that stretched to a point, almost like a pair of horns.

'YESSSSS!!!' I screamed inwardly as I pumped my hands. 'My Hero Academia' is by far the best outcome. First of all, it's not as dangerous compared to the others that I've seen like Attack on Titan. Secondly, THEY HAVE INDOOR PLUMBING! I don't even want to imagine what the bathroom situation is like in other underdeveloped worlds. 

@#*$&@*#&§€¥£§ sighed and said "Alright settle down, we get it, you're happy. Geez. Anyways, we need to decide on your quirk now. You just need to choose one of these-" 

*BAM!*

And he slammed his hands together before spreading them out again, causing hundreds of cards to appear between me and him, where he could read them and I couldn't. 

I wasn't going to think too hard about this because it's not like I could cheat my way around, so I was planning to choose the 1st card that appeared, now floating at the bottom right of the wall of cards.

But before I could choose, I saw the usual moronic floater trying to be discreet behind the other 'beings' back, and pointed at one of the cards. If it wasn't for his eyes and smile that were filled with amusement, I would have thought he was helping me, him feeling bad for being the cause of this situation and all. 

But call me dumb, I decided to trust him because I was already guaranteed to not get a useless quirk. And any other option was a random shot in the dark. 

So I raised my hand and pointed at this seemingly innocent card that would change my life in impossible ways. 

I swear when I chose that card, I saw the other higher being flinch a tiny bit, before returning to his normal resting face. As he reached for the card, he grabbed it, and clenched his fist. 

I watched in awe as it broke into thousands of golden particles that floated into my body and immediately made me drowsy. 

"When you wake up, you'll be in the MHA world. And just to remind you, if you do tell anyone about this situation, well… I'll leave that to your Imagination as to what the consequences would be. 

Similarly, you can't tell anyone about the plot of this world. If you even try to tell someone, I'll know about it, so don't try anything. All changes to this world will have to be done by your own effort."

I slowly nodded my head, knowing the implications of angering such beings.

"Now that the briefing is over". He performed a slight bow, before raising his head again with a wide grin "good luck". 

"Ciao!" screams the floater, before both disappeared as I blinked, just like my family did earlier. 

As I closed my eyes, waiting for the process to complete, I thought about everything that had just occurred. My life was almost screwed over again because of the whim of someone more powerful . 

In this world, I needed to get stronger, I needed to be able to protect my family from anything. Especially now that we're going to a world filled with violent villains and heroes, both equipped with quirks that could easily destroy buildings, and even some that could extinguish a life like a candle . 

So I swear I'll become the strongest. 

Because if there's anything that's become clearer to me, it's that,

"Might."

"Makes."

"Right."

Then my consciousness slowly slipped away.

*******

"Z#&$%-#@&*)(,  : "You think he's out yet?"

@#*$&@*#&§€¥£§ : "…yes"

"Yippee! I'm excited! This should be fun! Do you want to bet on how strong he'll become?"

"…~sigh~ You do know that I know you told him which card to choose right?"

"Whaaaaaaaaat? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You don't need to hide it. I knew you would do something dumb like that, so it doesn't change my plans."

"Plans? What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, "Would it really be that entertaining if that human knew everything that would happen? No no no, it would be a lot more fun if he THOUGHT he knew all the dangers. Your interference will just help him through it. IF he can even control the quirk properly. Now enough of this, we've got work to finish".

"Awwwww so soon? But then what was even the point of sending him if we can't relax for the whole thing."

"Because… YOU'RE THE REASON WE HAD TO SEND HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE! DO YOU KNOW HOW FURIOUS THE BOSS WILL BE?!"

*blink* *blink* "Oh yeah, good point". 

"…

I'm going to kill you one of these days". 

Authors notes: How'd you like the first chapter? It ended up kind of long, but I wanted to give a somewhat solid background and reason he's there. And looking back, this feels kind of cliche, and kind of cringe, but hey- you gotta start somewhere.

Please leave a comment about what you thought!

I know it's not perfect, but this is my first FF.

Just give me some tips and don't be a douche.

Hopefully you and I will enjoy this Journey✌️