First hidden debut

"Uuuggggh, what the fuck... what the fuck?" I grab my throat over my scruffy beard.

"Haha, and here I thought I was hallucinating... damn, I'm actually in the Invincible universe."

Taking a look around, I notice a small studio apartment with a tiny kitchen, bed, and a small bathroom.

Looking at my hands, it seems my second wish also came true. Walking into the bathroom, I look at the cracked mirror and see my reflection—like Soldier Boy when he came out of the Russian base.

"I look homeless... but who gives a fuck."

I reach into my back pocket and pull out my wallet. The license says, "Arthur Hoffman, 24 years old, Washington." I put it back.

"And now for the last wish."

I hear a ting and see a window.

[Evo level : F]

"The info in my head says that Captain America, with his super-soldier BS, is probably around [E]," I say, scratching my beard. "Need more info for the system to quantify which is what... unless I see a Viltrumite in action, guessing their evo level is just that... a guess. For now, let's say a normal unblooded Viltrumite is high [B] while blooded ones are [A]."

I pause my thoughts at the sound of my stomach rumbling and open the fridge. "Shit's fucking empty." I slam the shitty fridge door as it shakes.

"Oh yeah, I'm buff... wonder how much I can bench? Do I have ADHD or what? I need to eat." Checking my wallet again, it becomes apparent that I'm broke.

"I've got zero fucking talents, and I need constant action to evolve and prove myself worthy... Cecil, I need to work for him."

After a quick search on the Internet, there is no mention of the Guardians of the Globe, but vigilante supers do exist and are popping up a lot with the recent supervillain trend. Donald died a whopping 39 times under Cecil, making it a very high-mortality job even if I get paid handsomely. Not like I can use the money with me being worked like a slave.

"Join a vigilante group? Teen heroes? Hero teens? WTF were they called again? Do they even exist?" A quick search shows that an upcoming team called Teen Team is stopping local threats, spanning low-level crimes to shootings, while leaving superheroes to take care of supervillains.

"Damn... at their age, dodging bullets is impressive."

[A robbery is happening in an alleyway close by. Would you like directions?]

"Huh?" I say aloud. Now this simplifies things a lot more. "Is the robber armed?" Waiting for a response, I get nothing in return. "Guess that would be too convenient, a risk and reward system that makes me evolve based on heroic feats. I don't like where this is going." Taking a look around, I locate a loose pipe. "Better than nothing." Grabbing the loose pipe, I rip it off the wall and walk out of the apartment towards the alley the system is pointing me to.

Sneakily, I spot a woman using her phone frantically while the robber holds her at gunpoint. She is crying and shaking but trying to keep quiet. The bruises on her face show that she tested her luck with the robber.

"He's distracted, this is the best chance to attack." I grip the pipe tightly and walk lightly behind the robber, getting in range to hear him.

"Quickly and quietly now... make a noise and I'll smack this gun across your fucking face. Don't test me." The robber keeps his eyes on the victim, watching for any sudden moves.

The woman spots me but keeps cool as a sudden surge of hope hits her. Fortunately, this goes unnoticed by the robber.

"Shit!" I hear him say as I go into a sprint. As he turns around, the pipe hits his gun hand, resulting in a crunch, breaking his hand.

"AAAAAAH! BITCH!" Dropping the pipe, I punch the guy in the face full force. As he loses balance and falls down, I get over him quickly. "Stop now or I'll break your face, scum." I say over the robber. The woman acts quickly, pushing the gun out of reach and proceeding to call the cops.

The robber, in a last attempt, punches me in the face with his broken hand. "Ahhh! Fuck me!" He clutches his hand in pain.

"You dumb cunt." I rub my nose, seeing blood on my fingertips. Angry and full of adrenaline, I slug him in the face, knocking him out.

I stand up and look around, making sure he has no hidden assailants. "You okay, miss?"

"Yes, oh my god, thank you so much! He was gonna empty my bank account! Thank you!" she says, still frantically shaking from fear.

"You're safe now, don't worry." I hear sirens in the distance and brace myself for all types of questions.

[You completed your first heroic act. Outgunned, you brought a pipe to a gunfight and won without killing or using excessive force. Your reward:]

[Evo points: 1/2] [You are one step closer to becoming a meta individual.]

'I don't feel anything, no such thing as feeling stronger, I guess.' The cops arrive, and I go through the process of explaining what went down with the help of the lady.

Soon, I find myself sitting in my shitty apartment, one pipe less and still broke.

'The superhero money issue... guess I should take the robber's wallet next time. No way I'm working an office job 9 to 5. Do I even have an education in this world? I did back then, but I doubt I do here.' Arthur decided to take it one step at a time; his priority now is to become a super soldier and make an identity for himself.

"I should become a super celebrity, use sponsorships to make money without becoming a sellout." Arthur's biggest issue now was money and power. His first evolution might come around quickly, but the subsequent ones might not be so easy. Grabbing a hoodie and heading out, Arthur waited for the scoundrels to act, as there was no better time to commit crimes than in the darkness of night.