Chapter 25 - Jin

Author's Note:

Never should have said anything. After I uploaded the last chapter, more work piled up, and I had to put the story on the back burner. Not gonna say anything that might damn me anymore, just that the next chapter will probably be a week or two from now.

Also, please know that even though I don't reply to every comment, I do read all of them when I have the time, and I've noted some of the suggestions given by the readers. So if you have any, don't be shy and comment it.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy, and thanks for reading!

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Wheatley lightly tapped the side of Jason's face with a solid light robot hand attached to his side.

[Hello~ Time to wake up~]

Wheatley waited for another moment.

[He's not waking up.] Wheatley blinked and shrugged his body. [Oh well. Time for me to take some extreme measures, then.]

Wheatley pulled the robot arm back, clenched its fingers, added a small thruster behind the elbow, and launched it straight at Jason's face. To Wheatley's surprise, Jason's hand suddenly moved, catching the fist and stopping it completely.

A groan escaped Jason's mouth. His eyes fluttered open, blinking multiple times. With each blink, his mind grew clearer and processed everything around him.

His eyes slowly turned towards the robot fist still clenched in his hand. It seemed his body reacted by itself after sensing an attack.

"Did you really have to wake me up this way?" Jason asked, releasing Wheatley's arm.

Wheatley dissolved the arm attached to him. [What else would've woken you up? A bomb? To be honest, that was my first choice, but this cozy room of yours would've been destroyed. And it wouldn't have hurt you, anyway. It would have launched you across the room at most.]

Sighing, Jason sat up while stretching his muscles. "Did anything happen while I was unconscious?"

Last thing he remembered, he was reminiscing on the kind of deal he made and pondering on what his future would be.

[Um… Joe arrived and did some things.] Wheatley circled Jason in the air. [Do you feel anything different?]

Jason frowned as he drew his focus internally to inspect his condition.

'What happened while I was asleep?'

Jason could now intuitively tell that if he wanted to, he could control every molecule of his body to the extent that he could trick a machine into giving a false analysis of his body. Aside from that, his senses were much sharper than before. There were more physical changes in his body and mind, but the most glaring change he could sense was the one in his soul.

Ever since Wheatley activated, he started to feel his soul. A sense that grew stronger over time, and after the confrontation with the Chaos King, was now far stronger. Strong enough that he could feel something alive inside his soul.

Jason furrowed his brows in concentration as he tried to tug on the connection to his soul.

'This feels strange, like I'm trying to grab a thin string caught in a gust of wind. I'll need to practice this more.'

It took a minute or two, but he was eventually successful. Jason's shadow then extended from the bed and emerged into the air, forming into a creature.

Jason's shadow retracted back to him, and he was left to stare at the creature that emerged from his shadow. It was a bird the size of a crow and had an air of majesty and elegance. Its body, composed of pitch black, crimson-tipped feathers, seemed to absorb all the surrounding light. Its eyes glowed with a crimson hue, staring directly at him.

Wheatley stared at it with fascination. [Amazing… So this is what Joe stuck inside you…]

Jason's head turned so quick, Wheatley thought he broke his neck.

Jason stared at Wheatley with narrowed eyes. "He what?"

[Well, to summarize it, you were unconscious because you were adapting to the Chaos King's power, and it would've taken you around 20 years to do so, according to Joe. In order to shorten the process, Joe brought out a gem — the one on the bird's forehead — and stuck it inside you. From what I saw, it absorbed at least half of the Chaos King's power — which still left you with a tremendous amount — and is what allowed you to wake up. And Joe didn't literally shove the gem inside you, by the way. He merely made it pass through your skin harmlessly and let it stay inside your soul.]

Kneading his forehead, Jason sighed deeply. When Wheatley said Joe stuck an object inside him, he thought Joe shoved a bird down his throat.

"Anything else I should know?"

[Ummm… Before Joe left, he said he'd be back in around seven years because that is the amount of time needed for you to adapt to the Chaos King's power before you could start universe hopping. And… That's pretty much it.]

'The hell did he mean by universe-hopping?'

"Alright. Thanks, Wheatley." Jason looked back towards the bird, which was still staring at him. "So… What do I do with you?"

Before Jason could decide, the bird transformed, turning into a canine of the same color scheme.

"It turned into a… wolf cub?"

[Ooh, it can shapeshift, and it's so adorable!]

The wolf cub barked before walking up to Jason and standing, placing its paws on his chest while licking his chin. Its tail happily wagged from side-to-side.

"What the—" Chuckling, Jason grinned and pulled his head back. "Woah, woah. Nice to meet you too, little guy." His hand reached the back of its head and began petting it. Its fur was exceedingly soft. "Well, I guess you're sticking with me from now on. I'm feeling pretty hungry, so why don't we get some food?"

Jason looked outside. The clear blue sky and the sun indicated it was noon.

Jason had not eaten for a few days. That would've been fine in normal circumstances, but he was famished because of the transformation his body was still going through. It felt like every cell in his body was screaming for sustenance, and he had a feeling this would repeat for a long time.

The Chaos King's power was a completely separate matter, however, and he didn't feel that different aside from being able to sense his soul better. Perhaps the adaptation process needed to complete first before he could do anything with it.

In any case, he had to find some food. Luckily, he had enough ingredients stocked up. It was enough to last for months. A tiny fraction was inside his huge refrigerator, but most of it was stored in the ring.

Wheatley returned to Jason's soul as he headed towards the kitchen and began cooking while the wolf cub watched with a curious look in its eyes. After a while, it seemed to lose interest and began roaming around the condo.

'I should turn on the TV. Maybe there's some interesting news.'

Just as Jason wiped his hands clean, he heard a small bark behind him. He turned around and looked down, only to find the wolf cub sitting with the TV remote placed in front.

"You… heard my thoughts? You can understand me?"

The cub nodded slightly and barked, as if saying, "Yes, I can understand you."

Jason whistled in amazement. He picked up the remote, petting the cub with a smile. "Thanks, little guy. Come to think of it, we should get you a name. Hmm…"

While Jason pondered on a name for it, the wolf cub had other intentions and its own shadow suddenly emerged from the ground and rose into the air. It turned into japanese characters that formed a kanji.

"Jin…? Is this your name?"

It literally meant 'God or Deity', which could either be a hint of Jin's true nature or Jin telling him he was an actual god, but had the form of a dog.

"Are you a god?" Jason asked. Might as well ask Jin, since he can understand him.

Jin shook its head from side-to-side, somehow making an unsure expression not unlike a human's, but on a wolf's face. Jason had a feeling it was saying, "Maybe?" or "I guess?"

"Not sure? Well, at least I know I can take you with me on my nightly strolls. You must be pretty powerful if Joe left you with me. You also absorbed a powerful being's power, so that should help." Jason stood up as Jin tilted his head with a questioning look. "Don't worry. You'll understand everything when the time comes."

With a button tap, the TV turned on, and Jason continued his cooking while he listened to the news. Jin, not having anything else to do, jumped on the couch and watched with interest.

[In a display of unwavering determination and resilience, the popular Japanese idol group B-Komachi, along with their Star Idol, Ai Hoshino, have announced their intention to proceed with their highly anticipated performance at Tokyo Dome, despite a recent unfortunate incident involving their star idol.

The incident in question occurred several weeks ago when Ai Hoshino, the beloved face of B-Komachi, was involved in a stabbing incident that sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry and deeply concerned fans across the nation. The news initially cast doubt on the group's future endeavors, raising questions about their upcoming Tokyo Dome concert.

However, in a press conference held earlier today, the members of B-Komachi, flanked by a resolute Ai Hoshino, made a courageous statement affirming their determination to move forward. Clad in unity, the idol group conveyed their gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support during this challenging time.

Ai Hoshino, who showed remarkable strength and resilience, addressed the press with a firm resolve. "I am deeply grateful for the love and support we have received. We cannot let a single unfortunate incident define us or overshadow the hard work and dreams we have pursued together. We are committed to bringing joy to our fans through our music and performances."

The management of B-Komachi emphasized their dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of their members and fans. Stringent security measures have been put in place, with close collaboration between the idol group, Tokyo Dome officials, and law enforcement authorities. These measures aim to guarantee the utmost safety and enjoyment for everyone attending the highly anticipated concert.

Despite the harrowing incident, ticket sales for the Tokyo Dome performance have not wavered, demonstrating the unwavering support and loyalty of B-Komachi's devoted fan base. The idol group's fan club, known for their fervent dedication, has expressed their solidarity and eagerness to witness the triumphant return of their beloved idols.

The Tokyo Dome concert, scheduled to take place on May XX, promises to be a memorable and emotional event for both B-Komachi and their loyal fans. It will not only mark their resilience in the face of adversity, but also serve as a testament to the unbreakable bond between idols and their supporters.]

Jason hummed. "That'll give Ai ample amount of time to rest as well as prepare for the performance. Better late than never, I guess. After the stalking incident, more eyes will be on her. The announcement is probably trending on social media right now."

After finishing a whole table's worth of food, Jason dressed himself in his practice clothes. A durable compression shirt and form fitting pants. Jin had returned to his shadow, but Jason knew that if he called for him, Jin would appear.

"Wheatley, come out," Jason called out.

Wheatley manifested in front of him.

[Hello there! Do you need something?]

"Yeah, I want to start training. I have a lot of things I want to find out after Joe's upgrade. Didn't have time to do it before, but now I do. Are you able to activate Training Mode?"

[Really? I've been waiting for you to ask for that! This'll take one second.] Wheatley said excitedly before his eye glowed and flashed, covering Jason's body in light.

A moment later, Jason found himself inside a top-of-the-line training facility with areas that fit his needs. It was just as the information Wheatley had downloaded into his mind said.

He currently stood in the middle of a padded sparring arena, 10 square meters wide.

[Hello, can you hear me?] Wheatley's voice echoed inside his mind.

"Yeah. I can hear you just fine, Wheatley."

[Oh, that's good. Just tell me what you need.]

He had already made up his mind on how he was going to train his newfound combat skills.

When he dealt with the criminals around Tokyo, he had stuck to his fighting style. It felt like first nature for him to do that, but as time went on, it felt… unsatisfying. With every move he did, there was always that voice inside him that said he could've done it more efficiently and more effectively. But he hadn't done anything because there were things to do, heads to shoot, and criminals to put behind bars.

"Set my physical condition to before Joe upgraded me. It would be too easy if I had it."

[Uhh. Alright, lowering your parameters. Next?]

Jason instantly felt himself growing weaker until he felt like he was back to normal. His mind was far slower now, and his senses weaker, making him feel like a shell of his former self.

'This will be fun…' Jason sighed internally.

"Create a replica of Batman based on the information stored inside my soul. It should be a one-to-one copy since Joe said he just turned everyone's skills, memories, experience, and knowledge into data."

[Yup. I can do that. One Batman coming right up.]

Then, as if by magic, Batman, aka Bruce Wayne, appeared with his piercing glare fixed on him.