Talking- " "
Thinking- ' '
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Chapter 1 – Subject 8341
"Start the procedure… ready the serum… for—"
Haa…
What? Where… am I?
"Don't worry, Subject 8341. Once we're done, you will—"
Subject… 8341…?
Ughh… ahh…
"Hmm… Subject 8341 is experiencing mild pain from the injected serum. Within acceptable range. Continue the experiment."
"Increase the dosage from 70% to 100% — record every change that occurs throughout the process."
70%… 74%… 81%… 87%… 99%—
My entire body convulsed, the restraints rattling against the metal table.
"Subject is reacting violently," a technician warned, panic creeping into his voice.
The man in charge didn't even blink. His gaze was steady, almost curious.
"Good," he said, his tone disturbingly calm. "Push it to one hundred. Let's see exactly how much he can take before he breaks."
The needle burned deeper into my vein, and then—
AHHHHH!
Silence.
Looking back now, I can tell you this was one of the less horrible moments of that day.
Yes, less. And yes, that's me screaming like someone set my soul on fire.
But in my defense, if you ever find yourself strapped to a metal table with mystery chemicals pumping into your veins, you'll scream too.
At the time, I had no clue where I was, why I was there, or why everyone was dressed like they'd just walked out of a bad sci-fi movie.
So… let me back up a bit.
[FLASHBACK]
I was just your average guy — black hair, brown eyes, decent build, and above-average looks if I do say so myself. HAHAHA— ahem —anyway, I had just finished high school. I wasn't popular, more of an introvert. I had a few friends, did okay in school, nothing too special.
If there's one "odd" thing about me, it's that I was an otaku. Not the kind with shelves of overpriced figurines, but the kind who binges anime, reads manga, and falls down internet rabbit holes at 2 a.m. Recently, I'd gotten into Marvel and DC — watched the movies, dug into some comics, even read fanfics.
And like any normal fan with an overactive imagination, I daydreamed about being in those worlds. Overpowered, meeting the heroes, fighting the villains — y'know, the usual nerd fantasy.
That day was no different. I was reading a fanfic about a guy sent to the Marvel universe when a sudden wave of drowsiness hit me. My eyelids grew heavier with every blink, the words on the screen smearing together until I couldn't fight it anymore.
That was the last thing I remembered before everything went black.
It was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that presses on your chest like a weight. My head felt sluggish, thoughts moving like they were wading through mud.
Then — voices.
Faint. Muffled. Like I was hearing them through water. I couldn't make out the words, just the tone — clipped, cold, all business. Somewhere, metal scraped. Something hissed. A low electrical hum thrummed in the air.
I tried to open my eyes.
Light exploded into them, sharp and blinding. My eyes instantly watered, the burn forcing me to squeeze them shut again. I blinked hard until shapes started forming, swimming in and out of focus.
My heart kicked into overdrive. What? Where…?
I tried to move my head, but the cold bite of restraints dug into my neck. My wrists and ankles were locked tight, metal cuffs cutting into my skin when I struggled.
Was I… kidnapped? My pulse spiked. That made the most sense. And yet… this place — the hum of machines, the sting of antiseptic in the air — made my skin crawl. I couldn't put my finger on why, and right now, I wasn't sure I wanted to.
Shapes moved in my peripheral vision — people in white coats, moving with mechanical precision. Footsteps echoed too crisp, too sharp, like the floor was metal.
And then a man walked in.
Not in a lab coat. Not like the others. He wore a dark, immaculate suit. His hair, silver and perfectly combed back, caught the harsh overhead light. The air in the room seemed to tense around him.
He stepped closer, eyes sweeping over me with the detached interest of someone inspecting a piece of equipment.
"Subject 8341… regenerative properties, neural adaptability, and something… unusual in your blood. We don't know what it is yet, but we will."
My stomach twisted. Something in me tensed, like my body knew this place… knew him… even if my mind didn't. A creeping unease crawled under my skin, but I couldn't explain it.
His lips curved into a smile. Not the kind that reached his eyes. This was the smile of a man who already knew what you were worth — and it wasn't much.
"You should be proud," he continued. "You'll help perfect the serum — one that will change the balance between humans and mutants forever. All thanks to you."
Mutants? My pulse jumped. That word didn't just surprise me — it sent a jolt through me, like an electric current snapping awake some buried instinct. A crazy, impossible suspicion began to form in my head, tightening my chest. No… there's no way.
Then, somewhere behind him, a voice called out, "Colonel Stryker, preparations are complete. We can proceed as planned."
My blood ran cold.
No way…
William. Freaking. Stryker.
My throat was dry, but I forced out, "Why me?"
His eyes narrowed slightly, his voice lowering into something almost intimate. "Because God sent me a gift. And I do not waste gifts."
[END OF FLASHBACK]
It was pain. Not the stub-your-toe kind, not even the break-a-bone kind — this was pain I didn't even know could exist. My lungs felt like they were on fire, every breath tearing through me. My head felt like it was being split open with an axe, my vision shaking with each pounding heartbeat.
Every nerve in my body screamed, muscles locking so hard I thought they'd snap. My arms and legs jerked against the restraints until the cuffs bit into my flesh. It was hot, then freezing, then hot again — like my blood couldn't decide whether to boil or turn to ice.
My stomach heaved, my heart hammered so fast it hurt, and when I tried to scream, it came out broken and raw, barely human.
Black spots swam in my vision, closing in. My body felt like it was being ripped apart cell by cell… and through all of it, Stryker just stood there. Watching.
When the worst of the pain finally faded, I was drenched in sweat, chest heaving, every muscle twitching from exhaustion. My vision blurred, my thoughts scattered.
But one thing was clear.
This was only the beginning.
And then I fainted.
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"Support the story with your powerstones so I can keep torturing— I mean, writing about our MC." (〃´∀｀〃)ゞ