P.O.V. Morgan Key Blackwood
I'm eating my third pack of instant noodles in record time, and I really have to find a moment to thank that girl once I'm in a better financial spot.
The fact that she was kind enough to let me use some hot water from the kettle so I could make my Ichiraku instant noodles truly saved my life.
I don't know why, but even after eating the last pack, I'm still a bit hungry. It's not as ridiculous or absurd as one might think, but maybe I can blame the spider metabolism from assimilating Miles, because neither Killua nor Edward are particularly big eaters.
Now I'm terrified for my economy if I ever end up assimilating characters like Luffy, Toriko, or even a Saiyan. Just thinking about it sends a phantom pain to my non-existent wallet and bank accounts.
But my first step is to find a home—a place to turn into a safe zone. Nothing I do matters if, in 48 hours, I start acting like a neon sign for supernatural beings. If I'm going to do this, I'll at least try to be as protected as possible before that happens.
I walk over and toss the empty Ichiraku containers into a trash can. They weren't bad—pretty tasty and all—but I'd give them a 6/10. Maybe if I ate them fresh they'd be better, but they've fulfilled their role of feeding me and giving me some fuel.
Now... I'm a stranger from another world, with no money or identity in this one. I have no records of any kind, and I could easily be arrested by the authorities if they think I'm some kind of spy or something similar.
Luckily, I don't look like a bum. I still have my pants, my military-print muscle shirt, and my sleeveless leather vest. This keeps people from mistaking me for a vagrant or a junkie at first glance. My problem is that I need, above all, a place to live. And what place in New York is "no man's land"?
Well, after thinking about it for a good while—and it might be Miles' memories talking to me—there are two options. The abandoned warehouses and containers at the docks, though those places are usually visited by gang members, and the last thing I want is to end up in the middle of a zone where humans shoot each other every day.
So my other option is... the lion's den. The subway system and the abandoned stations. Using a newspaper I "borrowed" from a stand without anyone noticing—thanks to my 6% of Killua's skills—I found articles about disappearances near these stations, and sightings of "monsters." Experts say they could be crocodiles or even wild animals living in the area, or perhaps a serial killer.
But I know the truth: supernatural creatures. It might even be a stray devil, of all things, that is the real culprit in the worst-case scenario. The question is: with my current capabilities, would I be able to defeat a stray devil?
Name: Morgan Key Blackwood
Assimilated Cards: (None)
Assimilation Slots: 3/3
Miles Morales (41%)
Edward Elric (19%)
Killua Zoldyck (6%)
My rational side tells me no. I can't, and I shouldn't try anything crazy until I have Miles at 100% assimilation. But necessity is a different beast, and I can't wait to become the most delicious piece of the buffet for the creatures of Brooklyn and its surroundings. I have to build a base—a zone where I can sleep and survive during these first three months.
So the first thing I did was head to the most secluded alleyway, moving away from everyone. After reaching a suitable spot, I used my knowledge of Alchemy. Using some trash, I drew an improvised magic circle. I still can't perform alchemy just by clapping my hands, but I can do this.
Once I drew the circle, I channeled the vital energy that Alchemists use to activate their arrays, and a massive wall formed behind me, sealing off this part of the alley. It's not a base—it's in plain sight, and anyone in a helicopter or passing by would notice something is wrong.
But I need some privacy for what I'm about to do. I raise my hand and focus on my fingers. I look at them closely, concentrating as hard as I can, and I can see it... They are tiny, almost microscopic, but I can see small, sharp hairs that allow the Spider-people to stick to walls and things.
I don't know how I haven't accidentally stuck to anything yet, but maybe it's because I've been trying to stay calm. I remember in the Spider-Verse movie they give Miles advice on how to use his abilities. Gwen tells him to relax—that he doesn't have to be tense—and that lets him release whatever he's stuck to.
I place my hand on the extremely smooth wall I made and try to pull with force. Not enough to tear the wall down, but enough that I want my hand out while consciously staying stuck, and it's solid. Then, I think about releasing my grip, and my hand comes off easily. When I look at my hands, I can see the tiny sharp hairs retracting into my skin. They work more like retractable grips, like Wolverine's claws.
I lift a leg. In the movies, they can stick even while wearing shoes, but my shoes are a bit thick. I test it and anchor myself, but it's a bit less firm than my bare hands. In the future, I'll have to get shoes or clothes that don't hinder the grip of these barbs too much.
I practiced like that for about 15 minutes until I learned to move more freely. I could also run along the walls and take small leaps between them. My agility and flexibility also increased; I could do acrobatics in the air without any problem. Now I can do a cool backflip to dodge attacks instead of just taking two steps back like characters in games and shows.
Looking at my Miles template, it quickly rose to 68%. Good, that's interesting. Now, test two: Invisibility. I can't remember exactly how it works, but it should have something to do with the ability to alter the electricity in the body to act as a bio-conductor that changes the pigmentation of my body and clothes, like an octopus.
Trying to think of something like a Predator's camouflage, a small electric current runs through my body. A sensation and a slight taste of ozone cross my senses, and after breathing a few times, I lift my hands and I can't see them. Well, I can see something slightly translucent if I move my hands a bit; it's like seeing the heat-wave effect someone would have during a heatstroke.
I think about turning it off, and the sensation of ozone in the air returns, but I can see my arm again. With a smile, I check again, and the percentage went up even more: 82%. Impressive. Only two more abilities left: Spider-Sense and the Venom Blast.
In the same way I thought about camouflaging, I think about that same bio-electric energy running through my hand instead of my whole body, but with the difference of concentrating all that energy into one specific point. The sensation... the energy flows through my palm. It can't stay closed, and I can see small electric sparks of red tones around it.
I think about punching the wall, but instead, I follow the advice of one of the coolest Spiders in the multiverse. I just place my palm against the wall and, with a thought—like a mental trigger—I release all the electricity concentrated in my hand. It creates a loud noise and a large hole in the specific area I was touching.
With excitement, I look at the percentage: 95%. Just one more push. But then, the sound of police sirens echoed. "Shit, I made too much noise!" I look at the wall behind me and start climbing the building, escaping across the rooftops, performing some improvised parkour.
"You'll never catch me, you low-rent cops! Hahaha!"
And with a poorly calculated jump, I fall...
"Shit..." I crash onto some dumpsters with a thud. I pop my back before examining my body. I'm in pain, yeah, quite a bit... but nothing is broken and there's no blood. Great—Spider durability.
With a dampened mood, I leave the alley to see what else I can do to increase my percentages before heading to the subway tonight.
[End of Chapter]