I wish to kick past me in the balls. Is not something I say lightly, but I think I can warrant it at this moment.

Looking at the sign in front of me I decide to reiterate that statement. I'm going to sledgehammer my past selves balls

Welcome to Brockton Bay!

The sign is relatively new from the look of the paint, and it already has sixteen bullet holes in it.

Past me you retard, mysterious being approaches you after you get hit by a truck and you accept? Seriously? We're lucky it was the Celestial Forge and not Satan looking for a snack.

And that brings me to my next topic of discussion, the Celestial Forge. The greatest combination of crafting powers across the multiverse. In theory with a fully maxed out Forge it would probably be possible to make a universe with your bare hands.

But that's thinking for the future. Currently I have a personal reality and a metal workshop, not all that impressive but I at least have a safe place to stay. Luckily the doors opened with the access key can be closed so I don't have to be homeless; there would be no way in hell I'd open the forge knowing a random person could walk in like they owned the place.

Anyway, back to the current situation. I'm in worm with the Forge and approximately zero identity to speak of. Considering the state of bet and the fact that I'm thirteen I should probably avoid child protective services because I'm pretty sure 'newly parentless child' scream's cape.

Honestly my best chance is to gather as much information as possible, a library should work. With a sigh I set off to find the library, whose address I found after asking someone. People are extremely apathetic in this world so they just gave me the answer without even looking up from their newspaper. Can't blame them though, if I knew giant monsters could kill me any day of the year I would be a little less caring too.

It takes me a few minutes to get to the library and after entrance I make my way to one of the computers. Even though it looks like it came out of the 70's it still functions so it only takes a few minutes for me to figure out how to work it.

Firstly I look up the date. November 1 2010, a few solid months before canon. This is good, I have time to prepare for the bullshit that is the future. Maybe even stop Canberra fr-

No. I don't have anything to block her so I can't yet openly think about her. Or the future for that matter. God I hope I didn't just fuck everything up.

Secondly though, I found a map on PHO of all the gangs' territories. Would be a very fun experience to walk into ABB territory. Or the merchants for that matter, they're drugged up mooks but said drugged up mooks usually have guns and a lack of empathy. Empire would probably be fine since I'm white though.

Lastly I look up local villains; I don't think I'm in an alternate universe but I'm not taking chances. Assuming things is how you get killed, especially when involving souped-up assholes.

Fortunately things go my way and I don't spot anything out of the ordinary. I stand up from the chair I currently occupy and walk to the bathroom, opening the door to the inside.

I look at the mirror. Nothing's changed which is good, even though it's probably not going to last long considering the forge's lack of care with altering people. I've read a little bit of Brocktons celestial forge and know a few of the perks. Good thing those are more costly than most motes.

I look to the door I just came in from and with little trepidation grab the access key in my pocket, putting the gold key to the door causes it to sink in, and in a turn, a little bit of dodging very-fucking fast door and I'm greeted to my entrance hallway. Walking in I come to a realization about celestial forge fics.

They didn't lie at the words 'Purewhite', It is a sixteen by sixteen foot stark white room, and currently it's home. I close the door with a sigh, continuing to walk towards my workshop hallway as I plan out a rough design in my head.

For the forge to build reach I need to do interesting things, meaning staying locked up inside my workshop trying to produce a cannon with the ability to take down Behemoth won't work. I have to actually do things.

A lazy person's nightmare.

Thing is, I actually like making things. It's always been a fun activity to do when I'm bored, and more specifically when my parents aren't watching. I swear I still have Louisville slugger imprinted on my ass from the time I made homemade fireworks. In my defense though I was seven and barely had a grasp of reality.

Hopefully I don't do something that outrageously stupid this in this life, though I severely doubt it. I don't know what the forge did when it brought me here, but I still have my autism.

Truly, I am cursed.

I walked through the inner door into my workshop. It wasn't exactly what you would expect when you heard the words 'Celestial' and 'workshop'. The place wasn't bedecked with the blistering technology of an entity of questionable origin. It wasn't even a top quality manufacturing facility. This was more of what you would get from a high school metal shop. There were tools and machinery, but it was fairly basic stuff. Not even a proper numeric control lathe.

Fortunately the place was stocked with materials and safety equipment. Unless I wanted to work with exotic alloys or bring in high tech equipment the whole place was designed so I wouldn't have to go out for anything.

The forge hit me as I looked over the Workshop, failing to make a connection to the tool kits constellation.

The forge works with constellations, each representing a unique part of crafting. Each Mote represents some level of crafting ability, power, knowledge or resource.

Unfortunately I didn't get shit so back to what I was doing.

I walked to the corner of the workshop, grabbing a few Iron ingots before heading to the grinder. With a press I turned on the grinder, said apparatus humming to life as I put it to the Iron.

I stroked the Iron with the grinder, strands of Iron flying as I attempted to form the material into something useful.

After minutes of the same strokes I power off the grinder, setting it down before putting the now malformed metal into a vice, before grabbing the grinder and setting back to work.

It took over an hour, and I question whether it was worth it. What was the result of an hour's labor you may ask?

A crude chisel with a crack in the handle.

I don't even have any leather or the like so there was no proper grip on the handle, leaving a shit excuse of a tool even if it wasn't already cracked. Said crack caused by me dropping it on the floor like a dumbass.

It was shit, but it was made out of a need to practice not out of a need to use it. Also because it was easy to kill someone with. It doesn't really matter if the chisel's crude it still follows the sacred rule of pointy equal deadly. The library where I opened the door to my workshop was near the boardwalk but I wouldn't discount it if there was some mugger down on his luck near here.

I grab the chisel, rearing my hand back for a few test swings as I contemplate what to do.

I'm in Worm with future knowledge. That's something I think a lot of people misunderstand. You quite literally know how to kill the Siberian, fucking use it. I get trepidation about it (She's a nude amazonian cannibal) but it would probably be significantly easier defeating her if you informed you're damn allies about her bullshit. Useless as the Protectorate may be it would be very good to their image if they killed that murder hobo.

Wait, they wouldn't believe a word I said if I tried to tell them that she's a projection

Heh, at least it would be funny.

But if they don't believe me then that could be troublesome. Not bad, all it would mean is that I would have to figure out a way to track Manton. With said tracker I could probably just send a high powered mortar to his location.

Besides killing murder hobos, future knowledge would still be insanely useful. I may not be a pillar of good but even I find what happened to Dinah to be cruel. From my knowledge she was literally called a 'pet' by coil, and with coil's power I don't want to even imagine what he did to her in throw away timelines. Definitely going to save her, maybe I could even get something out of it. I'm not going for hero, this world's government controls heroes and said government is incompetent, corrupt and straight up evil, so Villainy is certainly going to be in my future… but maybe I could have some friends this time…

With a shake of the head I dispel those thoughts, that was strange but I am 100% going to save Dinah. Besides her power being useful she's also 11 and leaving her to what I'm pretty sure is a pedophile is cruel by the lowest of standards. But that would also mean dealing with coil, but I would have to deal with him anyway so I'm only really speeding up the progress now aren't I?

All right, so kill coil and save Dinah. I have short term goals figured out but I'm also going to need long term ones too. It wouldn't do to have a crisis about my morality in the middle of making an important decision.

This is actually one of the easier things to decide on. I'm a lot of things, apathetic, an asshole and more but I still am a child. And what do all children want?

Love.

I was already going to be a villain, I have zero doubt that if I were to go to the Protectorate I would end up a pawn of cauldron, which is a big no-no, but other than that they would coddle me. Seal me away and keep me out of the fights, and in doing so hinder my growth. Even then that's not the main reason I'm not going to them.

Because what I really want is love, love from multiple women. Who, if everything works out, will be able to travel the multiverse with me. Unfortunately, it isn't legal. So I guess I'll have to be a villain.

I unsurprisingly don't feel bad about it, guess that's what happens when given the choice of breaking the law and completely shattering my morals for something that will get more than half the population brutally murdered.

And before you ask, it's because I'm a sensitive, emotional boy.

Okay, my short term goals are to kill coil and save Dinah, and my long term goal is harem of big titty woman. Pretty simple to do.

The best way to kill coil is to shoot him in his civilian identity, he still has to come to work as a PRT consultant so all I would have to do is somehow get a way to block his bullshit. Luckily there's a perk for this, don't know its name or the reach needed for it but it should just be a simple waiting game.

To save Dinah it would be even easier, either pass a note to her detailing the fact that coil would kidnap her or explain it to her in person. I remember her power giving her extreme thinker headaches since she triggered, causing her to be dependent on painkillers, so maybe I could cook up some non-addictive stuff for her if I get a perk. That would probably be useful if I went for something like recruitment. But I mostly just don't want her in coils hands.

Fucker was hard for skitter to kill, and she's the one with city wide surveillance coveredge. I can't let it happen again.

Just as I finish that thought the forge turns, failing a connection to the database constellation as I scowl. I haven't got a single perk today and it's starting to piss me off.

I let out a frustrated sigh. I've been in the forge for about 2 hours so the library should be open, maybe I should go get some fresh air.

With a nod I set off to the entrance hall, turning the door and leaving the bathroom and walking into the library. As an afterthought, I looked up the location of a half decent park in Brockton, which will probably be all I'd get.

A few minutes in and I find one near the boardwalk, quickly exiting the library and heading for the park.

On arrival I see needles covering almost every bit of the park, gang signs on the walls, and I'm pretty sure I see a hobo taking black tar heroin. I am positively repulsed by the sight but as I sit down on a relatively clean bench I can't find it in myself to care. Maybe if I wasn't so annoyed I'd get mad, but right now I just want some peace and quiet.

A loud alarm sounds in the area, rattling my head. I look for the source. The source being a nearby jewelry store being busted open by what appeared to be some merchant druggies, the small crowd around the park quickly scattering at the sight. Which makes sense considering merchants are usually too high to know who there shooting.

I hear shots fired and quickly decide that being in this area isn't a smart idea. With a sprint, I dash out of the area, which isn't that fast considering my weight. Another thing I'll need to sort out. Ugh.

I successfully escape the area, finding another park on empire terf, I sit down with a practiced sigh. Mind even more agitated from that robbery. Not helping me relax god? What a shocker.

Now that I think about it it should be around 11:30, maybe I should get some food?

Wait, I don't have money do I.

"Fuck," I practicaly sneer, my misfortune moving me from severaly agitated to mad. This is very fucking bad.

"What's your trouble stranger?"

At the sound of the voice I look up, a person standing before me. Dark haired and olive skinned, wearing a scarf and sash around her waist patterned after the American flag, and stylized, fitted army fatigues that accentuated her curves. And bottle-glass green eyes.

"Broke as a joke, you?" I tell, the capes eyes gaining a sympathetic glint at the words, causing me to sigh further. A stray tear coming loose.

Miss Militia looks to me, her green eyes currently staring at me, "Couldn't you ask your parents?" She asks kindly.

A dry laugh escapes my throat. "Don't have any. Been living on the damn sidewalk a month," I lie, I'm surprisingly good at it though. Just for good measure I fake a tear, her expression becoming pitiful as she looks at me, indecision passing through her features as if having a mental war inside her head before, she shakes the body part. Seemingly have come to a decision.

"What happened to them?" She asks gently.

Well, I made a script, guess I have to play it. "Stood up to some Empire fucks for beating a gay boy. Turns out one of the Empire fucks was Kreig. Dad ended up in a brick wall and mom…mom I won't talk about." I finish with a tear, genuine sadness filling me. I don't know what happened to them when I was brought here. God I hope they're safe.

Miss Militia looked at me. "May you like to come with me to PRT headquarters?" She asked calmly.

…What

What-, why would- wait.

I feel like hitting my head now, I just described a trigger event and a half to a hero of course she'll want to bring me in.

Well, honesty is the best policy.

"No," I state, I'm not technically a parahuman so they wouldn't find anything but if I get close to coil he might notice something is off.

Miss Militia didn't miss a beat, "It is to help yo-"

"Like you helped everyone else in this damn city?"

At that Miss Militia did look a little agitated, but I speak true once more. "You gonna try and 'help' me the same way you helped my parents? I will say this, I respect you; you try to help those around you but you're failing miserably." I say, giving some pause time. "And don't give me any of that PR practiced speech you've told a hundred fucking times, because if you really wanted to make a change you wouldn't be using rubber bullets,"

"The unwritten rules-"

I cut in. "Are bullshit used to maintain a failing status quo. Face it, life would be better if you didn't hold back against villains. How many people wouldn't be killed if you put a bullet through lung? Ever wonder how many people you've inadvertently let die with those bullshit rules? I don't know how many total, but I know of two." I finish, standing up and walking away with a deepend scowl across my face.

I hear Miss Militia start to move. Towards me.

At the sound I book it. Running into the nearest alleyway in a mad attempt to find a door. The forge hits me, failing to make a connection to the biotech constellation as I hear metal tics appear on the wall.

I'm gonna take a guess and say those weren't plastic.

I turned a corner, briefly seeing the heroine, she had a tranquilizer in her hands aimed directly at me. I sprint down the next alley, hearing more tics as I run for dear life. There, a back entrance door, this might reveal something but I'm not seeing piggots dirty ass till I have the strength to put her heros in the ground.

I quickly pull out the key, hand shooting to the door knob. The door swung open, and I launched myself forward, quickly closing the door to Miss Militia's shocked face.

Sigh, you know what I think I'm just gonna sleep.

-Hannah (Miss Militia)-

She'd failed.

She'd let an immature boy, who she was almost 100% sure had triggered, escape.

Hannah had no idea what the boy had used to escape, it looked like he opened a pocket dimension, similar to the ones Toybox had, but it must have been a part of his power. Not even the PRT had one of Doge's pocket dimensions.

And if that was true this was bad.

You had an immature boy, with what seemed to be a pocket dimension power, who did not like the PRT and the unwritten rules. If he didn't get swooped up by the gangs he'd probably become a vigilante.

Either way, it was clear he wouldn't join any of the gangs, not that he'd get a choice if it came down to it, a part of her reminded, he'd obviously had distaste for them from his trigger event just like her and-

She shook her head, there was no reason to think of that at this moment, there were more important things now.

Like informing director Piggot. The woman would not like the news.

-MC-

I wake to black, a void surrounding me. I try to move but it feels like I'm trying to swim through tar, I can't open my eyes either, panic coursing through me at the notion of compromised vision.

Suddenly I can now breath, my lungs rushing to fill themselves with much needed oxygen as my eyesight returns.

And what gets revealed shocks me.

Below me, floating in space, are thirty eight different constellations. Each with unique abilities and skills. Now I've said this before, I just didn't realize…how grand it was.

In truth I was joking about the 'build a universe with my bare hands' thing…but as I look over the magic constellation, the inside motes, some granting dimension building powers…I feel as if I might eventually be able to do it.

The stars around me turn, move, and shift into things. It takes me a second to realize that it's trying to spell something. And then it takes me another minute to realize what it's trying to spell,

With great power comes great responsibility- Uncle Ben

My vision shifted, the stars fading, replaced by what looks like- no, feels like the multiverse.

And what I see isn't good.

The universe's look…broken. Shattered, like somebody wanted to test a legos durability with a ground fracker. And even outside of the cracks and missing pieces, there's something even worse I can see.

I look inside of a universe, the resulting image causing me to want to vomit, but it didn't come out. I don't think anything could currently come out of me. I don't even know if I'm viewing this through me.

It doesn't matter, I will never be able to unsee the inside of fear and hunger's dungeons. I will never be able to unsee what looks like a grandma removing her skin. I will never be able to unsee the girl-

I hunch over, disgust running through me as I think of what happened to her in the game and in reality. Both gruesome, one in the form of fiction and the other stone cold reality.

I…I think I get what it's trying to show me.

And just like that, I'm back in my personal reality. Back in the cube, back on the floor. I grab onto my chest, from the feel of it my heart's hammering, and a little concentration later and I figure out I'm also hyperventilating.

It takes me a few minutes to calm my breathing, and a few more to realize that what I just saw wasn't fake.

Holy fuck, please tell me this dosen't mean what I think it means.

Nothing responds, just silence around me. All encroaching silence.

Fuck.

It wasn't fake.

Sigh, when you're a teen you always feel like you have the world on your shoulders.

Guess I got the multiverse on mine.

Forge Abilites this chapter:

Workshop (Personal Reality) 100: Each purchase of this adds to your Personal Reality Workshop needed to perform specific type of craft, which is to be specified when purchase is made. It comes with a basic set of tools and supplies. Good for fixing or creating all sorts of things, although any complex parts or nonstandard supplies will have to be brought in from outside. Additional purchases can add different types of Workshops to your Personal Reality or expand existing ones. Anything built in one of those workshops is fiat backed to be restored to its original condition within 48 hours if damaged or destroyed.

Access Key (Personal Reality) Free: This is a special key which lets you access your Personal Reality and its contents. When inserted into any lock on any door, the door opens to reveal a gateway into your Reality at a predetermined location within it. You are the only person who can take the key from the lock, the gateway remains open as long as the key is in the lock, and if key is ever lost or stolen you will find it in your pocket a few minutes later. You cannot close the door as long as you are inside the Personal Reality.

Entrance Hall (Personal Reality) Free: This is the room your Access Key opens a door to. It starts off as a 5 meter cube with blank white walls, floor, and ceiling, as some doors, one leading to the current Host Reality, the other into your Cosmic Warehouse, with additional doors leading to other extensions as these get added to your Personal Reality. Feel free to customize this Entrance Hall as you see fit. Additional Halls can, at your discretion, be linked only to certain keys or only to certain extensions. This allows you to have an entry hall just for skiing if you want.