I woke up how I usually do, barely moving. I will admit that it took me around 30 minutes to realize I was not in my normal bedroom.

What's weird is that I don't feel tired, just… emotionally exhausted… I guess? That probably also explains why it's 2 AM… or does it? …where am I?

—-(30-minute time skip)

After having a momentary panic attack, I have accepted the fact that I am in worm, not the best place to be but I do have some vague memories of who I am… was? It's hard to pick.

I also don't think Contessa is going to teleport over here and kill me, because if she was, she would have done it already.

The extra memories are a little difficult to deal with, I have two yesterdays after all. Despite the memories of this person, or is it this life? I definitely don't feel like I am this guy. It's more like… I'm a spy and this is my disguise… or I'm under deep cover and I'm only pretending to be who I am. Yeah, that's about how it feels.

The new memories are also far less clear than my normal ones, I only know the broad details about who 'I' am. If I focus on something specific though, I can remember it fairly easily.

Anyway, my name here is Harper Grant, a 15-year-old Brocktonite in the year 2011. How can I still afford this apartment, I'm not sure. Probably life insurance, if I owe one of the gangs money I might cry.

I go to Winslow, which is very unfortunate for me, but it's the first day of winter break. I also live in Empire territory, something fairly convenient due to being a blue-eyed, blonde-haired kid.

My apartment is decent, it's just four rooms, a kitchen/living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms.

I don't have many friends; it seems I'm mostly a loner who keeps his head down to avoid trouble. Not the worst idea in Brockton I will admit.

Everything in the apartment is messy, except the other bedroom. I guess the old me didn't want to touch his parent's stuff.

I still feel a little sad poking around it but there is enough distance between me and them, my memories of this person's life are hazy, but I can still feel the emotions from it.

Man, losing his parents hit this guy hard. I almost don't want him to be a cape, he seems like too good of a guy to deserve a trigger event.

I still hope I'm a cape though, I mean it won't be my trauma and I'll get the powers out of it. Being in Worm without powers is just a bad idea, either you stay that way, and you live in a depression followed by a post-apocalypse, or you get powers and get traumatized about it.

'…Now that I think about it, I could get one from Cauldron…'

'I'll think about it, seems risky'

'And honestly, depression is right, everything here is so poorly made. I bet I could make something at least a little better if I put some effort in… wait, that's a really weird thing to think…'

Let me just try something really quick.

—-(2-hour time skip)

'Huh'.

'I… didn't expect this would work'

On my bed, in front of me, is a tinker-tech creation of my own design. Not a good one, but tinker-tech all the same. It's a camera, the size of a wallet, and if I am correct, it should have a 4k screen resolution, which is actually pretty rare for 2011.

And I made it out of a bigger camera, one that had an awful resolution as well, and parts from a disassembled printer.

'Well, I guess I'm a tinker, I just don't know what my specialty is. I don't seem to have a knack for cameras, I could probably remake it smaller now that I'm looking at it more'

'…Wait, is this what I think it is?'

—-(6-hour time skip)

'Well, that settles it, I know what I can do'

Instead of the original camera there now sits an identical-looking camera about half the size of the original in all dimensions. I redesigned and reused the first design to make a spy camera. It's discreet enough to be looked over on a cursory glance, has a battery life of around 36 hours, and records in an even better resolution than before, so you can zoom in without losing video quality. The camera is better in almost every other aspect as well, if just slightly better.

After remaking the camera a few times, I can confidently say that I didn't know how to make it this small before. Even now I could improve it further if I had better materials to work with than an old camera and a commercial printer.

'Who knew I would end up actually having powers…'

'Glad I don't have to talk to Cauldron to get some'

I have also effectively confirmed I'm a noctis due to perfectly remembering when I woke up and I'm still not tired after 8 more hours of sleeplessness.

I also think I figured out my tinker specialty. 'Development', a tinker power where I can make anything… as long as I slowly build it up over time. It sounds like a free tinker power, although I probably won't be able to make anything if I don't have a starting point.

I'm not making a time machine without knowing how to manipulate time first. Actually, wasn't there a guy in India who could go back in time a few minutes?

I had to remake that camera 5 times and use up all the parts I could from the printer to get it how I wanted it, and I'm still not fully satisfied.

I can however add things to something already made, like adding thermal vision to the camera. Remaking it also seems to give general improvements no matter what I change as well. Improving only certain aspects of the technology, like the battery life, is also doable.

Now what do I want to actually do in Worm? So many options… actually not many to be honest.

Hang out with the Undersiders? That seems boring and unrealistic, I might consider it, but I would have to work for Coil.

It would be hard to actively attack Coil if I worked under him. I would also have to knowingly let Dinah get kidnapped, which I am absolutely not doing. Coil is definitely the type to torture me in a throwaway timeline, I can't trust that I wouldn't let something slip, especially if Tattletale were there with him.

Tattletale in general is a good reason to avoid the Undersiders. I probably don't act exactly how my 'backstory' is supposed to act, inconsistencies like that would get picked up on eventually.

I'll probably approach them once Coil is out of the picture. Might also get some leeway from Tattletale if I help deal with him too.

I could always be a Rogue or Mercenary but that sounds like a pain to manage and getting paid to commit a crime feels wrong. I would prefer to commit a crime for good reasons, thank you very much. I can also get money by doing other things, in this scenario selling some tinker tech would be fairly profitable already.

Leaving Brockton is an option, but really if I have the opportunity to interact with at least some of the characters I want to take it. What would be the point if I just lived somewhere like Nevada forever?

It also would mean I have to let all the horrific things I know about happen: Bakuda, Echidna, Slaughterhouse 9, Coil in general, I would count Leviathan as well. Am I just going to do nothing about all of it? That's lame.

I want to take some of the dark out of the grimdark. So many problems could have been fixed if people just did something before they got out of control… Now I just sound stupid, hindsight and all that.

The protectorate is down but not out, mainly because I don't like Piggot very much. While I'm sure they would pay a fair bit and give me the resources I need for tinkering, I wouldn't be able to act on my own and would be constantly scrutinized.

I'm probably not going to do anything too 'problematic', but I want the option to just blow something up if something like the S9 show up.

Really, people need to respect some threats.

The gangs are out for both reasons. Not to mention the fact that my choice of employers are Nazis, terrorists, or drug lords.

'O boy, I wonder who I should work for? The ABB probably wouldn't take me even if I wanted them to, the pricks.' The Empire would probably salivate at the sight of me though.

The guild sounds ideal but unattainable, they're a loose group of pretty good people, they held together pretty well if I remember correctly, and they have Dragon with them. Unfortunately, I'm definitely not able to join right now. They pick up people that are already acting on their own.

New wave is… an option, I guess? It's more of a family unit right now, it would honestly feel like I'm intruding on their thing. I would also have to be effectively adopted and live with them because I'm sure not going to get peace at my apartment after revealing my identity.

Brandish would probably like the opportunity to have new blood and extra publicity but unmasking sounds problematic.

I don't have anyone to protect really, but other than the girl with the aura that makes her look amazing, their social lives tend to suffer from unmasking. I want to make at least a few friends.

Also, it makes me far more vulnerable to surprise attacks. With unmasking you are effectively in your cape outfit at all times, I can't just tinker at home carefree. If someone caught me without weapons, they have full permission to beat me into the ground, or worse.

Which leads to the only other... Well, the only remaining option. An independent hero is not the best place for a tinker to end up, especially in Brockton Bay.

Actually, it's an awful idea, getting Squealer-ed sounds nightmarish, you get no money, no contacts to get resources, and no backup in case I need help.

I guess I would be completely independent, but I would probably want to make a small team if I were independent. My own Undersiders sounds fun, it would let me join the guild in the future and keep the group.

The main problem is impact, doing things on my own would be extremely difficult. I don't even know how my tech could make an impact. Stopping Bakuda from putting bombs in people's heads would be really hard without help.

'…Actually, I might have an idea about how to handle that.'

I can already tell that it's a horrible idea full of problems, …However, I still want to try to do it. It probably throws almost every advantage I have with my foreknowledge out the window, but what else am I going to do?

It could work… theoretically. I could also make tinker tech that would help me avoid attention until I can pull it off. I'm already set up to try and it's not that ridiculous to at least give it an attempt… right?

Worst case scenario, I get caught by a gang and pressed into joining, in which case I will betray them as soon as possible, then join New Wave or the PRT to show sincerity and because I'm obviously not dumb enough to go back to being independent after that.

Alright, it's decided then, let's get started on this idiotic poorly-thought-out plan before I run out of time. Time to recruit Bakuda before the ABB can.

Author Notes: I'm mostly new to writing and would appreciate feedback on everything. I like the idea and I definitely want to continue. Personally, I think it could be longer, and it feels disjointed at times. It just doesn't seem 'Proper' for lack of better words. I just wanted people's opinion before I make any big changes.