My Lucky Foot
On one hand, getting dropped head first into a city worse than Gotham without any power sounds like a horrible prospect. On the other, the ROB who stuck me here seems to like my idea for a character, so I'm not likely to end up dead. To bad I'm now a giant rabbit. This...is going to get very weird.
Well, this is certainly going to be an odd one, if only because of just what I have in mind for half the insanity I have in mind for this and I don't just mean because our hero is an anthropomorphic rabbit. Its a CYOA idea, so I'll include the options I took down at the bottom. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
My day started off rather badly. Which is a polite way of saying it started with me falling from the sky from high enough that I could see aeroplane vapor trails below me. I blinked a few times as I tried to figure out what was wrong with the image in front of me, before it abruptly hit me and I did the logical thing. I started screaming. And swearing. A lot of swearing.
"What are you screaming about?"
Considering where I was, the sudden calm and feminine voice was enough to shock me out of my terror. I turned my head and was somehow unsurprised to see a girl who looked about 15 falling beside me. She was laying back in the air, her hands behind her head as if she was relaxing on a beach, not plummeting towards the ground at terminal velocity. She also wasn't exactly what you'd call...normal.
To start with, her hair was electric blue, her eyes were silver and she had a pair of rabbit ears sticking out the top of her head and a cotton tail sticking out of her rear. She was wearing a black bodysuit with glowing, green lines across it that had built in gloves and boots.
"Wha...who are you?" I asked dumbly, all thoughts of my imminent transformation into a street pizza vanishing from my head at the utterly bizarre sight of the bunny girl.
The girl giggled and flipped over to curtsy in mid air. Somehow.
"My name is AS7ABB1T, but you can call me Alice," she said, "I'm the embodiment of your Power, provided by your imagination and the processing power of my actual form, which is about 26 degrees that-a-way."
She made a gesture in a direction I'm pretty sure shouldn't be possible and gave me a headache. However, that was pretty much the last thing on my mind.
"My...power?" I asked weakly, "What are you talking about?"
Alice grinned and sat back, crossing her heels and holding up a finger.
"You have been chosen, Mark Redding, by my Progenitor to be her instrument on this particular world," she said, "To aid in that, I have been assigned to keep you alive and strong enough to deal with Goldenrod, Grassman and the Murderhobos, as well as helping make the world a little better. Mostly by causing enough utter insanity and chaos to put Nyaruko to shame."
I blinked twice, mentally paring the exposition dump and nicknames until I came to a rather worrying conclusion and blanched.
"Wait, are you saying I'm in Worm?!" I spluttered.
Alice snapped her fingers.
"Right you are!" she said.
"And if your my powers...your a Shard? How does that even work? I thought you were some kind of barely alive biological computer?"
"Your thinking of the Thinker and Warrior's Shards," said Alice, waving a hand idly, "I'm a completely different beast."
I frowned.
"So...your from Abaddon?" I asked slowly.
"Yep."
I nodded slowly as I turned the new information over in my mind.
"So lets see if I've got this right," I said, "I've been chosen by an Entity, who is apparently completely different to Zion and Eden, to be yanked from my world, given powers and dumped into Worm to make trouble and what? Deal with its competition?"
"That pretty much sums it up," said Alice, "Although calling those two morons competition isnt really correct. See, Abaddon doesn't need a Cycle, not when shes already figured out a better way to survive. However, Zion and Eden targeting any Earth is a big problem because theres a risk that they might end up targeting the one where Abaddon's setup shop. She doesnt want that since a fight between Entities would be...messy."
"Alright, I guess that makes sense," I said, "But why me? And why am I falling from the sky?"
Alice shrugged.
"Why not?"
My eyebrow twitched.
"How am I supposed to do anything if I go splat?" I asked as calmly as I could.
Alice gave me a funny look.
"Why would you go splat?" she asked.
"Because thats what usually happens when a Human hits...anything after falling from orbit!" I yelled.
"Oh, your worried about Fall damage!" she said, "Well don't. Something as simple as a fall won't hurt you. Or you could just use Paramount to gain Flight."
I blinked.
"Paramount? What are you…" I said, before the meaning clicked in my head and my eyes went wide, "Wait a sec, you used one of my CYOA for my powers?!"
Alice grinned.
"Yep, sure did," she said, "It was a pretty cool character after all."
I stared at her for a moment, before another detail of that character hit me and I paled. My hand jumped to my head and, sure enough, I felt a pair of long ears that matched Alice's sticking out the top of my skull.
"You didn't…"
The personification of my power just grinned and vanished.
"Oh you fucking…" I started, but was cut off by virtue of slamming into the top of a building hard enough to smash straight through it to land on a rather nice, highly polished and likely very expensive desk with a loud crash.
Thanks to my Jump power making me immune to falling damage, I wasn't hurt, but the desk had been smashed into kindling from the force of the impact and I'm pretty sure that if anyone had been sitting at it, they'd have had their legs broken at the very least.
"I...hate...that...fucking...rabbit," I growled as I stared up through the me-shaped hole in the ceiling, "How did that even happen anyway? I'm sure I was high enough to have been falling for longer…"
I ignored the giggling in the back of my head as I pushed the remains of the blotter that had been on the desk of my stomach and stood up, cracking my back as I did. While I might not be injured by the fall, slamming back first through a roof was still rather uncomfortable. As I did, I stumbled slightly as my changed body instinctively shifted my stance so I was stood on my toes. I sighed. In addition to the rabbit ears that were sticking out of my head, my legs and feet had also changed, becoming Digitigrade and rabbit-like in construction, complete with dark brown, almost black, fur that went up to my knees.
The sound of metal on metal made my ears prick up and I turned my head to see a sight that reminded me that I'd taken the Worst Day Ever flaw for some extra points. Sat on the other side of the room, looking at me with expressions that were rapidly changing from looks of utter shock to fury was a small group of blond haired, blue eyed individuals, ranging from a middle aged man in an expensive looking suit who had apparently dropped a glass of something alcoholic all over his shoes due to his surprise at my entrance, a pair of statuesque twins, a man in what looked like an SS uniform with a gas mask in his lap and a shirtless man in a metal wolf mask who was the source of the sound due to the blades and hooks that were starting to emerge from his skin.
"Well...shit," I muttered, "This'll end badly…"
I threw myself back, just in time to avoid the massive blade of metal that had just shot out of the ground under me, my claws shredding the expensive looking carpet, before I hit the wall behind what was left of the desk and activated my Jump ability. There was a brief pause as everything seemed to slow down for a moment, before I pushed off, blasting a crater in the wall as I rocketed past the Nazi's fast enough to create a suction effect. I crossed my arms over my face, summoning a triangular shield composed of faintly glowing, silver energy from my hands before I hit the window. The glass shattered, sending me plummeting towards the ground below. I twisted, barely evading another few spikes from Keiser as I fell, turning over enough to see the Nazi's staring after me with looks of rage on their face. I grinned and waved cheekily, before pressing me feet against the glass of the building and pushing off, sending me rocketing across the skyline with a loud crash of breaking glass and a yell of excitement.
I hit the roof of the building across the road, about ten stories below the Medhall building, rolled to absorb the impact, and took off across the roofs to put as much distance between me and any persuing Nazi's as possible.
I quickly discovered that my chances weren't limited to the surface and that, even without my Leap power, I was still capable of some seriously impressive jumps with my powerful back legs and my running gait was closer to bounds than actual running, granting me far greater speed than would have been possible for a Human. As a result, I made it all the way to the Docks in no time at all without having to touch the ground once.
Eventually, I slowed to a stop, breathing hard, but steadily in a way that I'd never really experienced before and a massive grin on my lips. Sure, getting on the E88's bad side right of the bat would probably result in some problems and the fact I was a anthropomorphic bunny would be a bit of a pain when I met the Wards, but the experience of running across the roofs like that made it all worth it. I couldn't wait to break out some of the powers I had available to be as a result of my Paramount power!
I took a deep breath as I sat down on the edge of the roof, only to have to shift as something in my pocket dug into my butt. I looked down, only to realize that the clothes I was wearing wasn't what I'd been wearing to bed the night before. That was probably a good thing considering I only slept in my underpants. Instead, I was wearing a black bodysuit that looked a lot like the one Alice had been wearing, minus the glowing lines and boots, instead ending at my ankles and leaving my feet bare. I didn't really need shoes any more thanks to my changed feet, so it wasn't that much of a problem.
"Huh, where did this come from?" I muttered.
A giggle from beside me made me turn to see Alice had appeared again, a look of amusement on her face.
"Like it?" she asked, "I do. Its completely bullet, knife, fire, dirt and waterproof and fully customizable."
I blinked.
"Wait, you mean it under my control?" I asked.
Alice gave a thumbs up.
"You got it," she said, "It can also link up with any Tinkertech you might create or obtain in the future."
I blinked again.
"Huh...thanks I guess," I said slowly.
"You are quite welcome Bunny," said Alice, making my eye twitch as she patted me on the head between my ears.
Considering I was probably about a foot taller than her if I was standing up, even without the advantage given by my changed feet, it was even more annoying than the nickname. My power apparently picked up on my annoyance because her grin only widened before she went pop, leaving me alone again. I sighed and reached into my pocket to see what had attracted my attention before. I pulled it out and found that it was a key on a chain with a bunny charm attached. I frowned. What was…
I stopped the thought a moment later when the knowledge of what the key was for snapped into my brain. I sighed. Oh right, I'd taken the hidden base option and apparently it had been sorted out by either my Power or Abaddon...somehow. I'm not sure I wanted to know how either of them managed it.
I got to my feet and turned in the direction my power told me my new home was in. I took a deep breath, crouched and jumped, shooting away at high speed.
Five minutes later, I was stood in front my new home, feeling rather underwhelmed. It wasn't even a building, instead the door looked like a maintenance access located in the side of the wall under a bridge, with the only difference between it and any other door like it being the small rabbit drawing on the bricks beside it. Still, I was pretty sure it'd be livable at least, so I stepped forwards and pressed a hand to the drawing. The bricks slid back and aside, revealing a small hand scanner and keyhole inside. Following the downloaded instructions, I put the key in the slot and pressed my palm against the scanner. There was a beep and the lights turned green and the door unlocked with a clunk. I claimed the key and pulled the door open as the hidden panel slid shut.
I stepped into the hidden base...and froze as I found myself stood in what looked like the entrance of a high end apartment. The entryway was a short hallway, with a cabinet for shoes, hooks for coats and a door that, when I took a quick glance inside, revealed was a small cupboard containing a hoover, a broom and other cleaning implements.
"I...how is this even possible?" I muttered as I continued into the impossible apartment.
At the end of the hallway, it opened into a large sitting room with a large sofa, a few armchairs, a couple of beanbags and a large TV with an entertainment center below it with a number of consoles below it. A kitchen off to one side on the other side of a counter, fully stocked with expensive looking appliances and a reasonably large table with a fe chairs around it.
A number of doors led off the room, opening into what looked like a workshop with a number of tools and equipment I didn't recognize but suspected a Tinker would love. The workshop was large enough that vehicles could be built and maintained in it and even had a set of large doors that probably led outside. Moving on, the other doors led into what looked like a command center, a study, a fully stocked medical bay and a games room with a few arcade cabinets and a pool and football table. There was also a couple of empty rooms that were probably intended to be adapted for specialized needs. Finally, a second corridor led off to one side with a number of doors that led into decent sized bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.
"For when you start recruiting teammates," said Alice in my head.
I frowned. While I did intend to try to recruit some people, if only to help them out of bad situations, I didn't know how likely it was that they would end up staying with me. Still, it was useful to have the extra space, just in case.
"Makes sense," I said, looking around the only room with more than the basics inside that was probably intended for me.
The fact a rabbit was painted on the door was also a pretty good indication.
I dropped onto the bed with a sigh, both of relief and due to how soft the mattress was. However, my stomach rumbling a moment later stopped me from really appreciate it. I groaned and rolled to my feet, heading back to the kitchen area where I found that the fridge was empty. I sighed again.
"Well, I guess I need to go get some food," I muttered.
I paused.
"Wait, do I even have any money?"
A quick check revealed that I did not in fact have any money. I sighed yet again.
"Alright, guess I don't have a choice," I muttered, "Time to go bother some criminals and steal all their cash."
I scowled.
"And something tells me that something really bads going to happen out there…."
The sound of Alice giggling in the back of my head really didn't settle that thought.
And done. Not really pleased with that ending, but what the hell.
I'm pretty sure that the sentence Shard perk isn't meant to be used like that, but Abaddon is a tad different from its brethren in this world. As a general rule, only Mark can see Alice when she pops up, although some other Capes might be able to get some idea of her presence and those who can perceive Shards might also be able to see her. She'll mostly be limited to making jokes and annoying Mark.
Yes, I made him part rabbit. What of it? I have a number of jokes in mind for it and my original idea was to use the Ultimate luck power, but I wasn't able to figure out how to do that from a story perspective.
Here are my choices. I think I calculated the numbers right, but if I fucked up somewhere, let me know. It won't actually change anything since I'm only using it as the bases for the idea, but it'd be nice to know if I have messed up.
Mark Redding (because why not), Black Rabbit
Cape 0 Shard 3
Gestation: 15 15
Hero
Male, 15 (with memories of a 22 year old due to being de-aged to the age he would be in 2011)
Drop in (+3 +3)
No Identity (+2)
Custom (-4 Cape)
Stealth (natural)
Martial Arts (-4)
Parkour (-2)
Abbadon Shard (-3 -3)
Secret Lair (-2 Cape)
Voice in my Head (-1 Shard)
Case 53 x2 (+2 Shard)
Slaughterhouse 9 (+4 +2)
Worst Day Ever (+2 +1)
Second Trigger x2 (-8-6)
Plot Convenience (-1 Cape)
Power Slot (-1Shard)
Interludes
Powers
Jump (-1)
Peak Condition (-1) (second Trigger)
Paramount (-10) (second Trigger
Revenant Blade (-2)
Other (-3 Cape)
Companionship
Yes, I'm de-aging him again, although he hasn't noticed it yet.
I'm not done with this day yet, so there will be a few more issues caused by WDE, including one that I'm not sure I'll go through with or not quite yet. I think I'll flip a coin when I get there.
Anyway, I'm done now, so I'm going to sign off. Don't forget to leave a review!