Mark of the Multiversal Pretender

The next morning, Leo had just woken up and just finished his morning routine when his newly bought phone from last night in his walk back home rang.

Curious, Leo opened up the screen and saw a message belonging to Helen's number.

Last night, after he got to his apartment, he quickly registered his number and inputted Helen's.

From the looks of it, she finally received the message that he sent last night.

<Helen: I'm so sorry, I was already asleep when I received your message!>

<Leo: It's okay. I was just testing the phone last night, so I don't mind.>

<Helen: Oh, I see. [Sweat Smile Face emoji]>

<Leo: So, what are you up to?>

***

<Leo: So, what are you up to?>

Helen, who was laying on her bed with a phone in front of her face, can't help but squeal in excitement. Her feet slammed repeatedly on the cushion of her bed.

After a few seconds of thrashing around, Helen finally came to a halt, the recent activity causing her to have haggard breaths.

'How do I answer that won't be that boring?' Helen closed her eyes to think of a good answer.

After finally having one, she shifted her focus back on the screen of her phone and replied.

<Helen: Talking to you.>

'Is this supposed to be funny?...No no no, it's too cringe, how do I delete a message?!?' Quickly panicking over what she just did, Helen regretted sending such a message.

Many what if's were running on her mind.

What if Leo doesn't understand the joke?

What if Leo thought she was being rude?

What if Leo would think she has a mental illness?

***

While Helen was panicking in her bed, Leo was chuckling at her message.

'Hehe, she's quite funny.'

[Should I remind you that you still have a meeting with that identification forger?]

'Oh? Is my little Genesis jealous? Why, is it because you have no text mate?' Leo grinned, taking this opportunity to tease the system.

[....I regret speaking to you.]

'Hahahaha! Chill down, will you? Don't worry, the meeting starts at 9, it's still early.'

[...Now you make me think of giving you a clock as Gacha draws.]

'And why is that?'

[Since you've been too engrossed in your 'Text Mate', how about you check the time.]

Albeit confused, Leo still did as Genesis said and checked the time on his brand new phone.

9:25

Oh fucking god.

'Since the fuck when?!' Leo's face quivered, his speed getting quicker and quicker.

After finishing everything, Leo texted Helen for the last time before rushing out.

<Leo: Sorry, in a hurry. Let's talk earlier.>

***

'Oh no, I knew it. It's a bad joke!' Helen screamed in her heart.

'Wait. Why am I even panicking like this? It's not like we're that close. We literally just met last night.' Helen covered her eyes, deciding to take a short sleep for a while, her first class starts at 11 anyway.

However, just as Helen was stretching her body out, her ears suddenly perked up when she heard the sound of the door opening.

Quickly raising her head from the pillow, she saw her friend Jessica wobbly walk inside, her face having a tinge of reddishness, from the looks of it, she was wanted from whatever she did last night.

"Oh~ hey Helen~ whatcha doin~?" Jessica smiled in a drunken manner, her arms waving around as she spoke.

Meanwhile, Helen bore a cold face upon seeing her, yesterday's events in the ladies bathroom are still vivid in her mind.

The betrayal

The deception

She won't forget them.

***

In the meanwhile, in a small net cafe with quite a small number of customers, a weird scene can be seen as a small child no older than 5 was sitting by himself, tapping several keys on the keyboard in front of him.

If someone were to see him, one might think that the child was simply playing on the keyboard without knowing what it does however, if you look at the monitor, they would see several codes and programs shuttering as if they're blinking.

"Tsk, what's taking that guy so long? If I got myself scammed, I'd definitely place a virus on his system." The child muttered, currently, he was waiting for the man who wanted to have an identification forged and as someone who excels in technology and machines but lacks money, he decided to earn some quick cash through the dark web.

Now, he just got his first ever customer and he might've been scammed.

*Ring!*

Just as the child was about to sigh and leave, his phone suddenly rang.

Quickly picking it up from his pocket. He saw the message from his customer.

[Leonardo Da Vinci D'Carpenter: Where are you? I've been strolling around the net cafe and I don't see any shady man wearing a mask and a black hood that covers his face.]

[Anonymous:....What are you talking about?]

[Leonardo Da Vinci D'Carpenter: Isn't that the common attire of hackers like you?]

[Anonymous:....Visit the B-3 section, that's where I'm currently in.]

[Leonardo Da Vinci D'Carpenter: Got it!]

"Finally..." Sighing in relief, the child sat back on his chair and leaned back, when suddenly, a hand slammed on the desk.

*Thud!*

"Hey kid, have you seen a man that sits here? His appearance should look a bit shady and out of place."

Stunned, the child looked up and saw a black haired man with curious eyes, wondering what a child as young as him was doing in such a place without parent supervision.

"....You must be Leonardo Da Vinci D'Carpenter, right?" Although he felt quite offended for being underestimated, he could understand it since not everyday you see a child who actually has contact with the dark web, famous for being the dark side of the internet.

"No way, you're the one who's supposed to forge my identity?" The man's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe he was a child.

"In the flesh. Now, let's start with the forging, we're gonna make this quick and easy." The child replied and quickly changed the subject, not liking the fact that he keeps being underestimated due to his young appearance.

"Sure....You look quite familiar. Do you mind me asking for your name?" The man squinted his eyes, which made the child sweat mentally.

'No way, there's no way he knows me. I'm just a nobody in my school and I hardly have friends. Not to mention, I live alone with my grandma.' Assuring himself in his mind, the child responded.

"I think you just met too many children. And no, I'm not giving you my name.....Though I can give you my online username." Just as the child was about to refuse, his inner child instincts suddenly took over him. Recently, he just found himself a good nickname to use during his online escapades, and how his child self wanted to show his cool nickname off.

"Really? What is it?"

"You can call me Syndrome."

***

"You can call me Syndrome."

'No wonder this kid looks fucking familiar, his large chin gives it away.' Mentally, Leo was surprised, while outside, he maintains a poker face.

'This is a great opportunity. I've been trying to find ways to complete Jimmy Neutron's Quests and now, the said opportunity just presents itself in front of me.' Leo licked his lips, his eyes never leaving the small figure of Syndrome. To him, he no longer sees him as a young child, but a walking piggy bank.

*Shiver!* 

Suddenly, Syndrome, who was busy preparing the necessary programs and codes to hack into the FBI's system base, shivered for some 'unknown' reason.

'What was that? I didn't just catch a cold, right?'

Shaking himself from these thoughts, Syndrome focused on the screen.

While typing, Syndrome gave a few reminders.

"We're just gonna make this quick, we only have 5 minutes to 'write' yourself into the system base. So, make sure everything is ready and prepared so we can do this in a swift manner."

Hearing him, Leo nodded his head, though he didn't prepare his information in his mind like what Syndrome said, after all, he's already a citizen of the US albeit in his past life but still, that's already enough for him.

***

The process turns out to be swift and faster than Leo expected.

With every information ready and with him narrating everything to Syndrome, he's finally 'officially' a citizen of the US.

[A/N: I don't know how citizenship works in US or if what I wrote is correct since I don't live in 'Murica. So, if I'm wrong about this, then sorry?]

"And we're done...." Syndrome grinned, this is his first job and first customer and from the looks of it, his first customer is satisfied with his service!

Unbeknownst to Syndrome, Leo wasn't just satisfied with his service.

'Yes yes, this is good. He seems to be proficient in this.'

"That's good. Here, you can keep the change." Placing a 1 kg gold bar, Leo grinned.

"Isn't this too much?!" Syndrome's eyes widened in surprise, his eyes twinkling upon seeing such a large gold bar for the first time in his life.

"Well, if you agree with my proposal, then I can give you much more than just this." Leo quickly struck the hammer while the iron's hot.

"What proposal." Syndrome squinted his eyes.

"First of all, let me ask you this. How good are you in machines and such?"

"Machines? Hmm, I'm still learning but I should be good enough if we're comparing to those who graduated."

Hearing his words, although Syndrome said he was still learning, but knowing his future and his inventions that caused countless hero's lives, he doesn't doubt his capabilities.

"Good. Then my proposal is to help me invent a machine, it doesn't matter what it is, as long as its technology is high enough."

"Help you? Wait. Are you planning to be a Superhero? Do you need tech support?" Much to Leo's surprise, Syndrome's eyes twinkled in excitement.

'Superhero? Should I become a Superhero just to have him agree?'

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[Next Chapter: Ch. 100 - How to be a Superhero 101]