Persona: Hero x Villain System

Chapter 18: The Start-Up

New York City, New York 

Volume 1: Origin 

November 29, 2019.

Midtown High, New York. 

The days after a significant operation made it seem useless to return to a teenager's daily life. The adrenaline high was addictive, and the rage was welcoming. 

It was a surreal feeling carrying on with normal activities or as usual as someone like him could make it. Maybe this is why Tony had come out as Iron Man. He could be both him, the inventor, and the iron hero. 

Was this what those with secret identities experienced? He would have to ask one of them one of these days. 

Bored at the class, he began to browse the internet. The Daily Bugle investigation of Spider-Man ensued—Jonah Jameson's hate boner for the neighborhood menace was far greater than for Kingpin and the others. Cole read the headline that popped across his phone before opening the app. 

As he contemplated, he saw a name following the article. Eddie Brock had appeared. He had almost forgotten about the second Host of Venom. A brief investigation later, he learned Eddie graduated two years prior from the older, less advanced midtown high.

Spiderman's pictures were thriving on social media, especially Threads. He hadn’t realized it, but threads had replaced Twitter years ago; some quack billionaire purchased it spontaneously as a joke and tanked the once-thriving social media app. He didn’t care, but it emphasized that this universe differed. 

Peter Parker's metamorphosis wasn't only physical but mental as well. Soon, Peter Parker's Uncle Ben would die. Murdered by Flint Marko, who would later become a formidable human mutate and member of the Sinister Six. His death was the catalyst that created the legend. He had debated stepping in and stopping Flint. 

He had even tracked the man down. Now, he was still an upstanding citizen; he hadn’t lost his job, and he seemed pretty happy with his wife. It would have been simple to snuff the man out. 

He shelved the thought; a speedster had tried that before, and it ended well; continuity worked itself out, even with the countless forces that toyed with it. 

Cole paused briefly to look at the clock. Today was going to be a slow one. The teacher droned onward. He cared little, but he wasn’t ignoring the lecturer. He didn’t need to focus on what was said. 

Cole had his phone out still, toiling away at one project or another. He had so many going one would balk at the effortlessness he had shown. 

He had multiple applications floating across the screen. His phone’s process capabilities were leagues beyond what was publicly purchasable. Something he was going to exploit. 

He wouldn’t go too far for apparent reasons. Too much technology too fast would place even more scrutiny on the practically unknown public persona he was building. And no, he wasn’t using Yorks's name. He had other ideas about what to do with the face he wore. 

The reward of the Bat Redoubt had come with more than just a base to hang out in. The system items had come with intricate knowledge, so he understood the technical aspects of the bat computer. 

His phone technology was practically untraceable and always active; if he understood it correctly, it didn't have a single number that was the same but hundreds, even thousands, as the signal would use any of the multitudes of dead numbers when in use. 

The bell had rung, signaling the end of the period. Cole had enjoyed the school once the more advanced laboratories and caches were opened to the students. 

He stood, almost bumping into his neighbor. 

“Watch it, idiot.” Harry Osborne hissed. 

Harry Osborne is the son of billionaire CEO Oscorp Industries. He hadn’t paid the future sociopath any attention. He had taken a hands-off approach to all of Peters's problems. But it didn’t take him long to determine something was off. 

His demeanor and personality started to shift. He theorized the military was already chastising his father to reinvent the SSS (super-soldier-serum) that created Captain America. 

Cole's mind worked out the youth problem at alarming speeds. 

Cole glowered at the more petite boy, making him hurry off, but not before throwing a baleful glance toward him before his figure vanished from Cole's sight. He felt eyes on his back, so he trailed behind the remaining students. 

As he made his way to his next class, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. 

‘Angelica? What did she want?’ He thought to himself. 

The girl, being eighteen, almost Nineteen, hadn’t needed to attend school, so she worked whatever hours she decided on.

Cole had started paying her earlier than he originally planned. Instead of the traditional check, he paid her One hundred thousand dollars, which should have been a decent salary for when he dropped the bomb on her head. He had plans, and he needed someone to ensure it went without hiccups. 

He tapped away at the phone, ignoring the murmuring of the classroom. As usual, he always arrived earlier, so there were at least fifteen minutes before the tardy bell rang. 

Comfortable at his station, he had begun reading more of the news. Red Hood's name was always mentioned as What if Spiderman decided to go down that route? He had a chuckle at that. 

The useless mayor had disavowed him, and the soon-to-be-dead police chief had issued a warrant for his arrest. 

Bat Redoubt was a lot of things, but its significant power was the bat computer; it was borderline sentient, the hardware was decades or centuries ahead of what he knew the public sector was capable of, and like anything tied to him and The System, its prowess would only grow. 

The tardy bell rang annoyingly overhead on cue. I had to put a finger in my ear as I adjusted my enhancing hearing, an ongoing problem I've noticed: He was developing hypersensitivity. 

Parker skidded into the room with an unnatural grace that somehow fooled his peers, at least not Cole's eyes. He had noticed the supernatural grace long before. 

Peter slumped into his station. Observation aside, he looked terrible; if I were a teacher, I would assume he had problems at home. Yet, Spiderman Rogue Gallery was growing so much that I suspected Peter not being the actual Spiderman. Still, when I started recalling moments when he had stepped away from school events or shown up in different clothes, I shelved the stray comical thought.

“What’s up, Peter?” I said in greeting, genuinely smiling at the boy.

“Hey man,” he paused as Mary strolled in. Hot on her heels was a fuming Flash. 

I rolled my eyes at the lovesick spider. Peter had the hots for the wrong girl. I would ship him to Gwen if I were the author. The thought made my insides twist. I hadn't forgotten that the previous owner had just as bad a crush on Gwen.

It was quite the spectacle to see the triangle of the three. Flash wanted Mary but had Gwen. Peter was deeply in love with Mary, but Gwen secretly adored him, and Mary, well, she didn’t know what she wanted. 

“Sorry. I-“ Peter jumped.

“Got distracted by the redhead,” Cole finished his words as his eyes went back toward the backs of the arguing couple. 

“Yeah, Mar-” Peter sputtered to a stop, turning away from her figure, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

I laughed a bit before at his embarrassment. Parker and I hadn't talked much, but when we did, it was always rewarding. At least for me Peter Parker is one of my favorite heroes. 

Trigonometry class had ended, and I managed to ace all the tests and catch up with my late and missing work. It looks like Jeremy York's academic probation will end. 

I doubted Principal Moira would expel me. York was still my name and the money the company donated to the triangular effort that was Mid Town High couldn't be discarded easily.

Regardless of what my father's family attempted, it was bound to end in my win. I would submit my emancipation soon, and today would be the start of that process. 

Unless they kill me, it's idiotic to think they can continue to keep me from my fortune, and the illegal activity that I discovered in the trust was already the nail in their coffin.

“Shit man, did you see Spiderman wallop that Rhino?” an exuberant student rehashed, punching the air before whacking his hand predictably on the locker he had forgotten was at arm's length, drawing laughter from his friends. 

“Oh boy. My cousin Steve, you remember him? He was the one who dropped the cake at Aunt Betty's wedding. Anyway, his best friend's uncle was at the bank when that happened. Did you see how he transformed? I swear it's an alien or something,” Paraphrased another student. 

I tuned out the crowded hallway as I strolled past the gossipers and headed to my biochemical class. 

Rhino was now some serum-induced mutate. I didn't know what earth in Marvel I was on, speaking on Rhino's weird origins; my theory was this was caused by the super soldier arm races that have been going on between the governments. 

Insignificant events began to happen more sporadically. Newspapers worldwide began to write alarming headlines, well scary to the normal populace. Cole had feelers out for any sign of the start of significant events, events leading to the Avengers and Fantastic Four or New Vigilante, people he hadn't heard of. 

He wasn't alone, and others were fighting against The Hand. In the absence of the Defenders, more unknown New York natives had been forced to adorn the suit. The Hand had bit off more than they could chew, landing in the Americas. 

In his pursuits, he came in contact with a man by the alias of The Broker; for a fee, the man would sell anything, and with the much-needed boost in his intel, Cole would become a hard-to-remove thorn in The Hand's palm.

He sat at the desk and checked his phone. He had just received some off-putting news. The algorithm he had in place had a hit. Rand Enterprises and The Hand were synonymous. 

All but one of the executives of the multi-billion dollar company weren't Hand operatives. Also, there wasn't any news of the missing CEO, Danny Rand. 

Just what Marvel-verse was he in? He asked himself again. No Iron Fist? Then, no Defenders. He had figured as much as seeing Jessica was a cop, and Misty was an alphabet spook. 

He had zoned out as he worked, shelving his contemplation for later. He had created his first tech, albeit with the modicum help of The System by way of an impossibly advanced blueprint. 

The world wouldn’t ever know of The System. Regardless of where his life went, he would keep that secret. 

He and the Japanese doctor had formed two companies; Mishimoto would be the face of the company for the media and, on paper, the brain behind the revolutionary tech and the up-and-coming C.E.O.

Initially, he thought to hide the doctor away somewhere, but what better way to hide a man with the city's dark underbelly, eyes, and ears searching for him than being in the open? 

Mishimoto had around-the-clock protection from professional security personnel, and if anything went wrong, Cole assured the man he would be there. Even if he was captured, he knew the man wouldn’t be killed. The hand, or HYDRA, needed him alive. 

There was also the fact the man wanted revenge; they took his wife and caused his children to have psychological problems. 

Cole would remain in the shadows. He was Sixteen years old; after all, even though this universe denizens wouldn't bat an eye at a high schooler being a C.E.O of a tech company, nevertheless, he took a page from The Hand and HYDRA in that regard. 

The companies, buildings, technology, subsidiaries, you name it all inside of The System. He couldn’t afford the properties yet, but he could jump the gun and create them without the system. He wouldn’t have the tech and resources that came with the system-awarded properties.

He had already created Lexcorp Pharmaceutical. He had purchased a defunct pharmaceutical company, buying and rebranding the business. 

All of this was done with the accounts of Wayne Industries, Its parent company. It was easier than he expected with the money he had. In this universe, a single person could kill everyone on the board and assume control. It had been done before and was being done before his eyes. 

One particular item still had him perplexed and a tad excited: The Watchtower, the orbital base of the Justice League. When would the system give him the building? What would he have to do to get such a reward?

The System held comics from a comprehensive selection of material; anything that had become a comic outside of Marvel could be at his fingertips, and he was starting to suspect it was growing. 

He imagined what would happen if he could get his hands on bloodline abilities from Naruto or weird but powerful stands from JoJo Bizarre Adventures. What about technology? Wayne was great, but it was still in the realm of humans. He wanted Predator or advanced human society tech from Star Trek. 

Also, there was this. 

System message: Foundational Persona threshold reached. 

Rewards: Ability-Business Management. Iceberg Lounge. Additional Persona abilities gained.

He had yet to place it. Wherever he chose would be applied retrospectively. The System's capabilities were astounding. Just as it did for the Redoubt, he had just the person to run the infamous club already cemented in his head. He just had to convince them, which would be easy with his knowledge of events. 

He had reached 98/100%, garnering wondrous awards from the System. He felt the foundational persona would set the groundwork for those to come. 

[+5] Expert martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant.

• Dim Mak: The host is skilled in this ancient form of martial arts, where you strike vital points of the opponent's body, causing paralysis, intense and prolonged pain, or death. 

Cole had assumed Jason Todd was a Jack of trades, master of none in martial arts. His techniques were an array of many that could be summed up as mixed martial arts. 

He had watched the memories of Jason's training almost instantly, but it was as if he was there. The lingering memories of the pain and torturous training the League of Assassins had put him through had been tailored to fail, but he excelled. 

He has been taught a specific nerve strike technique by Lady Shiva that allows him to paralyze an opponent instantly. Bronze Tiger had taught him the bulk of his martial arts. Not even Batman could tap into Jason Todd's innate abilities like The Bronze Tiger had. 

The next was unexpected; he hadn’t recalled Todd having the ability, but after the memories were installed into his mind, he understood. 

• [Limited] Chi Manipulation: Host mastery of martial arts has made him skilled in sensing and manipulating Bio-electricity energy. The host can channel Chi to enhance physical parameters and focus his Chi to increase healing and recovery time.

The mystic arts had existed, and he was known for being utilized in the Marvel-verse. It seems the energy parameter was also a determining factor in his burgeoning magical abilities 

Energy Projection: + Potential Tier 3 —> 4

• Occultism: The Host is knowledgeable on various mystical concepts due to his training with the All-Caste.

He had a foreboding sense that came over him; only his training of his mind and body allowed him to recognize the auspicious aura, but he hadn’t flinched from it, nor did he dread it's coming. 

So be it, he had thought to himself, sitting in class, his thoughts unknown to the students that carried on as teenagers should unbothered by the machinations of the bad and the greater good that existed in the world. 

He was at the race's final leg; the next part was the hurdle, and he needed some major to push him toward 100% completion.

Even without a second Persona, his current attainments weren’t a laughing matter, and then there was the inhuman and mutant gene; the former was the concern as it wasn’t something he could buy from The System, and he wouldn’t dare search for the substance, in fear of alerting people he dared not face. 

And the Fragmenr of Fear-

“What are you creating their loverboy?” He had smelled her the moment she neared. He enjoyed it when she tested out her fragrances. She even got him into purchasing some. He was a fan of the unisex fragrances personally, and had a more sophisticated smell to them than the traditional men's cologne harsh openings. 

“Angel Share by Killan,” I responded, ignoring her question and leaning back from the workstation, my hands placing the instrument down. We were currently in the state-of-the-art laboratory of Midtown High.

“Hey, Liz,” I said. I stood to give her a side hug and to get a great whiff of her scent mixed with the fragrance. 

She pouted as my hand snaked back from her waist. She tugged but stopped once she noted me watching Gwen Stacy entering with Peter and Harry. She had a gorgeous smile as she listened to Peter talk aimlessly about his extracurricular activities at the lab. Knowing the girl was in love with him caused my stomach to twist. 

“That’s unfair, Handsome,” Liz teased, catching where my eyes lingered. Liz took the seat next to me, and I slid the protective gear over to her, noticing the teacher's eyes on us too. 

“You’re smelling great today,” I said. 

“You should get a bigger whiff,” she hummed seductively. 

“Liz. I said warningly. 

She chuckled as she placed the protective goggles on her head. 

Cole's reply stopped when a book slammed against the desk. He and the class turned to see Flash Thompson glaring at him before his newest girlfriend, Mary Jane, grabbed his arm to get him to look at her, but not before her clouded eyes landed on Liz. 

I sighed inwardly. Flash and Mary Jane were a new item. Believe it or not, Liz had dated him first, but Flash professed his love for Gwen, and Liz dumped him. Then he dated Mary when she transferred in, but that died, and now he’s with Mary Jane. This was his longest relationship, and the rumors were because Mary was more susceptible to his charm. 

Flash knew who to bully, and even if he turned his image around, Jermey was still considered a bad boy by the students of Midtown.