Chapter 181 - My SI Stash #81 - Hero Complex by SpatialPhoenix (DCUXFatekaleidliner) (1/2)

-A SI in Young Justice with Fate Elements~ Berserker best class?

Sypnosis: What does it mean to be a Hero? That is a question that many have tried to answer. And now Micheal Maelstrom, an ordinary boy practically forced by an immortal vampire prankster to inhabit the body of his alternate self in a world of craziness and metahumans, must struggle to find an answer to that question. And hopefully, he will. SI. Multiple X-over elements. DC Comics-like AU.

Rated: M

Words: 22K

Posted on: fanfiction.net/s/13139524/1/Hero-Complex (SpatialPhoenix)

PS: If you're not able to copy/paste the link, you have everything in here to find it, by simply searching the author and the story title. It sucks that you can't copy links on mobile (´ー｀)

-I'll be putting the chapter ones of all the fanfics mentioned, to give you guys a sample if you wan't more please do go to the website and support the author! (And maybe even convince them to start uploading chapters in here as well!)

Chapter 1

Blinking, I stared at the table in front of me.

Where the hell did that come from? One moment I was sleeping peacefully in bed and then-

”Is this a dream?”, I muttered.

No... No, it was not a dream; that much I could tell almost immediately. There was a big difference between a dream and reality, a really really big difference. I had often heard that people mistake dreams with reality, but that was just impossible when you really think about it.

For example, when you dream, everything around you is hazy, a blur, almost like a hallucination, and your own thoughts are a mess. No matter how absurd the sight in front of you is, you cannot bring yourself to even consider that you might be dreaming. You just go with the flow almost instinctively, almost like a cut-scene from a video game. I know this kind of thing pretty well because I've had a whole bunch of dreams that seem like reality. Except for that one with the green diamond chicken that was dancing to the Pen Pineapple Apple Pen song. That one was just freaky.

Yet, none of them were like this... clear, crisp and cool. My mind most definitely wasn't a mess and my thoughts were all organized. To reassure myself further, I began to pinch my hand, and as I expected I felt a stinging sensation I could feel pain, which meant that whatever was happening to me was not a dream of any kind.

That startling realization left me with one question.

”How the hell did I get here?”, I whispered once more, sparing a moment to take a look at my surroundings.

White... as far as the eye can see, everything is white... No matter which direction my eyes moved toward, all I could see was white... a very large white space... Nothing but a white space, a table and the chair that I was currently sitting on.

I did't like this... I really didn't like this... I mean, this wasn't a dream, as that option bit the dust since I could feel pain. And the last thing I remembered was pulling the blanket over my head to sleep and then suddenly now I was in... Wait... where the hell was I?!

”Yo!”

Out of nowhere someone appeared in front of me making me jump as he spoke. Oh God. Yes, I really did jump. Well, not like the ones you see in anime; I frantically sat up in surprise resulting in me toppling off my chair and becoming one with the ground.

”W-What the heck?!”, I yelled as I landed on my b_u_t_t, my eyes practically glued to the being that just pulled a Kakashi on me. My heart rate began to increase rapidly due to the surprise and for a moment I could have sworn that it was trying to burst out of my c_h_e_s_t. I hadn't been attacked by any Facehuggers recently as far as I knew, so it was probably just my imagination.

The man... looked somewhat old... I would guess he was probably in his his forties. He was clad in a gentleman's suit with a black billowing cape, having spiky gray hair and a graying beard. He stared at me with eerie red crimson eyes that somehow seemed far older than he was, and a smirk formed on his face. I had no doubt whatsoever that he was taking amus_e_m_e_nt from my fall. Jerk.

But for some, rather unsettling, reason... He looked familiar...

”How rude, do you swear at everyone you meet?”, he asked me.

I narrowed my eyes, slowly pushing myself to stand and inwardly gulping. There... There was something about him that made me feel uneasy. An aura of some kind. You know the feeling when you sit next to some stranger that bears an uncanny resemblance to a wanted criminal? Yep, that practically summed up how I felt at that moment.

”W-Who are you?”, I asked, trying to be brave, but failing miserably. ”And where am I?!”

Blinking his eerie red eyes at me, the man spoke, the smirk never leaving his weathered features. ”Well, you're clearly a bit more polite than the previous ones. Normally, they instantly say 'Where the f*** am I old man?' and things like that.”

Previous one? I didn't know what he was saying, but... It made my spine chill for a moment. What did he mean by 'previous ones'? Just who the hell was this guy?!

”I guess I should introduce myself. Surely you have heard of me before, my name is... Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg.”

And I felt myself freeze the moment he declared his name...

Kischur... Zelretch... Schweinorg...?

Yeah, I'd definitely heard of him. I was not that much a fan of Fate Stay/Night, and while I found the anime amusing and fun, but I never tried to dig in deeper. All my knowledge about it only came from fanfiction I read on the internet and whatever incarnationd of it I had watched. Surprisingly enough, that was almost all of them except for Fate Stay Night itself and The El Melloi Case Files.

And from all the fanfiction that I read, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg is someone very famous for one reason...

Dimension travel...

”No way...”, I murmured before taking a few steps away from him ”Hell no! That's impossible! There's no way you're Zelretch! No way you're that Zelretch! He's only a character in an anime! A fictional world! Screw his Kaleidoscope! It's just stuff that people use as a reason to make crossover fanfiction and things like that!”, I shouted at him, feeling panic and fear gnawing at my stomach. At this... this presence!

”Well...”, 'Zelretch' mused, showing nothing but amus_e_m_e_nt towards my reaction ”When you say it like that, it is rather strange, but... I'm not in the mood for pleasantries or long introductions, and since you already know me, I believe we can move onto business.”

Then all of a sudden I felt myself get yanked by some unseen force. My body was flung upward, with enough force and speed to make me let out a yelp as my eyes widened, before coming crashing back down to the chair that had somehow righted itself again.

As this happened, my mind was left frantically trying to process what had just occurred, the fear and panic within me beginning to grow further. This couldn't be happening! There was not logical way this could be happening! I mean, he couldn't be real! He was a fictional character! This couldn't be real! This was probably some sick joke, right? Like that or-

”Calm down.”

And I was calm...

It was very strange... One second my mind was bumbling mess, but then I felt... clear... like the sensation when you feel very nervous and afraid, but it all goes away because what you feared proved to be nothing.

”Well... While you are more polite than the other, you certainly are the first one that almost collapsed just because of meeting me.”, 'Zelretch' spoke, his voice still laced with amus_e_m_e_nt as he grinned and by the Gods, I could see his fangs! I didn't prepare for extra-dimensional troll vampire meetings! ”I don't know if I should feel flattered or offended but... I guess I'll take the first one.” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head.

Because my mind was now calm, I could feel parts of my logical brain starting to work again. Say what you want about me, but I'm a logical person, so when I was no longer panicking like that...

Regarding him as dream would only deny the reality, and that would just make me look like a retard in this situation. He's clearly was not a dream, but there was a chance... Perhaps I was hallucinating? That was actually possible, as when you hallucinate you can still feel pain.

But the problem is, I'm not an illegal drug user; I never touched drugs, especially the hallucinogenic kind, even when offered. So... had someone drugged me? But who? I mean...

I had to keep that thought process aside though, as at the moment there was another matter at hand.

”Okay. Let's just assume that you're real.”, I started, my eyes still lingering on Zeltrech, who just snorted in response, as if the idea of him being fake was ridiculous. ”I can list a few reasons as to why you'd come to me, and I would like to say in advance that I REFUSE whatever the heck you're going to offer.”

”But I still haven't offered you anything!”, He exclaimed rather petulantly.

”Your offers are along the lines of 'giving memories of an alternate version of someone whose life goal is to be a transvestite circus clown and then implant them into your victim's personality', or replacing someone's personality with their opposite gender counterpart, or sending someone to a world where monster girls who survive through man's s_p_e_r_m exist just for the sake of your fun.”, I said dryly, remembering a fanfiction story where he changed Miya Asama's personality and sent Shirou to a Monster Girl World. If that wasn't insane then I don't know what is. ”What kind of sane man would accept your offer?”

”Hey! There are many men who would love to take that last offer you know!” Zelretch defended himself.

Doesn't change the fact that it was still considered as the insane level of funny.

”Hear me first.”, Zelretch said, clearing his throat before giving me a pointed look ”I have already traveled to many places, and changed many things. However, I realize after I did that... it's now a bit dull.” He said.

”Dull?”

”Yes! They're all amusing and fun, make no mistake, but they all mostly have one thing in common!” Zelretch raising his index finger to me ”To be a cookie-cutter Hero that shines all golden and crap and beats up the villains with no difficulty whatsoever, arrests them and lives happily ever after. And there are those that try to avoid that trope by becoming some sort of selfish I'm-Not-Sure-If-I'm-A-Hero-Or-A-Villain type that inevitably becomes a thief for some reason.” He stated ”And like I said before, all of them are fun to see but I want something different There's nothing wrong with the classics but I feel like there needs to be more depth!”

”And you picked me...”, I said, narrowing my eyes. Truthfully, I had to admit that I wasn't the best person, but definitely not a bad one. I had a couple flaws, but if there is one thing that I could confidently say, it was that I stuck to my morals and would move mountains for the people I cared about, such as my family and friends.

”Micheal Maelstrom, second child of Gregory Maelstrom and Linda Maelstrom. Born on the 26th of July, in 2000 at Los Angeles in California, present age eighteen and now currently going to law school.”, Zelretch began, rattling off my bio-data. ”I would like to say more, especially about your rather saucy fetishes but it'll take more time than we have. So here's my offer! I will send you to inhabit a version of yourself in one of the numerous alternate realities. I won't send you to a completely different place like Naruto or One Piece, but rather, I would send you to a similar one to our own. But in this reality, Heroes and Villains are everywhere! Which means, your life would be in danger! But have no fear! I won't leave you without strength! I will provide you with the necessary skills to survive! Whatever path you take is up to you! I don't care if you turned into a serial killer or something equally disturbing! Just go on your life like usual and of course, amuse me-”

”I humbly refuse.”, I said, cutting him off instantly, having no intention to hear his rambling any further. This made Zelretch pause on his track and blink at me owlishly. ”While the idea of living in a fictional World is very tempting, I'm happy as it is at the moment.” It's true, at the moment I was pretty much content with how I lived my life. Of course, I wished like any other person to better it, but none of the plans I had to do so involved supernatural forces.

I had a father and mother who loved me, a big brother who was honestly a d_i_c_k, but cared about me as well in his own way. I didn't want to leave them all, especially for a World like that, a dangerous one like what Zelretch described and risk my life just to make it to the next day.

I was already content with what I had so... right now I just wanted to get out of wherever this place was and continue with my current life, as I was satisfied with it after all.

Though... I doubted Zelretch was going to accept that, as from all those stories I read, Zelretch was anything but nice in accepting refusals. The man was insane and I would not have been surprised if he outright refused my refusal and sent me directly to wherever he wanted...

”Well, okay.”

Which is why his rather quick reply was a shocker.

”Okay?”, I said, blinking at the acceptance. That... that was really surprising. But since I'm wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, I continued with my statement. ”Then, I wish to get out of here and-”

”And you will die.”, He added, prompting me to a stop.

”Die?”, I asked, my voice a bit dry as I stared at him in disbelief. Did... Did he really just...

”It's not me who's going to kill you.”, He voiced out as if he knew what I was thinking. ”But you will die because right now your cell phone , which is only a few centimeters away from your head, will explode, burning your head instantly and therefore killing you.”

”My cell phone... explodes?”, I croaked out, feeling numb.

”You do realize that lately your cell phone battery has started getting errors right?”, Zelretch pointed to me nonchalantly ”Until now you refused to change it because you thought it was a waste of money... and thanks to that, you are going to die. Apparently there's a short circuit in your electrical cable and, well .. Boom. End of story.”

”...You...”, I gulped, the feeling of dread now creeping up my throat. ”You're lying! You must be lying! There no way that my phone could-”

”If you think that I'm lying then by all means, just walk through that door.”, Zelretch said, gesturing to our right, where I noticed a door appear out of nowhere in the corner. ”It will take you back to your world, just when the explosion is about to happen and I warn you, it is not painless. When it explodes it'll melt your face, and your skull will fine, but your organs? Eyes, ears, mouth, nose and your entire face? Oh, trust me, it will hurt.”

I stared at the door with an obvious sickened expression across my face. Just imagining it... It was already enough to make me cringe, as that was certainly not the way I imagined myself dying. Having my face melted while I'm still alive? Great Jesus! That was...

But for all I knew, Zelretch could be lying... He was not sane, I was aware of that, and the way he thought was very different from normal people; perhaps it was because he was already too old, his age above four hundred if I recall... So I wouldn't be surprised if he did this so he could make me take his offer.

However, until now I never read about a universe where Zelretch was portrayed as the bad guy. He trolled, being the king of pranks, but never once did his pranks result in the recipient's death. Loss of sanity and being traumatized for the rest of your life? Yes, that was the worst it could get, but death? No... Zelretch never made people die... as far as I knew, anyway.

But if I accepted his offer... It meant I would have to leave everything behind... My parents... My brother... My friends... Everyone I ever knew... though if I was indeed going to die then it really meant the same thing...

And I was not one of those types of people who weren't afraid of death. I was definitely afraid of death. Only a moron doesn't fear death, especially at a young age, like me! I'm wasn't even twenty yet, dammit! Heck! I was still a v_i_r_g_i_n!

But moreover... I felt that if I died... I would go straight to Hell...

Seeing that Magic itself is apparently real and the person who has it was in front of me, I had no doubt Heaven and Hell also existed. And I was not a religious person, but I'd often read about mythology. Not that the fact really counted for much. Yeah sure, I was a good person, but my lack of faith in higher powers would probably be a one-way ticket to Hell. And I wasn't going to think about my younger, more foolish days, when I used to actively bully people about their faith. I'd stopped almost immediately, but the sin had been done.

...

...

...

...

No... The risk was too big... It wasn't just my life on the line, but my soul as well... I couldn't go back...

Gods... I...

”Can I at least see and hug them one last time?”, I asked Zelretch, my voice sounding dry and bitter on a level I couldn't fathom.

Despite the smirk still present on his face, I could see Zelretch's features softening a bit. ”I'm sorry, but I can't let you touch them, as it will make things very suspicious. But see them? Yes, you can. You also can leave a message through me if you wish...”

Gods...

I couldn't do anything but stare at him. My eyes started to hurt and I could feel warm tears slowly sliding down my face. My vision became blurry as my tears shrouded them, and I held my face in my palm in order to wipe them off.

Just thinking that I would leave them that soon... I... I mean...

I wasn't ready... not at all... especially not without saying goodbye or touching them one last time...

”You can mourn later.”, Zelretch abruptly stated, breaking me from my tears. ”Right now I have a schedule! So are you going to accept my offer or not?!”

”... You really ruin the mood, don't you?!”, I drawled out while glaring at him.

”I don't care.”, Zelretch deadpanned at me. ”You can mourn after I'm done with you. Anyway, I will get to the point since I am eager to see how you will amuse me. Here, eat this.”

I blinked at the pink pill that he gave me; the pill was small like a normal pill, aside from the three white stripes on the middle of it. I scrunched my face in thought before looking at Zelretch. ”What is this?”

”Super Pill.”, Zelretch answered. ”Albeit it a depowered version of it.”

”Depowered version?”, I questioned, blinking. ”I thought you said you'll give me something to survive!”

”If I give you the full one it will make people question you and trust me, it will bring nothing but very big problems and also it's boring to watch.” He said nonchalantly ”Don't worry, you still can make a car dent just by punching it and also you can break steel if you want, like it's made of wafers.”

I didn't really know how to respond to that... it was pretty much a huge boost in power. I mean, hello! If I punched a door it would be my fist that got hurt! But if I can now make a dent on a car...

Just what kind of place would I be going to?

”You... You're not going to send me to Dragon Ball, are you?”, I asked, a bit freaked out and horrified at the idea alone. Just so you know, even if I could break steel and flip cars, that still mean nothing but CRAP in there! Add in the fact Dragon Ball was the worst Anime to live in.

I mean, come on! Every ten years there would be a monster coming to disturb the peace! Piccolo, Saiyans, Frieza, Cell, And FREAKING MAJIN BUU! ESPECIALLY MAJIN BUU!

Just what kind of insane guy would want to live there?! In a place where they could be killed with nothing but a flick! And people exist who are able to blast the hell out of planets!

”Ha? No, no, I won't send you to that monkey-ridden World.”, Zelretch reassures me with chuckle. ”That place is too strange for my taste, trust me. The place where you are going to go would be... tamer.”

For some reason I still did not feel safe... At all.