A young man awakens to...complete darkness. He is no older than eighteen, has short very dark brown hair, pale blue eyes and is average weight, wearing a short sleeve black shirt with jeans, white running shoes and a cross necklace. He grabs his abdomen on reflex, recalling his last memories.
"Nice going, Matthew...tried saving someone from getting shot, and wound up getting shot three times...no wait, four...wait..."
He looks at the hand he grabbed his abdomen with to see there was no blood, nor did he feel any pain from the area before remembering the horrifying truth of the situation.
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December 2nd, 2018, 9:15PM, City of West Columbia
The young man walked down the sidewalk in a leather jacket while looking at facebook on his phone, giggling at memes and funny posts before scrolling further down and seeing political BS.
"Trump, Trump, Syria…nothing new here..." he quietly said to himself as he kept walking to rejoin his friends, until he heard a struggle and a pistol being cocked nearby.
"Gimme all your money! NOW!" a man said with a deep voice before a much older voice responded.
"Please sir, we don't have much. There isn't any need for this..." Matthew heard the older voice say before he turned around the corner to see an older man with a young woman that seemed to be the older one's daughter. The man with the gun stepped closer to them with his hand out.
"Just gimme the goddamn cash!" he demanded, before he hit the older man over the head with the pistol, knocking him down.
"I SAID NOW!"
The woman started rummaging through her pocket book as Matthew argued with himself inside of his head.
'Should I stay out of this!? Should I intervene!? Hell, he just wants cash, right!? But...he hurt the old man, and what if he gets away and actually does shoot someone!?'
The man then pointed his gun at the old man.
"If you don't get that goddamn money out in five seconds, I'll pull this fucking trigger...HURRY UP!" the man yelled, making the woman quicken her movements, and after deciding what to do, Matthew swallowed his fear and started walking towards them.
"HEY, ASSHOLE!"
The man turned around and pointed the gun at Matthew, clearly surprised and not expecting someone to come up behind him.
"S-stay back, motherfucker! This doesn't concern you, so just walk away!" the man said to Matthew as he took another few steps closer.
"Or what, you'll shoot me? Do that, and the entire town wakes up, calls the cops, and you get thrown in jail for armed robbery and murder!"
The man turned from being confident to a nervous wreck, the gun shaking in his hand as Matthew got closer.
"Are you suicidal!? I SAID BACK OFF! OR I'LL-"
Before he could say anything else, the woman hit him in the back as hard as she could, making the man stumble forward, and taking a quick look at the woman getting back up, then back at Matthew, who was scared shitless, just realizing the situation either just got better, or much worse, and soon found out the answer.
"Fuck it!"
The man yelled as he quickly turned to Matthew and pulled the trigger four times in quick succession, all hitting the young eighteen year old in the abdomen, making the young man collapse on his back while holding his stomach. As the man with the gun ran up to him and pointed the gun shakily at Matthew, who was bleeding out on the ground, coughing up blood as he raised his hand at the man.
"Wait…d-don't…"
The robber actually looked sorry it came to this, but didn't at the same time.
"Sorry man...should of stayed out of it..." the man said as he was about to pull the trigger, but right before he could, another gunshot rang out as a bullet passed through his would be executioner's head. Matthew looked up the alleyway weakly to see the old man with a small pistol he must have had concealed as protection. The old man holstered the weapon as Matthew laid his head back down and the two people ran to his side.
"Hold on, young man! Just stay with me! My daughter is calling an ambulance, just stay with us, ok!?" the old man shouted, but it was too late for Matthew, and he could feel his strength fading fast and feel himself fading, and with one last ounce of strength, he looked at the two of them and smiled.
"At least...I didn't die for nothing…I'm sorry, Mom...I couldn't let one of them die because I didn't do anything...but...I don't regret a thing," were his last thoughts before he passed away.
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"OH, WONDERFUL! I'M FUCKING DEAD!" Matthew yells as he throws his hands up and sits on the ground before getting up and looking around.
"Great, I guess this hell! ALRIGHT, FINE, BRING ON THE TORTURE, SATAN! DON'T JUST KEEP ME WAITING!"
When he does not receive a reply, he raises an eyebrow.
"Anyone!? Anyone here at all!?"
He sighs before sticking his hands in his pockets and looking down sadly before a voice speaks.
"Hello...you're...new, aren't you?" the voice asks as Matthew looks around for the source of it.
"Where, and who are you?" Matthew asks curiously as a bright light appears in front of him, not blinding, but a light that radiates life, warmth, and comfort.
"Here, and I have many names...most commonly, I am known as God, or The Creator...so call me what feels most appropriate, my child..." the voice says in a warm and welcoming tone.
"Okay, 'God.' So is this Heaven? Doesn't look like much…" Matthew says sarcastically, and God chuckles at the comment.
"Heaven is what you want it to be. This is the space between existence...the void...where all souls go to before deciding what to do," God explains casually and calmly as Matthew blinks at his explanation with a surprised look.
"What?" he says in a very surprised tone before regaining his composure and putting his hands together.
"So I get to decide what to do?" Matthew asks with a plain look before God responded.
"Normally, yes…however, I have…a proposition."
Matthew then gives the light a worried look.
"What is it?" the young man asks worriedly as the bright light lights up more, with God being pleased to see he wanted to know more instead of losing his mind like he expected after he said that. Then, a projection showing the milky way, what looks like paradise, and then what seems like Hell, next to one another.
"The realm of mortals is the plane in between Heaven, which yes, Heaven can be what you want. It is also a city for people to live in, and for people who want simpler afterlives," God explains to Matthew as he nods, absorbing the information while trying to keep his calm.
"Hell is like a prison for the most dastardly people, and contrary to popular belief...Satan isn't evil, he's actually the warden and does what he pleases to his prisoners. Of course, giving the punishment to the proper prisoners and such, and before you ask, no he does not and never has influenced mankind. Everything that mankind has done was their own choice, and theirs alone. Satan just punishes the bad ones." Matthew nods at this after God finishes, taking a moment to let the information sink in.
"Huh…he…actually doesn't sound that bad...interesting…anyway, what is this proposition you have for me?" Matthew asks again with even more curiosity as he swallows the lump in his throat, and then the projections shift to show a burning world.
"You know how I said hell is a prison? It isn't impossible to escape from and, THIS…is the consequences of such prisoners escaping. A planet once full of life, ruined..."
Then, the projection shifts into a galaxy much like our own except…wrong...distorted...dark.
"And so is their universe if not stopped…this has been happening frequently due to the increase of prisoners, and it will only get worse...so...I've decided on something..."
The projection disappears as the blackness around them fades, and reveals them standing in a meadow of flowers. As Matthew looks around slowly, absorbing his surroundings before spotting a lake with a small town beside it. He decides to look up to see a sky full of many colors and life, the sun appearing as though it was experiencing an eclipse as it sets.
"It looks beautiful..." Matthew says out loud as the light moves beside him.
"This place...Eclipse Horizon...will become the center point of everything...life, time, day and night...everything. It will grow and grow as long as I wish it to and I aid in its construction. People who agree to help are granted an ageless life, but most importantly...a second chance. However, I need people to be a part of a group of individuals I am titling 'Jumpers'. They are the ones who will keep the timelines stable, and even make new ones if they desire to branch off of the main path, gather artifacts of incredible power to bring back for safekeeping, and the safety of all life...so far, that's all I have them do at the moment. They're not strong enough to bring back the prisoners that escape, nor do they have the numbers..." God says in a sad tone, knowing the longer they take to gather strength, the larger the number of universes and people that will be doomed.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"And you want me to be one? I got killed by a guy with a fucking pistol! What do I have that soldiers who die every day in some war zone don't!?"
God looks at Matthew for a second in silence before speaking.
"Everyone has determination and stubbornness in one way or another...however, you are different...you put your mind to something...you do it, you have a will of steel...sure, people have gone through worse than what you did in your childhood, but you never complained or...tried not to because of such, but you…you've been to the darkest parts of your mind…the parts that almost no one goes to and comes back from sane, but you managed to...and because of that...you are special...you defeated the greatest enemy of all in your life at a young age…yourself...that is why I am choosing you to join...however...I can tell you want to prove you are capable of doing this job...so I have a deal for you. Agree to serve the Jumpers and keep peace in the 'Multiverse,' and I'll let you have a true second chance at life. Prove to yourself that you can be what you always wanted to be to others...a hero. Save lives, inspire hope, experience love...and after your journey, you will return here to aid me. So how about it, my child?" God says to the young man as Matthew looks down for a moment before looking back up at the light with a smile of pure determination, and the look of a man ready to take on the world.
"Deal! After that's all done...I'll have one last thing to do..." Matthew said with a smile as the light leaned in closer.
"And what is that, my child?"
Matthew smiles brighter and clenches his right hand into a fist.
"Speak to my grandfather again..." Matthew then raises his fist in the air, full of vigor, and with a new objective in mind.
"Tell him all of things I've done! Tell him that without him, I would have never made it this far and show the man that was a father to me that his grandson saved so many people, and how far he's come!" he says as the light brightens happily.
"Very good! Very good! Well, let's get started my child!"
Then a projection similar to the Fallout: New Vegas character creation screen appears in front of Matthew.
"...what the fuck?" Matthew asked in confusion before God explained.
"A second chance at life requires a new body. Which, speaking of…what universe will you take this journey through? Fair warning before I let you answer...if it's a universe that you know too well, I'll have to erase your memories of said universe before I send you off...at least, just enough that you still know of the universe, but none of the major events that take place exclusively in that timeline."
Matthew's train of thought ground to a halt at those words.
"Why?" Matthew asks simply.
"Don't worry, some memories will come back as certain things happen. Just small things, though the universe you want to go in will have some tiny twists to make this journey truly yours...but why I will erase your memories to a certain extent of the universe you'll be going to if you know of the events well enough? Balance. Because if you know everything that will happen...what kind of journey would that be? It would be like an interactive play, and you wouldn't learn anything because you already knew it was going to happen. By doing this, you'll have new experiences and learn important lessons like you're supposed to. Make sense?" God explains to the young man, and Matthew seems to be thinking about what he has been told.
"Yeah...makes sense in a way, I guess. Just don't make me a vegetable. Now, if I'm gonna be a hero, I might as well learn from the pros. So send me to your ideal version of the world of My Hero Academia for this journey, God! Feels weird that I'm talking to the being that is the reason I'm even existing so casually, but eh, whatever." Matthew says with a smile as he types on the keyboard that had materialized as he started to think about what he wants to look like, creating his new body and his powers, specifying his strengths and weaknesses.
If I had a quirk...this would be it.. And my new body.. As big as it is.. I think it resembles my personality well.. A body that represents determination and a will that screams never give up.' Matthew thought to himself as he finished typing.
"Done...now just send me there and I'll get started," Matthew says in a serious and determined tone as he hits enter on the keyboard.
"This is going to take a lot out of me...but nevertheless...good luck, and may your journey be a good one..." God says as Matthew is surrounded by a bright light.
"And when I get back, I know a few people that would make great Jumpers, God!" Matthew yelled out before he felt himself fade into nothingness into the light before darkness fills his vision.
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[World Jumper Records: First Mission of Operative Matthew {Redacted} {Redacted}, Mission Codename: Hero Rising]
Musutafu, Japan, 10:11 AM, Age: 7
Matthew's eyes shot open as he quickly sits up in a bed that he does not remember being in, before he gets out of bed and touches his body, feeling the scaly skin smiling. Looking around for a mirror and quickly finding one hanging on the wall next to a dresser, he runs over to it and inspects his new body. Matthew designed his body to resemble a humanoid 2014 Godzilla, having legs similar, except for being a bit slimmer but not too much so, had a similar tail. His head looked just like Godzilla's, but with softer features at the moment due to how young he is. He has a 'V' shaped torso due to the broad shoulders, and he turns around to see little dorsal fin stubs on his back, and frowns.
'Why are they like that there supposed to be-'
Before he could finish that line of thought, his dorsal fins along his back and tail extended to their full length, making the now young boy smile.
'Well, that makes clothes easier for me now that I think about it.'
He finishes his thought as he hears a loud knock from the bedroom door, then hearing it open before he looks towards it, seeing a large, muscular man with blonde hair.
'That's All Might! But what is he-'
All Might starts speaking to the young boy before the boy could finish his thought.
"Hey kid! Good to see you're up!" All Might says with a bright smile as he walks up to Matthew and gets on one knee in front of him, frowning when he sees the boy's tired eyes.
"I know you just woke up Matthew, but you didn't have any trouble sleeping, right? No nightmares about your parents?" All Might asked the boy with concern and Matthew shakes his head before yawning.
"No, I slept fine," the young boy says in a slightly higher pitch than he was used too.
'Great, I can annoy myself for the next six or seven years…' Matthew thinks to himself in annoyance as All Might smiles at him.
"Alright kid! Go brush your teeth and get dressed, because we're going to the park today!" Matthew blinks at him and scratches his head in confusion.
"How come?" the young scaly boy asks before All Might realizes he forgot to give the details to him.
"Oh, right! I forgot to tell you yesterday! The other heroes want see my adopted son! So get ready, my boy!"
Matthew shakes his head quickly before running to the bathroom and starts brushing his teeth.
'I wonder who I'll be meeting...maybe they'll be other people my age. Well, the age I am now. Gonna have to act like how I used to when I was younger, which will be interesting…but all of this will be worth it in the end, I think. Second chances are just, well, second chances. I probably won't get another shot...' The young boy thinks to himself as continues brushing.
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30 minutes later, Musutafu City Park
As Matthew was walking beside All Might, he grabs the necklace around his neck and smiles.
'I'm glad I got to keep my necklace...guess he knew it was something that could remind me of Grandpa and keep me going…' Matthew thought to himself as All Might starts waving his hand at a group of people in the park with a smile.
"Hey everyone! We're here!" he yells out as he waves, some them waving back, one being a woman with long black hair, another being a man with long spiky blonde hair and a mustache, a man with shoulder length black hair wearing a tired expression waved his hand, while a man with a flaming beard simply looked away in disgust which made the young boy feel kind of hurt, but not too much.
'Guess that one guy...wait... that's Endeavor…' Matthew thinks to himself as they reach the group, and the woman crouches down to his level.
"Aaawww, he's so cute! What's your name, kid?" The woman Matthew recognizes as Midnight asks while Matthew plays with his thumbs shyly.
'Shit, I'm still bashful as hell... even though I already knew about her. Come on, snap out of it, Matthew!' Matthew thought to himself before shaking his head and smiling at Midnight.
"M-Matthew..."
Then he remembers something that was not his own memory and finishes speaking.
"Senshi...Matthew Senshi."
The woman smiles before pulling him into a tight hug, threatening to crush him with her strong grip.
"So cute! Toshi said you wanted to be a hero, but how can a kid be so cute!?"
Then the man with blonde spiky hair, known as Present Mic, pulled her off of the boy she was crushing.
"Come, Nemuri! You're killing the poor kid!" he laughed out after prying her off, smiling at the kid.
"Her name is Nemuri Kayama, I'm Hizashi Yamada..."
He points to the man with long black hair who looks like he hasn't slept in days, with Endeavor standing behind him.
"That's my best buddy Shota Aizawa, and the grumpy guy behind him is Enji Todoroki! Speaking of which, Enji, get your butt over here and say hi! Quit being a jerk!"
Enji huffs in frustration at feeling forced to speak to a child he doesn't seem to want anything to do with, and was just annoyed he was forced to drag himself and his daughter here before finishing their training. As he walks up to the boy, he looks down at him and narrows his eyes before looking away in disgust again, but making it more apparent.
"Hmph...guess ridiculous men attract brats now..." Enji says, surprising Toshinori and making Nemuri and Hizashi look shocked for a moment before getting angry, while the little boy walks away towards the tired man, looking a bit sad.
"Why would you say that!? He didn't even say anything to you and you already think he's a brat!?" Nemuri yells out in anger as Hizashi tries holding her back from hitting the man.
"Come on Nemuri, there isn't a need to start hitting him, but I do agree with you!" Matthew hears as he walks away. As he walks past the tired man, he felt him grab his shoulder.
"Don't take it to heart, kid...he's like that with everyone...don't let him get you down, alright?" Aizawa says and the young boy nods his head before looking ahead and sees a girl with white and red hair, looking down with a patch over her left eye and sitting down on a bench. Matthew walks towards her, and greets her.
"H-hey...what's your name? I'm Matthew Senshi..." Matthew says nervously as he sits down beside her, though she keeps looking down.
"Your dad is kind of mean...said I was brat even though I didn't even say anything to him..."
Matthew sat there for a minute before she finally spoke.
"Shoka.." Matthew looks at her with a raised eyebrow after she said that.
"My name is Shoka Todoroki...and you're right...my dad is mean...sorry..." Shoka says in a monotone voice and Matthew looks at her and smiles.
'God, you sly dog. I knew you were gonna change things, but not like this...' Matthew thinks to himself before he starts a conversation with Shoka, learning more about her as she learned about him and even discussed about becoming heroes when they grew up. Little did they know, they were being watched by three particular individuals.
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Eclipse Horizon, Hall Of Rulers Meeting Room
A bright light, a bearded man in a white robe, and a horned, red skinned man watched the projection as they all smiled.
"He's got a long way, but he has a good heart, and that alone will get him far," says the man in the white robe, as the horned one chuckles.
"Brother, lets not forget the body he has now. When he comes back, I might have to take some advice on looks. Even though he clearly based his body off of that overgrown lizard he loves so much, it still looks impressive. I can't wait to see what it looks like fully grown, and the power he'll have," the horned man says as the bright light grows brighter.
"I say this to you my children...this boy will go far...but not alone...he'll have allies, enemies, and friends on this journey and when he gets back, but while he is gone on his journey, we shall build Eclipse Horizon up to its full intended glory...and beyond. Agreed?"
The two brothers nod as the light floats up.
"Good...Jesus, get the list of people I know he'll recommend to me, and send them to me so I can start them off as well. Satan, ramp up the security while the people and I build the city. It's time things change for the better...starting today!" God says as Satan and Jesus both disappear, and God looks out the window behind him, overlooking the city under construction as his light grows brighter.
"Good luck, Matthew...and may you find what you need, and learn what you need to learn to be what you want to be...a hero." God says to himself as the sun in the sky seemed to burn brighter with determination and hope.