The Greedy Frog
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DC: The Enchanter Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2023-07-01 15:24:49 +0000 UTCChapter 3: A Shithole Named Gotham
So, imagine this: You wake up, groggy as all get-out, and find yourself in the most charming of locations—a nasty, dark alleyway. Yeah, I know, it's not exactly the cozy bed you were hoping for, but hey, life's full of surprises, right?
You slowly open your eyes, squinting against the dim light that manages to seep into this godforsaken place. As you try to gather your bearings, you realize the ground beneath you is hard and uncomfortable. Cobblestones or broken concrete, take your pick. It's the kind of spot you wouldn't exactly recommend for a luxurious morning stretch.
The air is heavy with a mix of mustiness and the scent of something that would make a skunk gag. Yeah, it's not exactly a bouquet of roses, but hey, it’s a different city, a different world, where even the air likes to keep it edgy and real.
You sit up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and taking in your surroundings. The walls on either side are a delightful combination of grime and graffiti. It's like a modern art gallery colliding with a garbage dump. Bold colors, intricate designs, and oh-so-subtle messages—each artist clearly trying to leave their mark on this less-than-pristine canvas.
Now, the noise. Oh boy, the noise. You're serenaded by the distant sounds of sirens, car horns, and the occasional argument from some unseen participants. It's a symphony of urban chaos, reminding you that the world is very much awake and busy, even if you've had a less than glamorous start to your day.
But hey, don't let the gloom get you down. Life is all about surprises, and waking up in a nasty, dark alleyway certainly adds a bit of spice to the mix. Plus, who knows what adventures await you beyond these less-than-hospitable confines? So shake off the sleep, put on your game face, and get ready to tackle whatever this place throws your way. After all, it's just another day in the life, right?
But why was I here? I would love to know as well.
So again, get this—I wake up in the middle of a trash-filled alleyway, and I'm thinking, "Really? This is the 'safe-ish' place the guy was talking about?" I mean, talk about false advertising!
This place may not win any safety awards, but it sure as heck wins the prize for nastiness.
Dusting the dirt off of my pants, I looked for any possible clue about the location.
I needed to get out of here, possibly get a change of clothes as getting the dust off my clothes was easy but the grease?
That's an entirely different story.
I still had my phone and I was still rocking the same outfit from before my fall, but yes, there was a change in my appearance- I was back to my early twenties appearance. The broken shard of glass showed me all the proof I needed.
Well, it’s kind of expected as he ‘regressed my age; both mentally and physically.’
But there was one slight difference.
I had a wallet in my pocket.
And I wasn't stupid enough to not check everything before making any moves. Thus, I immediately took it out and went through its contents.
There wasn't much.
Disappointingly so.
A $5 bill, two $2 bills and three $1 ones.
Which meant I had a total of $12.
Was it enough? Of course not. But it was a start.
Other than money, there was something else as well.
It was a driver's license.
I was ecstatic to find it more than the money.
Why? Because now I had some sort of identity proof.
And, well, not much seemed to have changed from the previous one except for the address, which now said NY. Being a New Yorker might not be all that bad... or is it?
There are a few issues like the high cost of living, which I can't even think about with the twelve dollars I had on me.
And getting used to the New Yorker accent will take a while.
However…
There was something I wanted to know.
Am I currently in NY or is it just supposed to be my actual address for this place?
There's only one way to find out.
…
…
I stepped out of the dark alleyway, glancing around, and immediately noticed a familiar sign perched high above the buildings. It read "Welcome to Gotham City." My heart sank, and a sinking feeling of dread washed over me. Well, ain't this just my luck? I muttered under my breath.
I took a moment to survey my surroundings, taking in the gothic architecture and the eerie atmosphere that seemed to hang in the air. Shadows danced along the cobblestone streets, giving the city an ominous vibe that sent shivers down my spine. It was clear I had stumbled into a place where trouble lurked around every corner.
As I fumbled for my phone, hoping to find a way out of this mess, I couldn't help but think, "Why, oh why did I end up in Gotham?" It's like stepping into a comic book, but without the plot armor given to the protagonists. I cursed my luck once again.
The city seemed to have a life of its own, with whispers of danger and crime echoing through its dark alleyways. I could almost hear the sound of a distant siren, reminding me that I had stepped into a world where chaos reigned supreme. And here I was, a guy completely unprepared for the madness that awaited me.
Even the power that was bestowed upon me didn’t give me enough confidence to tackle this bullshit.
I had to think fast. Maybe I could find a taxi and make a quick getaway. But as I looked around, the city seemed to swallow up any trace of normality. It was as if I had been dropped into a twisted version of reality, where even the most innocent-looking corners held secrets that could unravel everything.
With a sigh of resignation, I realized that I was truly screwed. Gotham had claimed another unsuspecting victim, and it seemed there was no easy way out. So, I straightened my shoulders, took a deep breath, and muttered to myself, "Well, Jasper, looks like you're in for a wild ride. Good luck, buddy. You're gonna need it."
It was honestly pretty fucked up of that guy to send me to Gotham disguised as 'Safe-ish' place.
A city of crime infamous for having people turn missing every day.
My heart and mind were drowning in worry, but I had to get back on track.
And to do that, I had to give my heart some sort of reassurance.
And how did I do that?
Of course, by making myself believe that the villains of Gotham were weaker than places like Metropolis.
And thankfully I was not in Metropolis.
But that didn't mean Gotham was better, I would say Gotham villains would fuck you up more than the ones in Metropolis.
However, I had to get rid of that thought.
So, I did what I could to reassure myself.
If I had no way to save myself, I would have been shitting bricks.
But thankfully, there was a way.
"I am not a normal human being."
At least, if the man kept his word, I shouldn’t be normal.
But how do I test it out?
I looked around, trying to find anything to test my powers on.
There was a lot of trash, but I needed something fairly sized.
And considering the place was a literal dumpster, it didn't take me long.
I found a plastic pipe laying at the corner of a dumpster. It was around a meter and half long which was perfect to test out my ability.
"Deep breath, deep breaths."
How do I go on about this?
Do I simply imagine the plastic to change into metal or do I have to go deep into the molecular composition to change it?
Which I am definitely not going to be able to do given how weak I was at chemistry.
But I still went through with the plan and picked up the piece of plastic.
And color me impressed, the man that sent me here took all of my concerns into consideration.
At the moment I thought of changing the composition of the pipe, I was presented with the countless atomic configurations of the elements that I had previously come in contact with.
And to my utter surprise, that also included elements like uranium, radium, francium, polonium etc.
Considering how radioactive or poisonous those elements were, I was curious how and when I interacted with them.
But that was not the point of concern at the moment.
For now, I had to change the configuration and that was possible using various methods.
One was simply magic, which I don't believe I had access to yet. As I did not gain that information when I thought of changing the element.
Enchantment was a mix of magic and science anyways.
And since I wasn’t aware of magic, I was left with the scientific approach.
Radioactive decay, fission or fusion and particle bombardment.
And what did I choose?
I chose a mix of them all.
Why? Well, it's because the element I wanted it to transform into was way too different and far down the periodic table compared to the original composition. So, a single process just couldn't do the trick and alter the entire constitution.
It was made up of PVC which was basically a combination of Carbon, Hydrogen and Chlorine.
So, basically I had to change these elements to change the entire composition.
I chose titanium as the final element. But adding all the elements together gives me chromium if we go purely by atomic number, so I had to think of another way.
And I decided to do that by decaying out a few of the constituent particles and mixing it with the air around me.
Matter cannot be created or destroyed but it can be transferred so I am not breaking the law either.
And with that in mind, I started the process.
Slowly breaking apart the elements and adding them together to form chromium, I transferred two atoms into the air to lower the atomic number.
So, from twenty four it went to twenty two which helped me create titanium.
And with a grin on my face, I swung it around, hitting the dumpster with it.
And it was truly titanium.
The strength, the durability and the color was undeniable.
And with the change of the element, I realized something.
"Have I just created a way to get infinite money?"
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Younger Jasper
[[A/N: This Chapter was edited by a friend, so thank you Shiro (Tbh idk his actual name, it's just his discord name kek).]]
