In DC/Young Justice with the Omnitrix/Ultimatrix and a Chat Group

The river carries me downstream, washing away the blood from my fur. As I float, I watch the sun rise, casting shadows through the trees. Turning back to human form left me tired but cleaner than I expected.

"Okay, Samael," I say to myself, squeezing water from my red jacket. "Don't freak out, and just check your options..."

I swing my hand up and examine the damn watch, its surface gleaming in the sunlight. "Alright, you badass piece of tech, hit me with something - what the hell's going on?" I mutter, watching as its display flickers to life.

A cool, measured female voice cuts through my thoughts:

"Samael, your vitals indicate peak human performance, enhanced by the Ultimatrix. Genetic markers, reflexes, and even endurance are operating at optimal capacity.

You are not superhuman, but you have reached the pinnacle of what human physiology can achieve under these conditions."

I can't help but let out a short laugh. "Pinnacle, huh? Not exactly Captain America-level, but I'll take it."

The watch continues, almost soothingly: "Further analysis indicates interference from non-human energies. Unidentified quantum interfaces… possible dimensional rift signatures. It is advised to proceed with caution and gather more data."

I rub my eyes as if to clear a fog. "So, I'm smack in the middle of some freaky interdimensional mess, and I've got a turbo-charged watch trying to play scientist." I take another measured breath, my enhanced senses absorbing every detail of this tranquil morning.

The river flows steadily, and the birds chatter like nothing's wrong, but I know better.

I straighten up, feeling every inch of this enhanced body - every nerve practically buzzing with potential and unease.

"Okay," I murmur, a surge of determination creeping in, "I need to figure out what the hell to do next."

The pale morning sun casts long shadows as I scan the horizon. I've got a body that can do things I never dreamed of, and a watch that's half oracle, half high-tech enigma.

I glance down once more at the watch on my wrist - the damn damn thing look stranger the longer I look at it.

With slow, deliberate taps, I tinker with it, until I activate its hidden interface. The screen shimmers, then settles into an alien choice menu. 

"Damn, look at that," I mumble, scrolling through the options. Each alien form promises raw power and a different kind of beast mode.

My fingers hover over XLR8 - the speedster form - and then Graymatter, known for brains over brawn.

Ghostfreak - which I won't touch with a hundred foot pole thank you very much - while Humungousaur practically roars from the screen.

Chromastone, Spidermonkey, and then there's Rath - my old favorite when things got ugly. Heatblast burns bright on display, Wildvine exudes nature's strength, and Terraspin is all about raw rotational power.

I run my thumb back and forth, a mix of curiosity and trepidation welling up. This isn't just some toy, this literally the most powerful weapon in the universe, and its now bound to me.

Actually, is it though?

"Hey, uh, Ultimatrix, are you bound to my DNA?" I ask, my voice edged with equal parts curiosity and nervous trepidation.

A pause, then that cool, measured female voice responds with crystalline clarity:

"No, Samael. I am not bound to your DNA. I am bound to your soul - a manifestation of the Ultimatrix and the blueprint of its complete version engraved upon your very essence.

My capabilities do not rely on replicating specific alien DNA from Primus.

Instead, the full range of my data, including the potential of all selectable forms, is self-contained within me. Consider it a perfected fusion."

I stare at the watch in disbelief.

My mind races with a dozen questions, but one slams into me hardest: How the hell did all of this happen? I run a hand through my hair trying to steady my racing thoughts.

"Okay, Ultimatrix," I say, voice low and rough, "do you know how all this went down? Why am I fused with you? How did my soul end up with this blueprint?"

The interface flickers, and the familiar cool voice responds, "Samael, the circumstances leading to our fusion are not entirely clear.

It appears that a multidimensional rift, coupled with a surge of non-human energy, triggered an event that reconfigured the fundamental properties of your soul.

This event effectively burned the complete version of the Ultimatrix's blueprint into you, enabling our current state.

However, the precise cause and intent behind these energies remain subjects of ongoing analysis.

Further data collection is required to fully understand the underlying mechanisms."

I let out a slow, incredulous breath. Great - so I'm stuck in some cosmic accident with an alien watch who itself doesn't know how all this shit happened...

"Figures," I mutter, the absurdity of my new reality seeping in.

The forest thins as I begin to follow the river - having decided to first walk towards civilisation - not knowing what this world is like, nor if somehow my transformations can be detected.

If I'm going to survive then I need to consider any possibility no matter how small, and not let my own sorrows drown me.

Through gaps in the trees, I see tall buildings in the distance. A city. People. Maybe answers.

I walk faster, feeling the Ultimatrix on my wrist. Its presence is reassuring. Giving me a way to take care of myself.

As I reach the edge of the forest, the trees give way to old factories.

The buildings have a Gothic style - brick structures with arched windows, now falling apart. Something about them seems familiar, though I can't say why.

I pass a rusted sign: "GOTHAM HARBOR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT."

Gotham? As in Batman's Gotham City? I stop, staring at the sign in shock.

"That's impossible," I whisper, but the evidence is right there. Either this is a joke, or I've somehow ended up in a fictional universe.

I approach the city carefully, staying in shadows. The buildings grow taller as I move deeper into the city.

Everything about this place screams Gotham - the buildings, the mood, the feeling of danger just beneath the surface.

My suspicions are confirmed when I see a newspaper stand. The headline of the Gotham Gazette reads: "JOKER STILL AT LARGE AFTER ARKHAM BREAKOUT."

"Holy shit," I breathe, taking in what this means. I'm not just in another world—I'm in the DC Universe. In Batman's city.

I check my pockets and find a wallet. Inside is an ID for "Samael Morningstar," along with several hundred dollars.

The address listed is for an apartment in Gotham's East End. It seems whoever brought me here at least gave me some basics.

As night falls, I find my way to the address. The apartment building is old but not rundown - a five-story walkup in a neighborhood that's seen better days.

The key from my pocket works in the lock of apartment 3B, revealing a modest but furnished one-bedroom apartment.

"Home sweet home, I guess," I mutter, closing the door behind me.

I catch my reflection in a mirror and freeze in shock. My appearance has changed drastically. My hair is now white instead of its original color, and my eyes are a deep crimson red.

I look almost exactly like Albedo from Ben 10 – the evil twin of Ben Tennyson who ended up with white hair and red eyes after his DNA was damaged by his own version of the Omnitrix.

"What the hell?" I whisper, touching my face in disbelief. "I look like Albedo! Is this some kind of sick joke?"

I examine my new appearance more closely. The white hair is striking against my skin, and the red eyes give me an unsettling, almost predatory look.

It's as if the Ultimatrix didn't just bind to my soul, but changed my physical appearance to match a template from its universe.

"Great," I mutter sarcastically. "Not only am I stuck in Gotham with alien powers, but I look like a known villain from another universe. That won't draw any attention at all."

As I turn away from the mirror, the air in front of me suddenly shimmers. A translucent blue rectangle appears, hovering at eye level, with glowing text:

[OMNIVERSAL OBSERVATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED]

[PARTICIPANT: SAMAEL MORNINGSTAR]

[STATUS: CONNECTED] [SESSION 1 INITIALIZING...]

"What the-" I reach out to touch it, but my hand passes through the floating text.

Before I can process what's happening, the rectangle expands, splitting into four equal sections.

My image appears in one quadrant, showing my new white-haired, red-eyed appearance.

The other three sections fill with faces that make my blood run cold.

A young woman with sharp features and a flame-shaped ornament in her topknot. A Japanese teenager with perfectly styled hair and calculating eyes.

A man with slicked-back brown hair and a deceptively gentle smile wearing a white uniform.

Names appear beneath each image: "Samael Morningstar," "Princess Azula," "Light Yagami," and "Sōsuke Aizen."

My mind races as I recognize them instantly.

Azula from Avatar.

Light from Death Note.

Aizen from Bleach.

Characters I thought were fictional, now somehow real and connected to me through this strange system.

I keep my face carefully neutral, hiding my recognition. This knowledge could be valuable - I know their stories, their weaknesses, their futures.

They may not know that I know - and so long as I am not sure, I will hide that particular knowledge as best as I can. 

There's a tense silence as we all regard each other warily.

Azula speaks first, her voice sharp with suspicion. "What sorcery is this? Who dares summon a princess of the Fire Nation?" Her golden eyes narrow dangerously as she looks at each of us.

Light Yagami's expression remains carefully controlled, but his eyes are intense, analyzing everything. "This is... unexpected," he says carefully. "I assume none of us initiated this connection?"

Aizen observes silently for a moment, his calm smile not reaching his eyes. When he finally speaks, his voice is measured. "How curious. It seems we've been gathered by some external force." His gaze settles on me. 

"Does anyone have any particular ideas who?" I question, deciding that staying too silent is more suspicious than speaking too much.

As soon as I finish speaking, the blue rectangle pulses with new text, drawing all our attention:

[OMNIVERSAL OBSERVATION SYSTEM: PURPOSE STATEMENT]

[PRIMARY FUNCTION: MONITORING EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS ACROSS REALITIES]

[SECONDARY FUNCTION: FACILITATING CROSS-DIMENSIONAL KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE]

[TERTIARY FUNCTION: DOCUMENTING DIVERGENT DECISION PATHWAYS]

The text pauses, then continues:

[YOU HAVE BEEN SELECTED BASED ON POTENTIAL]

[YOUR DECISIONS WILL BE OBSERVED] [YOUR INTERACTIONS WILL BE RECORDED]

[YOUR GROWTH WILL BE MEASURED]

[INTERFERENCE WITH NATURAL TIMELINE PROGRESSION WILL BE MINIMAL]

I narrow my eyes at the floating text. "So we're lab rats in some cosmic experiment?"

Azula's face contorts with indignation. "This is outrageous! I am royalty, not some specimen to be studied!"

"Fascinating," Light says, his voice carefully neutral despite the tension visible in his shoulders. "A system that can bridge entirely separate realities. The scientific implications are... extraordinary."

Aizen's expression remains placid, but I notice his eyes have sharpened. "And what entity or power operates this system? Who watches us?"

The text responds:

[SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR: CLASSIFIED]

[OBSERVATION PARAMETERS: NON-INVASIVE]

[PARTICIPANT PRIVACY: MAINTAINED WITHIN REASON]

[FREQUENCY: DAILY CONNECTIONS AT PREDETERMINED INTERVALS]

[DURATION: UNTIL OBJECTIVE COMPLETION]

"What objective?" I ask, careful to keep my tone measured. "You haven't explained what we're supposed to do."

[OBJECTIVE: UNIQUE TO EACH PARTICIPANT]

[NATURE: SELF-DISCOVERY AND POTENTIAL REALIZATION]

[SUCCESS METRICS: INDIVIDUALIZED]

[FAILURE CONSEQUENCES: VARIED]

Light leans forward slightly. "That's conveniently vague. Are we competing against each other?"

[COMPETITION: UNNECESSARY BUT NOT PROHIBITED] [COOPERATION: ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED] [OBSERVATION CONTINUES REGARDLESS OF PARTICIPANT CHOICES]

Azula scoffs. "This is absurd. I have a nation to help rule. I don't have time for riddles and games with strangers."

"And yet," Aizen remarks smoothly, "we find ourselves unable to disconnect. I suspect this system has more influence than it claims."

I remain silent, processing the implications. Whatever this system is, it's powerful enough to connect people across completely different realities. That's not something to take lightly.

"What happens if we refuse to participate?" I finally ask.

[PARTICIPATION: ALREADY INITIATED]

[OBSERVATION: CONTINUES REGARDLESS OF AWARENESS]

[COMMUNICATION SESSIONS: OPTIONAL BUT RECOMMENDED]

[BENEFIT: KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE MAY PROVE VALUABLE TO ALL PARTICIPANTS]

Light's eyes narrow fractionally. "So we're being watched whether we engage with each other or not."

"Unacceptable," Azula declares, her voice cold. "No one spies on the Fire Nation princess."

"I suspect," Aizen says, his calm voice cutting through Azula's indignation, "that our objections are irrelevant.

This system has already demonstrated power beyond conventional understanding."

I study each of their faces, noting their reactions. Light's analytical caution. Azula's royal outrage. Aizen's calculating acceptance.

None of them know me, and I intend to keep my knowledge of them hidden.

"So we talk," I say simply. "We're strangers from different worlds. What exactly are we supposed to discuss?"

[DISCUSSION TOPICS: UNRESTRICTED]

[SUGGESTED PARAMETERS: CHALLENGES, PHILOSOPHIES, STRATEGIES]

[PERSONAL INFORMATION: SHARE AT OWN DISCRETION]

[WARNING: DELIBERATE DECEPTION MAY IMPACT OBSERVATION METRICS]

"How convenient," Light remarks dryly. "We're encouraged to be honest, yet given no reason to trust each other."

Azula's eyes narrow. "I have no intention of sharing Fire Nation secrets with outsiders."

"Nor would any of us expect you to," Aizen responds, his smile unchanging. "I believe we're meant to exchange perspectives rather than strategic information."

I decide to test the waters carefully. "I'm from a city called Gotham. It's... complicated. Full of criminals and corruption."

I have no intention of revealing my status as an otherworlder, for why should I? I would only give more psychological bullets to these two masterminds.

"That sounds tiresome," Azula says dismissively. "The Fire Nation deals swiftly with criminals."

"I'm sure it does," I reply neutrally.

Light nods slightly. "My home has its share of criminals as well. The justice system is... imperfect."

Aizen's smile widens fractionally. "Every society struggles with order and chaos. The question is always who decides what constitutes justice."

A new message appears in the center of the display:

[INITIAL EXCHANGE COMPLETED]

[OBSERVATION PARAMETERS ESTABLISHED]

[SESSION 1 CONCLUDED]

[RECONNECTION IN 24 HOURS]

[RECOMMENDATION: CONSIDER YOUR UNIQUE OBJECTIVE]

The floating rectangle collapses in on itself and vanishes, leaving me alone in the apartment once more.

I exhale slowly, my mind racing. This "Omniversal Observation System" has connected me to three fictional characters - no, three real people from other universes.

People whose stories I know intimately, while they should - emphasis on should, for I will always leave things open till I have evidence for otherwise - know nothing about me.

Still, It's an advantage I need to protect carefully. I can't let them know I recognize them or their worlds.

I can't reveal that I've seen their futures unfold in stories.

That knowledge is my safety net in these conversations.

I walk to the window, looking out at the Gotham skyline. In the distance, I can see Wayne Tower..

I'm in a city full of criminals, heroes, and sometimes so called gods and aliens. I have a device fused to my soul that gives me incredible power.

I look like a villain from another universe. And somehow, I've been connected to three very dangerous and intelligent characters from fiction.

Whatever this system wants from me, whatever my "unique objective" is, I'll need to figure it out without revealing too much about myself.

The others will be doing the same, especially Aizen and Light - both masters of deception.

Police sirens wail in the distance, reminding me that in Gotham, danger is always close.

"Welcome to your new reality, Samael," I whisper to myself. "Try not to die on your first night."