NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Encounter
After finishing his shower, Ash returned to his room, glancing around at the now spotless surroundings. A small smile crept across his face as a sense of pride welled up inside him. He hadn't expected cleaning to feel this rewarding. He strolled over to his closet, ready to grab some clothes to wear, but then stopped in his tracks. He'd completely forgotten about one major problem—his clothes didn't fit anymore. Since he'd altered his height and bulked up his body, nothing in his wardrobe would suit his new physique. Everything was too small now, too tight.
He scratched his head, thinking about his options. He didn't have the money to go out and buy new clothes, so that wasn't even a choice. But then a thought hit him—he had gadgets, and one of them could probably solve this problem. After a quick moment of thinking, Ash remembered the Instant Dress Up Camera.
"Perfect," he said out loud, pulling the camera out of his drawer.
The Instant Dress Up Camera was a pretty handy device—it could change his outfit instantly to whatever he wanted. The catch? He needed a drawing of the clothes he wanted to wear. Ash grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and started sketching. He wasn't exactly a great artist, but after a few minutes of focused drawing, he managed to create something passable. A simple T-shirt and jeans combo.
However, as he prepared to use the camera, he realized another issue. The camera didn't have a delay feature, meaning there was no way for him to take a full-body picture of himself. "Great," he muttered under his breath. He couldn't exactly stand in front of the camera and take the picture at the same time.
He sat down on the bed, brainstorming what he could do. After a few minutes of thinking, his eyes lit up. "The Shadow Cutting Scissors!" he exclaimed. The Shadow Cutting Scissors was a device that allowed him to cut his shadow and bring it to life as a temporary clone. The shadow would follow his orders and disappear after 30 minutes unless it wandered too far, which could cause some unpredictable and possibly dangerous consequences. But Ash was confident he could handle it.
With a grin, he pulled out the Shadow Cutting Scissors, cut his shadow, and watched as the dark figure stood up, now separate from him. "Alright, I need you to use this camera and change my clothes," he told the shadow. Without hesitation, the shadow nodded and followed Ash's instructions.
Ash stood in front of the camera, and in a flash, his clothes were transformed into the new outfit he had drawn. A clean, well-fitting T-shirt and jeans. "Not bad," he said, checking himself out in the mirror. "Not bad at all."
Seeing how useful the camera was, Ash decided to create more outfits for future use. He grabbed a few magazines from the shelf, picked out designs he liked, and quickly sketched them on paper. With the help of the shadow, he managed to create several different sets of clothes, from casual wear to formal outfits. By the time he finished, it was nearly 30 minutes, so he merged with his shadow again just in time before it disappeared.
Feeling satisfied with his new collection of clothes, Ash glanced at the pile of old clothes that no longer fit him. He thought for a moment and decided it would be a good idea to donate them. From the memories of his past self, he recalled that there was a donation bin just across the street from his apartment. Since he also had some trash to throw out from his earlier cleaning spree, he figured he might as well do both tasks at once.
He packed the old clothes into a bag, tied up the garbage, and made his way outside. As he stepped out onto the busy streets of New York, he took a deep breath, taking it all in. It was his first real chance to explore the city in this new world. The streets buzzed with life, and the skyscrapers towered above him, casting long shadows over the sidewalks.
Ash dumped the garbage into the nearest bin and headed toward the donation center, his mind racing with thoughts. He realized he wasn't living in the worst part of the city, which was a relief. At least he wasn't in Hell's Kitchen or some other dangerous neighborhood. He was in Queens, and from what he could recall, Midtown High was about a 20-25 minute walk from here.
As he approached the donation center, he noticed there was no need to go inside. A large bin for donations stood just outside. He began tossing the old clothes into the bin, feeling pretty good about himself for donating them instead of just throwing them away.
But just as he was finishing up, he heard a voice behind him.
"Hey, you. Turn around and keep your hands where I can see 'em."
Ash spun around slowly and froze. Two men were standing a few feet away, wearing dark clothes, masks, and holding guns aimed directly at him. His heart pounded in his chest as they stepped closer.
"Hand over everything valuable you've got," one of them growled, waving the gun at Ash.
Ash swallowed hard, trying to keep calm, but the situation was terrifying. He raised his hands slowly, pretending to comply. He reached into his pocket, not to give them his belongings, but to find his Stopwatch Gadget, which could freeze time and allow him to escape.
Just as his fingers brushed against the gadget, he heard a loud thud. He looked up, and to his shock, both men were lying on the ground, unconscious. Standing behind them was a woman in a black leather jacket, her fists clenched and her face calm, as if knocking out two armed thugs was just part of her daily routine.
"Uh… thanks?" Ash stammered, still trying to process what had just happened.
"No problem," the woman said coolly. "I've been tracking these guys. They stole something valuable, and I've been following them all day." She slipped her hands into her jacket pockets. "Name's Jessica Jones."
Ash's mind raced as the name clicked. Jessica Jones. He knew exactly who she was—a character from the comics. She had superhuman strength and a troubled past. Seeing her in person, though, was surreal. She didn't seem like the tortured hero he remembered from the stories, at least not at the moment.
"Uh, I'm Ash," he said, trying to sound casual. "Thanks again for, you know… saving me."
Jessica shrugged. "It's what I do." She glanced down at the unconscious men. "You should get out of here before they wake up, or the cops show up. You don't want to get caught up in this."
Ash nodded, taking her advice to heart. He quickly thanked her again, then turned and hurried down the street, his mind still buzzing from the encounter.
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