Marvel: The Foundation

Japan was a nation that wasn't a stranger to bad things. They often experienced earthquakes, and other natural disasters. Not to mention the ending of the world war which had left two great scars on the land.

Yet, the people who called the place their home were a strong folk. They might appear polite, maybe easy to bully, but they were people who would stand strong in the face of adversity.

They had just suffered another great loss; a large part of their capital city had been left in ruins, and while many had been able to survive thanks to having been evacuated, many had sadly still lost their lives. 

Yet, even then, life moved on, and people got back to rebuilding their broken homes; even if they did demand answers, they could do so while getting back to work and quickly returning to normal.

Japan had become a popular tourist destination, and the nation had much to offer, both in culture and history, as well as beautiful landscapes. It also holds many interesting little quirks that people from around the world find entertaining.

One of these little quirks was the Japanese's love for vending machines. These machines could be found in all corners of the world, yet Japan took them to another level.

Here, one couldn't just get a cold drink or an ice cream or another little snack; entire freshly cooked meals could be gotten out of one of those boxes with but a few coins and a bit of patience waiting for water to boil.

Yuki was no stranger to vending machines. In fact, she passed by at least a dozen on her daily walk to university. On her way home from her part-time job at a convenience store, it was usually the same story—brightly lit rows of vending machines lining the streets, their hum and flashing lights cutting through the quiet of the night. But there was one machine she had never noticed before.

It was in a quiet, almost hidden alleyway between an old bookstore and an abandoned building. Yuki had only found it because she was in a rush to get home, taking a shortcut through an unfamiliar side street.

The vending machine was a little different from the others—an older model, dusty, with a slightly chipped frame. It seemed to lack the standard branding, the flashy colors advertising the drinks or snacks inside. Instead, it was painted a dull black.

Yuki had been curious, of course. She was a student, and like many others, she was on a tight budget. The vending machine didn't have a card reader—just a coin slot. But what caught her eye was the small note pasted on its side: "Try me. Only 100 yen." Something about the oddness of it all intrigued her, and before she knew it, she had fished out a 100-yen coin from her pocket.

She slipped it into the slot and pressed the button. The machine rattled for a moment, and then, with a dull thunk, a can dropped into the dispenser. She retrieved it, her eyes widening at the sight.

"Fizzing Root Fruit," the can read. There was a cartoon of an apple-like fruit with fizzy bubbles surrounding it. Yuki blinked. She had never seen anything like it before. There were no recognizable brand labels, and the can was cool to the touch. It felt just like any other soda can, but the colors were more vibrant, almost as if they were glowing faintly under the dim light of the alley.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she opened the can. The hiss of carbonation filled the air, and a sweet, almost floral scent reached her nose. She hesitated for a moment before taking a sip.

The taste was unlike anything she'd ever had. It was sweet, but not overpowering, with a fizzy tartness that danced on her tongue. It felt refreshing, almost rejuvenating, as if the drink was waking up her senses. She laughed to herself. It was strange, almost magical in a way—like something out of a fantasy story.

She went back the next day, and the day after that. Each time, the vending machine gave her something different—an odd candy bar that seemed to shift colors as she ate it, a packet of what looked like potato chips but tasted like smoked salmon with an intense, almost smoky flavor that left her craving more.

She figured it was a funny little thing, giving out random snacks she had never heard about before, and they were also cheap, only 100 yen wasn't too bad at all, well within her budget for a daily snack.

And so she slowly began making her way to the machine every day on her way home. Excited about the new snack she would get, a little surprise to brighten up an otherwise boring life.

So one day, when she put in yet another 100 yen coin, she couldn't believe her eyes when rather then a small snack or drink, a brand new mobile phone came out, in box and all.

Yuki stood there for a moment, staring at the vending machine in shock. She blinked, half expecting the phone to disappear if she looked away. But no, it was there—brand new, sleek, in pristine packaging, sitting at the bottom of the vending machine where she had retrieved countless strange snacks before.

She picked it up, her hands trembling slightly. The box was glossy, with no branding or recognizable symbols, just a minimalistic design. Yuki looked around the alley, as if expecting someone to jump out and laugh at the joke they had played on her. But the alley was empty, the only sound the distant hum of traffic.

"Holy…," she whispered, turning the box over in her hands. This had to be worth thousands of yen. Was it real? Could it be some kind of fake?

She quickly shoved the box into her bag, her heart pounding as she glanced back at the machine. It just stood there, humming quietly, the dull glow of its buttons beckoning her to try again. The note was still there—"Try me. Only 100 yen." Yuki took a deep breath, resisting the urge to put in another coin. She needed to think this through.

Back at her tiny apartment, she put the box on the table, staring at it as if it might bite. She opened the packaging carefully, revealing the phone inside. It was sleek, almost futuristic in design. When she pressed the power button, the screen lit up.

She had half expected the phone to not work, yet it did, perfectly so. There was nothing strange about it at all. Just a normal phone, though one far better then the one she had before, it was a huge upgrade.

She tried to think, to figure out the secret behind the vending machine, she figured it was just something someone who liked to travel around and collect unusual snacks had put up, a way to share some of the strange things out there.

Yet now, with an expensive phone in there, she was left doubting that idea, could she have won a grand price? She didn't know what to do, but she decided to take another look at the machine the next day.

To see if she could figure out who owned them, to ask if she could really keep the phone or not.

The next evening, after a long day of classes and her part-time job, Yuki found herself standing in front of the strange vending machine again. The alley was quiet, dimly lit by a flickering streetlamp. She studied the machine for any signs of ownership—a manufacturer's label, a company logo, anything. But there was nothing. Just that same small note, pasted on the front with "Try me. Only 100 yen" scrawled in bold letters.

Yuki sighed, feeling both curious and uneasy. She didn't want to get into trouble over the phone, but the vending machine seemed almost too good to ignore. Maybe she could learn something new today. She fished out another 100-yen coin and slipped it into the slot, her heart pounding with anticipation.

The machine whirred, clunked, and finally dispensed a small item. Yuki reached down, her eyes widening at what she found. It was a silver bracelet, delicate and adorned with tiny stones that shimmered under the dim light. It looked beautiful—almost too beautiful to be something from a vending machine. Yuki's fingers traced the smooth, cool surface of the bracelet, her unease deepening.

"Okay, this is getting weird," she muttered under her breath.

She pocketed the bracelet, deciding she needed a second opinion. Her friends—Mika and Hiro—were always down for an adventure, and if anyone could help her make sense of this, it would be them. She decided to tell them about her discovery tomorrow.

The following day, during lunch break, Yuki met up with Mika and Hiro at their favorite ramen shop. The place was bustling, the clattering of dishes and the chatter of patrons filling the small restaurant. Yuki took a deep breath before showing her friends the phone and the bracelet, her voice low as she explained the vending machine.

Mika's eyes widened in disbelief. "A phone and a bracelet? From a vending machine? Are you serious, Yuki?"

Hiro leaned closer, his brows furrowing. "This is nuts. I've heard about weird vending machines, but nothing like this. Are you sure no one's playing a prank on you?"

Yuki shook her head. "I've been back to that alley several times now, and it doesn't seem like anyone's watching or anything. The machine is just… there. And it's not just the phone or bracelet. The snacks I've been getting have all been really strange too. Like, nothing you can find in a normal store."

Mika looked thoughtful for a moment, then grinned. "Well, there's only one way to find out more, right? We should all go check it out. See what else this mystery vending machine has to offer."

Yuki hesitated. Part of her wanted to keep the machine a secret—it felt like something special, something meant for her alone. But she also wanted answers, and maybe with Mika and Hiro there, they could figure it out together.

"Alright," Yuki said, nodding. "We'll go tonight, after my shift. But be careful, okay? I don't know what's going on with that machine."

Later that night, the three of them found themselves standing in the narrow alleyway, the vending machine glowing faintly against the darkness. Hiro eyed the machine warily while Mika, ever the adventurous one, was already fishing out a coin.

Mika slipped the 100-yen coin into the slot and pressed a button. The machine rattled, then dispensed a small item—a beautifully crafted hairpin, decorated with delicate flowers and glimmering in the dim light.

"Whoa…" Mika whispered, holding the hairpin up for them to see. "This is gorgeous. And definitely not something you'd expect from a vending machine."

Hiro was next. He put in his coin, and out came a small, icecream, something normal. "Well, clearly, I don't have the same luck as you two. "He joked lightly as he tasted his snack, only to spit it out right away. "Damn, this is soy sauce flavored."

The girls giggled. "Well, it seems pretty random." Yuki said, not knowing just how right she was.