Starting With Batman

Charlie: "!"

Wait a second, did he read that right? Five skills at a time?

He blinked at the screen, his heart racing. Was the game really upgraded to this level? Five skills in one go? That was an insane boost. His mind immediately started running wild with the possibilities. With just a bit more experience and a few extra levels, wouldn't that mean he could reach top-tier power in a matter of days? It was like the game was handing him the keys to the kingdom, offering him magic skills on a silver platter.

But as the excitement buzzed through him, Charlie decided to take a closer look.

Upon further inspection, the details of the new feature started to clarify things. While it was undoubtedly a powerful upgrade, it wasn't quite as limitless as it first appeared.

The description explained that after the upgrade, you could still only lock in one hero for guaranteed skill draws, just like before. The remaining four rounds were extra—an additional bonus handed out by the system. However, there was a catch: the four extra skills would be drawn randomly from the heroes Charlie already owned. He couldn't choose them.

So while the system had become significantly more generous, offering four extra rolls, those freebies came with an element of unpredictability. If he was lucky, he'd land some game-changing abilities. But if the RNG gods weren't on his side, he might end up with something far less useful.

His initial excitement tempered slightly, Charlie let out a deep breath.

Okay, maybe it wasn't the limitless power spike he had first imagined, but still—it was free stuff. And free stuff was always good. After all, who didn't love getting a random boost? Even if the extra skills weren't what he was hoping for, they might come in handy down the line. A surplus of abilities was never a bad thing. You could always stash them in the proverbial warehouse until they became relevant. Sometimes the most unlikely skill could end up saving your life.

He smirked, thinking about some of the more random powers in superhero lore. Take Aquaman's ability to talk to fish, for instance. Sure, in Aquaman, it was depicted as this awesome power that let him command the Seven Seas. But Charlie would never forget the laugh he got watching Justice League, where Batman sarcastically asked Aquaman to send fish out to gather intelligence. That one scene had kept him chuckling for months.

Now, it was time to decide which hero to lock in for the guaranteed skill. Naturally, there was only one clear choice: Spider-Man.

Spider-Man was the crown jewel of Charlie's hero roster. More than 20 tons of arm strength, reflexes that rivaled any combatant in the game, and an all-around monster in battle. No matter which skill he ended up with, anything from Spider-Man's set was going to be an absolute win.

Without hesitation, Charlie locked in Spider-Man as his preferred hero, and with a breath of anticipation, hit the button to start the five consecutive draws.

The screen lit up with a burst of dazzling, fireworks-like special effects as the new skills rolled in. Charlie leaned in closer, his excitement building. He couldn't wait to see what he'd get. After what felt like an eternity (though it was probably only a few seconds), the results appeared.

The first skill: Vehicle Riding.

Charlie's excitement deflated just a little. The skill was from Huntress, a heroine known for her proficiency with vehicles, especially motorcycles. It was the kind of skill that was essential for action movie protagonists when they had to pull off those wild car chases or daring stunts.

But for Charlie? A guy who didn't even own a car, let alone drive one? He glanced over at Friday, the AI companion who was always by his side. She stood there with a gentle, knowing smile, looking like she was about to suggest something practical.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Charlie muttered. "It's a nice skill, but not exactly useful for me right now."

He shrugged. There was no need to linger on the first draw. Not everything could be a winner, and this was only the beginning.

Moving on to the second skill, his eyes lit up immediately: Fighting Specialization (Batgirl).

Now, this was more like it.

The skill came from Cassandra Cain, the formidable Batgirl. She had undergone inhuman levels of combat training since childhood, making her one of the deadliest fighters in the DC Universe. Her mastery of martial arts was so refined that she could predict and counter an enemy's moves before they even happened. This wasn't just fighting skill—it was an instinctual understanding of combat that put her leagues ahead of most fighters. Even Lady Shiva, the deadliest martial artist in the world, acknowledged Cassandra's abilities.

Charlie grinned. This was a rare find. He'd always wanted to get Cassandra's combat prowess into his skill set, but the chances of drawing it had been so slim that he hadn't even bothered to try. Now, it had fallen into his lap.

Some might argue that martial arts weren't that useful in a world filled with gods and superhumans. But those people weren't thinking big enough. Sure, if you were up against someone like Superman, no amount of fancy footwork was going to save you. But in a fight where the power levels were more balanced, technique mattered. It could be the difference between life and death.

In a world where brute strength wasn't always enough, skills like Cassandra's were golden.

Charlie felt a surge of satisfaction. This alone would've made the draw worthwhile, but he wasn't done yet. There were still three more skills to go.

The third skill rolled in, and Charlie's heart skipped a beat: Spider-Sense (Spider-Man).

This was the jackpot.

Spider-Sense wasn't just a useful skill—it was one of the most iconic and powerful abilities in all of Spider-Man's arsenal. The early warning system gave Spider-Man an almost supernatural ability to sense danger before it struck. With this, Charlie would be nearly impossible to sneak up on. It was like having a personal radar that would alert him to any incoming threats, allowing him to dodge attacks with ease.

Not only that, but Spider-Sense came with heightened reflexes, putting him in a state where time seemed to slow down. In moments of crisis, it was like entering bullet time. He'd be able to see things unfold in slow motion, giving him the reaction time needed to dodge even the fastest projectiles, including bullets.

Charlie could barely contain his excitement. With the strength of Captain America, the Spider-Sense of Spider-Man, and Cassandra's fighting skills, he was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

He moved on to the fourth skill, hoping the streak of good luck would continue. But as the result came up, he couldn't help but chuckle: Unique Cooking (Green Arrow).

Green Arrow, one of DC's most famous heroes, had a surprising side talent—cooking. His signature dish? A notoriously spicy beef stew that had become infamous among the members of the Justice League.

Charlie shook his head, laughing. "Okay, sure. Green Arrow can cook, why not?"

It wasn't exactly what he was hoping for, but every hero had to eat, right? And maybe there'd come a day when he needed to whip up a meal to boost morale. Stranger things had happened.

Finally, it was time for the fifth and final skill.

Charlie clicked through and was immediately hit with another wave of excitement: Super Self-Healing (Moon Knight).

This was big. Moon Knight, under the protection of the moon god Khonshu, had incredible self-healing abilities. Gunshot wounds? They'd heal in seconds. Broken bones? A mere inconvenience. Moon Knight's healing factor wasn't just about recovering from minor injuries—it was on par with some of the best regenerative powers out there, even rivaling the likes of Wolverine.

The best part? If Moon Knight had enough divine power backing him, Khonshu could even bring him back from the dead.

"Now this is what I'm talking about," Charlie said aloud, feeling a rush of adrenaline.

With this self-healing ability, Charlie would be practically unkillable. Sure, it wasn't quite as powerful as the version that could resurrect him from the dead, but it was still an incredibly useful life-saving tool. Getting hurt in battle would no longer be a major issue. He could heal from almost anything.

As he reviewed his new abilities, Charlie couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. This first round of five consecutive draws had been far more rewarding than he'd expected. Not only had he gotten a solid mix of combat and survival skills, but he now felt more powerful than ever. His goal of becoming a god-tier hero was inching closer with every draw.

But there was more. The upgrade had also unlocked a brand-new feature: Hero Dispatch.

This feature allowed Charlie to temporarily remove a hero from his team, stationing them in a specific location. Once sent there, the hero would stay offline and unavailable for use until Charlie chose to bring them back. The best part was that they'd remain exactly where he had left them.

Charlie's mind immediately began spinning with ideas.

This wasn't just a simple new function—this was a game-changer. With Hero Dispatch, he could effectively set up a network of heroes across different cities. If there was ever an emergency in any major location, he wouldn't have to scramble across the map to respond. Instead, he could simply log into the hero stationed there and handle it instantly.

It was like having an army of superheroes at his fingertips, ready to respond at a moment's notice.

He could already picture it—each major city across the globe with its own superhero protector, all reporting back to him. With enough heroes, he could cover every corner of the map, creating a global defense system that would rival any organization.

But just as he started to plot his future strategy, Friday's voice chimed in.

"It's 2:40 AM, sir. I strongly suggest you get some sleep."

Charlie groaned, torn between his desire to test out the new feature and the undeniable truth that he was exhausted.

"Alright, alright," he muttered reluctantly, logging off.

As much as he wanted to keep going, Friday was right. He needed rest. Staying up all night wouldn't do him any favors, especially if he wanted to keep up his momentum.

"Set an alarm for 10:30," Charlie said, stifling a yawn. "Make sure I'm up by then."

"Of course, sir," Friday replied with a smile.

Little did Charlie know, the next morning was going to be an experience all on its own.

---

The Next Morning

Charlie awoke the next day feeling surprisingly well-rested. True to her word, Friday had woken him up precisely at 10:30 AM.

Her first tactic: opening the curtains.

The bright sunlight poured into the room, instantly lighting up every corner. The sudden brightness was enough to stir him slightly, but for someone as attached to his bed as Charlie, it wasn't nearly enough.

He grumbled something unintelligible and buried himself deeper under the covers, blocking out the light.

But Friday wasn't done yet.

Her second move: music.

The familiar opening notes of "Caribou Lou" by "Tech N9Ne" filled the room, loud and cheerful. It was a jarring contrast to the peaceful sleep Charlie had been enjoying, and it immediately jolted him halfway awake.

"Wait, what? Why is this song here?" Charlie mumbled, pulling the blanket over his head to block out the noise.

"Turn it off, Friday," he groaned, still half-asleep. "I'm awake, okay?"

Friday's voice was gentle but firm. "You asked me to make sure you were fully awake, sir."

Charlie: "..."

The music was effective, sure, but not enough to get him completely out of bed. He was still holding on, determined to sneak in a few more minutes of rest.

Then Friday played her ace in the hole.

"I've installed an 8-kilovolt shock device under your bed," she said. "If you don't get up in the next five seconds, I'll have no choice but to activate it. Five, four…"

Charlie's eyes snapped open. "Wait! Stop! I'm up!"

He shot out of bed as if launched by a spring, standing at full attention.

"Good morning, sir," Friday greeted him sweetly, hands clasped in front of her in a perfect display of professionalism. "Breakfast is ready."

Charlie blinked, still trying to process what had just happened. "Electric shock device?"

"Oh, that?" Friday chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I lied."

Charlie: "..."

Good grief. The little secretary was a bit of a trickster, wasn't she?

But he couldn't deny it—she'd gotten the job done. He was fully awake, and any trace of sleepiness had been blasted away.

"Alright, alright, turn off the music. I'm up for real," Charlie said, rubbing his eyes.

"151 rum, pineapple juice and Malibu

Carib..."

Friday complied, shutting off the song. She turned to leave, but just before stepping out of the room, she glanced back with a playful smile.

"Good Morning, sir."

Then she was gone, leaving Charlie standing there, still trying to make sense of the morning.

Charlie: "???"

---

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