Author's Note:
Good things come in threes. After writing the first chapter of KA (RWBY) and KA (DC/Marvel), I was thinking of not writing anything new for a while and focusing on writing new chapters instead.
But I had the core idea for a long time, the build is ready, and I had already written a piece of the first chapter, even though I had to heavily modify it.
So, as the saying goes, in for a penny, in for a pound.
XXX
Story Title: Kaleidoscope Adventure (DC): The Universal Genius and the Three-Faced Phoenix
Plot: Ending up in the heroes' universe is a nightmare. Accidentally summoning Leonardo Da Vinci was pure luck. Faking a marriage with her to found FL MediaCompany and get rich is even tolerable. But managing three identities, the househusband/trophy husband, the eccentric artist, and the phoenix-themed hero, becomes a problem when the Super-Family and the Bat-Family take an interest in my alter egos. Also, why does my (fake?) wife want to start an industrial revolution?
XXX
Story Arc: A journey aboard a dragon
Episode 1: Hero dressed in red and fire
Chapter 1: An interview with Woz and Lisa
Plot: Lois Lane has gone outside Metropolis to interview a female CEO whose company is having unnatural success, along with her top artist. However, before she can ask the most important questions, something happens that convinces Lois to drop the interview and go see what is going on. Without the journalist around, the artist and the female CEO reveal their true colors.
XXX
POV Narrator
Lois Lane-Kent was in New York City, inside the building of the American branch of FL MediaCompany.
For once, the famous investigative journalist from the Daily Planet was not investigating political corruption or a ruthless multinational corporation. Her target was the story of FL MediaCompany's CEO, Lisa Medici, and how she had managed to create a media empire in just one year, especially after turning down outside investors, avoiding selling shares, and choosing not to go public.
FL MediaCompany was now a rising titan in media and entertainment. The billboards and screens in the lobby clearly displayed the pillars of its success:
- The Genshin Impact franchise, developed as 8 Light Novels (covering the events of Mondstadt and Liyue), a collectible card game, a D&D-style tabletop game, tons of merchandise, and the world's first VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game).
- The Kamen Rider W franchise, which boasted a 50-episode television series, plenty of toys, and just as many action figures. There were also rumors of an anime adaptation and the possibility of a movie.
In twenty years of investigative journalism, Lois had dug through the mud of the most ruthless corporations on the planet. She had exposed LexCorp's clandestine military contracts and the secrets of Gotham's corrupt industries. Most importantly, Lois was still alive after doing so. Even if a large part of the credit went to a group of people who wore an "S" or a bat on their chests.
But in Lois's eyes, FL MediaCompany was a beast of a different breed: less slimy, less flashy, less threatening.
Up to that point, the company had maintained an impeccable image. No scandals, no people dying under suspicious circumstances, no contracts of questionable legality, not even the slightest trace of ties to the underworld. In short, it seemed like a law-abiding company that just wanted to provide quality products and make money. Something like that wouldn't have caught Lois's attention, especially when there were more enticing targets around.
However, FL MediaCompany had something abnormal about it: an inexplicable, lightning-fast, and mathematically impossible success that defied common sense. This was the first of four reasons why Lois Lane was investigating them.
The remaining three were:
- Woz, the creator of Genshin Impact and Kamen Rider W.
- The AmuSphere, the piece of technology that had made virtual reality gaming a reality.
- FL MediaCompany's suspicious purchases.
Woz, the artistic genius responsible for these two hit franchises, was an individual whose name and face were completely unknown. During his six rare public appearances, and even rarer interviews, he always wore the helmet of his creation, Kamen Rider W.
Lois might be biased or have a prejudice due to her lifestyle, but seeing a man hiding his face behind a mask, sitting to the right of the CEO of a company that had achieved overnight success, made her think. Especially because he was working on a product about USB drives capable of turning people into monsters and causing addictive effects. All of this triggered a warning sign for her.
The AmuSphere was the first-generation FullDive virtual reality headset, introduced in the last month by FL MediaCompany, which was taking the world's gamers and Genshin Impact fans by storm. According to Lois, such technology seemed too refined, too advanced, and too revolutionary to be a product built from scratch in just a single year of work.
Finally, after selling the AmuSphere and their first game, Genshin Impact Online, FL MediaCompany had made massive technology purchases, materials better suited for Wayne Tech than an animation studio. Another suspicious element added to the list. Adding it all up, the reason why Lois wanted to investigate thoroughly became obvious.
Unfortunately, all public and official documents were clean. The employees had nothing bad to say about the agency; in fact, they were happy to work for FL MediaCompany, which offered quite generous pay and respected safety regulations and workers' rights.
Having found no trace of dirt, and unable to play dirty without buying a plane ticket to the agency's headquarters in Cyprus—an investment hub from the West toward Russia and Eastern Europe, as well as a tax haven—Lois had to choose the direct approach: a face-to-face interview. It had been a long and exhausting process. Honestly, it had been easier to secure an interview with the President of the United States than with the top executives of FL MediaCompany, but in the end, Lois had succeeded.
Sitting in the waiting room, Lois saw the security guard approaching her with a calm stride.
"Mrs. Lane, Chairwoman Lisa can see you in her office," the security guard said.
Lois stood up from the armchair, adjusting her bag on her shoulder.
"Great, I have a lot of questions to ask," Lois said, not losing her spark even after twenty years of work, a marriage that was anything but normal, and a very special ten-year-old boy.
XXX
The office of the chairwoman of the American branch was surprisingly modest. There was nothing extraordinary, no lavish details that shouted wealth or eccentricity. It was a standard office, with sober walls and functional furniture, looking so impersonal that it seemed to have just been delivered to someone who had not yet had the time to personalize it. The only element out of the ordinary was a reptile terrarium placed on a shelf, inside of which a small green snake was fast asleep.
However, in that otherwise mundane room, the two people sitting on the sofa captured the attention far better than any extravagant decoration or imported furniture.
Sitting on the left was Lisa Medici. The Italian woman was 31 years old, stood at 160 cm tall and weighed 40 kg, and her physical proportions were B86/W55/H88. Long, wavy brown hair framed her face, highlighting two blue eyes that were clear and extremely expressive. Her features directly recalled the Mona Lisa, but with more modern, softer, and more refined traits, which completed a slender, curvy, and decidedly attractive female body. She wore a unique outfit: brown boots, dark leggings that covered her legs up to her thighs, a bright red dress, and long blue gloves that reached past her elbows. Lisa was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most beautiful women in the world. In a way, Lois felt more threatened by her than by Wonder Woman.
'Good thing I left Smallville and stayed in Metropolis with Jon,' Lois thought to herself. She preferred not to let her husband get anywhere near a woman like that, however irrational that thought might seem to her.
Shifting her gaze to the right of the sofa, Lois's eyes landed on the enigmatic Woz, the creator of all the material that FL MediaCompany produced and sold globally. He was an individual with a slender and androgynous physique, standing at 165 cm tall and weighing 53 kg. His outfit consisted of black shoes and trousers, a green t-shirt showing the print of the Anemo Archon from Genshin Impact, a black jacket, and a pair of white artist's gloves.
His head was entirely hidden under a helmet from the Kamen Rider franchise. Lois did not recognize that specific model, even though her son was a big fan of the series. The helmet was dominated by huge, oval eyes of a brilliant emerald green, characterized by a faceted honeycomb inner texture. The face was enclosed in a glossy deep red structure that extended upward and outward, with side sections shaped to resemble the spread wings or geometric feathers of a diving hawk. Right in the exact center of the forehead, just above the eye line, stood out a red arrow-shaped plate pointing downward, which housed a small diamond-shaped ridge resembling a third eye or a tactical sensor.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Lane," Lisa said, rising to her feet with a fluid movement and extending her hand toward the journalist.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Medici," Lois replied, returning the handshake. She had decided to maintain a professional profile and not hurl accusations without concrete evidence.
"Just call me Lisa," the beautiful Italian woman said, shifting her eyes with a slight nod of understanding toward the artist by her side.
"Hello," Woz said. He merely raised a gloved hand in a mundane gesture of greeting, without adding anything else.
"Excuse him, he is a quiet individual by nature," Lisa explained with a small, accommodating smile, before sitting back down next to him.
'The two of them seem rather intimate for being the boss and the star artist,' Lois vaguely thought. The journalist took a seat in an armchair positioned right in front of the two big shots' sofa, with only the low coffee table separating them.
As soon as she sat down, Lois felt a sudden sense of disorientation. She touched her forehead for a moment, falling victim to a sudden mental lapse, as if she had temporarily forgotten what she wanted to do or say.
"Are you alright?" Lisa asked, showing a polite and caring expression.
Woz remained in absolute silence; he simply joined his hands in front of him, abstractedly intertwining his fingers.
"I'm fine, I think the trip from Metropolis to New York was longer than expected," Lois replied. Trying to regain control, she opened her purse and pulled out a simple and reliable voice recorder.
"Is it a problem if I record the conversation?" Lois asked, placing the device on the table.
"Only if we can do the same," Lisa countered. With a smile, she placed a decidedly more high-tech and modern device on the coffee table, but meant for the same purpose.
Lois nodded her head, accepting the condition of being recorded in turn.
"Let's begin the interview. FL MediaCompany is a successful and continuously expanding agency. In just one year of activity, it has already opened five branches: FL Book, FL Table, FL Animation, FL Videogame, FL Toys," Lois listed, mentally reading the list of divisions that made up Lisa's company.
"We are a company in the media and entertainment sector, it is natural to expand into these fields just like all other companies of this kind do," Lisa replied with absolute naturalness, proving she knew her business rivals well.
"Lisa, your agency boasts unprecedented success. How did you manage such a feat?" Lois asked, going straight to the point with the question everyone was asking, but to which no one had yet given a clear answer.
"A combination of innate talent, unparalleled genius, a bit of luck, and having the right person in the right place," Lisa replied, without showing the slightest hesitation.
'What a humble woman we have here,' Lois thought, catching the high opinion Lisa had of herself, though it was hard to blame her given the empire she managed.
"What do you mean by 'the right person in the right place'?" Lois asked, hoping the CEO would make a false step and hint at political connections or favoritism, however unlikely that seemed.
"Simple. To be successful you have to put each gear in the exact spot, so as to be as productive as possible and generate positive effects for the whole machinery. For example, I take care of the bureaucracy, the logistics, and the public," Lisa explained. She accompanied her words by running a hand through her brown hair and flashing a breathtaking smile.
'If I weren't married to an incredible man, if I didn't have a wonderful son, and if I weren't a straight woman, I would ask for her phone number,' Lois thought, almost feeling the weight of Lisa's magnetic charm.
Immediately after, the CEO extended her arm and naturally placed a hand on Woz's shoulder.
"In the case of this hermit, I put him in an art workshop where he is responsible for providing the essential material to set the entire corporate machinery in motion," Lisa said, with a proud expression on her face.
"So, Woz, are you the goose that lays the golden eggs for FL MediaCompany?" Lois asked, shifting her attention to the artist.
"A crude way to describe me. I prefer to consider myself a creative genius who has an exclusive collaboration with someone capable of recognizing my talent," Woz replied, crossing his arms over his chest decisively.
"Go easy with the words, Mrs. Lane. Woz is a rather sensitive artist: he either closes himself in his shell or he bites you," Lisa intervened, with a playfully maternal and protective air.
"I am not sensitive," Woz muttered, surely pouting under his helmet.
Lisa merely chuckled under her breath.
"Speaking only of Light Novels, according to estimates you have sold 80 million copies, earning 48 million dollars. Did you expect such success?" Lois asked, starting with a question on the easiest topic.
"Not even in my wildest dreams," Woz replied abruptly, without thinking about it too much.
"I, on the other hand, knew it from the very first moment. Woz had talent; he just needed the right patronage," Lisa said, her voice filled with pride for having found that diamond in the rough and having polished it.
"You have written eight Light Novels in a single year, that is an enormous workload. How did you manage it?" Lois asked, focusing on a more personal aspect of the work.
"In the same way the famous Kazuma Kamachi manages to do it: by working day and night," Woz cut it short, giving a brief answer.
"Could you be more specific?" Lois pressed, wanting to dig into the details.
"I am an ambidextrous artist, I suffer from insomnia, and I have very few interests outside of art. Consequently, I have plenty of time to write and draw," Woz explained, revealing the secret behind his productivity.
'An eccentric individual married to his work,' Lois Lane thought. For a moment, that profile brought to mind a certain Dark Knight from Gotham.
Once again, the investigative journalist's mind suffered a brief and sudden lapse. Meanwhile, Woz began to tap his fingers against his thighs, following a rhythm all his own.
"Erm... where did you get all your ideas from? Were you inspired by something? Do you have a muse?" Lois asked to get back on track, eager to understand how this artist's mind worked, since every creative has their own way of seeking inspiration.
"I am not the true author of Genshin Impact. Sure, I wrote the 8 Light Novels, I spend hours drawing and coloring the illustrations, not to mention the countless hours spent discussing things with the other artists in the creative department," Woz replied, starting to gesture with his hands.
Lois Lane leaned forward in her armchair, showing an expression of absolute focus. On the contrary, Lisa looked amused, as if she knew something that was eluding Lois.
"The same goes for Kamen Rider W. I am the screenwriter and I worked hard with the main cast, direction, and production, but I am not the author of the idea that set everything in motion," Woz explained, drawing a circle in mid-air with his hand.
"You did the work of a writer, an illustrator, and a screenwriter, but you say you are not the author?" Lois asked. A confused expression appeared on her face, something that hardly ever happened to her.
"Yes. In reality, I am in touch with an interdimensional traveler who tells me what he has seen. His code name is Kamen Rider Decade," Woz confessed. He told the truth, but in a way that probably only two people in that room could comprehend.
Lois raised an eyebrow, perplexed. Lisa covered her mouth with a hand, holding back a small laugh.
"After that, I rely on my memory to turn everything I heard into useful material. In short, I am just the vessel for knowledge coming from another world," Woz concluded in an absolutely serious tone.
'Artists are truly strange,' Lois thought. She was convinced that Woz was teasing her or simply playing a character, as many eccentric creatives do.
"He knows an interdimensional traveler, and I am Leonardo Da Vinci reincarnated as a woman, coming from a world without superheroes but full of Heroic Spirits," Lisa added, joining Woz's "game" with irony.
"My words will make sense in nine years, when I focus on the story of Kamen Rider Decade," Woz countered, almost certainly smiling under his helmet.
"Maybe you could try to bring the FGO project to life?" Lisa asked him, turning to look at him.
"I would love to, but we already have our hands way too busy with our current projects," Woz replied, aware of the ongoing workload.
'Fantastic, they are both eccentrics,' Lois thought. She wondered if she just had an innate gift for meeting unusual people with a penchant for costumes and masks.
"I noticed that your helmet is different compared to the one from your recent public appearances. What does that mean?" Lois asked, returning rigorously to her job as a reporter.
"As you know, Kamen Rider W recently aired its final episode," Woz said, going back to fidgeting with his hands.
"I know, my son hasn't talked about anything else with his friends," Lois commented. She knew well the success of the series, even before starting her investigation into FL MediaCompany.
"Kamen Rider W was just the first Kamen Rider. This one here is the next," Woz declared, touching the side of his helmet with a finger.
"Many children will be happy to hear that," Lois admitted, glad at least to be able to bring some good news to her son Jon.
"The next question is for Mrs. Lisa," the journalist then said, shifting her gaze to the beautiful Italian woman.
"Ask me anything you want," Lisa replied, appearing very accommodating.
"Let's talk about the AmuSphere, your device that allowed the birth of Genshin Impact Online, the first VRMMORPG in the world. How did you manage to design and build it?" Lois asked, wanting to get to the bottom of the technological issue.
"In the same way humanity invented airplanes, computers, and Facebook: by working hard in a laboratory and a workshop," Woz answered instead of Lisa.
"Some, however, raise doubts about user safety," Lois continued, used to much worse interruptions during her interviews.
"The AmuSphere is a totally safe device. We have carried out all the necessary tests and taken the proper safety measures to prevent any kind of accident," Lisa replied, adopting an impeccable and professional tone.
"The scenario where you get trapped in the game until its completion, and where dying in the virtual world means dying in real life, will remain nothing but the stuff of fiction," Woz commented, dismissing Lois's concern as something ridiculous.
"Where do you get an idea like that from?" Lois asked, narrowing her eyes slightly with a suspicious tone.
"I am a writer, coming up with ideas is my job," Woz replied, with a nearly aggressive note in his voice.
At that exact moment, Lois suffered another lapse. She closed her eyes and massaged the space between her eyebrows, feeling a sharp, sudden discomfort caused by the artificial lights on the ceiling.
"Any other questions?" Lisa asked, flashing a warm smile.
Lois Lane, instead of pressing on the AmuSphere technology, decided to temporarily change the subject.
"According to official estimates, FL Book has earned 48 million dollars, FL Toys & Table 180 million, FL Animation 52 million, and FL Videogame 170 million. The company's total revenue stands at around 450 million dollars in a single year," Lois summarized, precisely listing FL MediaCompany's profits.
"That means I am a woman who is extremely good at her job. I pay my employees well and they work hard. Plus, if they manage to meet the set deadlines, they get a substantial bonus," Lisa replied, with an expression that perfectly combined pride and happiness.
"However, according to my investigations, your company has spent about 100 million dollars on purchases and investments related to heavy industry. About a quarter of this amount was used to purchase mines and high-purity silicon concessions. Isn't an investment like that entirely outside of your interests?" Lois asked, touching upon one of the most suspicious topics on her list.
"As a woman passionate about art and beautiful things, I can tell you that FL MediaCompany is a project I am proud of, but it does not represent everything I aspire to," Lisa explained, adopting a decidedly more serious and sincere expression. "I am a woman of science. We are preparing to enter other market sectors. It will take time, of course, but when it happens, we will have no rivals," the CEO concluded with a confident smile.
"There is another question that many people would like an answer to: where did FL MediaCompany get the necessary capital to start its operations?" Lois pressed, still focused on her goal, even though the thoughts in her mind were beginning to blur.
"Simple. At home, I have a gentle little lamb with silver wool that is worth 50 million dollars. More than enough to finance my farm," Lisa replied in a playful tone, casting a subtle, knowing glance in Woz's direction.
'This is going to be a really long interview,' Lois thought, reaching up to touch her forehead again. She did not feel well at all.
At that exact moment, a violent explosion echoed in the distance. Beyond the office's large window, a column of smoke rose, and the shockwave caused a brief but distinct tremor that shook the room.
"What is happening?" Woz asked, instinctively gripping the armrests of the sofa due to the impact.
"A terrorist attack?" Lisa hypothesized, maintaining an extremely calm and unflappable expression.
"I knew it was a bad idea to set foot in the United States. It's a cursed country," Woz commented under his breath, clearly preferring Europe over North America by a landslide.
Lois pulled her smartphone out of her purse to check the news applications. The screen immediately displayed the latest breaking headlines in New York City: Power Girl was facing Atomic Skull in the middle of the street, and the superheroine appeared to be in serious trouble.
"We must postpone the interview for another time. Right now, there is breaking news that requires my absolute attention," Lois declared. With swift movements, she slipped the recorder into her purse and stood up.
"That woman has a death wish," Woz commented, watching the investigative journalist charge out of the office at a full run.
Once Lois had left, leaving the room empty, Woz and Lisa remained alone.
"So, Hua, did you get inside Lois's head? Because I highly doubt her headaches coincided with the uncomfortable questions by pure chance," the beautiful Italian woman said, using her companion's true name.
"Da Vinci, it's not like I used the Fenghuang Down to dig deep into her psyche," the writer justified himself, revealing in turn Lisa's true identity. "I only took a quick, superficial look. I found out that Lois Lane is married to Superman, that her son is Superboy, and that she almost even discovered Batman's identity," declared the young man endowed with telepathic powers.
As he spoke, he slipped off the Kamen Rider helmet, revealing his face. His features possessed an androgynous elegance; he had short, slate gray-blue hair and clear, deep blue eyes. Despite being 21 years old, he looked much younger. After placing the helmet on the coffee table, Hua pulled a pair of red glasses out of his jacket and put them on with a natural gesture.
"Hua, you gave me a spoiler! I wanted to figure out Superman's identity on my own," Da Vinci complained, feigning a displeased pout.
"You know, Da Vinci, I changed my name for a reason. You could call me Fang Hua or simply Fang," the young man countered.
"I know, but I like teasing you, Master. After all, I am your wife," Da Vinci said with a amused smile.
Fang Hua visibly blushed as soon as she mentioned their marriage.
"Number one: don't call me Master, especially when you are the one teaching me how to use Magecraft," Fang Hua replied, his cheeks still warm. Their bond was intricate to say the least: on one hand, they were Master and Servant; on the other, Student and Teacher; they were the Exclusive Artist and the CEO of the company, and finally, husband and wife. A decidedly non-traditional relationship.
"Number two: this is a marriage of convenience. We only needed to become Fang Hua Medici and Lisa Hua Medici to more easily explain why we were always together, and to found the company using the money from my inheritance. All this without me having to expose myself or end up mentioned in official documents," Fang Hua specified. His main goal was to avoid positions of too much responsibility, endless paperwork, and the need for public speaking or interacting with too many people.
"You are such a shy and cute little lamb," Da Vinci commented, reaching out a hand to affectionately pat her husband's head.
"I am not a little lamb!" Fang Hua exclaimed, blushing even more.
"You're right. You are my little chick," Da Vinci corrected herself with a huge smile, thoroughly enjoying the situation.
"I am a phoenix! I am the great Jingwei who scared countless criminals to death all across Eurasia," Fang Hua protested, taking a step back to evade Da Vinci's caresses.
"Yes, of course. You are Jingwei the hero, you are Woz the famous artist, and you are Fang Hua, my adorable little husband," Da Vinci continued, poking fun at her partner.
Fang Hua took a deep breath to regain his composure and collected himself.
"There is a high-caliber superheroine and an equally powerful supervillain in the city. Do we intervene, or do we evacuate straight to Florence?" Fang Hua asked.
As he uttered those words, he made his favorite travel tool appear: around his right hand, a unique-looking gauntlet materialized, consisting of three long golden claws attached to a wooden sheath that fully wrapped around his wrist. They were the Golden Tiger Claws, a magical artifact comparable to a Noble Phantasm, capable of opening direct portals to any place in the world.
"I would prefer to lend a hand to the modern heroes. It would be nice to see how strong the phoenix is compared to a Kryptonian," Da Vinci said. In the meantime, she sat behind the desk and pulled a high-tech briefcase out of a drawer, which could serve as a literal mobile command center when needed.
"Fine, I will do it for your sake and to save innocent people," Fang Hua replied, straightening his back and willingly accepting to don the mantle of the hero.
The Italian woman turned toward the main console, touched a control, and opened another metallic compartment that slid away with a hydraulic hum, revealing a small object resting on a velvet support.
"Before you go, wear these," Da Vinci said. With a fluid and casual flick of her wrist, she tossed the tiny silver case toward Fang Hua.
The boy lunged forward, reached out his hand, and caught it out of mid-air, locking it firmly in his palm. He popped the magnetic clasp and opened it curiously, bowing his head to examine the contents.
"Contact lenses?" Fang Hua asked, raising a puzzled eyebrow as two thin, transparent discs gleamed under the room's neon lights.
"High-tech, ultra-high-resolution contact lenses. They are capable of recording up to 24 hours of continuous footage and are totally heat-resistant," explained Da Vinci, who had personally dedicated entire nights of work to their design, crossing her arms over her chest with a hint of well-deserved pride.
"You know, right now I feel a bit like Alex, Clover, or Sam when they receive an absurd gadget from Jerry," Fang Hua commented. The corners of his mouth turned upward, slightly amused by the absurdity of the situation inside this office.
"Totally Spies! One of the five animation projects we will release in the coming months," Da Vinci recalled, moving a finger in the air to emphasize the point, by now knowing FL MediaCompany's future workhorses by heart.
"Totally Spies!, Martin Mystery, RWBY, Code Geass, and Pretty Cure... they will bring us billions and make generations of future viewers happy!" Fang Hua exclaimed with enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up at the thought of their media empire. After all, he had chosen to revive those series in this world for a specific reason, even though he had decided to leave his mark by tossing in personal modifications here and there.
The young man's gaze drifted into space for a moment, almost as if he could already see the scenes rolling across a screen: he wanted more innocent yuri scenes and a slow-burn romance among Alex, Sam, and Clover. Then, he unconsciously clenched his fist, imagining a high-tech, heavy, and responsive power armor for Lelouch Vi Britannia, so he could insert many more action scenes and close-quarters combat.
"It's beautiful to see you so passionate," Da Vinci commented, adoring the moments when her Master and student finally stepped out of his shell.
"Getting back to being serious... magic already allows us to share sight and speak telepathically to each other at a distance. What need is there to wear technological contact lenses?" Fang Hua asked, not catching the immediate utility of it.
"You are perfectly right, but there is no spell capable of letting me see through your eyes while simultaneously recording every single frame to allow me to analyze the scientific data later," Da Vinci argued, eager to obtain data that was as exact as possible.
"So be it, I'll wear them. But in exchange, I want a budget increase for animations and the final green light for the Spy × Family project. For next year, I demand that FL MediaCompany airs seven animated series," Fang Hua countered, agreeing to act as a guinea pig but demanding something in return.
"As you wish. Does this mean you have finally resolved your inner dilemma between how much to copy from the original work and how much to change on your own?" Da Vinci asked. She knew well that her husband suffered from a little guilt about appropriating others' work; the little story about the interdimensional traveler served precisely to ease his conscience, besides the fact that he always applied structural changes when adapting from memory to paper.
"Loid will be a contract hitman, clumsy and inexperienced with women, and his cover will be an artist with his own atelier. Yuri Briar will become the younger sister who works in the secret police with a massive older brother complex. Yor will be a Femme Fatale, a super spy, super intelligent, super cunning, with Femdom tendencies, and her cover will be a doctor. Franky Franklin won't exist; I will give his place to Fiona Frost, a journalist and inventor, who will be Yor's best friend, though she will want to be much more than friends with Yor. Finally, Anya is already perfect just the way she is," Fang Hua explained all in one breath.
Da Vinci chuckled heartily. Her shoulders moved in rhythm with her light laughter, while her eyes shone with sincere admiration for that highly focused and creative side of her Master.
"One last thing... how do you put in contact lenses? I have only ever worn glasses," Fang Hua asked. His cheeks flushed with a light blush, while a rather embarrassed expression appeared on his androgynous face: downcast eyes and a half-uncertain smile.
"Come here, I'll help you!" Da Vinci exclaimed with joy. She made a wide, graceful gesture with her hand, motioning for him to come closer.
Fang Hua closed the distance, coming back within arm's reach of the beautiful Italian woman. Da Vinci leaned forward, exuding a natural elegance. With slow and measured gestures, she gently placed her fingers around his face, brushing his cheekbones to steady her grip and help him wide-open his eyelids.
The woman's touch was firm yet incredibly light as she guided him to put on the lenses. After a few strokes and precise small movements, Fang Hua found himself with the high-tech contact lenses in place. The first thing he did was blink repeatedly to get used to their presence.
"I don't see any difference," he said, continuing to blink.
"Wait a moment," Da Vinci stopped him.
The woman sat in the CEO's chair and opened her briefcase, which revealed itself to be a sort of supercomputer. At that exact instant, her attire underwent an instantaneous change: the modern clothes vanished, giving way to a sumptuous and elaborate gown straight out of the Italian Renaissance era. Da Vinci pressed a couple of buttons on the keyboard, and the technological functions of the lenses activated.
"Now I see a transparent red and orange HUD... I like the color choice. Is there even a minimap in the top left?" Fang Hua murmured, marveled by that augmented reality vision.
"Very well, now you can go. But if the situation gets too tough or dangerous, don't be ashamed to take flight and leave," Da Vinci said, making her priorities clear right away.
"Let's light up the flames!" Fang Hua exclaimed.
The young man raised his right arm to the ceiling and snapped his fingers. A moment later, a sudden burst of flames enveloped him entirely, enclosing him in a literal cocoon of fire from top to bottom.
'Good thing I deactivated the fire alarm before the start of the interview,' Da Vinci thought with a smile, watching her little husband's dramatic moment.
When the flames cleared, Fang Hua had vanished. In his place stood Jingwei, whose appearance had changed drastically. He was now 178 cm tall and weighed 65 kg; his androgynous physique had developed slightly, though remaining slender, graceful, and seemingly slight. His complexion had become extremely pale, almost vitreous and tending toward alabaster white, and from time to time, his skin showed glowing veins beneath the surface.
His eyes had become sharp, piercing, and of an intense, luminous scarlet red. His hair had also undergone a mutation: it was extremely long, thick, of a pure white color that faded into fiery red and bright orange at the tips, and it floated lightly in the air as if composed of pure thermal energy. On his head stood out two prominent branched red horns, whose shape recalled the tail feathers of a phoenix.
His body was protected by golden armor, the Kavacha, fused directly with his own skin. It did not appear like a common medieval armor, but rather as a biological-divine coating made of ornamental golden plates that covered part of his chest, shoulders, and limbs. A prominent golden earring hung from his right ear, also part of his set of divine artifacts, while a striking ruby-red gem was embedded in the center of his sternum. Under the armor, he wore a matte black bodysuit that covered him entirely from neck to toe, accentuating even more the contrast with his white hair and golden sections.
"Dojo Kanojo Cho, wake up!" Jingwei exclaimed, his voice visibly louder, deeper, and more masculine.
Inside the terrarium, the small green snake shifted its form, transforming into a dragon resembling a gecko or a lizard. It had bright green skin, lacked hind legs but possessed front ones, and showed large, expressive black eyes set in a rounded head.
"Jingwei, Da Vinci... where are we going this time?" Dojo asked in a still half-asleep tone.
"Right into the middle of New York City, to help an alien-born superheroine who is facing a supervillain with radioactive powers," Jingwei replied. He reached out, grabbed Dojo, and settled him around his neck as if he were a scarf.
"A thousand years ago, the world was definitely less strange," Dojo commented. The dragon had lived for more than fifteen centuries, though most of them had been spent around a certain hidden temple.
"Actually, you are wrong, Dojo. The world has always been crazy. It's just that in the past, people with talents beyond human capabilities had the common sense not to draw too much attention to themselves, unlike what modern heroes and villains do," Da Vinci chimed in while performing a quick computer search on Atomic Skull. "The fight is taking place in Central Park," she then added, turning her computer screen to show the satellite image of the location to Jingwei, allowing him to move safely.
"Thank you! And now... Golden Tiger Claws!" Jingwei exclaimed.
The young man moved his right arm with a sharp, lightning-fast strike, slashing through the air with violence; in the wake of the movement, trails of light ignited and bit into the void, tracing a claw-shaped gash in the air. The fabric of space-time tore open with a crackle of pure energy, revealing an unstable, glowing vortex.
"Can I sit this turn out?" Dojo asked, shrinking back a step and staring at the portal with wide eyes. His stiff posture betrayed the fact that he was in no hurry to find out whether dragons were immune to radiation or not.
"No!" Jingwei cut him short.
Without a moment's hesitation, the hero bent his knees and pushed off for a decisive leap. His tense body dove inside the portal, which closed instantly behind him with a sharp magnetic snap, leaving the office in perfect, sudden silence.
Da Vinci remained alone, her gaze still fixed on the exact spot where her husband had just disappeared, where the last fading sparks floated. "I'm rooting for you, my little chick," she whispered, a tender smile curving her lips. Then, with a sharp shift in the atmosphere, she whipped back around toward her desk to immediately return to work, her fingers already flying fast across her supercomputer's keyboard.
To be continued...
XXX
Author's Note:
I have two things to say:
One, writing this chapter was a bit harder than it should have been; I had to rewrite it a couple of times. The first attempt wasn't good—just Batman in the Batcave investigating who had partially carbonized the Joker, along with lots of boring and technical analyses. I decided to use Lois Lane to introduce the main characters, and I am glad I did.
Two, I am a bit obsessed with giving characters precise data on their age, height, weight, and three dimensions:
Bruce Wayne, alias Batman: 45 years old, 188 centimeters, 95 kilograms.
Clark Kent, alias Superman: 43 years old, 191 centimeters, 107 kilograms.
Karen Starr, alias Power Girl: 32 years old, 173 centimeters, 80 kilograms, three dimensions: B101/W66/H96.
Barbara Gordon, alias Oracle: 27 years old, 180 centimeters, 61 kilograms, three dimensions: B90/W63/H92.
Kara Danvers, alias Supergirl: 27 years old, 165 centimeters, 54 kilograms, three dimensions: B88/W60/H89.
Dick Grayson, alias Nightwing: 24 years old, 178 centimeters, 79 kilograms.
Jason Todd, alias Red Hood: 21 years old, 183 centimeters, 102 kilograms.
Cassandra Cain, alias Black Bat: 21 years old, 165 centimeters, 50 kilograms, three dimensions: B84/W58/H86.
Tim Drake, Red Robin: 18 years old, 168 centimeters, 57 kilograms.
Damien Wayne, Robin: 13 years old, 156 centimeters, 38 kilograms.
Jon Kent, alias Superboy: 10 years old, 140 centimeters, 35 kilograms.
XXX
CYOA Interactive build for the MC (Fang Hua, alias Phoenix, alias Pyrosyche, alias Jingwei):
**Meta**
You, CYOA, Shards, what are those Shards you speak of?
**Difficulty**
Standard, Higher (Tier 9)
**Scenario & Setting**
AU Alternate Earth, Second Act (Peaceful), Anime Logic, Comic Book Pretty, VFX On [It's a Beautiful World We Have], Huh, isn't that... [Colorful Crowd, Native Variant], Expy Galore x 3, Additional Genre x 1, DC Prime Earth, City
**Character**
Drop-In
**Skills**
Ambidextrous, Breathwork, Visual Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts [Auteur, The Big Show, Lyricist], Psychology, Sociology, Political Science, Light, Camera, Action [Master Screenwriter, Marketing], Dramatics, Resourcefulness [Wellspring of Ideas], Idiot Proofing, Optimization, Compact, Master Craftsman, Master Housekeeper, Lipreading, Pro Gamer, Presentation [Greatest Content Creator], Media, Polyglot
**Perks**
Blank, Mental Barrier, Trumped the Trump, Legal Identity, History, Invictus, Well-Adjusted, 'Plot' Armor, Manton Protected, Ripple Effect Proof Memory [Ripple Effect Proof Body], Accentuate the Positive, Eliminate the Negative, Peaceful Life, World Clean, Serendipitous Luck, Inheritable, Heir to the Throne, I Don't Get It [I Get It Now... But Not Really...?], Foreigner, Continuity Of Existence, Those Who Came Before, Practical Experience x 1, Loyalty Insurance
**Drawbacks**
Conscious Geas x 1, Unconscious Geas x 1, Wanted (Global) x 3, Wildbow? Where have I heard that before?, Bound By Blood [Paid In Blood], Slaughterhouse 8, Slaughterhouse 9000, Rogues Gallery, Morsel, Trouble Magnet, Wild Wasteland, Fated Journey, Child of Fate, Plotbound, Stalker x 1, Villain Target, Clone Conspiracy x 1, Acclimation, Jet Lag, Quarter Pounder, Acclimated, Nemesis, Native Awakening, Neutral Evil x 1, Yandere x 1, Weaker than You x 1, High-Tier, Rank 1
**Shard**
Shardless
**Powers**
Changer (Ritsuka), Tinker/Thinker (Public Relations), Thinker (Clarity), Tinker (Game Dev) [More Fun for Less, Better Games, The Quest Giver, Designer, Cultural Craze, What Curse?], Heroic Bloodline (High School DxD) x 1 [Heroic Spirit Descendant], MANTIS (Honkai Impact 3rd), The Brawler, The Writer [Mangaka], The Monopoly Man, Psionics (D&D), Nerves of Steel, Magecraft (Type-Moon) [Smart Circuits, Full Body Circuit], Malleable/Smart Soul, Golden Rule (Type-Moon) [Monopoly Empire], The Edge of Taixuan (Honkai Impact 3rd), Magitech, Psitech, Artificer (D&D), Fifth Corporate War (Cyberpunk), Aincrad (SAO) [Ready Player One], Item Construction (Type-Moon) [Perfect Workshop], Pocket Dimension, Territory Creation (Type-Moon), Pioneer of the Stars (Type-Moon)
**Objects of Power**
Vasavi Shakti: O' Sun, Abide to Death (Type-Moon), Kavacha and Kundala: O' Sun, Become Armor (Type-Moon), Golden Tiger Claws (Xiaolin Showdown), Journal [Dreamer's Doodles], A Divine Key (Honkai Impact 3rd), Stigmata (Honkai Impact 3rd) x 1 [Personalized Stigma]
**Fusions & Upgrades**
Bio-Dial, In the Reflection of the King (Type-Moon), Flamechaser (Honkai Impact 3rd), Natural-Born Psychic, Adaptive Mana Reservoir, Magic Crest (Type-Moon) x 3, Spinal Crest, Xiaolin Temple (Xiaolin Showdown), Another Divine Key (Honkai Impact 3rd) x 1, Warranty, Infusion, Conversion (One Object) x 1, Trained, I Am Worthy! [The Perfect Wielder]
**Equipment & Items**
Coinage x 5, House
**Companions**
Leonardo Da Vinci (Type-Moon)
**Point Conversion**
+50 SP -100 CP x 1, +25 SP -50 CP x 1, +20 SP -40 CP x 1, +2 SP -4 CP x 1, +1 SP -2 CP x 1
.
XXX
Code for CYOA:
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