When Oliver awoke, the first thought that managed to travel like a speeding bullet train through molasses wasn’t a complete thought like “W-where am I?”, it was more of a caveman style “Huhhhhhhhhhh?...”.

Luckily, his AI chip was built smart enough to translate ‘drugged up hospital patient’ language. Like clockwork, the lovely ding! notification sound blared off inside his head.

Notification!: Due to User Status: drugged, Chip 68348, has initiated protocol: 2384, the incapacitated awareness protocol, immediately. Therefore all decisions will be made by Chip 68348

“Oh….. that's nice.” Oliver smiled as he spoke slowly, completely unaware and oblivious to everything.

However, very soon he started to notice his thoughts getting clearer and clearer at a visible pace.

Oliver looked around in confusion, the once hazy, strange alien place he was in soon coming into focus as a hospital room, the various doctor equipment, tiny tv, strange metal cot and patient gown giving it away.

“How did I get here?...” He asked hesitantly, only for an instantaneous text block to appear in the bottom left corner of his sight.

Notification: Currently User is stationed at Terry Hodricks’ Hospital having the abnormality in your body medically evaluated. Due to extensive trauma suffered by User, an immediate S.O.S. was transmitted. To prevent over stimulated pain receptors of the User, serious medical actions were taken to inhibit or moderate possible severe damage to core brain functions. The update was unable to be performed due to user’s health taking priority.

“Oh, so that’s it…” Oliver muttered, not truly paying attention to what he learned. His mind was more focused on stranger things. For instances the.. Thing… That was inside him now, or how the Silver Family hadn’t moved him to a better hospital, or how he strangely seemed to be able to think clearer and clearer...

Ugh, I will just wait for the medicine to wear off… Which in a weird way seems like it won’t be long... He muttered mentally, that was what was bugging him the most prominently, the fact that the anesthetics were wearing off so quickly that he could think clearly after just a few minutes!

"That is so strange.." Oliver muttered.

“Chip.” He spoke waiting for a reply, when the usual ding sound went off in his head, he asked his question. “How is the medicine wearing off so fast? I know my metabolism can’t be that strong…”

Notification!: Correct, it isn’t the User’s body metabolizing the anesthesia, it is the ‘Anomaly’ negating it at an increasingly terrifying pace.

As Oliver laid on the bed a cold shiver trailed down his spine. “The ‘Anomaly’?”

Before he could ask the Chip what the ‘Anomaly’ was, a huge wave of pain swept through his body.

“Shit!!!”

Notification!: User is advised to remain motionless, besides the negation of anesthesia, all other healing drugs, potions, and spells have been disappearing after short periods of effectiveness.

No shit sherlock! My body feels like it’s going to explode! He mentally screamed at the Chip.

He fell back on the bed, his body convulsing as he tossed back and forth, unable to control the rivers of molten metal like pain coursing through his body, clenching his teeth he didn’t utter a single sound as the purple veins on his body became more and more hideously pronounced. Like giant purple centipedes they crawled back and forth across his body, causing his pain receptors to go into overload.

After what seemed like an eternity, his body finally calmed down with the ‘Anomaly’ seeming to slumber silently after torturing its host.

“Chip, what the hell was that?” He spoke weakly, barely able to hold on after that wave of hellish torture.

Notification!: The ‘Anomaly’ is causing severe fluctuations in User’s body, currently, User is experiencing:

[Probability Gauge]

50% side effect of ‘Anomaly’

50% an evolution

(All other ‘normal’ possibilities were eliminated due to special circumstances)

Note: Due to probability gauge’s settings, a duel suggestion is impossible.

Developers have been notified.

An evolution? Duel suggestion? The Chip must mean that the evolution is because of the ‘Anomaly’…. Oliver deduced silently.

“Chip! Show a chart of all the things that are… Changing.” Oliver paused, unable to say evolving. As a human, it was hard to admit there could be things better than them. A silly facet of human nature one might say.

A few silent seconds later the Chip beeped and the ever familiar data screen popped up.

[Body scan]

Simple diagnostics without advanced equipment are as follows:

Strength increasing: Muscles corroded and rebuilt repeatedly.

Severe blood loss, current total blood count is 40%.

All senses increasing: Unknown, needs advanced equipment to diagnose reason.

New ‘abilities’ surfacing: Unknown, needs advanced equipment to diagnose reason.

Well, that was a super helpful conversation, what the hell am I supposed to do with this? Oliver grumbled silently, and then remembered that the Chip had to update.

Chip, preform update or reboot or whatever it is you have to do." He sighed exasperatedly

Notification!: Chip has received authorization, commencing immediate shut down for successful rebooting.

After issuing the order, his eyes wandering to the clock on the wall.

What is that? He thought slowly… It was a clock, duh. One of those stereotypical digital ones. What the heck was he doing with that thought? He OBVIOUSLY knew what it was. So where did that serious question come from?

Shelving that strange moment for another day, he looked at the clock again to check the time, like he meant to in the first place.

5:19 am…. He had woken up somewhere around 1:20 am, so this meant he had been rolling in pain, along with talking to the chip, for nearly four hours…

Hm, the morning shift doctors should be getting here by now, I wonder what will happen… Can I kill them? What the hell? No why would I think that?!?!...

Grabbing his head, Oliver curled into the fetal position on the bed, trying desperately to gain control of his runaway mind. Starting with the dangerous hunger for death, he started to be filled with strange thoughts and urges.

Losing control, he was overrun with dangerous thoughts and urges like I want to eat, I want to kill, I need to fight. Chaos was consuming him until a loud oppressive presence loomed within him, it seem to have the strength to crush time and space itself, and behind it was another presence, less powerful but possessing a seemingly transcendent aura, like it wasn’t bound by the laws of existence. One was the strength and power to dominate time and space itself, the other was the symbol of transcended power, a fiery beacon of eternities prevail.

Where are these thoughts coming from? Who are they? WHAT IS GOING ON!?!? Oliver Screamed silently as he held his head, feeling like it would explode.

“Kid…. I can…. Hold them…. For…. 3 more days… appease their hunger…. Or else…. We both die…” A deep booming voice echoed in his head before fading away, along with the thoughts, urges and the pain.