A soft chime echoed in his head.
[Ding! Would you like to roll for your first template?]
Todd’s lips curled into a smirk.
No hesitation.
“Yes.”
The air in front of him shimmered.
A glowing digital wheel materialized, filled with dozens of names spinning rapidly, names he vaguely recognized from dark superhero media he’d consumed in his previous life: Homelander, Butcher, Queen Maeve, Starlight, Soldier Boy, Kimiko, A-Train, Black Noir, and many others he didn’t immediately catch.
The wheel spun faster and faster, a blur of colors and letters, until it began to slow with dramatic tension.
It clicked and stopped.
The panel enlarged, glowing brightly.
[Template Acquired: Homelander]
A wave of energy slammed into Todd like liquid fire poured straight into his veins.
He gasped, gripping the bedsheets as his body convulsed once, then relaxed.
It felt like being baptized in raw power.
Muscles that had been bruised and battered from the car accident compacted and strengthened.
His bones felt denser.
His senses sharpened , he could suddenly hear the heartbeats of people walking in the hallway outside, smell the cheap coffee on a nurse’s breath two rooms away.
He clenched his fist experimentally.
The metal railing on the side of the bed bent slightly under the pressure.
A surge of raw physical power coursed through him.
[Homelander Template: 20%]
“Not bad for a start,” Todd whispered, his voice carrying a new, commanding timbre.
He could already feel the flight instinct humming in his limbs and the heat building behind his eyes.
Nowhere near full power, but enough to know he wasn’t helpless anymore.
The door burst open.
A woman rushed in, her long dark hair slightly disheveled, eyes wide with worry and relief.
She was stunning, mid-thirties, curvaceous figure accentuated by a simple blouse and jeans, with an aura of barely contained fire that matched her hero name.
Elena Voss, Diabla.
His mother.
“Todd!” she cried, crossing the room in three strides and pulling him into a fierce hug.
Her body pressed against his, soft and warm, her familiar scent of smoke and vanilla wrapping around him.
“Oh god, baby, I was so scared. Are you okay? Does anything hurt? Can you move everything?”
Todd returned the hug, his newly strengthened arms wrapping around her.
“I’m fine, mom. Really. Just some aches at first, but they’re already fading fast.”
She pulled back, cupping his face with both hands, searching his eyes.
Tears glistened but didn’t fall.
“You scared the hell out of me. After your father… I can’t lose you too.” Her voice cracked slightly.
Jack, Todd’s father had died when he was fourteen, only a year after their marriage.
Elena had stepped up ever since, raising him while balancing her own secret hero work as Diabla.
They talked for several minutes.
Todd kept his answers measured, letting the mature mindset guide him.
He downplayed the weirdness, claimed he didn’t remember much of the accident, and assured her he felt stronger than expected.
Elena fussed over him, adjusting his pillow, promising to cook his favorite meal when they got home, and updating him on school gossip.
“I’ll go talk to the doctor,” she finally said, kissing his forehead.
“Stay right here.”
As soon as she left, Todd’s attention snapped back to the panel.
Twenty percent.
The synchronization was already surprisingly high, a likely consequence of his inherent arrogance in both this life and the last, perhaps even influenced by his blond hair.
He knew he needed to push that number higher.
Based on his understanding of template systems, synchronization percentage typically rose with how deeply one embodied the character: acting, dressing, mannerisms, and mindset.
His current memories, however, offered little help.
He was clearly in the Invincible universe, evidenced by the GDA and Mark Grayson as a classmate, but his past self here was a shallow bully who spent his days at the gym, flirting, and preying on the weak, completely oblivious to the wider world around him.
A few minutes later, Elena returned with the doctor and two nurses.
Their faces were pale with shock.
“Mrs. Williams, this is… unprecedented,” the doctor said, reviewing fresh scans.
“His fractures have nearly healed. The internal bruising is gone. It’s like his body accelerated regeneration far beyond normal human limits. We’ve never seen anything like this outside of… well, superhuman cases.”
Elena’s eyes flicked to Todd, a knowing look passing between them.
“So… he can be discharged?”
“Today, actually,” the doctor confirmed, still bewildered.
“We’ll schedule a follow-up, but medically, he’s clear.”
______
The ride home in Elena’s car was relatively quiet.
Todd watched the city streets pass by, taking in the familiar yet slightly off details of the world around him.
Buildings, traffic, people going about their day.
Nothing screamed “superhero world” at first glance, but he knew better.
He would start digging for information as soon as he had a computer or phone in front of him.
Elena occasionally glanced over, asking small questions about how he felt and whether he wanted to stop for food on the way.
Todd answered easily, keeping the conversation light.
He felt the new strength humming under his skin but kept it hidden for now.
No need to reveal anything until he understood the situation better.
When they finally pulled into the driveway of their modest two-story house, Todd felt a strange mix of nostalgia and detachment.
This was home for this body, but with his past-life memories unlocked, it felt like stepping into someone else’s story that he now had to continue.
“I’ll make dinner,” Elena said as they entered.
“You go rest upstairs. Shower, change, whatever you need. I’m just glad you’re home safe.”
Todd nodded.
“Thanks, mom. I appreciate it.”
He headed up to his room, closing the door behind him.
The space looked like a typical teenage boy’s room, posters, clothes scattered on the floor, a laptop on the desk.
Todd sat down at the desk and powered on the laptop, his mind already shifting into planning mode.
He had power, a system and he had time, at least a few days before he needed to make any moves.
First, research.
Then, careful testing.
Then, he would decide how to raise that synchronization bar and turn himself into something formidable.
This second life wouldn’t be wasted.