When I picked up the newspaper and saw the date—February 9th, 2022—something clicked in my brain.
Wait. Didn't the Rams win the Super Bowl this year?
I wasn't a huge football fan, but I remembered the noise. The memes. I remembered scrolling through my phone back in my old life, half-watching the highlights while sipping lukewarm coffee in the break room.
And now, I had that memory days before the game was actually played.
I was holding a ticket to the future—and I was about to cash it in.
The sportsbook was a dingy little place nestled between a pawn shop and an antique shop downtown. A couple of screens flickered with odds, but mostly it reeked of stale beer and desperation.
I walked in with every cent I could scrape together. Sold the plastic junk from the spin. Pawned everything from my apartment. Used a hundred bucks leftover from my grocery job. It wasn't much—just a little over a grand—but it was enough.
I placed my bet on the Rams winning, point spread and all. Walked out with shaky hands and a pounding heart, like I'd just robbed a bank.
Three days later, they won. Just as I remembered.
And suddenly, I was sitting on a stack.
Four thousand in cash. Legal. Clean. Untraceable.
I bought new clothes, filled my stomach with decent meals for once, and upgraded to a gym with private sessions and real sparring partners.
I felt good. Confident.
For the first time in a long while, it felt like I was finally in control of my life.
And that's when the universe decided to remind me—I wasn't.
It happened on a Friday night. I'd just finished a solo run in the park, headphones in, hoodie pulled up, jogging back toward the subway.
Taking that alley shortcut was a stupid idea. I knew it. I was craving a something. And this time, someone was waiting.
Two of them. One with a knife, the other sporting a busted grin and bad teeth. They didn't bother with words.
"Wallet. Phone. Now."
I froze.
But I wasn't the same guy anymore.
My body moved before I could even think—an instinct, not mine, but Batroc's.
[Absorb Essence – Batroc the Leaper: 99%...]
I ducked the swipe of the knife, pivoted on my heel, and delivered a side kick straight into the thug's ribs. He grunted and flew back like a sack of bricks, crashing into a dumpster with a loud clang.
The second attacker lunged.
I met him with a spinning heel kick—something I never could've pulled off a week ago. My heel connected with the side of his head, and he dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.
Silence.
I stood there, panting, adrenaline surging through my veins.
I checked—they were breathing. Neither was dead.
I rifled through their pockets, took some cash, and left.
And then I noticed—
[Absorb Essence – Batroc the Leaper: 100% – Integration Complete]
[Achievement - First Time Beating Low-Level Thugs (Unrepeatable)]
[Reward—"10 Copper Grade Spins."]
I could feel it—something finally clicked into place.
My body didn't just react now; it flowed. My footing was perfect. My core was tight. Every move felt natural, effortless.
Batroc the Leaper might be a small fry compared to Captain America, but for low-level thugs, he was enough.
And there was a reward for beating them. Too bad it was just 10 copper/trash-grade spins.
That night, I ran home—not out of fear, but because I was excited. The system had rewarded me with progress.
And I knew, that system was pushing me to fight, to earn more achievements. But I was willing to play.
The first thing I did when I got home was sit in my chair, send a prayer to the gods for luck—and spun that wheel.