Marvel Universe ????
New York City
Mount Sinai Private Medical Center
---
The first thing Rio felt when he woke up wasn't the sterile smell of disinfectant or the rhythmic beeping of machines—it was the pain. Lots of it. His whole body hurt like someone had used him as a punching bag for hours.
"Oh great," he croaked, his voice rough and scratchy. "I'm alive. Just perfect."
He blinked at the bright lights above him and looked around. The room was fancy - way too fancy for someone like him. There was a big flat-screen TV on the wall, leather chairs, and even the view outside showed Central Park. Even his hospital gown felt expensive.
"Where the hell am I?" Rio muttered, trying to sit up and immediately regretting it when pain shot through his gut. "I definitely remember passing out after my shift at that crappy diner."
He looked around the room again, taking in details that made his wallet weep preemptively. The marble-topped side table. The original artwork on the walls—not prints, but actual paintings that probably cost more than most people's cars. The bouquet of roses that looked like they'd been flown in from some fancy European greenhouse.
"Oh, this is just great," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Not only am I in a hospital - which is basically financial suicide for someone like me - but I'm in the freaking luxury version. Because regular bankruptcy wasn't exciting enough. I needed premium bankruptcy."
Rio had always avoided hospitals like the plague, and for good reason. Being an orphan in New York meant medical bills could destroy your life. He'd rather try to fix himself with duct tape than deal with hospital costs.
"Seriously, who thought it was a good idea to bring me here?" he continued talking to himself. "Did someone mistake me for a person who actually has money? Or maybe they thought I was someone who doesn't live on ramen noodles and hope?"
The whole situation was ridiculous. He'd spent years working three different jobs just to pay rent, dodging anything that cost money, and now here he was in what looked like a five-star hotel disguised as a hospital.
"You know what? It would have been cheaper to just let me die. At least then I wouldn't have to explain to my landlord why my rent money went to keeping me breathing."
Just as Rio was thinking about asking a nurse to put him out of his misery - "It's not murder, it's mercy," he'd argue - a massive headache hit him like a truck.
But this wasn't just any headache. This was the kind that came with bonus features - like memories that definitely weren't his flooding into his brain like someone had opened a dam.
Pictures, faces, conversations, and experiences that belonged to someone else crashed into his mind all at once.
Rio's eyes went wide as the pieces started falling into place.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he whispered.
Now he was absolutely sure of one thing that made his previous money problems look like pocket change:
He was no longer in his original world.
"Because of course I'm not," he said, his voice getting higher as panic set in. "Why would I just wake up in a regular hospital with regular debt when I could wake up in a completely different universe? That's so much better. Really, god, thanks a lot."
For some reason - probably because god has some personal beef with him - he had somehow ended up in Marvel universe. You know, the place where people in colorful costumes regularly punch each other through buildings and where world-ending disasters happen every Tuesday.
And if that wasn't bad enough, his identity in this world was about as safe as a paper umbrella in a tornado.
The guy whose body he was in was also named Rio. But the real kicker was who had adopted him.
Wilson Fisk.
"Wilson freaking Fisk," Rio said flatly. "Because why wouldn't I end up as the adopted son of one of the most dangerous guys in New York? Why wouldn't my life become a walking target?"
Some people might not know Wilson Fisk by name, but his nickname was famous:
Kingpin.
The crime boss of New York City. The guy
who ran the biggest gang in America. The man who had more enemies than a politician during election season.
"Oh, this is rich," Rio continued, his sarcasm reaching new levels. "Not only am I stuck in a universe where people dress up in weird costumes to beat each other up, but I'm also the adopted son of the guy who probably has a hit list longer than a CVS receipt."
The reason Kingpin had adopted Rio wasn't because he suddenly wanted to be a dad. No, it started as business - probably to look good or to have leverage over someone. Because when you're a crime lord, even your family comes with a profit plan.
But somewhere along the way, Wilson Fisk actually started caring about Rio. Real feelings. Actual love.
"And that makes me the most dangerous thing in his world: a weakness," Rio said with a bitter laugh.
In Kingpin's business, having a weakness was like painting a target on your back and then handing your enemies a gun. Every rival, every wannabe boss, every hero with a justice complex would see Rio as the perfect way to hurt Kingpin.
The proof was right there in his body. The original Rio had been shot just seven days ago while going to school. Because apparently, even trying to get an education was life-threatening when your dad was public enemy number one.
"Seven days," Rio said. "I've been knocked out for a week while my brain downloaded someone else's life like the world's worst software update."
The more he thought about it, the more he was sure this was either reincarnation or just the universe saying "you thought your life sucked before? Watch this."
"This is like the world's most depressing version of Despicable Me," he said, staring at the ceiling. "Except instead of cute minions and a happy ending, I get assassination attempts and a lifetime supply of paranoia.
Being Kingpin's adopted son meant assassination attempts would be as regular as morning coffee.
"Even if I somehow survive every attempt on my life - which is about as likely as winning the lottery while getting struck by lightning - this is still the Marvel universe."
And that was the real problem. This wasn't just any world - this was a place where world-ending stuff happened all the time. Where superheroes and bad guys regularly turned city blocks into rubble while fighting about right and wrong.
"I could be walking down the street, minding my own business, maybe buying a hot dog - if I live long enough to do that- and BAM! Some superhero drops a car on my head. Or a building. Or half the city. Because property damage is just part of saving the world, right?"
And that wasn't even the worst part. There were bigger threats out there. Like that purple guy who wanted to kill half the universe with a finger snap.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that even leaving Earth might not be a bad idea. Most of the universe-ending disasters seemed to really like this planet.
"Maybe I should look into space travel," he thought out loud. "Find some nice, quiet planet where the biggest problem is alien parking tickets."
Rio rubbed his head, feeling all those new memories pressing against his skull. He was already trying to figure out how to use what he knew about the Marvel world to stay alive.
"Is this the beginning of hell?" he asked the empty room.
But just as he was thinking about all the ways his new life could end badly, a sound chimed in his head - not heard, but felt, like someone had installed a doorbell in his brain.
[Ding! Film Lottery System is being bound...]
Rio blinked, wondering if the head injury was worse than he thought.
[Binding successful.]
A smile slowly spread across Rio's face - the first real happy expression since waking up in this mess.
"Well, well, well," he said, sounding genuinely pleased for the first time. "Look what we have here. A system. An actual cheat system."
Having spent tons of time reading web novels in his old life, he knew exactly what this meant. Systems were like cheat codes for life - the thing every person who got transported to another world dreamed of getting.
"System," he said, barely able to contain his excitement, "please tell me you're not just here to give me pep talks. What can you actually do?"
[This system is a Film Lottery System. After watching a randomly chosen movie, you can get abilities or items from that movie.]
[You currently have one movie available to watch. Do you want to watch?]
Rio's grin got wider. Watch movies, get prizes. It was simple and full of possibilities.
"Random movie," he said. "So depending on what I get, I could end up with anything from basic skills to reality-breaking powers. The lottery part makes it interesting - and scary."
The idea was straightforward: watch a film, then get abilities or items from that movie's world. The random part meant he could get anything - from a romance that might give him better social skills, to an action movie that could give him fighting abilities, to sci-fi that might give him advanced tech.
"Well," Rio said, settling back in his bed with the first bit of hope he'd felt since waking up, "let's see what luck I have. Random selection it is."
[Starting random movie selection...]
A see-through blue screen appeared in front of him that only he could see. Movie posters started flashing across it - some he recognized, others he didn't. At first they moved too fast to see, just a blur of colors and images.
Rio watched as the selection slowed down, individual posters becoming visible for split seconds. He saw action movies, horror films, comedies blockbusters.
"Come on," he whispered, like he could control it with his mind. "Give me something useful. Please don't let it be some romance about finding love in a coffee shop."
The flashing got slower and slower until finally, one poster stayed on the screen.
The image was mostly dark red. The main character was a woman in a red dress - Milla Jovovich - with perfect blonde hair. She held a machine gun, while behind her, Michelle Rodriguez stood in black tactical gear, looking equally ready for violence.
The title across the poster was one Rio recognized immediately:
"Resident Evil"
"Oh, hell yes," Rio said. "Now we're talking. Resident Evil - zombies, action, survival skills, and most importantly, Alice."
The blonde woman was Alice, the enhanced main character of the Resident Evil movies. If he could get abilities from this movie, the possibilities were amazing: better physical abilities, fighting skills, immunity to biological weapons, maybe even some of her enhanced reflexes and tactical thinking.
[Do you want to watch "Resident Evil" on an available device?]
[Device found in room: Television.]
Rio looked at the big flat-screen TV on the wall. It was probably worth more than his old apartment's deposit, but right now it was about to become his gateway to potentially life-saving abilities.
"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Let's do this."
The TV turned on by itself, no remote needed. The screen filled with the movie's opening.
As the film started, Rio settled in to watch the movie, it was not that hard for him since he usually doesn't get spare time to watch movie.
The movie opened with its famous introduction to the Umbrella Corporation, the big pharmaceutical company that was actually the bad guy. The corporate logo filled the screen, followed by explanation about how the company looked good on the outside but was secretly making biological weapons.
"Ah, Umbrella Corporation," Rio commented sarcastically. "Because nothing says 'trustworthy drug company' like secretly making biological weapons in underground labs. I bet their employee reviews are fantastic."
The scene changed to show a guy in a full protective suit working in a sterile lab. He was carefully taking samples of the T-virus - the biological weapon that would soon turn the world into a zombie nightmare - along with the cure.
Rio watched as the guy finished his work and got ready to leave with a container. But just as he reached the exit, he threw a vial of T-virus on the floor.
The T-virus spread through the building's air system super fast, turning what should have been a safe research place into ground zero for a biological disaster. The building's AI, the Red Queen, detected the problem and immediately started emergency procedures.
Unfortunately, the Red Queen's idea of "emergency procedures" meant sealing the whole building and killing everyone inside to stop the virus from spreading.
"You know," Rio said as he watched employees getting killed by the AI, "there's probably a lesson here about workplace safety and checking your employees better. But I'm guessing it's too late for corporate training now."
Despite the grim subject, Rio found himself relaxing for the first time since his situation changed. The familiar feeling of watching movies, plus the temporary break from his own life-threatening problems, gave his mind a much-needed rest. In his old life, he rarely had time to just watch movies between work and trying to survive.
The story continued as the main characters - a team sent to check out the building - ran into more and more dangerous obstacles. They fought the Red Queen's security systems, walked through areas full of zombies, and slowly learned the truth about Umbrella Corporation's illegal experiments.
Rio watched with interest as Alice showed off the enhanced abilities that made her the main character. Her fighting skills, tactical thinking, and physical abilities were exactly the kind of advantages that could help him survive in his current situation.
"Better reflexes, combat training, immunity to biological weapons," he thought to himself. "Any one of those would be incredibly useful in the Marvel universe. Especially considering how often that world deals with biological threats and enhanced people."
The movie's big finale had Alice and the surviving team fighting a Licker - one of the more advanced monsters created by the T-virus.
As the film ended, showing Alice getting captured by Umbrella Corporation and eventually waking up in a world overrun by zombies, Rio felt a mix of excitement and nervousness.
[Resident Evil 1 viewing complete.]
[Resident Evil 2: Apocalypse has been unlocked for future viewing.]
[Today's movie viewing is complete. You have earned 1 lottery draw. Draw from: "Resident Evil 1"]
[Do you want to draw now?]
Rio didn't hesitate. "Draw the lottery. Let's see what I get."
The system processed his request, and Rio held his breath, hoping for something that would give him an edge in the dangerous world he was now stuck in.
[Lottery draw successful!]
[Prize: Perfect T-Virus Enhancement (Customized for Host Compatibility)]