JAYDEN STARK'S POV
The Omnitrix sat on my desk, pulsing faintly, its beeping echoing through the silence of my apartment. I leaned forward, watching the rhythm of the light, waiting for something to happen.
Then, just as suddenly, it stopped.
The glow faded, the sound died, and the device went still.
I frowned, tapped it with my finger, then picked it up and gave it a shake like some stubborn remote. Nothing. No hum, no flicker. Just silence.
I dropped it back onto the table and rubbed my face.
"Get it together, man. You're twenty-one," I muttered. "Can't believe I got excited over a toy thrown in a dumpster."
Still, I couldn't ignore how real it looked. The weight, the design—it wasn't cheap plastic. "Maybe some cosplayer lost it," I thought. "But this doesn't exist in the Marvel universe. Right?"
The television filled the room with background noise. The anchor's voice cut through my thoughts: Tony Stark missing.
I turned my head, narrowing my eyes. "This must be when he gets abducted by that terrorist group," I realized. The timeline was starting to line up.
I looked back at the Omnitrix, holding it in my hand. "It'd be fun if you were the real deal," I whispered, almost laughing at myself. Then, without thinking, I slipped it onto my wrist.
At first, nothing happened. The clasp locked with a soft click, snug against my skin. I flexed my wrist, expecting it to feel heavy, but it was surprisingly light.
Then the hum began.
Low at first, like a vibration under the skin. The device lit up, flooding the room with blue-green light. Symbols raced across its surface, alien glyphs spinning faster and faster.
My heart skipped due to excitement. "No way…"
The hum grew louder, resonating through my bones. My skin prickled, every nerve screaming as energy surged through me. The Omnitrix wasn't just activating—it was syncing, forcing itself into my body. The pain. It was different. This isn't what I was ready for.
I tried to rip it off, but it burned against my skin, fusing tighter. The light intensified, beams shooting across the room, scorching the walls. My heart hammered, my vision blurred.
Then came the sound—a violent mechanical screech, like gears grinding inside my bones. The device's core expanded, locking into place with a deafening clank.
Pain exploded through me. My muscles convulsed, my body arching as if electricity was tearing me apart. I screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the Omnitrix's violent surge.
Memories not my own flashed across my mind—alien landscapes, strange skies, creatures with claws, wings, and eyes that burned like suns. Each image slammed into me, overwhelming, chaotic.
I staggered, knocking over the pizza box, clutching at the desk for balance. My veins glowed faintly, light racing through them like liquid fire.
The Omnitrix's dial snapped open, symbols flashing across my vision. My body felt like it was being rewritten, every cell screaming in protest.
I collapsed to my knees, gasping, sweat pouring down my face. The device pulsed violently, each beat syncing with my heart.
"Stop…!" I croaked, clawing at it, but my fingers slipped off the glowing surface.
The roar reached its peak. My apartment shook, the lights flickered, and for a moment I thought the entire building would collapse.
Then darkness.
I hit the floor hard, the world fading around me. The last thing I saw was the Omnitrix glowing faintly on my wrist, its dial locked in place, waiting.
And then I was gone.