The first thing Junior learned about the multiverse was that death wasn't necessarily the end.
The second thing he learned was that getting a second chance came with a price.
And the third?
Well, he was still figuring that one out.
The sky was falling.
At least, that's what it looked like.
Junior stood in the middle of a ruined city, surrounded by burning buildings, overturned vehicles, and creatures that looked like nightmares pulled straight from someone's imagination. Above him, the heavens had split open, revealing a swirling mass of violet energy.
He could barely stand.
Blood trickled down the side of his face, his clothes were torn, and his right arm was practically useless.
"Is this really how it ends?" he muttered.
A deafening roar shook the city.
Something enormous moved beyond the smoke.
Junior laughed weakly.
"Figures. I survive everything else, just to get eaten by some oversized lizard and it's demon babies."
The creature emerged.
It stood nearly twenty feet tall, its body covered in black armor-like scales. Six glowing eyes stared down at him. Its mouth opened, revealing rows of jagged teeth.
Junior closed his eyes.
He hadn't been strong enough.
Not in this life.
Not yet.
Then something spoke.
COMPATIBILITY DETECTED
Junior opened his eyes.
A strange blue light appeared in front of him.
LIFE SIGNATURE: CRITICAL
SOUL SIGNATURE: UNREGISTERED
DIMENSIONAL ANCHOR: COLLAPSING
"What…?"
The blue light expanded, forming a symbol he swears he had seen before.
A red lightning bolt surrounded by a circle.
MORPHING GRID CONNECTION ESTABLISHED
CANDIDATE SELECTED
Junior stared at the message.
"Candidate? For what?"
The creature raised its enormous claw.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SURVIVE?
Junior blinked.
Then he grinned.
"Is that even a question?"
CONFIRMATION ACCEPTED
The world disappeared.
And Junior was born again.
He remembered everything.
The pain. The destruction. The strange messages. The light.
But most importantly, he remembered the voice.
It had spoken inside his mind, calm and emotionless, like a computer that had seen anything and everything there was to see.
INITIALIZING MORPHING GRID INTERFACE
ESTABLISHING NEURAL CONNECTION
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: Junior Maddox
GRID ACCESS: RESTRICTED
POWER SOURCE: MORPHING GRID
Junior found himself floating in a seemingly endless space.
There was no ground beneath his feet, no sky above his head. Only darkness, interrupted by countless streams of colored energy moving through the void.
Red
Blue
Yellow
Pink
Black
Green
Gold
Silver
Thousands of colors he couldn't even name.
They twisted and flowed like rivers, connecting to distant points of light.
"What is this place?"
WELCOME TO THE MORPHING GRID
Junior slowly turned.
A figure stood several feet away.
It appeared human, though its body was composed entirely of shifting light. Its face was indistinguishable, constantly changing between different shapes.
"You're the one who saved me?"
AFFIRMATIVE
"Then what exactly are you?"
I AM THE INTERFACE THROUGH WHICH YOUR CONNECTION TO THE GRID WILL BE MANAGED.
Junior glanced at the streams of energy.
"The Grid… What is it?"
The figure paused.
THE MORPHING GRID IS A SOURCE OF POWER THAT CONNECTS LIFE, ENERGY, AND POSSIBILITY ACROSS REALITIES.
"Across realities?"
AFFIRMATIVE. THE GRID TRANSCENDS INDIVIDUAL DIMENSIONS. ITS ENERGY CAN BE ACCESSED BY COMPATIBLE BEINGS THROUGH DIFFERENT MORPHING SYSTEMS.
Junior processed that information.
"So, basically, you're telling me there's more than one universe?"
CORRECT.
"And you can send me to them?"
POTENTIALLY.
Junior smiled.
Now that was interesting.
He had always wondered what existed beyond the world he knew. Different realities, different histories, different versions of people.
But the possibility of actually traveling between them?
That was something else entirely.
"What's the catch?"
The figure tilted its head.
YOUR BODY IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE GRID'S FULL OUTPUT. ACCESS MUST BE DEVELOPED THROUGH SYNCHRONIZATION, EXPERIENCE, AND ADAPTATION.
"Meaning?"
YOU ARE WEAK.
Junior stared.
"…You could've said that nicer."
WOULD YOU PREFER AN INACCURATE ASSESSMENT?
He sighed.
"Yeah, I'm starting to regret this."
For the first time, the figure seemed almost amused.
YOU HAVE BEEN GRANTED A CONNECTION.
A new display appeared in front of him.
MORPHING GRID SYSTEM
User: Junior Maddox
Connection: Established
Synchronization: 1%
Morpher: Unregistered
Morphing Capability: Locked
Dimensional Travel: Restricted
Current Access: Basic Grid Interface
NOTICE: Grid access will expand through synchronization and experience.
Junior stared at the display.
"So, how do I use this power?"
INTENT. WILL. AND CONNECTION.
"That's vague."
YOU WILL LEARN.
Before Junior could ask another question, the streams of energy began moving faster.
One particular stream separated from the others.
It was red.
Brighter than the rest.
It moved toward him, circling his body before entering his chest.
A sudden warmth spread through him.
PRIMARY GRID SIGNATURE ACQUIRED
COLOR AFFINITY: RED
INITIAL MORPHING SEQUENCE AVAILABLE
Junior looked down at his hands.
Tiny sparks of red energy danced across his fingertips.
He smiled.
"Now we're talking."
The figure raised one hand.
A portal appeared behind Junior.
Beyond it was a blue sky, unfamiliar buildings, and a city bustling with people.
DIMENSIONAL DESTINATION IDENTIFIED
WORLD: EARTH
UNIVERSE: MY HERO ACADEMIA
Junior frowned.
"Wait. My Hero Academia?"
AFFIRMATIVE.
He recognized the name.
A world where superpowers were the norm. Where heroes were celebrities, villains threatened society, and people were born with abilities called Quirks.
He had watched the series before.
And if his memory served him correctly, this world had plenty of problems.
"So, you're sending me into an anime?"
DESTINATION CONFIRMED
"Hold on. I have questions!"
TRANSFER INITIATED
"YOU CAN'T JUST—"
The portal swallowed him.
Earth. Japan. Musutafu City.
Junior fell out of the sky.
"AAAAAAAH!"
He crashed into a pile of cardboard boxes behind a convenience store.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then one hand emerged from the pile.
"…I hate portals."
He climbed out, rubbing his back.
The city around him was lively. People walked along the sidewalks, cars passed through intersections, and giant screens advertised famous professional heroes.
Junior stared at one particular billboard.
A massive, muscular man with blond hair and an impossibly wide smile stood with his arms crossed.
ALL MIGHT.
Junior's eyes widened.
"No way."
He looked around.
A woman with what appeared to be dog ears walked past him. A man with a head shaped like an alligator crossed the street. Someone with no limbs casually used a floating ability to carry several shopping bags.
There was no mistaking it.
He was really here.
"My Hero Academia…"
A smile slowly spread across his face.
"Okay. This is actually pretty cool."
A notification appeared.
DIMENSIONAL ARRIVAL COMPLETE
LOCAL REALITY SYNCHRONIZATION: 0.4%
WARNING: MORPHING GRID SIGNATURE IS NOT REGISTERED IN THIS WORLD
Junior's smile faded slightly.
"Not registered?"
LOCAL POWER SYSTEM IDENTIFIED: QUIRKS
GRID SIGNATURE CLASSIFICATION: UNKNOWN
"Wonderful."
He shoved his hands into his pockets and began walking.
He needed money, somewhere to stay, and a better understanding of his situation.
Most importantly, he needed to figure out how to access his powers.
As he passed a large electronic billboard, the news caught his attention.
"Breaking news! A villain attack has occurred near the Musutafu shopping district. Pro Heroes are currently responding to the incident. Civilians are advised to avoid the area."
Junior stopped.
A villain attack.
He glanced toward the distant smoke rising above the buildings.
Then he looked at the notification hovering in his vision.
EMERGENCY EVENT DETECTED
POTENTIAL GRID SYNCHRONIZATION OPPORTUNITY
His lips curled upward.
"Well, I suppose there's no better way to get started."
He started walking toward the smoke.
Then stopped.
"Wait. Do I even have a morpher?"
MORPHER: UNREGISTERED.
Junior stared blankly.
"…You're kidding."
NEGATIVE.
He dragged a hand down his face.
"So I'm supposed to fight villains without a suit?"
AFFIRMATIVE.
"That's insane."
SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 12%.
Junior looked toward the smoke again.
Then, despite himself, he laughed.
"Yeah. This is going to be interesting."
Far beyond the boundaries of Earth, something stirred.
Within the endless currents of the Morphing Grid, an ancient presence turned its attention toward the unfamiliar signature.
It had been a long time since a connection like this had appeared.
A connection without a Ranger.
Without a Morpher.
Without a designated universe.
A voice echoed through the depths of the Grid.
"That one shouldn't be here."
Another presence responded.
"No. But the Grid has chosen him."
Silence followed.
Then the first voice spoke again.
"And what happens when he discovers what lies beyond the colors?"
No answer came.
Only the distant sound of something breaking.
Back on Earth, Junior continued toward the smoke, completely unaware that his arrival had already attracted attention from forces far beyond the reach of heroes, villains, or even gods.
His first adventure had only just begun.