I looked down blankly at the device I had created. I knew I could make miraculous things now, but having the actual item in front of me was something far different. My hands trembled along the small, pen-like device almost reverently, but I pulled them back, set the device on my desk, and leaned back in my chair.
Actually, making the device took a lot out of me. I thought it would have been a slow process, with me going over the steps and building the device in my mind, but I was wrong. I was almost in a fugue-like state as I built; my arms barely felt like they were under my control, and they moved with a speed and precision I knew for a fact I did not possess.
I felt a shudder run through my body as I recalled my body feeling entirely foreign, but the sheer glee at having the device offset that panic. I may have been a puppet dancing along to the marionette's strings, but I was more than fine with that.
I knew with my own efforts I would be nothing more than just another wage slave in this city, so if I had to carve off parts of myself to claw my way out of this hellhole, I would.
I looked over at the mess I had made and grimaced. I had meant to make a different gadget, one that could be built with my lamp and just one piece of RAM, but that changed when I got my hands on tools and started building. My own lamp was just a husk without a single wire being spared, and Phill's entire computer was completely and utterly wrecked. Every part of it was used and abused, only the case being spared.
That lack of control apparently extended to what I would build in the end if I had the materials available to build something else. There was still some control; I still built a device that would accomplish the goal I wanted. It's just that this gadget worked far better in the same role.
The only reason I settled for the lesser version was that I did not want to take risks right now. My scholarship to this school had some pretty firm rules I had to follow, and stealing from a roommate was definitely against those rules.
With the System, I didn't really care about attending this Academy any longer, but I needed to be here for Barbara. I doubted the straight-laced commissioner's daughter would associate with a street rat who stole from his betters.
That was not going to work for me, as she was quite literally the key to more rewards. Sure, with Gadget Tinker, I was able to claw my way out of street rat status, but why settle for what I had when I could get so much more with her by my side?
Which meant I had to take care of this before Phill strolled in and saw his computer in pieces. My mind spun, and I looked over at what remained of his computer and just tried to think.
I couldn't afford to go out and get new parts to replace the stuff I used. Sure, my secret weapon would let me gather funds, but God knows when Phill would barge in here. I knew for a fact that even if I offered to replace everything I used, Phill would still use this incident to boot my ass out of here. The dude hated me for not falling for his little schemes and ruining the vibe of the dorm.
I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes at that thought. The only reason the guy even bothered to use this dorm instead of chilling at his own home was because he could act out of his parents' supervision here. I gritted my teeth because it was such a stupid reason, but the prick invaded the school dorms to do whatever he wanted without having his preppy parents breathing down his neck.
I felt a familiar pang of envy ring in my chest, but I let it go in an equally familiar way.
The point was, Phill would do everything in his power to mess with me if given the chance, so I couldn't afford to give him that. I looked over the sheer mess I had left and thought for a moment.
I started to put the thing back together. Sure, the odds of it working again were the same as Bruce Wayne actually doing something productive with his life, but it working wasn't the point. My hands spun the tools absently as I "fixed" the parts and put the computer back together.
Even using the husk of my lamp to patch things.
All I had to do was make sure the PC looked vaguely similar. When Phill tried to turn it on, the guy was likely to rage at the thing not working and swing a bat through it instead of trying to get it fixed. When you have money, fixing broken stuff isn't as quick as just buying another.
My hands trembled as I was putting it back together, as this plan hinged on Phill not taking a closer look at the thing before trashing it. My future depended on one idiot continuing to be an idiot. I stared at the glass and glared at my reflection with all the unfair feelings I kept bottled up inside.
If this plan went south, I just needed to ensure that Phill was not in a position to threaten my future. My mind spun with devices that each offered ways to "take care" of Phill, from a watch that would paralyze him if he even thought of snitching to a sticker that would dissolve into his body, flooding it with a truly ludicrous amount of drugs, killing the prick.
Those things were pretty extreme for someone like Phill, but I would do what I had to to ensure my future stayed exactly where it was. The near-shimmering amber eyes stared back at me in my reflection, a look both familiar and unfamilar to me, one born from envy and anger at the shithole called Gotham.
I really would do anything to make my life better. If I had to spin pretty lies to charm a girl or if I had to slit a throat, I would. This was Gotham, and that really was the only way to live.
I had noticed Barbara liked these amber eyes of mine, but if she saw the raw envy burning in them, she'd run for the hills.
I didn't need to resort to such extreme measures just yet. I had time; Phill probably wouldn't be back for at least another day, and if he did return to the dorm, it'd likely be to sleep with one of the girls trailing him like a lost puppy, eager to climb the social ladder through him. I rolled my eyes at that. Phill was an idiot, but if those girls thought he'd marry them just because they slept with him, they were even worse.
Phill would either marry for his family's benefit or choose a naïve, submissive girl he could mold into whatever image he wanted.
Desperation and desire really made people do crazy things, but I was a bit of a hypocrite in that regard. Hypocrisy was just human nature.
I hoped Phill's escapades would keep him distracted for at least a day. That way, I could gather funds and buy materials to create more Gadgets to handle the mess I was in. Hopefully, I could come up with a better plan than killing the prick.
I placed the "fixed" computer on Phill's desk, ensuring it looked exactly as he'd left it. Then, I grabbed the pen-like device from my desk and left the dorm. My secret weapon looked clunky, a mishmash of computer parts and a damn lamp, so it was never going to be pretty. The designs in my mind were far sleeker, but those required proper materials and tools. For now, I had to settle for this pen that looked like a prop from a cheesy sci-fi comedy.
AKA Star Wars.
I clicked the pen and slipped it into my pocket. Thankfully, I didn't need to show it off for it to work. Most people wouldn't think twice about the silly thing, but carrying around a sci-fi prop would draw attention, and I was doing something very illegal right now.
The pen would scan within 100 meters, hacking into phones, computers, and tablets nearby. It would mine banking data, target accounts with a certain level of wealth, and transfer small amounts to another account it had scanned earlier. Then, it would give me access to that account at an ATM, letting me withdraw the money.
It was cyber warfare on a level beyond normal means. Only geniuses like Lex Luthor could counter it, and I wasn't targeting people like him. I had no idea how much I'd get by the end of the day, but Gotham Academy was the go-to school for the rich and wealthy, even if a rat like me had slipped in. Kids with too much money was not just the norm here, they were the majority.
I wandered the campus, taking a long stroll, already imagining the feast I'd buy after hitting the ATM. As I turned a corner, I bumped into someone. Before I could react, I was thrown over a shoulder and slammed hard onto the ground. Pain flared in my back, and the air rushed out of my lungs. Dazed, I looked up at a familiar redhead who looked horrified at what she'd done.
"Shit! Sorry, it was a reflex!" she squeaked, her voice far too high to be calm. She seemed ready to bolt, but concern kept her rooted.
Her mortified expression deepened when she recognized me. I chuckled weakly, gesturing at her from the floor.
"I know I said I was falling for you, Barbara, but this isn't what I meant," I quipped, my voice shaky.
God, this girl knew what she was doing. If I were an actual attacker, I'd be down for the count. Or maybe my skinny, malnourished body just wasn't up to par. For my ego's sake, I'd stick with the first thought.
She froze, as if processing my words, then snorted and gave a weak smile.
"You're a dork," she said, as if stating a fact. I rolled my eyes but grinned back.
"Guilty as charged," I replied, pulling myself off the ground, wincing at the ache in my back. She noticed my pain, and the light mood faded as she shifted nervously from foot to foot.
"Are you okay?" she asked, clearly dreading the answer, but her genuine concern for a fellow teen overrode her embarrassment. I flashed a confident smile.
"Don't worry, it'll take more than that to take me out," I said with all the false bravado I could muster. Neither of us fully believed it, but my easygoing tone seemed to ease her tension, and she relaxed slightly.