DC: The Gamer

[1st POV]

I woke up in some rather pleasant company.

Kate was still asleep, snuggled against my shoulder. I carefully slipped out of bed, and to my surprise, I somehow managed to level my skill:

[+1 Stealth]

'Why did I even get this skill upgrade? Just because I got out of bed quietly? How does this system even work?'

'When I've tried to sneak up on my colleagues, I've been "successful," but I didn't gain anything—I just got cursed out in return.'

[Stealth: A crucial skill for thieves, ninjas, spies, and soldiers. It allows successful hiding from enemies and enables silent movement, which is necessary for carrying out covert operations, pickpocketing, or delivering unexpected, powerful attacks.]

Great, it's a thief's skill for a cop.

Fighting the urge to grumble, I went to a kitchen and started eating breakfast, accidentally leveling up my "Cooking" skill again.

"Surprisingly, none of my other guys ever cooked breakfast for me. I usually wake up first."

Katherine came in.

"Well, they were either too lazy or too stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Not making breakfast for a beautiful woman? That's stupid and foolish."

"Hmm. Smart move."

"Hey, I was just trying to pay you a compliment."

"It worked... Mmm. You're not a bad kisser."

"I had a lot of practice on tomatoes."

"And in... other areas?"

"Pies. Lots and lots of pies."

"Bwahaha! You've watched American Pie too many times."

"That's the truth."

I protested, pretending to be offended.

"You have no idea how hard it is for a single guy in the prime of his life."

"Alright, 'guy in his prime,' by the way, you might want to check that smell of burning."

"Nothing's burning. I'm practically done. We've got toast, bacon and eggs, and juice."

As soon as we sat down and started eating, Kat exclaimed so loudly that I almost choked.

"WHAT?!"

"Cough... what do you mean, 'what'? What's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong! You cooked this… amazingly. This is the first time I've seen someone make such simple food taste so good, especially a man who isn't a chef."

"Well, I like cooking. I'm a bachelor, after all."

"Hmm. Strong, brave, determined, honest, courageous, handsome, likes and knows how to cook… You've got to have a secret worse than Joker and Batman. There's no way it's all true."

She gave me a strange, almost intimidating look.

Now, I believe she's a prosecutor.

"You know, with that X-ray look of yours, you're a bit intimidating. Now I truly believe you're a prosecutor."

"Sorry. I'm just really curious about your secret. Tell me honestly, what's something about you that could be considered… an abnormality? Your secret."

"Hmm. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

"Alright, I'm an alien from another universe. An all-powerful system threw me in here, and I'm playing by his rules. He keeps sending me on insane missions that I have to complete, which is why I end up in situations like this."

"Haha, so you've got a good sense of humor too!"

 I was pretty sure she wouldn't believe me even if I told her anyway.

After breakfast, we took turns showering.

Kat invited me to join her to "scrub her back," but I declined because I needed to stop by the precinct...

The station greeted me with applause and pats on the back from fellow officers.

I hadn't expected to gain this much recognition after just a couple of successful arrests.

I headed over to Gordon, reported in, and handed him some bureaucratic paperwork.

"Good work."

He nodded.

"Arthur's already started missing you. He's off today, but you'll both be back on duty together tomorrow. Swing by Officer Denilas' desk for your new route and patrol schedule."

"Got it. See you, Commissioner."

"Dinklage!"

"Yes sir?"

"You're rather reckless."

He frowned.

"Don't go charging in blindly."

"I'm a cop. It's my duty."

'Why does it seem like he has way more in common with Bats than I think at first glance?'

"I understand. But sometimes, I start to think that you're missing a few screws too. You're not on your way to see Ivy right now, are you?"

'How did he guess that?'

"Actually, yeah, I am. Why?"

"Be careful with her. I won't stop or order you to stay away. It's like you've brainwashed her, she's become a lot more obedient and calm. But remember, she's still a psychopath. And you're still my subordinate. So, I worry about your well-being."

"I appreciate the concern. But I assure you, I'll be fine. If I'm not, at least your conscience will be clear. We're responsible for the actions our choices bring to life."

"Philosophical."

"Well, I'm a bit of a philosopher."

I said with a shrug, and then I got another surprise.

"Ding!"

[You have received a new title: "Philosopher."]

[Philosopher: You are a true thinker, contemplating the nature of existence not for wealth but for a love of life. This grants +5 to Intelligence.]

It looks like those five points in Intelligence really came through!

The updated stats make it clear that I'm evolving both in and outside of your police work:

Name: Isaac Dinklage

Health: 410

Level: 9

Experience: 586/4500

Titles: Hot Fuzz (Novice), Newcomer (Ordinary), Racist, Good Guy, Philosopher

Attributes:

Strength: 46

Agility: 11

Endurance: 38

Intelligence: 24

Intuition: 29

Luck: 11

AP: 30

Features: Orphan, Lone Wolf, Sociopath, Alcoholic, Casanova, Racist

Skills:

Stealth - Level 2

Darts Mastery - Level 5

Shooting - Level 4

Hand-to-Hand Combat - Level 9

Special Skills:

Cooking - Level 9

Guitar - Level 8

Problem Solving - Level 16

Persuasion - Level 5

Casanova - Level 10

Chuck Norris Kick - Level 5

Accuracy - Level 6

Melee Weapon Mystery - Level 4

Troll - Level 2

Cheater - Level 1

Talk No Jutsu - Level 10

"Well, good luck to you."

Gordon nodded at me as he sent me on my way, but as I was leaving, I heard his words.

"Maybe you really can set her straight..."

...

I didn't have any trouble meeting Poison Ivy.

They simply checked me for any prohibited items, making sure I wasn't bringing her any "gifts" in the form of cakes and pastries.

There's a special way of dealing with her here.

She doesn't resemble your typical psychopath or world-class criminal and has her own agenda when it comes to plants and protecting nature.

She won't harm anyone if they leave her and her garden alone.

The guards and the higher-ups know this well.

That's why she stays in her little garden, nurturing her plants and not bothering anyone.

She has only escaped a couple of times to get revenge on the Joker for something or because "her children were mistreated."

That's about it.

The local law enforcement was surprised by my interest in her.

They even checked if I was exposed to her pheromones, but the tests came back negative, and I was allowed to pass.

In the garden, she greeted me with a smile... but as I approached, her demeanor changed abruptly, and she made a terrible grimace.

"Yooou!"

She exclaimed, and vines immediately ensnared me.

I was confused...

"W-what happened, Ivy?"

"You dare ask, you bastard?"

'Why did I get the feeling this had something to do with Kate?'

"What are you talking about? And why 'bastard'?"

"You! You slept with another woman! Who is she? Rrrr! How dare you?"

"Ivy, my dear, I did sleep with another woman. I just came from her this morning."

I guess I would have to explain everything.

"I never lied to you because I don't see the point in lying. Just ask me, and I'll answer."

"Who is she?"

Ivy asked, calming down a bit.

"Katherine Smith, the prosecutor. What about it?"

"I'll kill her!"

Oh, that is definitely not advisable.

"I will…"

"Hey! My sweet Pamela, she's not at fault here. You know you're in love with me too. I slept with her of my own free will. She doesn't even know about our relationship."

The vines began to tighten around me even more.

"The thing is, I'm a womanizer. I don't hide it. I am who I am."

"And I'm just another fool to you?!"

"No, you're a very sweet and desirable woman who continues to amaze me. I can't even understand how you found out that I slept with someone else."

"Your scent and the pheromones emanating from you. Every person has pheromones, and I remember yours very well. And it changed since our last meeting."

"I see. So what now? Do you want to kill me?"

"No! I WILL KILL HER!"

"And what sense does that make? She's not guilty of anything. Besides, you can't kill every woman I sleep with. That's insane!"

"Isn't it crazy that you're cheating?!"

She shouted, stepping closer to me.

"I didn't cheat on you. We're not husband and wife, we're not even a couple..."

"Is that because we never did anything?"

She asked with embarrassment, and the vines released their grip on me.

I immediately embraced her, but she didn't resist.

"It's not about that. The problem is me. I probably didn't act right at the beginning when we met. I didn't tell you what kind of person I am. The truth is, I probably won't ever be able to create a normal family. And it's not just because I'm a womanizer."

"Then what is it about?"

She asked, returning my embrace.

"My parents. I realized that after their death, I wouldn't be able to live normally. They were killed in a terrorist attack by some bastards, freaks of this world. I joined the police after the army not just because. It's related to how my parents died and to what I plan to do."

"What are you talking about?"

"I plan to change the history of this world and save as many good people as possible in this world."

[+100 relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman]

'Damn! Is he watching us right now?'

I'm reacting too strangely to all this stuff happening to me, but I ignored it because it is possible to work together.

"Besides, I understand that at the moment I can't do anything significant. I can only fix those I'm capable of helping and fight crime as much as my abilities allow."

"You want to be a superhero?"

She smiled.

"No, superheroes were created by people or by those who are unhappy with their role and try to stand out through 'heroic acts.' Heroes don't exist, just like villains don't. There are only people who commit certain acts. I want innocent civilians to not suffer because of these 'villains' and 'heroes.'"

"So, what will you do about it?"

"I will become someone else for that. Something else entirely..."

[+200 relationship with Bruce Wayne/Batman]

"I hope you won't do anything stupid? If you want revenge, take it out on me because others aren't responsible for my mistakes."

"Hmm. The hero of our time."

She turned around and kissed me.

"You'll have to apologize very, very much for my broken heart."

'Why do I feel like I'm going to get brutally taken advantage of right now?'

[+1 Intuition]

Damn system!

To be continued...