"Sir! Sir!"
"Dammit, Jonas, I told you to not interrupt me during lunch! Lunch is a man's most sacred time of the day!... what do you want?"
"The tracker... it's beeping!"
"What?! We got another batch? But... it's January! New batches only come during July."
"Sir, I don't know, but it's beeping. And we've got a huge number of new Gadget-wielders... I-I suggest we get moving... before our enemies get to them first."
"... right, right. Send the coordinates. Get ready to welcome our new friends. Jonas... I've got a feeling that this batch... is going to change things."
January 14th, 14:00
Jun sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the brooch on his table. He had found it yesterday, in an arcade, during a party held by his friends, and decided to keep it a secret. I mean, finders keepers, right? Besides, it looked like a normal, harmless brooch. Nothing someone would make a huge fuss over... unless they had some emotional connection to the brooch... but, again, it was just a brooch, something you found in the street market.
"You're gonna look great in my backpack." Jun said, smirking as he grabbed the brooch and started to clean it with his shirt's sleeve. "Just gotta clean you first..."
"Hey, could you stop doing that?"
Jun yelped, dropping the brooch to the ground and jumping to his feet. Did... did the brooch just... talk to him? The little thing glowed in sync with that weird voice. "What the hell?!" Jun yelled, looking down at the brooch in terror. "Did... did that thing just..."
"Speak? Yeah, I did. Hey, think you could put me back on the table? The ground's a little bit cold."
"... I think I hit my head too hard on... something." Jun said, slowly lowering his hand and reaching for the brooch. "That brooch did not just talk—"
"Talk to you. Yes, I did. Can we get over the whole oh my god he can talk thing?"
"... what... what... how?" Jun said, bringing the brooch closer and trying to find some sort of speaker. "Must be some sort of trick. A talking brooch. Veeery funny."
"Really? I don't think it's that funny. Also, not a brooch. I'm a Gadget.
"A what?"
"A Gadget. It's complicated. Let's just say I traveled through the universe in search of someone worthy enough to use me. And I... found you.
Jun muttered a few words, shaking his hand and putting the brooch on the bed. "No, no, you must have got the wrong number. I can't be worthy of a Gadget... whatever a Gadget is."
"Listen, dude, if I chose you, it's because you're worthy, alright?... we Gadgets, we can see people. As in, we can see what they truly are. We sense it... and we find someone we like. Someone we can trust. Someone worthy. Like you."
"I can't..." Jun opened his mouth, but quickly closed it, shaking his head. "I'm sorry... whoever you are... but it's clear that I can't use one of these Gadgets. I... I don't even know what a Gadget is!"
"A Gadget is like this little device that allow people to communicate with digital copies of heroes and that kind of stuff... at least, that's what I know. I'm sure I could go into more details, but that's the basics. We were created by this race of wise aliens, and they make it so that not only you can communicate with the Gadget, the Gadget can also lend its powers to you."
"Lend its powers?"
"Yeah. Like, for example, I have... really big hands. And you're my User. So technically, I could lend you my big and giant hands and you could go and... wreck it. You know what I mean?"
"I guess..."
"It's not that complicated, really. I'm sure the other Gadgets can explain it better than I can, but that's the basics. You can talk to me, ask me for help, and I can lend you my powers and abilities... hey, kid, you've got a name?"
"Jun. You?"
"Ralph. Wreck-It-Ralph. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jun. You are now the wielder of the Gadget of the Wrecker. So... do good, will ya?"
"Do good?... I... guess I can do that." Jun said, trailing off as he held the Gadget in his hands. "Wait, Ralph! I have more questions!... you said there were more Gadgets, right? Can I meet another... Gadget-wielder like me? Someone who'll be able to tell me more?"
"Oh, sure! I think a few more Gadgets landed with me... hey, listen, I found these coordinates." The 8-bit bricks disappeared, being replaced by a red-tinted screen where the coordinates were being displayed: Rivertree Park, one of the city's oldest parks, located right near the center. "It's being broadcasted in a signal only Gadgets can read, so it's probably one of the more brainy Gadgets telling us where to go. Should... we go there?"
"... you're asking me?"
"Of course, kid! I'm just the Gadget. You're the Gadget-wielder. You're in command."
"I'm in command..." Jun repeated to himself, grabbing his backpack and attaching the Gadget to one of the handles. "I'm in command... just calm down, Jun, you can do this. Just follow the instructions given to you by the talking brooch... gah, I can't believe I'm doing this!" He said, slapping his forehead as he walked down the stairs. "This is sounding like the beginning of a very weird day..."
Not the beginning of a new day, but the beginning of a new era. For all around the same town Jun was in, other Gadgets would be activated. Some would be found right there and now, while some had been found one or two days ago, but all of them would receive the same coordinates, all of them pointing towards Rivertree Park. All of them pointing towards a future filled with adventure, a future that would see these new Gadget-wielders become... Gadget Heroes.
