I wake up and my eyes are greeted with the ceiling of Stella's living room. I'm lying on the floor, and as I look to the right of me, I see Stella fast asleep on the floor. After seeing this, I decide to sit up to hopefully get my bearings on why in the world I am on the floor. All of a sudden, I feel that I have a throbbing headache. Fuck… I am hung over as shit. The TV is on and playing loudly, so I look over to see what it is and to turn it down. As soon as I look at the TV, I am greeted with game 7 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. We must've been watching old NHL games! Even though that is really cool, we were watching it way too loudly! I grab the remote and turn the TV down to a lower volume.
"Hung over the day we travel to basic… Great decision, Kenzo." I say to myself in an ashamed tone. Well, I guess I should wake Stella up and see how she is feeling. I shake Stella awake and give her a moment to wake up.
"Oh hey Kenzo!" Stella exclaims with a little grin.
"Good morning sunshine. Guess we drank too much last night, huh?" I ask Stella rhetorically.
"We sure did. Kenzoooooo my head hurts bad." Stella whines with a pouty face. Damn she is cute…
"Yeah, that's called a hangover, Stella." I tease Stella sarcastically.
"I know that dummy *hmph*. Can you get the hangover medication from the bathroom? It is in a pill bottle labeled "Hangovers." Stella asks me. HANGOVER MEDS? THAT WOULD'VE BEEN NICE DURING MY TIME.
"Sure, you got it!" I respond with a thumbs up as I walk over to the bathroom. When I enter the bathroom, I open the cabinet and find the medication, and walk back to Stella.
"I got it, Stella!" I tell her as I shake the bottle.
"Yippie!" Stella celebrates as she stands up and gets her water bottle. She grabs the bottle of pills and takes two, and then I do the same. Almost immediately, my symptoms vanish.
"Holy crap this thing is amazing!" I exclaim in shock at how fast it worked.
"Yup, it really is! I always have it in my house no matter what." Stella says with a proud grin as she does the superman pose.
"I don't know if that is something you want to brag about, Stella." I tease Stella as I give her forehead a flick.
"Owwwww! That hurt Kenzo!" Stella complains.
"Oh, you'll survive, trust me." I respond smugly.
"You're such a smart ass haha." Stella laughs. All of a sudden, Stella's face goes from laughing to panic. "Shit what time is it?" Stella asks in a panic as she taps her wristband. The wristband's hologram shows the time is 1:47.
"Damn we slept pretty late." I state.
"Yeah, a little too late! We have to get packed quickly, the escort to the train station will be here soon!" Stella shouts in a panic. An escort? That is crazy, but I guess they really wanna keep her safe for this trip!
"Okay, I'll pack my stuff in this backpack." I say as I grab an empty blue backpack. I go into Stella's room and pack all my belongings.
Wait, what are we gonna do about the hockey gear we bought? I don't wanna leave it!
"Stella, what are we gonna do with the hockey gear?" I question.
"Oh normally we would have to leave it, but since it's so important to you, I'll try to pull some strings." Stella says as she taps her wristband and calls someone labeled 'General Smith'
"Ms. Larson? Is everything okay?" A man on the other line asks, concerned.
"Yes, everything is okay, General Smith. I just have one question for you." Stella informs the general.
"Alright then, little Larson. What's your question?" General Smith asks Stella.
"I'm sure the paperwork has come across your desk, so you're aware I will be arriving at Fort Anchorage for basic training early tomorrow morning. And I was wondering if I could be granted an exception for some stuff I would like to bring." Stella explains.
"It depends on what the stuff is." General Smith responds.
"It's just some hockey gear. As you may know, my good friend Kenzo is coming to basics with me, and he is an AMAZING hockey player. I just can't make him leave that behind." Stella tells General Smith. Damn she really is trying her best to grant me this privilege. She is the best ever!
"Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem, especially because we have a rink in town!" General Smith informs Stella.
"Okay, thank you very much, General Smith. I hope you have a great day!" Stella tells General Smith.
"You too." General Smith responds and hangs up. She did it!!!
"I DID IT, KENZO!" Stella celebrates. I put my hand in the air for a high five, and Stella responds with a little leap and completes the high five.
"You're the best, Stella." I compliment.
This girl must have had a lot of influence because he agreed like it was nothing at all! That will probably prove to be useful to us in the future.
"We gotta get going or we will be late!" I yell with urgency.
"Yeah, you're right!" Stella yells as she grabs her bag and runs to the door. She opens the door and runs outside to the front of the house. She forgot her hockey bag… I guess I'll grab it for her.
I grab Stella's hockey bag along with mine from the garage. Carrying the bags on both of my shoulders. Carrying them along with the hockey sticks and my backpack is super challenging, but not because it's heavy. It is hard because of how awkward it is to carry all the stuff at once. I head out to the front of the house and see a black car with four police cars parked in the street. Stella waves me over to the car. As I walk over to the car, she opens the trunk, and I start to unload the luggage in the trunk.
"I'm so sorry, Kenzo, I totally forgot to grab my gear! I was just so worried about being late!" Stella apologizes as she helps me put the luggage in the car. She forgot? She literally just got off the phone with a whole ass GENERAL to get a special exception for us! She really can be an airhead sometimes!
"It's okay, Stella, just a little funny you forgot about it so quickly." I tease Stella.
"I know, I know, but let's get in the car." Stella responds with an eye roll.
The car looks like a Black Cadillac and has 2 small flags on the hood. I grab the door handle and try to open it, but it won't budge. I pull with all my might, but it just doesn't open, no matter how hard I pull.
"Kenzo, that's not how the doors work on this car." Stella tells me as she puts her hand on my shoulder.
All of a sudden, Stella walks up to the car door and holds her wristband to it. All of the doors swing open. The door is about 11 inches thick and resembles a plane's door. Stella enters the car, and I follow her lead. As I sit down on the nice white leather seats, my nose is greeted with the smell of lavender. Immediately, almost as if I were conditioned to the scent, my body relaxes. A man in a suit comes and closes the door, and I hear the door lock. The back seat of this car seems to be separated from the front of the car by a wall. On the insides of the doors, there are buttons for different controls. Stella clicks one of them, and a TV comes up from the floor.
"Wow, that's what that button does?!?!" I ask in shock.
"Yup! I guess you don't know what this car can do." Stella says. Yup, she is completely right, I am so lost right now!
"Yup, you're completely correct!" I inform Stella.
"Alright then, I'll tell you all about it! So this button is for the fridge!" Stella explains as she pushes a button. All of a sudden, the center console that is located between the two seats started to make a lot of noise. Naturally, I open the top of it and see that it is now filled with drinks, candy, and different kinds of food.
"Wow! What was it before?" I ask Stella.
"Well, let me show ya!" Stella says as she clicks another button. A very similar noise comes from the center console, and once again, I open it to see what it is. After opening it, I see a remote to the TV, wristband chargers, and walkie-talkies.
"Oh, nice, it's the remote to the TV!" I say as I grab the remote.
"Yeah, and what's extra cool about it is that we have access to ALL channels!" Stella says with a big grin as she presses another button. And all of a sudden, a table pops out of the door and is hovering above her lap. The table has a computer built inside it that opens with a tap.
"This car is so High tech! Is this normal?" I ask Stella.
"No, this isn't normal at all, Kenzo. This car is known as 'The Beast'." Stella informs me. THE BEAST?!? AS IN THE CAR THE PRESIDENT RIDES IN?
"Stella, back in my time, 'The Beast' was for the president, so does that mean that this is a…" I attempt to ask Stella, but get cut off.
"Yes, Kenzo, this is the same car the current president drives in. Don't worry, he has two of them, so we aren't leaving him without a car." Stella tells me in a nonchalant tone. She has one of the president's cars!?!? This is insane!
"So why do you ride in the president's car?" I question Stella.
"Well, our family was close with the Matthews family since they're also a high-ranking family. So as a family friend and sitting president, Bryan has given many resources to me and Henry. I do think sometimes it is overkill since I can protect myself just fine, but my 'protection' is ordered by Congress, so he has to do it no matter what." Stella explains to me. She seems not to like this special treatment… I guess I can understand disliking it. I hate it when I feel like I am being underestimated, but the way Stella and I deal with it is completely different.
"So Bryan… Did you grow up with him?" I ask Stella hesitantly.
"Yeah, kind of. He is much older than me. To be exact, he is 19 years older than I am, but whenever I would go to council meetings with my father, I would see him there. Even back then, he had something about him that really presented leadership capabilities." Stella informs me in a serious voice.
"Would you say he is a natural-born leader?" I ask Stella.
"No doubt about that. He gives off energy similar to Caesar, Napoleon, and even Alexander." Stella compliments Bryan. Wow, that is insanely high praise, but that is a weird way to phrase it… She talks as if she has met those great leaders. But nonetheless, with praise that high, he must be a force to be reckoned with.
"Well then, I am glad he is on our side!" I tell Stella. All of a sudden, the car starts moving, and the windows immediately blacken.
When riding in the car, it is unable to look outside the windows, but we are able to see a 360 view on the TV screen. Using this view, I was able to see all the surroundings, and even the car itself, if desired.
"Kenzo, unfortunately, we won't be able to bathe in this luxury for long. After all, the train station is only 10 minutes away using the tunnels." Stella tells me. Tunnels? What tunnels?
"What do you mean, tunnels, Stella?" I ask.
"Oh, the tunnels are secure, secretive pathways that 'elites' use to get around the city." Stella explains to me. Wow, almost like the ones that were rumored to be in LA back in my time!
"Oh wow, that's actually really cool, but isn't that risky? If you have everyone centralised in one place, you run the risk of an attack, right?" I question Stella.
"That is a risk, but a low one. Very few people know these exist, and even fewer people know where they are. For example, you wouldn't have a clue how to get to these pathways if we didn't have the 360 camera on the car. That was the reason the windows went black." Stella informs me as she points to the windows that are blacked out.
"I guess you're right. You guys probably have plenty of technology to hide its existence, probably, so I guess that checks out." I state as I nod my head in understanding.
After explaining everything to me, Stella turns her attention to the TV and uses the remote to change the TV to SpongeBob. After about 5 minutes, I feel the car stop.
We must be here! As soon as I think that, almost like clockwork, someone knocks on the door of the car. As soon as Stella hears this she opens the door, and we are greeted by a tall man in a black suit. The man has blonde hair with a buzz cut, has a prominent jawline, Stud earrings in both of his ears, and has a holster with a pistol on his right leg.
"Welcome, Princess, I hope your journey here was enjoyable." The man in a black suit welcomes Stella as he bows.
Princess? Is she royalty? I mean it wouldn't shock me all too much with how much she is looked after by the government, and considering her family lineage. But a monarch in America? I don't see that happening even after 2,000 years!
"Why, thank you, Jewels, and even though it was only a short drive, it was quite enjoyable!" Stella thanks Jewels as she gets out of the car. I start to scoot over to the other side of the car where Stella got out from.
"And would you happen to be the mysterious Kenzo?" Jewels asks me. Oh wow, he knows about me!
"Yes, I sure am! But why is the adjective mysterious?" I ask Jewels, confused as I exit the car.
"Well, naturally, when someone who has no prior history with the Larson family shows up and befriends the Princess, some eyebrows will be raised. You befriended her and are joining the military with her nonetheless!" Jewels explains to me. Yeah, I guess it does look weird to an outsider. So weird that I might look… Suspicious. Oh no!
"That all makes sense as to why I am being described that way now." I say with a nervous smile. Please don't get on my case! I don't need any more problems!
"I'm glad I could help you understand." Jewels says to me with a smile. As I start to walk by Jewels, he leans in and whispers to me, "You better be careful, Kenzo. You're lucky the princess trusts you so damn much." I just nod my head in understanding.
What's his problem? I understand being a little cautious, but the threat is a little far! And I still am so confused about this whole princess stuff. What is she a princess of?
"Cmon, Kenzo, let's get on the train!" Stella exclaims as she grabs my hand and starts running straight ahead. As soon as she turns the corner, we are greeted with the view of a beautiful, slim white train. It looks super fancy from the outside, and from what I can see through the windows, it is as luxurious as can be. She drags me to one of the doors of the train where a woman in a military uniform is standing. The woman has dark purple hair that looks to be tied up under her side cap, she has pale skin, is about as tall as Stella, and has a scar on her cheek.
"Welcome, Princess. Before I let you on the train, I need your fingerprint." The woman tells Stella.
"Of course, Priscilla," Stella says as she places her thumb on the fingerprint reader. After a few seconds, we hear a high-pitched ring.
"Great! Now just for him." Priscilla says with a dry tone. I put my thumb on the reader, and the same exact sound plays. After getting our fingerprints, we are escorted inside to our quarters.
Our quarters consist of two beds, a TV, and a service bell. At least to my eyes, that is all I notice. We have access to the whole train, but we were told that we must notify someone before going to different parts of the train.
"So Stella, what should we do first?" I ask.
"Well, Henry told me he planted a gift here for us." Stella replies. A gift? I wonder what it is.
Stella goes to one of the beds and crouches down to be level with the bed frame. She presses her wristband onto the bed frame, and then, after a few seconds, she knocks twice on the bed frame. In response to Stella's actions, a small compartment is pushed out of the bed frame.
"Wow… Henry sure knows how to pick his gifts." Stella says, wiping her eyes. What kind of gift is it? It must mean a lot to her to cause her to cry almost immediately.
"Stella?" I stammer as I walk over to her and see a pistol and a knife. Why this kind of reaction to these items? "What's wrong?" I crouch to get level with her.
"Kenzo… This is my dad's old sidearm." Stella picks up the pistol and examines it, making sure not to come close to touching the trigger. "I thought this was long gone. Henry told me it was taken as evidence during the investigation of the attack on my family." Stella explains. Well, I doubt Henry would lie about something like that, but I wouldn't doubt if he pulled some strings to retrieve it. Maybe he used his position in the bureau to get it back?
"Stella, do you think Henry-" I try to ask Stella before being interrupted.
"No doubt he pulled some strings to get it back." Stella answers my question before I can even ask it. "Here, Kenzo, these are for you." Stella hands me a pistol with a holster and a knife in a sheath. These are the weapons that can be used with AE, aren't they?
Stella puts the holster on her right thigh and puts her knife on the left side of her waist. I decided to just copy where she put hers and put them in the same spots for myself.
"I still don't know how to use AE. Do you think you could teach me, Stella?" I ask her.
"Of course, Kenzo, but since we don't know the element you're proficient with, we have to be careful! So grab your knife and get a good grip on it." Stella tells me.
I grab my knife and hold it where the indent meant for a hand is. The material of the handle almost feels like rubber. There are multiple switches on the handle, also, but I won't mess with them since I have no clue what they do!
"Okay, next you're gonna imagine a flow of energy going from your brain to the weapon. If it's easier, you can imagine the energy as blood flowing from your brain." Stella elaborates. Okay, so like a flow of energy. I take a deep breath and imagine flowing the energy to the weapon, and within a second, the blade gets lit ablaze. The whole blade of the knife is covered in fire. I can feel the heat, but it doesn't feel super hot. It's more like it's a warming sensation. I avert my gaze from the blade to Stella and see her in a state of awe.
"Wow, Kenzo! Where did you gain such great power?!" Stella questions me.
"Well, I did have a blood transfusion from your brother, and the goddess gave me AE, too." I explain.
"Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Henry is super powerful and has massive reserves of AE. Well, stop the fire so we don't burn anything down, dummy." Stella presses a button on the handle of the knife, and the flames are extinguished.
"So it looks like fire is my ability! Thanks for the help, Stella." I thank her.
"No problem, Kenzo! Now let's have some fun on this train ride! Since it's straight to business when we arrive in Anchorage." Stella says with a smile.