Brooklyn, New York – 2008
Most five-year-olds worry about nap time or juice boxes.
I think about particle wave functions, silent takedowns, and global surveillance programs.
A month ago, my parents realized something was… off.
"He's doing my high school chemistry modules, Kenji!"
"Ananya, he explained calculus proofs over breakfast and used Latin terms correctly!"
"He's five. What kind of five-year-old does this?"
Answer? A five-year-old with Baxter Stockman's genius and Snake Eyes' discipline locked away like treasure chests I'm slowly prying open.
---
By now, I've been pulled from school.
I'm homeschooled full-time — and even that isn't enough.
Is this how Young Sheldon felt? Trapped in a world built for slower minds, forced to play nice until the world catches up?
Except unlike Sheldon, I know when to shut up.
The Snake Eyes template keeps my arrogance in check. Every time Baxter's brilliance swells into smugness, Snake's stillness grounds me.
---
My daily schedule is brutal — but I built it that way:
6:00 AM – Wake up. Begin meditation. Arashikage breathing techniques sharpen my focus, suppress fatigue, and regulate my body. With these, I only need six hours of sleep, giving me four bonus hours each night for secret training.
8:00 AM to 3:00 PM – Homeschooling.
Math, physics, biology, chemistry. History, geopolitics, sociology. Hindi and Japanese were easy — I already had cultural fluency. Now I'm adding French, Latin, and Mandarin.
Computer science is my favorite: C++, Python, basic hacking, logic gates. I cracked my dad's laptop firewall for fun. I fixed it afterward.
Mom calls me a sponge.
Dad just stares and whispers things like, "How is this possible?"
They've already enrolled me in online high school courses. I'll probably graduate in two years.
They're shocked. Proud. A little scared.
---
But physical training? That's my true secret.
At night, when everyone sleeps, I train in silence.
Stretching, breathwork, stance flow. Strike drills. Agility ladders made from tape and paper.
No weapons yet — I'm still a child — but the Arashikage Clan started training their children from the age of three. If they could do it, so can I.
I can feel it — muscle memory waiting to be unlocked. Snake Eyes doesn't just teach you how to fight. He teaches you how to become invisible.
---
The world outside my window is changing fast.
I've been tracking news like a hawk:
"Mysterious Hammer Falls from the Sky"
Military's sealed off a site in New Mexico. They say the hammer won't budge.
Mjolnir. Thor's coming. The Nine Realms are real.
"Tony Stark Missing – Feared Dead"
The media speculates. I know better.
"Masked Iron Man Rescues Civilians in Afghanistan"
There it is. The MCU begins.
"White House Discusses Mutant Registration"
Fear is growing. Policies will follow.
Baxter's memories warn me: fear of the unknown always leads to chains.
"Fantastic Four Return from Space – Ben Grimm Mutates"
There's grainy footage of Grimm shielding children with his rocky frame. They call him "The Thing."
He looks like a monster — but the sadness in his eyes? That's human.
---
Meanwhile, Brooklyn remains unaware of the storm brewing.
Except me.
I walk the neighborhood. Not because I'm curious — because I'm scanning. Snake Eyes' awareness lets me see patterns others miss. The slow gait of a dealer. The twitchy fingers of a shoplifter. One man had a knife tucked under his coat — handle worn smooth by nervous fingers.
This place isn't violent yet. But it's vulnerable. And vulnerability invites chaos.
---
I blend in during the day.
Basketball, baseball — the local kids love me.
"You're short but you move like lightning!" one boy yelled as I sank another three-pointer.
Another kid watched me sprint the bases and muttered, "Dude's got jet fuel in his sneakers."
I shrug, smile, pass the ball.
Be talented. Not suspicious. Be special. Not alienating. Blend in. Observe. Prepare.
---
But none of this is random.
I train because I know what's coming. I study because I know what I'll need.
History teaches patterns. Science teaches solutions. Languages unlock codes and cultures.
---
At night, while others dream, I sharpen my mind and body like twin blades.
Ten years. A decade to become someone who can walk beside gods… or bring them to their knees if needed.
And when I hear names like Thor, Stark, or Grimm, I don't feel awe.
I feel the fire rise in my chest.
This world is waking up. Superhumans are real. Gods walk among us. Monsters too.
But I won't just survive this new era. I'll thrive in it.
Because I've been preparing since the day I died.