Scrawny little kid that Steve. He is six years old already, but seems like four. But he is good. I heard some time ago that he didn't start the school being bullied, but tried to help a kid that was. Then his bullying began.
Anyway, I'm in theory, insulated from the electric discharge from the transmutation mistakes, but in practice that's not how it works. I have no direct contact with the berserk energy anymore, but I'm still affected. And it hurts. But. I think it's the first time I'm happy with the buts. The lightning has been hitting me all over my body, coupled with light exercises that I have been doing in or out of school, and muscles are the result. Not Goku kind of muscles, that's bullshit. I mean healthy muscles, I can even see the shape of an eight pack growing on my abdomen. High expectations for my future. There is a few scars here and there, from burnings to cuts (lightning and material shards from failed experiments), but the girls like it. Right? I'm pretty sure that's what I read about last time. I can't even be sure about that, the customs are different, like a century different.
It's currently the year of 1926, almost 1927. there is still over a decade to the start of the Second World War. And I have less than half that time to decide if I will enlist myself on the army or try to contact Dr. Erskyne by the scientific social circles. I have been exercising and developing a project to help on soldiers protection on the war, so I'm halfway to both sides, but I can't be sure of the last hurdle. If I enlist myself, I may die on the war if I don't get a healing factor or better defensive means until then. But if I try the science side, I'm not sure I would be accomplished enough to actually meet the old guy, much less actually be invited to participate on the serums research. What am I working on? Well...
I'm an alchemist, that's a cheat like ability to molding, fusing, creating and adjusting matter as a whole. With my friend's gift I could in theory make a death field around me, mixing the molecules in the air to make toxic gases. But that is hard, I mean, I don't have guidelines anymore remember? So I have to search, find, lock on and actively manipulate each and every molecule around me. That's bullshit. That's why when using gases and liquids in alchemy, localized transmutations, with a diagram, are used. The transmutation circle does the hard part, I only need to provide energy, and guide said energy to the desired end. But I digress, again. That's becoming common. I won a prize on a science fair some time ago, and got to talk with the mayor. I got a piece of kevlar in the end, don't ask me how. And since then I have been researching it. I Think I can make something better than kevlar, but I would need a controlled environment to that, since the energy required to that not only would make me fall unconscious in the end, but any mistake i made would destroy anything nearby. One mysterious lightning on the school is enough.
Well, I decided. My career path i mean. Since any option has its shortcomings, why not be in both. I will get a degree in a few areas of interest, then apply to the army in the intelligence division or support or whatever. You know, I think I need to research that.
Whelp, research done. That's not how it works. But I can make connections with the army, and when the war starts I will have a paved way.
So, I applied for an early graduation, got the attention of a few higher ups on a few universities, and got to choose one more or less near the orphanage, Kingsborough. I have been here for a few months already. From time to time I got to see Steve, and boy he is still the same, the kid doesn't grow. I call him to eat with me from time to time, and give him some tips on health and exercising, but his body doesn't change. I guess he's been too sick since he was a baby, that he can't get all nutrients necessary. I will take a look at the medical books of the university's library, if I can get anything of help.
Yeah, four years since I got to college. I had to slow down a bit my experiments, but with a lot of hard work I got 2 degrees and one PhD. Nuclear Physics, Materials Science and a doctorate in Bioengineering. I'm an alchemist alright, but my main focus is to strengthen myself, so that I can face all dangers and adventures that will come in the next 100 years. Well, I have to live the next century to that, so there is that as well.
I'm officially 18, and now I have my space. Got the government's papers yesterday and now I'm on my own. Lucky I got to save some prize money from fairs and scholarships, so I could rent a place for myself.
While studying Bioengineering I delved a bit into the medical field and researched on Steve's condition. Apparently a big share of the nutrients he consume are used to "combat" all weaknesses on his immunological system and wounds from bullying, things like that, what his body actually get to really feed itself is not enough to get him better. I told him about that, he said he would get by, that he wouldn't fall for a little sickness. It hurts to see him so scrawny and wounded like that, in the last few years I have come to see him as a little brother, and not as a character on a comic book. But I have to wait, one more decade and the vita radiation will make him better.
~~~~~~end of chapter~~~~~~