4 Ed’s Power (1/2)

Ed waited for nearly an hour. Suddenly, he heard the loud roar of an engine combined with billowing wind. He looked up and saw a quadcopter flying in the sky. It was made of steel and looked like a giant drone. The four propellers had steam shooting out to create more lift. The propellers slowed down, and the steam slowly faded as it landed on the ground.

Mr. Lee smiled, ”That's our ride.”

The duo stood up and headed towards the quadcopter. In the middle of the four large propellers was a large cabin that could fit twelve people. They both walked inside. The cabin had two rows of seats lined up against the walls. Each seat had straps to buckle them in. Small windows were situated next to each seat. The pilot sat in a leather chair in the front cockpit of the quadcopter. Whoosh! Steam poured from the propellers, causing them to slowly begin spinning. The quadcopter lifted into the air and began flying north.

Ed looked out the windows with interest gleaming in his eyes. He turned towards Mr. Lee, ”This is amazing! Why don't they use these to fly between cities?”

The woman piloting the quadcopter yelled towards the cabin, ”These things are too expensive for civilian use. We only use them for transporting hunters and government officials. Enjoy the ride. We should reach our destination in 20 minutes.”

Ed continued to watch the surroundings through the windows. He had never been up this high before. 'I wonder if I can fly one someday?'

Mr. Lee waited for Ed to calm down before speaking, ”Ed, do you know where we're heading?”

He shook his head. ”No.”

Mr. Lee smiled, ”We're going to Steam Work Academy. You will learn to control and grow your powers there. You'll be able to meet many young espers your age. All of them are working hard to become hunters. Some by choice and others due to their own circumstances.”

”Where is Steam Work Academy?” Ed questioned.

”It's on Governor's island. The island was repurposed into a training academy when Steam Work city was built. The facilities there are top class. I think you'll like it there.”

The quadcopter landed on a large platform on the 172-acre island. The duo exited the quadcopter. The woman piloting it got out and began to do some checks.

Mr. Lee gestured for Ed to follow him. ”That will take her a while. Let's go. I'll take you to the headmaster.”

Ed followed behind Mr. Lee obediently. He looked around the island. There were many large buildings and training fields. Some of the fields had other young people exercising or practicing their powers. One practice field was completely devastated by large chunks of ice. He looked out towards the bay and saw the statue of liberty surrounded by water. It wasn't the original statue of liberty. This was a new statue that had a shiny bronze hue. It was built upon a platform that continuously shot out steam, which caused the statue to slowly rotate 360 degrees. As the steam floated up, it gave the statue a mysterious vibe.

They reached a large building on the island. It was constructed differently than most buildings. It was made of old fashioned bricks, wood, and glass. It looked like something from an older time-period. Mr. Lee pointed towards the building. ”This is where indoor classes are held in the afternoon. You'll spend a lot of time here.”

The duo walked through the halls. It looked like an ordinary school with classrooms lined up on each side. They climbed three sets of stairs and reached the headmasters office.

Bang, bang. Mr. Lee knocked on the door.

”Come in!” A feminine voice called out.

Mr. Lee opened the door and Ed followed him inside. He saw a middle-aged woman sitting behind a large oak desk. She had short blond hair and blue eyes. She smiled, ”Hello gentlemen. I'm Headmaster Willow. Please have a seat.”

The two sat down in two leather chairs. Ed glanced around the office. It was ordinary and had a classical style. Several bookshelves were aligned along the walls. The floors consisted of tiles that were rather dark. Light filtered into the room from a large window behind the desk.

Ms. Willow sat down behind the desk. ”It's nice to meet you, Ed. Quite a few new espers awakened during the Fire Nightmare attack on Reef city. We've already had one other esper from that incident join us. I'm expecting a few more to arrive in the coming days.”

”Eh? Why would multiple espers awaken during the nightmare attack?” Ed questioned.

”It's not really a secret, but we don't really try to advertise it either.” Ms. Willow sighed, ”The key to awakening as an esper is a huge spike in emotion. It can be pain, stress, pleasure, or any other emotion. Most espers awaken from strong pain, fear, or stress in times of crisis. We avoid publicizing this information in fear that people would put themselves in dangerous situations on purpose to attempt awakening.”

Ed nodded. 'So that's how it worked. Come to think of it, I was suffering pain and stress when I awakened. I was also stressed when I tried escaping that esper on the train.' He looked past Ms. Willow and stared at the bright sunny sky. ”Is the awakened power related to the emotion? Do the environmental conditions affect the awakening? Or is the power innate?”

”There isn't a definite answer on any of those questions.” She replied. ”The current consensus is that it's a combination of all three. However, it's heavily debated on what factors hold the most weight. You'll learn about those theories in your classes.” She glanced at Mr. Lee. ”Go ahead with your report, Mr. Lee.”

Mr. Lee nodded and opened his briefcase. He put a metal gauntlet and a folder on top of the desk. ”Edward has already signed the contract to join Steam Work Academy as a hunter in training. In exchange, he wishes for his father to be pardoned of all crimes related to desertion during the nightmare attack. His powers seem to be related to either metal or technology. More data is needed to come to a concrete confirmation.”

”Okay. Good work.” Ms. Willow took the file and glanced through it. ”I'll have Chopper head to Miami to deal with his father. You're heading for London next, right?”

”Yes. There's a promising new esper that awoke in London. The higher-ups are sending me to try and recruit her.” Mr. Lee stood from the chair. ”The steam boat leaves this afternoon. As I've finished my report, I'll take my leave now.” He headed out of the office.

Ed stared nervously at Ms. Willow. She picked up the gauntlet. A white light shone, and the gauntlet started to bend and fall apart.

'Eh? Why is she destroying the gauntlet? Wait, no! She's reverting it back into the original pieces?!' He watched as the steam engine broke apart. Pieces of metal flew out of the various parts and came together to form parts of a lawnmower. The steam engine reassembled into the original broken engine. The rest of the gauntlet formed various scraps from the lawnmower. Then all the parts fell on the table.