My name is Zed.Oleg, full name Zed.I.Oleg, formerly known as Tokiwa. I'm really struggling right now because I'm studying English. The past continuous tense, the present perfect tense... they're driving me crazy.
I started learning English the day after I got the Zi-O watch. There's no choice, when you have hope, it's like the feeling of wearing new underwear on New Year's morning, so refreshing! I even had the guts to start reading English textbooks.
Zed vaguely remembered that American elementary schools seemed to start on September 8th. He had less than four months before he would be sent to school. Cramming English in such a short time was no different from taking a life for a student like him.
On the fourth day at the orphanage, a watchmaker named Charlie came, saying he was my great-uncle. After attending the funeral, he would take me to live in New York.
"Hey! Don't worry, little Zed. Life in New York is pretty good, and your parents definitely want you to live happily and not just stay silent all the time. Everything will be alright." Old Charlie awkwardly comforted the child, his eyebrows and wrinkles almost tangled together, trying to force a smile he thought was amiable.
"Alright, Charlie, don't scare the child. We should go, the funeral is about to start." Charlie's wife, Emma, was Zed's great-aunt. At least in appearance, she was much more amiable than Charlie.
At the funeral, Zed saw his "parents" for the first time. His father, Toby, was a true American, and his mother, Judy, was a second-generation Chinese immigrant. Looking at their memorial photos, Zed couldn't help but feel a little sad. The original Zed should have died with them in the car accident.
He had replaced Zed's existence in this world, and the original Zed didn't even have a body left, not even a grave. Zed always felt like he had stolen something important from someone.
Emma and Charlie didn't know how to comfort a child at a funeral, so they could only hold Zed Oleg tightly, hoping to give him some comfort.
"Little Zed, Charlie, your Aunt Joey, and I are all happy to have you live with us."
Leaving the cemetery, Zed's mood had improved a lot in the car on the way to New York. The guilt came and went quickly. After all, the current life was his own. He would definitely hold onto this life tightly, and no matter what Chitauri, Ultron, or Thanos, none of them could stop his will to survive.
I just want to live! Without risking my life!
Charlie's house was in Queens. Although it was a bit old, it was at least a three-story mansion, much more luxurious than Zed Oleg's previous house. The only downside was Charlie's daughter, Joey, whose eyes looked at Zed Oleg as if he were a country bumpkin.
This wasn't the superpower brought by the Zi-O Power, but the ability to recognize a gold digger that he had cultivated when he was still Tokiwa. Joey gave Zed Oleg the impression of being a superficial, vain American high school girl. Although Joey's situation wasn't serious, compared to the honest Charlie and the gentle Emma, it really made people wonder if Joey was their biological child.
"Joey, have you cleared out your old room?" Charlie asked.
"Okay, okay, stop nagging, I'm going to Jennifer's party tonight," Joey said as she picked out her dress for the evening. After all, a female peacock also needed to be beautiful.
Dinner was only Charlie, Emma, and Zed Oleg. Although Charlie wanted Joey to stay for the new family dinner, Joey had promised her friends last week that she would attend the party, so he could only watch Joey leave with her bag in hand.
To be honest, Zed Oleg hadn't been to many parties growing up. He didn't really understand Americans' obsession with them. He'd always hated the smell of alcohol; too much of it made him nauseous and restless. Wouldn't it be better to watch a couple of episodes of Kamen Rider? Zed thought, holding his soda.
"Zed, school starts in three months. You'll love the new school."
"Yeah! Zed, you should get along with the friends you make at school."
Faced with Charlie and Emma's concern, Zed, who only understood half of what they said, could only nod and mumble "uh-huh."
Three months passed in a flash. Zed's English studies barely passed before the start of school. The compensation from his parents' car accident was used as Zed's education fund. Naturally, he would go to a better school. Without any surprises, it would be Midtown High School, which we all love.
Zed was just going through the motions at school, but his goal was clear. In the spirit of making more friends, he wanted to establish a friendly relationship with the future Spider-Man, Peter Parker. Moreover, as the famous friendly neighborhood hero, Peter and Ryuki should be a good match.
"Hello, my name is Zed Oleg. Nice to meet you."
The Asian chubby kid seemed excited to be greeted. "H-hello, my name is Ned."
Zed looked around for half a circle, but couldn't find Peter Parker. He really couldn't tell who was who among these undeveloped white kids, so he could only settle for getting to know Spider-Man's assistant, Ned, first.
"Hey, Ned, what class is next?"
Zed sat next to Ned and started chatting with him like they were old friends.
"Zed, next class is with Jennifer, she's the most gentle. And the principal, Zack, is the strictest. And there's that bad boy, Flash, we'd better stay away from him."
"The music room is all the way in the back on the third floor. It's a long walk."
"The burgers in the cafeteria aren't great, but the yogurt is pretty good."
"Hey, Zed." "Hey, Zed." "Hey, Zed."
Zed Oleg's mood was like that of the Monkey King on the verge of collapse. If Ned, Spider-Man's sidekick, could be this annoying, how terrifying must the real Peter Parker be? Zed couldn't help but ponder the meaning of life and the nature of time.
At 2 PM, school was out.
"Peter! I'll show you with my fists. I, Flash, am the king of this school!"
At that moment, a future Spider-Man was getting beaten up.
Meanwhile, the thoughts of a coward and a selfish person:
"I should help him, but I'm so afraid of getting beaten up. Flash looks so fierce."
"Would helping him affect his future? Flash's bullying puts Peter in a weak position, making him understand the suffering of the weak. Ben's death then makes Peter determined to help the weak. Should I help him? What if he doesn't become Spider-Man? Who will I get to activate my Ryuki watch?"
"Hey, shrimp! You think you're tough, huh? Say something!" Flash was on top of Peter, throwing punches and yelling.
"Stop it! Flash! Stop it!" Ned stammered, trying to sound tough, but it came out awkward.
"Get lost, you tubby! Unless... you want to join Peter." Flash glared at Ned, then swept his gaze across the crowd.
"Flash, easy there, you're scaring them! Hahaha." Flash's cronies laughed.
Ned lowered his head, looking aggrieved and unwilling. Peter was a mess, his face bruised and swollen, but the way he clenched his jaw and refused to beg for mercy... he was a real man.
Watching them, Zed Oleg was reminded of the first time he saw the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie. Peter seemed to get beaten up for standing up for others.
Zed Oleg shook his head, took a deep breath, stepped back, and got into a stance!
A jump to the sky turns to a rider kick!
I'm going to kick his ass!
No doubt, the guy who's going to be the most wicked and evil Demon King delivered a precise and powerful kick right to Flash's chest.
I am Zi-O! How can anyone be more arrogant than me?! I say I'll hit you, I'll hit you. Today, I'm not just going to hit one of you, I'm going to hit a whole bunch of you. Super fierce~~ Little kids can't waste the Zi-O Power that's still asleep. In this situation, if you want to win, you can only rely on one word. RUA~~ Taking advantage of the fact that the lackeys hadn't reacted yet, Zed swung his fists and started to attack. He punched one more into a daze, but also got punched by others. The scene was a mess. Zed didn't know who had given him the black eye, but he got more and more excited, and kept getting more and more into it.
Flash, who had gotten up from the ground, shouted from outside the battle circle, "Grab him! Quick! Pin him down!"
Several people entangled Zed and threw him down to the ground. How to deal with being outnumbered? Call for help! Flash was about to come over and kick Zed when Peter pounced over and locked Flash's legs. Then, Ned delivered a huge impact, taking the head.
Best match!
"Principal Zack, it was Flash who bullied Peter first. Zed and I were acting heroically," Ned argued unhappily to the principal.
"Group fighting, and you still have the nerve to argue? Acting heroically? And you! Are you Superman? You even did a flying kick." Principal Zack's roar echoed throughout the entire school.
Damn it Fighting on the first day of school and having to call their parents. Charlie, Ben, and Ned's dad looked at the bruised and swollen Zed, as well as the equally pig-headed Peter and Ned. Not knowing what to say, the three of them could only smile at each other.
The three little guys, despite their pig heads, were still laughing and joking. Give them cigars and whiskey, and you'd have the quintessential American old man's romance.
"Hey, Zed, you're so brave. The whole school's talking about your flying kick. Is that Chinese kung fu? Can you teach me?"
"Zed, Ned, thank you for helping me. Do you guys like pineapple pie? Aunt May's pineapple pie is delicious. I'll bring you some tomorrow."
"It's nothing. I'm going to be the man who becomes the Demon King."
Kids were so easy to fool. Within a day, Ned and Peter considered Zed their best buddies. And the price? Just a couple of black eyes. Oh! Not a day, but half a day. School let out at 2 p.m.
On the way home.
"Zed, you were very brave today to protect your friends, and that deserves praise. But fighting is wrong. Do you understand? Next time, you should choose a more stable and safer approach."
"Uncle. I want to learn watchmaking."
"Don't change the subject. What were you saying?"
"I want to learn how to make watches!"
"Oh! My goodness! Little Zed wants to learn watchmaking from old Charlie. My skills have an heir."