Chapter 3: introducing STELLEaron

Narrator's Pov

Stelle didn't fully understand the situation, she remembers Kafka, her face, voice and name, and that's it, she doesn't remember anything else before waking up among these three persons.

"Stelle? Well, Nice to met you, I'm Dan Heng, this girl here is March 7th and that boy is Ryan." Dan Heng presented himself and the other two.

"We came to help, we received these coordinates from someone, looks like someone left you here where you could be safe, do you have any idea of who?" March asked as she stood up.

"Ugh...no sorry" Stelle spoke as she also stood up alongside the others.

"No matter, right no-" before Dan Heng could continue speaking, his phone rang a bit and he checked it, a small frown appearing on his face. "It's Asta...she knows we are here and told me Arlan lost communication."

"Who are they?" Ryan asked a bit curious.

"Arlan is from the security department, and Asta is the lead researcher of the station, right now, she's handling all of this because Herta is away" Dan Heng sighed a bit and looked towards them. "I'll go and search for Arlan."

"Do you want me to go with you, Dan Heng?" Ryan asked as he looked towards him.

"No, I don't trust March alone with Stelle-"

"Hey!"

"So you'll have to keep and eye on them, sorry" Dan Heng sighed a bit.

Ryan shook his head a bit "no need to be sorry, go and find Arlan, we'll figure out what to do"

"Yes, I'll see you three later" he spoke before quickly leaving the room.

"How are you feeling, can you walk?" Ryan asked towards Stelle.

"Yes...I'm good, just a bit dizzy"

"Good! Then we can go right away, the main control zone should be safe" her phone rang and she checked it. "Himeko said she'd help!"

"Will Mr.Yang come too?" Ryan asked.

"Uh, probably not, usually we always have someone staying in the Express" She explainedsnd started to slowly walk. "Let's go! I know the way"

"Hmmm...is your arm okay?" Stelle asked while looking at Ryan's bleeding left arm.

"Uh? Yes, don't worry, I've had worse" he smiled a bit and then started to follow March alongside Stelle.

"Hmm...what is happening exactly?" Stelle asked a bit curious as they came out of the room.

"The Antimatter Legion is attacking, don't you work here?" March asked a bit curious.

"Hum...I d-...no, I don't" She admitted before sighing. "Or maybe I do...I don't remember"

"Memory loss, uh? I get you girl" March sighed a bit. "Do you know how to fight? It'd be nice if you could defend yourself too"

"I think so...but I need a weapon."

"Well, I see a lot of things that could be weapons right here." Ryan spoke looking at all he artifacts that were on exhibition.

"Uhm...Stelle! What do you think of this?" She quickly went to a corner and then came back holding a kind of black slightly glowing bat.

"A bat? It doesn't SUCK but I guess it works" she smiled and grabbed the bat ignoring March's deadpan.

"You can't say anything March, you did another joke before." Ryan warned the pink haired girl.

"I know I know~ anyways, let's go! Onwards!" Sh pointed towards the door of the room and they started to walk towards it.

The three of them came out of the room and found themselves in a hall, they went around a corner and then quickly hid behind the wall, seeing a few member of the Antimatter Legion apparently scouting the hall, March quickly came out hiding and shoot an arrow directly at one of the monsters that seemed to be a kind of orb that immediately got completely frozen before breaking and disappearing.

As 2 Reaver's quickly ran towards March, both Stelle an Ryan came out from behind her.

Stelle quickly slid across the floor avoiding the first Reaver and went towards the second, giving him a strike with the bat in the knee, forcing it to fall on one knee, then another directly on the groin before finally killing it with a strong hit on the head that broke its neck.

Ryan quickly dodged a cut from one of the Reaver's blades and grabbed him by the wrist, lifting it up and slamming it against the ground, before the Reaver could get up, Ryan stomped his face hard before waving his hand up making an Ice spike come out from below the Reaver piercing its chest completely.

The two Reaver's quickly disappeared and they sighed with some relief, starting to walk again.

"You can handle yourself pretty well, Stelle." March smiled towards the other girl.

"Thanks...it's pure juicing." She smiled confidently patting one of her arms.

"What is...juicing?" Ryan asked a bit confused.

"We really need to give you some vocabulary lessons, Ryan." March laughed a bit.

"Uh...Ryan...your arm" Stelle pointed a bit disgusted to Ryan's left arm.

"A-ah! Ryan it started bleeding again!" March quickly backed a bit away.

"Oh, yeah, I suppose it did." He looked to his left arm almost emotionless "you get used to it."

"What kind of things happen in your world to get used to that?!"

Ryan again grabbed his left arm using all the magic he had recovered to heal his arm, most wounds closing completely but still leaving a few open.

"There, like new~"

"It's still bleeding" Stelle deadpanned.

"In a more controlled way now, let's go" Ryan smiled and again started to walk.

"Is he...always like that?" Stelle asked towards March.

"I hope not." She replied with some anxiety.

she really hoped he didn't make her have a heart attack or something...

After a few minutes they reached an elevator, March went towards the small panel and started to press some buttons... nothing happened, she started to slap the panel... nothing happened, she gave a kick to the panel's pole.... nothing happened.

"Okay I'm out of ideas, the elevator doesn't work..." She sighed heavily.

"What is an elevator anyways?" Ryan asked slightly confused.

"It's a...I'll tell you later, ugh" she looked towards the panel of the elevator "If only Dan Heng were here~! He's like a walking encyclopedia, he probably knows how to fix elevators."

"Not this one"

"Wahhh!" She jumped a bit and turned around seeing Dan Heng behind the three of them. "Dan Heng! How did you get here?"

"I took a different route and found Arlan, he's wounded so he decided to hide, he might know how to restart the elevator" he spoke as he looked at the others.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea." March sighed a bit.

"Good then let's go" Dan Heng spoke and he started to walk being followed by the others.

"What...are you three guys exactly?" Stelle asked a bit curious.

"Well~ Dan Heng and I are part of the Astral Express, we're Trailblazers! Basically a group of heroes!" She puffed out her chest with pride.

"And what about Ryan?" Stelle asked pointing towards the white-haired boy.

"He's our mysterious boy! We saved him yesterday, he was frozen in the middle of space, and he's an Aeon in the making!" March spoke again though Dan Heng quickly corrected her.

"We don't know that yet, March."

"Dan Heng is right, we still don't know if I'm an Aeon or if I CAN become an Aeon."

"So...you're not part of the Astral Express?" She eyed Ryan.

"No, I'm just a guest" he spoke as he scratched the back of his head.

"Why are you here?" Stelle asked again.

"We came because we had to deliver a relic that Herta asked us to get...but we didn't expect that this would be the situation of the station... isn't It weird that they didn't send us a distress call?" March looked towards Dan Heng a bit worried.

"It's weird indeed...but probably they were busy with evacuation, we'll have to ask Asta."

"Oh right! Himeko said she'd be coming too" March spoke again.

"I see, then we won't need to worry too much."

"Miss Himeko is strong?" Ryan asked curiously.

"She's like, Crazy strong! An she has this orbital laser that makes things explode and enemies go Boom!" March made some hand gestures mimicking an explosion.

"Oribital lasier?"

"Orbital Laser" Stelle corrected Ryan.

"Y-yeah, that" he chuckled nervously.

"We're here."

Dan Heng spoke as they walked into the control room, seeing Arlan in a chair apparently in pain, but when he looked at the four of them he stood up.

"You're all together?" Arlan asked while looking at them.

"Yes, we are from the Astral Express" Dan Heng replied. "Or well...March and I are"

"It's good to officially meet you, I have heard of you but we never saw each other..." Arlan sighed a bit tiredly.

"No need to worry, how are you doing?" March asked a bit worried.

"I'm fine..."

"You're not, you hurt your leg and dominant hand." Dan Heng quickly corrected.

"Do you know how to fix the eletavor?" Ryan crossed his arms.

"It's Elevator, Ryan"

"Yeah...that"

"I have to keep it shut down so the Antimatter Legion doesn't go to the main control zone..." Arlan explained "but you could use the encrypted key to start it on"

"Oh right Asta gave me something last time we visited..." She started to search around her clothes. "She said it was for situations like these"

"Don't tell me you lost it..." Stelle deadpanned.

"No no I swear I have it around here...ah here!" She pulled out a card.

"Yes...that's it" he sighed a bit and grabbed it going to a terminal using it "there, you can go and use the elevator" Arlan spoke as he again sit on a chair.

"Are you not coming, Arlan?" Ryan asked a bit concerned.

"No, if I went with you, I'd just drag you down, I'll stay here and shut down the elevator when you use it."

"Don't say that, come with us, we'll protect you" Dan Heng gave a few pats on Arlan's shoulder. "Besides, you can turn off the elevator from the main control zone, right?"

"C'mon, You can use me as a crutch" Stelle smiled with a thumbs up.

"U-uh..." Arlan seemed to be a bit conflicted but then sighed "fine, I'll go with you...I only activated the elevator on the highest floor, so we'll need to go there."

"Why~? It's so far..." Stelle grunted a bit.

"Sorry, but I have to keep them as far away from possible from reaching the main control zone." Arlan apologized while looking at Stelle.

"No matter, let's go." Dan Heng spoke and Ryan nodded with his head.

"Yes, Dan Heng and I will go in front, March, you go behind and Stelle will go in the middle with Arlan" Ryan's voice sounded a bit more professional making the other 4 look at him. "Sorry...used to giving order."

"What exactly were you in your world, Ryan?" March chuckled a bit nervous

"I'll tell all of you when we have time, right now we need to go to the main control sone."

"Zone" Arlan corrected

"Yes, that's what I said" Ryan cleared his throat

Dan Heng started to guide the party, following Ryan's choice in positioning, Dan Heng and Ryan went ahead, while behind them were Stelle and Arlan, and March was slightly behind them...they had some trouble witt the Antimatter Legion but nothing too troublesome, when they were about to get to the elevator, Dan Heng spoke to Ryan.

"Ryan...I have a question, if you don't mind." Dan Heng spoke in a low voice.

"Hmmm? What is it?"

"You...don't have to answer if you don't want to, I understand if it's something you don't want to respond but... what are you?"

"A centaur!" Ryan screamed a bit excited.

Dan Heng blinked a bit processing the answer "... you're a centaur?"

"What? No, look, a centaur!" Ryan pointed to the front and the other collectively groaned.

In front of the elevator, there was another member of the Antimatter Legion, alongside two Reaver's, there was now a Trampler, a being just like Ryan said, similar to a centaur.

"It's been so long since I last saw one" Ryan seemed to have some small sparks in his eyes "I wonder if these also have 2 ribcages"

"Ugh...these ones are very tough" March groaned and went to the front alongside Dan Heng and Ryan. "Stelle, keep Arlan safe!"

"On it, I'm a guardian Racoon" Stelle quickly responded.

"Racoon?" Ryan blinked a bit

"Don't pay her too much attention..." March groaned a bit.

The Two Reaver's quickly started to run towards the three of them while the Trampler materialized a bow and arrow, getting ready to shoot it towards them.

"March, Dan Heng, take care of the Centaur..." Ryan spoke a bit more serious

"Wait what?" March blinked a bit.

Making use of his speed, Ryan zoomed towards the Reaver's grabbing both of their head, he then jumped to one of the walls and used it to jump getting to the other side of the elevator and taking both Reaver's with him.

"How did he-..." March was a bit confused.

"We'll think about that later!" Dan Heng quickly summoned his spear pointing it towards the Trampler.

On the other side...

Ryan threw both Reaver's on the bridge between a room and the elevator, he looked how both monsters slowly got up, clearly ready to pounce a him.

"I have to be careful...I still have very little magic and energy..."

He breathed in and out slowly, then he opened his right hand letting an energy katana appear on it, the two Reaver's quickly ran towards him, one of them throwing a stabbing attack with both blades but Ryan quickly dodged it to the side and then made a quick move to deflect the blade of the second Reaver.

As soon as he deflected the blade, he quickly grabbed the Reaver's throat with his left hand, using lighting magic to shock the monster that after a few seconds of spasms, got completely destroyed and sucked in by a small void, Ryan felt himself getting tired for using magic, but he quickly turned around and barely dodged a cut from the other Reaver, though it's blade made a small cut on his cheek, after dodging, he quickly stabbed the ethereal Katana through its chest, with a quick movement he sliced its body and then spun around himself, giving another cut to the chest of the Reaver, splitting it in half, letting it disappear in that void.

He made the ethereal sword disappear and stumbled a bit, he really had to stop using magic so carelessly...

Hearing the sound of fighting from the other side of the elevator he quickly shook his head, ignoring his own tired state and then he ran around the elevator, seeing Dan Heng and March fighting.

"Ryan! You're okay!" March smiled but quickly ducked to dodge an arrow shot by the Trampler.

Dan Heng dodged rolling to the side barely evading a stomp from the Trampler's front legs, he then gave 3 quick stabs to the chest of the monster before backing away, Ryan quickly ran towards the Trampler and gave a fast jump, kicking the monster in the jaw making it back lose a bit of balance, March took the chance and shot one of the arrows, hitting straight on one of the Trampler's legs, freezing it to the ground, Dan Heng saw this and quickly ran, hitting the frozen leg with the blunt side of the spear, breaking the ice and the leg alongside it.

Ryan was about to attack the Trampler again alongside Dan Heng to keep on the pressure, but the monster gave a loud scream, making both boys back away a bit because of the weird strength behind the scream, multiplewhite humanoid creatures appeared floating around the area (Distorters), March groaned a bit and backed away a bit seemingly trying to protect Stelle and Arlan.

"Sore losers! You can't just gang up on us!" March spoke a bit angry.

"Gangkers!" Stelle simply screamed.

"Too...many, dammit...I hope no one realizes..." Ryan resigned himself and loosened his body a bit.

He narrowed his eyes a bit, the light on his eyes slowly fading away as if he was dead, the scar under his left eye started to glow faintly, Dan Heng, who has besides him, seemed to be the only one who saw this but pretended to not notice.

"I'll kill them all right here and now" Ryan gave a step forward...

He stopped when he suddenly saw a kind of metal being come out from behind them, pulling out two buzzsaws, the drone quickly tool care of various Distorters, before attempting to cut the Trampler's head off, but it dodged by ducking but it still got wounded stunning it briefly.

"Now, let's go!" Dan Heng said and quickly started to run towards the elevator.

They ran past the stunned Trampler, the 5 of them entered inside the Elevator and as it started to go up, Ryan quickly put his hand on the ground of the elevator, a circle with weird symbols appeared on the ground and extended, penetrating the elevator's walls, from the circled came out a transparent barrier that covered the outsides of the elevator.

"That...should keep them away for enough time." Ryan sighed heavily, sitting on the insides of the elevator, clearly tired.

"Ryan, are you okay?" Stelle asked looking down onto him.

"Yes...I'm just tired" he replied quickly

The light had already came back to his eyes, and the scar under his left eye stopped glowing, after a few seconds they reached the main control zone... coming out of the elevator, they entered into the huge room, and Himeko was the first person they saw.

"Good, looks like all of you made it."

★ ★ ★

A/N: This chapter was literally 2999 words, should've added just 1 more word so it reached 3000.

I feel like a bad writer now, anyways, next episode will be the bullying to the Doomsday Beast

Anyway, hope you enjoyed!