YOU WANT… A BATTLESHIP???

Roy was about five seconds away from dozing off in Bio class. The teacher rambled on about cells or mitosis or "Please do your homework so you don't fail, you ungrateful children." Roy half-heartedly doodled in his notebook, scrawling random cartoon butts. Judging by the snores and drool puddles around him, at least half the class was in the same boat.

POP—a weird spark flickered above the chalkboard. Roy glanced up, thinking, Great, the air conditioner's about to give out again. But the second POP came with a swirl of sparkling light. Like, full-on fantasy-magic rainbow disco swirl right in the middle of a stuffy high school classroom.

Kelvin, the class "tough guy" who once bragged about wrestling a raccoon as a kid, nearly fell off his chair. "Is that…some kind of portal?"

Miho squeaked, "Looks like we're about swap worlds, get ready!"

A hush blanketed the room. Everyone, even the teacher who was mid-yawn, stared as that swirl expanded. Suddenly, a tall, glowing figure stepped out. It radiated so much energy that Roy felt like he might spontaneously combust—or at least develop a new allergy to bright lights.

"G-good afternoon?" stammered the teacher. Then he toppled backward in pure shock.

The being spoke in a voice that sounded like six people talking at once—but in perfect harmony. "Greetings, children. I am a deity from... another realm, here to offer you the adventure of a lifetime."

The entire class jumped to their feet. Desks screeched, some tipping over. Even the usually stoic "popular kids" were wide-eyed, phones out and filming. One of them squeaked, "Is this real? Where are the hidden cameras?" but no cameras materialized.

The deity raised a glowing hand, making the overhead lights flicker dramatically. "For reasons beyond mortal comprehension," it began in a regal tone, "I have selected this class of thirty students to be transported to my world. Each of you shall receive one item—anything you desire—and then your grand trial shall begin."

Roy felt an anxious swirl in his gut. He pinched his leg under the desk, just to check if he was dreaming. Stella, who usually wrote forty-page essays on unicorn lore for fun, looked like she might pass out. Takara pointed her phone at the deity, red light blinking as she recorded.

The being motioned to the class with some cosmic flourish. "Line up, children, and name your requests."

The braver students shoved to the front like they were at a mythical Black Friday sale their grandparents referred to. Mick, who often called himself "the next king of e-sports," practically sprinted.

"I want the sharpest sword in existence!" he crowed.

Poof. Instantly, a sleek, polished black blade appeared in his hands, complete with a fancy black scabbard. Mick almost squealed. In the background, someone mumbled, "He's definitely gonna chop off his own foot with that."

Kelvin flexed his arms. "Give me a gun—uh, not a giant one, I'm too lazy. A pistol."

Poof. A pistol in a neat holster, plus about three hundred bullets, landed in his arms. Kelvin tried to look tough, but the sheer cluelessness on his face gave him away. He had zero idea how to reload it.

Saraha stepped up, biting her lip. "Um, can I have a magical cooking pot with unlimited delicious soup? The flavor changing for whoever ladles it?"

The deity raised what passed for an eyebrow, but complied. Suddenly, a big metal pot plopped down, steaming with chicken-herb aroma. It winked at her. Like, the pot-lid's handle had tiny cartoon eyes that blinked. Saraha jumped back. "Is…it alive?!" The deity shrugged, unconcerned.

That's when the class realized the potential for "infinite" or "endless" items.

Han asked for a phone with unlimited battery, unbreakable screen, every streaming service loaded, and every piece of information on the internet, computer or server in the world, easily searchable on an app called "THE INTERNET".

The triplets, Emiko, Hina, and Alejandro, each got ridiculous wishes: a portable steel mansion, a magic "Infinite Pantry" that refilled with any food item you thought of before opening the door, and an infinite cleaning cabinet that functioned like the pantry, so they could keep everything spotless. "We'll build the ultimate fortress and chill," Emiko bragged, while the rest of the class eyed them with envy.

Meanwhile, the teacher just stood there, mouth opening and closing like a stunned fish. A few students requested less insane things like, a perfect stealth suit, advanced armor, or "the fastest car ever with infinite fuel." The deity gave each wish with minimal fuss, though it threw the occasional side-eye at particularly bizarre requests.

Caliban, the bully who tormented Roy to the point of what some would consider torture in some countries, stepped forward. His eyes were fixed on the deity's flamboyant attire, and he wished for a suit of magic armor. This armor, he requested, would have the ability to absorb other magic armor, thus increasing both its own abilities and statistics.

Next up was a guy Roy despised, Corvy. Corvy, who stood and watched as Caliban burned Roy's back during his first year of high school, had requested the egg of the world's strongest monster that would hatch at his command and be loyal to him no matter what.

Then came the creepiest request: some classmate who definitely spent too long on shady websites asked, "I want a 'superhuman wife in a box'—like, sealed up, ready to go." The deity sighed, conjured a sealed container that faintly hummed with magical energy, and said nothing more, presumably wanting to get away from that conversation.

All this time, Roy was slumped in his seat, knees bouncing with anxiety. He hated crowds, hated attention. As the line thinned out, the deity's shining gaze landed on him. Roy noticed her clear feminine features now that he was no long being blinded.

"You there—quiet boy in the back," she intoned. "Your turn."

Roy's heart hammered like he was about to publicly propose on live TV. "Uh, I'll, um, I'll go last," he squeaked, praying nobody would make a scene.

The deity rolled its many-voiced eyes. "Fine. Hurry it up, though."

A few more classmates approached. One demanded an armored jeep with bulletproof windows. Another wanted a baby dragon, which instantly tried to barbecue the soup pot, causing mini chaos.

Finally, literally everyone else had made their wish. The only one left was Roy. All eyes turned toward him.

"All right, last one," said the deity, swirling with cosmic impatience.

Roy rose, knees quivering. In his head, a small voice screamed, They already hate you, so if you're gonna do this, do it big. He took a shaky breath, stepped forward, and said:

"I want a fully autonomous battleship—modern or near-future—complete with every advanced weapon system: missiles, artillery, drones, and a nuclear/advanced turbine reactor that never runs out. I want an AI pilot named,uh, Serenity to run it, plus a robot crew to maintain it. Oh, and a short deck for two jets, a helicopter," Roy explained before he paused for dramatic effect. " and a secret compartment carrying copies of everything my classmates just got!"

It was like he'd set off a bomb of pure outrage. Half the class lost their minds:

"That's multiple items! There is no way you allow that, Ms. Light Lady!" Kelvin roared, brandishing his pistol as though he could intimidate a cosmic being.

"Ingenious!" hollered the triplets, though a hint of fear underlined their voices.

Tapping into his few years of acting lessons, Roy forced a confident smirk he didn't feel. Then he suddenly slammed a hand on the nearest desk, drawing startled gasps.

"Accessories come with the main item, right?" Roy's voice shook only a little. "Did the Light Lady up there say, 'Batteries sold separately??' Did she!? No? Then I'm just clarifying my accessories!"

A flurry of outraged sputtering rose from the crowd, but Roy didn't let them interrupt. He pointed at Kelvin's pistol. "Kelvin, you asked for a gun. Did you also specifically request the bullets and the holster? No. The deity threw them in so you wouldn't have a useless hunk of metal. Are you complaining about your freebie ammo pack? No! Because it's obviously part of the deal. Just like my jets, drone bays, and all that other stuff are part of my deal."

"B-but—" Kelvin tried, still fumbling with the pistol.

Roy shot him an icy glare. "Furthermore, you should stop pointing your gun at the master of bright—or cosmic glow woman, whatever we're calling her—and thank her for not punishing your idiocy by giving you a gun with no ammo."

He gestured around at the others. "Y'all got scabbards, extra pot lids, spare tires—that was free, right? Well, this is no different. It's a single customized battleship. You really think I'd want just the hull? I'd have to row it around the ocean like some idiot."

That final remark drew snickers from the few classmates who weren't totally furious. A tense silence fell as everyone, including Kelvin, realized Roy had them cornered logically. Even the deity flickered with something like grudging agreement.

Roy took one shaky breath, shoulders rising. "So let's just accept that I actually read the fine print of this wacky scenario, okay? Ask yourself: Did I do anything different than you, or did I just do it a whole lot better?"

Caliban stood and sighed, "and yet you're still going to be the same, pathetic, cowardly, Roy Di-"

The deity's aura flickered like a short-circuiting lamp. "Oh my me, fine. I have things to do, The Lady of Eternity didn't tell me you punks would take this long! I grant you your request." It paused ominously, possibly considering hurling the entire class into a black hole out of sheer annoyance. "We're done here. Now, be transported to your new world—pray you do not regret your greed."

With a bright flash, the classroom, desks, and chalkboard dissolved into a swirl of color. Roy's stomach flipped. One moment, he was in Bio class. The next, he was face-planting into warm sand under a blazing sun. Tropical waves lapped at his feet.

"Oh…man," he groaned, spitting out a mouthful of gritty salt. Around him, classmates sprawled like a washed-up shipwreck. A towering cliff rose in the distance, palm trees swayed, and the ocean shimmered an impossible blue.

Shouts broke out from the newly arrived:

"Dude, is this some kind of paradise island?"

"Where's my ultimate soup pot?!" Saraha hissed, hugging it protectively the moment she found it.

"Roy better share that battleship gear!" barked Kelvin, brandishing his pistol again, despite it being unloaded and covered by its holster.

A ring of angry or desperate classmates formed around Roy, demanding he share or open the "secret compartment." Roy's nerves skyrocketed. He was seconds from a panic attack, wishing he'd asked for an invisibility cloak, too.

Before the mob could escalate, a deafening roar of machinery cut across the bay. Something massive broke the ocean's surface: a monstrous, sleek warship that towered over the shallow waters. The waves created by its emergence slammed onto the beach, drenching at least half the class in sea foam.

"Aaaah!" shrieked half the group, tumbling back in wet sand.

Roy himself almost got carried away by the surge, sputtering, "Oh–okay, that's…definitely my ship."

The battleship, his battleship, gleamed in the sunlight, bristling with cannons and rocket launchers. Smaller artillery turrets lined the deck. A short runway seemed prepped for jets. If that wasn't enough, dozens of mechanical figures—robots? Droids?—scurried along the rails in crisp formation.

One of them deployed a chain ladder over the side, then hopped into the surf, approaching Roy with a respectful salute. "Greetings, Captain Roy-"

"Gunn, Roy Gunn," Roy interrupted.

 "Greetings, Captain Roy Gunn," it said in a metallic monotone. "Your presence is requested on the bridge."

Kelvin tried stepping forward, gun in hand, but two robots effortlessly shoved him aside. He landed on his butt, gaping. The other classmates backed off, spooked by the mechanical squad.

Emiko, from the triplets, sloshed through knee-deep water toward Roy. "C-captain Roy Gunn?" she tried, voice trembling. "Help us build our fortress, okay? Let's keep a friendly alliance, yeah? We've never really bullied you that badly, right?" She glanced back at the others, who looked both ashamed and furious.

Roy swallowed, stunned. "Uh...call me 'Captain Roy Gunn', or, 'Captain Gunn' if you want to talk about alliances," he blurted, half-sarcastic.

Emiko and her siblings exchanged glances, then hollered, "Captain Roy Gunn, can you help us? We're sorry for everything!" Even the classmates who once sneered now threw half-baked apologies, clearly wanting a piece of that sweet battleship advantage.

Roy blinked hard, eyes stinging. They never apologized to him for anything. Forced or not, it still stirred some emotion. He turned away, not wanting them to see him tearing up.

Cautiously, Roy grabbed the chain ladder. His heart hammered so loudly he swore the ocean waves were out of sync with it. Inch by inch, he climbed up onto the massive deck, still dripping saltwater. The robot crew parted, letting him step onto polished metal plating.

From the edge, he watched frantic classmates try to scramble closer, but the warship stayed far enough out that only strong swimmers could approach, and the robots looked ready to zap any intruder. The triplets waved, hollering something about forming a synergy pact. Kelvin glared, but said nothing, hugging his pistol like a comfort toy. Others bickered or shouted demands.

Roy exhaled, turning to see row after row of high-tech turrets and missile pods. A thrumming engine noise reverberated beneath his feet—his advanced reactor. The entire ship felt alive. Terrifying, yes, but also…magnificent.

One robot saluted. "Shall I escort you to the bridge, Captain?"

"S-sure," Roy managed, brain spinning at the new reality: He was in control. He was the anxious kid who once panicked over picking a seat in the cafeteria. Now he had an unstoppable war machine and an army of robots at his beck and call.

As Roy followed the droid below deck, echoes of classmates' protests ricocheted off the hull. He could still see them from a porthole—arguing, soaked, brandishing their newly acquired items. They wanted to either team up or forcibly share his stash. For once, Roy realized, he held the advantage. If they pushed him too far, well… a few well-placed artillery shots would send them scurrying.

But that thought weirdly comforted and frightened him. He was not a violent person by nature. He'd see how this played out. If the triplets truly apologized, maybe he'd help them. As for Kelvin and the bullies… that was a question for tomorrow.

Roy placed a shaky hand on a console railing, trying to calm his racing heart. This is insane, he told himself. But I guess… I guess it's time to see where this goes.

Outside, the sun blazed on turquoise waves. The giant battleship bobbed, lethal and ready, awaiting his command. For the first time in forever, Roy felt a cautious thrill of power swirl through his anxiety. Somewhere deep inside, a new voice said: We're going to be okay, . knkr We have a warship, after all.

So began the very unexpected new life of the quiet kid who asked for a battleship—accessories included.