Queen's Princess

Chapter 70

"Jay," Odessa called over to her during their training session.

"Yes, Dez?" Jay asked.

It has been about three years since we had adopted Jay. Ever since that night we ran into her parents coming back from the Wastelands, they never showed their face around here. And if we catch a glimpse of them outside and they notice, they turn right around and walk away from us, even if we're going exactly where they want to go. And when they see Jay by herself, they want to confront her, but with the intense training she is doing with Odessa, she's starting to look like a smaller version of her. The hair, however, isn't like Odessa's. It's short and the front is spiked upwards. 

"Y/N and I have been talking for a while now," she began.

"It's nothing bad, we promise," I said, sitting on a chair, watching them train together.

"And we think it's time for ya to participate in the Reckonin'," Odessa said.

"R-Really?" Jay asked. "Me? In the Reckonin'?"

"Yeah. Prove your worth to become the next Queen of Junkertown."

Jay stood there and pondered on it before shaking her head, "But the title belongs to you, Dez."

"Jay, we're getting older, you're getting older, and we think it's time for my reign to end. I wasn't as strong as I was in my prime. It was fun while it lasted, but the more Reckonings I participate in, the higher the chances of me losin' and having someone else take control. If this were to be my last Reckoning, might as well know that Junkertown is in capable hands."

"But I don't know how to run a whole town," Jay said.

"Ya don't need to worry. We will still be here to help ya."

"But doesn't the loser get banished to the Wastelands?"

"Only if the Queen or King orders it. I threw out Mason because he threw my family out and I wanted revenge. If ya win, ya don't need to throw us out. We can still be 'ere to make sure you're gettin' things down."

"It's like with the equipment," I said. "The stiffer ya are, the more tension you're gonna create for yourself and for the people here. When you become loose, the less tension."

"But that's not to say you're not going to get stressed," Odessa said.

"Don't ya think I'm a little young to be the Queen of Junkertown?" Jay asked.

"Being eighteen in your first Reckoning ain't that bad. If ya don't feel like you're ready just yet, we can still train together until the day you are ready."

Jay nodded her head, "I'd like to get some more training in before we do."

"Fine by me, Jay," Odessa said, grabbing Carnage.

"Are ya nervous?" I asked Jay, making sure she had everything ready.

"I believe so."

"Now just remember, just because you're Odessa's daughter, doesn't mean she'll go easy on ya. She wants this to be a fair fight and she wants ya to prove yourself."

Jay nodded her head, "Understood."

I pulled her into a hug before giving her a kiss on her head, "Good luck out there."

The doors opened and Jay walked out and I headed into the arena to watch the fight. The crowd was cheering and yelling as Jay walked into the arena followed by the two other challengers. The middle part of the arena opened up and Odessa was standing there with the crown on her head. She looked down at Jay and smiled at her before giving her a quick wink.