Stepping out into the street, I found myself in a residential neighborhood. The buildings ranged between one to two stories, with well-maintained front lawns, whitewashed fences, and the occasional tree. Walking through the strangely familiar streets of an alien world was probably the most uncanny and surreal experience of my life. Everything was so similar yet so different at the same time I couldn't help but spend multiple minutes scrutinizing anything that Caught my eye. After about an hour of wandering through the rain, I spotted an open restaurant. Thoroughly soaked and feeling a bit hungry, I opened the chrome-plated door.

~Ting-a-ling~

♪ I went down, down, down

And the flames went higher

And it burns, burns, burns

The ring of fire

The ring of fire ♪

The restaurant was empty, the only exception being a waitress quietly enjoying the music. Hearing the sound of the bell, she snapped out of her distraction and turned her head in my direction.

"Good evening, sir. What can I get for you?"

Making my way over to the bar, trying not to slip on the wet tile, I answered, "Whatever today's special is. I'm not too picky."

"Country fried steak with a side of hash browns. What would you like to drink?"

"Sounds perfect, and I'd like water with that."

"Sure thing, I'll get right on that. Oh, would you like a towel? We should have one in the back."

Realizing that I had made a small puddle where I was standing, I graciously accepted her offer. Sitting on the leftmost stool of the bar and drying myself off, I took occasional sips from my glass of water. [To have any chance of completing this mission, I'll need as much information as possible. Fortunately, I have the perfect source right here,] I thought as the waitress placed my food in front of me. It was some sort of meat encrusted with bread, covered with a white savory sauce, and served with some sort of salty fried carb. Using the knife and the other utensils provided I began to eat this delicious alien meal.

[I’ll have to question her without raising any suspicion. I don't know what kind of supernatural powers exist in a world like this.]

Taking a bite of the food, I smiled at the waitress. "This is really good. You guys get a lot of customers around here?"

She smiled back, pleased with the compliment. "Thanks! We get a decent crowd, especially during lunch and dinner hours. It’s a small town, so everyone knows everyone."

"Sounds cozy," I replied, nodding.

"So how'd you find yourself in a small place like this? You have family out here?"

" No, I’m just passing through. A friend of mine has some land out around here. So after graduation, a couple of buddies and I decided it was the perfect place for a vacation enjoying nature, hunting, and fishing, that kind of stuff. But he lives way out in the wilderness, so we've been basically off the grid for the past couple of months. Any major news?"

The waitress's eyes widened a bit, "Wow, off the grid for months? You've missed quite the eventful summer."

She leaned on the counter, ticking off events on her fingers. " In the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of movement with the whole anti-segregation situation. There’s even a huge march planned in D.C., sometime next week and since we're so close there's been a lot more strange folk coming through town. "

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"Then there's the Cold War stuff, of course. Lots of tension with the Soviet Union, things in Vietnam seem to be escalating, and President Kennedy has busy with all sorts of peace talks."

Although the term "president" was alien to me, the miraculous ability to understand languages I received from The Crucible allowed me to understand that she was referring to the leader of her country. In other words, my target.

Skreek

The passing bus's brakes loudly protested as it came to a stop half a block down the street.

Watching the passengers disembark I continued the conversation "Oh wow, a lot more happened than I thought. Do you think Kennedy will show up to the march happening in D.C.?"

"Almost certainly not," she replied, shaking her head. "The president showing up would be a huge security risk. You know how violent they get at demonstrations like that."

"Ah, Thanks for the heads-up." I said, finishing up my meal"

Making her way over to the register she gave him a curious glance "Oh by the way where'd you get such interesting clothes from? I have never seen anything like them before."

As she opened the register, a searing pain radiated up from the bottom of her foot. Panicking she quickly bent down to check the wound, taking off her shoe, and found what looked like a deep cat scratch on the sole of her foot. Bewildered by the inexplicable injury, she had entirely forgotten about her customer until she heard the chime of the entrance.

Springing to her feet, she couldn't help but notice the empty cash register, the missing knife, and the vacant seat. It didn't take long to put two and two together. She began to dash toward the entrance, only to be forced to slow her movements due to the cut on her foot.

"Thief!" she shouted, leaning against the counter to steady herself. "Someone stop him!"

But the street outside was nearly deserted, the sound of her voice drowned out by the rain. She hobbled to the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the thief, but he had already vanished into the night. Anger and frustration welled up inside her as she realized there was little she could do now but report the theft and hope the police could catch him.

Stepping into the rain, I quickly made my way down the street, the waitress's shouts fading behind me. Reaching the bus just as it was leaving I quickly paid the toll allowing the bus to disappear from view before the waitress had even arrived at the door.

***

Union Station, Washington, DC

Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I stretched as I stepped off the bus. The bustling streets of the city were full of all sorts of people going to and fro mirroring the frantic energy of a beehive. Joining the crowd I made my way into the line waiting to pick up the day's newspaper.

Sitting down in a quiet cafe, I scanned through the newspaper for any information on my target. When a familiar name appeared in my eyes a smile couldn't help but tug at the corners of my mouth. The country called The United States of America would have been unfamiliar to me only a few days ago. Fortunately, I had met a new friend. From what Amanda had told me about her home she was they had no form of supernatural abilities whatsoever. [Without any supernatural abilities in this world, I could attack in ways nobody could or would anticipate.] This advantage was crucial. If I played my cards right, I could accomplish my mission with surprising ease. Finishing my coffee, I decided to play it safe; I had three months, after all.

For the next two weeks, I dedicated myself to thoroughly understanding the capabilities of my opponent. I immersed myself in study, everything from popular weapons of the time, to Earth's history of warfare, contemporary politics, previous presidential assassinations, American military training, and military strategy. I read everything I could find about my target, John F. Kennedy—his biography, his previous writings, and even the gossip magazines containing the most substantiated rumors about his personal life.

Every day, I visited libraries and public archives, taking meticulous notes on my target. I watched newsreels and read newspaper articles, learning about his public appearances, his security details, and the people closest to him. I spent evenings in cafes and bars, eavesdropping on conversations to gather insights that would be difficult to gain through literary sources alone. I struck up casual conversations with locals, gaining a better understanding of the political climate and the general public's sentiments toward Kennedy.

In the mornings, I trained my body and mind, honing my reaction speed and agility. I needed to be in peak condition for the mission ahead. My supernatural abilities, while powerful, required a sharp mind and a fit body to be truly effective.

By the end of the two weeks, I felt confident in my understanding of the world and my target.