Payback is Messy Business (Leiken) [Blood]

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken was one of those people, those who didn't know how to shut up, that fact showed a lot in his actions. His mannerisms and his crudely spoken words. However, right now he had a lot of work to do, and little time for mocking the man. He had to pay his debt and clean the place.

It took another hour and a half, two trips to get clean water, and alot of scrubbing before the fake blood would disappear from the surfaces. The layers of smearing were the hardest parts for him to remove. He would dig into his bag to produce a small brush that was often paired with dust pants, though eh had not one, sweeping the the waste bin. This in itself would have taken a lot less time if he'd just remembered a broom. However, he did not complain, after all it had been his own doing.

Another half hour passed before he would fish out the furniture polish. Using the cleaned wash cloth to apply it over the surfaces of the desk and the wood parts of the chair. Working it into the surface so in smooth motions and in the same direction as not to leave unwanted and awkward patterns upon the surface. Though he'd entirely forgotten about the window area with the man standing in the way of it. "You look like an old gargoyle standing over there like that." he pointed out with a taunting tone.

At last he'd thought he'd finished. He exhaled a breath. His heart was pounding in his chest and his he was light-headed. The amount of physical scrubbing he'd been doing making his pulse race which made his concentration less than perfect. His head was starting to throb and his abilities were trying to take hold of him because of it. He leaned somewhat to the chair he laid his shirt over with a hand on his forehead for a moment. Attempting to regain control of his pulse, "That should do it." he stated toward the other man. His skin beaded in moisture visible only due to his earlier removed shirt.

[Vincent Meian]

The room had finally started to look normal again. There was still a slightly pink tinge to the walls, and the carpet definitely needed some professional work, but at least the desk and chairs were serviceable now. Lei looked a little worse for the wear, though; his fair skin gleamed with sweat, and he was breathing as if he'd run for miles. Almost as if his heart was beating too fast and he wasn't getting enough oxygen.


This wasn't right. The work was tedious and time consuming, but it was not exactly aerobic. It'd been two hours, and the sun had gone down, but Lei had been scrubbing walls and furniture not partaking in combat lessons. He shouldn't have been this tired. Worried, Vincent moved from the window towards the boy. "Are you well?" he asked softly.

[Leiken Chu]

"Does it look like I am well!?" he snapped at the man. The head-aching had started to set in and headaches always made him easily agitated. He breathed out a huff of air, trying to calm himself, to slow that pulse. However, he was struggling to do so. A small bit of blood dripped from his nose to his arm due to it's blocking the path to the floor in the way he was leaned to the chair. Leiken's face pressed to the back of the chair somewhat though mostly for support.

Though it wasn't stable enough a grasp to hold him as he sank to the floor. His breaths shaken as he sank to the floor, sitting on his knees, trying to save as much physical energy as he could to keep himself from completely losing grasp on his ability. The air about him would feel more strained to be within, as if he were trying to grasp at a pulse to control, trying to find his own to grasp and pull into submission. To calm it, "please get out." he spat at the trainer. His hand gripping at his own head.

"Get out!" he exclaimed in an effort to get the other male out of the room long enough for his heart to stop racing.

[Vincent Meian]

Vincent did not flinch at the shout, nor did he back away. He managed to close the distance when Lei sank to the floor in obvious pain, catching the boy and guiding him carefully so that he didn't hurt himself. Blood dripped from the student's nose, and the soldier took a kercheif from his pocket and pressed it into the younger's shaking hands. Something felt wrong about the air around him, as if he couldn't get enough air himself, but the teacher equated it to nervousness.


"No, you do not," he answered gently. "You look ill. Perhaps you-"


He was interrupted by Lei demanding that he leave, even going so far as to yell at him. Vincent refused. "I cannot. You are my student, and you are in pain. I cannot leave you here alone."


He considered calling the school's on-call physician on his cellphone, but he wouldn't do it if Lei didn't want him to. Powers going awry were serious, and while Nik could handle it if that was the case, the soldier was certain his student didn't want anyone else seeing him as weak. Even if Vincent himself was already doing so, chance were that he didn't like it.


"You must calm down, Lei," he stated quietly. "Breathe slowly; focus only on your breath, not your heart. Panic will only make this worse."

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken was angry at that point. Why wouldn't the man just go away? Why did he have be so damn stubborn. He was thankful for the man guiding him to the floor, last thing he wanted was a bruise on his face from face planting the floor, but it did not make the matter any chaotic for him.

"You have to or you'll die god damnit!" he exclaimed at the man. His features holding panic, pain, and distress written upon them clearly. His fingers curled around the handkerchief tightly. "Please!" he begged the man. The last thing he needed was to damage his trainer and a member of the school's authority. He may have been a prankster, but he never wanted to put someone in real danger of losing their lives.

he wiped at his nose with the cloth holding it there for a moment as he trembled. His eyes closing tightly as he struggled to keep from pulling blood from vincent due to how much closer he'd moved. It was true, he didn't like the fact that he was being seen once again in that weak state, but what could he do of that right now?

"I can't i can't calm down i can't i hear it pounding in my head the blood is everywhere the pounding is loud! get out! I don't want to hurt anyone else god damnit!" his language was more vulgar than he would have spoken with in his panic. he gripped at the man's uniform. Trying to shove at him, to get him further away, but he could not even manage that. He struggled to stop it, to slow his pulse, and it began to work. However, to well, and his lips parted with an exhausted sound.

Leiken collapsed against the other man's chest where he'd been pushing at him. Having passed out due to slowing his pulse rate too much and depriving his body proper blood flow. his grip on the man's uniform had loosened, but he now laid unconscious against the other man's chest. It seemed as though he could not find that level of control he need.

[Vincent Meian]

The room was clouding a bit, but Vincent maintained his calm despite the desperation of the other male. This was why control was needed. This is why he stayed. Lei was frightened and panicked. The soldier couldn't let anyone else feel that way if he could help it. He knew all too well what it was like being driven to the brink by your powers with nothing to hold onto.


He shook his head at the boy's plea, refusing it outright. He would not go, no matter how much he begged. Even if it cost him a few moments of consciousness, he would not abandon someone who needed his help. He had the scars on his back to prove it.


"Listen, Lei!" he hissed, gripping the boy tightly as he babbled in fear. "Your fear feeds your powers! You must relax! You can control it - you won't hurt anyone!" Despite his words, Vincent could feel his heart becoming labored, beating loudly and slowly in his ears. His skin felt hot where the student's hands pressed against his clothes, as if the blood were rushing to the surface and trying to escape. Before anything could get much worse, however, the feeling stopped and Lei slumped into him, passing out from the expenditure of energy and being scared half to death.


Vincent sighed and held the boy close, breathing slowly to calm himself as well. Once he was sure that Lei's powers had returned to dormancy, he took his coat from the back of the chair, wrapped it around the pale boy's shoulders, and reached for his phone. Nik needed to check up on him, and he wasn't going to move him from this office. It was an honor thing.



~Time-skip to 30 minutes later~



Vincent sat against the door, looking up at the ceiling despite the fact that a book rested in his lap, cradled in one long-fingered hand. The doctor had brought a blanket and a portable futon (one that they had supplied the school from their own stock at home), and the two of them had moved Lei to the makeshift bed, allowing him to rest with Vincent's jacket as a pillow. He slept of to the side of the room, beneath the window, and for now he seemed peaceful and relaxed.


Nik had looked the boy over and confirmed that his powers had likely overreacted to his physical exertion. Her powers had patched the broken vessels in his nose with little effort, and then checked her husband for injury. Sure enough, the power surge had caused a pair of bruises on the trainer's chest, but he declined treatment. She had done enough, and it wasn't anything serious. With her work done, she'd left, returning to the infirmary in time to trade shifts and go home.


Still, Vincent stayed. He couldn't let Lei wake up alone and scared. He had to let him know that he was all right; no one had been seriously hurt, and no one had died. There would be less of this if Lei trained with his powers, but he had to convince the younger male that he could be trusted. At least, trusted enough to be believed when he told him that they were not monsters for having these powers.


Though, he was still trying to believe that about himself, truth be told.

[Leiken Chu]

Lei remained unconscious for nearly an hour, he would be fine of course, but his powers had gotten the better of him. He had little idea of what was going on around him, of who had seen him, or helped him. At that point he was nothing more than a living body without a consciousness to drive it.

In the midst of his this unconscious state he began to dream.

He stood in a near-dark abyss. The only source of light was a flickering candle that held a strange scent to it, a relaxing scent, one that made him feel comforted. He started to move toward it, the candle, though he stopped. Each time he stepped the floor rippled. A tick, crimson, ripple. Every move caused a ripple and with every ripple he began to panic more. He could hear a cold metallic sound, chains, sliding across the floor. Growing louder, closer, it frightened him and he began to run toward the only source of light within that dark abyss--the candle.

His mouth opened as if he were screaming for help, but no sound escaped within his dream. As he reached the candle, the ripples no longer supported him, he fell into the sea of blood. However, instead of floating he sank. Falling rapidly until he impacted a soft floor of cushion.

He laid there upon those cushions for a moment, until he was sure that the sound of chains had stopped, then he rolled over onto his side. there he saw the candle he'd been chasing. The soothing glow and comforting scent made him relaxed yet tears fell down his cheeks from the fear he'd felt as he was chased.

It was then that he began to regain his consciousness. A small groan escaped his lips as he he turned to his side just as he did within that dream. Though there was no candle, instead his face pressed to that jacket-pillow beneath him, breathing in the scent of it as he laid slowly waking. His arms slide beneath his 'pillow' hugging it closer to his body just as he did his normal pillows while sleeping. It was a habit of comfort. His cheeks were moist from tears, something that had not happened to him in so long he nearly had forgotten what they felt like upon his cheeks, but he did not liek it one bit.

he hugged that makeshift pillow tighter as he hid his face to it's surface. He gasped softly when the scene finally registered to his mind to be his reality. he started to sit up, in a panic, his lips parting "vin--!" he trailed off mid shout to grip at his sore head. It felt as though he had a hangover and he regret shouting as he, but he was frighted.

"Where is he? What happened?" he sputtered out. He stated trying to make his eyes adjust enough so that he could see if the man laid dead nearby. Though he became immediately more confused as the sight of the futon beneath him came into his eyes. Had it all been a dream? was he still dreaming? was he back in japan? It confused him deeply.

[Vincent Meian]

The teacher glanced down from the ceiling at the sound of the groan, and he noticed that Lei had curled up facing the wall and was shaking. Concerned, he placed the book on the floor and moved to him, kneeling down so that he could touch the boy if needed. Tears glistened on his lashes and nose, the body of them having fallen to his jacket and darkening the olive green fabric. Worry lanced through the teacher at the sight, but he left the boy alone; there was no sign that he was hurt, and his breathing was normal.


Just as he leaned back and sat on the floor cross-legged, Lei jolted upright, yelling for him before clutching his head in pain. Vincent started, not expecting the sudden movement, but he let out a slow draw of breath when he realized that the boy was only looking for him. He muttered something softly, and the trainer reached out and touched his shoulder gently. "Leiken," he replied softly, "it is all right. You are safe."


He hoped the boy would believe him, that he wouldn't fear the worst. He put on a small smile, the lines around his eyes deepening with the soft expression. "How do you feel? Have you calmed down?"

[Leiken Chu]

Leiken was at a loss, he felt completely broken, usually when he felt that way he'd run and lock himself in his room for days on end. however, it was somewhat different this time, this time he hadn't hurt anyone. This was realized when that hand came to fall upon his shoulder.

The gesture had visibly startled him at first, however, he could not help himself. The sight of the other man there, alive, without visible injury was relieving. So much so that he immediately hugged his arms around the trainer's shoulders. Letting the jacket fall to his lap in the process. he more or less latched himself like that upon the man for a few moments half on the other man's lap. The moisture on his cheeks moving to drop upon vincent's shoulder.

Was his trainer one of those not able to die? Did he heal rapidly? Whatever method he'd escaped with Leiken was thankful for it. He'd not let a single person ever see him shed a tear since childhood and now his own fear and relief had lead him to look a fool. His face pressed to that man's neck as he breathed out a shaken breath, "I can hear your pulse. you are real. I didn't kill you. I didn't kill you. " he repeated for a moment as his grip tightened around that man's form.

"my head aches, but it's okay. you're alive... " he trailed off. Though it was then he realized how much emotion he was displaying. he drew himself back only far enough to wipe the moisture from his face with the palms of his hands. "I thought i'd killed you." he admitted. "How are you still alive? I .. I could have killed you.. " he sputtered out as he looked to that man's features. That smile soothed him yet part of him still did not understand how the man was still alive.

[Vincent Meian]

He hadn't meant to startle Lei quite that badly, but he didn't have much time to react as the boy flung his arms around his neck and sobbed into his shoulder. Though caught off-guard, he reacted quickly enough; he folded his arms around him in return and held him, letting him feel the closeness and comfort he undoubtedly had not received when his powers were first discovered. He knew he was treating the student like a child, but maybe that's what he needed. To be held and comforted by someone older who cared whether he lived or died.


"No, you did not," he murmured gentle, his low voice comforting and soft. "We are both alive and well, I swear to you."


He held him for a moment longer until Lei pulled away, wiping at his eyes. "I have some aspirin tablets and bottled water in my desk," he stated, still keeping his voice low and gentle. "Would you like some?" Whether he answered positively or not, Vincent needed something to drink as well, so he stood and moved around to the drawers and drew out the bottles. He left the aspirin and Lei's water on the edge of the desk nearest him, then walked back to sit in front of the shaking teen.


"I learned in the military how to keep calm in a variety of situations," he explained. "Keeping your head clear is the difference between life and death in combat." Although, if Lei had focused on making his blood clot, he couldn't out-calm a heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, he had a cell-phone and a doctor for a wife; it was unlikely he would die on campus in such hands, even with a hemokinetic student that suffered from panic attacks.

[Leiken Chu]

Lei had lingered in that embrace for too long. It was dangerous, not only because of his abilities, but more so because he was afraid of getting used to the comfort. It wasn't often that Lei embraced anyone without intention to do something further. Those embraces were purely physical. However, they did not provide him the comfort that he truly needed. That comfort he'd felt when his trainer held him safely like he were an egg that could easily crack. Lei was afraid of getting used to that comfort, because it was something that never lasted. People always ran away the first time he accidentally caused them harm.

He couldn't really blame people running away from him, he would run away from himself if he could, but that was not possible for him. "Please." he replied in a softer, lazier, tone. He felt exhausted despite not having done anything that would normally be taxing to the body. "h..ha.. so you are a soldier boy." he teased despite himself.

He shifted slightly to retrieve the asprin and water, immediately taking it without question, downing a bit of the water before exhaling. Sitting himself in front of the other man once again. It took some effort for him to move that short distance, but it was worth it for relief from that hang-over sensation. "War...people die in war...I hate death. " he stated picking up the jacket he'd had under his head, pulling it on, wrapping himself in it to fight off a small chill.

"I wouldn't normally ask, but given that today has been filled with things that I wouldn't normally do..." he trailed off for a moment. "if you were in the war...does that mean that you have killed before?" he questioned as he looked to the man. He really couldn't see -that- man causing harm to anyone.

[Vincent Meian]

Vincent chuckled slightly. "Did you think the uniform was fake?" he asked, a hint of laughter to his voice. "Yes; I served for seven years in Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force. Meta-Human Defense and Protection, specifically. In cases where human/meta-human conflicts occurred, we deployed." He took a drink of water, then rested his hands in his lap.


A shadowed look came over the trainer's features, making him seem older than he looked initially. "It is inevitable," he agreed. "Life and death are not things to be taken lightly, and yet there is still hate and war. And where there is war, there are soldiers." Like many in his unit, he hated using his powers against people, hurting them with their own perceptions and risking his own life doing so. But... at least few died when he used his powers. It was not totally harmless, but it was better than firing fully-jacketed rifle rounds into their body.


The shadow over his face deepened a little more, and Vincent looked away. "Yes, I have," he admitted. Thought those were very few, he still regretted most of them. "I have killed people in self-defense, and my powers have caused some to take their own lives. I am not proud of any of the deaths I caused, though I regret only the latter. It has been many years since I was forced to hurt anyone, but you cannot return a life once it has been taken."

[Leiken Chu]

"I thought you were some sort of military fanatic or something. The sword and then the uniform. Tch.." he stated in a somewhat strained tone. Though he shook his head somewhat. Enjoying the other man's laughter more than his usual silence. he seemed to regain some of his usual self as he sat there with the other man. It was a sign that he was feeling better at least.

Leiken made a small noise when the other man's feature's seemed to reflect the emotions he felt over the subject. Though he seemed intrigued as he listened to that story. his lazy eyes staring at the man as he more or less hugged that jacket tighter around himself. Leiken shifted a bit seemingly having a difficult time staying warm due to his body still recovering from the sudden drop in his pulse not long before.

Though he made a surprised sound as his trainer admitted to having killed someone. "Your powers can cause someone to take their own lives?" he was surprised at himself. That he'd even asked. Though the way that the other man looked away made it clear it was not something that he was proud of let alone comfortable with. Leiken shifted placing a hand on vincent's chest, he didn't know what to say to that, though he felt a small bit of regret that he'd made the man speak of it when he himself had painful memories that he did not want to share.

"No, you can't..." he stated softly "I do not want to be a monster. I do not want to kill anymore." The word anymore within his statement suggested that it had happened in the past. Yet he could not bring himself to say anything of it to the other man. Even if the other had just told him a personal fact as well.

He leaned forward, pressing his face to where his hand rested, "I can hear the beat of your heart. It's not the heart of a monster. it's the heart of a man. I want to be the same." he murmured quietly.

[Vincent Meian]

Though ashamed at the fact, Vincent nodded in response to the boy's question. "They call my power 'Spatial Dissonance'," he clarified. "Those studying me abilities call it a 'personification of M-Theory', something having to do with alternate realities and forcing perceptions onto a target. I have been trying to understand the science of it, but it is confusing and complicated." He shrugged, fine with not knowing how the math works on such things. All he cared about was making sure he didn't use it anymore.


The placement of Lei's hand on his chest returned his gaze to the teen, and he nodded in agreement. So, they understood each other. Though Lei may have killed in the past, it could not be held against him; he had no control of his abilities at the time. Lack of control did not make him a monster - it only made him a child. He even allowed the boy to rest his head against his chest once more without protest, placing a hand on his back. "You are not a monster, Lei - you just need to learn control," he replied. "If you can learn to trust me, I can show you how."

[Leiken Chu]

"Spatial Dissonance?" He questioned though the question was answered shortly after. "Oh. So that's how it is. I would have guessed you to have a regneration ability given how you keep surviving even when i've lost my mind." he stated with a slightly dry laugh given to how disgusted he weas with himself for losing control. The hand upon his back felt nice, the gentle touch reminded him of what it was like before fear, before the fear others had for him and before the fear that he had for himself.

Lei shifted slightly, his head tilting somewhat so that he leaned to the man's chest more in a sheltered sort of way. hugging that jacket around himself tighter. He listenend to the sound of vincent's pulse, the beat of his heart, he wanted to know how to keep his own as calm as the man seemed to always be.

"It's easy to say that, but if it's true. Why can't I believe it?" he questioned as he sighed. His fingers curling at the sleeves of the jacket around him. "I do not know how to trust. " he murmured. Though he didn't really stop to think about how open he was being with the trainer. Maybe it was due to still being in shock from all that had happened or maybe that trainer had phased through some of those ice walls.However, it would not last forever, and soon he came to realize just how far through those iced walls the man had walked.

He tensed slightly, "If you tell anyone about this i swear I will beat you down. " Leiken huffed out. Yet he didn't recoil just yet.

"Just a moment longer." He thought to himself