From Russia with Violence.....{open}

[Vincent Romanov]

The rhythmic slapping of a jump rope on the hardwood floor of the gymnasium was like a lullaby to Vincent Romanov and sort of put him in the trance he needed to train effectively. The old wood handles of the training relic of his father's rubbed gently against the smooth skin of his hands, the pain long wore away from repeated use through the years. The exercise might have become the popular playtime pastime for young girls across the world, but jumping rope had always been the best way to build stamina and encourage precision footwork. For a boxer, rhythm was everything and those without it were doomed to quickly find themselves face down on the mat. Sure, Vincent was trained in the hand to hand combat all Special Forces operatives received, but boxing was his first love. Something about the footwork and the patience required to find that perfect opening just worked for him. Letting your opponent thinking they had you on the ropes while you appeared to hopelessly turtle up in fear always made for a good laugh when you finally broke from that defensive stance and showed them just what pain they had stepped into. Of course, Vincent's meta-human ability to absorb any and all kinetic energy made boxing the best choice of fighting style to use.

Finally, the jumping and slapping of the rope came to a stop and Vincent let out a deep breath. He was dressed in a pair of sweat pants and sneakers but no shirt. He preferred it that way as his body had a way of producing way too much heat when he was charged up like this. All that energy was too much for his body to handle for long periods of time and so venting it as excess body heat was just one way it tried to shake all that energy off. Rolling his jump rope up, Vincent tossed it on the top of his gym bag by the wall of the gymnasium. He wiped his brow and cleared his throat, looking at the floor for a second before looking back up to the canvas punching bag a few feet away. The bag was still fairly new, thanks to Vincent having to buy a new one for the school. The last one had sort of exploded after he punched it a bit too hard, resulting in sand and canvas flying everywhere. The school hadn't asked him to buy the new bag, but Vincent felt it was only right for him to do so. That was just how Vincent was wired. When you did something wrong, you fixed it and didn't expect or wait around on anyone else to do it for you. Sometimes that philosophy worked and sometimes it just made things worse, but that still didn't change how Vincent thought.

Putting his hands on his hips, Vincent walked over to the canvas punching bag and shoved it lightly with one hand, causing it to swing back and forth some. He gave it a soft punch, making the bag swing more and more, repeating the process until the bag was swinging around violently and unpredictably. Keeping his hands up in front of his head, Vincent began to dodge and weave around the back as it swung quickly toward him. His feet moved constantly, making it look like he was dancing to some extent. On occasion, Vincent would punch the canvas bag and then dodge the returning swing yet again. He moved around the bag in circles for several minutes, using the stored up kinetic energy in his body to fuel his stamina instead of his punches, giving him the ability to last longer in the routine than most others. His ability was extremely useful and fit Vincent's lifestyle rather well, making him a very formidable meta-human.

Finally, Vincent stopped his dancing around and put a hand out, stopping the swinging of the canvas bag instantly, taking in all its kinetic energy. He breathed normally for the moment, in through his nose and out his mouth. As he stood there, Vincent felt eyes upon him. It wasn't like he possessed some sort of ability to allow this, but rather it was just a feeling an old soldier sort of develops quickly on the battlefield. Seeing how it was evening and classes were out for the day, Vincent doubted it was a student. It might have been one of the guards under his authority, but that was unlikely as well seeing how most of them avoided any unnecessary contact with Vincent. He was a hard supervisor and treated those under his authority as one would treat those under their command in the military. So, with a deep breath, Vincent turned to see who had been watching him train.......

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac carefully opened his door and quietly peeked into the common room, trying to see if anyone (i.e. Horus) was up and about. After making sure that the coast was clearly, he silently made his way to the dorm door, hoping not to stir his sleeping roommate (assuming that he was in the room, of course). Of course, Horus was not one of those people who’d wake up easily, but one couldn’t be too sure. Not that he’d stop Zac from sneaking out of their dorm room late at night anyway. But still, it’s better to have no loose ends to tie, much more a loose end who’s a founding member of the infamous Idiot Brigade.

Yes, you heard that right, Zac is sneaking out. Sneaked out actually, considering that he’s now using the agility of a monkey, more specifically the treetop grace of a spider monkey, to go from branch to branch, sneaking above the guards roaming around the campus. It would’ve been easier if he could’ve just tapped on to a bat’s flying ability, but he hasn’t mastered flight yet (more like he hasn’t been able to tap that yet, despite briefly controlling a bat’s sonic scream) so he’d have to settle for the more “earthly approach” (despite it being more prone to encounters with the guards).

You see, Zac had this crazy urge to work-out today. Well, yesterday actually. It happened when he walked out of the tub after his one-hour shower and saw himself in the mirror. He almost screamed when he saw his abs somehow fade. They’re still there, though they weren’t as pronounced as before. Being the vain and conceited person that he is, he couldn’t just let himself grow flabby, can he? No, not the slightest. Chubby is never an option for him, not now, not ever. So he decided he’d take a trip to the gym come Friday evening, since he had classes in the morning and wasn’t willing to wake up early to squeeze a few minutes of work-out in, and that he had no classes the other day, which means he can go crazy with the equipment.

It would’ve been a pretty much well-thought plan had he not forgotten about a crucial requirement: Jude. It was Hammel’s policy to not let a student use gym equipment unsupervised, much less unauthorized. He tried asking the administration to loosen up a bit with the policy these past two years, but really, they wouldn’t budge. Fortunately, Jude was always eager to accompany him whenever he feels like going for a workout, granted his trainer had no plans for the said time. He even joined Zac a few times. Jude’s pretty much the nice guy, and that’s why Zac likes him a little too much. Too bad he was so into the prospect of being so attractive again that he'd forgotten to drag cuddly Jude with him.

So without Jude’s permission/supervision but with a rabid urge to work-out, Zac decided to sneak out. Fortunately he had enough black in his gym-wardrobe (a black wife beater, shorts, rubber shoes and even a backpack) so he hopes he can sneak in for an hour of two for the night. (He told himself he’d secure Jude the next day).

Tree jumping is not easy. And since the guards were all metas too, he’d have to be more careful. Him being reprimanded for sneaking out is the least of his worries right now (he can be suspected as an intruder of sorts and Zac could only imagine the powers these lackeys personnel have). Zac felt a deep sense of accomplishment as he gracefully completed an aerial somersault and landed softly on a branch, just inches above a female guard. ‘Last one,’ he thought, the gym door now visible in his line of sight. The only problem now is that there are no more trees near enough he can swing into.

Taking one last look around, to make sure no guards were around, he took one deep breath and jumped down of the branch. Tapping on the cheetah’s speed, he made quick work of the bare field and stopped in front of the gym doors, back placed firmly on the doors, his breathing tinged with nervousness and weariness (he wasn’t all invisible after all, but more of a black blur speeding through the grounds).

Zac was too busy praising himself for outsmarting the guards that he didn’t notice that the lights of the weights/equipment room was opened, nor did it matter to him that the door was unlocked. He was so caught up with the moment that he entered the room so casually, that it took him a minute or two to realize something was off. It was then that he heard the punches and the heavy breathing. Then the smell of sweat in the room. Finally he realized that the lights were open. He looked around and saw a lone figure in the room. He did not need to turn around for Zac to recognize him. He was about to turn back and walk back when the guy’s stare met his.

“Sh*t.”

[Vincent Romanov]

There the two stood, staring quietly at each other for a few moments. Vincent clearly had the upper hand here, or at least as far as authority went. He had no clue as to what power the boy before him possessed, but that wasn't really the problem at the forefront of his mind. What really bothered him about this situation wasn't the fact that one of the students was somewhere they shouldn't be this time of day and without proper supervision none the less, but that fact that this boy had eluded the entire ground security force thus far. The security force was made up of meta-humans and each one tested and inspected by Vincent himself, so having them made look like fools was a small blow to Vincent's ego and pride. The look on his face clearly indicated his worry about the incompetence of his security force and clearly would not translate well in this accidental meeting. Vincent would try to reign in his emotions somewhat, but the military man in him would be jumping at the chance to rip someone's head off.

Leaning to one side, Vincent gave a mocking look behind Zach, knowing no one was going to be there. The boy was here out of turn and while something of this nature needed to be addressed by a professor, Vincent made the snap decision to handle this situation by himself. He did have the right to question the boy and while he couldn't technically deal out any form of punishment, he could make the boy's life rather hard. Hopefully, this little moment could be resolved without any paperwork being filled out and without any involvement from another. Leaning back to a more relaxed and regular stance, Vincent stared hard at Zach. The boy seemed rather fit enough, but Vincent was counting on his own physical fitness to set an intimidating mood. He was getting older for sure, but his meta ability gave him the strength and stamina to keep up with the younger set. He wasn't as large as he had been in his youth when he had first joined the Army, but he was still more than fit. "Well......we can either go with the whole 'I'm looking for the bathroom' routine or we can just skip the facade and get straight to the matter of what to do with you," he said with a sigh, holding his ground, and keeping his gaze fiercely locked on Zach.

Crossing his rather large arms over his large chest, Vincent waited for a response from Zach. A small smile began to creep across Vincent's face as he stood there. He wasn't really upset with Zach all that much and while he was very adamant about rules and regulations, Vincent remembered being young once. "Relax kid, I'm not gonna report you.....yet," he added, dropping his gaze from Zach as he turned around to get his shirt from his gym bag. "Your not off the hook so to speak," Vincent went on as he slipped his shirt back over his head and turning back around. "Let's start with twenty push ups and then we'll move on to some crunches," he said rather oddly, giving Zach a serious look now, showing he wasn't kidding. "Your in the gym for a reason right? You can try to explain your way out of your professors finding out while you work off my punishment for you. Now let's get to it," he added, snapping his fingers and pointing to the floor.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac has virtually no respect for authority. For his instructors he has little, for personnel even less (teachers control his grade, and having low marks means another hell of a sermon from the clan leaders; as for the personnel, well he doesn’t interact with them often to care). His huge ego and the fact that he prides himself as a sweet talker doesn’t help much either. But he does know that there are some people he can’t talk his way out. Dr. Neville for one (telepathy’s a bitch, he says) and the headmaster is another (no chance at all if luck is by his side). Dr. Campbell at times, and occasionally, Dr. Prideaux. And there’s another one: Mr. Vincent Romanov.

Granted he hasn’t had the chance to interact with him as closely as this before, but he’s heard rumors, lots of them. And while most he believes as simple stories, he strongly believes that Mr. Romanov’s a super secret Russian agent who’s done so many secret missions and keeps his job at Hammel as a cover. And also, that his punishments are the worst there is, and he can beat people to pulp easily. He also heard that Russian training involves making them emotionless, hence rendering Zac’s small talk and chatter, and even the occasional seduction techniques, useless.

Zac gulped rather loudly as Vincent spoke. He couldn’t hide his fear and nervousness – it’s as if his façade and bravado suddenly crumbled to dust; no traces of his usual arrogance and confidence can be found. He can’t stop his cold sweat from forming, or his long, nervous breathing. “I-I’d like to g-go with the ‘bathroom-lost’ routine first, m-may I?” he joked nervously, his mind too clouded to even think of a witty retort. (Well, he’s so scared right now that he could just pee in his pants, but that’s beside the point). He gave Mr. Romanov a weak smile, inwardly hoping he’d just let him go and be off with it.

Zac let out a rather loud sigh of relief when Vincent told him he won’t be reported (selective hearing made him omit the word “yet” from the statement). The last thing he wants is for his father to know that he snuck out, even if it is just within Hammel grounds. His father has been one nervous man, especially since his mom’s murderer hasn’t been found yet despite all these years, so really, Zac sneaking out would cause serious repercussions. Not only will his allowance be cut (if there’ll be any left, that is) and his private jet privileges be banned (forever), he’d most probably lose more of the luxuries he has right now, like his ‘extended closet’ and car. And he can’t live so simply, he simply can’t. “Please don’t tell anyone, please.” Zac can’t believe he’s begging Mr. Romanov right now. “I’ll go now if you want to. Just don’t tell anyone, please. Especially not my father.”

“Wait, what? Seriously?” Zac almost laughed at how oddly predictable his punishment was (if he hadn’t heard, and believed, the torture-as-punishment theory, that is). Military general giving military-esque punishment, so typical. But he suddenly stopped when he saw the serious look on Vincent. Whatever hope he had about getting off easy from this encounter vanished quickly.

He walked over and placed his backpack near Mr. Romanov’s. He jumped a few times, hoping to warm himself up, then took his shirt of and headed to back to Vincent. “Tell my professors? No, please no,” he said with alarm. Letting his professors know would mean his father would know too. Not good. “Can’t we just keep this between the two of us Mr. Romanov? I’ll do anything, I promise.”

“Twenty push-ups? Just twenty?” Zac chuckled as he looked at Mr. Romanov with a slightly arrogant face. “I went here planning to do around fifty or so, but that works too,” he added, kneeling down in front of his ‘superior’.

This is gonna be one long night.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent watched Zach with an arched eyebrow as the boy stumbled and fell over his words and Vincent's presence. Vincent liked kids generally and even volunteered at the local youth club in town when he had the free time. He knew the value of a mentor with high morals and if he wanted to really make the world safe, it started with teaching the next generation right from wrong. Of course, wanting to teach kids and actually knowing how were two different things. Vincent was military and came from a proud and harsh Russian heritage, so patience and understanding weren't exactly his forte. Sometimes he came off a bit too stern and perhaps was a tad bit too intimidating around the kids here. Zach clearly seemed worried about what was going to happen and while Vincent wouldn't show it, he was moved somewhat by the boy's simple charisma. There wasn't a need to notify any teachers, but still, a small bit of military punishment was just what the doctor ordered.

Zach laughed for a second at the handing out of his punishment, but the laugh fell quickly as he realized how serious Vincent was about it. Sure, military punishment might have been cliched and ridiculous sounding, but it worked and this night would not be easily forgotten. Zach would leave with a new found respect and fear for Vincent Romanov. Vincent would tear through hell itself to keep any student here safe, but that didn't mean he would let them just walk around doing whatever they wanted. It was a fine line for some but that line was perfectly clear for Vincent. Instill fear, admiration, and a strong sense of right from wrong. Leave no room for any sort of confusion or doubts and erase any idea of gray areas. The world was black and white for Vincent Romanov and he believed firmly in his traditional ideals and sought to imprint them on everyone he came across.

With a careful eye, Vincent watched Zach cross the room and sit his things down on the floor. Upon removal of Zach's shirt, Vincent realized he might have to up the intensity of the boy's punishment. Zach was very fit for his age and while he needed some toning up, he still was an impressive specimen. Not many had the determination to devote to strict workout routines. A smile escaped Vincent's stern face as Zach belittled the number of push ups. "Alright then," Vincent said as Zach began his punishment, "fifty sounds good. Give me twenty five with your right arm and then twenty five with your left," he said with a sadistic sort of smile. If one thing life in the military taught you, it was that you didn't tempt your superiors when they where dishing out punishment.

Tilting his head to the side, Vincent looked a bit more closely at Zach. "What's your name son?," he asked casually as he watched Zach work off his punishment. So far, Zach seemed like a good kid, a bit arrogant but alright none the less. Vincent could tell the boy had a vain streak in him and from the last little smart comment, Zach had some defiance deep down. The boy was a strong one, even if he himself didn't know it and that sort of trait always won Vincent over a little.

[Zachary LaRousse]

If Vincent would tell Zac that he liked kids, Zac would laugh. And not just any laugh, he’d laugh at Mr. Romanov ever so loudly that he’ll probably be beaten up for it. Zac believes Mr. Romanov only wants kids so that he can see them suffer. To see him as a mentor was far from the norm.

Vincent’s unexpected passion in life aside, Zac was definitely the type of kid who’ll need a mentor. More specifically, a mentor who’s strict enough to set him straight and has the right amount of toughness to tell Zac who’s the boss (as he has such a big ego and had developed a habit of challenging authority if the opportunity permits it), which would make Mr. Romanov a perfect candidate. He has some sort of mentor figure back home too, Cedric, but ever since Zac left for Hammel Cedric’s influence had been all but weak (which explains the sudden development of an inflamed ego during the kid’s teenage years). Zac can be said as the typical spoiled brat (though he wouldn’t admit it) so some good old-fashioned military training might actually do him good.

Fortunately Zac was no mind-reader hence he has no knowledge of the praise, not matter how small, that Mr. Romanov gave him. If he heard it, he would’ve felt extra comfortable with Mr. Romanov already (the fact that he didn’t scold Zac and told him that he won’t report him made Zac a bit ok around his presence already), which would instantly destroy Vincent’s style.

Zac was already at fifteen when Vincent told him that he’d have to change his routine. “What? Why change that just now?” he laughed, finishing off the twenty anyway before standing up to stretch his arms for a bit. And seeing Vincent’s sadistic smile (which came across to Zac as a smile of admiration; don’t ask me why, he just processes body language differently) only made him even more proud and confident of his ability. “Gosh, my trainer (a personal gym one, not Jude; he’s much too nice to think of such routines, thinks I can’t take it) makes me do more than that. And I was only fifteen at that time.” An obvious lie, but Zac just loves making himself look more powerful and able than he really was. And this was Mr. Romanov he’s talking to; he should at least show him that he’s not the run-of-the-mill student. He’s Zachary LaRousse after all. “Tell you what, I’ll give you fifty on both arms,” he smirked, not caring if he’s talking to the Head of Security right now, “I’ll do that on two cycles of twenty five for each hand of course.” Apparently Zac doesn’t care that Mr. Romanov may have other things in mind for him other than simple pushups. And if all else fails, he could easily tap to a gorilla for extra strength or a water buffalo or a mule for stamina. Thank god for strong mammals.

Zac gave Mr. Romanov one final wink (it’s amazing how fast his ego can recover and become all confident in front of Vincent so easily) before kneeling in front of him once more and starting his first twenty-five with his left hand. “Nice shoes,” he laughed. Not that he liked the shoes really, it’s just his way of distracting Mr. Romanov. And getting the jitters off him. Small talk helps alleviate stress, right?

“Zachary Drake LaRousse. But I go with Zac more often. Call me Drake or any derivative of that and I’ll punch you,” he chuckled, “How about you, do I have to go with Mr. Romanov all night or can I call you some name that’ll roll off the tongue easily?” Perhaps all night was not the right word to use (as it implies Zac being held in the gym for quite some time), but Zac could care less. Clearly he was much more comfortable with Mr. Romanov now that he was just a few minutes ago. Let’s just hope it would do him well and not fuel Mr. Romanov to go harder on him. (But please do, he needs it. Badly).

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent wasn't a shrink by any standards, nor did he try to pretend to understand the reasoning behind the actions of others. However, it didn't take any sort of schooled professional to get a good read on Zac. The boy had some authority issues and let that flaw show through with sarcasm and defiant speech. Vincent would have been lying had he said it didn't tick him off some, but he tried to remember that all teenagers were like this. Full of undue arrogance and foolish thoughts they were the center of everyone's universe. Good old fashioned discipline was what this generation needed to get them back in line and tech them what respect for the elders was. Vincent grew up under the rule of the rod and fear. His father wasn't abusive by any means and he loved both Vincent and his sister Natalie, but when it came time for correction, it was dealt out with absolute authority. No excuse or manner of sweet talk could persuade Vincent's father when the man decided to punish them and that trait had carried through with Vincent into his adult life. Time in the military had only nurtured that trait so Zac was in for some fun times.

Clearly there was some fear coming from Zac, but the boy was controlling it fairly well. He was intimidated for sure, but unlike some in his position, Zac was handling things well enough. He didn't complain about being caught and had jumped right into his punishment. Vincent had to commend the boy for that, but something had to be done about that defiant streak. However, where as some might try to tear that defiance out of him, Vincent would try to encourage it a little. Zac didn't need defiance of authority or a loss of respect for his superiors, but rather he need to be encouraged not to be beaten down by them.

Standing there silently as Zac counted out his punishment, Vincent let the boy brag and go on to extend the punishment. Zac was worthy of keeping an eye on and like it or not, the boy had earned himself a place in Vincent's filing cabinet. Several people here at Hammel had a private file in Vincent's office, some good and others bad. Anyone who caught Vincent's eye became a bug under his microscope so to speak. Zac might make a worthy addition to the school lineup one day and just maybe, a positive note in his personal file from a washed up Security agent might help him.

Vincent looked down at his shoes and then gave Zac an odd look. The boy was making small talk? Right here in the middle of his punishment. Perhaps it was time to turn up the punishment and intimidation factor a bit? Vincent arched an eyebrow this time as Zac gave him his name and some form of jest about punching him. "You'll call me sir for the time being," Vincent said as he let his mind drift to the rest of Zac's lesson in physical activity. With those thoughts came the knowledge that Vincent had no idea of what Zac's power was. If the boy had some sort of superhuman traits then punishing him this way wasn't going to get anyone anywhere. Rubbing his forehead with the back of his hand, Vincent sighed, "What's your power Zac? Don't want to risk blowing up the gym or anything if I push you too far," Vincent said as he dropped his hand to his side.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Good old fashioned discipline is definitely what Zac lacked. He was born with a silver spoon, hence the formation of pretty much a bratty and arrogant personality. His father, for all his good and noble intentions, pampered the kid a bit too much. Not once did he lay a finger on the boy. His wife’s efforts to incorporate a sense of discipline and respect for authority was easily overshadowed by her husband’s continuous and almost religious granting of Zac’s never-ending list of wants. Her untimely death even made the matters worse, as Zac’s father (after his brief but intense downward spiral) grew even more protective of his son and would not take to see him uncomfortable or unhappy. Cedric, Zac’s butler/nanny and his father’s current right hand man, tried to continue what Zac’s mom has started, but unfortunately Zac’s spoiled and bratty personality has already been formed and it’s all but late to clip off his horns.

Or maybe not.

Zac was indeed scared of Mr. Romanov but he figured that if he let that slip that much, it might make him look like a coward and a weakling. He is Hammel’s crown prince (albeit a self-proclaimed one to beat) and no way was he backing out from anyone, may it be Mr. Romanov and his supposedly horrible punishments (or that’s what he keeps telling himself).
(Also, he’d do anything just so Mr. Romanov would not tell his father that he snuck out, even though he’s still in Hammel grounds.)

Zac didn’t let Mr. Romanov’s apparent obliviousness to his shoe-comment stop him. Aside from being an outlet through which Zac can release all his nervousness and anxiety, he figured engaging Mr. Romanov can make their rapport more comfortable, looser and friendlier, which would mean Zac wouldn’t have worry much about Mr. Romanov’s punishments that much. “Where’d you get them? I do love the color,” he said, despite thinking that the color was too bland and the shoes have a worn-out feel to them already, “Though if you’re going for work-out shoes, I could suggest you a few brands that’ll work better. And they come in such wonderful designs too, so you’ll be sure to stand out everywhere you go.”

“Sir is boring,” he chuckled, not really caring that Vincent was about to up his punishment level in just a few moments, “Can’t I just call you Vincent, Vinnie or even VinVin?” He did around five more pushups with his left hand before standing up to face Mr. Romanov once more. “All done,” he said with a big smile, “Shall we move on to the crunches and pull-ups now? Or do I do some cardio first?”

He didn’t even care to stifle a laugh when Mr. Romanov worried that he might explode in any second. “I’m a senior already Sir; I’d be extremely stupid if I don’t have a good grasp of my powers yet. I had control of my powers within weeks of its manifestation. Never had a rampage ever,” he said, purposely omitting the part where he lost control just a few months ago leading to his unwanted transfer to Horus’ dorm suite. “And besides, you can never push me too far. No one can,” he smirked, his eyebrows cocked and arms on his hips. It was clear that somehow, he was taunting Mr. Romanov. Bad move Zac, bad move.

“I’m a mammal mimic. I can effectively utilize any mammal’s ability or characteristic without transforming into one. Like an elephant’s weight/density for example, or a cheetah’s speed. Helped me evade all your awesome lackeys, oh yes it did.” Apparently Zac didn’t know that by going all out with his explanation of his powers, he’s put himself in a rather unfortunate situation. “How about you Sir, what can you do? Breathe fire? Duplicate yourself? Read my mind?” Maybe it was because of how Mr. Romanov phrases his questions or just the fact that it’s Mr. Romanov who is asking such questions that Zac feels like he’s being interrogated. And he won’t let that. He’d make this a two-way conversation as much as he can.

[Vincent Romanov]

Zac's little smart mouth was getting more and more rampant and the way the boy just seemed far too relaxed with his punishment and current situation with Vincent just didn't sit well. Vincent grew up in a totally different world than the one today's kids lived in and an extremely different one than Zac. There weren't any silver spoons for the Romanov siblings by any means and while that might make some bitter, Vincent was sort of glad. Having everything you wanted or having it handed to you whenever you wanted just produced the product which currently occupied the space in front of Vincent. Undue arrogance was a mood killer for Vincent and while Zac was the perfect example of this, Vincent was biting his tongue. Zac had potential hidden down deep, Vincent just felt it in his gut. Some hard physical punishment and a shakedown of Zac's room for illegal items on Hammel's forbidden list would be a good start. Generally Vincent let the kids slide by with their contraband, but with Zac he would make an exception and really twist the screws on him. Just how far it would go before the boy broke was the real question and one Vincent would see the answer to before it was all said and done.

"Call me VinVin and you'll be eating applesauce through a straw for the rest of your paralyzed life," Vincent said as Zac pushed the button on what to call him. Evidently the boy had never crossed paths with anyone like Vincent before. Most of the teachers here were far too soft on the students, trying to discipline them with that hippie shit about time outs and suspensions. Vincent played by a different set of rules and while Zac might be able to worm his way around other so called authority figures here, he would quickly find out there wasn't any direction to run with Vincent Romanov. Even the cocky little stance which Zac was taking with Vincent currently was beginning to annoy Vincent. Had this been the military, Zac would be sitting in the infirmary with a broken arm and twenty other guys all swearing he fell during a training routine. However, this was still a school and Zac was still a minor so that meant Vincent had to control himself a little.

Zac was a senior and that sort of added some light to the subject matter at hand. It seemed the older ones were the hardest to control, especially when they knew they only had one or two more years left here at Hammel. A doubting arch of his eyebrow called Zac's so called perfect control of his powers into question. Apparently the boy thought well of himself and while Vincent knew little of mammal mimics, he doubted Zac fully understood just what he was capable of just yet. "Well then Zac, let's just see this perfection of yours at work then," Vincent said with a dangerous and cocky little smile of his own. In a physical confrontation, Vincent usually had the upper hand and while Zac could give him a decent run for his money, Vincent had too much life experience working in his favor. Nodding to the bench against the back wall and the lightweight and very lightly padded sparring gloves which rested there, Vincent smiled, "Grab a pair of gloves and meet me on the mat over there," he said, rolling his neck around and working his shoulders to loosen his aging joints.

"You want to see my ability, then you'll have to earn it boy," he said, adding emphasize on the word 'boy' in order to rile Zac a bit. Vincent was good at goading others into a fight and while fighting, letting them hit him with everything they had. He could feign taking a hit pretty well, just as Zac was going to find out. "I'll even up the ante a bit boy. You beat me, and you'll get a 'Get Out of Jail Free' card," he said as he walked away and toward the large square work out mat on the side of the gym, "Grab some headgear and a pair of gloves for me too son. I wouldn't want to break you too quickly," he threw in with a loud laugh, trying to goad Zac a bit more.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Arrogance and snide comments aside, Zac actually liked Mr. Romanov. Sure, he was scared and really terrified of the man within the first few minutes of their meeting, but after a while, he figured Mr. Romanov isn’t really as scary as the stories about him are. That he’s actually a nice and pretty lenient guy, as evidenced by his offer not to tell anyone about Zac’s late night escapade. Unfortunately for Zac, he just doesn’t know how to get close to somebody without teasing, mocking, annoying or outright disrespecting them. While his defiant attitude towards Vincent may seem irritating and just rude, it’s actually his way of telling Mr. Romanov that he likes him. That he wants to be closer to him. Unlike the other times that he used such arrogant remarks against an instructor to show how he really disliked them (like his Chemistry instructor two years back, Ms. Oak,), he’s actually trying to be very playful around Mr. Romanov. He’s hoping that after this night, he’ll be in speaking terms at least with the man. Like Mr. Bond and possibly Mr. Tonaya (he’s trying so hard to be a good student in History, but apparently having the Rixon and the Verax is just not that good), he feels like being in ok terms with Mr. Romanov will actually be good for him in the long run (and not in a user-friendly way but in actual advice-experience area).

“Vinnie then?” he laughed, his eyes turning into half-moons to further exaggerate the action (and hoping he’d look cute; no man, no matter how burly and brute-like, can resist the magical allure of cute things, or so he believes). But the lukewarm cold response from the older man just made things awkward. “Fine, Sir then,” he mumbled, rolling his eyes then pouting. “Though I still think Vinnie fits you more,” he added in a not-so-soft whisper, quickly changing his expression to a more innocent one.

Zac has never been much of a trouble to the teachers. Sure he was a handful, but since he got decent good grades (he’s a consistent name at the honors list, or tries to be one), they usually let him slide. And he wasn’t that much of a bother like the infamous pyro and goth kid. Sure he disliked a few teachers here and then, but situations like Mr. Oak were rare (as he received quite the punishment when his dad and Cedric learned about the incident: no phone, private jet privilages and car for a month, as well as a 50% cut on his allowance). He could usually slither his way out of most problems he see himself in, either through sweet talking or simply acting like a good and repentant kid (did I ever mention that he can be quite an actor when he wants to?). But with Mr. Romanov, Zac can feel like he’s in a deadlock. That he’s decided that he’ll teach Zac a lesson no matter what. Which actually endears him more to the kid (in a weird sort of way).

Zac’s eyes widened in amusement when he saw Vincent smirk. He wasn’t scared; he was actually kind of excited. Judging from Mr. Romanov’s personality, a smirk means something fun will happen, for both him and the older man. And he’d choose a fun punishment is way better than a boring and cliché military one. Zac let a smirk of his own form when he saw Vincent motion to the pair of boxing gloves over the bench. “Well, you are one lucky guy then Sir,” he chuckled as he walked towards the bench, “You’ll see perfection at work. You sure your old and decrepit bones can handle it?”

Counting his not-so-nice encounter with Kamini a few months back, this is just the third time Zac’ll go and fight with a staff. The first two have all been with Kamini, with the first one ending with Kamini simply leaving and telling Zac to go (as the boy made a complete fool of himself) and the second one consisting mostly of Zac using the speedy and agile mammals in him to evade instead of fighting. But despite failing miserably those two times, Zac gained quite the insight for combat. Sure it was different, as Kamini’s more of the jungle girl, but he hopes such skills might be useful. Especially since he knows Mr. Romanov is one heck of an opponent (and he wants to show him that under all his arrogance is a kid who can stand up to the old man).

He followed Vincent to the mat and threw him a pair of gloves and a helmet. “You use this. I don’t want to touch your filthy sweat,” he smirked, putting on his own pair of gloves. “So, is this the infamous Romanov method I’ve been hearing about? Goading the kids to a fight and breaking them like twigs? And now I wonder why all these scary stories about you are circulating. What’s so scary about sparring with an old and decrepit man?” Zac smirked as he stretched his arms. Two can play at that game, Zac thought at Vincent’s goading. “I’ll try my best not to break you,” he smirked, giving Mr. Romanov a playful wink. He assumed the boxing stance (despite not really being trained for it, hence being a bit too awkward) and added, “Don’t hold back on me old man. Give it your best shot. I’ll even let you have the first blow if you want to.”

Poor Zac has no idea what he got himself in.

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent caught the gloves and helmet Zac threw him, smiling and then letting them go to fall to the ground at his feet. No protection would be needed for Vincent, after all, he hadn't planned on actually hitting the boy, maybe throw him around a bit or shove him, but never actually hitting him. Vincent knew the scope of his powers and how much strength he could put out in a moments notice. Between Hammel teaching him how to harness his ability and the Army teaching him how to lethally use said power, Vincent was a one man wreaking crew. He wasn't entirely proud of how destructive his ability was, but it was just something life had dealt him. At least he was using his powers in the positive way he could. The kids here needed to be shown how important responsibility was and what sort of duty they owed the world. It was way too easy for these kids to get lost in the temptations which both the world and their powers laid at their feet.

Zac's overconfidence was amusing to an extent, but all in all, it could have just been a show as well. Youth always wanted to impress the mature, to show them up and Vincent remembered being in Zac's place years ago. Things were different now and as such, it was Vincent's turn to be the wizened old fart feigning stupidity. No doubt Zac would impress Vincent in more than one way or another, after all, he was a student here at Hammel. No one here was just another person, they all played by different rules and at different games. Vincent had almost every advantage in this match. He had the training, the experience, the added comfort of absorbing every blow thrown at him, not to mention the already stored energy from his warm up workout. The smile on Vincent's face at this quick mental affirmation now made him the overconfident one.

Zac had guessed Vincent game right off the bat. No doubt there were a few rumors flying around about him and his run ins with the more troubled teens here. Vincent didn't mind to get a bit physical with the roughnecks of the school when they needed some reminding of who was in charge. Zac clearly wasn't one of those roughnecks and had a small bit of sense in his head, so Vincent would have to switch things up now. "If you want," he said in agreement to Zac's offer, stepping in quickly toward Zac, his body turning to put his left side toward Zac. With a quick jab, Vincent extended his arm outward, snapping it beside Zac's head with but a portion of his strength and real speed. He missed on purpose, to sort of set the reality of the moment and to intimidate Zac. If Zac reacted quick enough he could have caught Vincent in the ribs or if he dodged to Vincent's inside, set himself up for a nice jab to Vincent's face. Either way, Vincent wasn't worried, he would absorb the kinetic energy from the punch and set himself up for a surprise to be dealt out later.

(sorry its short, sort of zapped right now and my muse just sucks.)[/size]

[Zachary LaRousse]

Guess Vincent’s already figured Zac out. For the most part, that is. Indeed, the moment Zac discovered that Vincent isn’t really so scary and terrifying, a not-so-stark-yet-still-significant contrast from the tales surrounding the man, he’s decided that he’d ‘befriend’ the old guy. Who knows, maybe Vincent’s one of those typical grouchy-gruff-but-really-a-mushy-teddy-in-the-inside type of guy? (Though he doubts it. He doesn’t ‘smell’ it from him). And besides, he wants to prove to the man that he’s not a run-of-the-mill rule breaker, like an egotistic jerk with a mouth too big for his own good.

Like Vincent, Zac’s pretty much confident in his abilities. While the lack of knowledge about Mr. Romanov’s ability is indeed unsettling for the boy, he does know that he won’t fall down in just one swoop. No, he didn’t train for four years just to get beaten up and be laughed up. And besides, he’s one of the best in his class, according to him anyway. He’s gained a fairly decent grasp of his powers early on, advancing with a speed that helped him be a bit too ahead of his peers, so that his power training sessions for the past two years have been about honing his powers and testing his limits, instead of control and manipulation sessions. And it’s not because he’s a prodigy or something, it’s because, according to most of his instructors, Zac had the ‘right attitude’ towards his powers.

Unlike his other classmates (most of them, at least), Zac never viewed his power as a curse. While it is a burden at times, he never really saw it as a bad thing, probably because he’s part of the blessed few that didn’t experience being called a monster, to the point of being disowned by their family, when his powers manifested. In fact, his family, along with him, rejoiced when Zac’s powers finally emerged. After all, being a non-powered in a meta-human household is definitely unsettling.

Zac didn’t really think Vincent would agree to the whole first-blow thing, so when he unleashed his first jab towards Zac, the boy was caught unprepared, looking at the fist blankly for a split-second before coming to his senses and tapping into the cheetah’s speed, enabling him to quickly dodge to the right (it also helped that Vincent missed on purpose, as at the speed that Zac dodged the blow, he would’ve been hit anyway). “Woah old man,” was all Zac could say. Yup, despite being in such a disadvantaged situation (though he still can’t see that yet), Zac simply couldn’t get his mouth shut. As much as he’d like to admit, talking incessantly is actually helping his nerves, helping him stay focused and his muscles less tense. Bottling everything in would make his mind woozy and would not benefit him in the long run (or so he thinks).

As it were, Vincent was right – Zac did see the openings he was talking about. And since he got to the inside, he decided to go with the face punch, a grin forming in his face at his perceived craftiness. Faced with such an opportunity, it was a bit disappointing that Zac hesitated for a bit, not because he’s not sure if it would work, but he’s not decided on what method to use. Should he go for the cheetah and rely on the momentum of his punch, or go elephant for the strength of his punch. In the end he decided to go cheetah, landing a quick one on Vincent’s face and hoping to follow it up with an uppercut. “Gotcha.”

[Vincent Romanov]

Vincent had always enjoyed a good fight, even as a kid. This wasn't to say he was an overly violent person, just that he liked to rough house. All boys tumbled and wrestled with one another growing up and to be honest, that was a trait they never outgrew as men. It had been a long time since Vincent had felt the sting of a punch or other physical force and that was something one did begin to miss over time. He hadn't lost his sense of feel or touch, just the stinging pain which went with physical force. He could feel someone's fist or palm against his face, but the momentum behind it was just gone. Sure, he could tell how much force was behind each punch or slap, but the feeling wasn't there. Now that might seem like a God send, but for Vincent it kind of sucked. For him, it meant he was alive and still kicking, but hey, call him weird like that.

With all his training, Vincent could have laid Zac out ten times over by now, but where would be the fun in that. Zac wouldn't learn anything that way, plus Vincent wanted to give Zac that feeling of false hope. It always made Vincent laugh when he finally decided to turn the tide of a fight. The look on his opponent's face when he showed them just how refreshed and full of strength he was after the beating he had been receiving from them. His old squad mates used to set up the new recruits fresh in from boot camp back in the day. Those green punks coming in all high and mighty, thinking they were bad ass just because they had finished two weeks of potty training. Zac sort of reminded Vincent of them at the moment, all full of piss and vinegar but far from their true potential. What youth never seemed to understand, was all that energy and so called understanding of themselves and their world, meant nothing when put up against someone who had lived their lives twice over and knew all the tricks life could teach you.

Vincent's eyes darted after Zac, albeit in a delayed fashion. The boy was fast, Vincent would give him that. Not even Vincent could put that much speed into his movements. No doubt the boy would be a very formidable meta when he grew into himself. Being able to mimic the traits of animals might seem odd to some, but if one really stopped to think about the abilities one with this power could draw from, then it sort of made one jealous. The next two punched came fast, which meant there probably wouldn't be much strength behind them. It seemed Zac was going to rely on speed and momentum to stay ahead of Vincent, a sound plan in and of itself. The only flaw in that plan was the stamina it would require to pull it off. Eventually, Zac would begin to lose his wind, meta ability or not. There was only so much the body would take before it turned on you and shut itself down and that was what Vincent would wait on before striking.

Vincent smiled just briefly before Zac's jab connected with the side of his face. Vincent let his head snap to the side to match the momentum going into him and letting Zac think he had gained a one up on this old man. Letting his hands drop a little in a feign stun, Vincent left himself open for the uppercut. His head rocked back and in like fashion, Vincent staggered backward, shaking his head as if dazed for a moment. His body had already stored the kinetic energy like a battery being recharged, but Vincent held onto the power, saving it up for one big bang. If Zac wasn't caught up in the moment, in his step up over the head of security and just another old man, then he might have noticed something odd about his strikes against Vincent. Some people had remarked to Vincent before that hitting him had felt like punching a pillow. They could feel his body give, but it seemed too soft, as if their punches had been robbed of any strength and momentum. His body seemed to cradle their fist in some way and a few had even claimed to feel tired for a second, like Vincent himself was taking all their energy from them. "Nice, but you going to put any force behind those slaps of yours?," he asked Zac, teasing him some, "My sister hits me harder than that, and she's a ballerina," he laughed, bringing his hands up in front of his face some, leaving his sides open on purpose.

[Zachary LaRousse]

As much as Zac would like to roughhouse when he was a kid, he couldn’t. One, he had no one to roughhouse with. He just isn’t that close with his cousins (who are either a bit too old or young for him to play with), other than the fact that he only meets them occasionally, on family celebrations most likely. Anthony would’ve been a fair bet, but the fallout that happened between his father and Zac’s prevented such a thing from happening. Zac was actually quite alone when he was a kid, which could possibly explain all the attention-hogging he’s been doing for the past ten or so years of his life.

Other than the lack of people to roughhouse with, Zac’s been pretty much barred from the stuff by his mother when he was young. Like all good moms, Gabriella didn’t want his son to be quite the violent sociopath, hence discouraging young Zachary from all forms of violence growing up. Though it’s not like Zac would do much damage really, considering the weak development and growth of his bones, and his body overall, when he was young. He spoke quite late, around the age of two or three, due to the fact that he didn’t need to cry much – his mind was read by the servants should he need something. He was carried telekinetically 85% of the time. The weather was adjusted everyday for him. It took a while for his mother to see that such ‘protective measures’ are actually impeding her son’s growth that the it’s quite relieving to see him recover from it and be the guy he is right now actually (his ever-loving father, on the other hand, found it hard to believe at first; only when he see young Zac walk awkwardly despite being supposedly old enough to walk properly did he decide that it really was bad for his son).

Indeed, Vincent was not only quite the powerhouse, he was also wise. Should he simply beat Zac up, the kid won’t learn a thing. No, he’d only grow resentful and angry, learning nothing but revenge in his mind. It won’t be an enjoyable experience for Zac, being shamed so fast like that, and it figures that it won’t be for Vincent too. By letting Zac ‘feed’ and feel good for himself for the moment, Vincent’s actually making Zac more relaxed in his presence, and possibly cushioning the boy’s long-awaited defeat in his hands. (In other words, Zac’ll be more ‘sport’ when he gets defeated later than right in the beginning).

Once again Vincent’s got the issue head on. Zac’s power is indeed quite taxing, even if he uses the gorilla’s strength instead of the cheetah’s speed. While shifters deal with all the bone and internal organ relocation, Zac’s power is more of suddenly making his muscles more dense, his nerves and body parts more coordinated and all that. Excessive ‘tapping’, like what Zac has done before going to the gym (going from monkey to cheetah in quick succession) drains him all the more, increasing his metabolism to a point, making him hungry as hell. In fact, at the rate he’s going, he probably can’t keep up the speed, or even simply standing in the ring actually, for more than ten minutes. He knows this himself, feeling the strain inside him already and all that, so he’s telling himself he needs to finish this fast. Experience and training aside, while Vincent’s power not only make him practically invulnerable but also stronger with each passing moment, Zac’s ability drains him more and more the longer the fight drones out. With training he could possibly prolong his range, something in which Vincent can hopefully help him with.

Vincent is one great actor, as Zac’s buying his act fully. No trace of doubt is in his mind, not one bit. His huge smirk, amidst the beads of sweat forming in his forehead and body, is proof. In his mind, he’s practically beating the Head of Security to pulp, and it feels so right. And though he finds that Vincent’s been leaving himself open all the time, he simply shrugged it off as the man’s carelessness and cockiness about facing a kid. He’s serving him hell as far as he’s concerned anyway.

“Talk all you want old man. This’ll be over in a blink of an eye,” winked Zac as he unleashed another flurry of punches (speed courtesy of the cheetah still) to Vincent’s open side. Thank goodness he was wearing gloves; he’s never tapped on the cheetah for so long and he could feel it slowly overcoming him already. The gloves are what’s stopping his hands from clawing the man’s skin out actually. The strain he’s feeling, combined with the mental fight happening in his head, is making him really zone out everything and focus more on finishing the fight faster, overlooking the weird feeling his fists get when it makes contact with the older guy. “You’re quite the guy for an old man, but I doubt you can stand much against the younger breed old-timer. Surrender now before I beat you to pulp,” taunted the overconfident Prince, putting more force on his speedy punches (which only makes his defeat all the more closer).

[Vincent Romanov]

It was hard for Vincent to hide the fact he was enjoying this moment. Physical exercise, boxing, football, all those things were his cup of tea so to speak. As a kid, Vincent was always the rough one. He took to any sport like a duck to water and while he wasn't one to go picking fights, he never turned down an opportunity to jump into one. It was like his body always knew his meta ability was there and was conditioning him for when his meta ability emerged. Great meta-humans weren't defined by their ability alone, several other factors played in as well. Those who accepted their role in the grand scheme of things and embraced their powers ended up being more successful than those who viewed their meta status as a curse. It was a simple theory really. If one were afraid or ashamed to use their powers, then they wouldn't ever reach their full potential and eventually go into power apathy as Vincent liked to call it. Zac's all too eagerness to use his ability told Vincent he was a boy who wasn't ashamed of who and what he was and that was a step in the right direction with the old man. Vincent just hoped Zac would use his ability for the right things and not be sucked into the land of temptation.

Every now and again, there would be a kid or two whom Vincent took an interest in at Hammel. He wasn't a teacher per say, but he did have some life lessons to pass along. What was right and what was wrong and how to determine which was which. Vincent seemed to already be forming a bond with Zac here, and vice versa. Some kids at Hammel needed a positive role model in their teachers and the school usually did a pretty good job at giving them that. After this little lesson, Vincent would pull Zac's file and go over it in depth, in order to get a better grasp on the boy and where he came from. This would give Vincent a small idea of who the boy might become when he became a man.

Back to the fight at hand.

Zac was enjoying this way too much, but that didn't make the boy a sociopath or anything. He took the bait once again and unleashed a flurry of punches to Vincent's open side. Zac was still relying on speed over raw strength, but at least he was sticking with a plan. Each punch just added more stored energy to Vincent, just waiting to be unleashed. So far, Vincent had enough to lay Zac out with one hit, but that wasn't the plan, as a matter of fact, beating Zac in a fight was never the plan. Vincent was teaching Zac something the other trainers here might never teach him. Not saying the powers trainers were incompetent, but they really didn't have the training and view of the world as Vincent did. Such a physical power as Zac's required a viewpoint which only someone like Vincent could give. Knowing when to push your body to end a fight quick or when to hold back to wait for that right moment to strike. This was what Vincent would teach Zac, that is if the boy was smart enough to learn.

Letting his body shift to the side with each punch, Vincent grunted to really sell the moment. He kept his hands up in front of his face, mostly to hide his smile. Zac taunted Vincent in turn, but it was more smack talk than taunting. Zac actually thought he was getting the better of Vincent. At some point you would have thought the boy would have began to wonder what Vincent's power was. However, it seemed winning was stroking Zac's ego and making him a bit foolish. Finally, with the last punch Zac landed, Vincent decided to move the game into its final phase. Grunting rather loudly, Vincent clutched his side and hunched over, staggering some, making his breathing labored on purpose. He fell to one knee, his head bowed and still holding his side. "I think your right, the fights over," he said labored, baiting Zac to come closer.