Vigilantes [M]

[Chevi]

Some of their classmates whistled and cheered as they circled each other; the instructor, on the other hand, had no instructions to hand out. Lucius kept his eyes on Camilla, but he was distracted for a split second by glancing towards the instructor. She used that moment to lunge at him again. The kick collided with his knee and Lucius cried out; Camilla threw her weight at him as he went down. In that moment, Lucius did the easiest thing he could do on instinct: he let himself fall as dead weight, hoping to pull her down and off balance. Once they were both down, he aimed to roll over and pin her down.

@Sara

[Sara]

His cry of pain momentarily distracted her and so she did indeed fall to the floor as he became a dead-weight. She regained her senses a moment later but by that point it was too late and he had a grip on her on the floor. She struggled for a few moments, shooting glares in his direction and huffing as laughs rang out in the class before the instructor called time. 

"It's not a real life scenario though," She protested as she tried to free herself, "I'd have the rest of my team with me so he couldn't do this." She tried to angle a kick towards his balls in an attempt to free herself.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius managed to roll over and pin her down, giving a triumphant grin as the instructor called a halt. He must not have been the first one she annoyed, because the class seemed cheerful about her defeat. She pointed out she would have won in the field.

"Well, technically, I'd have my team with me t... OY! Princess! Dirty!" he narrowly avoided the kick in the balls and scrambled back, getting to his feet. The nerve on the woman.

The instructor rolled his eyes.

"Alright, Roscoe. Let's try that again with the gloves off."

@Sara

[Sara]

She grumbled as he scrambled back to his feet. She would have liked to have landed that kick, but she dusted herself down and jumped back to her own feet, tightening the high-pony she had as she did. She almost missed the instructors words but caught them just in time to shoot a deep frown over her shoulder at him. 

"Oh no, nope. I'm not getting burned by him-" She jabbed a finger in Lucius' direction but the instructor cut her off; "You can tap out if it's too much. Roscoe signed a code of conduct here, besides," The instructor smirked, "You know how good our infirmary is." It sort of needed to be given the amount of injuries sustained by young, powered people clashing day in and day out. She opened her mouth to protest but whoops and cheers from the other students spurred her on. She was clearly more nervous this time though as she circled him. She'd wait for him to make the first move.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

"Oh fuck no!" Lucius protested at the same time Camilla did too. At least they were in agreement about this one thing. Neither of them convinced the instructor.

"Unless you have an actual healer on site, I'm not doing this" Lucius growled, glaring. Camilla was already taking the idea in stride, but he didn't like it one but. "You know what, scratch that. I'm not doing it. You can't make me."

He turned to walk out, but the trainer called after him.

"As far as I know, Roscoe, training is a part of you deal. Unless I sign off on you having fulfilled the requirement, you are going to move to somewhere a lot less pleasant."

Fuck that guy. Lucius turned around to glare at him.

"You fight me then."

"Are you implying Camilla is any less capable because she's a woman?"

"No. I'd just rather burn you. By accident."

@Sara

[Sara]

Lucius made to stride off and she fought the urge to use her power and bring him marching straight back. Fortunately  the instructor intervened so she didn't have to and she watched Lucius' reaction cautiously. She chuckled (as did their classmates) at the suggestions she wasn't capable. Lucius' pin grab was a fluke in her eyes, she shouldn't have been distracted by his yowl of pain when she hit his knee. She wouldn't make this mistake again. 

"We have doctors here." The instructor confirmed with a smirk, "And Miss Birch is up for it, aren't you?" Camilla wasn't. Not really. She didn't like these drills - she'd once been paired with a girl whose power was to warp any water into a wave and she still remembered the feeling of drowning in the pool. But their doctors were excellent and their technologies to heal were...innovative to say the least. Besides, she wasn't going to let him win. 

Sick of waiting for him to make a move she groaned; "Come on, you'll have to fight one of us eventually." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius doubted that Camilla was up for this. He still remembered her reaction to the burning pillow. And he hated the idea of putting his powers on display in front of the entire class. There was... something fishy about this whole setup, about teams of powered kids, or young adults, being trained like soldiers. But he didn't really care, he reminded himself. He was just here so he wouldn't go to jail.

"Come on, you'll have to fight one of us eventually." 

"Eager, are we" Lucius frowned, peeling off his gloves. It didn't feel right. He felt vulnerable and dangerous at the same time. He balled his hands into fists as she walked back to face Camilla. He glanced over at the instructor. "I want it on the record that you both asked for this."

@Sara

[Sara]

Yes, it would very firmly be on the record if she ended up a smouldering pile of ash on the floor of the hall. He'd also have to contend with her parents. 

She took advantage of the moment he glanced over to the instructor and set about shoulder-charging him. She wanted to stay as far away as she could from his hands and his arms (although it occurred to her then than the rest of his skin might be equally...flammable). She tried to land a blow straight into his sternum whilst keeping her head tucked into her shoulder so she wouldn't touch his skin. When she made contact, she tried to sweep his feet from under him.

This all of a sudden felt far more unnerving.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Camilla once again took the initiative, charging at him full force while he was distracted. Her shoulder made contact with his sternum, knocking the air out of his lungs. Lucius stumbled back, fists still in the air. He twisted to the side and pushed her away, trying to catch his breath as the classmates made excited noises. Right, this was going to have to be a fight. He aimed a kick at her mid-section, hoping to throw her off balance.

@Sara

[Sara]

She smirked and relished the whoops and cheers from their classmates as she successfully managed to wind him. She didn't stop there though, aiming a few kicks at his legs but they missed their mark as he turned away to shove her back. She was momentarily off-balance from the push as he kicked out. It collided with her hip and she howled in pain momentarily, clutching at her skin before fury and the red mist descended. He'd bested her once, he wasn't going to do it again. "You prick..." She muttered as she took a few paces back to run up to him and shoulder-charge him again, this time planting her elbow square and locked, trying to get his abdomen and knock him to his pack. Then all it would take, in her mind, was a trainered foot on his throat and she'd have won. The instructor had other ideas. "Roscoe, you have gifts, use them!" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

His kick landed, and he could tell right away that now he had really pissed Camilla off. She charged at him again, with more intent this time. Going straight for his chest again. Lucius was really in no mood to get winded.

"Roscoe, you have gifts, use them!" 

Fuck it.

His powers activated more from anger at the trainer than anything else. Gifts, indeed. Fuck that guy. Lucius felt a flash of anger, and it manifested as both of his fists suddenly being engulfed in flames. The class gasped and some students cried out.

Shit.

At the split second before impact, Lucius threw his arms wide. If he couldn't avoid contact, at least he'd try to keep the flames out of the way.

@Sara

[Sara]

The sight of the flames would have thrown her off...had she not already been committed and moving to fast  she charged at him to stop. She did let out a choke of panic though as her body moved closer to the flames, the heat of which was already felt on her skin, seconds more her shoulder collided with his chest and her elbow with his stomach. His arms were out-wide though and she didn't feel the burning she'd been anticipating moments before. She vaguely heard gasps from their fellow students but it was too late to do anything about it as the force of her impact knocked her off her feet, sending her falling, the skin of her neck and her forearms (which were trying to shield her body) moved directly into the line of his arms. She felt the burning then and screamed.

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

It was too late for Camilla to pull up short, and she barreled straight into him, knocking the wind out of his lungs for the second time in so many minutes. Lucius held his arms out, not wanting to burn her, and thus they both went down, with her landing on top of him. There was no way he could cushion the fall without using his arms, so his head bounced painfully on the ground, and he groaned. Flames licked up from his hands, and Camilla cried out in pain.

Shit.

The next moment there was a wave of ice cold water washing over the both of them, and a hiss of steam and the flames went out. Lucius tried to draw a breath, which was hard to do while winded and also having someone on his chest. He gasped and sputtered, blinking up. One of their classmates, a red-haired guy, was standing next to the trainer; behind him, the room's drinking fountain was burst open, leaking the last drops of water.

Lucius groaned, and pushed Camilla off.

@Sara

[Sara]

The relief of the water was only momentarily as she continued to cry in pain, even after Lucius unceremoniously shoved her off. Her right forearm was badly burnt, as was the right side of her neck up to the line of her jaw. It was agonising. The instructor was less sympathetic which was understandable given this was fairly minor in the list of injuries that occurred in training sessions like this. It didn't help her feel better, of course. 

"Well get you to the infirmary in a moment, Miss Birch." He held a hand out for her to take and she was pulled up onto wobbly legs. Her eyes were red with unspent tears. She rounded on Lucius though and kicked out to him, still on the floor. "Y-you could have said stop." She choked. She wasn't worried for the injuries, with the tech they had here she'd be healed in a week or so with no physical damage, but for now it was agonising. And embarrassing. 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Camilla was hurt. And pissed. Lucius winced as she kicked him while being helped up; he could see the red burn marks on her arm and neck. That had to hurt. And somehow in the end it was all his fault. Great.

"Y-you could have said stop."

"I did!" he snapped, getting up and shaking water out of his hair. He was aware of everyone staring at him. "I didn't even want to do this!" He spat, grabbing his gloves and turning to leave. Screw all of this. "This place is insane. Screw you all."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Mr Roscoe!" The instructor called after him as Lucius moved to leave and when it looked like he wouldn't be listened to, he groaned and turned to Camilla. "If you don't mind." She did mind. She didn't particularly have the energy for using her power again, but she supposed fair was fair and she now bore the red, blistering effects of Lucius'. She closed her eyes for a moment and flexed her hand, pushing out energy to draw him in and to her (and the instructor). 

"You will stay here. You will practice. You will learn to control it." He said to Lucius and Camilla shifted from foot to foot, clearly in deep pain. "You can go, Miss Birch. I'll see you in class tomorrow. You-" He jabbed a finger at Lucius, "Pick your next opponent. Or pick jail. Up to you." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

It took Lucius a moment to realize what was happening. One minute he was walking out of the classroom; the next, he was turning around, drawn by some invisible urge to move towards Camilla. He looked confused, until he was standing in front of her and the instructor, and it dawned on him that Camilla was using her mind mojo powers. On him.

"You will stay here. You will practice. You will learn to control it. Pick your next opponent. Or pick jail. Up to you." 

***

Five hours later Lucius was sitting in his room, soaked, pissed, and miserable. The rest of the class had not gone any better than his sparring with Camilla. Everyone was hesitant to face him, except for the water sprite, who took some cruel enjoyment in soaking him again and again. More burns were doled out, and he was not any closer to controlling any of his powers. If anything, he just felt like he was completely losing it.

They knew what they were doing when they made the room fireproof. Now that he was sitting on the floor, the walls and ceiling were covered in scorch marks, and the curtains were a pile of ash. Every time the flames got high, the sprinklers activated, dousing him with a new wave of cold water, until the entire room smelled like wet ash, and looked like a scene from a post-apocalyptic hellscape. Lucius swore, resting his elbows on his knees. Hellscape was an apt description. 

@Sara

[Sara]

Five hours later and Camilla's pain had decreased significantly. Whatever the pills they popped her in the infirmary were, and the salve they slathered on her skin, it was working wonders. It only lightly stung now to twist her neck and and move her arm as she finished her makeup and straightening her hair. The high-tech healing dressing on her neck was particularly ugly and garish, worse than the bandage wrapped around her arm but Camilla being Camilla she chose to dress to match it, picking an outfit with white running throughout it to make it look at least a little bit co-ordinated. 

What was annoying her more though than the wounds, was the rhythmic hissing that seemed to sound every five minutes from the sprinkler system in the room below. She knew exactly whose room that was. She chose to wear her heels as she clattered across the floor above him to make him shut up. That didn't work. Hisss. Hisss. Hissss. It was driving her mad and snatching up her purse, she headed downstairs. She had a little time before she needed to leave, enough time to scold the idiot who was already driving her insane. 

She didn't knock on his door, and bet it was open, so she pushed it and saw...a mess. She coughed. It smelt vile. "What the fuck happened here?!" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius looked up as the door was pushed open without a knock, and groaned at the sight of Camilla. She was bandaged, but also made up and wearing a fancy dress and heels. She'd live.

"What the fuck happened here?!" 

"Nothing." he shrugged. "I'm not gonna apologize, princess. You people started it."

@Sara

[Sara]

Yeah. Whole lot of nothing. She stepped into the room half a pace, enough for the door to shut behind her, but not far enough that she risked getting soot and ash all over her white heels. 

"I didn't come here for an apology." She frowned and looked around the room with thinly veiled disgust. "I was mad because I was in pain, not because you did something wrong." it could have been a lot worse, and she knew that. And that was as much of an apology as he was going to get. "I came here for you to shut the fuck up. You realise I live right there." She pointed at his ceiling, "And the sprinkles are driving me insane. So get. it. together." She clapped her hands between each word, "Roscoe, or you'll be moved to an isolation room. And clean this shit up, it looks ridiculous." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Good." Because even if she had come for an apology, she wouldn't get one, no way. She did look annoyed, though. Apparently, because the sprinklers were disturbing whatever she was doing in her princess tower. For fuck's sake.

"So get. it. together. Roscoe, or you'll be moved to an isolation room. And clean this shit up, it looks ridiculous." 

"Wait, this is not an isolation room?" He looked around. What would be more isolated then a fireproof box?... A box without a window? Lucius got to his feet, brushing ash off his clothes.

"This place is insane. All of you people are insane. You all knew what my powers can do, and when one gets hurt, everyone gets their panties in a bunch. Well guess what. Fire is dangerous. It's not neat, and it doesn't do shit on command. And neither do I."

@Sara

[Sara]

"Nobody got their...ugh," She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest, "Nobody got annoyed by what you did. They need to see how you react, what you do, how you can control it...or not, and then they tailor the training." It was logical. You needed to establish a baseline for such things before you could really begin to master it, after all.

"And if you don't want to do shit on command then you can go to whatever maximum security lock-up they want to send you to rather than taking up a place here, sulking, and pissing people off." She glared at him and readjusted the bag on her shoulder which was slipping down. "I don't get why you're so angry all the time, you can help people here if you just commit to it." 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius rolled his eyes. Establishing a baseline for his powers was one thing; doing it by pitting him against other students was another. And he was really sick and tired of everyone holding prison over his head all the time.

And then she had to go and bring up the you could be useful if you really tried line, like a middle school teacher.

"Oh can I? Really?" he arched an eyebrow looking back at her "What, if I just really applied myself, I could live up to my true potential? Which is... what exactly?" He tilted his head. "What's the endgame here? Pointing me at bad guys and getting them incinerated?"

@Sara

[Sara]

Camilla frowned and glared at him. "Yes...? Yes that's the endgame?" She scoffed and shifted foot to foot. The shoes hurt but beauty was pain and she was used to it. It was no worse than the stinging of her throat and her arm. 

"Why? Don't tell me you want to save the bad guys? Rehabilitate them? Join them?" It was her turn to look bemused and tilt her head. "What's your endgame here Lucius?" 

 

TAG: @Chevi

[Chevi]

Lucius stared at her as she turned the questions back on him. This whole place felt like a nightmare. He did not have good answers to any of that, other than... something felt off.

"Holy shit, woman." he frowned. "I guess I don't want anyone who thinks in good guys and bad guys to point me at anyone to incinerate them." That sounded wrong on so many levels. "People are a bit more complicated than that. And I don't like being anyone's weapon. Do you?"

@Sara