[hr][hr][center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019bd985-1220-7749-b8e8-5ee69875cfd4.webp[/img][/center][hr][hr] It was the last week of freedom before they had to return to Margaret Carter, and as long as the winter break had felt, it was paradoxically all too short. Between a brief stint in rehab, adventures in Jotunheim and encountering Yeti, impromptu French shopping sprees, and Hanukkah celebrations, Percy was ready for a nice, relaxing evening with his boyfriend. He’d picked out [url=https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019b8485-8944-76cb-a02a-9046d50d4f11.webp]one of the outfits Danni had helped him purchase[/url], they had reservations at a nice restaurant in the French Quarter Dorian wanted to show him, and afterwards, he was fully intending on snuggling while watching a period piece. He did one last inspection of his hair in the mirror, before the blue energy swirled around him, as he popped out of existence in California and rematerialized on the doorstep of the Kingston-Gray house, a bouquet of flowers in hand. He was a little early, but he didn’t mind waiting for Dorian if needed. He knocked thrice on the door. The door flew open and Danni beamed at his newest best friend. [color=E948FC]“Spicy!!!!!! Dee's still in trainin’ wit’ Pops but come on in and we can ‘an’ out for a bit!”[/color] Danni ushered Percy inside, letting the door slammed behind him and taking the bouquet out of his hands. [color=E948FC]“Gotta put t'ese in water while ya wait, so gimme a second!!!!”[/color] Danni skipped into the kitchen with them and fixed them up before rushing back to Percy to judge his outfit. Danni paced around him and eyed it critically, adjusting here and there, tucking the ends in a little more on one side and loosening it a bit on another. [color=E948FC]“Oooh, really tryin’ ta impress t'e Bae wit’ t'ese aren'tcha. Its so good ta see ya outta o’ t'ose puffy suits you always wore!”[/color] Danni sniffled and mustering up a single tear to wipe away. [color=E948FC] “T'ey grow up so fast. T'is little bird is ready ta fly outta t'e nest already. Soon, I'll be sufferin’ t'e broken ‘eart of an empty ‘ome wit'out my little chick ta take care of.”[/color] Percy blinked, essentially letting Danni’s Danni-ness happen to him. The day they’d spent together dealing with Fred had done a lot towards increasing his tolerance levels - and while he still wasn’t comfortable with touch from him, the fussing over his clothing and circling him like a hawk didn’t stress him as it once may have. However, he did blush at the commentary. He was trying to impress Dorian - he knew that Dorian hadn’t really loved the clothes he used to wear, and he wanted to make his boyfriend happy. He liked the new clothes too, of course, but the priority was Dorian - it was almost always Dorian. [color=ed1c24]“... Do you think he’ll like it?”[/color] he asked, almost a little shyly. Danni huffed out a laugh. [color=E948FC]“If t'at boy doesn't dip and kiss ya, t'en ‘e ain't wort’ stayin’ wit’ if you're lookin’ like t'at. You look like a cute little present all wrapped up for your coffee date.”[/color] Danni pulled out a handkerchief, embroidered with his initials, and pinched Percy's cheek before skipping away. [color=E948FC] “Okay, cool. So since Dee's still in t'e astral plane - we got one ‘eck of a talkin’ too about mergin’ like t'at btw. Nooooot doin’ t'at again for a loooong time - wanna chill for a bit? Well, do some rounds downstairs? Not'in’ crazy; Pops assigned me trainin’ too after t'e contest and I've only done like three or four ‘ours? Idk, somet'in’ like t'at so gotta get it in. You can just vibe wit’ me if ya don't wanna get your clothes all messy! I gotta do some fire control, target practice, and evasion work today. T'en tomorrow its endurance trainin’ which suuuuuuuuucks.”[/color] Danni whined as he headed over to the same bookshelf, pulling the lever, and revealing the stairs down. Danni paused and looked over at Percy with wide, puppy dog eyes. Percy’s face flushed at Danni’s praise - and he felt warm as his friend used a handkerchief to make contact with him. He hadn’t had a friend be so accommodating of him since… He shoved that memory to the side. He didn’t need to think about Chase right now. Danni wanted to do some rounds with him downstairs? He didn’t really know how much help he could be, he had the strength of a wet noodle if he was looking for a sparring partner. Even when he used his axe to terrorize Ser Nemo, it had been his rage fueling his strikes. He wasn’t as angry now. Not anymore. But he could empathize with being assigned homework over the break. His mame did the same thing, although far less physical. He was a little behind on a stack of novels he was supposed to read and discuss with her, and he had barely touched the homework books she’d assigned him to complete. He’d have to pull a few all nighters this week, but it would be fine. It would get done. Somehow. It might even be a unique opportunity for practicing his temporal jumps. [color=ed1c24]“Erm. I don’t think I am dressed for training but… Sure, we can hang out,”[/color] he agreed. [color=ed1c24]“Do your parents usually assign you training? My mame gave me a fair bit of writing and reading to complete.”[/color] [color=E948FC] “Don't worry! We won't getcha clothes all messed up but if somet'in’ ‘happens, we can get Pa ta fix ‘em back up!”[/color] Danni reassured Percy as he headed downstairs. The familiar medical room greeted them but Danni bypassed it to the door they'd ignored last time. [color=E948FC]“Oh yeah, every break. Typically boils down ta an ‘our or two per day, usually rotates ‘tween what t'e focus is so we don't overwork ourselves. It's brutal t'ough.”[/color] Danni looked up the stairs and around the room before leaning in to Percy. [color=E948FC] “T'e ‘rents def went t'rough some stuff back in t'e MU and t'en t'e fall of Genosha and t'en even wit’ t'e purifiers ‘ere so its all very Poisson-Pas style trainin’. T'e trauma is strong wit’ t'ese ones.”[/color] Danni whispered and giggled with a wink. [color=E948FC]“But its why we do so much cardio. Pa and Pops reaaaally focus on endurance over strengt’ ‘cause lotta fights come down ta if you can last or not. Or, if it goes real sideways, do ya ‘ave t'e energy ta get outta dodge, ya know?”[/color] Danni threw open the far door and threw open the door, gesturing for Percy to come inside. The room wasn't incredibly large but runes carved into the walls glowed with a nebula's light. The edges of the room were dark and a single spot light shone in the center. Danni skipped across to it eagerly. Ordinarily, Percy knew that when people shared their trauma - or the trauma of their loved ones - they expected sympathy and comfort. But Danni giggled about it. So it was… fine then? He didn’t know how he was supposed to react to that. But the information that the Kingston-Grays trained their children in a similar fashion to a man who used C4 in an obstacle course was unsurprising. Everything about this family was larger than life. It explained why Danni and Dorian had taken to Nemo’s methods so quickly when Excelsior had first formed, when others had run from the training room in tears, afraid to continue. [color=ed1c24]“I don’t understand how you have the energy for all of the cardio you do,”[/color] Percy admitted. [color=ed1c24]“Dorian invited me on a run with him once. I could barely walk the next day.”[/color] He winced slightly at the memory. It had been too much. He was a quiet, academic boy - not an athlete or a jock by any means. He paused for a moment at the threshold of the new room, curiously examining his surroundings. Runes were always trickier to read - they were sometimes used as language, other times used as concepts. The ones here didn’t give a sentence he could decipher, beyond some vague recognition that they dealt with reality and its archetypes. He assumed they had to be Max’s work. [color=ed1c24]“What is this?”[/color] he asked, as he followed Danni in. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Our training room.”[/color] The spot light grew until the entire room was bathed in clinical white light and James stood at the far end, hands clasped behind his back and looking thoroughly unimpressed. Danni skipped into the middle of the room and started warm up stretches. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You told me you were just getting changed, not bringing a friend.”[/color] [color=E948FC]“I was gettin’ changed and t'en Spicy showed up early for ‘is date and Pa still ‘as Dee in t'e Astral so I figured ‘e could ‘angout wit’ me while I practiced!”[/color] Danni leaned into his stretches, counting carefully between each one. James looked between the two of them thoughtfully and nodded once. [color=mediumspringgreen]“I suppose this is as good a time as any. Percy, in the center. Follow Danni's stretches. You'll be participating and stretching helps prevent injuries when done correctly.”[/color] James instructed. Percy stared at James for a moment. Of Dorian’s many fathers, he was easily the most terrifying. His eyes then darted down to his clothes - to his expensive, high-end shoes he had freshly shined, his long overcoat, his light brown turtleneck, and his trousers. He then looked at James again. [color=ed1c24]“I’m not dressed for this,”[/color] he protested. [color=ed1c24]“I’m just here to go on a dinner date with Dorian.”[/color] [color=mediumspringgreen]“If the building collapses, is that what you'll say? If a purifier corners you in a restaurant, are you going to politely tell him not to interrupt your date? Bad things happen in all situations. Start stretching.”[/color] James's tone offered no room for dissent. Danni, forehead against his toes, sent Percy a wide eyed stare and jerked his head slightly. Danni knew that the longer Percy stalled, the more intense this would become. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You're entangled with my son, you're a close friend of my other children, and each one of them holds their own better than you. Survival is key and the landscape of mutant safety is ever changing. Endurance, critical thinking, and defensive maneuvers are important skills to have in any situation. You, whether you want to be or not, are training to be a hero and as any hero knows, there is always a villain stronger than you so it all comes down to your training. And frankly, your performance at the contest certainly suggests you haven't taken that seriously enough.”[/color] Percy scrunched up his face, the urge to argue dying in his throat only because of his strong desire to have his boyfriend’s fathers approve of him. James had already caught him - no, James had already looked out for him with his alcoholism, and he had healed him after the burns earlier during the break. He did the quick math on whether jumping temporally to an hour later would be a good idea or not… but his gut told him that James would still insist on training, even if he reappeared days later - even if he shifted his location, too, to the other side of the world. The comments stung, still. He’d actually thought he had been doing better at this, at being a hero. He was trying to make choices to help people when he could, and his teleport range had really increased. [color=ed1c24]“I spent both matches keeping everyone safe, teleporting them out of reach of attacks heading at them.”[/color] Okay, he couldn’t [i]completely[/i] keep himself from arguing back. His pride demanded it. [color=ed1c24]“How is that not critical thinking and defensive maneuvers?”[/color] He knew he didn’t have a case to make for endurance. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You waited for direction. When the chaos hit the peak, Dorian or Sabine needed to give you the order. It isn't about your powers; it's about everything else. Your teleporting is impressive and your control over it is commendable. It's everything else that's an issue.”[/color] James sighed, dismissive of Percy's stung pride. [color=mediumspringgreen] “And because of that, you won't be permitted the use of your powers in this.”[/color] Danni's head shot up to protest but James sent Danni the [i]look[/i] and he got quiet real quick. [color=mediumspringgreen]“I think a rescue mission works perfectly for this actually. Percy, if you use your powers, you'll instantly fail. Danni, you have full use of your powers but you're the villain Percy is trying to avoid. Stand in the center when you both are ready.”[/color] He certainly hadn’t been expecting a compliment. Percy hadn’t really been expecting any of this. He was still processing the fact that he was being asked - no, [i]told[/i] - he was going to train with Danni instead of waiting around for his date, and now, a rescue mission was being discussed? His eyes flickered to the runes on the walls. Ah. He had to assume that like Arcade’s deception, anything that happened in this room was real. He opened his mouth, about to argue that he wouldn’t be in a scenario where he wouldn’t have his powers, but… he spent at least an hour each day wearing a power nullifying bracelet, if not longer. His shoulders slumped slightly, as he took off his coat, and neatly set it off to the side. He didn’t dare ask James to hold it for him. Would Danni go easy on him? He was an omega level pyromaniac… and Percy’s clothes were brand new and [i]expensive[/i]. He bit his lip slightly, his eyes darting around the room, before he joined Danni in stretches. [color=ed1c24]“I’m doing this under protest,”[/color] he muttered under his breath. [color=E948FC]“Aw, Spicy! Don't worry; it'll be fun once we get inta it! T'e trainin’ seshs are always intense but Pops won't reaaally ‘urt ya. Plus, we can get everyt'in’ all mended up and you all patched up in case ya get a little roughed up, aight?”[/color] Danni reassured Percy, reaching over and pushing Percy a little further into the stretch. [color=E948FC]“We should start stretchin’ toget'er too! Ooooh, you should do yoga wit’ me, it's fun! I don't really see ‘ow people t'ink it's relaxin’ and calmin’; I just like bein’ be bendy AF and when I gotta fly l, it really ‘elps movin’ around up t'ere!”[/color] Danni shook himself out and took to the center of the room, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet. Percy gasped as Danni pushed him further into the stretch, his hamstrings screaming a bit from the added intensity. He wasn’t as inflexible as he’d been at the start of the year, but he didn’t stretch regularly. He only stretched when Ser Nemo or the other coaches had them at the beginning of an exercise - or if Dorian was particularly insistent on it. [color=ed1c24]“Maybe not… not yoga…”[/color] He took a moment, before slowly crawling back up to his feet. He was already ready for this to be over. The runes pulsed with magic, the light intensifying around them, and the room slowly changed. The ground exploded, fire roared, screaming echoed through the room, and the sky opened up above them. Smoke filled the space as Dorian and Danni's dorm room snapped into focus, a massive hole in the ceiling and wall and smoke pouring out from the smoldering mess of clothes and bedsheets that sat in the corner. Danni had vanished and instead, Dorian lay on the ground. He was pale, breathing shallowly, and covered in bandages. Red stained their floor, and Percy's hands, where Dorian had been bleeding only moments before. [color=mediumspringgreen]“The Institute was attacked. You used the last of your energy to teleport yourself and Dorian to a sheltered space so you could tend to his wounds but you know he'll succumb to them without proper medical care. The only safe room available right now is through the headmaster's office. Your job is to get Dorian there without relying on your powers. The school is in ruins and there are hazards and obstacles between you and safety, not to mention a particularly heated mutant has turned traitor and is out to get you. If HotShot lands six hits on Dorian before you make it l, you fail and Dorian dies.”[/color] James's voice echoed from seemingly nowhere. [color=mediumspringgreen] “And as his boyfriend, I expect his survival is motivation enough. Good luck.”[/color] Percy [i]knew[/i] that this wasn’t real. He [i]knew[/i] that it was just a simulation - run by magic this time instead of coding. He knew all of that. But as his eyes met the bleeding, wounded Dorian on the ground - as he saw the red stains on his own hands - as he choked on the smoke emanating from the corner, from Danni’s portion of the room - as he heard Dorian’s ragged, shallow breaths… it all became too very real to him. He forgot that this was an exercise, as his knees wobbled and gave out. [color=ed1c24]“N-n-no… no, no, no, no, no…”[/color] He cradled his boyfriend’s form, the blood soaking into the clothes he had been so worried about moments ago. [color=ed1c24]“You have to wake up,”[/color] he begged. [color=ed1c24]“You have to be okay… Dorian, please… don’t…”[/color] He choked back a scream of anguish that threatened to rip through him. He had to get Dorian help. Coulson’s office was where he had to get him too. He had to… they were on the sixth floor of Stark Hall. Could he even carry Dorian? No powers… he couldn’t borrow his boyfriend’s abilities here, couldn’t possess him or phase him or anything. The more he looked at his broken boyfriend, the more the despair and shock soured into anger. He muttered a foul curse, tucked his arms underneath Dorian, took a deep breath, and somehow, his legs didn’t snap in two as he hoisted his boyfriend off the ground and into his arms. Danni appeared… somewhere. He couldn't really tell what was what in the condition of the campus it was in. But he knew what his job was - be the villain to Percy's hero. And Danni would absolutely knock that role outta the park. [color=E948FC]“Okay, okay. Where is Spicy, where is Spicy?”[/color] Danni wondered to himself, kicking off the ground and taking to the air. He could see the dining hall nearby so he blasted across and shouted as loud as he could. [color=E948FC]“Spicy, oh Spicy! Where did you steal my brother away to!”[/color] Danni cackled. The dining hall was on the third floor of the building, so Danni’s voice easily carried to the sixth floor. Percy was still deep under the illusion that this was real, the adrenaline coursing through his body as he found strength he didn’t know he had. He was by no means fast or agile, but he slowly carried Dorian out of the room bridal style, fixating on just taking the next step, on continuing to move forward even as every muscle in his arms screamed, feeling like they’d been set on fire. Fire. Shit. He couldn’t take the elevators - they were too risky. He’d have to take the stairs. And then he needed a way to distract Danni. He bit his lip, debating for a second doubling back to his and Dorian’s room to grab something that could be used as bait… Did he have the time? Did Dorian have the time? The room had been ruined, too, there might not be a sufficiently shiny object left behind to use. So he needed another idea. He bit his lip, as he took each agonizing step to the stairs, his lungs straining. He had an idea. He didn’t have faith in it. But he had one. Danni flew around the building, whistling as he searched. It could take him the whole training session to find Spicy. Pops was the worst for doing this. Percy could be liter- Danni paused and backed up. Through a hole in the wall, Danni saw him - Spicy. [color=E948FC]“Found you!”[/color] Danni screeched, a ball of fire flickering to life on the tips of his fingers and he fired at the fake Dorian. Danni had to give it to Pops; if Danni didn't know this was a training exercise, he might think it was Dee! Percy screamed, a fear gripping him that hadn’t been as present when he faced Arcade. It wasn’t that he had been willing to die - it was more that he valued his life less than the one cradled in his arms. He lunged out of the way, his muscles protesting that they were still holding Dorian, but he couldn’t let him go, wouldn’t let him go. He heard glass crunch beneath his feet, and he kicked at it, hoping to send a cloud of debris up at Danni’s face to blind him. He wished Dorian had his sword on him. He could’ve slashed at Danni like he was a cyclops and called it a day, relying on his vanity to get his villain to surrender. [color=ed1c24]“Danni, arrête!”[/color] Percy growled. [color=ed1c24]“Ne le touche foutu pas”[/color] Danni pouted for a moment as Percy dodged a well placed shot, but then was forced on the defensive. The glass was poorly aimed, a little shakey, and Danni dodged it with barely a shake of his head and the glass glimmered perfectly behind him for a moment. [color=E948FC] “Damn, and me wit'out a photo op. Disrespectful.”[/color] Danni appreciated how into the training Percy was. He'd been a little concerned that he wouldn't be able to get into character! But even so… Danni blew on his finger, watched it ignite and, with one eye shut, fired again. Danni cackled as the shot landed and Dorian's dummy made a life-like groan of pain as the fire burned it. Percy’s heart stopped, as the fire hit Dorian - as the fire hit the dummy and it groaned. It wasn’t really him. He took a breath, trying to remind himself of that - that none of this was real, even if it felt so incredibly real. He was just here waiting to go on a stupid date, he wasn’t here to get even more trauma. The anger dissipated for a moment, replaced with a sense of hopelessness. What was he supposed to do against Danni? How was he supposed to help Dorian - help the dummy - if he couldn’t even use his powers? He glanced at the entrance to the stairwell. He gasped, and took one hand off of Dorian, pointing behind Danni. [color=ed1c24]“Look! It’s Amelie! She’s vomiting up something green!”[/color] And then he sprinted as fast as he could for the stairs. [color=E948FC] “My bab-”[/color] Danni whipped around and looked frantically for Amèlie, but was met with open space. Danni stared for a solid three seconds as he tried to figure out how his dragon was even up here considering she hadn't quite gotten the hang of flying yet when he realized that she hadn't figured out flying yet so she couldn't be here. [color=E948FC] “Wait, one darn second! T'is is a trainin’ exercise! Amélie isn't-”[/color] Danni screamed as a bolt of energy went whizzing past his head. Less than a hundred feet in front of him, a little security droid floated with the Institute's insignia on it. [color=E948FC]“Wait, I t'ought t'is was-”[/color] Danni dove as another shot came at him. He haphazardly tossed a fireball at it as he did, but it swung wide. He didn't realize his Pops also planned to have him get shot at! How was he supposed to keep track of someone as small as Spicy [i]and[/i] deal with this thing? Percy thanked his lucky stars that that worked. He also made a promise to himself that he might actually grace the gym at the school with his presence this semester, if he could get Dor - if he could get the dummy out of here alive. It was easier to lift him down the stairs than it was up, but he could feel himself starting to really tire, his back beginning to twitch with agony. Each step was so slow, and he could hear Danni not too far behind him. He wished Dorian was unbreakable - that he could toss him down the stairs and run. He wished he could use his powers. What was the point in being able to teleport and choosing to be in a situation like this? He almost tripped on the last stair, as he made it from the sixth floor landing to the fifth floor. Only… so much more to go. Danni dove out of the way of another shot and returned fire, hitting perfectly in the center and the thing wobbled towards the ground before exploding. Danni grumbled and scanned where he last saw Percy. He zipped into the open hallway and searched the area. There were so many places Percy could have gone. Down the hallway, down the stairs, into a room… Danni decided to close his eyes and spin in a circle. He settled and found that he was looking directly at another room, so he threw open the door and found it… irritatingly bare. Danni sighed. He was gonna get yelled at for this. As Percy went to take the next step, moving from the fifth floor landing to the stairs once more, his knees buckled and his legs gave way, as he collapsed. He didn’t dare let go of Dorian, however, and his ankle twisted with a [i]crack[/i] as the two of them slid down the stairs, crashing into the landing. He couldn’t muffle the scream or stop the tears from gushing. Dorian’s bulk was preventing him from moving his leg to see how bad it was - to see if it had broken - or maybe he just couldn’t move his ankle at all, he was too stressed, too strung out to tell. Unbidden, the thought of drowning out all of this emotion with a bottle came to the front of his mind. He wanted to give up so badly, so fucking badly. The space dissolved slowly into a cosmic whirlpool and settled once more into the clinical white light of the room, leaving only the three of them behind. [color=E948FC]“Okay Pops in my defense, Amélie ‘as snuck inta trainin’ before and- Spicy, you good? Was I too scary? I'm sorry, I was just playin’ t'e game!”[/color] Danni settled on the ground and hurried over to where Percy was on the floor, only to be stopped by James settling a firm hand on his shoulder. [color=mediumspringgreen]“What did you learn?”[/color] James asked Percy. Percy was still for a moment, staring at the spot where the dying Dorian had been cradled in his arms. Tiny grunts and sobs of pain escaped him, and his right foot was lying at an angle that should not have been possible. [color=ed1c24]“What did I learn?”[/color] he hissed. [color=ed1c24]“I [i]learned[/i] that you’re just as psychotic as Nemo was. I [i]learned[/i] the unshocking conclusion that without my powers, I’m incapable of fighting an omega fucking level mutant while carrying around my dying boyfriend. I [i]learned[/i] that at least Arcade had the courtesy to give me some actual abilities when putting me in a contrived scenario!”[/color] His heart was beating faster, blue energy starting to build up around him. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Your boyfriend is going to willingly put himself in worse scenarios. He's training to be a hero; regardless whether or not you want to be one, you'll be in these situations over and over and over. The world will always need saving and the person you entangled with will always answer the call. And there will be a time where you have to make the choice, where your competency will be the deciding factor between you sitting at his bedside or his grave. The power of your opponents, their circumstances, their skills - none of it matters if you can stay focused, maintain your calm, and work out a plan. You lost the second you believed Dorian to be real, not when Danni found you.”[/color] James knelt down next to Percy, power already working on easing away the pain as he worked to right Percy's ankle. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You're a smart kid, Percy. You just have to learn how to use that when your back is to the wall, when everything you depend on is broken and beaten because someone will always wore stronger than you and you always have to be ready to live.”[/color] James twisted Percy's ankle back in place and pushed it to heal. Percy didn’t want to listen to James. He didn’t want to hear about how Dorian was going to willingly put himself in danger, that the practice from today could be real tomorrow. Every instinct he had was driving him to lash out, to scream at James to not touch him - for a split second, his body started to dematerialize, only for the energy to suddenly vanish, as something stopped him. He hadn’t had a destination in mind - just anywhere except for this murder basement. [color=ed1c24]“You made it real! You could have given me a sack of flour but you made a replica of him!”[/color] A fresh wave of tears hit him. [color=ed1c24]“You made me watch him die! If that was real, I would have used my powers. I would have jumped back to before he was injured, I would have taken him to a hospital instead of a dorm room. I would have phased him to the astral to keep him from bleeding. I would have…”[/color] He took a shuddering breath. [color=ed1c24]“I would have taken Danni’s flames myself. I would have let him possess my body for the rest of his life if he didn’t have one anymore. Is that not enough for you?!”[/color] [color=mediumspringgreen]“No, it's not. Sacrificing yourself isn't heroic. It's not beautiful; at best, you'll devastate Dorian and at worst, you'll become a liability. Neither should be acceptable.”[/color] James replied, leaving his hand a moment longer while he confirmed the healing. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Regardless of how powerful you are, if you can't operate without them, you shouldn't be a hero. A level head keeps more people alive than a teleport, a fireball, even a healing factor. Creating the time to hide, to assess the threats, to evaluate the surroundings is the reason Max and Ben and Casper and I are still alive today.”[/color] James gave his leg a pat and stood, wincing as his knees cracked loudly. [color=mediumspringgreen]“In the Underground, we smuggled mutants out of the United States to escape the genocide happening. We were tasked with the safety of twelve children at the time; Max and I were relatively new. Imagine our surprise when other mutants, the ones who helped the other side, suddenly teleported in, destroyed the supports of the place we hid, and then left after injuring a number of us, the children included. Could you have teleported out a house? 45 people experiencing various levels of pain? No, you couldn't have. It's only because we took a deep breath and focused on what we could do that anyone made it out alive that day.”[/color] James offered softly, the earlier intensity fading away as he gave Percy space. Danni stayed quiet, though it was clearly a herculean task. [color=mediumspringgreen]“You are welcome to think us crazy, but we want our children prepared. I tried to persuade them but…”[/color] James sighed as he pulled Danni into a side hug, Danni returning it eagerly. [color=mediumspringgreen] “What you want to do is dangerous and the only thing you can keep them from taking from you is your instinct. You have to train it and train it and train it until it's second nature, until you can operate even when your husband is bleeding out on the field or your best friend's heart has nearly stopped or you're the last one standing because if you haven't, then you're the liability.”[/color] [color=E948FC]“Pops, jeez, chill on Spicy. Its ‘is first trainin’. We might be used ta it, but you need ta give Spicy some breat'in’ room.”[/color] Danni shoved James gently and skipped across to Percy. [color=E948FC]“T'at was a rough first trainin’ sim. You wanna go back upstairs? I can getcha a drink and text Pa ta clean up your clothes? I'd offer ta join ya, but ya want ta chill alone? I can take ya ta Dee's room is ya want?”[/color] Percy’s eyes were on the floor as James spoke. He wanted to continue to argue, to find a point to make that would let him be in the right and James in the wrong - but none came to him. Even the Greek heroes he idolized were often just mortal men - Odysseus didn’t have any powers, didn’t have any gifts beyond his own body and mind. Odysseus could have gotten Dorian out of that building and to safety. He hung his head in shame. He was a liability. He was the weakest link on Excelsior. He hadn’t even remembered to bring his axe with him to the fights. Would he have been able to do what James and the others had? If he had been born just a decade earlier, would he have been able to survive? He would have died on Genosha. He would have died in the Underground. A strong feeling of worthlessness swept over him, and again, his thoughts turned to his addiction. He wanted a drink, but not the kind Danni had to offer. He didn’t train unless Dorian prompted him to, unless Nemo had required it. He hated the gym, hated running and weights. He didn’t eat a diet that would help him grow stronger. All he wanted to do were softer interests - reading, piano, painting. He swallowed his pride and shook his head slightly at Danni. [color=ed1c24]“… I learned that I’m not strong enough,”[/color] he said quietly to James. [color=ed1c24]“What would you have me do? I could barely lift him.”[/color] [color=mediumspringgreen]“There were options - a variety of materials, a variety of pathways - but now you know your failings. You need to work on your basics, and you need to commit to your training; not just hide in your academics. Talk to someone to get you on a regimen; the school has resources and our house is always available as a resource.”[/color] James offered. Percy raised his head and he nodded. [color=ed1c24]“… would you help me?”[/color] He was looking at James’ nose, avoiding direct eye contact while doing his best to simulate it. [color=mediumspringgreen]“Of course. But I think Danni's right for now. You have a date to get to and Max should be just about done so go enjoy. I'll reach out to your mom about seeing her thoughts on it and if she says yes, I can build you a starting regimen to go off.”[/color] Percy really hoped James would reach out to Dominika and not Naomi. He slowly got up to his feet, and collected his coat from where he had left it. His hair was disheveled, his shoes scuffed, and his clothing stained with sweat, blood, and tears. He wasn’t in the headspace for a date anymore. He nodded a bit at Danni. He figured Doran would need time to freshen up after training. [color=ed1c24]“We can hang out a little.”[/color] Danni looked to James for permission. He frowned for a second but shrugged, offering his permission to cut training short. Danni beamed. [color=E948FC] “Aight, Spicy! Let's go do somet'in’ less stressful. Wanna get cleaned up first? We can do some wipe downs, since we gotta wait for Pa ta finish up. And t'en we can just vibe wit’ some music, I can redo your ‘air, we can game a bit, I don't ‘ave much in t'e way of like, 2 person books. Do t'ose exist? Idk but if t'ey do, I don't ‘ave ‘em. We could always do ‘ackey sack!”[/color] Danni held his hand out to help Percy up, wrapped in one of his new handkerchiefs. He took Danni’s hand up, and maintained the contact for a second. He felt a slight tug he hadn’t felt in a while - not since… He hadn’t had a platonic best friend in a while. And he felt so crushed and defeated, so demoralized… He hugged Danni tightly, his body shaking a bit even though he’d run out of tears, his head buried in Danni’s chest. [color=ed1c24]“Merci. Pour être mon meilleur ami.”[/color] Danni looked at his Pops for a second, frozen and confused, before the moment washed over him and collapsed around Percy, voice watery and tears pouring down his face. [color=E948FC] “Tu n'as pas besoin de me remercier. J'adore être ton amie ! Même si tu es un peu piquante. Hé hé, tu comprends la blague ? Un peu?”[/color] Danni couldn't resist the joke, but rocked Percy back and forth as they hugged, just resting his cheek on Percy's head.