C16 Jason

Several days later, Kailan still hadn't made any progress with his powers. Granted, he didn't have any desire to. He lingered around the warehouse for most of the day, bearing through Jahni's lectures and resorting to his phone for hours of entertainment. But despite his slothful attitude, April was working relentlessly to coax him into joining their little 'training' program and his efforts were fruitless.

"Kailan, please." She drew out the word in a childish whine. "You've got to use your abilities, too. Besides, storms are cool." She was trying to tug him outside, though he was very much grounded where he sat.

"I told you no," he grumbled, falling over onto his back. He had no desire to do anything, really. He would have stayed home, had Jahni not been so strict about their attendance. "If you haven't the time for training, you haven't the desire to improve; come or do not come, but do not test my patience," or something like that.

"Vinny, he listens to you, help me." Her lips fell into a pout, but they twitched flat when Kailan laughed.

"No I don't."

"Kai, please—"

"Go paint your nails or something, I refuse."

She made a dejected noise, and he could catch her glare from the corner of his eye. Still, it was not enough to cajole him to his feet.

"Leave him be." Vincent was sitting on a nearby crate, watching as sparks flickered from his fingertips whenever he'd so much as snap them together. He knew what it was like to genuinely fear your power. He also knew how stubborn his best friend was. "Getting Kailan to do something he dislikes is like dragging a cat to water and expecting it to take a swim."

April frowned. "But we have to keep improving. How are you going to do that just sitting there?"

She was right about that. The sole reason Vinny decided to join this little tea party was to hone in on his skills; to get a better grasp of them, so maybe he wouldn't fear fire so much. It'd be good for Kailan to do the same.

"Kai,"—he gestured with a nod,—"can't you just make it rain or something?"

"Fuck off," he snapped, dropping a hand over his eyes. He was exhausted; most of his night was spent studying, with little time to catch up on his sleep. He was in a bad mood, and it showed in every restless twitch of his fingers.

April glared lasers at him, stocking over and snapping a swift kick to his side, "At this rate you'll be useless and Jahni will kick you out. What, are you afraid of storms?" Her tone was taunting, as if jeering him would do any good.

Instead he laughed, though the sound was inaudible and the only notion was the shaking of his chest. "Yeah," he admitted.

"Storms are practically harmless, though."

Sitting up in a jolt, Kai looked to the girl like a judge peering down on a convict.

"Now look what you've done." Vinny laughed from aside.

"1,700 injuries are caused indirectly by thunderstorms per year in the United States alone. Lightning causes about fifty-five fatalities a year, and thunderstorm winds cause about thirty-one deaths," Kailan barked back pointedly. "Besides, they're fucking loud. They're too loud."

"Don't you think that's a bit of a childish fear?" She was only trying to help, but the question irked him.

"A childish fear is being afraid of the dark, that walls are closing in or there's a monster under your bed. A childish fear is one that doesn't stick with you, one you grow out of. I'm twenty, I have been afraid of storms since I was five." He cut the conversation short with a glance down at his phone; he'd said too much already.

Bemused, Vinny stood to his feet. He quite enjoyed the sight of April struggling with her reins. Kailan was stubborn, and though a few days had passed, they really hadn't advanced much in terms of power control.

Vincent was discovering little things about his ability, but even holding a tiny flame in his hand made him anxious. How he managed to throw nearly an entire beam of light at Jahni, he had no idea, but he was going to find out, even if it meant kicking his own ass into shape.

He tossed his jacket over his shoulder, finger hooked under the leather collar.

"I have classes." While he spoke, the slightest hint of a smirk played on his lips. He was enjoying the fact that, at least in this moment, the two were clashing like disgruntled chimpanzees.

"Sure you do, forgot you were such a scholar," Kailan snorted.

He stood and stretched his arms before his attention was reeled in by April's testy glare.

Kailan shrugged. "What?"

"Do you at least have any experience in physical training?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, obviously." He had been in military camp for three years after all. They made a point to work the students to exhaustion. Much of it was endurance—running, climbing and other tooth-gritting cardio. He wasn't muscular per say, but fit; hardly the skin-and-bones he used to be.

She hummed to herself and bounced in a sideways strut over to Jahni. "Jahni, you should teach them how to fight!" she exclaimed.

Jahni raised a brow from behind his thick hard-back book. "No."

Vincent found humor in their perpetual quarreling and couldn't help the chuckle that bobbed from his throat. However, his automotive engineering class was calling his name, and it was one of the few classes he actually enjoyed, so he turned from the scene and made not a noise as he disappeared through the warehouse doors.

"Please!" He could hear April's whiny voice, even from a few distant feet from the building.

"Quiet damn it. Do you not see the book in front of me?"

"Good job today. Remember your assignments. This is a laborious class, but that doesn't mean you don't have homework," Mr. Matthews lectured his lot of high-strung grease monkeys before proceeding to hand everyone in the room a cleanly-printed sheet of paper.

Most people placed it neatly in their folders or slid it into their backpacks to deal with on a later occasion. Vinny only folded it into lazy quarters and crammed it in his jean pocket, where it would stay until it eventually fell out or withered away in the wash.

"O'Connor," he snapped, gesturing to the boy. "Get off my desk. And put a shirt on before you leave, will you?"

Vinny nodded lightheartedly at his teacher's demands. Making his way to the only sink in the classroom, he worked to scrub the grease and debris from his arms until he was soon met with a firm pat on the back.

"You did good, kid." Mr. Matthews squeezed his shoulder as he passed. "But go easy on my tools next time, alright? Those things are expensive."

"I'll buy you new ones," Vinny promised.

"Yeah, alright buddy. Now get out of here, will you? I've got work to do," Mr. Matthews said with a smirk and a subtle shake of his head.

Vinny obliged, wrestling on his shirt as he left the automotive building. Class had run longer than usual, and he wasn't aware of how late it had gotten until he noticed the darkening impression above him. The sky was a murky grey, and the sight of it put him in a better mood than usual. Maybe it'd even rain.

The thoughts quickly evaporated when his eyes instinctively hooked onto a familiar silhouette roaming in the distance. She tucked her medium-length brown hair behind her ear, seemingly oblivious of Vinny's existence. He nearly called out her name, but decided against it. If she was hiding from him on purpose, it would be in his favor to stay out of sight.

Instead, he took off running through the college campus, sure to keep an eye on her every movement. He caught up eventually, but remained hidden from view, taking refuge behind vehicles and the dozens of brick walls that cluttered the school grounds.

Only a few paces ahead of him, Gigi took a sharp right turn, and Vincent lunged at the opportunity. He charged after her, skidding on his heels as he rounded the corner.

There was no one. He was only to be met with the sienna stare of a vacant brick wall. As he glanced around, he identified the building as one of the larger libraries around the city. But this side had absolutely no entry ways, and it was adjacent to nothing more than an empty parking lot, barren of even a single car—and definitely no Gigi. Again, she had simply disappeared.

What the hell? He cursed, looking frantically about. He had just seen her come this way. He knew he had.

Suddenly, a hard shove sent him crashing against the brick wall, and he turned swiftly, meeting Jason's seething brown glower.

Shit.

Whatever hit him, it felt akin to a semi-truck. Vincent's head smashed back against the wall, sending the sharp prickle of knife-like reverberations echoing down his jaw and clattering against his teeth. He let out a painful croak as a hand came up to clasp him by the neck. By the time his blurry vision had returned, those same brown eyes peered at him like a fire—in the sense that they were unrelenting, merciless and the sole reason the oxygen had been ripped right from his lungs.

"I told you to stay away from Cally, didn't I?" His massive hands were closing their grip on Vincent's throat, but he wasn't the type to go down without a fight.

A hand came up to rip away the jock's strong arm, and it would have been unsuccessful had Vinny not ducked simultaneously. The quick movements threw Jason off, and Vinny managed to stammer back a few feet before throwing his own fist. It hit Jason in the jaw with a crack, and though the pain was apparent on his fuming expression, he didn't seem very fazed. In fact, it was Vincent who was scowling at the pins and needles trickling down his wrist.

Suddenly, he lost his footing as he was ripped forward by the neck of his shirt. Jason reeled him in, and he could do nothing but clasp his brawny forearm and squirm like a worm on a hook.

"You're a piece of shit, O'Connor!" He sent him flush against the wall with enough force to knock what little air he had left right out of his body. "You're the biggest heap of garbage around these parts, and it's about time someone took your ass out." Jason was sneering now, his entire expression twitching as if his molten rage was seeping through the pores of his face. "What a waste of fucking oxygen."

Vinny licked at the blood on his lip, letting out a raspy chuckle. He enjoyed fighting. He really did. But he hated getting his ass kicked. And there was no doubt about it, no chance on Earth and no way in Hell could he out-muscle Jason.

Besides. He had it coming.

Jason's brows narrowed at the sight of his smirk. "Wipe that stupid grin off of your face, O'Connor. Unless you have something to say?"

Vinny let his head fall back, the smile overtaking him again.

"Nope," he said, his voice raspy and stifled by Jason's strong grip. "I think you pretty much covered it."

Kailan hated the rain. He had to wait a bit, impatient like a child for the downpour to slow to a drizzle. It delayed his trip back to the dorm for about thirty minutes longer than he desired, but luckily the weather had let up just enough.

He made a point to jog to the building, willing his legs to take him there as soon as possible. Though he couldn't dance through raindrops like he wanted, he made it back to the dorm mostly dry.

"Hey, Vinny, ya' home?" he asked, setting his stuff down beside the couch and creeping about in search of him.

As he wandered into the bedroom, he found Vinny laying atop his bed, Archibald curled into a ball of fur on his chest. Soft music was seeping from the devices in his ears, and only when the door creaked closed did Vincent notice Kailan.

"Oh. Hey." He sat up with a wince, tugging the earbuds away.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Kailan asked, noting the unsightly bruises scattered in disarray along his arms and the swollen red gashes spattering his face. "Who'd you get into a fight with, Vinny?"

Vincent relaxed back, crossing his arms under his head. The movement pulled at his sore tissue, and he immediately grabbed at his stomach with a gruff and burdened sigh.

"Karma." He grinned, though it was fleeting as it worsened the cut on his lip. "Don't try to fight her. She plays dirty."

He may have gotten his ass handed to him, but he felt better, at least. Not so guilty. He had paid his dues.

"Oh yeah, I'm fucking sure," Kailan hissed.

He had been fatigued and irritated since morning, and this was the last straw to break the camel's back. He sat down at the edge of his bed, watching Vinny; observing the blackened bloody gash on his lip.

"It was that one guy, Jason, right?" Kailan liked to keep quiet about matters that didn't involve him, but he was always quick to pick up on things. Vinny might've never discussed it with him, but he knew all about it. "Finally beat the shit out of you for having sex with his girlfriend, huh?" He snorted, biting at the tip of his thumb as his thoughts swam around his head in a locust swarm. He felt edgy.

He stood up, eager to escape the dorm. He just wasn't quite sure where it was he would go, or what he'd do when he got there.

"What are you so angry about?" Vinny grimaced as he pulled himself up on his forearm. It took more effort, and hurt like a bitch, but he managed to force himself up into a sitting position. "I thought you'd be amused to see me like this."

"Normally, yeah," Kailan chuckled, leaving the room without a word on the matter. He didn't even have much of a reason to be angry. This was a common occurrence when they were in high school. Even back then, Vinny deserved every ass-whooping he got. But regardless, Kailan was pissed. He had been angry all day, his temper on the rise for whatever ungodly reason. Generally, there wasn't one. Usually on days like this he'd lock himself away or just stay mute. No arguing; no fighting. Only solidarity. But something was different about today.

He grabbed a drink out of the fridge, leaning against the counter as he cracked open the shitty can of shitty soda. He wasn't even going to drink it. He was just trying to stall himself before he did something regrettable, but his behavior was making Vinny wary.

Vinny pulled himself from the bed—though the pain he was dealt was worthy of a sob—and trudged to the door to lean against the frame.

"It's not a big deal," Vincent said softly, half-tempted to rummage through the freezer for anything cold to numb the pain in his ribs. Unfortunately, there would be nothing there. Vinny never cooked, so food was scarce around the place.

Instead, he laid his head back against the chipped white paint of the walls and spoke lightheartedly: "Jason could nail us both to a post if he wanted to. Besides, I've been through worse. You know that."

"You haven't seen me in three years, don't assume you know me." It was a quick slap, harsher than Kailan intended, but he didn't look over at Vinny. He didn't see the fading of his smile or the downcast of his eyes. Kailan only stared straight to the door, a small tick of annoyance passing his lips. He knew Vinny had met harsher punishments. He knew Vinny had been through some shit. That's exactly why it pissed Kailan off even more that he'd allowed the guy to beat him into a pulp. He could have taken him. He wasn't defenseless; he could have gotten away if he really wanted to.

"Yanno what, we're going to the hospital." Kai turned to look at his friend, raising a hand before he could object. "You could have a broken rib or a concussion, and frankly, your fire magic won't fix that."

Vinny dropped his gaze, holding his ribs in place as though the slightest movement could send his insides bursting. He didn't say a word as he walked to the door and fastened on his shoes. He didn't feel like arguing with Kailan tonight. In fact talking to him at all when he's like this would only leave Vincent angry, and he wasn't in the shape for another fight.

"Fine," he finally broke his silence, though he avoided Kailan's eyes entirely. His words were seeping in, churning into a bitter disappointment. He was sure nothing had changed between them, but it was obvious to him now that that was only wishful thinking.

Vinny opened the door and stepped out, defeat drawing his body down and pain nipping at every inch of it like piranhas.

At the very least, Kai would wait outside while he had some X-rays done.

With Vinny's slow pace, it would take them all night to get to the hospital. In fact, they hadn't even stepped foot off campus. They were near the football field, where the quiet stillness in the air was almost deafening. For the first time since the start of the year, there were no games or parties going on; it felt almost serene, until a harsh swear split through the silence.

Kailan turned to the source of the noise, and in all the glory of an ox did Jason stand. "Hey, your friend is here." He grinned at Vinny, the expression hardly comforting. A bit unhinged, in fact. "I'm gonna go talk to him, be right back."

"Wait, Kai—"

He hardly gave Vinny time to react before he was bounding over to Jason. The man was practicing his throws, tossing balls into the air like missiles.

A pile of them laid discarded on the grass, and reaching down, Kailan plucked one up. "Hey, whatcha up to?" he asked, leisurely spinning the ball in his hands. The guy was big, but Kailan was scarcely intimidated.

Jason stopped himself mid-throw to look over at Kailan, his expression a bit confused and wary at first glance. It took a moment, but recognition hardened his features, and his forehead tensed into his brow.

"Hey, you're the fag that insulted my girlfriend!" He seemed a little confident as he turned two massive shoulders to face Kailan, "What did Vi—"

His voice was cut off as the football in Kailan's hands suddenly became intimate with the jocks face. His head snapped back, the momentum of the throw making him stumble and nearly lose his footing. He seemed disoriented and clasped his nose as blood took to heavy dribbles, escaping from the space between his fingertips.

"Hey, what the fuck!" Jason screamed, but his words were washed out by thunder.

Kailan felt himself duck, the resonant crash swimming through his ears and carrying alongside it a dull tinnitus that half-deafened him with its shrilly hum. He wished it had finished the job—left him indifferent to the boisterous growls of the sky; because not long after, a second clatter erupted.

He clapped his hands over his ears, muffling the noise best he could. Though once he tore his eyes away from the matted grey clouds above, he was met with a fist. He ducked just in time, the breeze of Jason's punch just grazing his scalp. Tumbling aside, Kailan rose from the grass and back-pedalled.

Jason was nothing to him—just another over-fed pest made problematic by his best friend's terrible life-choices. The thunder, however, was drowning him in distress. He hadn't expected a storm to roll in, and suddenly it felt like he had two opponents. As the skies roared on, Kailan had a difficult time focusing on Jason's movements, even as he was yards away with a face flashing red like a caution sign.

The size difference between the two seemed considerable: Kailan just met his 5'11" stature, while Jason looked to be 6'3" and at least two hundred pounds of concentrated muscle. Still, Kailan was always quick on his feet. Perhaps it wouldn't make much of a difference, but it was something.

As the jock charged his way toward Kailan, the wind had picked up some. It was thundering; a low angry growl that joined in a duet with the howl of the passing gale. His heart beat rhythmically in his chest, the ringing in his ears growing louder with every cautionary crack of thunder. The short, muffled grumbles were terrifying on their own, but Kailan knew they were only building into something greater. Then a blast rattled the sky—a crash so loud and bone-quaking it shook the ground beneath his feet. His eyes stuck to the clouds, watching as streaks of light tore through the valleys of gray.

"Kailan!" he heard Vincent shout, and he ripped away from the sky to find Jason lunging forward.

Before he could maneuver out of the way, five hard claws wrapped his throat in their heinous grip. They squeezed until he felt the tendons in his neck shift out of place and his breath became nothing more than an immobile lump in his throat.

Then, like the pins in his ears, the sky screamed once more. His heart smacked against the walls of his chest, and instinctively, Kailan clutched the man's wrist. In that moment, a current imposed heavily in the atmosphere; small little cracks of electricity hanging in the air and snapping like static on fleece. More so, the electricity seemed to hover around him, flickering like the pulsing wings of yellow butterflies. They built on Kailan's shoulders, traveling in an erratic dance down his arms, up his wrist and connecting with Jason.

The man let out a yelp, his body convulsing at the touch while jolt upon jolt of electricity commandeered his every muscle. Only did his juddering, sporadic movements come to a stop when Kailan dropped his hand. Then all at once, his grip on Kailan's throat fell and Jason began to bow forward. Kailan had to step aside, or be crushed by the weight of his frame, so he stumbled back and watched as Jason fell limp to the ground.

As the thunder hushed and the wind let up, it took Kailan a moment to realize what he had done. He covered his mouth with shaking fingers, looking to Vinny who mirrored his wide-eyed expression.

"I think I killed him."