Little Violence

[Demi Smith]

This whole thing felt stupid to Demi. Not that much here had proven to be anything but. It felt like all she did was lurch from one stupid thing to another, most of the time with various adults telling her that she was being violent or unruly or something. She'd already been put on watch, told that she couldn't leave the grounds, and now there was talk about confining her even further.

They'd taken her here, saying that they were going to talk things over with one of the teachers, who would then "deal with her." Yeah right. Demi had snorted and folded her thin arms over her chest, slouching down in the far too soft seat they'd provided her. Okay, she was pouting; she sort of knew it, but she just didn't care. This place sucked. They'd uprooted her, practically forced her here, and now they were probably going to send another of their wusses to come lecture her.

Demi decided that waiting wasn't a good look on her. She rose, bouncing to the balls of her feet. Grinning, she began shadow-boxing, thrusting her arms into the air. Then, deciding that wasn't quite enough, she transferred the movements into some Flow. soon dirt and dust flowed about the punches, creating a cloud that moved each time Demi did. She heard a cough and turned, flinging a pile of dust that landed against the face of, well, not the thin staffer who'd done the coughing and brought her, but instead to...

a ridiculously big guy?

[Slade Konrad]

Slade sighed as he read the thin file. Bellefonte didn't have much on the girl but that was expected given her background and age. He'd thought his security detail duties had ended with Zoe, but, alas, no luck. Not that he regretted accepting the role, but that was the tiny, waifish, shy Zoe. This was the raucous, isolated, and prone to violence Demi Smith. It was plain to tell just by reading the incident reports (or simply counting them would probably suffice) that the girl was going to be a problem. Even the psych evaluations were little more than exercises in futility and lessons in defiance and ignorance. Regardless of the difficulties he prepared to face, Slade had been given a mission and he would see it through.

The big man left the folder in his office, he wouldn't need it. The kids that were brought to Bellefonte were far more than the slips of paper that bore their information. Slade had found during his relatively short tenure here that kids responded well when given respect and dignity. When expectations were clearly defined. He was still going over the best method to approach the girl when he caught sight of the dust cloud nearby. The girl a the center had to be his new assignment.

The girl hadn't noticed him approach. Through the dirt flying about, Slade could see the familiar movements being enacted. He didn't need to see her shadow box to know Demi Smith was well versed in throwing punches. Her form needed a little work, though, she moved fluidly, with impressive grace, but there was something lacking. Discipline, which led to a certain crispness in your strikes. But he wasn't there to critique the form of her jab.

Clearing his throat Slade hoped to gain the girls' attention without startling her. The resulting dirt splashing into his face certainly wasn't the best start. Thankfully he had been able to squeeze his eyes shut before being hit. Only after brushing as much of the loose dirt from his face, enough so he could open his eyes without fear of getting anything in them, did Slade finally speak. "Demi Smith, I'm guessing." He said, his voice a deep rumble. "I'm Mister Konrad, we'll be spending some time together today." He knew the girl was already informed of their meeting but, given accounts of her previous behavior, didn't dare imply he was there to oversee or restrain her in any way. "I noticed your form." He said, still picking at some of the dirt that had lodged itself into the corner of his eye. "You don't want to turn your feet so much on your hook, it takes you out of your stance."

[Demi Smith]

Big guy had a big voice too, kinda like a mountain or something. Demi dimly wondered if she could take down that Mountain, only dimly, because right about now, she didn't like her chances. Maybe outside, in the dirt, on a muddy day, when he didn't see her coming. Now though? Yeah, she wasn't even going to think about attacking Mr. Konrad... okay, not about beating him, at any rate. He talked about spending time together and Demi had to smirk a little.

Then he critiqued her, and her smile slid. Okay, she hadn't been really engaging in her Flow for one thing, and for another, well, she hadn't completely mastered some of the finer points. Something like ninety percent of the population wouldn't know the difference though. Worse, she couldn't help but notice that he was right.

"It's because we're inside," she immediately said, rolling her shoulders. Demi tilted her head to look up at him, her eyes narrowing defiantly. "This stupid floor throws off my Flow. Plus, I wasn't even really trying: I was just bored because they stuck me in another stupid room, like they always do," she crossed her arms and looked the man over again. At least he looked impressive.

"So, what's your power anyway? You don't act like one of those wussy, touchy feeley types that they keep sending to talk to me, and there's no way you've got water kinesis," which was one of their favorite type of people to send at her, even though she could work with the mud. Apparently they didn't have any really good air-kinetics about. "I'm guessing..." she narrowed her eyes, studying him, "super strength type stuff. Or maybe you turn into a giant bear or something." Demi smirked at that last. She'd love to take on someone who could shift into a bear. That would be epic.

[Slade Konrad]

Once he'd finally picked the last remnants of dirt that would threaten to get into his eyes, Slade brushed a hand on his pants and finally took stock of the girl. His ice blue eyes looked down to the much smaller Demi. There was a certain defiance in her stance as he glared back up at him. It was as if, in spite of the immense size difference, she was sizing him up. Was this girl actually gauging who would win in a fight? Slade knew all too well that appearances could be deceiving so he held back the flash of amusement that threatened to crack through his stoic facade at the thought of Demi leaping at him in an attempt to prove her superiority.

And then she opened her mouth and spoke. First it was excuses. She couldn't handle a correction without explaining it away as some outside influence. She was nothing if not a proud girl. But Slade had seen pride end many a formidable warrior on numerous stages. Still, he took in every word thoughtfully. The stern way she used the word 'flow' made him think she wasn't using it as merely a term to describe the shadow boxing she'd been doing. He'd have to question that in the future.

The big man remained silent, allowing Demi to speak and excuse the minor inconsistencies she showed in her striking form with his arms folded across his chest. Only when she asked a question did Slade opt to reply. "That's not important." He said with a dismissive shrug of his broad shoulders. He didn't make a habit of speaking of his power. It was largely unimportant in the way he conducted himself and didn't feel it had a role in who he was. Furthermore, when he told people of his unique gift, they always wanted to see. His was a mutation that had no middle ground. Either full on or full off. And switching it off was always painful.

"If you're so confident in your boxing form, why don't we head outside and you can show me. I've got some experience." Slade had been boxing since middle school. He'd taken up wrestling and boxing as a way to escape. He'd caught on and never looked back. He'd even been an instructor for the Army when the need arose. He shifted, uncrossing his arms to gesture for the door leading outside.

[Demi Smith]

Demi snorted dismissively. "It's always important, and only idiots think it's not," and yes, that did mean that the tiny, undersized Demi had effectively called Slade, who could obviously fold her like a toothpick, an idiot. To his face. While still looking at him. She also couldn't help but wonder just what his power was.

She grinned for a moment, having figured that the guy probably grew fairy wings or something. He totally overcompensated by being all buff and tough. Of course, he had to go and squish her happy little time by suggesting that they head outside so she could show him her proper form. Wait, boxing form? Okay, she'd technically been shadow-boxing and all, but, well, she didn't really box. She probably could though: It was just punching stuff, and Demi excelled at punching stuff.

"I'm actually versed in the Flow," she said by way of explanation anyway, "not boxing. But I can totally box if you want. It's just hitting people," and she'd already started walking, seeing no reason not to head outside. She was going to have to deal with this guy anyway, so she might as well do it in a way that would kick his butt. Plus, if he really did have magical pixie powers, then Demi was totally sure she could take him in a fight. Powers weren't important, ha, so stupid.

[Slade Konrad]

"Believe me." Slade chuckled, casting aside Demi's insistence with little concern. He'd been briefed on the girls' unique upbringing and was expecting the blunt insults and claims she'd been known for in her brief time at the Academy. Patience was a virtue that Slade had in abundance. "You don't want to see my power." He claimed. The only way she'd get a chance to see him in action would be a full on attack from the girl. If she opted for that course of action, he'd only hope she didn't get hurt once he did get his hands on her in an attempt to restrain. Either way, it would be an ugly scene for all involve.

He shifted to follow the girl outside, seemingly content to let her talk of this 'Flow'. Nodding faintly, Slade spoke up once he'd caught a pause in her explanation. "Could you explain this, 'Flow', to me?" He had to admit more than just a professional curiosity surrounding this strange thing she spoke of. If it was some sort of martial study that melded physical attacks with the use of a power, as he suspected based upon the dirt that had swirled around the girl while she shadow boxed, the big man would be intrigued indeed.

Slade did catch onto something that he could use. A hook, an in he could weasel his way through. "You think boxing is just 'hitting people'?" He asked once the two of them had stepped out into the Montana summer sun. "Boxing isn't about simply hitting people." He explained. Demi's reaction to his assertion would go a long way in judging how he was to handle this enigmatic girl. "It's about hitting people harder than they can hit you. There's a lot more to it than swinging a fist."

[Demi Smith]

Now Demi wanted to see this power even more. It either had to be completely humiliating (which she fully believed) or totally awesome (which she was kinda hoping for). It didn't seem like he'd be showing her without some reason though, which again led credence to the whole humiliating angle. Demi supposed it may have something to do with extreme pain, since that did happen from time to time.

"The Flow is the way things work," prattled off Demi, her tone indicating that she was reciting as opposed to coming up with her own, "it's a constructive way of expressing our natural Inherited abilities and harnessing them for their maximum potential. To be used for inner guidance and, uh," Demi's brow furrowed for a moment, her lip curling up as she thought, "uh, I don't know, hitting stuff. That's what I use it for. It's, like, a martial art that uses mutant powers to beat people up, and I've been training in it for, like years."

She really had too, having started at a very young age. Which was why her Flow was actually impressive. Probably helped that she spent far, far too much time actually practicing it instead of learning anything else. Like Quotations. Or History. Or just how to interact with people beyond punching.

They'd already started moving though, all but entering into the outdoors. Demi seemed to relax just from leaving the school. "Sounds cool," admitted Demi, looking up at Slade, "and also like the Flow stuff. That's supposed to be all about enlightenment and getting in touch with your inner person or something though," Demi shrugged. It actually did work that way, which was part of why the girl always seemed calmer when she did it, and why she seemed so eager to enter into Flow exercises when frustrated. "Boxing does sound like fun though. I'd probably want to kick people too much though. I'm a girl, and we kick better than we punch anyway."

[Slade Konrad]

Demi's words rang true about many martial arts Slade had studied. They taught the balance between body and mind and the peace that came with it. Martial arts were meant for self defense for a reason. They were dangerous. Slade had seen first hand what could be done when one didn't keep their emotions in check or failed to respect the inherent dangers of hand-to-hand combat. It was unfortunate he believe the girl was only paying that part of the art lip service. If she bought into it a bit more, maybe she would be less prone to fighting.

"Sound like you've focused mostly on the hitting people part of it." He replied, casting a short glance and noting the obvious difference in Demi's body language as they stepped outside. "I hear you've already been in more than a few fights here. Why is that?" Slade was going to try and get the girl's point of view before passing judgement. Hopefully he could reach her in a way the others couldn't. It was obvious she viewed herself as somewhat of a warrior, a combatant. He knew a thing or two about that.

"You'd be surprised. Kicks aren't nearly as effective as you think." Slade pointed out. They were always a great thing to have in your arsenal just in case, but rarely in a street fight were you going to start throwing kicks. It just wasn't an effective way of combat. "They're slow and unless you connect just right it leaves you vulnerable." He looked out over the horizon a bit before turning to lead Demi toward the training field. He had a feeling they would probably begin an exhibition of some sort sooner or later.

[Demi Smith]

"Well, duh, that's the better part," replied Demi, adding a quick snort. "I keep getting into fights with people because they're stupid, and they keep doing stuff that gets me mad," she shrugged. Demi really didn't understand how this was so hard of a concept for these people to grasp. She was tempted to point out that where she was from, you could tell who was awesome by how well they handled themselves and their abilities. Okay, yeah, a lot of them did more of the whole balancing thing and had more of a presence than just stomping around like Demi. They also had several feet on the girl and weren't dropped off in a place where everyone was out to get them.

She just snorted when he dismissed kicks, half tempted again to show him otherwise. They'd started moving, and soon enough, Demi could feel the earth underneath her feet. She wanted to just pause and sink her toes into the ground, which would of course require removing the rough sandals she had strapped to her feet. But the big guy, Slab or something, just kept going. So Demi kept time with him, finding him to be probably the most interesting adult she'd run into so far.

"You would say that. You're a big guy and you're all top heavy and stuff," replied Demi. She stretched out her arms regardless, feeling the dirt swirling. Now she had plenty of it to work with, and her lips curled up in a smile. "Hey, where are we going anyway? Aren't you supposed to be punishing me or something? They normally dump me in a pool a few times and then make me sit in detention or lecture me or something," Demi looked the direction they were walking, trying to remember what lay ahead. She really should've paid better attention during their stupid tours. It had just felt... stupid at the time.

[Slade Konrad]

The way Demi spoke almost reminded Slade of the warring religious tribes overseas he'd contended with on many occasions during his time in service. They were dangerous, to say the least, in the fanatic way in which they enforced their beliefs with little regard to their own personal safety or that of others. He wordlessly dismissed the girl's assertion violence was necessary due to the 'stupidity' of other students and staff. There were some things he could tell already in his interaction with Demi he had no chance of reaching her through. Instead, he would focus on the martial art side. He seemed to have piqued her interest with that.

"I'm not a punisher." Slade replied calmly, glancing down to the girl. He never considered himself as such even if he had been part of the instrument that had delivered some sense of retribution over the years. "I'm a teacher, Demi." He pointed it. "You may not see it as such, but I'm here for you and the rest of the students." Somehow he didn't think one sentence was going to get through to the girl, but he'd hopefully chip away at that rough veneer she had.

It came to no surprise that Demi didn't know where they were going. Every other student on campus knew the path to the training field. She didn't seem the type to pay much attention at anything that didn't involve violence or showing her superiority over her fellow students. "We're going to the training field." He informed her. "There you can not just tell me of the Flow, but also show me. And, if you'd like, I can show you some of what I know."

[Demi Smith]

"Look like a punisher," mumbled Demi. She meant it somewhat like a compliment, and somewhat calling out the fact that she didn't believe this guy's BS for half a moment. She didn't believe it when he kept going on about his being a teacher and how he was there for them. Well, actually, that last bit sounded pretty much like the same sort of junk that they always said, all that touchy-feely junk about how they just wanted what was best of the students, best for Demi.

What was best for Demi was to be allowed back with her own people. But these idiots didn't seem to get that.

"Oh, there's a field for that?" she asked, looking ahead. "I knew about the arena and stuff. Seems kinda stupid to just have all your training in a couple of areas though. I guess the clean-up's nice, but it's not like people are just gonna fight you when you're in some kinda special field all ready for them and junk," Demi shut up then, mostly because, well, she figured that Slade didn't want to hear it. Also because... that had probably been about as much as she'd said at one time that didn't devolve into insults or explaining dogma to the uninitiated. She was tempted to go on though, pointing out that she had all the layers of dust and stuff just so they wouldn't catch her by surprise, which was why she was always ready for them to try their stuff on her. See what happened then.

But hadn't he mentioned showing what he knew? Did that mean she'd get to see his power? That sounded interesting, if nothing else.

[Slade Konrad]

Slade was well aware of how he looked, especially in recent years as he'd bulked up considerably in that time. He was nowhere near the broad framed bear of a man when he'd first enlisted in the Army. He'd always been a big guy but it was only when he discovered that as he added mass, the side-effects of his mutations affected him less. Now, as a muscle-bound beast he could at least shift without fear of being incapacitated upon his transformation back. It still hurt like a bitch though.

Looking to Demi as they headed toward the training field he nodded. "We have controlled rooms for training as well." He pointed out. There were more than just a 'couple' places designated for the training of students' powers. "We have these areas separate because this campus is multi-purpose. It's not just about how to control and use your powers but a place for education." He did chuckle softly. "And we need to keep many of the students under control because not all of them have had as much experience with their powers as you."

Slade had to give the girl credit, though, as she was correct. Combat was rarely controlled and never occurred under ideal conditions. This was a fact he was intimately aware of. "This is true." He agreed with a nod. "Wars aren't fought in training fields and there's no substitute for real experience. But it's foolish to think there's no place for training in a controlled environment. It's better to make a mistake and learn your weaknesses when the bullets aren't real."

Once they'd finally stepped onto the training field Slade slowed to a stop and looked around. It had changed considerably since the days he'd learned to control his own power so long ago, but he could still superimpose his old memories upon the facilities. The rough hours spent dealing with the pain of his transformation as well as the tentative moments of struggling to get accustomed to the greatly enhanced strength of his metallic form weren't looked up particularly fondly. Nonetheless, his training had been a necessary evil, much like many of the students.

[Demi Smith]

Controlled rooms: Demi just rolled her eyes at that. Then again, her power wouldn't work great in a controlled room anyway. What she really needed was to get some good one-on-one sessions with a trainer who knew what the heck they were talking about. Demi wanted to hone her abilities, hone herself. She could care less about the other stuff.

She started to say so when the big guy pointed out that Demi actually had some experience with her power. She blinked. Most people didn't even acknowledge that, or, at least, they didn't until Demi had attacked them and demonstrated control that went far beyond what her age should indicate. That's what happened when you'd been shaped practically since birth to wield a mutant power, not to mention getting more extensive training for those few weeks before she'd gotten here.

"Most of the people around here suck. Even some of the older students are a bunch of wusses. That's probably why SPECTRE attacked anyway," the way Demi spoke, it was quite obvious that she thought that she'd be able and ready to fight back such attacks, especially from humans. she walked onto the field, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. This, this she could get used to.

"I'm not though," she said, turning and looking up at Slade. "I could probably even kick your butt, since you're so scared to use your stupid power," she smirked at that, confidence radiating off her. Oh, part of the girl was almost certain that the big guy would lay her flat, possibly quickly, but Demi didn't care. She'd flatten him if she could; simple as that.

[Slade Konrad]

"So, of these fights you've gotten into." Slade turned to face the girl, his broad, muscled arms crossing over his chest. "How many would you say you've lost?" Demi was arrogant, that was obvious. Slade knew the folly of such a mindset. He'd seen far too much when it came to real war to take much of what the girl said seriously. If at all, the words that came from her mouth actually served to lessen his concern over the cult in which she spoke of. Arrogance to such a level bordered upon stupidity. And only very, very stupid people believed their enemy, rather misguided or not, to be so vastly inferior. He wondered how Demi and her 'Inherited' companions would do if an entire infantry company came knocking on their door. The military wasn't like depicted in the movies. They were efficient, collected, and very, very dangerous if pointed in the right direction, regardless of opposition.

Still, though, Slade would not bend to her snarky jabs at his perceived fear. Demi was misguided, obviously, but flat out opposing the beliefs that had been instilled from birth would only succeed in pushing the girl further away and enforce the 'me versus them' stance in which she had already taken. "You know powers stronger than both you or I have brought you here." He said, hoping like hell this would work. "And you'll remain here until they say otherwise." It wasn't a ruse. The Inherited may have shunned human society but until stated otherwise, the humans ruled the world. They made the rules, the mutants had to play by them. "Now, I can help you. Help you get out of here and eventually go home. But to do that." Slade dropped his arms and took a step away from Demi. "I need to trust you, and you need to trust me." He had a bad feeling he knew the only way to get any sort of 'trust' or even just simple compliance from the girl would involve drastic measures.

Slade exhaled sharply as he prepared for the inevitable. "I can tell you right now, I'm not like anyone else you know." Slade jerked his head to one side, causing his neck to crack audibly. "But if I show you what I can do, I'll need something from you in return." He was on the verge of unleashing his power but wasn't yet passed the point of no return. "So how about we have ourselves a little sparring session?" He asked, ready to give in to the nearly irresistible call of the metallic beast that threatened to take over. "If I win, you listen to my plan for getting you through all this." Slade's ice blue eyes narrowed and they began to unnaturally darken as the metal monster was nearly in control.

[Demi Smith]

"Couple," said Demi distractedly, "but each fight you walk away from is one where you win something," was something that her various trainers had been drilling into Demi since the beginning. Her first teachers had told her that, back before she'd gotten her powers or thrown herself into the Flow as well as she had. She'd always been scrawny, and scrawny meant easy target, which meant that Demi had tasted her own blood far more than most girls her age ever would. Most of the Inherited weren't as eager to brawl as she, but that didn't mean that she hadn't managed it.

So she was used to getting into fights she was gonna lose. The outcome didn't matter as much to her as the whole fighting, showing that you'd do it. Besides, she knew that in the end, the very very end, she'd end up the one winning. Even if powers stronger then they had dragged her here. That also meant that she was that much more inclined toward fighting Slade than accepting his help, especially because he'd just proved to be a bigger version of all the other wusses parading around here, acting like they totally knew Demi better than she knew herself.

His neck cracked, and Demi looked up at him. She grinned as he talked about sparring, already feeling the urge to violence rising within her. She didn't care so much about what the stakes were, at least, not for now. "Sounds cool to me," she said, sounding almost too eager, a wide grin on her face. She jogged a few feet away, turning toward Slade. Demi took a deep breath then, positioning her arms in front of her. Assuming Slade paid attention, he'd actually recognize a few breathing techniques obviously bastardized from various martial arts. The girl's breathing was measured, trained, and she clearly was centering herself. Soon dust and dirt seemed to move around her, responding to her will, and not soon after that, she was sliding into a stance reminiscent of a few forms of Brazilian street-fighting.

"You really think you're gonna be all that impressive?" she said, looking at up, her smirk belying her well-trained pose and stance. "'cuz I'm still thinking that you just, like, grow spikes or something like that. And if it's butterfly wings or something, I am so gonna own your overgrown butt."