Powerless

21. Night Time Training

"You're safe. I promise. I'm not going to leave you, Kiddo." The look in his eyes was nothing but pure. It... It actually made my heart race a little bit. 

"I don't just wear it to suppress..." I looked down to see his hand now over my heart and I looked up to see him smiling even more. "Patton?"

"You don't have to hide with me. I'm sorry I ever made you feel you did." I hesitantly started to reach up towards my mask but the anxiety began to burn through me and I froze. Patton just smiled sadly as he himself reached out for it. I slammed my eyes shut feeling the fabric of my sleep mask leave my skin and just tensed up waiting for the ridicule. I could feel the world around me explode with life as the very air began to hum. 

"Caz... Open your eyes." I shook my head and heard him sigh. "Come on now Kiddo. You can do this. Just look at me." I could hear all these voices around me and tensed up some more. "Kiddo?"  Telling me to trust Patton... Telling me to listen to him... Telling me it's ok... Why? "Cassidy?" I slowly opened my eyes to see several different animals surrounding us and I nearly screamed. Actually, by the sound of laughter that filled my ears, I'm pretty sure I at least yelped.

"That's... unsettling." I whispered as I looked around at all of them. Patton just giggled as I hugged myself tighter. I had forgotten, I wasn't wearing a shirt. Thankfully I don't have to worry about Roman's power because shit always happens with I have that but... now I have these creeps. "They're just staring at us."

"Hey, who are you calling a creep?" A small little bunny hopped in front of me and I frowned. "You're the one with the snake face." I felt my anxiety start to burn through me again and I wanted nothing more than to put my mask back on and just be done with this. "I have no idea why Dad is even helping a snake like you."

"You do realize that snakes EAT rabbits right?" It tilted its head at me and I narrowed my eyes. "RUN!" I hissed barring my fangs and watched as the animals took back to the woods fleeing from sight. Patton just punched my arm giving me this dirty look and I looked down rubbing my arms. "They were being mean."

"I know that but you didn't have to... Wait." His eyes went wide and I shuffled back a bit. "You could hear them?"

"Y-Yeah... It's part of that whole power mimicry thing."

"He's a copy cat!" The little bunny peaked his head out of the bushes and I bared my fangs again, hearing it squeal as it ran away again. "HE'S A MEAN COPY CAT!"

"And your the rudest rabbit I have ever met!" I yelled back as Patton just laughed. "What?"

"Nothing it's just... The way you scrunched up your face while you yelled after a bunny. The fact that you yelled after a bunny in general." He stopped laughing and his face just lit up. "It was adorable."

"C-Can we j-just get b-back to t-training please?" I forced out through my hands as I tried to hide the blush. What the hell, Patton?! I peeked through my fingers to see him giving me this flippen adorable confused look and I groaned in frustration. I haven't been like this since... well, since elementary.

"Ok then..." He clapped his hands and then frowned. "The thing is I don't know where to start. Roman would be better..."

"We are not asking him to help!" I walked over to the boulder and frowned as I placed my hand on it. I could feel it vibrating beneath my fingers but... 

"Cassidy?" I closed my eyes and felt the earth seem to reach out to me. The energy wrapped it's self around my hand but before I could actually get anywhere... "CAZ!" Patton pulled me out of the way as the entire boulder just shattered, sending pieces of rock flying everywhere."What was that about?!"

"I broke it." I said as I just stared at my hand. Patton started brushing me off looking slightly annoyed. Not at me, I don't think... well, more annoyed that I could've hurt myself.

"Yeah, I saw. Cassidy, I don't think the first thing you should try is offensive..."

"Pat, I wasn't." He froze and looked up to meet my eyes with concern. "That's how little control I have right now."

"Ok then... Maybe start with output strength?" He smiled awkwardly as he scratched his cheek. "Here..." Patton ran over and grabbed a leaf off the ground, smiling like a total idiot as an idea popped into his head. As he came back over he grabbed as many leaves as he could and dropped them all at my feet smiling. He held a single leaf up and I frowned. 

"Patton, you saw what I did to that boulder." 

"Yes, I did. That boulder was hundreds of times denser... more in mass and in force..." He held the leaf up to the sky with wonder in his eyes as he spoke. "This tiny little leaf is nothing in comparison to that giant rock. Your job is simple." He placed the leaf into my hand and I watched as it practically burned into nothing. "Don't destroy it."

"Easier said than don't I'm afraid." I watched as he picked up another leaf and held it out for me to take when I was ready. 

"Everything is easier said than done. Saying it doesn't just make it possible. Only through hard work is anything worth true value, sentimental or otherwise, ever really accomplished." He took my hand and slowly placed the stem of the leaf between my fingers as I just stared at his smile and caring eyes. "True strength lies not in your accomplishments but in how long you struggled to achieve them. Remember that Cassidy."

I was left in shock as he walked off back to the hotel. For someone so obnoxiously chipper and childlike, he's a lot wiser than he lets on. I watched until he fell from view and I turned back to the solitary leaf in my hands. I could already see it burning away and I frowned. This about output... but how can I even measure it or start to if the moment I touch it... It's gone.