It happens before he even has a moment to think.
A drop of perspiration, the simple tick of the timer, the heat of the room…
Smoke.
He can't remember not ever being able to breathe before, and it is truly an oddity. He is strong, impenetrable. Nothing, no explosion, no enemy… None of these have ever truly brought him to his knees. They've made him stronger, closer to that goal of power; perfection. So, this… This… Why does this break him?
He watches her warily from the bedside.
Immobilized, he can only squint through swollen eyelids as this woman, a complete stranger, wrings out a wet cloth. Places it on his head. Coolness, relief.
Certainly, an indulgence.
When did he get here? Defenseless and weak… There had been that explosion… Wait... His training.
"Hey! Don't get up you idiot, you'll hurt yourself."
Her distinctly female voice prickles his brain. A groan.
Was that from him?
He's injured, badly.
Is she, tending to him?
He can see, foggily, the blue hair, the fair skin. Eyes bright as fire. Oh...
'oh. She must be angry. I made her angry…'
Who the hell knows why it matters.
The only thing that should matter is the training. Is the power. That's what he's wanted, for as long as he can remember. So why?
He can only see a little, he's so swollen.
But she is so bright. She sits next to him and he smells the cocoa butter, the warmth of her body so close. She touches his hair. He minds, but he doesn't, and it's not like he could stop her. He can't even move.
So instead, he smells her skin, and he feels her hand.
He breathes in the aura of her ki.
Ah. Yes.
Luxury.