Things progressed very quickly; his pizza was the first to suffer from the sudden increase in temperature once Kate started with her target practice. Sam took another bite and realized that some of the cheese started to melt right off the bread. Not paying it much mind he took another bite and reached out for the boxes of pizza and moved it closer to his body. The danger room continued to get warmer; each individual target quickly fell to the firestorm that Kate was producing.

It was clear she was indeed practicing her control in her absences her powers were even more impressive than Sam remembered them. His body started to ice over as more and more fire erupted from the woman before him. Taking another bite of the pizza Sam started to notice the heat getting to him.

No longer sitting Sam pushed himself up and grabbed the boxes of pizza with a slice in his mouth and jumped back several feet and continued to focus on his own ability to prevent himself from suffering from hers. Sam’s focus failed his golem and it quickly melted like it was nothing in front of Kate. The crust of the pizza in his mouth was now burnt and he looked down to the danger room floor no longer concerned for the food he once protected but rather the melted steel under her feet. Sam blinked with his one eye and opened his mouth the blackened pizza falling to the ground by his feet.

Sam took a step forward and looked around the mess left from the show of talent. ”Damn.” was all Sam could muster noticing her trying to focus herself.

Kate was brought out of her concentration with that one word. She looked up at Sam and his ice encrusted skin. It was obvious to her in that moment that she had lost control and if it had gone further she may have hurt him.

She started looking around the room in terror at the sight before her. There were shards of ice everywhere and all of them were quickly melting to reveal the gashes and destruction under neither. The room around her was a mess of melted and twisted metal; apparently the danger room wasn’t strong enough for her heat. Apparently there really wasn’t anything that could handle or control her. Kate could only think of what would have happened if this had been a public place. If this had not been an exercise but the real world. She fell to the ground and began to hyperventilate pulling her knees to her chest afraid there really was no escape. Sure she had started out fine but then… well then came this and it was not the first time she had caused destruction without meaning.

The heated ground started to solidify and Sam took a step closer his good eye now shifting to Kate who was in the fetal position her breathing heavy. Sam shook his head slightly she was afraid as she should be. Kicking the crispy black pizza crust as he walked closer to her the ice around his body shredded off the way a snake or caterpillar shed. The ice fell to the ground and Sam approached Kate making sure he body temperature was somewhat normal before he would give her a little reassurance.

It was hot to the touch but his hand would be fine. His hand was on the back of his shoulder as he crouched down. ”Quite a display of power.” Sam looked to where his golems stood and nodded his head at the lack of water let alone ice. ”Well you took care of the targets alright…” he gave her a slight shake with his hand. ”No use crying over melted danger room floor right?” Sam asked standing up and walking towards the crater of melted steel.

”Danger Room repair floor to original settings.” it took a moment but the melted steel reformed into a flat surface and Sam nodded his head, ”Gotta love that.” The danger room had always been easy to fix he hadn’t met a mutant yet that could full destroy it as long as the control center was intact the danger room could repair.

”Kate how often did you use your mutation when you were gone, more than just to practice control right?” Sam asked curiously wondering if she currently had too much ‘fire’ in reserve.

Kate shuddered slightly at the sudden touch on her shoulder. She found herself shying away from the hand afraid of hurting the ice elemental. She took deep breaths trying to calm herself and regain her usual composure. She however couldn’t help seeing the faces from the last time she did something like that. The shear terror at her display. She imagined the look of the cop as he shot her father looking similar in that moment 16 years ago. How could he in this moment not expect her to freak out? She had not only destroyed the golem but she had erased any trace that it was ever there. She was dangerous and she had a feeling this was only the beginning.

Kate looked over just in time to see the floor return to normal. She scrunched her face in confusion before looking around and seeing all the damage slowly disappear around her. If only the real would was so easy to fix when melted or burnt. Then her life would be far less scary. That was the worse burst she had had yet but that was what she had said about the one before this.

“I have been keeping control as I always have. I release energy every day as needed, but I can say that I didn’t do any intense training. Not really the place for such things in Rome. The only talents that I have honed even slightly were the little ones like heating a cup or lighting a candle. Other then that I barely used it. Only ever enough to keep control.” Kate was now sitting with her legs bent out next to her but she still did not rise unsure if she had the energy. She was always more then a little drained after such a display. Though she always seemed to wonder why isn’t wasn’t out for the count after such things.

Turning his gaze from the spot where the floor reformed Sam resumed his attention on Kate who was still on the floor clearly drained from the experience, as she was frightened. It was obvious she was scared if her shudder to his touch and her shying away from physical contact wasn’t obvious the look on her face was.

”A big difference between control and suppressing.” Sam said plainly as he walked back towards the blonde on the floor. ”You’re forgetting how alike our mutations are Kate, I know what your going through. In fact I’ve had similar a similar out burst when I was younger, though thankfully no one got hurt.” that he cared about at least, that was the first and but not nearly the last guard to ever rough him up when he was in his youth.

”Think of a baby or a kitten.,” Sam knew the girl but didn’t really know which one would be easier for her to picture for his example so he gave her two. ”When they are young they are easy to keep an eye on and easier to control but when they grow…” Sam’s hands went from closed and started to move them further apart. ”Far more difficult to control. Our mutations are like a muscle, the more you use it the more control you are in of it right?” he was, the question was rhetorical and the look he gave that followed it answered it.

Extending a hand down towards her to help her up Sam added, ”You’re a tough lil’ lady, not many others can handle your burden so let me help you lighten it a bit? All we need to do is get you to control it, I think the best way to do so is to start when you’re worn out.” he smiled and added, ”Trust me.”

Kate looked up at Sam as he spoke and she knew he wasn’t humoring her. He had experienced just what she had and his power was just as dangerous. The only difference that the two had was their circumstances. She had so much more to loose then he did when this happened to him. She was truly only one incident away from cameras at the gates and another life of seclusion to get away from them.

She sighed as she reached up and took his outstretched hand. It felt cold as it enveloped her fingers but there was something calming about the touch. Where her elemental would have shied away from Sam’s touch out of fear for it’s own survival, Kate welcomed it with open arms. She found not just his touch comforting but his mere presence seemed to calm her and settle her fears to a degree. She wasn’t sure what it was but there was something about the older more experienced man that make her feel like everything was going to be okay. And yet the logical part of her mind kept telling her he was in more danger from her then any other she came in contact with, but she also knew he was the safest thing she could be around.

It was a few moments before Kate realized that though she was standing she was still holding his hand and she let it slid out of his loose grip and fall at her side.

“I do trust you. I trust you with my mutation more then I trust anyone, but Sam I’ve seen what these outbursts can do. I’ve seen the lives they can destroy. Even if you are right and with a little more practice I could gain control again, what do I do in the mean time? I don’t want to repeat the mistakes of my father. He thought he had it under control too and look what happened to him. I really don’t want to hurt someone again.” Kate’s hand slipped out of Sam’s where it had been resting and she turned away from him her eyes welling up again remembering the terror on that London street so many years ago. Her father hadn’t been much older then her when he died and in an instant their lives were destroyed by a small lose of control. Kate’s hands were folded across her chest, her shoulders up and her body tense. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply and slowly trying to gain control over her tired form.

The heat coming from her body was bearable however Sam needed to counter her mutation with his. Under his own skin where his hand met hers he lowered the temperature so he wouldn’t get burned, the last thing he wanted to do was add to her guilt by him getting burned after her little power burst.

Once she was standing she continued to hold on to Sam’s hand a few more moments before releasing it. His eye stared down from her to her hand and then he pretended not to notice it. Taking a step back he stretched his arm and nodded his head when she voiced her thoughts.

She looked on the verge of tears when she finished, her father… that was what she was afraid of something similar happening again. Sam took a step forward towards Kate and placed a hand on her shoulder trying to reassure her. ”Kate, I’m always right,” he said trying to break the emotional state she was in into one more relaxed and comfortable. ”You know that you can have outbursts now, like I said the best way to prepare for them is to train yourself in controlling them and the only way to do that is practice, practice, practice.”

He stepped away from her and added, ”Now I’d imagine you’re tired from the events that happened to day and your flight so how about first thing tomorrow morning you meet me here?” It wasn’t a request or a question he knew she wanted this to get control whatever the cost. ”I have some more work to do anyways, but if you feel like you’re about to lose yourself again just take a deep breath and give me a call and I’ll try to talk you through it alright?” with that Sam waved her over and started to exit the danger room.

Kate’s eyes snapped open and she pulled away from him again. His touch was a little bit cooler then she assumes he intended it to be but she knew he was only trying to combat her own heat and she relaxed slightly as she listened to the low cadence of his voice. She had never had a father so until Sam she had never really known the calming quality of the low voice of a man. She couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly at his words. He was always so full of himself and even in such a dire situation like this he took time to make jokes and try and keep things light, even if it didn’t work.

“You sound like my piano instructor.” Kate smiled back at him sweetly, “But the thing is that I can’t have outbursts. Even if such things are normal, for me they are dangerous to have. How do I make sure no one gets hurt? How do I protect everyone around me from these outbursts you say are normal and okay, Sam?”

Kate sighed and released her arms form across her chest knowing he was right. It was rather late in Rome right now and she would normally be asleep. Her tiredness couldn’t possibly be helping with her lack of control, “Alright. You’re right normally I would be asleep at this time in Rome.” She smiled at his want to help. She could tell by looking in his eyes at that moment that he understood and that he didn’t have anyone when he went through the same things. She was sure that he would be there in a second if she needed him to save her no matter where she was and knowing that made things just a little better.

Kate moved across the room and wrapped her arm around Sam’s waist and put her head on his shoulder giving him a side hug now that her temperature had at least lowered a little, “Thank you for being there for me. I think I would have burned myself up by now if I didn’t have you to lean on.”