A catalyst

The Center was only a short 15 minute walk away from Guiding Center B. Guiding Center A was also only 15 minutes away but in the opposite direction, along with Guiding Center C. It was one of the reasons why the Guiding Centers were so highly competitive against each other. Having the Center being the focal point of the area made sense, since everyone, Guide or Esper went to the Center after they'd awakened to check their Class. The Center was also run by the government. Back in the day, it also used to have total control of all Espers as well, until an Esper broke off and formed the first Guild. Now the government separated from the Center and had a whole Department where the Espers who worked for the government were stationed. It was the Department of Esper Control, or the D.E.C. for short. Kellen was fairly certain that when his parents took 'vacations' they were working for the D.E.C. since they had worked for them before the Center had separated and created the two entities. It wasn't a far split though, since the D.E.C. and the Center were in the same building still. 

Similar to the Guiding Centers, the tower that held the Center and D.E.C. was all glass. But unlike any of the Guiding Centers, not just Guiding Center B, the area in front of the building wasn't utilized that well. it was practically a parking lot with a few miserable benches in strict formal lines. The trees planted next to them felt like the colour had been sucked out of them. It had nothing to do with Kellen projecting his bleak outlook on the building either. The uniforms for the D.E.C. and the center were slate gray with black accents, which didn't help the image they projected.

Despite that, Kellen watched as the excited faces of young Espers and Guides entered into the large glass doors with their parents. This was a hopeful place for lots of people. If the circumstances were different, Kellen was sure he would be excited for this retesting. But given his history, all he could feel were chills running down his spine, and how clammy his hands were. 

Swallowing, the Guide moved towards the sliding doors, his hands shaking. He glanced towards the giant fixture above him, the chandelier that was two storeys in length. He supposed it could have been pretty, but it felt rather threatening to him, the reflective shards of crystal looked like daggers aimed directly at him. Kellen forced himself to line up behind the rest of the people in the lobby, and he was slightly grateful that the line was moving slowly today. He gripped onto his wrist with his hand, trying to hide the fact he was trembling like a leaf. He'd been avoiding looking at the front desk until eventually, he got close enough he couldn't avoid it and he almost stumbled. The lady who was working at the front desk was the first person to sneer at him when he hadn't improved like he thought he would, the first time. She'd taken pride in making him feel miserable and small, and here she was, once more. 

Kellen could feel an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety fill his body, and he almost turned and bolted out of the building. He stopped himself from leaving the building completely, but he did flee to the bathroom to have a breakdown in a bathroom stall. It took him several minutes to calm himself, chanting that this was just for work. The results didn't matter. 

Once he left, he got back into line behind all the youthful, hopeful young people who were giggling and chuckling with their parents. He felt awkward looming over them, and he was sure he also looked awkward as well. At least it was obvious that he was a Guide already, and a Guide from Guiding Center B as well. Each Guiding Center had a distinct uniform, like the Guilds. Kellen's looked like hospital scrubs in a soft, pale yellow. It wasn't the most flattering colour on him, but it meant he was easy to identify. 

Knowing who was at the front desk made it a little easier now, since he wasn't as shocked when he got to front only to find her smirking at him with open malice. 

"Well well well, look what the cat dragged in. Mr. Woods, to what do I owe the pleasure?" It wasn't lost on him that she pettily didn't call him Guide Woods, even though it was obvious he was one. His face heated in embarrassment. 

"I-I-" Nervously, he licked his lips and tried again. "I'm here to retest my class level." His voice got quieter and she laughed rather boldly. 

"Oh? I thought you gave up on that." She said it loudly, loud enough that the others around them could hear her. Kellen felt a deep sense of shame as his face flamed, and he gripped onto his wrist tightly. 

"It should be noted that I'd be coming in. I didn't request it. Guiding Center B did." She tapped away on her keyboard, and huffed when she pulled up the request. 

"So you aren't lying, but that makes me curious. Who did you try to convince this time? I know the Center isn't ever going to turn you away because of your parents, but this is pretty pathetic. I thought the last time was it?" Face burning, Kellen ducked his head, his heart pounding so hard in his chest he could feel it in his throat. An acidic taste filled his mouth. He hadn't wanted to come back here, but people who cared about him requested this. The last humiliation had been enough. 

"Oh, I ordered it." Kellen jerked at the voice that spoke cheerfully behind him. Spinning, he stared in shock at the golden eyes that looked him over. "I'm glad to see you are doing better compared to yesterday, Mr. Woods." He chuckled, reaching out to flick Kellen's chin. "And look, no dirt or blood this time! We're improving." He felt his mouth open, but he wasn't sure what to say to this confusing man. 

"C-Captain? What are you-" The older man reached out and ruffled the younger's hair, stunning him into silence. 

"You need an Esper of a higher Class for the test, correct? I thought it was the least I could do since you saved me so much trouble yesterday." Kellen felt his mouth dry up. The Captain bent forward. "I also wasn't sure if the Center was going to intentionally mess with the results considering your history with them. This way, I'll know the results personally." He pulled back with a grin before removing his hand from the Guide's head. 

"C-Captain Thatcher! We weren't expect you-"

"You should have. I signed up to be Mr. Woods testing Esper. I submitted it with Guiding Center B's permission. It should be on file." Stunned, Kellen watched as the Captain got them the keys to the testing chamber, and watched as the Doctors who previously had only treated him with disbelief and scorn fell over themselves trying to please them. Kellen hadn't had this kind of treatment since the second time he'd tested. Everyone was falling over themselves, and the Captain seemed to watch them with relish, chuckling at their behaviour. If it wasn't for the sharp glint in his yellow eyes, he too would have thought he was appeased, but Kellen felt that he was quite angry at the people of the Center. Kellen felt his lips twitch before a small chuckle left his lips. Covering his mouth, he could feel the Captain's gaze on him and he tried to cover up the chuckle with a cough. The Captain raised an eyebrow at him and Kellen's lips twitched again. 

"S-Something in my throat." He muttered, and he could swear the yellow eyes glowed before settling for a deeper, golden shade as the Captain smirked. 

"I'll believe you this time Mr. Woods." Embarrassed at being caught, and also at how the simple fact of having this man beside him had relaxed his whole body, Kellen kept his mouth closed and followed after him and the doctors as they headed upstairs for testing. Kellen was slightly surprised at how when the Captain called him Mr. Woods, unlike when others did, it didn't feel like an insult. He wasn't sure why the Captain didn't call him Guide Woods, but it had been such a long time since he'd first gotten to know the Captain that he was sure if he called him Guide Woods now, it would feel stranger. Kellen smiled privately to himself, pleased that he at least had an Esper with him that he was sure wasn't going to freak out on him during the Guiding. 

The testing room they'd selected for them was tucked away from everyday view. It was one of the rooms that Kellen was used to actually, since he knew himself to be the shame of the center. It didn't bother him, since if something went wrong, or nothing changed, they could bury it here for good without too many witnesses. The pale gray colour of the hallways caused Kellen's shoulders to tense up. Captain Thatcher was keeping an eye on the Guide as they followed the Doctors into the room. There were actually two rooms when it came to testing, but they were separated by transparent, expensive magical glass. On one side were several large machines that did most of the work, where the Doctors would reside once the testing began. The other side was set up with two chairs, and several machines used to monitor the well being of those being tested. Once someone was hooked up to the machines, it was usually just the Esper and Guide being tested on the other side. Since Guiding was usually considered a private affair, no matter the level, it was a small form of privacy since guiding was needed to measure the levels of powers inside of the body. They had tried other methods to measure, but this was the safest and most consistent in regards to results. 

Kellen held his breath as the Doctor's opened the room where he and the Captain would sit, the smell of the disinfectant hitting his nose and making his stomach roll. He swallowed, putting on a brave face and followed after everyone into the room, even as his hands trembled slightly. Forcing himself to move, he pulled off his shirt quickly, aware he was quite used to the testing procedure, but had a feeling the Captain had done this a couple of times too. He had to, since he was a Captain he was a high class Esper, and they were in high demand for testing purposes. Kellen glanced over at said Captain and froze. He had taken his jacket and shirt off as well. Kellen kind of expected him to have another shirt underneath, but he hadn't, and Kellen tried hard not to stare at the wide shoulders in front of him, or the chiseled, defined body in front of him. The pecs in particular seemed...quite juicy. Clearing his throat, he glanced away, missing the small smile on the Captain's lips. Espers weren't always bigger and stronger than others, but Captain had always been built big, even before his powers awoke. He'd clearly toned even further since the last time Kellen had seen him topless on the front lines over a year ago.

Fuck. Kellen thought. Keep it together. The man is here to help you.

"I don't believe we've ever tested our compatibility, have we Mr. Woods?" The two of them sat down in the chairs, facing each other. Kellen felt his eyes slide towards the gold iris' digging holes into him, and swallowed. 

"No, we haven't. At least not officially. They always run the potentials through the database." He nodded at his words as the Doctors fluttered around the two of them, pressing monitoring pads against their bare skin. The Captain's knee rubbed against Kellen's and Kellen felt a nervous spear up his back. 

"Yes, of course they do, but it wouldn't hurt to test it while we are doing your retest, right?" He turned towards the doctors on the other side of the glass. "I assume it isn't any different from a normal test?" He asked. 

"No, Captain Thatcher. As per protocol, you two would just need to hold hands and push your powers into each other and we'll monitor from this side. Please have patience while we set up the two tests." Captain seemed pleased with that answer, and relaxing, he bent forward with his arms on his knees. Kellen worked on keeping his breathing normal, and his eyes on normal places. 

"Nervous?" Captain asked softly, and Kellen glanced at him. He gave his head a jerk in response. His hands hadn't stopped sweating since they entered the elevator to get here. The Captain smiled at him kindly. "You'll do fine. No matter what, it's just a precaution. If you are a C Class who can see intention from Espers while they are surging, that's still a new and important skill." Kellen swallowed before he nodded. Captain held out his hand to the Guide, and Kellen wiped his hand on his pants before placing it in the slightly larger one. He was surprised that his hand wasn't that much smaller than the Captains, since the Captain always seemed so big and larger than life to him. "You've never guided me before, have you?" He asked softly and Kellen shook his head. 

"No, I haven't." The Captain's hand briefly squeezed his own. 

"Don't be afraid then. I've been told that my power feels like a vacuum from other Guides." Kellen glanced at the man, staring at his face to find the Captain was staring thoughtfully at their linked hands. 

"Does it have anything to do with the fact that you are never fully guided?" Kellen asked in a whisper, and the Captain sucked in. 

"How bold of you to ask that in this situation." He muttered, but Kellen wasn't able to control his curiosity. He doubted he'd get another chance to ask this kind of question of him, given their differences in status. 

"Sorry Captain. I didn't mean to upset you. I've just always been curious. To me, who can't feel the powers of others without touch, I always wondered if you received just enough guidance so you wouldn't lose your mind, given the colour of your eyes." His grip tightened on Kellen's hand again, but it felt heavier this time. 

"Why would I do that? Seems rather counter productive if I could receive full guidance." He countered and Kellen felt himself freeze. 

"Um, it was just a guess, and you can tell me if I'm wrong Captain, but I thought you did it so that the civilians wouldn't always be afraid of those with yellow eyes. You manage to keep your composure with golden eyes, therefore others can't be that scary." Softly, Kellen continued. "You know, publicity for Espers or something." He didn't say anything, so Kellen glanced at him. The Captain seemed shocked, and Kellen could feel his hand starting to sweat in his grasp. He wanted to wipe his hand, but felt it was rude to pull away at this moment. 

"You've surprised me, Mr. Woods." Captain murmured before meeting the Guide's gaze. "That isn't why, but it is a very interesting reason to consider." He smiled at him, and the act alone made Kellen's face heat. 

"We're ready when you are, Captain Thatcher, Guide Woods." Kellen glanced at the double sided glass before taking a deep breath to steady himself. Captain gave his hand a comforting squeeze. 

"On the count of three, then. One, two, three." Kellen poured his guiding powers into the Captain, and the man visibly stiffened. Kellen would have panicked if he hadn't been yanked into the guiding space of the Captain. The Captain's powers were far stronger then he had known before, given how viciously they pulled him from consciousness and into the space reserved for maintenance of Espers mental health and powers. He had described it as a vacuum, but to Kellen, it felt more like violent waves catching him and pulling him down under. The waves wanted to swallow him whole. Kellen couldn't drown here, but he was struggling. He'd never been inside an Esper like this before, so he wasn't sure where to pour his powers. If it had been like the vacuum Captain had claimed, he would have just poured it into the pit of the vacuum, but in this case, he was at a loss. Going with his gut, he began to sprinkle his guidance like rocks, letting them tumble to the bottom of the 'ocean' and watched as the currants jerking him around grabbed the rocks and smashed them against rock walls he hadn't noticed prior to it. The rocks shattered, spreading light and more rocks into the ocean. Kellen kept pouring more and more rocks until a fine, beautiful layer of shimmering, guiding power infused with the water. It was beautiful, enough to take his breath away. He was stunned, as the raging waves slowed and he had a chance to look at the beautiful ocean before him, glowing with the blending of the two powers. Wow.

"-oods! Guide Woods! Let go of his hand!" Kellen stirred slowly, blinking away the waves from his eyes to find that he was still guiding the Captain, but something was wrong. He was supposed to be doing a simple test, so why did his body feel so heavy, like yesterday? He should be unconscious given the level of drain. It was then he realised he was being held up in the chair by several hands. 

"Waht's?" His tongue was thick in his mouth, unable to form the words easily. 

"You need to get him to release your hand, Guide Woods!" One of the doctor's frantically said, and he glanced at the man in front of him only for shock to course through him. The cords in the Captain's neck were in stark relief, and his eyes were on his face, unmoving. His grip was vice like, and every muscle in his body stood out in sharp contrast. Kellen tried to stop the guiding powers from leaving his body, but the Captain had them in a choke hold. He was sucking him dry. 

"C-Captain..." Kellen weakly protested, but the calling of his name seemed to shake the man. As Kellen felt his consciousness fading, he was able to glimpse panic, and a raw hunger in the man's eyes he had never seen before. He felt it was a look he was never going to forget.