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Once the promised week had passed and Fuero had reported himself cleared to go, the sessions returned to how they had been. And as grueling as ever - Zuko made Fuero drive over and over on each of his constructions, putting Fuero through all his paces once again, the purple 'Zard ending most sessions run down almost to the point of collapse. Apart from the occasional gripe, Fuero was compliant, even if unenthusiastic.

Zuko didn't necessarily blame him - the amount of time he spent honing himself wasn't exactly a thrill a minute either. But one had to go through the drudgery if they wanted to get the results. Besides that, he didn't really know what else to do, he was supposed to be training Fuero and he was mostly just making the purple do what he'd done himself. Zuko's experience with formal training had ended in the youth leagues, where he hadn't ever really been given that much in the way of training in the first place - he outclassed his opponents on raw talent to such a degree that they didn't really know how. And even when he'd graduated to the ACL proper, he'd wanted to do his own thing rather than listen to other people tell him how what he'd always been doing was wrong and push them onto their own preferred way. He know that he was unusual in that, most in the ACL had their own trainers, but he didn't really 'get' that, and wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing about that. But if Fuero wanted to be trained by him, well, he could get the experience that Zuko knew.

And so he did, week after week after week. Weeks where the red 'Zard would be in a mood from lightly gruff to deeply cranky, depending on how he'd been doing in his matches. And Zuko wasn't exactly thrilled about how THAT was going...he was winning most of them, but annoying tech was making them closer than they should have been, and was easily responsible for most of the losses. He wished he was matched up with more of the natural heavy hitters, the kind of folks he enjoyed battling against more and appreciated their approach more, but their numbers were fewer than they used to be. He'd been watching them leave over time, deciding they couldn't keep up, replaced by newer and more tech-reliant fighters who never were as satisfying to challenge. And there were some who had embraced that side, too, much to Zuko's chagrin...it was grating at him, but he was doing his best to put up with it. At least most of them had the sense to not be smug brats like Gord was, but they had too much pride at getting 'over' on Zuko, when most of them hadn't properly earned it in his eyes. Unfortunately, his eyes weren't doing the league scoring...the thing that was saving him more than anything was consistency, as many of those younger fighters were more up and down than he was. With any luck, Fuero would show them up when he was ready...

But they were hitting a rough patch. Weeks 14 through 16, Zuko started to notice drop-off. Fuero's performances were degrading...he should have been getting better at the various courses, but instead he seemed to be slipping. It wasn't a case of not running them enough, Zuko was seeing to that...he started to wonder if the whelp was skiving off on his own training or doing something unhealthy on his off days that was interfering with his training. Not surprisingly, Fuero didn't seem thrilled to be asked about that...but Zuko wasn't expecting the answer he got.

"WHAT off-training? I can barely get out of bed most days after this! I'm lucky to be able to do a day of exercises one day a week!"

"Well, that's not going to get you very far. You need to push yourself more."

"I've been trying! But how much better am I going to get if my body's too overworked to handle more? I have to get SOME recharge somewhere!"

"The body doesn't get new limits without forcing itself past the old ones. You're losing ground, that means you need to figure out a way to gain it back. Is it a lot? Sure, but putting your all into it is how anyone gets to the top, and if you're not getting the results you want, it means you need to put more of your own effort in. Even if you feel you're putting in enough, results tell the story, not feelings."

He hadn't expected Fuero to like that, and the purple 'Zard clearly didn't from the frustrated expression on his face. But Zuko wasn't going to shy away from blunt honesty...and Fuero could have gotten a lot worse, Zuko knew some trainers outright lied to their clients, telling them things that weren't true in order to change their behaviors. As far as Zuko was concerned, though, the truth should have been enough to motivate anyone. Bryson had the same approach - even though he was an agent, it was the same principle. Though it annoyed Zuko when Bryson tried to push him into questioning his judgments...Zuko might not have been a supergenius but he was quite sure he could know the truth when he saw it.

And it seemed like pointing that out to Fuero had made a difference - weeks 17 and 18 saw improvement again. Satisfying Zuko thoroughly - everyone needed motivation to get through the rough patches, and clearly Fuero just needed a bit of blunt honesty to shape up his performance. For someone who had never trained before, this could have been going a whole lot worse.

Really, though he wasn't going to say it out loud, he was starting to like the whelp a bit. Fuero had plenty of spunk, just as a lot of impetuous youths did, but he had it in a way that was smarter than most of them. He certainly had the drive, Zuko couldn't deny that he showed nothing but earnestness in wanting to get better...he'd seen more than a few who had folded because things were harder than they had expected and they didn't have the chops. And of course, seeing him so frequently wearing so little didn't hurt - if he was going to have to keep his eyes on someone the whole time, at least Fuero was easy on them. Those firm pectorals, well-toned arms and legs, that tight tush, he was even starting to come around to the exotic scale color...maybe his looks were getting a bit too risqué, but Zuko was good at boundaries, and Fuero certainly wasn't going to go for a damaged old grump like him. He could look but not touch, that was easy for him.

At least, that was what he thought...

It was a quiet day on his course, Zuko running through some of his own workouts. Wearing nothing but his bare scales - it was the kind of day that they felt confining, sometimes that happened, he didn't know why but it wasn't like it was a big deal, especially on the privacy of his own course. He was doing pull-ups on a makeshift bar, making sure not to use his wings as leverage at all, only raw upper body strength...much harder, but much more rewarding, as far as he was concerned.

And then he paused, as he saw Fuero approaching. The whelp was already in his 'uniform', or at least part of it, he didn't see the arm or leg guards, but they were probably in his bag. He let himself drop off of the bar, cocking his head. "What're you doing here, whelp?"

"I...isn't it a training day?"

"...Is it?" Somehow, Fuero didn't realize it was...odd, he didn't usually space on that. But the whelp was there, and he didn't show up unless it was. "Well, whatever, even if it isn't, an extra session or two won't hurt, whelp. Lose the latex, you don't need it."

"Huh? You...want me naked?"

"Of course." Zuko didn't know why he said it, and didn't question it. "That's the uniform for today. You don't see me wearing anything, do you?"

"Uh, no, sir." Fuero still sounded uncertain, but by the time Zuko had gotten to the training station of choice, Fuero was there and in the buff. Flushed a bit, but Zuko could see where those eyes were looking, and it wasn't away from him. "What are we doing today?"

"We'll start with squats. Get the bar on your shoulders and start pumping." Zuko stepped behind Fuero, watching the purple 'Zard take the bar on his shoulders and step forward, the heavy weight making his muscles strain a bit. Zuko watched him closely as he started into a series of squats, making sure his form was good...and it was clearly VERY good, the whelp's tail was hiked up to show his ass in better detail. Zuko could feel blood rushing to his groin, more responsive than he'd ever have dared to be normally, but it felt GOOD to just let that loose for once...he wasn't someone who went out hunting for action that often, too many people wanting a cheap thrill when he wasn't really a 'fling' kind of guy.

But Fuero was poking those buttons in a way he hadn't expected him to...Zuko walked around him, and grinned a bit as he saw Fuero sporting his own erection, completely out and exposed. It was certainly not a piece he found unfavorable - shaped pretty much identically to his, a good long and thick tool, with a head that tapered to a point over the first couple inches, and pockmarked with a few hot, steaming pits that jetted little licks of flame here and there. He could almost forgive the lavender color, even...though he would have taken his dull-ember red any day.

Fuero didn't even seem to be questioning Zuko's cock being out like it was. "Ngh, am I doing all right?"

"You're doing fine, whelp. Let's see how well you handle a bit of a disruption." Zuko stepped up in front of Fuero and grabbed the purple 'Zard's cock, making him gasp a bit, and then slowly slid his length along Fuero's, growling a bit as the pleasurable feeling of heat against heat. "Didn't tell you to stop squatting, whelp." That seemed to get Fuero going again a bit, but he was certainly not keeping to form...though part of that might have been the way Zuko was frotting against him, never letting go of his dick and not moving quite the same way. Zuko didn't care - he wanted a different workout today, and he was going to get it.

He could tell Fuero's legs were buckling a bit, the strain of that pleasure pushing him to his limits as he tried to keep his focus on the exercise. A fight he was clearly losing as his eyes were clearly fixed on Zuko, darting over his well-defined chest and abdomen, drinking in that muscular form that clearly had him captivated. Sure, he'd seen a good bit of it thanks to Zuko's normal attire, but now he was seeing ALL of it, and VERY close up...Zuko was finding himself not minding this at all, he didn't exactly think he was that appealing given how scuffed up his body was, but somehow this was proving to be desirable attention. And that was getting him revved up a bit more than he usually would be...

Suddenly Zuko's patience reached its breaking point. He grabbed the bar that Fuero had on his shoulders, pushing it back onto its rack suddenly as Fuero yelped a bit. While the purple 'Zard was off-balance, he took hold and executed a basic but effective takedown, dropping onto Fuero at the same time and pinning him on his back. Lust flared in his eyes as he continued to grind against the whelp, who was providing no complaints, indeed no feedback apart from rapturous moans and slight squirms under him. Clearly he WANTED this, and why should Zuko have been surprised, he was obsessed with him for a reason, wasn't he?

A sharp pull back, and a slight repositioning, and Zuko's cock was pressed against that tight backside. The purple's tailhole teased him, clenching and flexing in anticipation...Zuko had to imagine this wasn't the first time it had tasted this kind of pleasure, the whelp probably had suitors all over him, but Zuko was going to blow them all out of the water, prove his superiority as he always did. His grip tightened on Fuero, and he drove in with a mighty roar, getting a weaker and threadier one out of Fuero as his cock lanced in harshly. The raw power he had was now on full display, and Fuero was going to feel every bit of it!

One thing was undeniable: Zuko was not a nice, easy fuck. He didn't act often, but when he did it was unleashed in a burst, putting his all into it and using his heat liberally to stoke the flames of his partner. He wasn't concerned that Fuero couldn't take it, the whelp was tough enough, and he would probably appreciate being push to the limit. His toe claws dug into the ground as he rocked in viciously, hammering in and out with ferocity and blazing passion, hunting down any spot that made Fuero react harder and then ruthlessly abusing it to the max. It was no heartless fucking, he was determined to bring his partner to the roiling cascades of pleasure - he was simply doing so in the only way he truly knew how, overwhelming effort and intensity. The tried and true method had never failed him yet, though...

And it certainly wasn't failing here, as the whelp was clearly losing himself to it, squirming and writhing and moaning underneath him, a display that might have annoyed him if he was watching as a passive observer but was riling him up more as the one bringing that to the fore. He was pushing back a little bit, squeezing down more deliberately, clearly trying to get Zuko's lava into him...and it wasn't going to be long, the grinding session had gotten him pretty riled up already. And Zuko wasn't really trying to hold back, if he wasn't satisfied he could just go again, and he'd be happy to unleash his fire as many times as he could before returning to a simmer. Just as he'd make sure Fuero displayed his submission and surrender just as many times...he could smell the lust in the air, he was right on the edge, ready to blow and fill the whelp with a champion's lava-

Zuko's eyes snapped open into the darkness just as his climax hit. A strained snarl escaped him as he pumped his hips, loosing his spunk onto himself...the tightness around his cock vanishing in an instant, the illusion lasting just long enough to get him over the edge. Growling a bit, he grabbed onto his dick and squeezed and jerked a few times before the sensation died away, at least trying to finish it even if he couldn't finish it 'properly.' The mess glowed a bit on his body for a bit, that bit of light receding as it cooled on his body. Steam billowed from Zuko's nose as he tried to catch his breath, feeling the rush of climax abate away slowly.

Fuck. Dream. Been a while since I had one of those ones...

It wasn't a complete unknown, but Zuko didn't have wet dreams often. Usually only if he was feeling pent up...he didn't usually get to feeling that way, and when he did he generally took care of it proactively, usually on his own, on rare occasion with another fighter. But rarely did he dream about anyone he actually KNEW, even when they did crop up...so having Fuero in there was a very new one, and something he wasn't sure how to think about. Surely, it wasn't right to be having lust-dreams for the one he was training? Then again, it wasn't like he'd TRIED to have them...maybe his brain was just messing with him. Bryson said dreams could do that when he'd complained about them before...and he couldn't argue that it was better than another dream about struggling against technology, THOSE ones always pissed him off.

He pushed himself upright, heading towards his restroom to clean up. Grumbling a bit to himself as he did... Whelp shouldn't be getting into my dreams like that, he hasn't gotten THAT good yet... Of course, that was being presumptuous, there was no reason for him to think Fuero thought of him like that. And maybe it was best if he didn't start getting to thinking that way.

It's not going to happen anyway. He's gonna get tired of this and find someone else to train him...someone who does it the 'modern' way. It was odd, that thought didn't exactly make him feel good...he thought he'd enjoy having that time back to himself, but something about it was bugging him more than he thought. All he could do was try to push that away and get himself focused again...

---

The next few weeks weren't helping Zuko's mood much. A couple of rough matches had him in sour moods - of course, it was more tech nonsense that he couldn't figure out how to deal with. Newfangled gadgets that seemed to remove part of the actual challenge...it made him feel even more determined to make sure someone, at least, fought honestly, and he was pushing Fuero harder than ever. At least he wasn't making any remarks about tech anymore, and he was doing a pretty good job. He was still improving, though the gains were getting smaller, but that was natural - he was clearly reaching a good point where the growth was coming from building up as much as it was improving his mechanical performance. And it was filling him with a bit of satisfaction, even if he probably shouldn't have had it - there was always the thought in the back of his head that it had to fall through. But every time it didn't, he was feeling a little better about it.

So things were starting to go a little better on that front...or, at least, that was what Zuko had thought. And like a lot of times when he thought things were going fine, something happened to prove him brutally wrong.

It was three hours into their training session, and Fuero had been running Zuko's agility course again - the one he'd injured himself on before, thankfully there hadn't been a repeat of that. There didn't seem to be any worry about that today, though, because Fuero was powering through it like he never had before. The purple 'Zard seemed to have done a good bit of a turnaround from his earlier struggles, he was performing better than ever, despite the strained look on his face. Faster, cleaner, more sure-handed and sure-footed, and he was persisting with it, not dropping off like he had frequently done over the training periods before. It seemed like he actually knew what he was doing out there and was also doing it better than he ever had before.

Finally, Zuko decided to call it, stepping over to the purple 'Zard. "Not bad, whelp, not bad at all. You seem like you're getting hardier already."

"Doesn't...feel...like it..." panted Fuero, hunched over with his hands on his knees. "Feels...like I'm...about to...keel over..."

"That's how you know you've gotten a good workout. If you're not pushed to your limit you're not pushing your limits. I'm beat as hell when I get done, too, but that just builds me up for later."

"If you...say so...are we...ever going to...work on technique?"

Zuko rolled his eyes a bit - Fuero needed to learn to appreciate what gains he got. Younglings were so impatient. "Tch. One thing at a time, whelp, I need to whip you into shape. You can survive out there not having the edge on technique, but not without having the stamina or durability or agility. No one ever got to the Master Class just because they had some move that they thought was unstoppable - most mons out there will find a way to stop it."

Fuero groaned, though he'd at least caught his breath a bit. "Ugh...I'm just...all I've done so far is run through your courses and stuff like that. I know it's important, and I'm not saying we have to stop, but I'd like to at least be able to practice technique when I'm on my own..."

"Well, tough, we'll get there when we get there. Keep getting better at the courses and we'll see what happens..." Zuko trailed off as he noticed something he hadn't before. On Fuero's right hand was a ring of some kind...he hadn't ever seen the purple wearing that before. "Wait, did you get married or something?"

"Married? What are you..." Now it was Fuero's turn to fall silent, his eyes widening as he looked down at his hand. "Oh...shit..."

Zuko's eyes narrowed; a response like that didn't fill him with confidence. "What is it?"

Fuero hesitated, looking away, like he didn't want to speak up. But he did, wincing as he did. "It's...a bio-stabilizer ring."

Well, now Zuko knew why the whelp was doing better. "Excuse me?! What the hell is this? I thought these bio-stabilizer whatsits were bands that went around the arms and legs!"

"Most of them are...the rings are a newer version, they're less cumbersome but they aren't quite as potent. I usually only use it for lighter workouts..."

"Hmph. So you thought you were going to cheat past my eyes because you had something I couldn't see?!"

"What? No!" Fuero stood upright, growling a bit. "I forgot I had it on! I was using it at home for my personal training, I just forgot to take it off last night!"

Zuko snorted, a bit of smoke coming out of his nostrils. He should have suspected...maybe he did, on some level. And maybe it shouldn't have been a big deal, but...it felt like a rejection of him, of his efforts, of his investment. And whether that was reasonable or not, his head wasn't letting him think about reasonable, only rejection. "And you think that's better? Pretend you're doing it legit out here, and then cheat at home? Is that the kind of attitude you think will get you to succeed?"

"It's the kind of attitude that will let me actually TRY!" Fuero shot back hotly. "You're the one who said I needed to keep doing personal training despite the fact that you drive me like a fucking beast of burden every day! I told you I didn't have the energy, but you told me I needed to figure out it! Well, this is what I figured out, I can actually try to do something if I use these!"

"You were supposed to find a solution that wasn't a cheap shortcut!"

"WHAT solution?!"

That threw Zuko off a bit. "...Why are you asking me?"

"Because if you have all the fucking answers, then maybe I need to hear one! You don't want me using bio-stabilizers, you don't want me recovering my fucking energy, what's your magic fix that'll let me act like I haven't just trained my ass off for hours on end? Do you have any idea how an actual person's body WORKS?!"

Zuko didn't have a good answer for that - he wanted Fuero to find a solution, it wasn't like he had one to give him. Still, he wasn't about to bend on this. "Find a solution that doesn't involve this tech nonsense. If you want to train under me I don't want you using that crap, you're supposed to actually get stronger, not find cheap ways to get around the effort."

"If you're not going to give me any goddamned advice, you don't get to tell me off for finding a solution." Zuko recoiled a bit at the sharpness Fuero replied to that with - he wasn't used to being snapped at like that. "You want me to do it all the natural way, then SHOW ME THE FUCKING NATURAL WAY. You haven't shown me shit so far, it's like you expect me to do it all an my own! News flash, if I could do it on my own, I wouldn't need a damn trainer! So either tell me what I'm supposed to do that doesn't involve tech or shove off!"

Silence for a harsh moment. The red 'Zard was caught between a rock and a hard place - he didn't want to give Fuero ANY license to use the tech crap, but he had no actual substitute to offer...he'd never done anything special for recovery, he'd just been able to handle the training without issue. Faced with someone who couldn't do the same thing, he didn't have any idea what to do. Maybe that should have been a clue, but...he couldn't give any ground. If he gave ground, then it was an admission that he wasn't good enough...he had to be. But all that didn't give him any answers.

And Fuero seemed to pick up on this, because his eyes narrowed at Zuko. "That's exactly what I thought. You don't have anything. It's just your fucking technophobia again. The hell is your problem with technology anyway? You act like it's gonna be the death of us all, but like hell you don't use ANY tech at all, or take advantage of the tech that's out there! You've got tech in your damn break room, and you're not trying to constantly torch it, so why is it so bad?!"

"Why does it matter to you?" shot back Zuko.

"Because I don't think you're being reasonable! Look, I've run the numbers on this stuff, it's not just puffing! Bio-stabilizers and force limiters have reduced training injuries by almost 70%! Time lost to injury has dropped almost 80%! These are hugely beneficial tools that are commonly used because they work and they make it so fighters are so much less likely to actually lose their chance at a title because of injury! I can show you the research I've done, I'm not just puffing here! And they've done a ton of studies that have shown that using them doesn't have any impact on actual battle performance, it doesn't make people stronger in matches or anything like that!"

All of this was not doing any favors to Zuko's mood, as the red 'Zard snarled back. "Why should I care what a bunch of book-pushers has to say? They aren't actually in the middle of the fray, they'd fall over in seconds if they even tried to match me."

"Why do they have to be a fighter to know anything about it?" Fuero spat hotly. "They aren't just doing this for shits and giggles, this is part of their JOB to find out about this stuff! And it's backed up by the actual data! Hell, no one in their right mind would train at a place that banned that stuff, it's courting the end of your career to be that risky! Do you have any idea how many fighters used to have to give up because of training injuries? Or even just how many just ran themselves into the ground?"

"How is that my problem? If they're too feeble for this, then they're too feeble! Maybe people need to spend less time looking for shortcuts and more time actually training themselves! I got where I was without any help from that garbage, I did it the honest way!"

"What's dishonest about keeping yourself safe from harm? Just because you somehow never get hurt doesn't mean the rest of the world's so lucky!"

Zuko flared at that. "Lucky? I got to where I am because I have the damn skill! I didn't turn to cheap gimmicks as a way to compensate for anything, I WORKED my way up there!"

"I want to work my way up there, too!" shot back Fuero. "How am I supposed to do that if I mangle my leg because you made me do one of your damn obstacle courses sixty times? It's not compensating for anything to use safety equipment! You think construction workers are marshmallows because they wear safety gear? You think racers using helmets and goggles are fucking pansies for daring to not want to risk their lives when they don't have to?!"

"That's different!"

"NO IT'S NOT! It's the same goddamned thing! It's all stuff designed to make things safer for us! The only reason you hate it is because you consider it 'technology' and the other stuff not technology for whatever stupid reason, I've never even heard one beyond the fact that it's technology! You act like everyone needs to follow your goddamned path in life or they're not worthy somehow, just because they might not want to kill themselves trying to train on their own personal obstacle course!"

Zuko balled his fists as he glared daggers at Fuero. "Don't give me that shit! You ASKED to train with me! You were all ga-ga over the idea of training under the guy you said was the best!"

"That's because I thought I was going to be TRAINED!" Fuero raged. "Not run into the ground by a greasy old gasbag who couldn't give less than a shit about me or my well-being!"

That line stopped Zuko cold. Of all the things he thought he might hear, that wasn't one of them...and it stung a lot more than he thought it would, hearing that Fuero thought he didn't care. Maybe because he'd actually gotten into the idea of being a trainer, maybe because he had started to think more of Fuero, maybe because he'd been nursing that bit of lust for him...he hadn't expected to care about what Fuero thought of him, but it was hard to deny that if he really didn't, he wouldn't have found himself silenced by the charge.

Fuero fell silent as well, though still looking far more frustrated than anything. He turned, slung his bag over his shoulder, and started to stomp off...then paused, looking back over his other shoulder angrily. "You know, I can deal with you not respecting me as a fighter. I'm used to that, and maybe I deserve it. But not being respected as a person...I don't think I deserve that." He didn't wait for a response, nor was one forthcoming from Zuko, as he watched the purple 'Zard retreat from him.

Never before had the silence and solitude of his training ground felt so unpleasant.

---

"You WHAT?!" It wasn't every day that one could shock a Psychic-type, especially one as sharp and aware as Bryson. If only Zuko was in a mood where he could enjoy it...

"I'm thinking about retirement."

"Retirement?! You can't be serious!"

"I am. I know, it's probably coming as a shock to you-"

"SHOCK? This is flat-out bonkers! In all the years I've known you, you've never been one to say you'll hang it up, anyone and everyone has always been certain that the only way you'd leave the ACL was if you physically couldn't sustain it anymore! You're consistently one of the top competitors, you've got a passion like no one else I've ever seen, you're still in pristine shape...what on earth would possibly have you even considering something like this?!"

Zuko sighed; this was about the reaction he expected, and it wasn't making coming to him with his thoughts much easier. "I know what you're saying, but I think you're putting me up higher than you should. Especially with that 'pristine shape' remark, I'm plenty scuffed up and you can see it. And you can tell I've been struggling, Bryson. I'm losing matches against people I would have beaten not that long ago. I'm putting in all this time and effort to keep myself in top physical form, and it's not yielding the results it used to. I feel like it's possible I've reached a point where I just can't keep up anymore, and I'm going to get passed by...you've noticed that even the matches I'm winning haven't been as good as what they used to be, I'm sure."

Bryson's brow furrowed. "This isn't something that's never happened before, Zuko. You've had slumps before, just like every fighter has."

"This is more than a slump, Bryson. I'm not a young buck anymore. I may have decades, maybe centuries left in me, but there's still only so high I can go. And it's not going to get any easier going forward, as others choose to take shortcuts I can't bring myself to use. I may still be at my peak, but they're going to have different peaks than I do...and those peaks are probably just going to get higher and higher, while mine stays the same. Even right now while I can still compete, I don't know how well I can match up, and as I get outpaced...I just...don't want to watch myself slide down that hill into uselessness like that. It's not even a pride thing, it's not losing that's the issue, it's feeling like I CAN'T win...you don't gain anything from losing a battle you never had a chance in in the first place. And I've already had one hopeless situation in my life and that was one too many."

A heavy silence lingered over the Alakazam's office for a bit; Zuko didn't say anything more, letting Bryson process all this, knowing that absurdly powerful brain was running processes he couldn't even imagine. Which of course meant that Bryson was looking for a way to talk him back from this...and he couldn't really decide if he was dreading that or hoping for it. Even now, as he was thinking about it, it wasn't something he truly wanted, he just felt it might be for the best...

After a bit, Bryson's eyes opened back up. "You've got valid concerns, Zuko. I'm not going to lie...I've been concerned that your stance, principled as it is, could open you up to something like this. And while I think that there's an easy solution, I know this isn't what you want and I respect that. Listen, I know this has been something of a sticky thing for you recently, and...well, I KNOW something must have happened with your last session with Fuero that pushed you into this thought pattern, I won't ask what it is since if you wanted to tell me you would have told me already. But let's not jump into anything, all right? Listen, you're still in the top quartile of the bracket rankings for this season, you're essentially a lock for the tournament, so you CLEARLY still have it, even if you've had your struggles, and people are still laying money on you taking the championship, so you've got the belief of more than just me. Just...let's focus on this season for now, all right? After it's ended, no matter what happens, whether you win it all or flame out in the first round, I promise we'll sit down and talk things out more. Maybe you'll decide that's what you want, maybe all you'll need is a change in perspective and you'll feel good again, maybe...well, there's plenty of other maybes, but we don't have to go into all of them. Just don't be in a rush to make any decisions, especially a big one like this. I'll be perfectly happy to talk it out with you, and help you come to the decision YOU want, but right now to me this sounds more like frustration talking than you genuinely feeling like you want your time to be up. But if you really think there's more to it than that, let's try to take care of business here and then come to a determination after that's all done. Is that all right with you?"

Zuko drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly...the tension in his chest was diminishing. Bryson was indeed trying to hold him back, but not in a way that felt forced...he was listening, at least, and advising him as a proper professional would, not trying to make it about his reputation or anything like that. Being able to trust him meant a lot, and eased the anxiety of his thoughts. "Yeah...that sounds fine. It would be pretty messy to bail mid-season, and...well, I'd like to at least try to finish what I started, as long as my body will let me. Just promise me you won't try to avoid the subject after that, okay?"

"You have my word. I want what's best for you, but you know that better than anyone else. I'll listen, I'll advise, but you'll decide."

"Thank you." Zuko stood up, feeling a lot more at ease; Bryson even just hearing him out helped, and the Alakazam was right that it wasn't something he wanted to decide spur-of-the-moment. "I'll get back to training, then...and, uh..."

Bryson already knew what he was going to ask. "I won't breathe a word, I swear it. Though you know how things are...this sort of stuff tends to leak out whether you want it to or not."

---

Sometimes it really sucked for Bryson to be right. Not that it was his fault, but that didn't make it suck less.

Zuko had returned to the office a few hours later to pick up a report on his next match. Reading stuff on these people never really felt like it told him much, but sometimes it had something he could use as a focus for his next few days of preparation...his focus was quickly taken away from the papers, though, when he heard the door bang open and loud footsteps stomp his direction. He looked up to see a tirade of purple coming his way. "Are you fucking insane?! You CAN'T retire like this!"

"What the hell?!" The impudence of the whelp was overshadowed by the words he heard. "First, I'm NOT retiring yet, and second, where the hell did you even hear that?!"

"Take a wild guess." Fuero tapped his phone and showed the screen to Zuko. On it was a page with a big headline, [RUMOR MILL SWIRLS: IS ZUKO CAMBRION PLANNING TO RETIRE?] with a byline that showed it was written by Cullen Grapthorne. Other numbers there were less familiar to Zuko but he'd heard about enough of them to know that this was being spread around like wildfire.

The red 'Zard growled deeply, gripping the papers in his hand so tight he nearly crushed them. "I think it's time for a lunch break. I've got a craving for roasted ham."

"Forget the bacon bitch! You CAN'T retire! You're the best in the business! It would be an absolute travesty!"

"I bloody well can retire if I want to, and don't think you'd be able to stop me, whelp. Besides, I thought you weren't so keen on me anyway."

Fuero waved a hand dismissively. "What, that spat we had yesterday? That doesn't change anything! You didn't stop being the best just because I got frustrated with you! I was just trying to-"

"-To prove I was wrong?" Zuko snorted.

"To give you some perspective! There's more ways of doing things out there than just yours, and that doesn't make them all wrong! I know you've got your ways and they're working great for you, but that doesn't mean they're perfect!"

"Fine. They aren't perfect for everyone. They're perfect for ME. And I don't appreciate someone else shoving another way into my face like I'm just supposed to drop everything I've done over the past few decades and embrace something completely different because some bookworms threw around a few numbers and figures. Numbers and figures aren't LIVING something."

Fuero folded his arms. "I never told you that YOU had to use bio-stabilizers!"

"You wanted to be trained by me, but not by the methods I've lived by. Isn't that close enough?" Silence from the purple 'Zard, giving him a chance to press on. "But you're right about one thing...I've never given you a good reason. So here you go. I don't like it because once you start, it's all too easy to go further. It starts with the training stuff, and that gives people advantages because they take less risk. Then they start to think, if it's good here, why wouldn't it be good in battle? And there's all these tempting things that promise easy wins, and because no one wants to lose, that's where they start to go. And that's where it ends up, technology being a substitute for actual talent and effort, real strength pushed aside for manufactured showmanship. It's not the same as construction safety, because there's no one you're trying to best there...this is competition, and the desire to win means something."

"...Really?" Fuero replied dubiously. "You think it's like a gateway drug?"

"Doubt me all you want, whelp, but I've been around these leagues longer than you've been alive. There was a time when people had to earn their way to the big leagues by pushing themselves beyond their limits. These days, more and more, it's just pay to win - whoever shells out for the fanciest gadgets gets the edge. Because people wanted to play the game but couldn't buy talent, so they bought talent substitutes. And I don't like the money game, because talent can't keep up with it."

"Paying for things doesn't automatically mean you're not trying!" protested Fuero. "Hell, you wouldn't be training me if I wasn't paying you for your time!"

Zuko let out a steamy huff. "Weren't you just saying yesterday that I wasn't even training you?"

"That...look, I was a bit hot, I wasn't-"

"Save it, whelp. You had a point. I'm a shitty trainer. I don't know what I'm doing. You were right, I didn't even want to train you, it was an obligation. Wouldn't matter whether you paid me or not, I wouldn't have done it, except you actually have the damn talent and you put in the damn effort. But all I did was throw you into my training course over and over again because I don't have a clue what I'm actually supposed to do to 'train' you. And it's obvious I haven't actually accomplished jack except probably pushing you to quit trying to do things the natural way, and you might as well because that's how it's all going anyway."

"I'm not running out to the fucking cyber shop just because we had a goddamn spat!" growled Fuero. "Not every bit of tech is about getting an advantage in battle, and I've never been trying to do that! I just want to have an actual career!"

"Well, that's probably the only way you'll have one, and it has nothing to do with your talent," replied Zuko gruffly. "I get it. It makes for flashier battles, and that draws crowds, and that's what the league lives on. And fewer injuries means fewer times the fans have to get squeamish and remember that we're actual people with actual lives rather than just icons for their entertainment. But that's not what they're thinking about when they look for this stuff...they're thinking about how they can use it to win. And if I'm a greasy old gasbag who doesn't want to hitch my wagon to that trend, well, maybe that just means the world's passed me by. I'd rather hang it up than spend years losing to hacks who shelled out for a trick gadget...it doesn't mean anything to me losing to that, at least if I lost to someone who really worked hard and earned it it would mean something."

"You're still better than any of them!" insisted Fuero.

"Cute sentiment, whelp, but it doesn't matter if I can't actually win. And if the best can't win against it, then there's no point in caring about being the best. I know you've got me on some strange pedestal or whatever, but you're better off finding a trainer that won't hold you back and will get with the times, since mine probably aren't long no matter what."

"I'm not finding another trainer. You're the one I want, you're the one I always wanted. Like hell I'm gonna let one little tiff derail that, I'm not a quitter and I know neither are you! I didn't say I wanted to learn from the best for nothing, dammit! You're skilled beyond anyone else, you know more techniques and know how to do them better than anyone, I wanted to learn that! If I wanted to just get cheap wins I would've bought my way like you said! And if I thought I could've gotten better with just anyone I would've gone with anyone else! Fuckin' hell, I'm not just doing this because I've got some kinda status or because my parents can pay you or because I just wanna ogle your sexy-ass body!"

That last one got Zuko doing a double-take. "Ex...cuse me?"

Fuero started to sweat a bit, that clearly hadn't been meant to come out. But he shook his head to throw off the awkwardness. "Yeah, you're fuckin' hot. You've been fuckin' hot since the first day I watched you fight. I'm not afraid to say it. Like, I'm not trying to come on to you or anything, I'm just saying it 'cause it's true. You're probably the sexiest guy I've ever seen."

"...I have to question your taste. I'm far from the most attractive specimen out there, look at how marked up I am."

"Hell, that just makes you look sexier. And I'm serious, I wouldn't be taking peeks at you during our meditation sessions if you weren't."

Zuko's stare was now accompanied by a skeptical look. "You do know you're supposed to be clearing your head during that time, right?"

"What better way to practice clearing my head than putting in something that's hard to get out?" replied the purple 'Zard, with a hint of cheek and a bigger hint of defiance.

"...I'll have to come up with a counter to that some other time, I think. I'm not going to convince you to find someone else, am I?"

"Not a chance. Look. I know I've been...maybe a bit brattier than I should be when talking about this stuff, but I CARE, dammit. I just care about keeping myself safe, too. But I said I wanted to learn from you, so if that's what it's gonna take, then fine. I'll do it your way when I'm with you. No tech, if that's the way you think is best. But that means I can only push myself so hard, because I can't be dead in bed the day after or longer every single time. Maybe you can handle that level, but I can't. Maybe I can work my way up, but not if I'm hurting myself more than I'm gaining. But I'll do it your way, and I'll stop giving you shit about it, regardless of how I feel. I'm not gonna make any promises about my personal training, but you don't have to see it or hear about it."

Zuko could have said no. Could have said he had to focus on his own training, that he didn't believe Fuero's commitment, that he just felt it wouldn't have been the best idea, or even that he felt that the whelp's lustful feelings could be a conflict, especially given his own. And he was much more tempted to go with that last one than anything else...knowing that the younger actually desired him, when he was nursing his own, felt like a fiercer temptation than it probably should have been. But all that he said in the end was "Fine. I'll see you for our regular session. And I'm holding you to your word."

"And I'll stick to it," swore Fuero. "Right, see you in a couple days. And, uh...sorry about, uh, triggering all this." He looked like he wanted to say more, but instead turned and briskly made his way out, leaving Zuko to rub his head...and sneak a peak at the departing rear end, even covered up as it was it was eye-catching. But he tried to force that thought out of his head.

I'm not what he really needs. Sooner or later he's going to see that. And then he'll go find someone else. A smoky sigh escaped the red 'Zard, and he went back to the dossier on his opponent, though it was going to be even harder to focus on than usual...not just because of the thing with Fuero, as his desire to shred Cullen Grapthorne into pork cutlets hadn't abated at all...