Thrive in Catastrophe Chapter 58

"Yes but this is not something you can expect to learn in one day." Heine's answer is terse, and Xiao wonders if he is bothered by his request.

"Nothing can be done in a day, please trust that I am sincerely dedicated."

Heine walked in front of Xiao and grabbed his hand, pulling him into his body, causing Xiao 's heart to beat uncontrollably.

It is about possibilities, and the ability to narrow down the possibilities. For instance, when you throw a punch towards me I can filter out what moves are impossible. The closer your fist is, the more moves I can filter out and the more accurate my response will be. For me, this has come from an acc.u.mulation of experience. You do not have this experience. Making the judgements is easy, once your mind narrows the options down."

Xiao Yan understands what Heine is saying. The more possibilities, the more difficult it is to make a move.

"I will attack you, try to stop me."

Heine moves before he is ready and instantly Xiao's shoulders are crushed against the ground.

"Pay attention." The cool curt tone is a clear command.

Xiao Yan knows that it is rare for Heine Burton to personally train anybody. This is the man and the myth within the Special Forces; he needs to concentrate on absorbing every second of his tutelage.

Heine deliberately slows his motions down, deconstructing his movements to allow Xiao Yan to clearly see the order of his attack. Just when Xiao is certain Heine cannot alter his attack, he manages to do something unexpected.

After a couple hours, Heine stops.

Xiao Yan is desperately gasping for air as sweat pours down his face. He felt like an infant battling a G.o.d. If he were his former self, his confidence would have long since disintegrated.

He was perfectly aware that he wasn't worth mentioning in the same sentence as Colonel Burton.

Still Heine had taken his time to show him what he knew without any hesitation.

"That is it for today."

Heine turned away and opened the door. Two special forces waited for Xiao outside.

"Send him back."

"Yes, Colonel."

Xiao Yan and Heine walk in different directions down the hall.

________________________________

Three minutes and twelve seconds.

Compared with the results of the first experiment, it is substantial progress...but it is not enough.

He must make the x-2 virus last longer.

By the time he made it back to his room, Xiao's thoughts were boiling and pressurizing inside his exhausted body. The terminal inside his room is not sufficient for data processing, but he can use it to communicate.

He discovered that Casey was still online.

.

"Hey, Casey, I figured you would be asleep."

"I fell asleep after training and was napping until now. Ugh! I have enough problems without being wrung dry by the Special Forces. I don't want to do this!"

Xiao Yan lowered his head, choked back his laughter. He knew that if Casey was serious there was nothing that he couldn't do. The problem was he hated things like physical fitness and fighting.

"You're laughing at me! It is obvious! You think I don't know all your expressions?!"

"I wasn't laughing. I just think you are a genius. Remember the advice you gave me? I adjusted the virus and was able to extend its effectiveness from 36s to 3 minutes. The problem is, I have no idea how to extend it further."

Casey pursed his lips and tilted his chin; this as an expression he only adopts when he is thinking about a research problem. "My dear, isn't the problem not that you want it to last longer, but that you want the effects to be permanent?"

Xiao Yan shouted, "So...how can I make it permanent?!"

"You don't want the virus just to be present you want it to completely and permanently alter the genes of the host."

Xiao Yan frowned. "... Is this possible?"

Casey shrugged. "If you think that it is impossible then continue in the direction you are going. A virus's action in the body is like walking through a maze. Don't allow it to detour too much. Imagine what you want it to do and force it down a more direct path of action."

"More direct?"

Xiao Yan thoughts begin to race.

Casey eyes began to get heavy. "My dear, I'm going to sleep... I have another depressing day tomorrow."

The terminal system beeps: Your friend is offline.

Xiao Yan sits and thinks. How can it be more direct?

Suddenly his thoughts scatter and he sees a bright light above him. He is lying in the middle of the training room.

Heine's body is lying on top of him, his arms are propped next to his ears. His face is so close that, when Heine's hair brushes across his face, the strands intertwine with his own and gleam, like stars falling from the night sky.

Xiao Yan tightens his lips into a thin line.

Oh G.o.d...again.

"Is it because you have entered my subconscious, is that why I cannot help but fantasize about you?"

"Do you want this to be an illusion?" Heine's face is so close, every shadow and line is brilliantly distinct.

It seems so real.

His eyelashes lower and the indifferent landscape of his face, melts into a unique softness.

It must be an illusion. Heine would never ask such questions in reality. His heart has no doubt within it.

Xiao's mouth pulls up in a sly smile. "If this is a fantasy then I can do whatever I want to."

Every time Heine kisses him he is overwhelmed by his force, now he wants to pay it back.

He props himself up and swiftly presses his mouth against Heine's.

He is sure that he will be met with refusal, but he doesn't have to worry about pain or death in his own imagination.

Although....every sensation is so vivid, in his mind.

He recalls how wild and unrestrained Heine's kisses were. This time, Xiao imitated his method and aggressively pushes his tongue into Heine's mouth, turning his body over to straddle Heine's waist.

Suddenly everything explodes into an inferno. Heine grabs Xiao's cheek. His mouth pressed back against his mouth, desperately and madly, engulfs him. Xiao Yan senses begin to blur and all he can do is helplessly cling to his shoulders.

Heine easily sits up and lifts Xiao's s.h.i.+rt up. His fingers move sensually along his skin. He slid his hands down to his hips and kneaded his flesh setting fire to his body. He stretched his hand into the waistband of his pants and began frantically removing any obstacles. His hands move down lower and stretch apart his b.u.t.tocks. Heine presses his hardness against the hot opening and thrusts up, driving deep into Xiao's body. The sudden pain halts Xiao's heart, and he begins to struggle, but Heine just pushes back against him even harder.

"This is why I always go into deep your subconscious. You will feel pain, you will know clearly that it is me, you will know that I possess you but when you leave here, you will remain intact."

Xiao's eyes widen at the hints of madness that seemed to flash in Heine's gaze. Those icy blue eyes exuded an intense power that wrapped around Xiao Yan, suffocating every pore.

Heine's hips continue to furiously move, thrusting in and out with loud and heavy slaps. Xiao feels like his body is being torn apart. He tries to grab onto Heine's shoulder and move away, but it is a road of no return. Heine grabs his waist not giving him any way to retreat.

Xiao's body sways up and down with each powerful thrust. Each time he is brought to a great height, he is slammed down, his body barely able to accommodate Heine's as he ferociously pounds in and out of his body. Xiao's cannot get free from the impact and he can only squeeze out a few words from his throat.

"...Colonel...stop..."

Xiao Yan looked at Heine through bleary eyes. He feared this man but couldn't seem to catch him.

These waves of emotions, tumbling through Heine's eyes...they were just Xiao's fantasy...

Right?

Heine reached out and his hand gripped the back of Xiao's head, his lips crash against his in a fiery and powerful kiss. Then he turned over and pressed himself against Xiao's body, lifting his legs high, he pushed down on his shoulders.

His ravishment of Xiao Yan is not over. It all lasted far too long.

Even still, for Xiao Yan, this is not a nightmare.

Under Heine's rough thrusts, Xiao's body is sore but he finds himself intoxicated at such an intimate connection with Heine. Even if he is torn apart and destroyed under Heine's strength, he could never hate him.

Heine's heavy body simmers with power and he lowers his head to look at Xiao Yan, his voice laden with indescribable yearning.

"I want to hold you in real life."

Heine's icy eyes seemed to melt and drip onto Xiao Yan, who looks at him dumbfounded.

"Why?"

"...because I want you to be mine."

Heine's lip graze the tip of Xiao's nose, his teeth nip gently at his skin. The strands of his hair brush against Xiao's cheek.

It was an unexpected and incredibly intimate gesture.

Then his body sinks into a feeling of weightlessness and he opens his eyes to see the bright light has softened.

He is back in his room, returned to reality.

"what......"

He pushed the terminal off and lowers his head. His heart is thumping through his chest. He grabs his arm as the feeling of Heine's kiss still lingers on his lips.

Did Heine invade his brain just now?

Xiao Yan stared at the terminal connector. He recalled that Heine was a top student in the Central Academy of Sciences. He thinks back on his past illusions and realizes the many times he was connected to the terminal

So is this Heine's answer?

"I want you to be mine." As Xiao recalled his thickly voiced words, his heart trembled

Because this illusion of Heine was so intimate, Xiao doesn't feel that he is quite as distant and cold. He can still feel the strength flowing through Heine's body, the warmth of his skin...it is all so chaotically clear. The mere memory scrambles his nerves and sets fire to his heart.

He remembers that Heine had to enter his subconscious to wake him up from the blocker invasion. He knows that entering the subconscious can have a large impact on one's mind. The effect may start small but evolve to impact the future.

He sits with these thoughts rolling through his head until the pressure and realization builds and he beats his fist against his forehead.

"I love Colonel Burton." Because of this he has to wonder that if the Heine was not an illusion, would he still yearn to be taken and possessed by him?

Xiao Yan exhaled, wis.h.i.+ng to become stronger...

He is helplessly attracted to this aloof and distant as a cliff-like man.

He remembered his father once said that people walking under cliffs always subconsciously glance up to follow the lines of the high ridges, because cliffs always stretch upward, reaching toward and mingling with the sky.

"Okay, Colonel Burton." Xiao Yan clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes.

"Since you have used my mind to challenged and push me to my limit, let's see how you handle me in reality. I will get your answer."

This is the power of Xiao Yan's determination.

____________
Xiao Yan continued to increase the duration of the virus's efficacy. After one month of work, it now lasts for six minutes.

He doesn't know how many times Heine's attacks have brought him to the floor. Right now his arms are pushed against Heine's back as his other hand reaches his neck. If this were actual combat, Xiao's neck would be broken.

Sweat poured down his face in thick rivulets. The salty fluid ran from the tip of his nose to drip onto the ground. As Xiao's body started to fall to the floor, Heine grabbed him. His back was cradled by Heine's arms.

"Thank you......"

Xiao Yan looked up, intentionally locking eyes with Heine. It seemed this man really looked down on him. As he evaluated Heine's carefully guarded gaze, Xiao suddenly felt mischievous. He lifts his chin and deliberately rubs his lips against the side of Heine's face as he helps him up... Just for a brief moment. He is careful not to go too far. Heine doesn't back up, he just stands steadily holding onto Xiao's shoulders.

"Hm." Although it is only a single syllable, his voice seemed strained and thick.

Xiao Yan's heart fills with laughter and he realized that the effects of the virus have not been completely exhausted. He reeled back and threw a punch at Heine's stomach as his other hand went to strike his face. He immediately directed another attack at his chest. The attack landed, but Heine simply gripped his wrist and swept through an even kick, knocking Xiao off balance.

Just as his chin hit the floor, Heine gently put a hand to his shoulder.

Xiao Yan lifted his eyes, to see Heine kneeling in front of him, his body angled toward his.

"Are you hurt?"

"No...no..."

What is Heine thinking, one moment he is kicking him to the ground, only to hold him close, the next instant..

.

Such a small attack wasn't going to hurt him.

He looks up at Heine and his mind rolls back to the pa.s.sionate and uncontrolled Heine of his subconscious.

Was that the real Heine Burton?

In reality he was so cold, yet always deeply worried and shaken at the thought of him hurt.

Suddenly Xiao Yan leaned toward him.

He wanted to kiss him, to show him that he recognized his efforts to protect him.

But as soon as his face approached Heine's, he frowned at him and abruptly stood up.

Xiao felt his ears burn instantly at his foolish impulse.

What the h.e.l.l?

Getting off the floor, he realizes that the effects of the virus have pa.s.sed.

"Someone care to explain to me what the f.u.c.k is going on here?"

An angry roar exploded like a canon in the room. The air instantly charged with a raw wrath.

Xiao Yan looked over to see a figure furiously striding over to them, his eyes were chilled, shooting poison directly at Heine.

Xiao Yan looked at the familiar pale face and the elegant slope of the person's mouth. Today though there is no trace of his lazy and teasing demeanor. He exudes nothing but murder and the air seems to condense into blood as he approached.

"Heine Burton you actually dare to give him the x virus!"

His voice booms with such ferocity it could crack the walls, Xiao's stomach tightened.

It has been 6 months since he has seen him. His casual charm has disintegrated, and the dangerous aura surrounding him slices into Xiao's...o...b..tal nerves.

"Jane...you're back..." He struggled to get the words out.

Jane reaches over and roughly pulls Xiao behind him. He tilts his chin aggressively at Colonel Burton.

"Answer me! Did you inject him with the x-virus?"

"This is my training room. You are not authorized to be here."

"If I hadn't then no one would know what you have done to him. I wondered why you demanded that Xiao Yan be handed to you before I left. So this was why!"

Before Xiao could explain, Jane threw a fist at Heine's face.

This was a clash of speed, strength and skill that was completely unmatched.

Heine easily caught Jaen's hand, neatly intercepting his attack.

Suddenly the air seems to pull from the room and Xiao Yan struggled to breathe.

The fight commences and the speed was so explosive it was difficult to track. Jane jumped up and angled his elbow with deadly accuracy. Xiao watches as Heine grabbed his neck, dragging Jane from the air to slam him against the floor.

"You are still too weak, Colonel Wallace."

"You are still so naive, Colonel Burton!"

Jane's knee strikes his side, he presses onto a nerve bundle in Heine's shoulder until he is forced to release him.

This is the highest level of combat to be seen in the Special Forces, but Xiao Yan is not in the mood to appreciate this rare opportunity.

"Stop! Colonel Wallace! Listen to me—"

Instantly Heine's palm covers his mouth as he pulls him close. His cold voice pierced his ear drums. "Do not say anything."

Jane halts his kick as Xiao Yan is pulled into the scuffle.

His face creased into a deep frown and he slowly lowered his leg. Then he rushed to yank Xiao from Heine's arms.

"Colonel Wallace!"

Heine's gaze was like a wave tumultuously cras.h.i.+ng into Xiao Yan, preventing him from uttering a single word.

"I will report this to General Gordon, you crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

Jane drags him out of the room and instantly pushes Xiao against the wall. "Tell me! Why did you do such a thing?"

This is the first time that Xiao has seen Jane this furious. Usually he was smiling with a mixture of mischief and apathy, at this moment his words are spat through the gnas.h.i.+ng teeth.

"...I have not been injected with the X virus."

Xiao Yan looked at him very seriously.

"You have not accepted the x-virus? Do you take me for a fool? I saw how you were fighting Heine Burton. Only highly ranked Special Forces are even allowed in that room! He is obviously downplaying the situation, I saw it! Your speed is far above average. Do you understand what a high price is attached to that virus? Come on, you are a researcher!"

"You knew the consequences and yet you still chose to enter the Special Task Force." Xiao pointedly reminded him.

"Don't talk to me like you know anything. You are not me!" Jane's fist was pressed against the wall by Xiao's ear, his knuckles whitened with strain.

"What's the difference?"

Xiao Yan asked, he knew he was provoking him, but he wanted to probe into Jane's heart.

Jane's hand slowly and gently cupped his cheeks. His movements were soft and careful, as though he were afraid to break something so fragile.

"This...me... and Heine are very different."

Xiao Yan shook his head. "We are all the same."

Jane let out a soulful sigh and laid his forehead onto Xiao's shoulder. "I shouldn't have gone on that d.a.m.n mission. I should have stayed to look after you."

Xiao Yan could feel Jane's body tremble against his own. This guy really cares about him. Otherwise he wouldn't have shattered his own bones protecting him.

"I haven't taken the x-virus. Please believe me."

Jane doesn't release him.

Xiao Yan patted him on the back. "Right now I don't have enough strength to crush a gla.s.s."

Jane snorted in disbelief.

"How do you explain your combat with Heine Burton? Don't try to tell me that six months of training can take you to that level!"

Xiao Yan opened his mouth when Heine walked out. As he pa.s.sed by them, his eyes glinted with warning.

He had promised Heine he wouldn't tell anyone of his research.

"You are that frightened of him?" Jane gently tilted Xiao's face toward him and looked down.

His face darkened and the lines of his mouth pulled into a frown.

Such a serious expression really didn't fit Jane Wallace.

"It's not that I am afraid of him. I respect him, he has saved my life so many times. Without him I never could have met you." Xiao patted Jane's back, indicating for him to let got.

"So you want him?! The x-virus is not what you think..."

This time it was Xiao that grabbed at Jane's cheek and looked into his captivating eyes.

"I know that the x-virus has consequences, I know that it is an impossible compromise. But it is something I want to conquer."

"You keep telling me that you haven't accepted it, but you have yet to explain your fighting performance in there." Jane laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, if you say it is not the x-virus then I will believe you."

After that, Jane turned to leave.

He had gone no more than three steps, when Xiao let out a pained sigh and chased after him.

"Colonel Wallace."

As he was about to reach him, Jane turned around irritated. "I told you already that I don't like being referred to by formality or rank."

"Alright... Alright." Xiao lifted his hands in a surrender gesture. "I just wanted to ask you to get a drink with me. We haven't seen each other in so long."

Jane clamped a hand on his arm. "Come on, you are a highly guarded researcher. You can't leave this building. Where are you going to take me to get drinks?"

"Ah..The restaurant. Mark and Liv had drinks with me there." Xiao Yan said a bit sheepishly, he isn't sure Jane would agree. He is well aware of Jane's tastes. The mess hall isn't really a place Jane would go for recreation.

Sure enough, Jane's face creased into a frown.

"...Ah...It's who you drink with not where you drink...right?" Xiao smiled while prodding and looked at Jane. He leaned over and brought his face uncomfortably close to Xiao's.

"Alright. Since you a just a poor researcher, I begrudgingly accept your invite."

Xiao Yan sighed in relief. He knew that Jane was still angry because ofhis dishonesty, but he was willing to compromise with him.