A/N: Big thanks to SandrC again for betaing... and to EarthVStheDerek for providing the new fic art! It's a wonderful piece of Frazie showing off a little acrobatic/psychic skill in her outfit from the fic. Go check them out!
Now, are y'all ready for a well-deserved smackdown?
Frazie couldn't linger in the neighborhood too long. It was only a matter of time before more Intrusive Thoughts meandered home and found her sitting in the middle of the road.
She sure put it off as long as she could, regardless. But eventually, she couldn't excuse sitting around any longer. Sucking in a breath, she pushed up off the ground and trudged her way towards the massive housecave looming up ahead on the street's edge.
Welp. It was time to step into the gorilla cage.
Inside the tunnel was somehow even gloomier than the shadowy landscape behind her. Jagged rock walls as far as the eye could see, their darkness reflecting nothing but the dim glow of the cave's lighting. Like some sort of mix between lamps and torches, flickering golden bulbs crackled from upside-down lampshades and kept the path from being pitch black.
Being in here made her feel small - which made sense, since the place's owner was a giant. There was more to it, though. As she walked, descending down into the earth, it felt like the walls were pressing down on her.
There was just something about this place that made her wish she had someone, anyone, to keep her company.
A second later, she wished she'd kept her big, fat mouth shut.
Pools of purple sludge congealed on the slope down, staring at her with glowing sockets. Doubts. Frazie groaned, waving a sparking finger. "Not in the mood, fellas."
Thankfully, now that she knew how to deal with them, Doubts weren't that big a concern. If anything they were welcome in this dark place, the glow of their burning bodies making it feel a bit less oppressive as she marked a flaming trail on the way down.
Farther along the hall, the path began to open up, and she could tell she was close to the main chamber. Lighting up one final pile of goop, she blinked back surprise when something was freed from it.
Another vault, looking relieved to be saved. Frazie knelt before it, extending a hand. "Look, I don't want to hurt you. I did you a solid, so could you...?"
The critter's eyes darted back and forth, but it certainly didn't want to be knocked the heck out after being submerged in slime. Reluctantly, it gave a soft 'bleh' as it popped its mouth open and spat out some photos.
"Thanks," Frazie said with a small nod, fanning out yet another snippet of the past before her.
Father's Day
A little to the left. No, no, the right! Just a smidge, and... perfect.
A perfectly composed breakfast smile, with bacon lips and eggy eyes. Throw in some hot buttered flapjacks, fresh telekinetically-squeezed orange juice, and a decorative flower, and it was a father's day meal meant for the king of all dads.
AKA: not Clem's. But he was going to receive it anyway.
Did his dad deserve it? No, not really. But they were family, and somewhere deep in his heart, Clem still felt there was a chance they could connect. He just wasn't trying hard enough. Right?
That's what it felt like, anyway. No matter how much effort he put in to make his father happy, it was never good enough. To him, he was a burden. A nuisance. Useless.
Clem shook those thoughts out of his head. Whenever he felt those voices nagging him, it was just a sign to put on a smile and tell himself everything would be fine. So, carefully balancing the plate with both hands, he ventured out of the kitchen with a hum.
His father was in the living room, seated in the chair he spent most of his time in when he was home from work. In contrast to how Clem saw him, the man was actually rather thin, his bushy mustache sprouting past both sides of his face. The harshness of his glare was the same, though, even as they scanned something as innocuous as the newspaper.
At least the paper wouldn't shrink and shake under his gaze. Clem willed his nerves to calm as he very quietly approached from the side. "Hey, hey, Papa! It's that time of year again! I know you threw last year's meal in the garbage, but this time I'm sure it's perfect."
His father shut his eyes tight, as if just hearing his voice grated on him. For a moment, it seemed like he just wouldn't respond at all and hoped Clem would just go away. But, finally, he turned to give the plate the briefest look. Clem's heart thudded with anticipation.
Finally, he scoffed. "You think I'd try anything YOU made? If I wanted to kill myself, there's better ways than choking on whatever crap you call cooking."
Somehow, after all the times Clem had had his heart crushed, it always managed to rebuild just so it could fall to pieces again. "E-Eheheh... I know I usually screw up, but this time, I made sure it's perfect!"
"A perfect waste of time!" The plate was suddenly jerked from his grasp and flipped upside down, its contents splattering all over the floor. "Now clean this up and get outta here. Surely you can at least do THAT."
Clem's hopes were on the floor alongside the mess, but his lips strained as he made his smile even bigger. "Can do, Papa! Can do..."
And so he did. Of course his dad wouldn't notice it, appreciate it, or be satisfied with it, but it was done. Once he'd finished, Clem grabbed their phone off the counter and snuck off with it to his room.
Papa wouldn't be happy if he noticed the phone missing, but then again, he was never happy to begin with. Clem slid a finger into the rotary dialer and called up the only person in this cruel world worth seeking out.
"Pickuppickuppickup..." he repeated with every ring until, finally, someone did. Juuuust not who he was hoping for.
"Hellooooo?"
Clem swallowed. "Um... hey, Mrs. Snagrash..."
Silence on the other end. Finally, the sound of footsteps before she spoke sharply. "It's for you, stupid."
It wasn't directed at him, but Clem winced nonetheless. His nerves finally eased a bit when he heard a familiar voice on the other end, though. "Clem?"
Like the lone beam of sunshine on his life, he felt himself perking up. "Hey, Crystal!"
"Clem? Hey, Clem! How'd it go?"
And just like that, the sunshine was snuffed out. He sighed. "It didn't work. It never works."
A short, unsurprised sigh on the other end. "It's okay, Clem. I know you tried your best. It's not your fault..."
"No, no, it is." Clem wasn't sure how, exactly, but it just... was. There's no way he'd be so consistently rejected if he'd just do one thing right for once.
And he knew just the thing.
"Listen... Crystal," Clem continued after a moment. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about." He paused. "A little project."
Frazie had to resist the urge to incinerate the photos in her palms. This was one memory Clem could likely do without, but she wasn't taking any chances after that mess with Phoebe. At least she'd learned something from that.
Instead, she gingerly placed the photos back on the vault's tongue, which promptly furled back in.
She reached down to give its head a couple quick pats. "You've got some nasty stuff in your head, little buddy," she murmured, and the creature gave her a confused look.
Frazie stood back up, motioning for the critter to shoo. "Now get out of here! This is gonna get messy." Grateful to be spared, the critter scampered off back where she'd came from and she finally walked the final stretch into the main cavern.
Just like the rest of the cave, Frazie couldn't shake the feeling she was lost in some dark void, like the walls themselves would consume her if she got too close. She had to run her fingers along the stone to make sure that, no, they were actually just rocks. In fact, she could climb up them if she wanted to, chunks of stone jutting out and scaling up and up to the blunt stalactites on the ceiling.
And in the center of it all, the hulking behemoth filling in for Clem's dad sat reading a normal-sized newspaper.
It would be almost comical seeing a giant gorilla squinting at tiny bits of text... if the sight of him didn't automatically make Frazie's blood boil. She didn't really have anyone she outright disliked before she came to camp, since her social circle had been basically just her own family. But this guy? She was going to give him a piece of her mind. The piece that formed hands and smacked people silly, specifically.
First order of business? Roast that stupid paper out from under his nose.
The beast was taken off guard as the scraps pinched between his fingers evaporated in flame. Finally noticing her, he leaned down, his face taller than her entire body. Frazie forced herself to stand firm as he looked her up and down, fists taut at her sides.
To her surprise, he only looked briefly annoyed at her arrival before he sat back up. "I don't have a problem with you, kid. So beat it," he spat with a wave of his hand. "Before I change my mind."
To her credit, taking the offer and running for it never crossed her mind. "Well, see, there's still an issue... because I have a problem with you," she retorted. Finding her nerve, she shook a finger way up at him. "About your problem with Clem."
You'd think she'd just insulted his mother, the way that last word made him snarl. "Why are you wasting your time on him? That boy... he's useless. He's not worth the effort!"
Feeling the tranquil fury burning within, Frazie kept herself from starting any spontaneous fire as she shouted up at him. "You're wrong. Wronger than anyone I've ever heard before. No one deserves to feel how you've made him feel, and I'm putting a stop to it right now!" She took up a fighting stance, feet squared and fists raised, already crackling with psychic energy. "If there was any chance of me leaving - and there wasn't - it's definitely gone now."
Growling, the biggest Intrusive Thought of them all pushed himself up, and Frazie face fell when she realized he was even taller close up. "Then you're wasting your time and your life!" the beast roared, lifting a hand.
With deceitful speed, he hammered its ten ton fist down on her head. Eyes wide, Frazie covered her face with her arms and braced for impact. He slammed his knuckle right down on her... and cried out when it hit something even more solid than the walls around them.
Sucking on its fingers, Frazie just laughed as she lowered her shield. "Gotcha!"
In response, Clem's dad opened its mouth wide and screamed a sonic scream. Oh, right. That sound beam.
The ground erupted where she'd just been as Frazie dived, ducking under shrapnel that his explosive voice shot up. To her horror, she looked back to see he was turning his head and directing the weaponized vitriol her way. Scrambling to her feet, she ran ahead as he gave chase with his voice.
He couldn't keep it up forever... but he could slam his arm ahead of her, walling her off between his hand and the deadly laser.
"Ghh!" Trapped between fur and death, an idea came to Frazie. It was time to play pattycake with Papa. Violently.
Conjuring up psi-punch after psi-punch, she laid into his palm with as much force as she could muster. At first, he just sneered as he kept screaming - and then winced, his paw blooming red and sore as she wailed on it. A loud crack erupted from the middle of his hand as she poured it all into a decisive strike, making him scream and clutch it. He bent forward, his mouth filled with pained cries instead of energy as he rubbed his hand. "AGGGH! Stronger than you look, you little...!"
Thwack. A strong kick to the jaw shut him up and made him bite his tongue, the beast muttering swears around the hand it pressed to its mouth. Frazie snickered.
"Enough!" Outraged that he was being outplayed by an ant, the cavern started to shake as he slammed his hands on the ground wildly and randomly. Frazie looked up to see chunks of the roof falling towards her, as well as his swinging hand. She brought the shield up, ready to block the debris and make him hurt himself again...
...Only for his fist to halt directly in front of her, turn, and flick her forcefully once her barrier fell.
Frazie's back slammed into the wall as she yelped, landing in a heap. The monster just laughed. "Not as smart as you look, though!"
Gritting her teeth, Frazie stood up, blocking out the pain. She couldn't lose this, and no dream fluff was going to save her butt this time. She needed a new plan... and those tumbling boulders gave her an idea.
"Up!" Leaping, she hopped up the nearest outcropping on the wall, scaling her way up the cave. She didn't get to climb far before she was forced to jump back, a fist once more slamming just ahead of her.
"Where are you goin'? We were just having fun!" the prime primate taunted, swinging again. Frazie dove out of its path and, catching a falling rock in an ethereal mitt, chucked it right at his eye. "AGH! Where did you learn to fight so dirty?!"
"You don't deserve any better!" She dodged his next punch and hopped up a ledge to start shimmying herself to the next outcropping. Enraged, he unleashed another flurry of blows on and around her, forcing her to time her shields to keep from being squashed against the wall like a fly.
He was losing his patience around the time she jumped onto another platform and tossed another huge stone right at his nose. Howling, he completely obliterated her footing with another intense scream of rage.
"Whoa!" she managed to hop to another ledge as her platform crumbled beneath her, but a second later, that one was gone too.
Clem's dad was losing it, firing beam after beam and forcing her to keep moving higher and higher. The cavern sprawled out below her and she forced herself to stay calm. She was no stranger to heights, but if she fell from here, it was gonna hurt... and the odds she'd be able to get back up were low.
Climbing above him, she made her stupidest boldest decision yet, flipping out into open air over his head. Caught unaware, his roars cut off as she latched onto his hair.
It was her turn to give the smackdown now. Clinging to his dome for dear life, she whacked his skull again and again with energized chops. Getting the headache of a lifetime, he tried to slap her off, but she rolled and jumped out of the way just to grab his hair again and keep up the assault.
He was losing control, and she knew it. So with one last hit, she got up on top of his head and leapt straight up, ready to drop right down on his aching scalp.
She never got the chance. Pouring all his anger into his vocal chords, the loudest shout of them all shot like a cannon straight above him, crashing around Frazie with all he had.
"Sucker!"
It passed over her shield, the girl laughing as he hit right behind her as she'd hoped... blasting one of the biggest chunks of rock on the ceiling.
Conjuring her shield again to protect her descent, the roof collapsed, a wall of stone dropping right on top of the gorilla's head. A huge thwack rang out around the room as it shattered to pieces on his dome.
It was a testament to his strength that he was still standing after the blow, dazed and wobbling. He was in no condition to fight back, just clutching his head and not even noticing Frazie preparing for the coup de grace.
With nothing to stop her, Frazie was free to make a running leap at him, charging at his stomach... then curling into a ball, letting her shield encompass her entire form as she became an unstoppable cannonball of pain.
He didn't stand a chance against her weaponized protection. Like a punch to the gut, he let out an oof as she plowed into him and threw him off balance. With all the wind knocked out of him, he stumbled backward, crashing down on his back and making the floor shake under his weight.
Despite it all, he was still conscious, stars and bananas swirling around his head as Frazie pushed her advantage. His sore stomach ached even harder as the girl jumped on it, bouncing off it like a trampoline over his head.
This was it. All or nothing. It might've been dangerous, but Frazie pooled every trick she'd learned and every bit of energy she had left into one final attack. Feet pointed straight down, glowing bright with psychic energy. The rest of her body gleamed orange, covered in protective coating that rendered her completely solid. And to top it off, she harnessed all the burning fury in her heart and let it coalesce around her, ready to detonate the instant she hit her target.
Like an anvil from the heavens, she dropped. He regained focus and lifted his head just in time for her to smash down right on his face.
Her pyrokinesis exploded, her psychic kick burrowed into the bridge of his nose, and the added solidity of her shield made it all the more devastating. She pressed down as far as she could go, kicking down hard before bouncing off and back to the floor, sticking the landing as always.
For about five seconds. Once the adrenaline wore off, she flopped down to her knees with a cry.
Using all that psychic energy at once was a poor, if well-meaning idea. Waves of pain crashed down on her as her skull throbbed. That was too much energy for even some advanced agents, let alone a newcomer. But she'd really, really wanted this jerk gone. The mother of all headaches was a small price to pay for him to be oh god no why was he still talking.
His voice was weak, but it was there behind her, the monumental monkey not moving a muscle as he spoke to the air. "Not... not bad, kid..."
"Headhurtsshutupshutupshutup."
The beast chuckled weakly, wheezing from the effort. "Coff... of course... that pitiful runt needed someone else to fight his battles. You're a tough one, no doubt... but as soon as you're not around to protect him anymore, he's gonna fall again."
Despite the hammering behind her eyes, Frazie grit her teeth and snapped back. "Clem's stronger than you think, you troll! He wouldn't have lasted this long if he wasn't, keeping a smile on his face even if it was fake. With you out of the picture, he's gonna do just fine."
"Then I suppose... we'll just have to... wait and see..." Taking his last breath, the behemoth's hands fell to his sides.
His body started to melt into the shadows that'd composed it, his head tilting to the side before finally vanishing from the world. Frazie was alone in the gloom.
Silence. Eerie, peaceful silence. Just what Frazie needed right now, with her head feeling like Dogen was gripping it again. She could barely process her victory through the pain. With nothing more to distract her, she closed her thoughts off and shut her eyes until the jackhammering lowered to a level she could suffer through.
When she opened her eyes, things felt... different. She wasn't sure why. Nothing had changed. But the formerly oppressive stone walls just felt like regular rock again. Sucking in a breath, she got up to her feet, massaging her temples as she retraced her route back to the surface.
She stepped out of the cave... and back into Clem's bubble. "Huh?" ...Oh, forget it. Confusing mind junk. Her head hurt too much to dwell on it. All that mattered was when she looked back, the neighborhood was long gone, and she was safe back in the dome.
She wasn't sure what she expected to happen next. For the bubble to pop and show rolling green fields outside? A parade to march through and announce the day was saved?
Nothing that extravagant, it seemed. The only thing different she noticed was Clem suddenly leaning up in his lawnchair with a confused look on his face.
"Wha-?" Clem tugged his headphones off and jangled them, thumping his ear. "What's going on? Those nasty voices haven't been quiet in, well... in a long, loooong time."
Once he'd spoken, the censors all collectively looked up from their vacationing. A few of them groaned - it sounded like it was time to get back to work. But judging from Clem's comment, it sounded like their workload just got a lot more bearable.
They hopped off chairs, off trampolines, out of the pool. Like the world's smallest stampede, they folded towels, grabbed their stampers, and scampered off to the edge of the zone. As they all leapt out and into the jungle, Frazie noticed something while she watched.
The bubble was expanding. Not much... just an inch or two now and then, like its old shrinkage pattern had been reversed.
But the pace didn't matter. What was important was that Clem was finally getting the chance to heal.
As far as Crystal was aware, though, this was her chance. She pounced on Clem, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Clem! Cleeeeem! Listen to me! You gotta send me out of here!"
Clem still seemed dazed, not from the shaking, but the sheer peace he was experiencing. Slowly, he reached up and gently pried her hands off him. "I... I don't know, Crystal. I don't know what to think right now."
"But... the project, Clem! The project!"
After a moment, Clem offered her a smile. "You know what? Let's just put a pin in it for now. I think I just want to... see where this goes."
"But..." Crystal sat back on her knees, pensive. They'd been planning this for ages and now it was just... paused? Cancelled, even? She didn't know what to think. She searched Clem's eyes for an answer, but he just smiled at her.
...Clem was the person she trusted most. And if he wanted to hold off, then she'd support him 100%. Crystal finally pumped her hands up, nodding. "Alright! If that's what you want... we'll pin it!"
"Woo!" Clem cheered with her. Finally remembering Frazie was there, Clem looked her way. For once, the hyperactive camper was calm and sincere as he addressed her. "Thanks, Frazie. Things might not be clear up here..." he muttered, tapping his head. "And they might not be for a long time... but thanks to you, I think I can give it one more go. It's not gonna be easy, but at least I know there's nice people in the world like you worth sticking around for!"
Just hearing all that made the horrific creatures, near-death experiences and the splitting headache worthwhile. Feeling a bit better - and that they could leave without consequence - Frazie pulled out the smelling salts to offer to Crystal. "Ready?"
The kid eyed it for a moment... and then she folded her hands over Frazie's, wrapping the older girl's fingers around the little capsule. "Ready!"
So she wanted her to keep it. Nodding gratefully, Frazie held it between them and popped it in half. The two inhaled sharply, grimacing in unison. "...Blegh!"
And with that, they were on their way out of there.
The gentle lull of waves hitting the shore welcomed them back. Frazie blinked the sun out of her eyes and watched the kids wake up.
Once he was out of his trance, Clem looked... lost. Like he had no idea what to do now that his own brain wasn't constantly steering him south.
Frazie welcomed him back with a question while she plucked the door off his head. "How are you feeling?"
The boy rubbed his head, glancing down at the sand. "I dunno... better? Not good, but I feel... different."
That was a relief to hear. The sand crunched below her as Frazie took a knee, putting a hand on both the camper's shoulders. "Listen. I'm not going to downplay what you've both been through, or tell you what you're feeling isn't real. But I am gonna ask... what would disappearing fix? You don't need to go it alone. Instead of helping each other escape... why don't you help each other overcome?"
Clem and Crystal shared a nervous look. "Sounds scary..." The former murmured. The only thing scarier than what they had almost done was moving onward without a clue what to do.
"Hey, for what it's worth... you two have my support." Frazie offered them a warm smile, glancing between the two. "And, you can support each other."
"With cheers?" Crystal clarified.
Frazie pursed her lips. "Yyyyeeees? If you want? But you both know what you're going through... so why not work together to beat it?"
"Yeah!" The two of them were starting to pep up again, and hopefully, this time was a bit more genuine.
The positivity was contagious. Frazie grinned, before focusing on Crystal. "Crystal, do I need to dive into your head too?"
"Nope! If Clem's gonna keep trying... then so will I!"
"Alright... but the offer's open."
Crystal nodded solemnly. "Honestly? Just knowing that... helps me feel a little bit better."
Frazie let them go and stood back up. Brimming with excitement, Clem hopped in place. "Crystal! We've gotta thank her with a cheer!"
Oh. Wincing, Frazie's smile tilted a little. "Thaaat's really not necessary."
"Nonsense!"
"No, really...!"
But they were already starting. Frazie's lips skewed into an awkward grin as she watched them hop around with glee, belting out in sing-song voices.
"FRAZIE'S GREAT!"
"SHE KNOWS THE WAY!"
"SHE KICKED AND CHOPPED THE THOUGHTS AWAY!"
"SHE SAVED THE DAY!"
"MADE THINGS OKAY!"
"SO NOW WE SAY..."
"HIP, HIP, HOORAY!"
...You know what? Yeah, Frazie was cringing to high heaven. But the more she listened, the more she realized how nice these kids were despite all they'd been through. By the time they were done, she was offering them applause for their performance.
The kids wiggled in place with sheer joy. That must've been one of the few (if not the only) time their positivity was ever praised. Overcome with emotion, they jumped Frazie, taking her by surprise. Each kid took a leg, hugging her tight.
Surprised, but welcoming, Frazie knelt down and wrapped their arms around the both of them in a much-needed embrace. "Never change, you two. And don't let anyone get you down. 'Cause I'll give them a kick for you if they try, deal?"
After a few moments, she let them go, offering each a hand. "Come on... let's get back to the docks."
They each took one, and off they went, leaving the boulders they'd fought over resting in the sand.
"Hup!"
Clem and Crystal weren't sure why Frazie refused to touch the water, but they weren't opposed when she offered to pick each one up and parkour them across the lake debris. They laughed and cheered her on from under her arms before she safely deposited them back on the main shore. They wobbling dizzily, falling on their backsides with a shared laugh.
Frazie just chuckled along with them. Though now that everything had finally deescalated, Frazie couldn't help but feel like she'd forgotten something...
"FRAZIE! There you are!"
Oh, crap. Lili.
Looking out over the water, she could see her friend mentally sailing her canoe towards them with Benny clinging to the far side for dear life.
Frazie waved her hands frantically, already prepared to defend herself. "Lili, I can explain-..."
But Lili seemed far more concerned with something else. "You guys!" she called out as her boat pulled in. "Have you seen Milka and Elton? The sailor kid and the invisible girl!"
Frazie tilted her head. "Uhhhh... if she's an invisible girl, we wouldn't really see her, now would we?"
"This isn't the time to be a smart aleck!" Lili snapped. "They vanished while we were all out on the lake!"
Three worlds down, and the missing campers plot rears its head. What are they gonna do about it? We'll see.
