A/N: Alllllright, to anyone who may have sat out for Clem and Crystal's chapters, welcome back! All you need to know is Frazie got rid of Intrusive Thoughts (new enemy) in his head, learned Shield on her own, and now she's just found out a couple canoeing campers went missing while she was gone.

And now, let's slip back to reality for some decision fallout with a tiny smidgen of Sasha/Milla teasing. And another thank you to beta reader SandrC and my newest beta, DeLithiumDragon!


"This isn't the time to be a smart aleck!" Lili snapped. "They vanished while we were all out on the lake!"

The claim caught Frazie off guard. She'd seen those two kids just hours ago... not far apart, even, with Milka having been watching Elton from the trees. And now they were just gone?

It sounded a bit far-fetched. Frazie shook her head. "I dunno... are you sure they didn't just head back to shore to use the outhouse?"

Lili shot her a look. "We're sure. One second they were behind us, at the back of the pack. And then they were just... gone! Woosh!" She flew her hand through the air, as if the kids had just up and soared away. "No one claims they saw anything. And Milka might be good with invisibility, but she can't make her boat and her boyfriend all vanish with her."

It seemed ridiculous... but Frazie had fought a fire elemental, a giant gorilla, and even her own clone today, so honestly, she was pretty open-minded right now. She trusted Lili to not go around spreading lies willy-nilly. "Where do you think they went, then?" she asked.

"No clue," Lili muttered with a shake of her head. "But there's a rumor floating around about an old camp legend." Lili bared her teeth, fingers curling into claws. "The Hideous Hulking Lungfish of Lake Oblongata!"

Frazie snorted back a laugh. The campers could be surprisingly mature sometimes, but at the end of the day, they were still kids who fell for junk like urban legends. "I don't think that's it, Lil."

Even Lili seemed to agree - she was one of the smarter of the bunch, after all. "Probably not," she agreed, dropping her hands. "This camp is pretty boring. Still, whatever the reason, we need to tell the counselors... but Milla said she was napping, and no one knows where Sasha likes to hang out in his downtime."

"What about Coach?" Frazie pointed out.

"Coach is... Coach."

"...Good point." Frazie rested her hand on her hip as she thought, fingers fanning out over her pocket.

They brushed something small and circular, but solid. And that's when she remembered.

She dug the thing out, squinting down at the little red button in her hand. Snippets of her talk with Sasha earlier flickered through her mind.

'Come to my lab at the big dome out in the woods.'

She had a hunch where their counselor might be. "I miiiight just be able to track down Sasha."

"Really?"

Frazie flipped the button, catching it smoothly on the way down. "Maybe. I'll go look into it, and I'll meet you later?"

Lili nodded. "Alright! And I'll go put a note about it on the camp message board so people can keep an eye out." Lili shook her head. "Normally I'd be fine if a couple of these loudmouths left... but this is giving me a baaaad feeling."

Frazie nodded, then stooped down to give Clem and Crystal a quick farewell. "Stay out of trouble you two, alright? And, uh... take care of yourselves. Promise?"

The two gave her a firm salute. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Good." Ruffling each of their heads, she stood and jogged off across the sand. It was time to head across camp.


Gentle birdsong and the flow of a rushing river filled the air on the outskirts of camp. A river too shallow to be of concern to Frazie, thankfully. It was pretty peaceful out here, compared to the hullabaloo of camp.

Ford had said this area was off-limits... but if he didn't see her, no harm, no foul, right? Though that was a tall order when he had probably already warped over from the lake. She kept a look out for his beady eyes as she walked through the woods.

Passing through a natural bridge formed from a giant fallen tree trunk, she kept an eye on the horizon. Sasha had mentioned his secret lab being at a big dome out in the wilds, and... uhhhhh...

Apparently, it stuck out like a sore thumb. Numerous domes were stuck behind a huge barbed wire fence, sitting on various platforms with the biggest on top. You could probably see the landmark from back at camp. Frazie pondered how you hid a secret anything in such a blatant place, but she figured she was about to find out.

She climbed ramp after ramp, making her way up to the top of the structure. The uppermost dome was already popped open, and inside, it was entirely lined with plush seating. Comfy... but Frazie shuddered to imagine actually being stuck inside one of these things. It'd be enough to make anyone claustrophobic.

There didn't seem to be anything of note within, though. Aside from cushions as far as the eye could see, it was completely empty. Frazie climbed inside, pressing a hand on the ceiling as she investigated.

...Hold up. She squinted at her feet. There, in the center of the container, was a dimple in a cushion missing its button.

'When the time comes, you'll know.'

Withdrawing the button again, Frazie flipped it over in her palm. It was just a regular old button as far as she could tell... but surely it was ripped off for a reason?

She bent down to push it back where it belonged... and jumped when strings sprung from the ground to tie it back into place. "Yeep!"

There was a whir once the flooring was complete again. Right where she'd set the button, a small pillar rose up out of the ground, unlocking the tile from the floor. It clicked open... with Frazie still on it, bumping her head on the ceiling.

"Gh...!" Good thing the place was so soft. More surprised than pained, she rubbed her head and hopped off to see that a big hole with a bunch of rungs had opened up in the floor.

Huh. So that's how you hide a secret lab in plain sight.

Great, now she was gonna be subconsciously checking everything for missing doodads and hidden passageways. But for now... there was nowhere to go but down.

Frazie slid down the ladder, skidding to a stop just before the ground. She'd ended up in some sort of underground chamber, with gray walls and a set of multicolor glass steps leading down. Wary, she followed them, stepping around the assortments of boxes and papers left hither and thither. "Nein really needs to clean this place up..." she murmured to herself.

A few more floors and her feet touched stone. On the lowest level, something like a giant hair dryer dangled from the ceiling. Was that how he got his slick 'do?

She could ask him herself, because the man was fiddling with some sort of console off to the side.

"Sasha!" Frazie hopped to the floor and ran up to him as the man looked up from his work.

"Ah... Frazie. I didn't expect you to come for that training so soon. An eagerness to learn... respectable."

"No, no, uh..." Now that she was in front of him, Frazie could feel the Psy Portal she'd 'borrowed' burning a hole in her pocket. It was just like trying to get away with sneaking the camp pamphlet around her parents - only harder, because her parents couldn't read minds. She had to focus entirely on why she'd come here. "I mean, I'm still interested in practice, but that's not why I came. Milka and Elton went missing!"

"Hm?" Sasha seemed rather calm about it as he settled his hands in his coat pockets. "They tend to do that... children will be children, and we're not ones to stifle their curiosity. They likely just wandered into that cave near the shore. There's no need to worry, it still leads to camp territory."

Frazie shook her head back and forth. "I thought they might've just wandered off, too, but Lili claims they straight up disappeared out on the lake!"

Sasha scoffed. "Highly improbable. Odds are they simply snuck off to kiss, as kids are wont to do. They can be slippery when they want to be." He caught Frazie's unimpressed look and shifted his weight, clearing his throat. "Nonetheless, we'll extend our psychic reach and see if we can pick up their brainwaves. If they did, in fact, go missing, they won't be for very long."

That was a relief to hear. Frazie didn't know what'd happened to them either, but so long as they could be found, she'd done her part. Noooow all she had to worry about was getting out of here before Sasha remembered he was down a door.

"Sounds good. Now, uhhhh... I'm just gonna..." She backed up towards the stairs, jerking both thumbs behind her. "I'll come back for that training later. I'll go tell Lili it's taken care of."

She could feel Sasha's focus narrow behind his glasses. "You look troubled, Ms. Aquato."

Frazie waved him off, a bit too forcefully. "Oh, you know... just worried about the missing campers and all."

"I see." After a second, he let his fingers hover around his temple, and she knew he was trying to dig through her mind. She gulped, trying to deter his prying.

Don't think about the door, don't think about the door, don't think about the door...

"You are thinking about the door."

Damn it!

He lowered his hand. "A good attempt, Frazie, but I was already aware... I just remembered it after my rest. I was about to come find you and reclaim it, but it seems you found me first."

Guiltily, Frazie pulled it out to show him. "Yeah, you got me. Well, here it is..."

"Hold on a moment."

"Huh?" Frazie paused mid step, suddenly feeling tense as the man's brow furrowed.

"...You're a bit too antsy for someone simply holding contraband. Looking a bit further, I can see you've had a rather busy morning, hmm?"

Uh oh. Sweating, Frazie tried to offer him the portal again. He took it this time, but didn't take his eyes off her. She could feel the disappointment piercing through his shades.

Sasha shook his head. "Running around knowingly using an illegal Psy Portal without permission... and what you did to poor Phoebe. When we agreed to let you stay, we thought that perhaps you'd act your age, and clearly we were wrong. Maybe you belong amongst a bunch of children after all."

Apparently, he didn't need pyrokinesis to roast you. Frazie's face burned red - she hadn't felt this ashamed since the time her mother caught her trying to put a baby skunk in Dion's trunk back when they were kids. She'd known she was breaking the rules, but she'd never really thought just how far she was going until it was too late. Her heart skipped a fearful beat as he continued. "We could expel you from camp for this... if not have you taken to Psychonauts HQ for investigation outright."

No, no, no, no, NO. "But I fixed her!" Frazie protested. "And I helped Clem and Crystal! And kept your head from blowing up! I know I shouldn't have been using it, but it's not like I was joyriding through people's brains!"

"...You are not wrong, Ms. Aquato."

Frazie paused. "...Eh?" She'd been sort of expecting him to shut her down there, maybe tear into her dignity again, not agree with her.

But agree he did. "Dogen and Clem, and then Phoebe. Currently, you are two to one. Though you did fix the mess you made... would that be two and a half to one?" he pondered aloud, rubbing his chin.

"...Regardless, I won't confiscate the portal just yet... so long as your mistakes remain at one." He held the door up between his fingers, nodding it towards her as he talked. "But if anyone outside camp catches you, you stole it and used information obtained from the black market to undo its safety parameters yourself. Understood?"

Frazie's face scrunched up. "Yes, buuuut isn't that a bit over the top?"

"Anything to cover my ass."

She was still trying to process what was going on. "But... why?"

He held the door up between his fingers, turning it, inspecting it. Finally, he offered it out to her. "I am a man of science, Frazie. If we do not take risks, we do not progress. It's not often a newcomer successfully completes an expedition into the mind, let alone three times in one day. I see great potential in you... and for that, I'll allow you to hold onto it a bit longer. Do not make me regret it. And if I should find that you've caused another disaster, I'll make sure you spend the rest of the wait for your family sitting outside camp. Or perhaps in psychoisolation."

"What... w-what's that?"

In response, Sasha simply pointed up. The gears in Frazie's head spun, piecing together the implication.

"You'd lock me in that thing?!" Well, if there was any reason to take what she'd learned in Phoebe's mind and push it forward, that was a pretty good one. She held the door close, nodding earnestly. "Got it. You can trust me. Promise."

"I'd rather you prove it than say it. You haven't exactly been trustworthy so far." Adjusting his glasses, Sasha turned back to his machine, though he kept talking with her as he toyed with it. "I saw you picked up another power as well, correct?"

Frazie snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! That barrier. What was that all about?"

"It seems you've managed to learn Shield all on your own," he explained with a hint of approval. "Most impressive. Such a thing can only occur from strong, passionate feelings of protectiveness or a need to be defended."

Frazie's mind drifted back to everything that'd happened that day... guarding the bullies as they fell from the exploding building, fixing up Dogen and Phoebe, fighting furiously to protect Clem from his intrusive thoughts. It wasn't like she'd just decided to become a guardian today... her mind drifted back further, to her many days with her siblings. Sure, she picked on them sometimes... but she was the only one allowed to do so. Any rowdy crowdies trying to heckle them were promptly thrown out on their ass.

It made sense to her. Though as she drifted out of her thoughts, she noticed another pin being levitated her way. This one was purple, with a little picture of a man behind a barrier marking it. "Of course, another successful technique requires proper recognition... ignoring how you got it, of course."

Four pins. From feeling like a psychic criminal to a hot shot in under a minute... talk about whiplash. She was gonna be the one needing to lie down as she pinned it to her shawl - but Sasha still had more to say.

His head turned to the side as he addressed her again. "Well, while you are here, there is always that advanced training I promised you. You might as well use that portal properly for once. What would you say to a... co-teacher class?"

That gave Frazie pause. "What do you mean?"

"It means I will not be the only one instructing you. I believe Milla is done with her rest, and willing to help out as well."

She was lost. "But how can I be in two minds at once?"

He glanced back at his machine. "With some work, two minds can form a connection, a shared space. Vodello and I forged one after our years of Psychonaut partnership; we are always talking to each other, no matter the distance. We can let you step inside for a dual lesson."

It was a mighty tempting offer - though Frazie couldn't help but glance back, thinking of Lili waiting for her. "How long would it take?"

"Not very. We'll just run you through the basics and you can come back later to further improve on them."

Frazie breathed a sigh of relief. She could spare a half hour or two... and that gave the missing campers a chance to reappear on their own. "Alright, I'll do it. So how do I...?"

"The same as usual." Sasha turned to pluck the door from her fingers and tap it to his forehead. "I can redirect you to the proper segment of my mind."

"Whoa. How did you learn to do that?"

Sasha simply smiled. "After many years of practice. Perhaps you'll learn yourself someday. Now then..." He reached up, pulling the door open for her. "When you're ready."

Frazie nodded, putting her fingers to her lobes. The colors and blank walls around her started to blur together as she drifted up and through the frame, descending into a world built for two.

Now entering:

Nein and Vodello's Merged Mentality


Talk about an aesthetic clash.

Frazie had landed in some sort of shared office area - one half was bright and vivid, covered in beads and lava lamps and pillows. The other, dark, neat, and tidy.

And yet, it worked together surprisingly well. A wavy line separated the two halves, but even beyond that there was little speckles of each mind imprinting on the other. There were little spots of orange on Sasha's side, patterned throw pillows on his couch, a nice fuzzy rug under his coffee table. Milla's side had clearly been straightened up in some places, specks of grey amid the background and various sticky notes taped around with messages from her partner.

In the corner of each section was a desk, with their respective owners typing away at computers. Milla swiveled on her seat, fingers pressed to her lips in surprise. "Oh! Frazie! I didn't know you were stopping by."

Frazie looked the other way, gesturing to Sasha. "But I thought he said you...?"

Milla giggled. "I'm just kidding, darling. Sasha filled me in. I knew you were on your way even before you did." She swept her arms over the room. "Make yourself at home!"

So she did. Frazie took a few steps in, eyes drifting here and there. It was the first adult mind she'd been in, and she had to admit she was curious what her counselors were like. She favored Milla's friendlier side of the room, and wandered over to pick up some magazines off her coffee table to study: Meditator's Monthly, The Psychic Stylist, Top 100 Front Lobe Fugitives. "How does this work, having two minds melded together?" she wondered aloud, flipping through one.

Sasha spoke up from across the room. "It creates a sort of mental mish-mash. The dominant traits of each person's mind merge together at random, creating a unified world with shared memories and fears."

"Huh." Frazie looked around again, at how well laid-out the room was. Not a memory or fear in sight. "But everything here looks pretty organized. Doesn't look that random to me. You two took your time planning this out, I'd say."

She could see Sasha tugging at his collar. "Well... that is because..."

"Because we work so well together, darling," Milla cut in with a gentle smile. "And everything Sasha touches tends to get compartmentalized, anyhow."

"Yes. What she said."

Frazie raised a brow, but didn't pry. "So what did you two plan to teach me?" she went on, setting the magazine where she'd found it.

"I noted a couple things when I peered into your activities," Sasha replied curtly. "You've been having trouble with keeping foes at bay. For that, I think one of my specialties will do you well," he said, pressing his hand to his chest. "Marksmanship."

"...You're going to teach me to aim?"

"I'll be teaching you to shoot," he corrected. "With your mind." He turned back to his computer, typing away at something. "You've done well with pyrokinesis... but that heat, that anger, can be channeled into something else. You'll see momentarily."

"And while you don't seem to have much trouble getting around," Milla chimed in, "a little extra 'oomph' never hurt anyone. I'd like to show you some Levitation."

Frazie jerked her head Vodello's way. "Levitation? Like... that thing Benny was doing with the thought balloon?"

"Precisely! And you haven't even seen the levitation ball, yet."

Yesyesyesyesyesyes! She'd wanted to learn that one the moment she'd seen it. There was so many new tricks she could pull off with that, and she'd never have to worry about an acrobatic accident again. Her family would love it... if she could get them not to hate it on instinct. "When do we start?!"

She was bouncing a bit in place with excitement, making Milla laugh. "Sasha is setting it up over there."

His typing grew faster, louder, a frantic clack clack clacking. "What do you say, Milla? Do you think she can handle course seven?"

"Oooooh, yes, that's an excellent place to start."

"Seven it is. Give me a moment."

It was going to be a few minutes. While he worked, a thought pushed itself into Frazie's head. She hadn't known Milla long, but she clearly cared for the children, radiated warmth. And she knew a couple campers in distress that really needed some support.

"Hey, Milla?" Frazie tapped her temple. "Could you go through, like... the last hour of my memories?"

"That's a strange request." But one she'd do if asked. "Very well." Milla shut her eyes, concentrating, and Frazie could feel the tickle of someone going through her thoughts. Suddenly, the woman's brow furrowed. "Oh." She grimaced. "Oh, goodness." And then her lips popped open in a silent gasp. "Oh, oh no..."

Her eyes popped open, full of dread and shame. "We'd known those two had their issues, but we'd never pry into their privacy unless we had to. But this... simply can't be allowed to continue." She reached out to take Frazie's hands, clutching them thankfully. "You did a splendid job helping him stabilize... but let me take it from here. I'll see to it something is done for them. I can only imagine Crystal's isn't much better..."

That made Frazie feel a lot lighter. "Thanks, Ms. Vodello. I'm just glad I spotted them."

"No... thank you." Milla smiled at her, and Frazie couldn't help but smile back. She was so nice, so motherly... it made her heart sting a bit thinking of her own heartbroken parent making her way across the state to rightfully yell at her until she lost her voice. Frazie finally pulled her hands back, trying to avoid Milla's gaze as she waited.

But of course, someone like Milla would never let that go unnoticed. "You're thinking about your family, aren't you?"

Always. But a bit more fearfully, lately. "Yeah..." Frazie admitted, rubbing her arm.

Milla stood, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're not the only psychic with kin that weren't very receptive. It's a tragically common occurrence. But your folks... I can feel the love you have for them. And you wouldn't care for them that much if they were nothing but jerks, right? I feel they'll come around. I'll talk with them for you, if I must."

Her emotions were in a knot, but Frazie finally patted Milla's hand gratefully. "I hope you're right."

"And I hope you're ready," Sasha called out suddenly. The two women stepped apart as he pressed the biggest button on his keyboard - and the far wall split open.

Like a sliding door, gray and orange flew apart as a whole new area was revealed. Frazie gaped in awe - it was like a giant obstacle course, one thankfully a bit less terrifying than Oleander's. Trampolines, giant fans, ramps,targets, and little machines that spat out censors at a piddling pace. Tons of small platforms hovered in the air, just waiting for her to get used to flying between them.

Both adults were by her side now, and Milla rested a hand on her back to guide her into the back room. "Now then, let's start with the basics..."


I'm gonna be up front with y'all, this isn't gonna be a fully-fleshed out world like the previous ones. It's mostly just an excuse to knock out Marksmanship and Levitation in one go as well as peek inside the counselors' shared headspace. In fact, I'll likely just gloss over the training unless for some reason people want to see it? Though perhaps, if people would like, maybe I can fit in a shared memory vault somewhere. Let me know what you think!

The adults were a bit dismissive of concerns in canon, and that's not much different here, even if I don't like it - but I at least tried to explain why they aren't too worried, and showed they do really care about the kids. Hopefully that's a good middle ground!