Training or Punishment (Chase Campbell)

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey waited in the training field, not at all happy to be here. She didn’t know why she had to be put with a trainer. She was fine with using her power. Really, she was. So what if she gets into trouble for making physic suggestions to get her out of school. So what if she is able to sneak things like alcohol under the noses of instructor into her dorm…okay well, I guess there is solid reason. But she should be getting in trouble…suspension or something; not being put with a trainer.

She supposed this was the worst possible thing they could do to her though. She knew a bit about Chase Campbell, and knew he had the ability of mind control. She shivered. Zoey really feared metas with mental abilities. It was a control thing. She couldn’t, in any way, make any suggestion to them without them realizing what she was doing.

Zoey shook her head and tried to imagine what he could teach her. “Don’t use your powers for evil.” She snorted at the thought.

[Chase Campbell]

(FYI – This area is the training classrooms. If you want it moved to the training field, let me know. Also, all training is a part of academic life at Hammel. Every student works with a trainer until they graduate.)

Chase had been handed Zoey’s file earlier that day. After a brief read through, he was expecting a challenge out of her. Not that that was unusual by any means. Because of his power he often got some of the more difficult students, because he could disarm them if need be.

He really hoped it wasn’t going to be one of those days.

He was just on his way back to his classroom with a coffee refill (he had a feeling he’d need it) when he glanced at his watch. It was about time for Zoey’s session to start. This was going to be interesting, he was sure.

Especially because she’d beaten him there. “I take it you’re Zoey?” Hopefully he was correct. Setting his coffee mug on his desk, he leaned against it and eyed her, trying to gauge just how much resistance she was going to give him. “I’m Mr. Campbell. Or Chase, if you’re more comfortable with that.” He always gave his students the option, because he wanted to bond with them, get them to trust him. Of course, that didn’t always work.

[Zoey Holloway]

{{{Sorry, I had originally posted this in the training field but realized it would be more appropriate to be in a classroom because her powers are mental, not physical (i.e weather control) Forgot to change the wording in the post. And oh okay, sorry, didn¡¦t realize that ƒº Thanks! BTW: Love what you guys have done with this site. It¡¦s such a good story and a lot of fun ƒº}}}

Zoey glared at the man in front of her. He was younger than she expected. And she supposed he was good looking. She could only imagine what his other girl-and possibly boy-students thought of when they were with him. Zoey however, held no such fantasies. As far as she was concerned he was just some teacher that she had to be with.

"Okay Mr. Campbell," Zoey sneered, knowing full and well how it came out of her mouth. Disrespectful even if she was using a proper title. Oh well, she would probably be calling him Chase anyway.

She crossed her arms. "I can use my power fine by the way. I know I have to be here¡Kbut it¡¦s not necessary." She added a little bit of her power in that last sentence, using her hypnotic suggestion. She wanted to test Chase. He frightened her, sure. But maybe he would have his guard down a little. Maybe if she was lucky, he¡¦d let her skip this training session for the day? With just a little bit of suggestion¡K

[Chase Campbell]

Most of the trainers at this point were quite young. (Granted, he was going to be forty next year. He had a sinking feeling he wouldn’t feel so young once he was out of his thirties. Woe is him.) While he knew he’d had a few students with ridiculous, and wildly inappropriate crushes, they were of no consequence to him. He was married, and most of his students were under age. He wasn’t going down that road.

He arched an eyebrow at her tone, slowly crossing his arms across his chest. Attitude already? Well, it wasn’t surprising. He was used to the kids being out of sorts. After all, they were uprooted from their families and homes in order to come to the school and train to control their powers. He’d been thrilled, but that wasn’t the norm. He knew that.

“Oh can you, now?” He felt the brush of her suggestion, but he made a habit of keeping a tight mental shield, especially with mentally powered students. He’d caused enough trouble for his trainer during his time as a student with his own power, and shielding was one of the first things he’d learned. “That’s nice. Too bad it’s not going to work.” He fixed her with a stern look. He could be an easy going, fun trainer, but students had to earn that. Right now, Zoey was just in danger of giving him a headache. “Tell me about it, then. What can you do with it, what are the limits, and the side effects. And don’t try using it on me again. It’s not going to work.” He reached up and tapped his temple. “Mental shielding is one of the most powerful things you can learn as a meta with a mental power. I want you to remember that.” You couldn’t rely on your power when someone else could shield themselves from it.

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey knew her suggestion wouldn’t work on Mr. Campbell, but she was really hoping it would. She didn’t really have anything else she needed to be doing, but she had a nice friendly bottle of Kahlua in her dorm that her and her dorm mates were waiting to tap in to. Zoey froze. Oh crap, I shouldn’t think that. She thought and quickly shifted her mind to his question, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Zoey wasn’t clear how his ability worked and didn’t know if that meant he could read her thoughts or something.

“I can make suggestions.” Zoey said. “I mentally…push people to do things. Not big things really, just…” To get out of class for one. To get alcohol illegally for another. “I can make people do things.” She said cryptically. “I can’t like…make someone jump off a cliff or something…unless they want to do it; I just give them the will power to go through with it…not that I’ll ever do that.” Well, Zoey didn’t want Chase Campbell to think she was some psycho path or something.

“I can only keep a hold on people for a few minutes though.” That part was annoying, but efficient for what she usually used her skill for. “If I try to do it too long I get a real bad migraine…for days.” Then she thought of something.

“Any time I use my meta power, I feel really light-headed.” She hated that side effect, even more then the migraines because the headaches were few and far between. Even that light suggestion she gave to Chase messed with her head, giving her the feeling you get when you take a sedative like Benadryl.

She bit her lip, not really wanting to ask this. Not really wanting to admit Chase might be able to help anyway. “Can…I don’t know.” She kicked her foot looking at the floor. “Can I make that stop?”

There, that wasn’t that bad. Can I make it stop? So it was Zoey, not Chase doing the task. She glanced back up at her trainer.

[Chase Campbell]

Luckily for most of his students, Chase was not telepathic. Sure, he could make them tell him what they were thinking, but he wasn’t about to do that. He rarely had to use his powers on students, unless their own power was getting out of control, or if the class was getting out of hand. Vincent Verax came to mind when he thought about students he actually had to mind control once in a while. Unless Zoey got out of hand, she wouldn’t have to be subjected to it.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he listened to her describe it. It sounded.... remarkably similar to his own powers. Only he could go that next step and force people against their wills. Not that he liked to. Especially not since the events of last summer.

Her side effects seemed similar to his own as well. This was likely why she’d ended up under his instruction. He ended up with a lot of the mentally powered students, because that was where his experience was best.

The question made him smirk just a little. This was why they trained. The better their control, the lesser the side effects. When he had first started, the smallest bit of control he’d tried to exert over someone else had left him with a crippling migraine. Now things weren’t so bad. He still got mild headaches from time to time with normal use, but the migraines only reared their ugly heads when he overexerted himself.

“Your power is fairly similar to mine, then. Only instead of planting the suggestion, I can force someone to walk off that same cliff you mentioned. This is why you’re here. The temptation to use powers for bad can be overwhelming sometimes, and we’re here to curb that temptation.” He could only image how many kids who might turn around on a bully and say, set fire to them. Or encase them in ice. Or, in Zoey’s case, suggest they do something like take a walk in traffic. “One of the first lessons we can offer is to sever your emotions from your power. It’s not easy, but it has to happen to prevent potentially dangerous outbursts.”

He steepled his fingers together as he watched her carefully. He still wasn’t too sure how to read her, but at least she was trying. “Chances are, you won’t ever be able to extend your hold on someone without triggering a migraine. All powers have limitations to them.” He didn’t want to think about his own. “But getting lightheaded, that will change. The more you train, the more control you have over your own powers, the less the side effects seem to affect you. I get migraines too, when I overexert myself. You’re not alone there.”

He slid off the desk and stood in front of her, arms folded again. “Mental powers are tricky to master, but I’m here to help you. But you have to want it. I can’t help if you’re resisting me at every turn. So. Are you prepared to work for control?” He needed confirmation, otherwise with would end up being a colossal waste of his time.

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey frowned. “Sever my emotions?” She didn’t like that idea. She had never had a dangerous outburst so to speak, but her ability was definitely more powerful when she was angry or upset. She thought back to her first year at Hammel when a boy had called her’ lezbo’ because she cut her hair short. At first the comment could be ignored, till it started to catch on. That’s when (and she’s still not sure how she gained that much control other than her being really upset), she suggested that the boy shove it.
Luckily he only stabbed his arm with a pencil. Unlucky that it went all the way through.

People have long since forgotten about the incident, or don’t talk about it if they do. Still, Zoey had never been able to make a suggestion strong enough to make them do something like that. And though she knew she probably would never get anyone to do anything “life changing”, considering her ability is the lesser version of mind control, she knew that the more emotions she had, the more power she had.

She liked the idea of fewer side effects though. Especially her lightheadedness.

Zoey furrowed her eyebrows at him in a sort of half glare, half confused look. “I think so. Though I don’t know why severing emotions is so important. It makes my abilities better.” Then she looked down at the floor again.

Metas with mental abilities made her so nervous.

Then, when she had gathered herself a stony expression she looked up again. “Let’s get this over with.”

[Chase Campbell]

“Yes, that’s what I said.” Severing emotions and building mental defenses were two of the first, and most important lessons he tried to instill in his students, especially those with mental powers. It was a lesson he wished James had been privy to earlier in his training. Mental shields were so important, both to protect yourself, and lesson the burden on new telepaths and empaths. Controlling your emotions was more important, however, to prevent dangerous outbursts. Kids like Sam Rixon were the poster children for why that was. Get angry, shoot fire from your body. Never a good thing.

Thank God he didn’t train the brat anymore.

“It’s an important foundation, if you want to learn to completely control your power. You’ll never have complete control if you lose it when you’re angry, or upset.” He knew that for a fact, because it was too easy. He’d been cocky in his first year at Hammel, confident that the foundations were ridiculous, and that he could teach himself. As it turned out, mental powers, any powers, really, were tricky beasts to tame.

At least she was willing to listen. ... A little, anyway. Chase crossed his arms as she glared at him. “It may seem like that, I know. But while you may feel a power surge, that power isn’t under your control. Just think about any time you’ve been angry or upset, and that rise of power you feel. It’s not yours to control. Learn to temper your emotions, and you’ll find you’re far more powerful when you’re in control.” If she really wanted, he could show her. But using his powers on anyone, especially a student, still made him nervous.

“Before you learn to control yourself, I want you to try something for me. For metas with mental powers, a strong mental shield is just as important as your own powers. It keeps people out of your mind.” He’d been stressing this more since James had been used by that group of degenerates. “Close your eyes. Imagine something in your mind. Something strong. A wall, a castle, whatever you want. Picture it, and we’ll see how strong your shields are already.” Nothing about learning a mental power was easy, and he wasn’t going to sugar coat it for her.

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey disliked being told she was wrong, about anything. And though Chase wasn’t saying it outright, it was insinuated. She felt she had a pretty good hold on her Meta ability. She crossed her arms, ready to argue but stopped herself and listened to Chase talk, something that she rarely did for anyone. He made sense, but she felt it didn’t really apply to her. Thinking back, she could have stopped her meta power if she wanted to. Before that kid stabbed himself in the arm…right? Her face fell, feeling suddenly unsure.

That scared her.

She felt Chase’s eyes and returned to her grouchy expression, trying to hide that fear. She heard his request then. Picture something strong. Was he going to go into her mind?

“I don’t want you….” She trailed off. “Okay.” She returned and closed her eyes, feeling very vulnerable. Then peeked at him with one eye. “Don’t give me brain damage. Because if you do I will have to sue you, sir.” She was joking and tried to sound as cocky as she could but wasn’t as effective as she would have hoped to be. Her own wavering voice betrayed her.

Then she thought about it, this wall he said to picture. It reminded Zoey of her sister Amber. She had read a lot about autism and they compared it to just what Zoey was trying to do--put up a wall. But they did it with ease. They had a wall up around their mind, a wall that only could be penetrated on occasion. Sometimes Zoey wondered what went on inside those walls.

In her head, she pictured a large stone wall and tightened her body without even realizing it. Waiting.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase remembered what it was like to be told by your trainer that your hold was never as good as you thought it was. Considering by the time he’d been recruited, he had mind tricked his father into letting him get a tattoo, he’d been every inch a cocky teenager with little regard for what his trainers had to offer him. Looking back now, it was embarrassing. He did his best to try to relate to his students, and teach them why what he was doing was so important, because he remembered being them.

He managed a gentle smile at her tiny, unfinished protest. “I know. No one does. And I’m not going to. I can test your shields without being invasive.” Years of learning to fine tune his power, especially with his husband, had helped with that. “I promise, I will not give you brain damage.” This test was something simple. The most invasive he’d get was having them lift their arm, if he could get past their shielding without much effort. The idea was to test how strong it was, not if he could break though them.

He waited until she was ready. Almost all student seemed to tense their bodies when trying this for the first time, as if preparing for a physical attack instead of a mental one. He’d been the same, until he’d learned to bring up the shields without actually making it look like he was. Out of habit, especially since the events of the past few years, he had a habit of keeping his locked during school hours, relaxing only at home. “Be strong, Zoey,” he murmured before narrowing his eyes slightly, extending his power. As expected, he was met with resistance, but it didn’t feel terribly strong. It never did, on the first try. If he got through, all he did was attempt to influence her to lift her left arm before breaking the connection and leaning back on his desk. “Good. That’s a really good start.”

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey wasn’t sure what she expected. She thought she would feel his presence instantly, like a snake wiggling itself into her head. But it wasn’t like that. It was a faint feeling, hardly even detectable if Zoey hadn’t been expecting it. There was no maliciousness or real intrusion. Still, it was unsettling and she forced herself to be on the defense. Chase was in her mind so to speak; she felt him hit her defensive wall, but he passed through it easily. Her left arm extended upward against her will, which was the most chilling of any of it.

She gasped despite herself. Chase let go of his hold as quick as he gained it. Zoey instinctively grabbed her left arm with her right, and wiggled it, making sure she had control of it again. Her eyes burned, which even she thought was stupid. Why would she cry? She knew Chase meant her no harm. But it was such an invasion…she shook her head. That’s not how the people she used her Meta powers on felt, was it? No, they didn’t know they were being invaded. Still….

She straightened herself, not even bothering with the cocky exterior anymore. She wasn’t sure what to say to him so she said in a high voice she barely recognized as her own. “That…was weird.”

She shook away his compliment. It wasn’t good. It was…weak at best.

[Chase Campbell]

Chase had spent years developing a very light touch. It had been necessary, being that so much of his time using his power had been to very lightly alleviate James’ anxieties. It was easier with a light touch. Of course, someone with formidable mental barriers would feel him probing, and ultimately smash through them. With Zoey, there was resistance, but it wasn’t difficult to negate. This was an important lesson, because it gave his students a sense of why this was so important.

He realized just how much it had an effect on her. On one hand, it was a lesson well learned, especially for a meta with a similar power. On the other, she looked a little shaken up. He didn’t know her well enough to know how she’d react to a hand on her shoulder, so he simply held up his hands in a display of being finished. Once was enough.

The trainer smiled a bit at her comment. “It is, and it’s worse if the person has malicious intent.” He knew that almost as well as James did. “Which is why it’s important to develop that part of yourself during your training.” He was going to try something a little new for her, now. Of course training meant utilizing powers, but usually students practiced with each other. Being this was a one on one session, and she had a mental power, he would become her guinea pig.

“I want you to use your power on me, now. Or try. I want to show you just how strong you can develop those mental barriers.” Though he’d never tried he, he suspected Sean could break down his mental shields, but other than him, he wasn’t sure who else might be able to get into his head. Hopefully, no one. “Go ahead.” As a reflex, they were already up and running, but he made sure to tighten down his security and stop any intrusion.

And he did it all without tensing his body once.

[Zoey Holloway]

Honestly, Zoey would have responded favorably to a hand on the shoulder, even if she would act like she didn’t want the comfort. Zoey tried to straighten herself and regain her composure. It was a baffling thing, dealing with another Meta with mental abilities. She feared them, because, whether she knew it herself or not, her own ability frightened her. They were exactly what she was, and it was a scary thing.

His next request didn’t surprise her. However, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go mind-to-mind with him again. Especially with her the one using her ability. She could already feel the lightheadedness she would experience afterwards. Still, she was curious. He seemed to break through her mental shield so easy. That was power.

Zoey isn’t exactly power hungry, but being in control was something she desires. That was probably why she chopped off all her hair. Her mother had dictated everything from hair length to clothes for a long time, and as soon as Zoey got to Hammel, she chopped it off. Yes, it was petty. Yes, it was a teenage act of defiance, but it was doing something for herself. Her being in control. Plus, she liked it this short now.

“It’s not going to work.” She said, but she shook her head at her own foolishness. He knew that. That’s not why he wanted her to use the ability on him. He had a shield up and he wanted her to see just how powerful blocking is.

So she tried it, reaching out with her mind a suggestion. She thought briefly what would be amusing to see Mr. Campbell do. Hop on one foot? Not that it mattered.

The self-doubt probably made her attempt weaker as her suggestion brushed his mind, merely bouncing off it seemed.
She set herself a glare and pushed harder, this time with more intensity, trying to break the barrier and to implant the suggestion. She tried she really did, but it was no use. She stopped and leaned against one of the desks, her head pounding and her head fuzzy from the lightheadedness.

[Chase Campbell]

Being a first lesson, Chase had a hard time getting a good read on Zoey. He didn’t want to scare her, especially in her first session. Already he got the feeling that she was unnerved by his mental intrusion, and he understood that. He wouldn’t do it again, because his point had been made. At least halfway. Getting her to understand why shielding was so important, and why mental powers were so dangerous were his goals for the day, and it looked like he would be meeting them.

Chase smiled almost sadly at her when she voiced that it wouldn’t work. He knew that, but he wanted to show her just how powerful it was to defend yourself mentally. She might not be able to break through, but she would get a good lesson in defense.

He closed his eyes, feeling the slight brush against his mind. It was something he was used to now, with mentally powered students. He didn’t mind the feeling anymore. He was confident he could keep anyone he needed to out of his mind. He just kept his barriers tight, until she gave up.

What he hadn’t expected was the sudden lean from his student. Reflexively, he moved forward to place his hands on her shoulders to help steady her. “Easy,” he murmured. “It’s all right. That’s enough for now.” He wouldn’t make her exert herself anymore than she already had.

[Zoey Holloway]

Zoey let him help her. Once steadied it took her a moment to be okay to look at him. Her headache was painful, but it wasn’t as bad as the nauseous drowsy feeling she had.

“How do you do that?” Zoey couldn’t help but be in awe. If she wasn’t so scramble-brained, she would have thought her own question was an obvious one; Practice. But she wasn’t thinking the clearest. All she knew is that she was truly amazed at Chase’s ability.

She knew she really couldn’t save face now, having been a terrible brat at the beginning of the lesson and now rather vulnerable and…herself. But she still tried to gain a little bit of it and tried to fasten herself a surly look.

“I hope you have some aspirin professor x.” She said stepping away from him to sit up on the desk. She wasn’t necessarily sure she was allowed to sit on it but walking the distance to a chair didn’t seem like too good of an idea. Not yet anyway. At least until her head stopped spinning.