Brain Pains [Locked to Jono]

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the first time they'd met. After seeing him respond to the old Jaime's post about help with resistance to mind control, he'd sought him out. They'd been meeting in secret ever since.

"So, I don't know if you saw, but I might wind up needing your help now more than ever," Kon said as he entered Royal Albert Hall, his voice echoing through the building, as he flew over to meet the mutant.

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[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Aye. I saw. His voice didn't echo, of course, since there wasn't a physical component to it.

Jono knelt in the center of the stage, boots to the side and feet tucked under his bum. His hands were on his knees and eyes closed, obviously meditating while he waited. Don' do nothin' by 'alves, do you?

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

Kon kicked off his own boots and settled into a half-lotus position in front of Jono.

"Not really my style, no. You should know that much by now."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

The mutant made a non-committal noise, opening his eyes as he felt Kon settle. Roight. So, what're we lookin' at? Luthor ain't a 'path of any sort from what I've seen.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"Gotta keep working on the framework that's there," Kon said, tapping his temple. "Code words are wiped clean, sure, but you saw it: my brain's wired for subliminal control. If someone sciences up some machine or way or planting new codewords to unlock the big, bad, bald guy within, I'm screwed. I need to keep working on my ability to resist my own programming."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Jono nodded, shifting to sit cross-legged on the floor. If it's any help, reckon after this much time, could probably knock you out meself if I needed to. It was one of the few useful things about his abilities on the ship. But. Sihft more t' trainin' yer mind t' ignore the subliminal shite's probably a good idea.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"It's good to know. I ever go nuts, feel free to take me down."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

He nodded, putting his hands on his knees. With luck, I'll never 'ave to. But I'll do it if it's needed.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"As it stands, I think I'm ready for the heavy duty stuff," Kon told Jono, closing his eyes. "I think I'm ready to be pushed. Only way I'll learn to push back."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Jono eyed him for a moment, then nodded. Roight. They'd been working together on this sort of thing for a while. He trusted Kon to know when he was ready.

He rolled his shoulders, moving so that he was more comfortable. We're gonna start out as usual. Need you t' visualize yer spot. That place where yer comfortable. Someplace you know real well.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

A Hawaiian beach. Not far off in the water is Titans Tower. The sand gives way to dunes, which gives way to grass which gives way to fields of grain, and a country farmhouse, a barn, a place that's home just as much as all these other places are.

This part has gotten easy, at least.

Kon stands on his beach, barefoot. He's wearing a strange mix of clothing. Jeans, like always, but a spandex t-shirt, a leather jacket overtop. His hair is cropped short here, and there's an earring in his ear.

An amalgamation of all he's ever been.

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Honestly, Jono kind of liked it. It was...strange, sure. But he'd gotten used to seeing it, too.

Even if the farm kind of reminded him of Paige.

Roight, then. Jono wasn't there 'physically'. That wasn't going to be part of this lesson. Jus' fer a bit of clarification. Fer us both. What yer worried mos' 'bout is somebody tryin' t' make yer mind do what you don' wanna do. Try t' bend yer mind t' their will.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. It's practically built for that."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

So 'at's what we work on.

It was only small bends at first. The sky faded from sunlit to night time, stars speckling the darkness.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"You're forcing your way in, aren't you," he said, trying his best to sense it. "Making it click on."

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Not 'sactly. The night sky wasn't quite right for the middle of Kansas. The stars weren't that different, no, but enough. It ain't forcin' their way in you gotta worry 'bout. Like you said, the structures're there already.

The breeze started next. 'M jus' tryin' t' wrest control of the lan'scape from you. Impose me own desires on it. Just like somebody who was trying to make him work against his own mind would do.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"Taking control of the framework."

He watched it and he couldn't stop it. His helplessness and fear was a cloying, terrible thing, a force all its own, and it wasn't helping him.

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Aye.

The advance against his mind paused there, still with Jono in control but something had to be pointed out. He even paused to speak more clearly. Kon-El. This is your mind. YOUR mind. You're stronger here than anybody else.

It was something he'd said before. But it didn't always sink in.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"It feels like it's not."

Like he was owned by someone else.

Half of this stuff was psychology, too. Working through insecurities, through fear, through letting himself be controlled when he could take control.

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

'S easier when they give you somethin' 'at yer able t' punch, ain't it? Jono knew the feeling, though it was often real life that handed him the problems he couldn't deal with that way.

[so-pregnable.livejournal.com]

"How could you tell?" Kon said, trying to will the changes to stop happening. "Other than the fact that I'm completely hopeless without a bad guy to sock in the face?"

[psi-flames.livejournal.com]

Mos' heroes what got physical powers prefer hittin' shite t' the mental stuff. It was a thing. Jono was pretty well resigned to it, but it seemed to work most of the time. Luckily, the mental stuff don' come 'round as much as the physical shite.

The breeze picked up again, playing through Kon's hair. You know this place, Kon. You know what it looks like. You know how you see it. Remember that now.