It should've never gone like this.

Training wheels off (finished chapter)

"It's a rubber duck?"

"Yup!" Reagan set the box of stuff aside "we start small and work our way up!"

"Like your training?"

"Yeah, sort of!"

"This is our smallest," she handed him the duck, "and our biggest." She pointed at the chair she stole from the cafeteria, Brett looked through the box and found various items all different sizes and weights.

"Hey! No cheating!"

The tests included lifting up the object and keeping it steady, the next test as much as it terrified them both was telepathical control.

She had a few toys specifically 80s and a few regular ones like a toy car and one of her funko pops. "We can do this last but remember how you also could put people's minds on the fritz and basically zombify them?" Brett grimaced at the memory "I don't like that one."

"Well it only last as long as you make it, that's why I'm volunteering." She shrugged organizing the objects and her notebook.

"You're volunteering? Oh no no no. I won't do that!"

"It's fine I trust you."

Brett bit his lip. Yeah I just don't trust myself.

"We're also going a bit old school." She pulled out a talk boy "found it while cleaning out the junk at my mom's place" she placed it down and Brett immediately took it "Is this like the one Kevin has in home alone?"

"Yup!"

"Hello?" He replayed it in the deep goofy voice. "Oh, this is great."

"You can keep it when we're done, I just needed something that wasn't accessible easily unless you had a solid real-life copy."

Brett grinned "No kidding?"

"Nope."

"Awesome."

He lifted the duck just barely off the table "I can't." The glow died down and the duck fell onto the table disappointedly. Reagan smiled "No giving up here, only trial and error. Just think, what is it that made you pick up objects so easily? What triggers your abilities?"

He didn't like to admit it but it was fear, anger, sadness. Strong emotions. "Anytime I feel threatened or I feel sad. Basically, the strongest and most painful emotions bring out that beast."

"You're not a beast for wanting to ignore what happened, it's kind of the definition of repressed trauma."

She set the duck in front of him "Now again. But think about it this time, if you learn how to use your power chances of losing control go down to almost zero!"

He focused on the dumbbell Reagan had brought along with the other things, he thought about how this whole time he spent 'detoxing' was actually spent pumping him full of more nostalgia max. How he had hurt Reagan and almost paralyzed her, his best fucking friend and he repaid the favor by breaking her spine. Not too long ago Jamie could've been hurt, hell. Anyone could've been hurt, and all because of him.

It wasn't fair.

The dumbbell rose along with other objects, the lab trembled again. Reagan sat helplessly in her chair, sirens went off in her head yelling at her to get the hell out of dodge but she tried to remain calm "Brett?" She couldn't help the unsteady tone in her voice, he was her best friend but Jesus Christ was he terrifying like this. Brett who was normally the most approachable harmless-looking guy, which he is don't get me wrong. Could be a fucking terrifying guy. He wasn't small by any means but the golden retriever energy evened it out.