KOTLC Sokeefe One-Shots, Alternate Endings, etc

Blocking (Fitz POV)

A/N: A Fitz POV of chapter 65 of Everblaze (Sophie and Grady have confronted Brant, Dex has come to her rescue thanks to her panic switch ring, and Dex has removed her ability restrictor after Brant reveals that the Neverseen knows about the ambush on Mount Everest).

Sophie showing up at Mount Everest--with the ability restrictor suddenly missing--had been a huge surprise.

But then, so had what she'd come to tell them.

This wasn't a simple ambush. The Neverseen had caught wind of their plan and was going to use it against them.

And Mr. Forkle wasn't going to let them stay and fight. Fitz felt indignant, at first--sure, they were underage, but they weren't kids, and they wanted to make a difference. But, Mr. Forkle insisted that they were too valuable to be lost in the fight. Finally, they had agreed.

"Before you go," Mr. Forkle told them, "there's something I must teach Fitz, in case another opportunity does not present itself."

He waved Fitz over to where Sophie was standing.

"Place your hands on Sophie's temples. I'm going to show you how to slip past her blocking."

"WHAT?!" Fitz, Sophie, Keefe and Biana all asked at the same time--though Keefe was the loudest.

Why was Keefe the loudest?

"Are you okay with that?" Fitz asked Sophie. He knew she valued her privacy.

But she didn't even hesitate  before she nodded. "I trust you," she told him simply.

He wasn't sure why, but...he really liked hearing that.

Keefe grumbled something about Telepaths as Fitz reached for Sophie's temples and Mr. Forkle pressed his hands against Fitz's.

"Do you feel that trail of warmth I'm leaving?" Mr. Forkle asked him.

"Yeah--wow, that's crazy. How are you doing that?" Fitz asked. This was something he hadn't experienced before. How did you leave a trail like that in someone's mind?

"Focus, Fitz. I need you to memorize the path so that you can find it on your own."

"Right," Fitz mumbled, his brow furrowing in concentration. They weren't even past her mental block yet, but it was already confusing trying to navigate through her head. He'd never have figured out this path if Mr. Forkle hadn't guided him through it.

"There," Mr. Forkle announced, as Fitz saw some sort of flash, and he hit a wall, Mr. Forkle's warm trail stopping cold. "Did you see that?"

"I think so. But I don't understand what you did."

"It's a point of trust. Transmit the right thing and her guard will lower."

"What do I transmit?"

"It varies person to person. What makes her trust me will not work for you."

"Just so you guys know, this is super weird to watch," Keefe told them, earning himself a shout of "Silence!" from Mr. Forkle.

Fitz figured it probably was weird, since the others couldn't see what was going on inside Sophie's head, but that didn't matter right now.

He needed to figure out how to get in. She already said she trusted him--wasn't that enough?

He leaned closer to Sophie and whispered, "What do I say?"

"How do I know? I don't even know what he says," she told him, indicating Mr. Forkle.

"She's right. It's her subconscious you're reaching," Mr. Forkle explained. "Her conscious mind cannot help."