Shigeko Kageyama, AKA Mob

by Green Kneesocks

The ongoing life of Shigeko Kageyama, also known as Mob, as she tries to navigate work, school, feelings, growing up, and being the protagonist of her own life. MobXReigen. MobXTeru. May be M rated in later chapters. FemMob. Now with cover art by ponystoriesandothers!

36. Determination, Fight On!

"I didn't know that there were so many of us, Master." Said Mob as she entered the room. Her aura had passed over so mnay other espers…more than she had ever been around in her life.

"Me neither, Mob." Said Reigen. He hid in her aura still. He couldn't come out. He knew that if he came out he would be overwhelmed. Useless to her. Not that he would be of much use to her in this situation.

"How are we all going to work together to exorcise whatever this thing is?" asked Mob as she eyes the gross, black, thing hanging out at the far side of the room. Some of the other espers eyed it too. Some of the other espers…normal people?

"I have no clue. He had better pay us. Seriously, we came all the way out here…" said Reigen. He saw Mob frown, a little.

"I can do it, Master, and I don't need anybody's help." Said Mob frowning a little bit. She had been exorcising spirits since she first realized that she could, since she was three or four and something was living under Ritsu's bed. She was not little anymore. She could do this and she would do this and she had to do this because Master Reigen wanted her to and he believed in her.

"I never said you did." Said Reigen. His annoyance. Not hers. She didn't get annoyed. She was Mob.

"I can do it…I just need to figure out what it is." Said Mob as she walked through the crowd to the far wall. Some of the people, espers, parted before her like the red sea. The others, normal people, watched her and Reigen curiously. Reigen stood closer to her, physically and metaphysically.

"The guy said that his daughter was possessed by a spirit. Well, he said demon, too." Said Reigen as they made their way to the far wall. A velvet rope, like at the bank, had been placed there to keep people about a meter away. Mob reached out a hand and pulled back.

"I've never exorcised a demon. I didn't even know that they were real." Said Mob. She looked down at her hand. The vessel wasn't hurt but something clung to her. She tried to burn it away with a burst of power but it took a few tried. Behind her Dimple was doing his best scared tiny dog impression. Master Reigen still buried himself in her aura. Mob was glad. If he could act like their almost…whatever….never happened and then so could she. She felt the gross black thing shift.

"Apparently they are….I've never felt anything like that before." Said Reigen. He reached over to gesture, as he tended to do, but felt his hands being pressed quickly back to his side.

"Sorry for using my powers on you, Master, but it was for a good reason. Whatever that thing it, it's sticky." Said Mob

"Sticky?" asked Reigen. He had met some pretty strange spirits before but none that he would describe as being sticky. He was tempted to reach over but found that he couldn't. It took Mob a moment to let him go. He forgot, sometimes, how strong she was. How strong she could be.

"Sticky. It's kind of gross. I don't want to touch it with my aura. Yours, too, since yours is in mine." Said Mob

"No…I don't mind. Do you?" asked Reigen. He had to know because he had almost lost himself in her. He had almost ruined everything and if it wasn't for the distraction that the…whatever it was…provided then he and Mob would have had to talk about it.

"Of course not, Master. I don't mind. It's nice." Said Mob with a smile, a small one, her normal one. She felt the black thing try to reach over to her. She put a barrier around herself and Master Reigen. The black thing reached around her barrier, poked at it, and then retreated behind the curtain. She sent a burst of power at it but the thing just…ate it?

"…Thanks, Mob." Said Reigen as he clung to Mob like a cast away clung to his raft while the sea tried its best to drown him. That was what it felt like, being in a room with that many psychics, and that thing. He could drown so easily in them, the force of their collective emotion, but he did not. He could not. Mob wouldn't let him. He wouldn't let himself drown, either. Not in the other psychics around them and certainly not in her.

"People are looking at us. I don't know why." Said Mob. She could feel their eyes on her, their auras. She could feel their auras hovering just around her periphery. When she reached out they pulled back. She tried to pour good intent into her aura but they, when she could feel them, mostly felt scared. She hated places where people were afraid of her. This job had better be worth it.

"Probably because they've never seen anything like you, Mob." Said Reigen. Having seen a few auras in his brief time as an actual psychic he could conclude, reasonably, that people's auras should not have been two separate colors. Two different shades of the same color seemed like something that popped up occasionally but two colors that were entirely different just did not exist in that room. In the world, even, maybe, because this was Mob. This was Mob and she was powerful and amazing and of course she would shine above everyone else, the drop of star shine that she was. He could have so easily drowned in her aura. He could have so easily burned with her in that fire he lit inside of her. It would have been easy but he didn't let himself. Those feelings were hers and hers alone. He was only an eavesdropper into her emotional life.

"Master….I'm just me." Said Mob. She smiled, again. Her face colored pink, as did his. The black thing didn't like that and it reached over again. She batted it away. It actually went away that time. It wasn't so tough.

"I know. You're you and you're amazing and I know that you can do this." Said Reigen. He had been wrong, too, to inspire those feelings in her on purpose. Right? Even it had been to avoid an explosion, and the other her certainly felt like she was going to explode, so then yes it had been in some ways right.

He had just….no. It had been wrong. But if he made her happy….but he was being manipulative…but she was happy.

"I can. I think. I can." Said Mob. She knew that she could defeat or destroy or exorcise whatever that thing was. She had no idea what it was but she knew that she was strong enough to defeat it. Master Reigen believed in her and she would never let him down. He made her feel better, he always did. She and the other her were even calmer. What had they bene upset about? It was just another job. If Master Reigen wasn't worried then she wasn't worried.

"Yeah, that's the spirit." Said Reigen. He nudged her. It took her a moment before she smiled. There, the butterflies. They were back. She may have had a…hormone induced crush on him. Maybe. Probably not. She was probably just being fourteen and letting her hormones run wild and rage. That was all. This was Mob. Even if she did he could never reciprocate, no matter how many of her feelings that he took on. Thank God he had the presence of mind to end that positive feedback loop before he had ruined everything between them.

This job had better be worth it.

Mob didn't look worried and she didn't feel worried. Occasionally he felt her aura move towards the…black…thing behind the far wall. It felt almost like a spirit but not quite. It mostly felt of nothing, like a black hole, but also somehow…she called it sticky. She had felt it but deemed it too dangerous for him.

She was the stronger of the two of them after all.

"Somebody's coming…I know him. It's Banshomaru Shinra, Master, and some other espers." Said Mob pointing behind them. She could feel faint auras and one considerably brighter. All different kinds of purples. Reigen could see it, purple cutting through the crowd and getting closer than anyone else had dared to. He saw Shinra first, he led a group of other espers with him.

"Hey! There are two familiar faces!" said Shinra as he walked over to them quickly. He had been keeping his distance, at first, because Master Jodo said to. He said that he had to study the girl, mostly, from a distance. Shinra could understand that.

"Hello, it's nice to see you again." Said Mob politely

"Hey, what brings you to this side of town?" asked Reigen for the sake of conversation. He figured that Shinra was there for the same reason that everyone else was there for.

"The entire Rising Sun Spiritual Union got invited here for some exorcism thing." Said Shinra eying the ink, black, grossness that seemed to be trying to surrounded them. He wasn't terribly scared, no, because Master Jodo wasn't. Master Jodo knew just what to do. That was why he was the master and Shinra was the student.

"That's why we're here, too. There's a big reward, Master Reigen says that we'll be on easy street after this." Said Mob simply. Reigen clicked his tongue. This had better not be an 'everyone splits the reward' situation.

"Master? So he's the master and you're the student." Said someone, who in Mob and Reigen's opinions, looked like a very creepy old man. Skin as pale as Mob's, eyes just as wide, lips a dark purple, and face just as flat as Mob's. Mob looked cute though, in Reigen's opinion. This guy looked like the direct opposite of cuteness.

"Master Jodo, these are the people I was telling you about." Said Shinra deferentially. To Mob it was just an odd tone to take with someone. The man stopped and stood in front of her. She took a step forward. She stared. He stared. His aura reached out to tap hers before pulling back quickly. Mob mirror his action. No murderous intent, not even violent intent.

To Reigen it was like watching two dogs sniff each other.

"He's Master Reigen and I'm his student, Mob." Said Mob after a moment. They still stared at each other, neither one of them blinking. His eyes were purple, which was weird. Her eyes were brown, which was not weird. He didn't feel very strong, not like her or Teru. He was more at Ritsu's level, she decided.

"Reigen Arataka, greatest psychic and rising star of the twenty first century. Feel free to Google me!" said Reigen. He shuddered as he felt the black thing attempt to pass over him. Mob put up a barrier quickly. Shinra looked at her with awe. The old man kept staring. Mob kept staring right back. For a man so old and withered he felt pretty stronger. Stronger than Reigen, anyway.

"I know who you are. You're the man who thought that he could just waltz right into my city and act without permission." Said Jodo. The man was nothing special. He was at about the same level as most of the other psychics there. The girl, on the other hand, was something that should not have existed.

"They're freelance psychics, Master Jodo, and they helped me defeat an evil spirit." Said Shinra. He was defending the girl, mostly, because she seemed like she would be a great addition to the union. Or was she a woman? She might have just been short.

"Yes, I read about that. The so called 'Dragger'. A creature born of rumors." Said Jodo. He didn't have the man power to look in to every single urban legend that plagued his city. He had bigger fish to fry, like that awful organization. They were gearing up for something, their recruitment methods had become far more…unbridled…than they had been in the past.

"It was real and not real. We defeated it, though, so you guys don't have to worry." Said Mob, still staring. She tapped his aura again. He flinched away from her, physically. She decided to stop doing that.

"All in a day's work." Said Reigen trying to sound confident. He pat a hand on her shoulder. She had done literally all the work, there, but she still credited him.

"Don't ever act within our territory again, young ones. This is your only warning. We do not act within yours and you do not act within ours." Said Jodo as the girl's aura reached over to his again. Three colors…no…two. Duality. Conflict. Separation. She should have been too unstable to function as a single being but there she was. She also allowed that man in her aura, to almost fuse with hers. How could she allow someone to do that?

"Duly noted." Said Reigen not at all planning on heeding the old man's warnings. He and Mob went where they felt like it. Now that he had met this group he knew that Mob could wipe the floor with them.

"Why don't you want us to work in your city? You have plenty of spirits to go around." Said Mob

"Because we have no idea which organization you belong to and we would like to reduce any needless…conflicts." Said Jodo. They weren't with Claw, most likely. Their auras were too different. For some reason almost every follower of Claw had a red aura. Not just red but identical. Perhaps as a result of their insane awakening experiments.

"We're Spirits and Such. It's not an organization, it's a consultation office." Said Mob simply.

"An office in which you, of all people, act as the student?" asked Jodo. A bluff, most likely. The girl couldn't possibly serve that man. He was weak, as far as raw power went. Nothing like the girl. He had felt her, everyone had, long before she entered. At first he had assumed that a large group was approaching, another organization perhaps, but no, instead it was just the girl and this man she called Master.

"Yes." said Mob simply. What was so hard to believe about that? She felt the black thing reach around. She strengthened her barrier.

"Have you always been like this?" asked Jodo. He had been avoiding whatever it was that existed behind that curtain. He had never in his long life felt anything like it. The girl seemed unafraid. She had walked right up to it and now was shielding their entire group from it.

What was she?

"What do you mean?" asked Mob. She was a lot of things so he was going to have to be more specific. She had always been the student, if that was what he meant.

"In two parts. The duality. The raw power that is, paradoxically, contained within your broken metaphysical vessel. Has this always been your existence?" said Jodo. Amongst psychics he had always stood head and shoulders above the rest but now there was this…girl….and she was unlike anything he had ever seen before. She was impossible, this girl.

"Hey, don't talk to her like-" said Reigen knowing full well how sensitive Mob was to talk like that.

"Yes. I've always been really powerful, since the day I was born. Well, my mom said that when I was born she floated off the bed and there was this bright light and the entire hospital shook. I don't remember being born. My aura's always had two colors in it, too. Do you know why? You're a really old man so I was just thinking that you would know what it meant." Said Mob not trying to be mean at all. Jodo held her gaze. Old man? Reigen patted Mob on the back for that one. Good one, Mob! Show him who's the boss!

"Duality. Conflict. You shouldn't exist. I have never in my entire life met a being as powerful, or as impossible, as you." Said Jodo evenly. In the face of overwhelming power one could either fight or submit. He chose to submit. That old man comment had been her flexing her power, daring him to say anything back. He would not. He had lived enough to know that battle that was brewing. He'd have to recruit more heavily. Claw was nothing compared to that girl and whoever else she had as a follower. He'd dispatch a disciple or two to Seasoning City to get a feel of what their plans were, this couple's.

"But I do exist! I exist and I'm here so how can I be impossible?" asked Mob. Reigen tried to steer her away but she had rooted herself to the ground again. The room went silent as the shift in her aura was felt.

"Because your aura is your soul. A vessel cannot house two souls without destroying itself." Said Jodo evenly. He felt something…anger? Hers? Could she project her emotions, too? Empath. Not a common gift at all, though not one without it's uses. Her…or the man?

"But I've been like this my whole life. Me and the other Shigeko. That's my given name, Shigeko, but everyone calls me Mob. There's another me that takes over and talks to me sometimes. She's called the other Shigeko. Is she…are we…are we really going to destroy ourselves?" asked Mob. She felt the line in their spirit that demarked the two of them. It felt raw and gross and she wanted to cross it, to ask the other her if this was true, but she didn't. She didn't want to merge. It was unpleasant.

"Bullshit. Mob's going to be just fine. You're just trying to scare her, and frankly I can't stand here and listen to that. What's wrong? A little competition too much for you? I can see your followers and they're nowhere near your level. What, did you finally meet someone who could give you a run for your money? Does it freak you out, finding a bigger fish in your little pond?" asked Reigen knowing full well that Mob wouldn't want him to be this mean. Well, so what? She needed someone to defend her and since she wouldn't just walk away he'd have to be the one to defend her from this verbal onslaught.

"Honestly, I'm amazed you haven't already. Perhaps you have a gift for it, keeping yourself together. I notice that you've invited that man without your metaphysical self as well. For what purpose I cannot ascertain." Said Jodo ignoring the man. The girl, she was what interested him. She was impossible, an impossible being. That level of duality should have at least driven her completely mad long ago and yet there she was.

"It makes Master Reigen feel better. This was he can't feel what everyone else is feeling and he won't get overwhelmed. Also it's nice." Said Mob simply. Reigen blinked. This was nice for her, too? He…had figured that she didn't MIND but it was…nice? Which, this being Mob, could mean literally anything positive.

"How is it that you are so able to keep your own sense of self?" asked Jodo. The ma was right, she was a bigger fish than her, but he was not going to reacted rashly as the young tended to do. He had power in his own right. He would not fear this girl and certainly not the, incredibly, annoying man she had with her. He watched their auras. She seemed to be sharing her own metaphysical energy with him. It had been years since Jodo had anything close to that level of intimacy with another human being, not since his wife's passing, but it had always been difficult to maintain his own sense of self after a short while, and he had been married for half a century. The girl didn't look more than twenty years old, and that was if he was being VERY generous. No older than eighteen, if he were to be less generous. An odd pairing for this time. Not terribly common when he had been young, either, but not unheard of in the years before the pacific war.

"I don't know what you mean. Sometimes we share feelings and sometimes we…forget…who's feeling what…but we always know who we are." Said Mob. She watched her aura and Master Reigen's. She still knew where he ended and she began, but it was her aura. Before, when she had been in his aura…it had been different.

"You're telling the truth." Said Jodo. Words and bodies could tell lies but auras couldn't. How could someone so powerful exist in this world? And how did he get her on his side?

"I don't tell lies." Said Mob simply. She and Master Jodo still stared at each other. Mob decided that old people could be kind of mean sometimes but they couldn't help it because they were old. Sometimes they were super nice, though. She wondered how it happened and why old people always seemed to be in one extreme or another. Maybe it was like a coin toss that fate did when you got to whatever age old was.

"Another impossibility, the way in which you are able to keep your own mind while the complexities of another human being try to merge with your very soul. Perhaps this is a consequence of the duality you say you've dealt with for your entire life. Such a clear demarcation…." Said Jodo as he watched her aura. He could see it, if he looked closely enough. From within her he could see the massive pool of energy, massive enough to split her meta-physical vessel.

Reigen was about to tell the old man where to stuff his theories when he felt a shift in the room. A door opened slowly and a man hobbled across the front of the room and stood behind the velvet rope. He seemed prematurely aged, old before his time. Younger than Reigen's own father, maybe. Hair just beginning to salt and pepper. Skin sallow with heavy dark bags under his eyes. He walked with a distinct limp, a cane in his hand and a leg that seemed to have forgotten how to straighten out.

There was scant talk throughout the room, now. Reigen looked over at Mob. She had stopped staring at Jodo and was now staring at the client. Her eyes were narrowed. It was like she was looking for something in particular. Curiosity radiated from her. No fear. Fearless. If Mob could be fearless then so could he. Mob had this, he had nothing to worry about.

Mob knew exactly what she was doing. She was the spirits part of Spirits and Such after all.

"I sincerely thank all of you professionals for coming here today. I have no doubts that you are all true psychics." Said the man, Asagiri Masashi presumably. There was come collar tugging throughout the room. Reigen felt some faint nervousness and resisted the urge to tug at his Spirits and Such T-Shirt. He hid deeper within Mob. Calm. Yup, classic Mob. All business when it came to business. He felt eyes on him. That old fossil, Jodo, was giving him a weird look.

"Why would someone lie about something like that?" asked Mob quietly. This time Reigen did tug at his collar. He'd tell her the truth eventually.

"But whether or not any of you can save my daughter is another matter entirely." Said Masashi

"Daughter?" muttered Reigen. Mob felt for another person's presence. Normal people had a feel, sort of. It was like trying to hear a leaf fall, or see a snowflake, difficult but not totally impossible. There were people in the crowd of psychics that felt like normal people but she….yes. From behind the curtain….a person? A person stuck in all of that black stuff?

Mob had to save her.

Not for the money, not for the fame, not even for the business a job like this would bring in. She had to save the girl because nobody should ever have to live with something like that clinging to them. Beside her Dimple was still shaking. Anticipation, maybe? Whatever that thing was it felt strong and Dimple was always after another power boost.

"I ask that you keep what you are about to see a secret." Said Masashi. Mob nodded. She wouldn't tell a soul if that was what was asked of her. Reigen reached over and gave her hair a tug. Determination. Fearless determination. How could he have ever doubted Mob?

The curtain rose and there was a collective gasp. The psychics in the crowd could see, now, the blood and salt decorating the inside of the curtain. The more learned amongst them, mostly Jodo and his followers, recognized those patterns. He was trying to contain a great evil. The more sensitive amongst them could see the aura attempting to lash out at them. It was stopped by someone. Two someones…no…three. Pink, blue, and yellow.

It took three people to hold that…whatever it was…back.

The frauds amongst them, quite a large percentage of the crowd, began to feel as though they may have been in over their heads. They thought that this would be easy. It must have just been some rich and bored guy looking for a little excitement. They couldn't see or feel it like the others but as soon as that curtain came up a sense of danger set off their every fight or flight instinct.

Maybe this sort of thing was best left to the professionals.

Mob could see it, now. There was a girl tied to a bed. Her age. Pink hair. Grey pajamas. She wasn't moving but she didn't look like she was asleep, either. As soon as the curtain when up she faced the crowd and began to struggle. She must have been trying to get away from the black thing. Mob knew what she had to do. She was going to exorcise it down even below the particle layer. If it tried to reform then she'd exorcise it again and again.

"What the hell is that…." Muttered Reigen. For a moment he saw Mob, there, all tied up. It wasn't Mob, though. Mob was right there beside him and she wasn't anywhere near that young. That girl was much younger than Mob, she had to be. There was something stuck to her….from the inside? Possession? Or something else.

Something entirely new.

"It's not too late to turn back now, you guys. Come on, let's go find some bigger fish to fry." Said Dimple. He knew that spirit. He could recognize it, now, because it was peeking out from that girl. That was, without a shadow of a doubt, Mogami Keiji. He needed to get Shigeko O-U-T out!

"Dimple, don't be like that. We have a job to do. You can go if you want but I'm staying." Said Mob. She came here to do her job and that was, precisely, what she was going to do. If she were in that poor girl's place then she would have wanted someone to save her.

"Come on! This is dumb! How about we…go pet some cats? Play go? I could find a body and can have another milk drinking contest! Ooh! I can teach you how to turn invisible so you can hide in the guys' changing rooms!" said Dimple. Cuteness. Games. Food. Sex. Shigeko loved all of those things so maybe, just maybe, she'd put this whole thing aside and not shatter her image of one of her heroes….or of Dimple.

"We can do most of those things later. Dimple, I don't know why you're being like this but you can't talk me out of it." Said Mob. Dimple was so easily distracted sometimes. When this job was over then they could hang out, but now it was time to be serious.

"Come on, Dimple, you know Mob has this in the bag." Said Reigen. Mob was wholly determined and that was enough for him. She believed in him and he owed her some belief in return.

"…..you're a moron…." Muttered Dimple. He was all for Shigeko using her powers and unlocking her full potential but going up against this thing would not only shatter her faith in Dimple but also her entire metaphysical self. Mogami had done it, he had become the most powerful evil spirit.

That didn't mean that the most power esper could exorcise him. Shigeko could break.

"This is my daughter, Asagiri Minori. She's only fourteen." Said Masashi. Reigen took a step back. That girl was Mob's age. How could that girl be Mob's age? She was so much smaller than…he looked over at Mob…she was Mob's size. She seemed younger. Maybe it was the pink hair, or possibly the teddy bear motif of her room/cell. Either way it was hard to believe that both girls were the same age. The other girl was dwarfed by the bed, the room. She looked like Reigen could pick her up with one arm as she lied there, tied to her bed.

He could never imagine Mob in such a position. She wasn't afraid of the things that went bump in the night, they were afraid of her. Nothing could ever possess her. She would destroy it first. Mob was strong and powerful.

Something like this could never happen to her.

"She's behind a one way mirror so she cannot see us." Said Masashi. There were all sorts of murmurings now.

He has her locked up?/What's going on here?/What is that thing?/it's a little girl?/Holy shit that's wrong!/That poor little girl!/This is going a bit too far, I think….

"At first I didn't believe in spirits, either, but even after seeing the best counsellors and mental health professionals in the world there was no improvement. She's been possessed by a demon. Please, I beg of you all, save my daughter!" said Masashi. He began to cry. Not full on sobs but instead tears began to slip down his cheeks. His daughter stopped struggling and just stared out at them. Reigen decided that this wasn't a Mob stare, as he rubbed the tears from his eyes. No, there was something sinister lurking behind those eyes.

"Can you see it, Master? I can. It's looking back at me." Said Mob. That thing was staring at her with stolen eyes. She stared right back. She had been facing spirits since she was little. She could face this one. She was not little. She had this, just like Master Reigen said. She had this. Mob had this. Shigeko had this. They had this.

Even though it was looking at Shigeko. It was looking through Mob and looking at Shigeko.

We need to go.

We need to stay.

I'm taking control.

Don't you dare try to.

We will break.

We will win.

LET ME OUT

No.

I will protect us.

No. I will protect us.

I need to keep us safe.

I can keep us safe.

We need to keep Master Reigen safe.

Master Reigen is counting on us.

He is.

He believes in us.

He does.

We need to win.

We do.

If we win he'll be happy.

He will be.

If we win he'll love us like we love him.

He will.

When we're a grown up.

When we're a grown up.

Mob pulled back from her own mind. She could still feel whatever it was looking at her. For a moment she did want to run away. Sometimes you had to run away and live to see another day. This was not one of those times. She was Mob. She was going to save this girl because that was what she did. Then Master Reigen would love her even more. Then he'd be happy. There was nothing she wanted more than his happiness.

"That thing is seriously creepy. This isn't some sort of adolescent mental illness. This Asagiri guy was right to call us in, to call you in. You've got this, Mob. You can do it." Said Reigen giving her hand a squeeze. Something was poking at his aura. Something black. Mob…he was pulling too far away from Mob. He clung to her metaphysical self. Her aura. He had been pulling away from her, slowly, because they were far too close. They hadn't been this close since that first night…after Claw…but this was different. This was just another job only…bigger.

"Please! No price is too high! I'll pay you double what I said! Triple! Just please! Save my little girl!" said Masashi. Reigen took a step forward. Mob followed him. Double…triple….he looked down…over…at Mob.

Her own room.

Better food.

All the milk she could ever drink.

A brand new uniform.

Whatever she wanted.

Anything that her heart desired would be hers.

With that much money he could give her all the things she had ever wanted. With that much money he could get all of the things that he had ever wanted.

No more worrying about bills.

No more being afraid to check his bank account.

No more crappy apartment.

No more cheap suits.

No more undershirts with the itchy tags.

No more bothering Mob to come out to the jobs that he couldn't do himself.

Mob could have more time with her friends and her life. She could be happy. That was what he wanted most of all, her happiness.

"You're in luck! I, Reigen-" said Reigen getting into her persona, the Reigen Arataka that existed in the minds of others. That he wanted to exist in the minds of others. He was cut off, though, by…Mob.

"I, Kageyama Shigeko, also known as Mob, will accept this job." Said Mob trying to sound like Master Reigen there. She was as close to the velvet, bank line type, rope as she could be. She needed to be like Master Reigen here. She needed to be confident, to put the client at ease….to show Master Reigen that she could do this.

"Hold it! Who says that you get to go first?" asked Shinra. She was powerful, true, but the Rising Sun Spiritual Union needed that money too!

"I just did." Said Mob simply. She meant nothing by it, just the flat fact of it. She called it. She knew about the rule about calling things. In gym class you called the good positions in sports, like catcher and goalie, first. In Telepathy Club you called the good snacks first. In Body Improvement Club you called the heaviest dumbbells first. In families you let your little brother call the biggest piece of fish. At home you let Master Reigen call the less lumpy side of the couch.

And now she was calling this job.

"Mob…." Said Reigen. He didn't hear the flat fact of it. All he heard was her stamping her authority as the most powerful esper in the room? She was going after an obscene amount of money….would these guys…fight…over it? Fight Mob?

She could wipe the floor with these guys.

But she shouldn't have to.

Hey! Who says you get to go first!?/Lady, you got some nerve!/I think that's a kid, actually./Who cares? I want my damn money!/There's no way she's taking all the money!/Let me do it!/This isn't fair!/I want my money!

"Everyone! Please! Let's all just calm down!" said Masashi throwing his hands up in a gesture of platitude. He stumbled a bit as he put weight on his bad leg.

"Yeah, take a step back. We'll have this done in a jiffy. Come on, Mob." Said Reigen. He willed himself to walk forward some more. Mob was looking behind them, now.

"You guys could get really hurt. You should go home." Said Mob addressing the group. She was the strongest person there in terms of raw power. Unless people were hiding their auras like Master Reigen used to do they were nowhere near strong enough to take this thing on.

"Listen, lady! You can't just go and-" said someone loudly

"Don't call her lady. Now do what she said. She's right, you could all get hurt." Said Reigen putting a protective arm over Mob. What he thought he could do to protect her he did not know. She was more than capable of protecting herself. Still, she should not have been called lady. She wasn't a lady. She was still just a kid.

Sort of.

"Please! Everyone! How about we decided using…rock paper scissors?" asked Masashi. Everyone blinked but Mob. That made sense. That was another way to decide things, like who got to be player one or who got to sit in the only chair in the club room that didn't squeak.

"Ok." Said Mob as everyone began to murmur. Her voice was projecting well, this room had great acoustics. To Reigen, and those who could see auras, she was once again stamping her authority as the most powerful person in the room.

The real psychics amongst them were weary. Anyone in the know knew Master Jodo. A few had even tangled with the organization known as Claw. None of them had ever seen anything like that small woman/normal sized girl. Physically she was hard to place and metaphysically a child could never have been that powerful. She was known, or at least people knew of her. Spirits and Such. Shishou and Mobbu, co-stars of a small internet supernatural/paranormal show. Just one show in a sea of many but with one exception.

They were the real deal.

That was not three people, only two. An aura with two colors…one in constant motion. Conflict and duality. Another aura she allowed to rest within hers.

But of course greed would win out against fear.

"I guess that's fair." Said a large muscle bound psychic in what looked like a fairly skimpy bikini. Mob wondered what that was about. A lot of the people there were dressed weird, the ones without auras. There was someone dressed up like a dog, someone holding a weird staff thing, someone clutching a crystal ball, and even more oddly dressed people. Did that have something to do with powers? The other psychics agreed with that guy, anyway.

Sure/Yeah/Fine/Whatever/What are we? Ten! I mean, sure/Don't be spoil sport/Let's just get on with it!

Not that Mob was happy with this development. She had called it. This was fair, too, but she had called it.

"Good. Well, I'm throwing paper." Said Reigen. He could win this and have Mob go in and get this over with. He hadn't lost a game of rock-paper-scissors since he was nine. The trick was to watch everyone else's arm and throw slightly more slowly. He had this. He could do this for Mob.

"Huh?" asked the big, muscle bound psychic in the skimpy bikini. Reigen wondered what possible purpose that served. Mob wondered that too. It seemed like the people without auras were dressed the weirdest.

"Hey, buddy….you're not supposed to tell anyone." Said a guy dressed like a dog. Reigen wondered what his shtick was. Exorcism and dog café worker? It seemed like the frauds, or the ones who felt like anyway, were putting on the biggest show. There were guy there dressed in costumes, covered in tattoos, and holding all manner of wand, staff, and even a crystal ball.

He wondered if there were any guys there that threw salt.

"Master, do you know how to play?" asked Mob. Maybe he was too old to know how to play rock-paper-scissors. He was almost thirty after all. That was pretty old, over twice her age. She didn't like it, thinking about the years that separated them.

"On second though I think I'll throw rock." Said Reigen. Contrary to Mob's belief he knew full well how to play rock-paper-scissors. He hadn't lost a game since he was nine. The trick was a combination of psychological warfare and just plain throwing slightly slower than everyone around him. Look harmless, sound dumb, and win. He'd get first place for Mob and then she could get on with the exorcism and they could collect their check and head home.

"Master, don't tell people." Said Mob. She was bad at this game. She needed at least one of them to win. There were too many people here and they could all get seriously hurt. She couldn't let that happen. She was the only person there who could exorcise the…whatever it was.

"Which is he going to throw? Paper or rock?" someone else asked. There were murmurings from the crowd. Across the room a familiar, and scarred, face peered at them from behind a pillar.

Matsuo had no intention of joining in on this game. He stood no chance against the people who took down the entire seventh division. He had broken all ties with Claw and was trying to go straight, unfortunately they might not see it that way. He stood no chance. He had no power of his own except to bind spirits to his will. Judging by the very familiar looking spirit hovering beside the girl she could do the same thing…and a whole lot more. He had been defeated so quickly before…and it could happen again. There was an outrageous sum of money on the line but…he stood no chance of standing against that girl or the rest of her organization. He could always take the spirit, though, if they managed to shake it free from the vessel. From what it looked like, from what it felt like, it would be a pretty great consolation prize.

It was the most powerful thing he had ever seen in his life.

Across the room the winner was decided quickly. There was only one and it was Reigen Arataka. He knew he'd win. He could feel the reverence coming from Mob. Towards himself. She was looking at him again, just like she used to. Had it really been so long ago? Or a short while? Since she last looked at him like he was the answer to all of her prayers.

"Master, you're amazing. How did you do that?" asked Mob. Reigen Arataka. Miracle worker.

"Student, there is no one in this world who can beat me at rock-paper-scissors." Said Reigen getting back into character for her. Good, he had won. Now she could go up there and put an end to all of this.

"Best six out of ten!" someone called out. There was a collective groan.

"No. That's going to take too long. That girl is suffering right now. Master, you can go and try. I'll compete in the next rounds." Said Mob. She could still feel that thing looking at her, through her. It was so gross and unpleasant. She wished that she didn't have to follow the rules, that she could just walk up there and get the spirit out. She followed the rules, though, because she had to. She was just as human as everyone else and human beings had a thousand and one rules they needed to follow to keep the world functioning. Just because she was the most power being in the room it didn't give her the right to line jump.

"Mob? No, I won for you. Go on, melt that thing down to nothing." Said Reigen patting Mob on the back. This earned him some collective, angry, murmuring.

"Oh no, young man, you're the winner here. You go up there and take your turn." Said Jodo. It was a shame that he was so bad at rock paper scissors. That man wouldn't last ten seconds against that spirit. Jodo had never felt anything like that in his life, either. The spirit. The girl. This was a day for impossible things.

"Yeah, just take your turn so the rest of us can have a shot!" someone yelled out. There was more murmurings of agreement from the crowed. Reigen felt beads of sweat collecting on his forehead. He stood zero chance against that thing.

"Master, you can try. Remember what you said. I think. I can. I'll be here to protect you, too." Said Mob. She believed in Master Reigen. She had to. He had won and now he had to try. She had to believe in him even though she knew how different his powers were, how weak he was, how easily he could be taken out of commission, because if she didn't believe that he could do this right there in that moment she could explode. He could die. No. She, Mob, Shigeko, would not let anything happen to him.

He was their everything.

"Is that from a Pillows song….?" Someone muttered. Reigen paid him no mind. He needed to put on his brave shoes, now, for Mob. He needed to put on his brave shoes and march up there into that sealed room and try his damned best to at least soften that…whatever it was…up for Mob. He felt a tug at his hair. Mob.

I'm here. I've got you.

"Thank you so much, sir!" said Masashi as Reigen walked passed him. Gratitude. This man was counting on him. That little girl was counting on him. Mob was counting on him. Thank God he could do more, now, than throw salt around.

"On it." Said Reigen nonchalantly. Put the client at ease. This is not something new and big and terrifying. This is just another job. It's a normal job on a normal Saturday and after this he and Mob would get something to eat and then go home and hang out watching TV or whatever else she wanted to do.

He walked across the velvet rope and around the back to where the door to the sealed room was. Behind him a very competitive rock-paper-scissors tournament was taking place. He didn't need to look back, though, to see Mob. He could feel her. He wore her like a suit of armor, like a security blanket. She kept him safe from the inky blackness that was trying to cling to him as he opened the door and entered the room.

It was a kid's room.

Teddy bears were everywhere. The walls were even done up in teddy bear murals. Teddy bears on parade, teddy bear picnics. Teddy bear princes and princesses. That was the most obvious part but there was more. There were dolls in the corner of the room, he knew those dolls, the brand. He had gotten Mob one on her twelfth birthday because, well, she was a little girl then. What had she said?

"Thank you very much, Master, but I'm much too old for dolls. I'll put it up as decoration."

Right. Mob was too old for dolls. She was so much older than this girl, he thought, even though they were supposedly the same age. He sat down on a chair beside the bed. Oh. On the nightstand was that weekly Shoujo thing that Mob read all the time. Some compilations, too. Light novels. He knew those. Mob watched the adaptations of those religiously. The one about the guy who falls in love with the princess of Luxemburg. The one about the guy who befriends a cat after his parents die. The one about the guy who falls in love with the deaf girl he used to bully.

This girl was not Mob.

She was facing him, now. Her eyes had been blank but now took on a lively quality. She began to strain against her restraints. It was like watching a marionette. It was like someone had killed this girl, tied strings to her limbs, and manipulated her into some kind of crude, simulacrum, of life. He watched her aura, the black thing. Nothing. Dimple was green, many spirits were. Hell, he had even seen a black aura back when he fought those guys from Claw. This wasn't even…it was like an anti aura.

No light. No feelings. Nothing.

"Hello there." Said Reigen. Just treat the girl like any other client. You are a psychic now, Arataka. You are not powerless. You are not Mob but you are not powerless.

The girl stopped struggling and sat up as best she could. She smiled up at him. It was fake. There was nothing there. No happiness, no relief, not even a nervous response. She was just a puppet. This thing was not a spirit, maybe, because even spirits had emotions.

"Tell me, do you know why you're locked up in here?" asked Reigen. He made his aura more visible. As a consequence he had to shake himself free of Mob. He felt it poking at him, trying to size him up. What had his mother told him when he was little?

"Think good thoughts, Arataka, and the big, bad, meanies will go away."

He had been young, then, and afraid of the thing living in the hall closet. It had turned out to be a sweater but thinking good thoughts as he passed that closet, every day, until he was five, helped him immensely. He thought good thoughts. He thought about Mob. Her smiles. The way she got so excited, sometimes, when she explained something she really liked. The way she had breakfast waiting for him every morning. The way she would lay her head down on his lap when they'd watch TV together. The way she'd put his cigarettes out for him when he started to doze off while smoking. The way she said his name. Master Reigen. The way she looked at him like he was her everything.

"I have no idea! I don't know what's happening, Mr. Reigen. Papa's been really weird lately…." Said the girl. She, the thing, switched tactics. It was making itself sound younger, now. Closed off body language. Everything about this screamed 'save me'.

Except for her emotions.

She had none.

"Weird how?" asked Reigen. She had known his name without him introducing himself. This room was supposed to be sealed off. How much of the girl was still there? She gave off no emotions but then again she was not an esper. He was used to the way espers screamed their emotions. This was a normal little girl. Normal people were so, damned, quiet.

"He started locking me in my room and tying me to the bed. He stares at me in a weird way. He even hits me sometimes!" said the girl. Reigen squished down his instinctive response to protect the girl. Lies. This thing was lying. This thing was trying to gain his sympathy. He looked out the one way mirror. There was some kind of commotion going on outside.

"He brought in all of these strange grown ups…and let them hover around me and touch my body. No matter what don't trust father! He just hasn't been himself lately! It's like he's possessed or something!" said the girl. There was more commotion outside and Mob's barrier sprang to life. She was in front of everyone now. Some auras hit it, some people hit it, but it did not budge.

"How do you mean?" asked Reigen. It was trying to take suspicion off of itself. It was playing to his instinctive, protective, nature. He looked over towards Mob. She made eye contact with him. Right, fuck the marching order she was going next.

"He keeps on telling people I'm cursed! Daddy even said that a demon has taken over my body! I mean, maybe I was acting like a rebellious teenager but this is going too far! He's gone crazy!" said the thing. More commotion outside. The man, the girl's father, looked like he was pleading with the crowd. Mob was facing them. Whatever she was saying was falling on deaf ears.

"Am I-Am I going to be tied to this bed forever?!" said the thing before it broke out in crocodile tears. Mob's friend who liked aliens and typing in all caps did better crocodile tears than that.

"Help me Mr. Reigen! Please, sir, can you take these off of me? These restraints hurt so much!" asked the thing. It held out the girls hands. Reigen instantly shrunk back. That thing was unpleasant, even worse than being near the other Mob. The other Mob felt dangerous, like something that you weren't supposed to look at. This thing was…death. Worse than Dimple, even the little snot glob never felt this much like death….

"I'll ask your dad and see what I can do." Said Reigen. He got up and left the room. He resisted the urge to run, to put as must distance between himself and the…whatever it was. He exited the sealed room and was hit with a cacophony of noise.

"That's just a normal little girl! It's him who's the problem someone yelled out. Mob was shaking her head and saying something but nobody was listening. Right. His time to shine.

"Anybody who's stupid enough to believe that needs to get the hell out of here before they get themselves killed." Said Reigen as he walked over and stood behind Mob. Someone bashed their fists against her barrier.

"Master? I'm number forty eight in the order but I think I should go up there now. These people could die, you're right." Said Mob. There had been speakers so she heard the whole conversation. It sounded like she did when she was pretending to be normal, before, like how everyone else talked. It was a smart spirit, like Dimple. It was trying to blend in. Dimple was powerful, too powerful to be exorcised easily.

But she could exorcise this other spirit. She had to.

She was Mob.

"Don't do it, Shigeko! Just run away!" said Dimple coming into less then extra invisible mode.

"Dimple? Why are you being like this? You've been all shaky this whole time." Said Mob. There was a lot of whispering, now. Someone called her a spirit master. That guy, Jodo, was looking right at her. She hoped that nobody tried to exorcise Dimple, he was her friend. Was he…worried? His aura felt worried, what little aura she let herself feel. After this black thing Dimple being dead felt like nothing.

"Trust me. You should run the hell away while you still can. You do not want to go near this spirit." Said Dimple. He needed to tell her. If she didn't hear it from him and she found out on her own…he needed to either save her to tell her.

"Why not? Dimple. I know it's strong but this is something that I have to do. Stay here and keep Master Reigen safe." Said Mob. She turned to walk away but Dimple reached out and grabbed her. Metaphysically. It was gross. The whole room shook as the other Shigeko tried to shake him away.

"What are you…?" asked Reigen. Unlike Mob he could read people. Dimple was afraid. Dimple, the ageless immortal evil spirit was afraid of something….but Mob wasn't. Mob wasn't afraid of the things that went bump in the night, they were afraid of her.

They had to be.

"You can't go in there! That spirit…it's Mogami! It's Keiji Mogami!" said Dimple. She needed to know even though it would hurt her. She needed to know from him. If she had gone into the room and found out…she would never have been able to bring herself to exorcise her idol. She would have let herself get beat. She had that tendency, to not fight back even when it was in her own best interest….

"….don't tell lies, Dimple." Said Mob. That was mean, very mean, but she forgave him. As much as he was her friend he was still an evil spirit and he couldn't change his innate nature. It was like how cats didn't like to walk on leashes and dogs didn't like to walk on their hind legs even though it was super cute. Yes, she could forgive Dimple. He probably just wanted to hang out, he got lonely sometimes, probably.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 20%

"Hey! She can't just-!" said another one of the so called psychics. So many fakes, Reigen thought. He was once one of them…he felt the salt in his pocket. This was real and a real esper needed to handle this.

"Does anyone here, in this room, think that they can stop her?" asked Reigen in that tone he used sometimes, the one that convinced an entire crowd of morons that he was the boss of Claw. That tone that told unruly clients to knock it off and get the fuck out. The old man raised an eyebrow.

"I doubt anyone here would want a conflict with that girl. However, I would advise you to take a moment and consider leaving this to those of us with experience in these matters, young man." Said Jodo. The impudence of youth. Jodo knew how he could handle this. It would be slow going, very slow going. The spirit may have had the girl possessed but he could still here a lot of her personality coming through. Any sort of exorcism would have had to be done slowly and with the utmost care…and that man's partner was, most likely, going to go in there with the grace of a giraffe on roller-skates.

"That girl is in no way possessed! The problem is clearly her father! He can't handle that his daughter is growing up and their changing relationship has him so worked up that he's blaming it all on ghosts and demons!" said a psychic in the crowd. Not a real one, Reigen noted. There were some smatterings of understanding.

"The girl is clearly possessed. Anyone with eyes can see that. The possession is not complete, though. With PROPER CARE TAKEN the spirit can be safely exorcised." Said Jodo. The girl was talking to the spirit, now. The microphones seemed to have been disabled.

"That's bullshit! She sounded just like a normal middle school girl!" said the same guy.

"No, she didn't. It didn't strike you as odd the way she spoke? How she switched between papa, father, and daddy? The way she knew my name without me ever introducing myself? This is the real deal and, yeah, I know it's hard to believe but all of you frauds had best leave. Actually, everyone should. Mob has this." Said Reigen before the glass behind him shattered. He crouched down quickly and covered his face with his arms. He felt something hit the back of his head and blood began to run down. Mob had this. She had to.

Mob did not have this.

"Hello. Are you here to save me?" asked the spirit as Mob entered the small room. It was kind of nice in there, lots of stuffed animals. Ooh! She knew those mangas. Maybe after she exorcised whatever was possessing this girl they could be friends. The both had similar tastes in manga, were the same age, and maybe they were similar in other ways, too. Mob liked making new friends. Just as soon as she got this spirit out.

This spirit that was not Mogami Keiji.

That had certainly been mean of Dimple, to mess with her like that. Mogami was a good person. He used his powers to help people just like she and Master Reigen did. He exorcised evil spirits and did séances and stuff like that. The same stuff that they did at Spirits and Such. A bad person could never do that and to have become an evil spirit then he must have been a bad person in his life.

Mogami Keiji was a good person.

"I'm here to save Asagiri Minori." Said Mob. The black thing tried to touch her again. She batted it away with a burst of power. She had to do this without hurting the client. Possessions were tricky like that. She had to get the spirit out of the vessel without actually hurting the vessel. She wished she had Master Reigen's powers. Then she could just influence it's emotions until it wanted to leave of it's own accord.

"Then please! Shigeko! Untie me!" said the spirit using the body as a meat puppet. Mob just stared. The spirit stared back at her with stolen eyes.

"I never told you my name and this room is soundproof. Minori is not in control right now, it's obvious. Get out of her, please, or I will get you out." Said Mob evenly. She didn't sit down. She stood at the side of the bed. She began to poke and prod with her powers trying to find a weak spot.

"Shigeko, please! It was your husband that told me your name!" said the spirit. The room shook at the word husband. Master. Her. Husband. Wife….no! Don't think about it.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 25%

It's trying to distract you. Us. Let me have control. You think too much. Who cares if this girl breaks? We need to destroy this spirit!

No! We can't break a person, Shigeko.

We can, easily, Mob.

It's wrong. Master Reigen wouldn't love us anymore if we hurt another person.

"Master Reigen is not my husband. I'm fourteen. I can't have a husband. Minori would know that people our age do not have husbands. Now either get out on your own or prepare to be forced out." Said Mob poking and prodding but having no luck. The spirit had a death grip on Minori and Mob had no idea how much stress the body of a regular person could take before it broke. Probably very little. They were paper dolls. They were paper dolls living in a paper world and all Mob could do was be careful not to accidentally tare everything apart.

"How can you agree with father? He's just being crazy because I was being a rebellious teenager. You know what its like, when your parents don't understand. When they're afraid." Said the spirit

"Stop talking." Said Mob. She began to try to peel the spirit like an onion. For every layer of spiritual energy she peeled it seemed like two grew back. She had to be slow, to be careful, or she could hurt the client…or the spirit could….

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 30%

"It's hard living in a place where people are afraid of you, isn't it? When they look at you like a monster. Sometimes you even start to think so." Said the spirit.

"I said stop talking." Said Mob. She felt her stomach begin to flip. That was the other Shigeko. She was clawing her way up through their metaphysical self. Mob stuffed her down. This action caused her to temporarily stop working at unpeeling the spirit from the client.

"Sometimes you believe them. Sometimes you start to think that you aren't even a human being." Said the spirit. It's power began to grown and Mob, quickly, stole it. She got nauseated as she took it in. No. This could not become a part of her. She expelled it with a retch, throwing up a sticky black substance all over the bed.

"Shut up." Said Mob wiping her mouth. What was that? Never mind. She had a job to do and she would do it. She applied more force, now. The spirit began to glow…black? But it was quickly covered with Mob's own bubblegum pink and electric blue.

"It's so hard, isn't it? To be human. To live in a world with humans. Nobody understands. They pretend that they do, they even make you think that they do. They don't. Nobody will ever understand. They will use you. The people you love most, the people who you've allowed to have power over you, will always use you." Said the spirit. Mob flayed a layer off of it. No. She cut Minori's clothes, too. There were black and blue blotches all up her stomach. Mob ignored the black thing and pressed her hands to Minori's stomach, trying to will the bruises to heal. She felt something tugging at her. She tried to tug herself, her aura, away, but found herself stuck. She pulled and pulled and pulled.

"Let go." Said Mob as she struggled. They, she and Shigeko, could get free if they used more power but that would mean that she would risk hurting Minori. She couldn't do that. Regular people were so fragile. Like china, like glass, like paper.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 40%

"But some people like to be used. They let themselves be used because it's just easier that way. They want people to like them, to love them, so they just let themselves get used over and over again. Just like dogs they do trick after trick for even the smallest kernel of affection." Said the spirit.

"You need to stop this." Said Mob. She was having trouble holding the other Shigeko back. They were like a shook up can of soda. The bubbles came up higher and higher and higher and they could burst at any moment.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 50%

"But what those people want they can never get. They love the people who use them, the person. They love the person who uses them and will gladly performed like a train puppy for their amusement, for this gain. They think that they're going to get what they want in return but they never do." Said the spirit

"I said stop…" said Mob. She stopped fighting to get away and was now fighting for control. Her aura was becoming more blue than pink. Her muscles were tight, like she was getting ready to sprint. Her stomach was doing flip flops, and not in the good way. She just had to keep it together. Keep it together. Breathe.

"Love. They tell themselves that their reward will be love, that at the end of their journey they'll have that person's love. That person just needs to realize their feelings. That person just needs time. In the meantime you'll try to find what you want with others. Making you no better than the person who uses you." Said the spirit

"Stop it…." Said Mob gritting her teeth. The spirit was just trying to mess with her. The spirit was just trying to get her to crack. Well she wouldn't. This was not how she would come apart. She was stronger than that. Master Reigen had taught her to be stronger than that.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 60%

"That's the way of the world. The weak use the strong. Even the strongest of us, the most blessed, can be at the mercy of the weakest. That's what it is to be human. To be human is to be so, incredibly, stupid." Said the spirit

"You need to stop before she gets out…" said Mob. She could not hurt Minori. She could not risk killing Minori. She had no idea who this person was but she was a person and it was Mob's job to save her. She was a good person. The truth of her charm was in her kindness. She wasn't going to break Minori apart to save herself. She wasn't going to annihilate the host and the spirit even though it would be so easy and there wasn't a being alive who could stop her but that was why she couldn't because she had to stop herself. She had to be better than her worst impulses.

"The place of the strong is not to be at the mercy of the weak. A person should be free of all mortal guilt and shame. The strongest amongst us must punish those who wish to use others. But you don't. You are so content to not only be used but to use others…and it doesn't even bother you." Said the spirit

"Be quiet." Said Mob. She could see it, cracks of white appearing on her skin. She needed to keep calm and stop the other her from coming out. They could hurt Minori. They could hurt the other psychics. They could hurt Master Reigen….

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 70%

"That man out there, your master, do you think he cared about you? Do you think he cares about you as a person or just what you can do for him?" asked the spirit

"Master Reigen loves me." Said Mob. She could see him out there. His back was to her.

"Or does he just love the abilities you've been blessed with. You think that man actually loves you as a person, in any capacity?" asked the spirit.

"You don't know anything. You're just a lying leftover of some person who was evil when they were still alive and I will exorcise you." Said Mob evenly. She stopped listening. She didn't know why she was listening in the first place. She knew who she was and what she was and what she wanted to be. She knew that she didn't use people and that people didn't use her. She knew that the world was a good place, sure it had bad people in it, but the way of the world was not as bad as this spirit said.

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 75%

"You love that man with every fiber of your being. You want him in every way a person can want another person. I've seen your aura, your soul. I've seen his, too. He doesn't love you. He loves what you do for him. He does not and will not ever return even a tenth of what you feel for him. He even led you here, to me, and for what? Money. It always comes down to money." Said the spirit

Progress towards Mob's Explosion: 90%

"Will you just shut up already!?" Said Mob/Shigeko. She wrenched her hands free from the grip of the spirit. There were raised red marks on the girl's stomach, but no more bruises.

"Well hello there. I was wondering when you'd make another appearance. I don't believe we've met. I'm-" said the spirit

"We don't care who you are. Now hold still. We're ending this." Said Mob/Shigeko. She covered the entire spirit vessel and all in their aura in an attempt to smother it. If Minori took damage then they would try to heal her. If they couldn't then she should at least be happy that she had her body back. The spirit began to scream and for a moment Mob had complete control and stopped because, well, she cared if Minori got hurt. Shigeko didn't but she did.

"You're a stubborn little thing, aren't you? But broken. You're so wonderfully broken." Said the spirit as it sat up and destroyed the shackles holding it in place. Mob tried to take a step back but her legs didn't work.

"I'm going to break you apart, spirit, and if the vessel gets hurt then it gets hurt." Said Shigeko. Mob didn't mean to say that. She could feel herself sinking down lower and lower. It was like swimming out to far in the ocean. Usually when the other Shigeko took over it was just like falling asleep. Quick. Here she had to struggle not to get swept away, not to drown. But it was nice in here….soft and safe…but no! She fought her way back to the surface.

"And then I suppose, afterwards, you'll return back to your master like a trained dog." Said the spirit as it swung the body's legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Mob pushed it back down. It just stood up again. It moved smoothly, much more smoothly than when she had seen Dimple take over that Claw security guard's body.

"Yes I will." Said Mob. She was not a trained dog. She was the student and Master Reigen was the master and of course she followed him. They weren't equals yet but one day they would be. She just could not lose sight of that day.

"Why? Are you a loyal little show dog? Or maybe…a guard dog. Yes, a guard dog…BECAUSE YOUR MASTER CAN'T PROTECT HIMSELF!" said the spirit before the one was mirror shattered outwards. Mob saw the body lung and she threw herself after it. They wrestled together on the ground. Broken glass got into her clothes and buried itself in her skin. She didn't care. She used everything she had, body and aura.

She had to protect Master Reigen. He wasn't strong enough to protect himself.

"Mob!" yelled Reigen. No. Mob was…Mob didn't have this….so much blood….no…

He fell to his knees. Around him others did the same. Someone began to cry. Someone began to climb the walls. The exits were barred, as some poor soul found out when he threw himself into it. Reigen couldn't move….Mob was….

"Spirit hold!" yelled Shinra as soon as he collected himself. There was so much blood…but he had to focus. He managed to get his new set of beads wrapped around the spirit in the pink haired girl's body. Yes! They held….for a moment.

"No! Master! Run away!" said Mob as she tried to hold the spirit down. She was stronger than this. She and Shigeko were stronger than this. They were strong enough to protect everyone! Body Improvement! Fight on!

She pinned the spirit down, body and soul. She was on top of the spirit and the body…it began to cry. Mob wanted to let go…but she didn't. No. She couldn't. She had this. She felt Master Reigen coming back into her aura. She could do this. She was Mob and she could do this.

"Mob! You've got this!" yelled Reigen. He wasn't afraid anymore. She could do this. Determination. Pure and utter determination. Mob was the strongest esper in the room. Strong enough even to give withered old fossils a run for their money. She was the biggest fish in this pond and SHE HAD THIS.

"That's a nice little trick you two have. It's not enough, though." said the spirit. It wrapped the body's legs around Mob and flipped her over so she was pinned down. It's aura bean to overpower hers. She reached out with her aura and Master Reigen was there. She felt stronger, now, because he was there.

"Get off!" said Mob/Shigeko. Self-defense was ok, they told themselves. Well, Mob told themselves. She hadn't been fully in control when the decision to pull their legs up and plant a double kick to the body's stomach was made. Mob felt bad, Shigeko didn't care. Their body jerk as they tried to get up in opposite directions. Their aura was half and half. Equal. The fractals had stopped moving.

"So there is some actual fight in you two after all. Or at least one of you. What a good little guard dog you are." Said the spirit before it was enveloped in a thick, purple aura.

"Well now it see it's finally my turn. It's a shame I'm so bad at rock-paper-scissors. Now spirit! Leave this vessel!" yelled Jodo. He could see it, the weak points. The girl had weakened the spirit but this required finesse. To into the weak spot and then extract the spirit, like gutting a squid.

"Be careful, old man. Make sure your own defenses are up to snuff first before attacking." Said the spirit. Then the body hit the floor. Mob rushed over and held the poor girl's body. She tried to will it to heal. She yanked out the broken glass quickly and tried to close her wounds. It worked, a little, but Mob could see scars forming.

"Mob! Stop it! That's not an esper! She can't heal like you can!" said Reigen. His shoes crunched the broken glass as he ran over to her. She was cradling the poor girl's body to her chest. Now that they were there on the ground together Reigen could see it. They were the same size.

"Master! There so much blood…." Said Mob. Master Reigen crouched down next to her. She could hear some shouting in the background but it sounded far away. Right now she needed to get Minori sorted. She felt Master Reigen's hand on her face. It was like he was looking for something,

"Mob…oh God…heal yourself. Forget her and heal yourself!" said Reigen. There was so much blood…he could feel the broken glass in her face. It twinkled like glitter in her hair. Her side was bleeding heavily. She must have caught it when she-oh God-when she threw herself through the mirror.

"No. I can't do that. I have to save her!" said Mob. She heard the glass crunch again. The man, Asagiri, took Minori out of her arms.

"Minori…my baby…please come back. Please. I can't lose you too…." He muttered into her hair as he rocked her back and forth.

"Mob, we got the spirit out, so let's get the hell out of here!" said Reigen. He stood up and took her hand. He tried to drag her off but she was stuck. She had rooted herself to the ground again. No….not this again…no….

"I'm not going everywhere. We aren't done yet." Said Mob. The spirit was trying to take over Jodo's body. The old man was writhing and screaming. His students were trying to help him to no avail. Mob needed to destroy this thing. She needed to make sure that it could never hurt another person again for as long as there were people on this Earth. That was her job.

"The girl isn't being possessed anymore, Mob, it's over!" said Reigen. He had some hope when she stood up but instead of going with him she began to walk towards the old man…the spirit was possessing the old man now….

"It's not over until that spirit is gone." Said Mob simply. Every part of her agreed. That thing could not be allowed to exist in this world.

"Shigeko! For once I agree with that idiot! Run away!" said Dimple. He dragged her, metaphysically, but she just shrugged him off. Her aura was different. Still in two parts but those parts were no longer at war….oh no…

"Forget the fucking money! You're worth more than that! Your life is worth more than that!" said Reigen. He grabbed her hand, her arm, her shirt, anything. It hurt. He blistered. He didn't care. He kept on trying. She just kept on walking.

"My life is my own." Said Mob/Shigeko. She put a barrier around herself and nudged Master Reigen and Dimple away. She could feel Master Reigen leaving her aura. She wiped her eyes. Crying? Why was she crying?

"Mob as your master I am ordering you to run away!" said Reigen wiping tears from his eyes. He was watching her march off to her death all over again. He threw himself against her barrier. No effect. She had even pushed him out of her aura. No. She could not die here. He would not let her die here!

"I won't." said Mob/Shigeko. They had a job to do and they would do it. Master Reigen kept trying to stop them but they didn't know why. This was what they were supposed to do. This was the right thing to do.

"For once in your life use your head, Shigeko!" said Dimple. They were, of course. Jodo had been possessed too. That was good. He was an esper. They didn't have to worry as badly about breaking him. Not that they were planning on breaking anyone. But sometimes to make an omelet you had to crack a few eggs.

That's terrible Shigeko people aren't eggs.

We should eat eggs.

Don't get distracted.

Mob was hungry. Well, their vessel was hungry. Bodies were just vessels for souls after all. That was something that the other her thought. That was why it was ok to crack people like eggs if it meant that they wouldn't be possessed anymore. Mob didn't want to crack anyone open like an egg.

"Who is this? Is he supposed to be famous or something? You've got to be kidding me. How is this weakling famous for anything?" asked the spirit before it threw itself in the air with a scream. The crowd began to scramble. Jodo's followers tried desperately to free their master but only managed to exhaust themselves. The spirit flew, conveniently, towards Mob. She raised her arm and did the trick she learned from that bald old man at the Claw base. The ground buckled a bit beneath her. She now, literally, weighed a ton.

The eggs crack themselves on us

This is ok, we can always put him back together. Right?

We can try

She swatted Jodo's body in the stomach. The sheer force exerted, the damage to the vessel, caused the spirit to fly out…and back into Minori. Great, just great. Mob/Shigeko sighed and healed Jodo as best they could. They shared their energy with him and focused on putting him back together. Literally. His insides were kind of smashed. He was still alive, though, so they could save him.

"Master Jodo!" said Shinra as he ran to his master's side. Jodo reached over and grasped at the arm of his student. His eye, which had finally closed, opened again. He gasped and sat up. He felt his stomach. Still tender but….wait…what? He pressed down on his abdomen. His appendix removal scar was gone…

What was this girl?

"I'm fine! Where's the spirit?" asked Jodo. Mob/Shigeko pointed at Minori. Great. Why couldn't he have just possessed one of the espers in the room? They were so much easier to put back together. Your powers wanted to keep your vessel safe, as was Mob and Shigeko's understanding.

"Where we left it…." Muttered Reigen as he got a hold of himself. He needed to trust Mob on this. He had stopped trusting her before. He needed to trust her because he was the master and she was the student and if he was scared then none of them had a snowballs chance in hell. There was a flash of light as the spirit threw it's self against Mob's barrier.

"I'm getting really tired of this." Muttered Mob/Shigeko. That was her strongest barrier, her most taxing barrier. She was…getting tired. Shigeko pulled energy from the espers around them.

That was mean.

We needed it more.

We should have asked.

No time.

"So you can take energy from other psychics. What else do you have in your bag of tricks?" asked the spirit. Mob dropped her barrier long enough to throw herself against the spirit. She had to be both physical and metaphysical. The only way to get this spirit out, it seemed would be to…to break Minori. But that would be wrong. She might not be able to heal. It was hard to heal other espers let alone normal people.

"More than you'll ever know. Now get out of Minori's body!" said Mob/Shigeko as she pinned the spirit to the ground again. She immobilized the body's limbs with hers and pinned it's aura down with hers. She tried applying more pressure. Maybe she could squeeze the spirit out. She had tried peeling it like a grape so maybe she should just squeeze it like an olive. Anything would be better than cracking it open like an egg.

"You're truly blessed, you know that? You could have been great but instead you're just a little show dog." Said the spirit. Mob/Shigeko kept up what they were doing. The other people were trying to get the doors opened. She could have tried to open the doors but she needed to focus on the spirit in front of her.

"At least I'm not you." Said Mob/Shigeko. The spirit was surrounded by a purple aura. It was still for a moment before it began to thrash. Mob found her physical and metaphysical grip waning and was thrown into the crowd.

"Mob!" said Reigen. He wanted to chase after her, he tried to, but before he knew it there was a hand around his throat. He was shoved, hard, into a wall. It all happened so fast, too fast to see. Too fast to even think.

"Just as I suspected. Her so called Master can't even defend himself. You're a pity. You're entire life is a pity, you know that?" asked the spirit. Reigen tried to look calm, cool even. Mob was ok. Mob had this. He had been wrong to doubt her, to tell her to run away. He hadn't been what she needed. He needed to be the man she wanted, needed, him to be.

"Better than your afterlife. What, you hung around just so you could possess a young girl? Were you always into young girls or-" said Reigen before a hand closed so tightly around his throat that he knew never should have been that strong.

"You're projecting. I can see your aura. I can see your soul, your mind. You are a pity. A liar. A waste. A shaking man in a cheap suit. You attach yourself to the talented in this world, the blessed, and drag them down to your level. You think that you can become a somebody if you keep the somebodys of this world at your side. You want to be her, I can see it. You want to hold her power in your hands again. You wanted to be me, once, too. A scared little boy staring at pictures of a dead man. You saw me and thought to yourself 'one day I can be someone' and that was what you wanted. The great Reigen Arataka, student of the twentieth century's greatest psychic Mogami Keiji." Said the spirit. Reigen was seeing spots in his vision. He ignored the spirit. He had to ignore the spirit. It was full of lies. It was just an evil spirit mouthing off, like Dimple. Where was the little snot glob? Did he run away? Smart. Where was Mob? She needed to get out….she needed to be safe…

She needed to run away.

Mob/Shigeko had broken something. Her leg had extra corners. She touched it and stifled a scream. Broken. She needed…she needed….oh God it hurt!

This is only a vessel

It hurts!

This is only a vessel

It's our vessel!

We don't need it

I'll fix it! I just…Master!

Master Reigen needed her. She tried to reach over with her powers. She yanked on the spirit's hand as hard she could but that just made it worse. She tried to stand but fell. Her leg. She tried to move the bones back into place but they were stuck. Healed wrong. Health class. Bones had be set properly. Right.

Things wanted to be together.

She couldn't scream. She knew that if she screamed then Master would hear her. His aura would reach hers and he would feel this pain. She bit down on her arm and broke her leg with her powers.

"You need a doctor!" said Shinra. He looked over from where he had been fussing over Master Jodo. There, on the ground, was her. The most powerful being he had ever felt. Someone stepped on her. She was…were legs supposed to bend like that?

There was a sickening crack. The bone wasn't bulging anymore.

"I'm fine!" said Mob/Shigeko. This had gone on long enough. If it was a choice between Minori breaking and Master Reigen breaking she would chose Minori in a heartbeat. She id Teru's wire movement trick and grabbed the body's hand. She yanked it back as hard as she could.

She heard something break.

Mob pushed Shigeko out of the way. She held the hand close to herself and put the bones back together as best as she could and as quickly as she could. The spirit was suddenly very still.

"Run away….don't touch…." Gasped Reigen as he saw the man do something incredibly stupid. He kicked his legs as best as he could. Anything to get the man to run away! This only earned him getting slammed into the wall behind him hard enough to leave cracks.

He couldn't move.

"Minori…please…please stop this…" cried her father as he hugged her from behind. Mob let go of Minori and grabbed Master Reigen. She moved as quickly as she could and took them both through the doors. Sealed shut with energy.

"Mob….be careful….hurts…." gasped out Reigen as he was moved at what he suspected was the speed of thought. He felt blood running down the back of his neck. Concussed, most likely.

"Master, I need to get you out…but the doors…" said Mob. No. Forget property damage. The state of the house wouldn't matter if everyone inside of it was dead!

She made her own door.

The building shook as she put a hole in the wall. This was an interior room so it just opened up to the same hallway.

There was a sickening squelchy sound. Minori's father collapsed. There was a rapidly growing pool of blood under him.

Run!/Call an ambulance!/Call the police!/Call the army!/Call the navy!/Call the Ghostbusters!/I want my mommy!/

Mob was almost swept away in the resulting stampeded. She put a barrier around herself and Master Reigen. She needed to end this right now. She couldn't hold back. She had been holding back before and now somebody was dead.

Broken.

She could fix broken things.

"Master, you need to run away." Said Mob/Shigeko. Dimple was there, too. He was tugging on her hair. He was using up his spiritual power to make himself tangible.

"I'm not….going anywhere…..without you." Said Reigen as he tried to stand. He stumbled and rested against what was left of the wall. This was going south. This had gone south. They would be hanging out with penguins soon. Or was that the North Pole? Oh, who cared!?

"Sometimes you have to run away. You're not me, Master. I know what I have to do." Said Mob. She turned to face the spirit and sent the most powerful blast of her own energy that she could. The resulting burst of light could be seen through the walls. Outside several birds became disoriented and crashed against the side of the building. There was a pileup on the stairs outside the house as several people tumbled down the stairs. The spirit itself let out an inhuman scream. Then it was over.

Oh.

No.

"….I just made it worse…." Said Mob. Now the body was…grey. The eyes were…oh no. No! But she had used her powers! She had tried to force the spirit out! But now it was just in deeper. It was like…like trying to dig out a splinter. The more you pushed the deeper it went.

Splinters eventually came out on their own, though.

"Mob….run!" said Reigen as he tried, weakly, to pull her. He needed to get her out of there. This was too much. No. He needed to believe in her. She was the only real psychic out of the two of them. She was the wiser, not him. But no…he was the adult there! Not her! When he said run she was supposed to move her fucking legs and run!

"He's coming!" yelled Dimple. Mob reached over and used every ounce of strength to hold the spirit in place. This was bad. She needed to…what? The spirit had fused with the body! What else could she do besides crack it open like an egg?! She wouldn't do that to a person! She couldn't do that to a person!

"You've got some decent telekinetic abilities, too. While it's true that it is impossible to move a human being's limbs beyond the range of their movement…but what about the limbs of a doll? Why, you can move them in any way you want to!" asked the spirit. There was another crack, Mob was getting sick of that sound, and the body's arm twisted unnaturally behind the body and then to the sides…

She couldn't let him do that to the body.

To a vessel.

These were only vessels.

"Ok. Now I, we, know what we have to do." Said Mob. Reigen could feel it, now. The determination was back. Mob was back. He needed to…he needed to believe in Mob. He needed to believe in her. She knew what to do. He believed in her.

"Mob…" said Reigen. Mob reached over and took his hand. He could feel her energy. It seared through him but it also…he was healing. The throbbing in the back of his head was rapidly disappearing. Mob pulled parts of the ceiling down, too, he could see. She wasn't crushing the spirit, at least it didn't look like it. Oh. A box.

"Dimple, I need you to take over my body." Said Mob. She reached over to the other Shigeko. They both needed to leave this time. They had to do this together.

"Normally I'd be all over this but-WHAT IS YOUR PLAN HERE?!" screamed Dimple. What was she supposed to do? What did she think that she was going to do? It was over. The spirit and the host were practically one, now. Nothing short of completely annihilating the vessel would work.

"I'm going to force the spirit out from the inside. I'm going to leave my body and go into Minori's. Dimple, when I leave my body I need you to keep it safe. Make Master Reigen get out of here, too. He could get hurt. He did get hurt. I'm taking the other Shigeko with me so there won't be anyone here to keep him safe." Said Mob. Her voice was flat but her eyes were narrow. Now it was time to put herself on the line for real. Her vessel was one thing but her spirit….she needed to do this.

"That's insane! It's one thing to hurt your vessel but your soul?!" said Dimple. She would die. One false move, a doubting double take, just one mistake…one mistake and it would all be over.

"Dimple, no. Don't be like that. I'm trusting you here. Watch over my body, Dimple. I trust you." Said Mob. Reigen grabbed her hand and held it in his. No. If Dimple was afraid of this…this must have been insane if Dimple said that it was.

"Mob. No. I'm your master and I am ordering you to-" said Reigen. Stubborn. Why was she so stubborn?!

"Master. Reigen. Reigen Arataka. Arataka. Run away." Said Mob holding her hand in his. She held eye contact with him. Her heart began to race, not with the usual feelings of love and desire but with fear. He was afraid. She took his aura in hers and smothered it. He needed to feel what she felt.

Reigen gasped. Determination. Certainty. Mob could do this. Mob would do this. Mob had this.

"You can do this, Mob." Said Reigen. She could do this. He believed in her just like she had believed in him for all of these years.

"You've both lost your minds…." Said Dimple. She had said that she trusted him…but this was a suicide mission. He wanted her body but not…not like this. He didn't have totally the same emotional capacity as a living person but as a consequence of his power level he could feel deeply…and he was afraid. Afraid for her.

This was a suicide mission.

She could so easily die.

Cease.

"Dimple, you're weird and annoying but you're still one of my best friends. Don't do anything weird with my body." Said Mob. She could do this. She would do this. I think. I can.

"Master Reigen, I love you. You need to remember that, no matter what happens." Said Mob. She looked at him. Blue eyes met brown eyes. She closed her eyes and let herself float freely. She looked down. Her body had collapsed. Master Reigen was shaking her.

The box she made for the spirit broke open.

Mob tried to move. Shigeko tried to move. They couldn't agree…there was no vessel! There was no vessel to control! They were….in half! No! As a unit! As a unit or we will break!

The spirit began to charge towards Master Reigen and Dimple! Mob and Shigeko tried to dive but instead fell through the floor. Why? Why were they….why were they messing up!? They had jumped into Master Reigen's body with no problem!

They should have practiced this.

There was raw power and there was technique. She had put too much faith in the former and didn't practice enough of the latter. She came up more slowly through the floor. The world hurt. There was no boundary. The pain was growing. She could see a second blob coming off of…her. The other Shigeko. It was like a conjoined twin. They needed to…merge?

Save Master.

Every part of her was saying to save Master.

The spirit was running towards them. Come on, Dimple….keep Master Reigen safe. He did not. Mob/Shigeko could see him still trying to get into her body. Right. Natural shielding. He had said something like that before, back at the Claw base all those weeks ago.

Master Reigen tried to hold it back with his foot but he was swung through the air. He hit the ground hard enough to break parts of it. His head was bleeding! No, his fingers. He had used his fingers to protect his head…she could fix him. When this was over she could and she would fix him. She tried to dive in but instead went into a wall. No! Why was this so hard! She could see the spirit picking up her body by the hair…

"If you don't want this body can I have it?" asked the spirit before it was promptly punched in the face. Dimple! They knew they could trust him. He got into a fighting stance, like he was in a game. He bounced from one of their feet to another.

The spirit had staggered back.

"Hey, Mogami! Remember me?!" said Dimple before he delivered a flying kick to it's chest. The spirit crumpled to the ground.

"No." said Mogami as he grabbed Dimple by the arm and threw him. He turned in midair and rolled into a cartwheel and ended with a little jump. He got back onto his new feet and got back into his fighting stance.

"Well then you're a complete and total dumbass!" said Dimple. Mogami lunged and Dimple spun out of the way. Shigeko's body was light but she had some musculature. She had some natural grace to her, too. The range of motion was great, too. Loose clothes, no pants. She'd kill him later for the free show he was giving Mogami and Reigen. Yeah, she'd cut him down to the particle layer…

You can do it, Shigeko.

"Another spirit. How troublesome." Said Mogami as Dimple tried to kick him. He dodged and Dimple turned that kick into a flip.

"You got that right! You messed with the wrong kid!" said Dimple. He flipped again, lots of showmanship, she pinned Mogami down. He held Mogami as still as possible. Shigeko's spirit needed to get into a body now before she dematerialized. She was not dead! Her spirit still needed a vessel!

"Did I?" asked Mogami as he stayed very still. Mob got some semblance of control and threw herself through the spirit's shielding. It hurt. It was like sticking her entire body into the stove, but she kept going.

Fight! On!

Fight! On!

Fight! On!

She fought on. Even though it burned. Even though she started to feel like she was getting damaged, she still fought on. She had to. She pushed and pushed and pushed until there was no more pushing left to do.

She was in.