hi everyone! a friend of mine sent me an article a while ago saying that because of lack of maintenance, may shut down. not confirming it, not written by the people running this site. just a fan theory of sorts, i suppose. i just want to say that if that happens, i have saved the documents i have on here and we will switch to ao3, where i also have an account under the same name.
(also, happy birthday to our favorite psychic!)
Mob's glowing red eyes harshly contrasted the shadows that waved around his figure, and he didn't even move an inch as his powers dragged and shoved the man down into the ground.
The room's aura was clear: fuck him up.
He made me put my hands to the ground… The man pushed against the force, gritting his teeth. A brat like that…
People were on the edges of their seats, some of them holding friend's hands, some hugging, some sitting back with diabolical grins. The mixture of reactions had the same core: excitement, a little bit of fear... exhilaration.
Then he was breaking through blocks of concrete before his face was grabbed by Mob's hand. He clutched at his arm, but it remained firm. I can't get away!
Reigen bit his tongue, trying not to visibly smile at that, although an odd feeling was still looming over him.
He's in control. He's in control and actively trying to harm this man.
The thought would probably always feel strange, no matter how many times it crossed his mind.
Of course, he had every right to fight back, and Reigen himself would have been bothered if he hadn't, but it felt so strange to see Mob be- well- violent.
They began lifting off the ground. The next moment, Mob was smashing him right into the wall.
There were a few loud cries at this, most of them joyful.
Ritsu watched from aside. "That guy is finished."
People grinned, many shouting affirmations.
"Hey, mister, who did terrible things to us…" a piece of the wall fell down, revealing Mob staring down on the man, "Just so you know, this is all your fault."
How the fuck was Teru supposed to react to this?
This was personal. This was their lives, not his. Should he even be watching?
A more selfish side of him wondered what would have happened if Mob had attacked him like this. Would he have been better off? Worse? What would have happened if he had actually engaged in combat with him?
Teru pondered these questions silently, his keen blue eyes never leaving the screen, ignoring the cheering and shouting of the students.
The man's eyes shook, his voice muffled beneath Mob's grip.
"Don't ever show your face in front of us again."
People were applauding, screaming, throwing their hands in the air, but Mob didn't hear it. He had read about something like this before- tunnel vision, it was called.
Yes, tunnel vision. He only saw the screen. He only saw his failure.
After everything that happened, I still couldn't protect him.
A piece of him- perhaps the emotions he had locked away, the ones that had made him like this- rebelled, furious at himself, furious at Claw.
Mob quashed it, then blinked, stiffening.
Had he ever tried to actually repress an emotion? Had all of his previous suppression been unconscious?
His hands tightened on the couch cushions, deep in thought, eyes fixed on the tv.
Tunnel vision. All he could see was the screen. All he could see was his failure.
Mogami's voice whispered into his ear.
They shot off into the sky, breaking through wires and pipes.
"Telekinetic Helix!" the man tried to strike him with his power, but Mob wasn't effected, eyes glaring white.
It's hard?! It's nothing like before…
Even after all of this... Ritsu thought.
He felt the man's arm wrap around his middle, tight enough to squeeze the breath from his lungs, taking him away.
A forest and a low building loomed in his memory.
After all of this...
In the corner of his eye, he could see his brother, and knew he was thinking the same.
They drilled down through the air, and with Mob shoving the man into an empty building, debris flew off with their impact. A bubble formed around the construction, holding harm away from the rest of the area.
Smoke rose from where Mob held his opponent's unmoving body down. His dark, scorched hair waved around his face and his eyes stayed bright.
Some students were on their feet, voices melding to a low roar. Some people were clapping. Reigen couldn't blame them, this was incredible.
"Wow…"
"Hey, did you see that?"
"What was that?"
Mob turned around, walking towards Ritsu.
"What's going on?"
Someone gasped, "You're kidding!"
As Mob looked back, he was hit in his middle.
"FUCK YOU!" Someone called. The statement was echoed around the room.
"Energy Bomb!"
His jacket was torn off of him.
The man grimaced. You're actually making me use my trump card…
"Nii-san!"
Mob flew a bit in the air but caught himself on his feet not too further.
Tsubomi, in her seat, let out a soft, relieved sigh.
Why won't he fall over? The man gaped.
Dimple floated above the alley, frowning. At this rate, things won't end well… Then he perked up. I know! If I bring him here…
He flew away again.
"He means trouble," one teacher commented over the students.
The man struck Mob's barrier to no avail. Damn it! What's with this brat?
Mob swung his arm, sending him crashing into a wall.
The man grunted. H-He's strong! If I don't put up my guard, I'll be knocked out in an instant.
"By all means, please let down your guard."
The delinquents cheered from the sidelines.
"Whoa!"
"Yeah! Get him!"
At the back, two of them gawked. "To think a guy like that existed…"
"Hey, look!"
Mob's shirt ruffled around his figure, sleeves ripped at places.
Students cooed and cheered, voices dying as new ones rose in their places, jubilant shouts filling the air.
"It's a white T-shirt!"
"That's it! He's not White T Poison's older brother…"
In the image of rough painting, Mob stood tall.
"He's the infamous shadow leader at Salt Middle School…"
"White T Poison!"
"YEAHHHH!"
The man panted. Taking him on in a battle of abilities isn't good. He reached back. I don't have a choice. The mission comes first.
"He's got a knife! Look out!"
Shut up, brat!
He charged. Mob's gaze sharpened.
If you're not going to give up, I'll end it. The next move will be the last.
The low roar became loud, increasing in volume. Reigen put his hands over his ears, wincing.
"Take this, brat!" the man struck Mob's barrier again, "Damn it! This barrier is so thick! My knife won't go through!"
He grinned.
Just kidding!
"SUCK MY DICK!"
From the bottle in his hand, he sprayed Mob's face.
Cries of joy became protests. Tsubomi's eyes widened, a cry of her own on her lips.
Mob's breath strained for a moment before he fell back.
Reigen hated that, he found. Hated it with a passion as a heavy weight settled in his stomach.
"What?!" the delinquents cried out.
I don't like using his stuff, but I don't have time.
Mob laid on the ground, unconscious.
"Cheater!" Someone screamed. The chant was taken up instantly.
"Chea-ter, cheat-er, chea-ter!"
The man began walking up to the crowd. "I guess you've all seen my face. As annoying as it is, I'm gonna have to make you all disappear."
All of the teachers sat straight, some almost falling off their seats as they exchanged looks.
The delinquents scrambled in their place.
"C-Crap!"
"Run!"
"H-Hurry!"
He chuckled, "Do you really think I'll let you get away after everything you saw?" He glowed with red energy.
He froze up as he felt Mob stand up behind him.
Reigen's jaw dropped. Teru slammed a hand over his mouth, eyes widening.
"Holy shit."
Even after all of that- Reigen closed his mouth, still looking surprised- He still got back up.
His eyes flickered to the brother's dark expressions.
How did he still get away with Ritsu?
Impossible! I can't take him on anymore!
The students catcalled him, jeering, calling him a coward. Some of the teachers were in on it, too.
He grabbed Ritsu, barked, "You're coming with me," and fled the alley.
Mob stood with his head down.
"Did we survive?"
"Yeah! We did it!
"We're saved!"
The delinquents gathered around Mob.
"Awesome!"
"You're amazing!"
"You saved our lives!"
"Huh?" they quieted as they noticed something- Mob's gaze appeared empty and he didn't blink.
"He's standing while unconscious."
God. Teru was in awe. Imagine having willpower that strong.
Kageyama, you're insane!
"Get away from him. It's still dangerous to be near him."
They all turned around to find Teru approaching them. Dimple stayed afloat above his shoulder.
"You're from Black Vinegar Middle School…"
"I can't believe someone was able to push him this far," Teru frowned. "They're no ordinary person."
"The guy and Ritsu are gone. We were a bit late," Dimple said.
The alley was in ruins.
The students resumed their seats, silent and fuming, voices hoarse from screaming.
The scene changed.
"This is rock salt from the Himalayas," Reigen explained in his office, "It goes great with pasta or meat. Let's perform the exorcism with this. Your shoulders feel heavy, right?"
Reigen gritted his teeth. While his student was fighting for his life and his brother's life, he had been- been-
Working. He had been working his fucking scam job, a fraud wondering innocently where his easily-exploitable student was.
His hands tightened on the couch. I'm so pathetic.
He should have BEEN there. He, of all people, should have been there.
The lady across from him nodded, "Yes. A fortune-teller told me there was something on them."
So they just told her that and took the money? How irresponsible.
"Good customer service," on of the students commented dully, attempting to lighten the mood. It worked somewhat, but Reigen didn't respond.
Ritsu frowned, casting a look in his direction, noting that he wore an uncharacteristically serious expression.
"Alright."
He grated the rock salt on her shoulders.
"ASMR where Reigen grates rock salt into a microphone for an hour."
"Wh-What are you doing?"
"Ghosts are weak against salt," he began going through various poses, "First, we'll weaken it with the rock salt powder. And this scraping noise by your ears… This will be really annoying to spirits that want to live in a quiet place, so they should leave."
"Next!" he rolled up his sleeves.
On a massage table, he pressed the rock on her shoulders. "We'll use the hard edges of the rock salt and do a massage to loosen up your tense muscles and improve your blood flow."
"Have you ever considered, like, just being a masseuse? No fraudulent business needed?"
The lady sighed with the sensation.
"We'll place a hot towel on your face, and shut out the spirit's visual interference. Along with aroma oils to maximize your relaxation, we'll light some incense that spirits hate."
"S-Such a wonderful smell!"
"Aroma Runaway Express!" Reigen declared, posing.
This is one of Reigen's special moves, where he sends his clients on a beauty trip that relaxes the body and soul.
"I could use that right now," a teacher muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.
When the lady finished wiping her face with a towel, her hair and face sparkled with refreshment. "I feel so much younger."
Reigen also sparkled. "That's great!"
Then a shadow covers the side of his face. Thank goodness there was no actual spirit this time, but this is the first time Mob didn't show up to work on time.
I'm gonna have to lecture him when I see him next.
Reigen's expression darkened further.
Oh, Ritsu thought, the realization moving through his mind like molasses. He feels bad.
Mob rested on a bed, bandages on his cheeks and bloody napkins sticking out of his nose.
Reigen crossed his arms.
Somewhere in the crowd, Tsubomi's face crumpled slightly.
"Nii-san."
Ritsu hands him the spoon he had bent after fixing it for him.
"If there's anything troubling you, let me know. I'll be there to listen anytime."
Ritsu stilled in his seat as the room went completely silent. His arms and legs seemed to... lock up, stiffening like a corpse in rigor mortis.
How morbid, he thought, although whether it was aimed at the comparison or at the flashbacks, he didn't know.
He checked up on him after he headed up to his room.
"Nii-san, is something bothering you?"
He walked up to him as he watched TV.
"Are you okay, Nii-san? If something's bothering you, I'll listen."
"Thanks, Ritsu, but I'm fine," Mob answered, smiling at him, "It's nothing."
Ritsu smiled back, but his eyes don't. "I see." He turns to leave.
'Ritsu?'
He walked away, his back turned.
'Ritsu?
'I see… I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner.'
Ritsu's eyes flicked to his brother. Mob's expression looked... normal. He looked like he always did, dark eyes staring at the screen.
A sudden thought struck him.
̶̶M̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶I̶'̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶t̶r̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶,̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶l̶i̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶d̶e̶l̶u̶s̶i̶o̶n̶.̶
Mob blinked awake to see Teru sitting beside him.
Teru glanced down at him, "Are you awake, Kageyama-kun?"
"Hanazawa-kun… where are we?" Mob asked instead.
Teru smiled. "My apartment. Dimple told me everything."
"How do you even have an apartment?" Reigen muttered to Teru. "You're in middle school."
"My parents are fairly wealthy," he responded in a low voice. "They travel a lot."
Said ghost floated up to Mob nervously, "H-Hey, Shigeo…"
"Dimple…" Mob breathed, "What's going on? Why were you with Ritsu?"
"Well…"
"And Ritsu was kidnapped. Dimple…" He put his hand at Dimple's side. Dimple looked at him in confusion.
Darkness loomed over Mob's eyes. "Is this your doing?"
He still cares about me.
Ritsu felt like he was going to cry again, but pushed the feeling away. No more tears. Tears wouldn't do anything here. All he could do was learn from his mistakes.
He loved his brother. There was no fear, now, no hatred, no blind admiration. He would erase it all. He wouldn't make the same mistakes again.
Dimple freaked out, shaking vehemently. "It's a misunderstanding! I don't know who those guys are!"
"I know who they are," Teru said.
The other two turned to him, "Huh?"
"They've been following me around for a few years now," he added casually. They reeled back in surprise.
"Really," Reigen sighed. "Your parents seem kind of negligent."
No wonder I had to- metaphorically- take in all these damn kids.
"Yeah, actually, now that you say it," Teru muttered, "It's been a while since I got a text, much less a call."
Reigen frowned. "That's a bit concerning."
"Is that why you're living by yourself when you're in middle school?" Dimple asked.
"Even Dimple an tell it's an odd situation," Teru chuckled.
Teru shuffled to the side. "Let me give you a warning. Stay away from them."
"Huh?"
"Stay away?" Mob muttered.
Teru gazed down at him. "You'll die."
Mob gritted his teeth.
Reigen was nodding. No matter how powerful he is, he's an untrained adolescent. He was in an incredible amount of danger in that alleyway, and to top that off, Claw had weapons that we didn't know about.
"It's an organization called Claw, formed by dangerous espers," Teru explained.
Claw's symbol was shown, two eyes and a glyph tucked inside a triangle.
"They want a revolution and aim to turn the world on its head."
Many people appeared before the symbol.
"Their ability to function as a group is first-rate, and they have over a hundred espers."
"Shiiiit."
One of the teachers put his head in his hands.
"Oh, god."
Mob and Dimple jumped in their seats in shock.
"You're kidding, right?" Dimple sweated.
"A hundred…"
"There are plenty of facilities across the world that are trying to manufacture psychic powers. But the only one to succeed at it is Claw."
Shuttles and chairs with locks in dark labs were shown.
"Apparently they take child espers that have yet to mature, brainwash them, and raise them as soldiers."
Mob glared at the screen. You didn't have to be a psychic to know what he was thinking about.
"They aren't as powerful as us Naturals, but if you underestimate them, their sheer numbers will easily crush you."
Dimple flew up to him. "You sure know a lot about them."
"I heard all about them from one of their guys who tried to kidnap me before," Teru supplied. "Though I taught him a lesson."
"Where the fuck are your parents?!"
"I've answered that question already," Teru called.
"Basically, they're from a very dangerous world." Dimple turned to Mob, "Shigeo, you could've been killed back there!"
Reigen's stomach twisted at the words- he was right.
I should have been there.
Mob's hand grasped the edge of the bed. "It doesn't matter… Ritsu, my little brother, was kidnapped." He pushed off and began walking towards the door.
"I'm going to go save him."
Teru grabbed his shoulder. "Do you want to die?"
"No, not at all."
"Then calm down," he told him sternly.
Mob stared ahead. "But I think I can win."
The room went very quiet at this.
Come to think of it, Reigen thought suddenly, We only know he's against using his powers, but we don't know how confident he is in his actual power.
Teru's eyes widened, then he sighed.
"All right. But why are they after your little brother?"
Mob turned to him. "I have no idea."
"Ah! That's right!" Dimple remembered. "There's a facility where people like you were gathering. Ritsu was going there recently, too."
"Ritsu was?"
"So the information must have leaked from there," Teru pointed out. "Want to check it out? Though, I have a terrible feeling about this..."
"I'll lead you there," Dimple offered.
The Awakening Lab's floors were covered with white coat clad bodies.
There were gasps, some students clinging to their counterparts. The teachers, in the back, were almost completely silent, faces stoic.
Dimple grunted. "This is terrible… How could they do this to civilians?"
Teru knelt down next to one and checked their pulse. "They're unconscious, but not dead."
"Oh, thank god," a teacher said, a sentiment echoed by the others in the room.
Water was splashed on Mitsuura's face, rousing him. He coughed a couple of times and gasped.
"Wh-Who are you?! Where did he go? The guy with the sword!"
"The guy with the fake sword?" Reigen muttered.
Ritsu rolled his eyes. "It wasn't-"
"You'll need to answer our questions first," Teru said, lowering the bucket in his hand. "Did you sell Kageyama Ritsu's information to Claw?"
"Claw? What's that?" Mitsuura looked down, "Kageyama Ritsu? I don't know who that is," he glanced between them, "The one I invited here was Kageyama Shigeo-kun."
"That's me," Mob told him.
"That's you?!"
"This all started with a misunderstanding, and yet they really managed to awaken Ritsu," Dimple commented.
"Damn, we should hit up the lab after this, if any of them are still working there."
Mitsuura brought his fist down, "I have no idea what's going on. Damn it…" he trembled, And we were finally seeing some hope in our research, too."
"Looks like this guy doesn't know anything," Teru said.
"Where are the other kids?" Mob asked.
Mitsuura slumped, "They were kidnapped…" he looked up at the ceiling, thinking of the kids that frequently joined in his business. "Is this my fault? To think there are people like them…"
Reigen found that he disliked Mitsuura, mouth twisting slightly. He was the only adult among the children. Even if he hadn't known Claw existed, he should have had preventative measures to keep the kids in his care from getting hurt.
And yet, in the back of his mind, he thought, Am I any better than him, though?
"What kind of level of power did the kids who were kidnapped have?" Teru inquired. "I'd like to know what we're up against."
Mitsuura held up his hands, "Hold on a sec. Who are you guys?.." then trailed off as he watched.
Mob floated in the air, encased in a golden glow.
"What are you doing, Hanazawa-kun?"
Teru's hand was pointed up towards him as he demonstrated his powers on Mob. "Introducing ourselves."
There were a few laughs at this. Teru himself chuckled good-naturedly.
The moon and stars shined in the clear night sky, seen through the gaps between trees.
A white car approached a gate and drove in after it opened.
"Come on, brats. Hurry up and get out."
Mob's eyes changed. Reigen saw it in his peripheral, but it was very clear.
A door closed.
"Quit dawdling. Keep moving. Don't make me spank you!"
"What the fuck."
One teacher snapped a picture of the man with his phone, expression dark.
The man with glasses scolded the other, "Don't scare them more than necessary. They'll be useless then."
"Tch."
"Kageyama, are you okay?" Takeshi whispered.
Ritsu glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. "I'm fine, but we really shouldn't fight back right now."
They walked through the forest, ending up at a large but low building.