watched the s3 teaser and it was super ominous yikes
"All right, let's go," Dimple said. He stood with Mob and Teru at an intersection. "We'll split up here."
A heavy sigh. "Why? Why would you split up? Horror movie logic, jeez."
"Okay," Teru agreed, and they advanced forward.
"We have at least three intruders who have defeated Terada and Koyama." The sight of a crowd reflected in the eyes of Ishiguro's gas mask. Terada and Koyama stayed unconscious where they had been left. Ishiguro addressed the people in the Claw branded jumpsuits, "It's finally time for you, the Awakened, to shine! I'm sure that you have all endured rigorous training. And now it's time to show them how powerful we can be!"
In general, there were low hopes for this group.
"Yeah!" the Awakened cheered.
"Though…" Ishiguro said to themselves, watching the enthusiastic bunch, "You probably don't stand a chance."
The Heinous Aura ~Mastermind~
"Is that implying a boss fight?"
"There were a ton of those 'Scar' guys. Maybe it means that."
"All the Scars were sent after the intruders?" A guy repeated, carefully sliding a block from its tower. "This must be a huge deal."
"Just how long will we have to be babysitters or errand boys?" A blond with cards in his hand complained, glancing at Kaito sitting beside him. Someone else drew a card from the table.
"Let it go, man. Those of us who don't awaken will always be stuck at the bottom," he said and picked two cards from his deck. "Eventually, we'll end up subordinates of kids like him." He threw them on the rest of the pile.
"Speaking of kids," a third player cut in, whispering, "Did you hear about the kid who was sent from the HQ as a temp? Apparently he's an Awakened Child created by HQ."
"What? Are you saying a normal kid survived that insane awakening experiment?"
"I'm-" the teacher's voice broke. "Survived?"
"The authorities need to look into this immediately."
The door to the room creaked open. Ritsu and Takeshi peeked in.
"Man… I want to be in an experiment at HQ, too."
Kurosaki, Asahi and Daichi hid behind the walls as they crawled in.
"Don't even think about it. You'd die," a man, hugging a bottle of booze and a white cup, told the lackeys, "It does much worse things than just destroy your mind."
"You know about HQ, Gen-san?" the blond asked. Behind him, Ritsu and Takeshi tugged at Kaito's clothes, gesturing for him to be quiet.
"Just stories. I heard that it's so painful that people have even died," 'Gen' said, "After spending 20 years as a lackey in this organization, I've learned that HQ is bad news." The rest looked at him and gulped.
"That's so ominous? What the hell?"
Fear began to spread. "Oh, god, they're doing this to kids?"
"That's horrible-"
"And the cops, the government? They don't know anything..."
"Could they even do anything?"
The blond turned to the side, catching Ritsu and the others sneaking out. "Er—! What the hell do you guys think you're doing?"
"Busted, huh?" Ritsu said with an uneasy smile, "Should've known."
"What happened to your trainers?!" The guy stood up.
"Took them out," Ritsu told him. The others also got up from their chairs.
"I can't believe they lost to some kids," the blond cracked his knuckles. "We'll—"
"Don't even think about it!" Gen shouted.
The lackeys were stunned. "Gen-san? Why?"
"Huh, that's unexpected," Ritsu said, "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Go."
"He just let you go?" Reigen muttered.
"Yeah."
"Huh." He stared at the screen for a little. "What a weird guy."
"Well, thanks." He left with Daichi.
We won't get stabbed in the back, will we? Takeshi thought, closing the door after them.
"Gen-san, why?!" the blond demanded.
"Shut up, you young'uns! You don't know anything!" Gen-san yelled, shocking the lackeys into stepping back. "A powerful esper and a normal human are like night and day. The difference in strength is astronomical. It's not one versus ten, it's zero versus ten. There's no way you can win."
"Oh." Reigen nodded. "I see."
"Damn it… If only I had awakened…" they lamented.
"Give it up. If you don't awaken the first time, there's no hope."
"Huh? Seriously?"
"Are we going to be lackeys forever, then?"
"You're okay with that, Gen-san?!"
Gen-san downed his cup of booze and laughed, "See? You really don't get it." A rough painting of the Scars together appeared on the screen. "Claw will definitely reign over this world, and even us lackeys will be rewarded. Right now, we just have to wait and endure… until the day of the revolution." He smirked, self-assured.
The lackeys brightened up at the prospect.
"Oh? Oh, oh, oh?" Dimpled looked at a red-crossed gate with a pinched eye. "Looks like I found a rather special door. Maybe it's where they're keeping Ritsu and the others." The door opened with a clang. "Hm?"
A group of Awakened stepped out. The one in the front noticed Dimple. "I thought it was an intruder, but it's just security."
"What're you wandering around for?" another asked.
Dimple grinned. "Well, I just got a little lost. I have a terrible sense of direction."
"I actually like him now. That scares me a little."
"He's weirdly charismatic, yeah."
"Do your damn job."
"Yeah yeah, sorry."
The first guy looked back at Dimple suspiciously, who approached the door with lazy steps.
"I actually haven't been in this room yet," he said, hovering his hand over its panel. "Maybe I'll just have a peek…"
"Stop," the guy called, "You're an imposter, aren't you?"
A worrying amount of people had to physically restrain themselves from making a pun.
Dimple took his hand back and turned to them. "I'm telling you to let me see the room, small fries," he said condescendingly.
"He's one of the intruders! All of you, release your powers!"
They charged with their powers, firing a bright yellow explosion towards him. Dimple protected himself with his arms and a light green barrier.
Whoa. Individually, they're small fries, but they're not bad when they work together. He thought within the guard's mind, seeming unconcerned. A normal human wouldn't be able to get free.
Mob swallowed. He hadn't witnessed any of this. Squeezing his brother's arm worriedly, he leaned forward a little.
"You wanna keep this up until you pass out?" the guy taunted.
"But in the end…" The glow in Dimple's arms increased and gathered around his fists. He threw them to the sides and pushed the Awakened's attack back, making them gasp in surprise. He reeled his arm back, "You guys still reek of small fry!" and punched right through them.
They fell on the floor with loud 'thump's.
There was a general positive reaction to this.
"Character development! Yay."
Dimple opened the door and walked in. "So, let's see… just what's in this room…" he saw a room resembling a laboratory, containing human-sized capsules and other shady devices. He tilted his head back, "Hey, explain."
Overwhelming silence, so thick it settled over the watchers like a woolen blanket. Reigen swallowed hard, feeling a spark of genuine anger, imagining Ritsu- a twelve-year-old- or Mob, or Teru, just children- the absolute cruelty of it all- his discontent grew with each second. Behind them, the teachers were feeling the same, if not more intense, emotions.
A beaten Awakened spoke, "Th-This is the awakening experiments room…"
"These look like torture devices," Dimple commented.
Hands pressed to mouths, fury evident on many ashen faces.
"Th-They said that experiencing pain is one way to be awakened…"
He looked through one of the blood splotched windows and the helmet inside of a capsule. "Hmm… They're not too far off.
"But, even after going through all that pain, all you guys can do is momentarily paralyze someone as a group. The world really does favor the gifted." He jumped off, looking back with a ridiculing grin. "You guys have a better chance focusing on body building."
"Character- development!" The student repeated, punctuating the words with claps. "I actually kinda love him, not gonna lie."
Mob tilted his head, blinking confusedly. Teru smiled.
"You change people, Mob-kun," he said warmly. "I think I want to- think I want to stay around you, more. I want to change like that, too."
He looked at the blond boy.
"I think you have already, Teru-kun," he said, voice soft. "I don't really think I did much. It was you."
Reigen nodded. "You opened his eyes. The rest was you, Teru."
Teru's shoulders relaxed. "I see."
A kind smile came to his face. "I still owe you."
Mob shook his head, returning it ever-so-slightly.
"Oh?"
The Awakened choked on pure air. A hand hung near the side of his head, indicating that he had been stricken. He crumpled down and revealed a man with a scar going from his hairline to reach under his right eye.
"It's not every day a ghost wanders in here." He put his hand on his cheek and said almost wistfully, "Why don't you become mine? I'll take good care of you…"
"Ew. Ucky Yucky. I don't like him, even if he did help earlier."
"Claw" Upper Echelon: Matsuo.
Dimple laughed uncomfortably, pointing to himself, "You want to own me?"
"Wait, backstory when? I'm actually so curious. What was he like as a human?"
"Probably like Reigen-san," Ritsu muttered, but the smile on his face was not cruel.
Reigen huffed, letting one tilt the corner of his lips up.
Someone dangerous just showed up…
"Say what?" Teru roared in all his delinquent glory, crouched down in a sea of defeated Claw members, "You didn't find them in their cage?! Don't mess with me!" The one in front of him flinched. "I told you to bring them here!"
"Scary..." Mob mumbled.
"Get it, Teru," someone called.
"Er, but, you see… It appears they got out on their own," he tried to explain, remembering the empty cell with its door wide open.
Teru got in his face. "I'll kick yer ass if yer talking out of it!"
"I-I'm not lying!"
"I see," he said, immediately switching to a calmer expression.
The other guy crashed into the wall across the hallway.
"Good grief," Teru sighed, lowered his hand and began to walk away. The images of Edano and other delinquents from Seasoning City appeared behind him. I don't like imitating them, but it seems to work well on weaklings.
Teru's eyes flickered to his friends and back again. They didn't seem to be looking at him, judgementally or not. He breathed out a private sigh of relief.
Someone from the pile dragged himself up. "You underestimated us. You're wide open! Ignite!" He pointed at Teru with his hand. A small flame emanated from the tip of his middle finger. "It lit! With this flame, I'll defeat y—"
He also crashed into the wall.
"I can't believe you thought you could find me with that," Teru said, his arm once again held up. "Man, everyone in Claw seems a bit—"
People were already nodding along, when-
Before he could finish his thought, he was bombarded with a tide of fire that washed through the corridors. A man trudged through it and spoke.
"Did you get burned?" He stepped forward, sending another wave of heat from his hands. "This is true pyrokinesis, the ability to wield fire."
Reigen choked. Did that full-grown man just try to burn that child to death?
What the fuck? These people really did not mature past twelve.
"Claw" Upper Echelon: Miyagawa.
Teru saw the scar crossing his eyebrow. A Scar…
"Are you the brat Koyama was talking about?" Miyagawa asked. "All right. I'll turn you into ash."
A huge amount of fire bubbled up in the air before bursting in Teru's direction, who worked to hold up his barrier.
"My barrier can hold up," is what you're thinking, isn't it?! Miyagawa rushed forward, showing up at Teru's left. Teru blocked his attack. Then, Miyagawa was jumping over him, shooting another bout of fire from his hand. Teru persevered.
Miyagawa cackled, "The inside of your barrier turns into an insanely hot sauna, so much so that your lungs will burn when you breathe." Teru breathed slowly through dried lips. "It's a stupid error that amateurs make."
Someone threw up their hands, another throwing a pillow at the screen. It missed, but the point got across.
"You're the amateur," he rasped.
"Well, aren't you a spirited one? But to fight back, you'll have to drop your barrier, and then you'll be burnt to a crisp. And if you keep this up, you'll be steamed. That means this fight is over," Miyagawa declared. "Your options are to burn to death or swear fealty to me—"
"Just try it," Teru dared. Miyagawa went mad.
Reigen pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on.
"As you wish!" He launched the biggest explosion in their battle yet at Teru, singing, "You fool! Now I won't spare you, even if you beg and cry! But I guess this heat would evaporate your tears, too!"
As he laughed, an invisible sphere formed around him, trapping him and his inferno inside it. He started screaming.
"Ouch," Teru winced, patting his arm. "When I switched it over, my clothes got singed. It's true that you can't defend and attack at the same time with psychic powers. So then, you just have to put up a barrier around the source of the fire. But… I guess you're not listening."
Someone managed a strangled laugh. "Oh, my god. That scared me so bad!"
He looked at Miyagawa, who continued to cry his lungs out. "You're causing a racket, so I'll free you."
Pretty much everyone relaxed at once.
"I wasn't going to kill him," Teru said under his breath.
The charred remains of Miyagawa swayed where it stood.
"I don't know, he looks pretty dead," Ritsu said back, albeit teasingly.
"Well, this is surprising," Teru said, "You can still move with those burns? Perhaps people with pyrokinesis have a higher tolerance to heat. Though, well…" He flicked Miyagawa's forehead, making him drop to his knees before the floor, "Your lack of flexibility was your downfall," and smiled, "I win.
"Wow, now I'm sweating," he gasped, wiping his face with the arm of his sweater. "Maybe I was a little scared."
"I praise you," someone said behind him. Teru held his breath and glanced back.
Sakurai unsheathed his sword, pointing the end of the blade at him. "You're stronger than I was as a child, but I'm stronger now than you will be in ten years. Give up now."
"Because- because he is a child," Reigen said, dumbfounded. "These people are just going around, attacking kids. You'd think someone would have stepped in by now."
"Oh, come on," Teru said, getting back into a fighting stance, "Quit exaggerating."
A caped man, Muraki, phased in through a portal into the hallway. Teru noticed, turning only to see multiple copies of Muraki. One of them reached and hit him hard on the side of his head.
Teru fell.
Gasps of dismay and fear. Teru rubbed his head where he had been hit.
"Head wounds are dangerous!"
"That's so irresponsible."
"So is literally all of Claw."