Chapter Text
“As you can see from behind me, some kind of fight has broken out between another teenager and the creature,” the newscast reporter is saying into her microphone. She steps around lightly, making sure the camera is picking up the moving forms of the two battling espers. “The original teenager appears to have been detained and has gone worryingly still for reasons unknown.”
She presses a finger to her earpiece as an announcement is spoken to her.
“I’m being informed that the first teenager’s name is Teruki Hanazawa,” she says. “Isn’t that the boy who escaped from the police after being arrested for delinquent activities?”
The camera zooms in on the agent that’s holding Teruki down. It catches the agent shaking Teruki roughly by the shoulders and then slamming him down on the ground.
“Oh my God!” the reporter gasps, her hand flying to her face. “Are you getting this, Nakamura? Right now we’re viewing some hard-to-watch police brutality in action. I don’t care what that kid has done, personally, this is unwarranted.”
“Stop! He’s just a kid!” a lady’s voice screams as Teruki is lifted up by his hair.
The camera follows the reporter as she walks over to the citizen, who is at the front of the crowd, blocked by Serizawa’s barrier. “Excuse me, miss,” the reporter says, “how do you feel about this type of action being taken towards a criminal who is a child?” She holds out the microphone.
“What do you think, you f***ing clown?! It’s bulls***,” the lady snaps, an automatic censorship activating to hide the woman's profanity. “I don’t give a f*** what that child has done, he is a child.” She snatches the microphone out of the reporter's hand, much to the reporter’s chagrin, speaking into the camera. “That boy has tried to save our lives twice now. Do you all not remember the footage of him the first time? He almost died trying to save us. Would a delinquent do that!?”
The reporter roughly takes her microphone back after letting the woman speak. “Thank you, miss.” She turns to the camera, clearing her throat. “You heard it here first. There’s no way this kind of treatment toward a child is acceptable. I am having a hard time believing this child is a delinquent at all, but regardless, he shouldn’t be treated like this because of it."
“Wait, who is that?” someone calls out. The camera zooms in on a man stepping up behind the government agent. He says something and then the moment the agent turns around, the man throws a hard punch, catching the agent in the jaw.
The crowd erupts into cheers. People are screaming, pumping their fists in the air. The volume of the cheers makes the police force cringe, but they continue to hold their ground.
“A mysterious man has done what all of us wanted to do!” the reporter chatters excitedly. “Stay with us, folks, this isn’t over yet.”
—
Ritsu needs to get out of here.
He knows Shou isn’t going to kill him, but he needs to somehow tell Shou what’s going on so this fight can end. He doesn’t know where Teru is now, he hopes Shige is handling it. If he can just get Shou in on the plan, then all they have to do is wait for Teru to get back in the action. Then they can finish the original plan and get out of here.
He needs to somehow get Shou away from the scene. He can’t just yell out the truth with so many people watching and listening, and he can’t get close to whisper it because that will look weird to their observers. If he can just crash them both away from the scene…
Maybe he can punch Shou hard enough to propel them both somewhere out of sight?
No, no, that won’t work. Shou is far too powerful, there’s no way he is going to land a hit any time soon.
But what if he ran? Shou would likely follow him, and he would just look like he’s running away from being attacked. Ritsu looks around quickly, trying to find somewhere to run to.
There’s an alley about fifty feet away. Could he make it? Shou takes advantage of his distraction, knocking him several feet back. Dust and rubble fly around as he slides across the asphalt. Ritsu picks his scratched face back off the road, rubbing his raw skin. No, there’s no way he could make it.
But the blast had given him an idea. If he can get Shou to hit him hard enough to make him fly several feet, maybe he can get Shou to make him fly several yards.
“Is that all you’ve got?” Ritsu goads, spitting a pool of blood on the road. “I've seen Shige punch harder than that without using his powers.”
Shou crosses his arms. “I’ll probably kill you if I hit you any harder,” he says, raising an eyebrow. “So, maybe you’d like to tell me what the hell is going on instead?”
“I think maybe first you should take this fight seriously,” Ritsu counters. He hopes Shou picks up on his implication. “Maybe hit me hard enough to knock me out of the city and away from all these people staring us down.” It’s not the most subtle way of getting the message across, but he’s kind of getting his ass kicked and might have a concussion.
Shou stares at him. Then he laughs, throwing his head back and holding his stomach. “Well, alright!” he says with a lopsided grin. “Here it comes!”
The boy rears back his arm, orange wisps of power surrounding it, swirling and tumbling with energy. Ritsu squeezes his eyes shut, attempting to form a barrier despite his injuries. Shou’s fist smashes right through it, shattering the blue wall of energy like glass, his fist colliding with Ritsu’s gut. He doesn’t even feel it at first, there’s wind in his ears and copper in his mouth. Then he’s landing and it feels like nothing.
At first he thinks he might have died and that’s why he hadn't felt the impact. Then, he opens his eyes.
He's lying inside a building on top of piles of rubble and concrete. There’s a throbbing pain in his stomach from the hit, and his arm is still useless, but he doesn’t feel like he just crashed through a wall. There’s orange energy surrounding him.
Ritsu looks up to see Shou walking toward him from the outside of the building. “You’re really lucky I consider you a friend, Ritsu,” Shou says coolly. “I knocked you pretty goddamn far. That’s what you wanted, right?”
Ritsu tries to sit up, but slips and falls back down in the rubble. Damn, that stings. “Yeah, I couldn’t say anything around those reporters and police officers,” he says through grit teeth. “This entire thing is an act, you idiot, everyone is in on it except you.”
Shou cocks his head, huffing an unamused laugh. “An act, huh?”
“My brother’s friend, Teruki Hanazawa, is wanted by the government,” Ritsu says. God, he’s in so much pain. Talking is really hard right now after that punch. “I’m pretending to be… that thing Shige was. Teru was supposed to pretend to kill me to clear his name.”
“Why didn’t you just have your brother play himself?” Shou asks.
“We wouldn’t let him.” Ritsu presses his hand to his stomach, trying to smother the pain, but it just makes it hurt worse. “I wanted to do this. This way, Teru will be a hero and not a fugitive, and the city will stop looking for Shige.”
“Well, goddamn, Ritsu, you could have told me about this!” Shou accuses, throwing his arms up in the air. “I gave you my number for a reason! Not so you could leave me in the dark!”
“We didn’t think you’d crash the party,” Ritsu says defensively. “Besides, you haven’t exactly been very present, lately.”
“I have stuff to deal with, too, you know.” Shou kicks some rubble around. “I mean, my shitty dad is in the slammer and my mom doesn’t exactly want me back.”
Ritsu is surprised at that. “Wait, I thought you visited her every now and again?”
“Yeah, which is what I’ve been doing,” he says. “But she went off about stuff like how dangerous I am with my powers or whatever. She thinks I spent too much time with my pops and that I’m just like him now.”
“That’s not true, you were trying to take him out.”
“Let me tell you, Ritsu, that’s exactly what I said but she is set in stone about this.” Shou turns away angrily, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So I went there to try and prove to her I was done with my powers now. After your brother went on that little walk of death, I wanted to try to stop using them. They’re dangerous, y’know?” He gestures at the destruction around them. “But she didn’t believe me.”
“That’s bullshit, don’t ever let me meet your mother.”
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Shou says dismissively. “It’s just why I’ve been AWOL.” He lets out a breath. “I’m glad to know you haven’t lost your mind, though. At least, in the decimating cities sense. Telling me to hit you hard enough to kill you, though? Batshit crazy.”
Ritsu huffs, looking away. “It’s all I could think of.”
Shou guffaws. “So then, where are you guys in the plan, right now?”
“Well, the second you nullified my brother’s barrier, the plan completely fell apart,” Ritsu says, a little colder than he’d meant. “I need Teru to pretend to defeat me, but I have no idea where he is right now.”
“I think I saw him getting slapped around by some guy in a suit,” Shou admits. “He looked pretty bad off.”
“Well, hopefully, he got out of that.” Now that he’s gotten some rest, Ritsu tries to sit up and succeeds. “I’m thinking we should go back out there and continue fighting and wait for Teru to show up. Then maybe I can pretend to knock you out and he can take over.”
“You? Knock me out?” Shou looks ready to keel over laughing. “Good luck with that. But I guess for today I can play along.”
“Cool.” Ritsu climbs to his feet. “Let’s get back to it then. But maybe this time, don’t break any of my bones.”
Shou grins, slapping Ritsu so hard on the back he winces. “No promises.”
—
He can’t fix this, he can’t fix this. Teru isn’t waking up, and nothing is working.
Mob hasn’t been able to move from Teru’s side, desperate to do something, anything… If he can't save one person, then what is he good for?
Mob presses his hand against Teru’s forehead. It’s burning to the touch and a little moist. He must be sprouting a fever. Mob doesn’t have any medicine on him. Maybe there’s a hospital nearby? No, Teru is a fugitive, they’ll report him.
There’s got to be something Mob can do. Maybe he can heal him? He’s healed people before by sharing his energy. Is this something that can be healed? Teru isn’t really injured, he's drugged, will it still work?
Mob holds Teru’s face gently, ignoring the uncomfortable heat seeping into his palms. He closes his eyes and concentrates. He tries to imagine the narcotic, running through Teru’s veins, infecting his bloodstream. He imagines pushing it out, evaporating it, anything at all that could eliminate it. His hands slide down close to where the needle was injected, loosely placed on his shoulders. Mob begins to break out into a sweat as the calm purple energy flows from his hands into Teru’s neck, spreading to envelop his whole form. Mob’s hair lifts as he concentrates, sending as much energy as he can into Teru’s body.
He can feel something pushing against him, resisting. It must be the poison. Mob focuses harder, his sweaty hands clamped down firmly against Teru’s clammy skin.
He lets out a frustrated cry, and then sends forward one more push of energy.
Teru’s hands suddenly fly forward, gripping Mob’s waist. Surprised, Mob lets go of Teru, leaning backward to give Teru space. He’s exhausted, panting and sweating, but hope begins to blossom in his heart. Teru twists to the side, hurling on the ground beside him. A strange liquid comes out of his mouth, making an inky splatter on the cement.
“Holy shit,” Teru wheezes, wiping his mouth. “What the hell happened, and what just came out of my—”
Mob throws himself on top of Teru before he can finish his sentence, hands cradling Teru’s face and foreheads pressing together, eyes squeezed shut. He wants to say something, something along the lines of how worried he was or how relieved he is, but the words won’t come out of his mouth. Teru doesn't react. His lips are pressed together in a confused line and his skin is clammy and pale.
“Damn, Shigeo,” Teru says, brow furrowed. “You’re acting like I almost died or something.”
Mob opens his eyes to stare at Teru, unamused. “You did,” he says flatly.
Teru starts sweating again. “A-ah…”
Closing his eyes again, Mob lets his hands slide behind Teru’s head to bury themselves in his hair. The soft familiar feeling of the tousled blond strands between his fingers relaxes him, despite being damp from sweat, and he finds himself breathing easier.
With a pang, Mob realizes that while he isn't being pushed away, Teru isn't reciprocating. In fact, he appears to be a bit reserved over all of this. The realization that he's still hurt from earlier hits Mob hard and he winces.
Mob pulls back, giving Teru some space. “We should finish what we started,” he says quietly, hands fumbling with each other. “I’m not ready to let everything fall apart when we’ve worked so hard.”
Teru nods. “What did I miss?” He sounds too polite, too distant.
“I’m not entirely sure.” Mob turns toward the outside of the alleyway. “Reigen said something about Suzuki being here and the government agents being knocked out.”
“Suzuki, huh?" They stand up. Mob reaches out to help, but Teru politely waves him off, standing on his own. Mob pulls his hands back into himself, withdrawing.
"Yes, I'm sure that he nullified my barrier," Mob answers, almost whispering now. "There's no other way it could have been taken out like it was."
Teru nods again. "We better check it out then." He begins walking towards the front of the alley.
No, no wait--!
Involuntarily, Mob snatches Teru's hand, holding him in place. Teru stops.
“Wait…” Mob stares at his feet shamefully. He can't let Teru go, not when everything is so tense between them and it's his own fault. “Teru, I’m sorry, I haven’t kept our promise.”
Teru turns, brow furrowed. “What do you mean?” He looks almost like a wounded puppy.
“Our promise to talk about things.” Mob looks up now, catching Teru's gaze. He has to be brave. “I haven’t been talking like we promised, and I've been very upset. I’ve been keeping it all to myself, even though I promised I wouldn't. I broke my promise, and it hurt you. I'm sorry.”
“What’s been upsetting you?” Teru steps forward, reaching out. Mob allows him to hold his arms.
Mob takes in a deep breath. “I... I was upset... earlier today. Before you left to fight Ritsu. You asked me if I was okay, but. I had a bad dream yesterday, and it reminded me of... something really, really bad. And my barrier could have been broken because… you’re pretty. So I was afraid.”
“I see…” Mob recognizes the glaze in Teru's eyes as confusion, but he can't stop now.
"I had a bad dream, and it was of today, and me failing," Mob continues. "I dropped my barrier and you and Ritsu got hurt, and then I hurt people, and that reminded me of— of a time when I hurt someone, but I mean I didn't really hurt him, it wasn't real, but it was real to me, and I grabbed him by the throat..." This is a mess. "Maybe it was because it was self-defense, because he did hit me with a brick and she had just st-sta... she..." He shakes his head. "But it doesn't matter, and I-- I feel dirty every time I think about it, so I try not to think about it, but the dream reminded me of it, and so did the milk that one time when I hid in the bathroom, but I can't talk about it...!"
Teru's eyes were wide with alarm, his hands trembling against Mob's arms.
“And, and, I was afraid to go back to school, too, but I didn’t tell you. It was fine later, but I didn’t say anything, even though I was scared.” He’s rambling now. “And, I’ve been doubting myself... if I’m good enough, if I’m interesting enough... if I deserve you. I don’t stand out, I’m not really anything. It never bothered me before, I used to want nothing else but to be normal. But I’m scared. I don’t want to bore you. I want to be more, for you.” His words are spilling out faster and faster. “I used to feel like I’d never be good enough because I couldn’t express myself, but now I can, and I still don’t feel... good enough. And I, I’m worried that I’m not contributing anything to, to this, to us, that I’m just… taking advantage, that I’m not providing anything for you, and you’re doing everything for me. I can’t talk as well as you, I can’t give you the advice you might need, or say the perfect thing to help you feel better. I’m worried that you’re going to wake up one day and realize that I’m just... just me.”
He’s breathing hard, staring straight ahead at Teru’s horrified face. He’s run out of words again, leaving him with nothing but his heart on his sleeve and a swirling anxiety in his gut. Teru doesn’t say anything for a moment, waiting to make sure Mob has said all he needs to say. Then he steps forward, pulling Mob against him.
“That’s a lot to be holding in,” he starts, voice low. "Shige... I'm sorry."
Mob's eyes widen.
"I don't know what happened in your dream, and I don't know what bad thing you're talking about, but if someone hurt you, real or not, then I am so sorry I couldn't be there to protect you," Teru goes on, holding Mob tight against his shoulder. "It sounds like you had a really bad experience and it's hurting you to remember it. I'm sorry that I made you feel like you had to talk about everything that's bothering you. This was my fault, I shouldn't have made you make that promise. Go at your own pace."
"I hurt you, though," Mob wheezes.
"Yes, but it was because I thought I'd hurt you," Teru admits. "I was angry with myself, I-I hated— I thought I might have..." He stumbles, words failing. "But— but that's not important, because it wasn't true. I should have been more patient. We're learning each other, we'll get better at this in time."
Mob hums, pressing his cheek against Teru's collarbone.
"Also, I don't think you're 'just' anything," Teru says a little quieter. "You’re not boring or uninteresting, you’re... You're more than good enough, just by being you. Being you is what makes you so extraordinary to me.
"I love the way that you treat me like an equal. How you treat everyone like they have the capability to be good, no matter what they’ve done.” He pulls away, holding Mob at arm's length by his hands to look him in the eye. “You’re kind and giving. You’re compassionate toward people who really don’t deserve it. You may not see it, but, Shige… you’re so full of life. The way that your eyes light up when you get excited and the way that you turn so red when you get embarrassed...” He squeezes Mob's hands gently. “There's no need to be afraid I'm going to leave you because of who you are. I'm with you because of who you are.”
Mob can't say anything. He can't, not even if he wanted to. His heart is in his throat and is blocking any words that might try to push forward.
“I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit, either,” Teru continues fondly. “You're always reaching out to show me you care through little gestures. Using words isn't the only way to show how you feel. The way that you show you care is so much more profound than anything anyone else could give me. It's simple, and simple is enough. Words lose their meaning after being overused... but you are so honest with every action, that you don’t always need to speak for me to know exactly how you feel." He smirks. "Besides, who was it that busted me out of jail? And who visited me almost every day when I was injured? And who picked me up off the floor when I collapsed because I was stupid enough to run back home? And who is standing here, putting their life at risk to clear my dumb name? Huh?"
Mob blushes, looking down. "I did that..." he admits.
He can feel his hands shaking in Teru’s grasp, and Teru, feeling it as well, leans down to presses his lips against Mob's knuckles. “You're important to me, Shigeo, I care about how you're feeling,” he says. “If you’re upset, I hope you can talk about it instead of holding it inside in the future, but only when you're ready. We can work through anything together.”
Mob nods with much enthusiasm.
“How do you feel?” Teru asks.
“Safe,” Mob murmurs. “Better.”
“Me too.” He squeezes Mob's hands a bit. “We should get back out there now. I want to stay here with you too, but everyone is counting on us.”
Mob nods again. “You're right.”.
“Are you ready to go?” Teru asks.
Another nod, this one more determined. “Yes.”
—
“Sir! Sir! What relation do you have to Teruki Hanazawa?”
“Sir, what do you know about the creature that destroyed our city?”
“Aren’t you Reigen Arataka? The man who was accused of being a fraudulent psychic?”
Reporters are swarming around Reigen, shoving microphones and cameras in his face and tossing questions left and right. Reigen’s hands are up in front of him defensively. He’s on live television, gotta play it cool.
“Whoa there, one question at a time,” he says casually, bringing his hands down to shove one in his pocket and gesture with the other. “You asked how I’m related to Teru? He’s my kid, obviously.”
This statement brings about a whole new swarm of questions, excited reporters getting even closer to him.
“But aren’t your surnames different?” the reporter who’d called him by name asked. “Are you really his father?”
“Our last names are different, yes, but that has no affect on our relationship ,” Reigen says, waving a hand uncaringly. “I am his full-time guardian.”
“So, you punched that government official because you were protecting your son?” another reporter asks.
“I would have punched that d*** even if it hadn’t been my kid he was beating up,” Reigen says. “That kind of brutality is unheard of and can’t possibly be legal, especially against a child. Our government should not be this violent toward anyone, and I think we should be doing something about it, starting by punching them in the face.”
As Reigen continues to answer their questions, he can’t help but sneak glances over to where Mob ran off with Teru. Both of the government agents had been knocked out cold, and most of the crowd is still being held back by Serizawa’s barrier, but they’re running out of time before something else happens. He hopes Teru wakes up soon.
—
“Up ahead!” Teru points forward toward the middle of the square where Shigeo’s little brother and Suzuki are duking it out. Shigeo is running right behind him, their hands clasped tightly together. They’re running down the sidewalk next to the road, trying to get back close to where the city has crowded around Serizawa’s barrier.
“I’m gonna hop back into the fight in a minute,” Teru says over his shoulder. “Try to keep nearby, but stay hidden. Is the gakuran ready?”
“Yes,” Shigeo answers, wheezing a little from the long sprint. “It’s still where I was hiding last time, stowed away in the alley.”
“Alright, good.” They slide to a stop a few feet away from the crowd, quickly ducking behind a parked car before they’re spotted. Teru turns to Shigeo, placing his hands on his partner’s shoulders. “We’re going to do it right this time, Shigeo. I promise.”
Shigeo is nodding, determination set in his eyes. “I know,” he says confidently. “I know you can do it. I have faith in all of you.”
Affection grips Teru’s heart, and he leans down, pressing a lingering kiss against Mob's cheek to show it. When he starts to step away, Shigeo follows after him, hands digging into Teru’s shirt and pulling them back together in an embrace, not letting their close proximity end so soon. Shigeo’s aura is flaring with a muted panic despite his previous statement of confidence, and Teru's heart aches for him. He wishes he had the right words to convince Shigeo that it's all going to be okay, but for right now, this is the best he can do.
Shigeo separates first. He’s red-faced, but his eyes are still brimming with determination. Teru knows immediately that Shigeo is going to give it his all, and he feels himself bursting with pride.
“Be safe,” Shigeo says firmly.
“With you believing in me, there’s nothing I can’t do,” Teru says, well aware of how corny he sounds. He steps back, saluting, his aura surrounding him. “I’ll be back.” Then he takes off, a streak of yellow-green across the cracked road.
Teru speeds through the crowd. He’s not going to be able to get through the barrier without attacking it so he’s going to have to get Serizawa’s attention. Serizawa is inside the barrier, tying the government agents together with rope. Reigen isn’t with him, he’s standing outside the barrier where the crowd is, talking into a video camera. The crowd has drastically increased in volume, nearly surrounding the whole barrier. Reporters, civilians, and police officers are all included in the mix of the crowd. Meanwhile, in the center of the barrier, Suzuki and Shigeo’s brother are battling hard. He can tell Suzuki is pulling his punches, but from an outsider’s view, the fight looks serious.
Teru runs over to Reigen, pushing his way through the mass of people. “Excuse me, sorry, please let me through…,” he grumbles as his squeezes between the people. Reigen has made a little circle around himself of personal space, and Teru pushes his way out into that circle.
Whatever Reigen had been in the middle of saying cuts off the second Teru steps out in front of him. He stares down at the boy, eyes wide. Teru stares up, back at Reigen. He opens his mouth, and then before he can say anything Reigen is kneeling down, looking Teru all over, poking and prodding him.
“You’re awake, thank god, you’re okay...” Reigen says, rushing through his words like he has too much to say but not enough time to say it all. “How are you feeling? Are you in any pain? He got that drug out of you, right? You're awfully pale, are you feeling any side effects?”
Teru just nods dumbly, not sure how to react to this level of parental concern. “I'm a little bruised and tired, but other than that I’m feeling fine,” he manages to say. “Whatever happened to me, Shi- uh, he fixed it." Teru suddenly recognizes that they’re being filmed right now, he can’t give too many details. "Listen, I--”
“Thank god,” Reigen continues, placing a hand on Teru's head affectionately. “Is he okay, too?”
“Yes, he’s safe." Teru tries again. "Reigen, I need to get back in there. I need to get back in that fight. Su-- that orange-haired kid isn’t going to last much longer.”
“It’s too dangerous,” Reigen argues, shaking his head. “We almost just lost you, kid, I won't let you go back against that thing.”
Teru is confused for a very brief moment at the response, but then recognizes Reigen’s ploy. He’s acting for the cameras, playing the part of a concerned adult. If he actively encourages Teru to fight for his life, he will be considered suspicious.
“I can do this, Reigen,” Teru says back, playing along. “Trust in me, I can beat it this time.”
“This has nothing to do with trust, Teru,” Reigen says stubbornly. “It has to do with your safety. You’re just a kid, you shouldn’t have to do this.”
Before Teru can get another word out, several reporters have microphones in his face. He steps backward with surprise, bumping into Reigen, who puts a protective hand on his shoulder.
“Why did you become a delinquent, Teruki?” one asks.
“Hanazawa, what do you know about that creature over there?” says another.
“Teruki, is this man really your father?”
Teru turns a little red. “Ah, I’m sorry, I shouldn't--” He looks up at Reigen for help.
Reigen stealthily slips his cellphone into Teru’s hand. Teru catches the meaning immediately.
“I, uh, would prefer not to answer,” Teru says politely, bowing a little. “Please excuse me.” He jumps up, using his powers to hover over their heads and glide away from their intrusive questions.
He scrolls through Reigen’s phone, selecting Serizawa’s name and calling it. He then watches from the outside of the barrier as Serizawa pulls his phone out of his pocket, stares at the number for a moment, and... keeps staring. Starts sweating. Goes to press something, and then backtracks, going back to staring.
“Come on, Serizawa, answer please,” Teru begs under his breath. He doesn’t have time for social anxiety to take the reigns here.
Serizawa answers.
“H-hi, Arataka!” his voice stammers through the receiver. “What— what’s going on?”
“Serizawa, it’s Teru,” Teru says. “I need for you to let me inside the barrier.”
Serizawa physically jumps with surprise, his head whipping all around in search of Teru. “Oh! Ha-Hanazawa, um! Yes, okay, where are you?”
“To your right. No, that’s too far, back left. Up a little? Hi.” Teru gives Serizawa a little wave. With a much too formal salute, Serizawa opens a small hole in the barrier right where Teru is hovering and Teru slides through it. He lands back on the ground with a loud thud, and then immediately takes off running. So far so good, he thinks as he shoves Reigen's phone in his back pocket. He just hopes Suzuki’s caught up on what’s going on.
—
Ritsu ducks backward to avoid a psychically charged fist aimed for his face. He swerves to the left, rolling across the asphalt. As he climbs back to his feet, he catches a glimpse of Teru sprinting toward them at a high speed. He straightens, hopping an inch away from Shou and sliding his foot under Shou’s legs, knocking him down. He then grabs Shou’s collar with the fist from his good arm, leaning close to his face.
“It’s time,” he says under his breath.
Shou nods, and he then uses both of his feet to push Ritsu as hard as he can. He uses the momentum to push himself backward, backflipping onto his feet.
Ritsu sends a huge blast of energy Shou’s way. Pretending to be a bit dazed, Shou lets the blast hit him, allowing himself to be thrown across the square. He stays lying motionless across the ground. Ritsu pretends to be caught up in celebration over his “win.”
“Forget about me?” Teru taunts needlessly, jumping back into the fight in full dramatics, sending a powerful fiery burst of energy at Ritsu. Ritsu grins under his mask. They’ve finally got everything back on track... for the most part.
—
Mob watches from the sidelines, out of view from the crowd, as Teru and Ritsu’s fight resumes. He holds the gakuran they’d stored aside in both of his hands, clenching and unclenching his fingers in the fabric. He has faith in his brother and his boyfriend, but he can’t help but still be a little nervous. What if the police don’t believe the scam? What if Ritsu doesn’t get away from the scene in time? What if they arrest Teru anyway?
Ritsu is clearly not putting up much of a fight this time. One of his arms seems to be hanging limply as he hops around, and he's stumbling across the field like a drunk. He’s pretending to be tired, Mob realizes with a rush of pride. His brother is so smart. Teru pretends to get another hit in on Ritsu, who tumbles to the ground. He doesn’t get back up.
That’s his cue!
Mob lifts his hands, creating the most intense windstorm possible just as Teru goes to land a “finishing” blow. The storm covers the entire inside of the barrier with swirling dust and the visibility is severely limited, making it unclear to any outside viewers if Teru actually landed a final hit or not. Serizawa drops the barrier right on time and Mob is able to rush onto the scene. He can’t see, unfortunately, not able to use his abilities on the storm and protect himself from it at the same time. He stumbles through the wind and dust blindly, the gakuran clutched tight to his chest while he keeps his other arm extended in front of him. The dust is getting into his eyes and nose and he fights the urge to rub them. He covers his nose and mouth to keep the dust from getting in them and gagging him.
Hands are suddenly gripping his arms, holding him still. Mob can’t open his eyes, but he has a feeling who it is. Just as suddenly, a barrier is surrounding him and the wind stops. He can hear again, but he still can’t open his dust-caked eyelids.
“I’m here,” Teru’s voice says softly from a few inches away. “We can put the gakuran right here. Your little brother already took off, so he’s good.”
Mob can feel the gakuran being gently wrestled out of his grasp. Teru must be placing it down for him. He nods, not wanting to open his mouth right now.
“I’m gonna get you outside of the storm now,” Teru says. “It’s almost over.” Then immediately after hearing that, Mob can feel his entire body being pushed backward by psychic energy, all the way until he’s out of the storm. Blindly, Mob drops his control of the storm, allowing it to gradually come to a stop. He tries to brush himself off, hating the feeling of being covered in dust.
He hears footsteps suddenly. Mob tenses, but then recognizes his brother's aura. Joy fills his heart.
“Ritsu!” Mob calls happily.
“Hey," Ritsu says back. He sounds only a few feet away, voice coming closer by the second. “You’re a mess.”
“I’m glad you’re safe,” Mob says, reaching out a hand in the direction of his brother's voice. “I want to hug you but I don’t want you to be a mess, too.”
“I don’t care about that.” An arm encircles Mob, and Mob doesn’t need to open his eyes to recognize his brother’s embrace. He wonders why it's only half of one but then remembers Ritsu's limp arm during the fight. That hadn't been an act?
"Ritsu, you're really injured," Mob gasps, finally opening his eyes and pulling back.
Ritsu is, in fact, really injured. He's covered in bruises and his gakuran is covered in rips and scuff-marks from the road. One of his cheeks is swollen, blood dripping from his lip, and there's a rim of purple underneath his eye on the same side of his face. His tousled hair is caked with rubble and dust, sticking up all over even more than usual. He's holding his left arm, which is hanging loosely from his side.
"Don't stress over it," Ritsu says a little bitterly. "I'm the one who told Suzuki not to hold back. This is what I asked for."
Mob grips Ritsu’s good arm. "No, you dolt!" he accuses. "We need to get you medical attention!"
Ritsu just rolls his eyes. "We both know I’ve recovered from worse before. I heal fast." He looks out at the sea of people on the street, going pensive.
“It's over,” Ritsu says quietly after a few moments. “Even after everything, we did it.”
“Yes, we did,” Mob hums in agreement.
—
Teru is standing in the middle of the square as the dust settles. He’d dropped his barrier during the last few moments of its rampage to let himself get a little dusty for believability. He’s standing over the desolate gakuran, staring at it wordlessly. Shou is nowhere to be seen and Serizawa is still looming over the bound government agents, holding them down just in case.
Reporters swarm in, now that the barrier is gone. The police and regular civilians are right behind them. The reporters circle Teru, pushing microphones into his face and videoing everything they can.
“How does it feel to be a hero, Teruki?” someone asks.
“Ah, it--” Teru cuts himself off before he begins bragging, reminding himself to stay humble. Patting himself on the back for thinking so much like Shigeo, Teru puffs out his chest. “I'm not really much of a hero, I'm just using my powers to do what anyone with my abilities would do.”
Another reporter pushes her way forward. “Are the allegations of delinquent activity toward you true or false?”
Teru knows that he has to be touchy with this answer. “I'm not a delinquent in any way,” he says truthfully. “My only goal is to be a good person.”
“Earlier, Reigen Arataka, the infamous fraudulent psychic, claimed to be your father,” a lady says, her tone condescending. “Do you confirm or deny his statement?”
“Uh…” Teru can't see where Reigen is, but wherever he is, Teru is sending a string of curses his way. “He's, ah… Yeah.” I’m gonna kill him when this is over. “I would say so.”
The worst part is, it feels right to say that.
The police are beginning to barge their way onto the scene, pushing past reporters. Most of them ignore Teru, running onto the scene to see the lone gakuran lying in the middle of the road. Two of the officers grab Teru’s arms, holding him still. A few others try to make the crowd of people move away from the scene.
As soon as the officers grab Teru, the crowd starts yelling in protest.
“This kid is a hero!” they yell angrily.
“This is an injustice!” others shout.
The officers look at each other and then release Teru’s arms, backing away a little. Teru steps away from them as well the second he’s free. There’s nowhere for him to go, though, being surrounded by reporters and cops. He finds himself wishing for Reigen’s companionship.
As if sensing that his presence is needed, Reigen moseys his way over to them, the crowd parting for him to walk through. Teru doesn’t know where he just was, but it doesn’t matter. He finds himself meeting Reigen halfway, reaching out to hold... he's not sure what, but he snaps his hand back as soon as he realizes what he's doing.
Of course, Reigen had noticed, and reaches over to place his arm around Teru’s shoulders. The physical contact sends a jolt of warmth through Teru and he closes his eyes, remembering just how much he’d missed parental affection.
“I hope you will be dropping the charges on my kid,” Reigen says tartly. “He’s a hero to all of us, not a delinquent. He did what none of you could do, and you’re going to lock him away?” He nudges his head toward the direction he just came from, to which Serizawa is standing, the two agents tied up at his feet. “If anyone should be locked away it’s those posers. They continuously harassed my kid, even going so far as to physically assault and drug him. You are just going to let them get away with that?”
“We’ll... mention it to our higher-ups,” one of the officers says. “In the meantime, yes, I suppose we can drop the charges on Teruki Hanazawa, but only as long as he comes in willingly to answer a few questions.”
Teru nods agreeably. “I can do that.”
Reigen squeezes his shoulder, and Teru smiles. They really did it.
—
The crowd disperses. Teru goes with the police without a fight. The two government agents are taken back as well, shoved into the back of a cruiser. Reigen gives Serizawa a congratulatory pat on the back, to which Serizawa turns bright red and rubs the back of his head awkwardly.
They stop by the alley where Mob and Ritsu are camping out, finding the two of them still trying to get all the dust off Mob.
Reigen explains what happened. Mob feels a twinge of concern at Teru going back to the police station but is full of hope for when he returns with a clean slate.
First they call Mob and Ritsu's parents to let them know about Ritsu's arm. Their mother lets them know that she will be over to take Ritsu to the hospital very soon. Both boys are taken back to Reigen’s apartment as they wait for their mother and the call from the station. Mob is ordered to shower, as well, and is provided with one of Teru's outfits to replace his own dusty clothing. To lighten the mood a little, Reigen puts a bad movie on to distract them, providing cheap microwave popcorn and soda. The movie is terrible, and Mob finds himself missing Teru's know-it-all jabs at all the worst parts, but it's an effective distraction. In the middle of the movie, Mrs. Kageyama arrives to pick up Ritsu.
The call finally comes in about four hours after the movie ends from the police station, letting Reigen know Teru is ready to be picked up. By that time, Mrs. Kageyama had already returned with Ritsu, who had walked back in with a cast on his arm and a renewed hatred for being alive. Apparently he had insisted on coming back because he was worried about Teru, but when questioned by Reigen, claimed he was only back to support Mob.
Mob hops off the couch the second he hears the phone ring, rushing to the door to start putting his shoes on.
“Katsuya, do you mind if we take your car?” Reigen asks.
Serizawa nods. "As long as I drive," he says a bit teasingly, getting up to grab his keys.
Reigen meets Mob by the door, putting his shoes on as well. “Hey, Mob's brother, you can come too if you want.”
Ritsu snorts. “Well, that definitely sounds better than being stuck alone in your cramped little hovel.” Reigen looks offended but says nothing.
The drive is quiet. They all know that given the promise that Teru will be returning with them, the news is good. But anxiety still swirls in their guts. As he drives, Serizawa reaches out his free hand to Reigen, who takes it and doesn't let go. Mob watches outside of the window as they roll down one of the few repaired streets, fidgeting nervously with his seatbelt. He crosses and uncrosses his ankles. He bites his lips. When the station finally comes into view, he can feel his heart beating painfully against his chest.
They parallel park out front. “I'll go get him,” Reigen says, unbuckling and hopping out. Everyone waits with bated breath as he saunters inside the station. Mob rubs his fingers up and down the texture of the seatbelt. He dislikes how it feels against his skin, but he can't stop doing it.
They wait… and wait… and wait.
The doors open.
Reigen steps out first, halfway. Mob's breath catches.
A hand is connected with Reigen’s, and Teru comes out from behind him. He's smiling a little begrudgingly, looking to the side.
Mob fumbles to undo his seatbelt, yanking it off and then throwing the car door open. He stumbles as he jumps out of the car, racing up the walkway.
Teru’s eyes widen as he sees Mob running towards him. His mouth opens, whether to say something or just out of surprise they never know, because Mob throws himself into Teru’s arms. Teru falls backward from the momentum, losing his grip on Reigen’s hand, and catches himself by grabbing onto the back of Mob's shirt with both hands.
They hold each other tight, arms wrapped all around each other. Mob pulls away, gazing at Teru with the biggest grin and the brightest, shining eyes. There’s so much love in his heart at this exact moment that without thinking, he dips Teru backward in one fluid motion, kissing him smack on the mouth.
It's a bit too bold of a move for Mob usually, especially in public, but he's forgotten everything. He's forgotten that they’re in clear view of everyone walking down the road, he's forgotten that Reigen is standing two feet away waiting for them, he's forgotten that Teru is heavier than he can actually hold up for very long.
When Teru's arms come up around his neck, one hand gripping the back of his shirt while the other buries in his hair, Mob's only thought is that he doesn't want to remember.
Despite Mob’s lack of experience, the kiss lasts longer than any of their other ones, Mob following Teru’s lead despite being the initiator. Unfortunately, though, his stamina is running out quick. His head is spinning, his arms are shaking, and his breath is coming in short, so Mob ends up pulling back and straightening the both of them up to replenish his lungs. And that's when he sees Reigen standing three feet away, whistling in the other direction. And he sees the car, with his brother and Serizawa, pointedly looking away. And a few passerbys walking down the sidewalk, avoiding eye contact. He feels an anxiety attack surfacing, they all saw, they all saw us, I can’t believe I did that in front of them, but then he looks back at Teru.
Teru is standing before him, face flushed a brilliant red, his breathing a little faster than normal. His hair is a disheveled mess, his shirt is wrinkled from Mob’s tight grip, and there’s a huge, dazed smile on his freckled face, crooked and wide.
He finds he's not sorry. He'd do it again.
Mob takes Teru's hand in his, turning to Reigen with a grin. “We're ready now, thank you for waiting.”
Reigen looks like he wants to make a teasing comment but has been rendered speechless by Mob's burst of confidence. He nods dumbly, leading them back to the car. Mob takes the middle seat next to Ritsu and Teru squeezes in after. They lean against each other, hands linked between them and Teru's ankle hooked behind Mob's. Ritsu doesn't seem repulsed, but he does seem a bit resigned about his third wheel role in the back seat.
Mob doesn't stare out the side window on the way back, he stares ahead, through the windshield. With his brother on one side of him, his boyfriend on the other, and his boyfriend's two dad's sitting in the front chatting away, he knows the future is going to bring only good things.