Chapter Text
Vriska grinned stupidly. This boy, he dare act like he was above her. She showed him, she really did. Vriska kicked the metal bat away from Ritsu and picked him up like a sack of flour. He was a bit heavy, but nothing that a strong troll like Vriska couldn't handle. Her artificial arm was no scrap metal, either.
She took him into one of the half dozen tunnels that littered the area. After a while, she had to carry Ritsu on her back because of how narrow the tunnel was. It was built for one person walking through it only. The transportaliser she used to bring trolls to her lusus was on the other side of the tunnel, she just knocked out the trolls while on Alternia and brought them there to avoid any run-ins with the troll police. Honestly, human police couldn't sniff out and underground lair if you spray-painted them a map on the wall of the White House.
Vriska dropped Ritsu on to the ground at the end of the tunnel. He made no indications of waking up any time soon. She looked in his pant pocket with hopes of loot. Empty. She sighed. Vriska stretched and looked around the area she was in for was seemed to be the millionth time. It smelled of troll blood, and a hint of wicked colourfulness, like someone had corrupted a box of poster paint and turned it into a miserable villain. When you had a friend who smells colours, as you do, it rubs off on you.
Vriska sighed. It was going to be a while until dinnertime.
-
Sounds echoed through the tunnel, like someone shouting through a paper tube from far away.
"Shishou, I think I can hear the spirit. It seems to be a bit further. It's very loud..."
Reigen startled at the sound of Mob's voice, out of nowhere. They had been walking in silence for a while.
"Yes, Mob. It seems to, uh, not be alone."
Mob stopped, Reigen doing so a few steps ahead. Mob bit his lip, "Do you think Ritsu could be here, Shishou?"
"We'll have to see, Mob."
The tunnel opened up into a high-ceilinged cave. Stuff was scattered everywhere, like some poor soul's belongings were scattered after a storm. Reigen watched the ground, careful not to trip.
Mob's eyes darted around, jumping from one object to the next. A pair of sneakers, a shirt laying in a puddle, an old chair, a glint of silver- a spoon.
His head turned so fast to face Reigen, it might've twisted right off his body, like a bulb unscrewing from a lamp, "Ritsu!"
"My name is Arataka, Mob. Ritsu's the one with spikier hair."
Mob's widened eyes shifted into a scowl for a split second. "No, Arataka Reigen. I meant I think my brother's here."
Mob scanned the area. Six tunnels in total. One of them could lead to Ritsu. He focused his powers, tried sensing Ritsu's powers, but came up empty handed. Mob cleared his mind, tried to not think of the worse.
"Okay, Mob, listen up. This isn't your average horror movie setup, but I still need you to stay close to me. No one knows what could happen." Reigen glanced at the tunnels, "If push comes to shove, we can always run away. Hopefully."
Mob pushed his fears to the back of his mind. He set his powers aside and tried listening instead. There was the steady drip of water, Reigen's feet shuffling, his own disconcerted heart beating. Nope. Sight was out of the game, everything was kind of dark, the tunnels darker still. Smell? There was a faint metallic smell from one of the tunnels, he realised.
"Shishou, I think we should check this tunnel," he said, pointing at the funny-smelling tunnel. "I can... sense something there."
"I can barely sense anything down here, Mob, but we'll go, just to be sure."
The tunnel barely fit Reigen's taller stature. Mob pushed some dirt out of the way to give Reigen some leeway, and carefully adjusted the supports throughout the tunnel so it wouldn't collapse on them. After some time, they arrived upon the other side of the tunnel.
Something smacked into Reigen's side, knocking him to the floor with a hollow thud. Mob held out his hands to stop everything in the room from moving. He held there for a few seconds, his eyes adjusting to the dark. There was another person, clutching a long piece of wood and growling.
"Let me go!!!!!!!!" she screamed. "Who do you think you are, B8TCH?!?!?!?! This is MY l8ir, and mine only!!!!!!!!"
She continued yelling like that for another minute, and then dropped the piece of wood, defeated. Mob let it clatter to the floor. The girl sighed. "You're stronger than me."
Mob set her gently on the floor, "I don't want to fight you. Let me ask you a few questions, okay?" Mob paused for her to nod. "First, what are you?"
"She/her, name's Vriska."
"No, I mean are you a spirit?"
"I'm a troll, dumbass."
"Second, have you seen my brother? Spiky hair, same dead inside look as me."
"Oh, he's right over," she looked around the room, "there." Vriska pointed towards a sad human-shaped lump to the side of the room. Reigen walked over to pick Ritsu up and failed. He opted to sit next to the boy instead.
"Okay, Vriska. I'll let you go now. Are we done here, Shishou?"
"Ah, hang on a sec, Mob." Reigen reached into his suit pockets. He pulled out two fistfuls of salt in either hand, "Shield your faces, you two."
Mob and Vriska did so. Reigen cleared his throat,
"SALT SPLASH!!!!!!!!"
Salt littered the room. In the dark, it made no difference.
Reigen dusted his hands off, "Well, the spirit's gone now. Let's go. Hey, Ritsu, wake up."
Ritsu stirred. Mob began to walk towards Ritsu, but stopped in his tracks. He turned around to make sure Vriska was sitting still, when-
"Mob, look out!" Reigen dashed past Mob, knocking Vriska to the ground with his momentum and weight. Vriska rolled over and stood up, a plastic pipe in hand, glaring at Reigen. She ran at Reigen, but Reigen dodged and tripped her. She fell to the ground, Reigen grabbed her arms and pinned her arms to her back. Vriska groaned out of annoyance. "D8mb human... bullying a 7-sweep old like me........"
Reigen moved, letting Vriska sit up but still keeping a firm grip. He grinned or something, "Not to brag, but I'm a green belt. You know, Mob?"
Mob didn't answer him and instead poked his brother. Ritsu scrunched up his face and groaned, "What... what happened? Where am I... Where- oh, Spoon!"
Ritsu sat up and blacked out for a moment. He scrambled to stand up, looking around the room frantically.
"Nii-san, have you seen Spoon?!"
"What are you saying, Ritsu? Calm down. We found a spoon in the tunnel, but not sure if it's the right one..."
Mob took spoon out of Reigen's tote bag, the slightly dishevelled metal cutlery, bent back into shape from a steel clump.
Ritsu shook his head. He opened his mouth to say something, stopped, and ran towards the exit, through the tunnel to the main cavern.
"Wait, Ritsu!" Mob chased after him.
"Mob! Hey, don't leave me with... her!"
-
Ritsu staggered out the narrow tunnel. He scanned the room. There! On the chair, like the last time he saw it. It was like a gift from heaven, it's safety the best thing to grace his soul.
"SPOON!!"
He ran over and embraced Spoon in a hug, a hug that would survive the heat death of the universe. Ritsu poured all his emotion, his love, oh how undisturbed that love is and how long that love will last and how hr just loved loved Spoon so and above all-
Ritsu was happy