Chapter Text
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Reigen leaned back in his chair, eyeing Mob who was dutifully doing his homework across the room. The boy's dark eyes took in the assignment carefully, the minute scrunch between his dark brows meant it was probably math homework he was slogging through, as he nibbled on the eraser of his pencil in thought.
Mob looked so young, as he scribbled down an answer, cheek resting on his hands, face still lined with baby fat. Even if the kid was the most powerful psychic Reigen had ever met, or would meet again, did he really have the right to drag the boy into the messes he did?
Shigeo glanced up, sensing his teacher's stare. Reigen's eyes flicked away guiltily. Mob tilted his head trying to figure out why his mentor had been staring at him so intently, "Master, is there a job we have to do?"
Reigen coughed, leaning forward to close the computer on his desk, "Yeah, yeah. Some little old lady has a haunting in her basement." He waved a hand carelessly, "It’s probably nothing, but I figured you should come just in case." He added, "So I didn’t have to call you away from your friends on such short notice again."
He’d been trying to be better about that. Mob deserved better that that.
Mob stared blandly, and Reigen knew that look. Reigen didn’t know how he’d acquired it but recently Mob would throw pensive knowing stares his way, almost like he was reading him like an open book.
He almost missed Mob's soft answer, "Of course, Shishou."
Reigen stood, pulling on his suit coat as Mob gathered his textbooks. He waited by the door for his student to join him.
Something about Mob's usual manner, the typical unfazed flatness of his mouth, his bland stare, made Reigen quirk the corners of his mouth upwards, and, as he opened the door, he gave Mob's hair a quick affectionate ruffle. He didn’t look back, expecting Mob to follow him, so he completely missed Mob's eyes widening as he looked down, practically glowing with happiness.
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Reigen's lips pressed together as he eyed the house. It certainly didn’t look haunted, but appearances were always deceiving. Like himself for instance.
Mob blinked up at him and Reigen hummed, "Don’t worry, I think the client is at an appointment or something." He nodded at the bright pink house sagely, "We’ve got the house all to ourselves."
Mob stepped up beside him as they walked towards it. Reigen frowned at the disgustingly bright orange door, "That’s hideous."
Mob made no comment.
Reigen sidestepped a rake laying across the sidewalk, the lady really needed someone to clean the place up (maybe he could do it and charge an extra five hundred yen?) and looked down, "You feel anything, Mob?"
Mob nodded, "There's a very strong spirit." He paused, "I can’t tell where exactly it’s coming from inside the house."
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Reigen stopped, "Wait. You can’t?"
Mob shook his head slowly. Reigen swallowed, "Maybe...." He was trying to be a better master for Mob. A good master wouldn’t let Mob go in alone, especially since the spirit seemed powerful enough to hide itself from Mob.
Reigen was so lost in thought weighing the cons (Mob might get hurt, he had told himself he was going to be more responsible) and the pros (He could make rent and not get evicted for sure this month, no spirit had ever been able to beat Mob), that he didn’t see Mob walk past him and up to the door.
The door sprung open at the touch of his hand.
That was unusual, especially since Shigeo had heard the click as the mechanism unlocked, right before it had creaked inwards.
Reigen looked up, "Mob!" He cursed and jogged towards his student, "I’ve got to get a leash for you."
Mob hummed, "Master, the spirit has become one with the house."
Reigen gaped, taking a step back from the suddenly ominous neon orange door hanging open before them, "We definitely shouldn’t go in then, right?"
Mob stepped inside and Reigen's voice cracked as he practically screeched, reaching for his student's sleeve, "Mob!" He missed and the door slammed shut, cutting them off. Reigen choked and then threw himself against the door, "Mob! Mob!"
The house rumbled.
Mob didn’t come out.
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He dug into his pockets, flipping open his phone, pausing. His lips thinned as he chose a contact, hit the call button, and waited. It went straight to voicemail.
Obviously it would, the kid hated him.
He sent a text instead, and pocketed his phone again. He glared at the hideous orange door that was obviously mocking him. The door wasn’t going to come down... An idea sparked. He turned, and grabbed the rake lying on the path.
Should he really do this though?
The client might make him pay damages...
The house shook. There was a crash. Mob still didn’t appear.
Reigen swung, and smashed the rake against one of the windows, it cracked. He hit it again, the house shuddered, another hit, and the glass shattered. He tossed the rake away and gingerly crawled inside, grimacing at the shards sticking to his coat and palms. Shit. He swore out loud, straightening. The room looked completely normal, exactly like a grandmother's house, pictures of grandchildren lining the walls and knickknacks covering the shelves.
He shouted, "Mob?"
A second later, he heard it, "Shishou!"
Reigen ran.
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He nearly tripped down the stairs, gaping as he took in the basement. It was quite possibly, the most haunted looking place he’d ever seen. Mob turned, "I’m trying to determine how exactly to exorcise the spirit without bringing the house down, Master."
Reigen gasped, "I thought you were in real trouble, Mob!" He snapped, moving closer to him, "Don’t run off like that again!"
Mob blinked, "I’m not hurt."
Reigen huffed, "You’d better not be!"
The ground rumbled and he threw out his arms. The house ceased its unnatural shifting. Mob tilted his head, "Don’t worry, Master, I’ll protect us." He turned back around, fixating the darkened corner with unblinking eyes, "I believe I’ve found where the spirit died. I might be able to exorcise it from there."
Reigen shook his head, "Mob, that..." He sighed, "Fine. But then let’s get out of here and never come back."
Mob moved forward and Reigen started, the house roiling and pitching unnaturally like waves, "Mob!"
"I’m almost there, Master."
With an almighty crack, the wood splintered overhead and the house came down on top of the him. Or it would’ve, had Reigen not lunged forward, tackling Mob.
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The wood and rock finally settled and Mob coughed, fingers gripping his shishou's now dusty jacket, "Master? Master are you alright?"
Reigen didn’t move. He was so very heavy on top of him, and unnaturally still. With shaking fingers, Mob reached upwards, around the fallen rocks and wood, trying to find Reigen's head. He carded his fingers through ginger hair, and he froze at the feeling of wet sticky strands.
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Blood. There was so much of it. Far too much for something really bad not to have happened. His breathing quickened. He needed to get his master out of here! The debris began floating, Mob and Reigen with it. He gently set his master down against the wall and Mob cupped his slack face in his hands, "Master?"
Not so much as a twitch.
What if he never woke up?
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He patted his cheek gently, "Shishou, please, wake up."
Mob let go and Reigen slowly slumped over to one side, limp like a doll, usual lively fingers twisted in his lap, his arm bent unnaturally.
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Mob's breath hitched when he saw the streak of red the back of his master's head left on the wall.
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"Master?"
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He heard a hiss behind him, the glow of something lighting up the room, "One down, two to go..."
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Mob could see the blood coating his hands, thick and shiny in the blue phantom glow. He couldn’t seem to breathe. The ghost continued talking, "Leave, little one, or I’ll kill you too."
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Protectiveness .
The house fell silent, and then, with a concussive boom, it exploded.