Chapter 8: Turf Wars

[mp_npc]

Even though it was nearly 6pm, the sun was still relatively high in the sky compared to just the month prior. The days were getting longer and the air was getting warmer. With the heat brought energy--especially in the particular stretch where Teru had asked Mob to meet up. It was in the southeastern district of Seasoning City, an especially dense urban stretch near the freeway bordering on the industrial part of the city.

Factories and and their smokestacks were in the near distance. Workers in uniform were shuffling about with purpose, disappearing in and out of the narrow alleys that snaked through that part of town likes veins. The scent of street food was strong. There was one food stand that Teru asked Mob to wait near in particular, one with especially good yakitori. A gust of wind carried the delicious smokey glazed scent of it--along with laughter and jeers from one of the alleyways just behind Mob.

"Hey, ain't that a Salt uniform?" A boy jeered as his friends formed a loose-but-coordinated semi-circle behind Mob. Their own uniforms were a rusty red with enormously tacky gold buttons down the center.

Comments

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob let out a soft gasp at the admission. The evidence was in front of him, but he refused to believe it.

"Really? This is your doing, Ritsu?"

[mp_kageyamabro]

"It's true," Ritsu replied with more insistence. He wouldn't tolerate Shigeo denying the obvious. "I've finally obtained psychic powers."

His determination to break through his brother's denial became an outpouring of psychic energy that flowed around him--and the little voice in his ear suddenly became very loud and very panicked.

'Not another word, Dimple.'

Ritsu's focus was momentarily broken when Dimple suddenly fled from his body and right into the sky.

Tch.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Dimple?!" Mob had thought he was dead. But he was... with his brother...?

[mp_kageyamabro]

"Whatever. I don't need him anymore. I've got the hang of it now." Ritsu began regathering his power. "Listen. Shigeo. I've come to realize something very important."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob blinked. "What? What do you mean?" Mob's expression softened. "Look, if there's something wrong--"

[mp_kageyamabro]

Ritsu rapidly pulled back as his brother approached, but he thrust himself back forward to direct a fierce surge of his built-up power straight at him.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was blown back with so much strength that his feet left the ground, but he still managed to make the landing.

Pride swelled up in Mob. "Ritsu...! You did it! You wanted this for so long!" Before Ritsu could get a word in, Mob prattled on. "Do you remember? You'd cry your eyes out because you couldn't bend spoons. Who would have thought--"

[mp_kageyamabro]

He had missed. But more than that--something in Ritsu's chest began to twist at the sight of his older brother's affectionate outpouring. He ignored it.

"Listen to what I was trying to tell you." Ritsu stepped over a body, and another, as he began to approach Mob. "I've always wanted psychic powers. Because you had them, I always admired you."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Really?" Mob bashfully scratched his head. "You're making me blush!"

[mp_kageyamabro]

"But that was just a big misunderstanding."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"It was?"

[mp_kageyamabro]

"I couldn't handle my feelings of inferiority and fear towards you. I was only protecting myself by making myself think it was admiration." Ritsu was as still as stone as he said what was absolutely never to be said. But even as he was still, the words came out easily. It was like a great breath he had been holding in for as long as he could remember finally being released.

No--it wasn't quite like that. It wasn't relief he wanted. He wanted it to hurt. He wanted his brother to be hurt like he had all this time. That's what he felt.

"I was scared of you. I never knew what you might do if you got stressed out. We could never even have a fight as brothers. That would be suicide. So I stayed out of your way so as never to cause trouble between us."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob's expression never moved from its usual neutral state.

"Ritsu..." Mob said, but he did not move to say anything more. Mob might be socially unaware person at Salt Middle, but he knew there was more that Ritsu wanted -- no, needed to say. And he wanted him to say all of it.

[mp_kageyamabro]

Ritsu's fists tightened. "I tried so hard for so long...you've never worked hard for anything in your life, so why...!?"

Ritsu forced himself to breathe. This was no time to lose his grip. His fists loosened.

"But now that's just a humiliating past. I've obtained them. I don't have to be scared anymore. That misguided--no, that delusional admiration is gone. I have no interest in our relationship anymore."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob's expression shifted again, this time into a smile.

"Ritsu. I can tell. That's all just a lie."

[mp_kageyamabro]

Mob's calm and brotherly voice shattered Ritsu's composure. "I want you to face me! Hit me with the full force of your powers!"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"But I guess... part of what you said was true." Mob started walking towards Ritsu. "I am your brother. And that means..." But then, he passed Ritsu. "...I have to take care of you."

Mob stopped, then bowed deeply at the collection of bodies in the alleyway. "I'm terribly sorry my little brother hurt you. He lost his temper, that's all." Another bow. "Please look past this and be friends with him." Another bow.

[mp_npc]

Ritsu gaped.

One of the thugs in white groaned and rolled over. "Wait...what'd you say? Are you saying...you're the older brother of that freak show?" He spat as the small boy fretted. He dragged himself back to his feet, suddenly only too happy to jump at the scent of blood in the water. "Think just apologizin' like that is enough to be forgiven, do ya!?

A delinquent from a rival faction joined him in short order. "You need to grovel down on your knees first!"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Oh... okay..."

Mob did not hesitate to comply; he sat one knee down on the ground, and then the other. He bowed so low to the ground that his forehead touched it.

[mp_kageyamabro]

Ritsu could barely comprehend what was in front of him. His sheer bewilderment would have knocked him off his feet of not for the the white hot blade of humiliation running through him like a dagger.

"S-Stop...what do you think you're doing!?"

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Ritsu... there isn't any use in trying to get rid of me..." Mob smiled. "I mean, we're brothers."

[mp_npc]

Watching Mob grovel to the garbage was unbearable. No, it was beyond that, it was an utter farce. Ritsu was pinned to the spot, not by fear, but by his inability to even process what he was seeing or formulate a proper response.

"White T Poison! If you don't want us to beat the shit out of your brother, get your ass over here!" One jeered at Ritsu.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Hold it. You shouldn't do that." Mob rose to his feet. "I was hoping we'd end this. No more hurting people. There's been enough violence."

[mp_npc]

The thin pretense was shattered and the thug in white (now thoroughly tarnished by Ritsu's efforts) yanked Mob up by the collar. "Just who the hell do you think you are, small fry!?"

"Only the strongest can give out orders like that." The boy who chimed in was obscured by a mask but his words were sharp and clear.

The towering Miso leader grunted in agreement. "The strongest will rule. That's the way of the world."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob's body was shaken back-and-forth as if he were nothing more than a rag doll, but Mob simply allowed himself to be swung. But before anyone could say or do anything else, a hooded figure leapt down from above and snatched Ritsu by the collar as easily as a mother dog snatching her pup by the scruff of its neck.

"You're exactly right." The man's face was obscured by his purple hoodie; even when Mob turned to see what was going on, he couldn't make out any of the man's features.

"Ritsu!"