Medica Materia A Mob Psycho 100 Fantasy AU

Chapter 7

"You have a map?" Mob slammed his fists on the tavern's tabletop; the dishes rattled with the force. "Why didn't you tell me last night?"

Reigen waved his hands at his student to relax. They did not want to attract unwanted attention. "Keep it down," he said, voice hushed. "By the time Serizawa and I made it back you were asleep," he explained. "And quite frankly, after the night we had we just needed that too."

"But—"

"But what?" Reigen was determined to not lose this argument. "We weren't going anywhere in the middle of the night. We never even got our provisions like we planned."

Mob sulked in his seat. "You would never have been captured if I had been there," he muttered.

Serizawa was stricken with guilt by the boy's words. "I'm so sorry—"

Reigen gripped Serizawa's forearm. "Don't you dare apologize." He turned his ire on his student. "Why don't you tell me what you would have done with poisonous gas choking your throat? How you would have handled a surprise attack in an enclosed space?"

Mob glared at his Master. "I don't know," he admitted. "I'm just so tired of waiting." The boy's voice cracked. "I miss them so much."

Reigen's face softened. "I know, but now we might have a chance," Reigen said. "We know where the villagers are being kept but there's still the possibility that your family isn't there."

The horror on Mob's face was indication enough that he had not considered that prospect.

"We need to find this place, yes, but we also need to investigate. If we go in without a plan we could be captured as well or killed. Battle just for the sake of battle will destroy you as quickly as an arrow to the chest," Reigen reasoned. Then he laid out the final blow: "You need to decide what's more important Mob, saving your family or fighting Claw?"

The boy pushed his chair back from the table, eyes downcast. "I'm not hungry." Mob made his way up the stairs back to their room. His meager breakfast was only half-consumed.

The whole scene made Serizawa uncomfortable. "Weren't you a little harsh on him?" he asked, stabbing at his greasy breakfast.

"He's fifteen," Reigen buried his head in his hands. "It's a terrible age. Can you use your magic to skip over it?"

Serizawa knew he was teasing, but played along anyway. "I believe that is beyond even the greatest of magic."

Reigen peeked out from between his fingers, brown eyes mischievous. "Being a Mage is a useless occupation."

Thinking back on his experiences with battle and blood, Serizawa decided that Reigen was not wrong. "It does feel like that most days." Oh, the smile Serizawa got in return did wicked things to his senses.

Serizawa was no fool and Minegishi's words the night before had stuck with him. Under the rule of Claw, Serizawa had engaged in a few affairs of the flesh but none of the heart. With these scant experiences he thought he could tell the difference between genuine sentiment and mere desire but his feelings for Reigen Arataka blurred those lines.

He had known the man for only a few days; Serizawa should exercise caution. There were moments though that tested him. Such as the way Reigen's leg pressed up against his. Or how his eyes twinkled when looking at Serizawa or--

The Apothecary's mood shifted, "We need to finish up. The cart should be ready before late morning."

"The cart?" Serizawa asked. He was not following Reigen's logic.