Sorry, that arc took a little longer than planned.
===============================

][ Previously: Tomura appeared dramatically only to have his quirk zoinked by Ryo. Mob tornadoes the whole place. Uraraka is actually in on the action, fighting like an earth/air bender. Mob is rescued but is still a child. The villains are mostly arrested. ][

     The League didn't last long in captivity. Nope. Twice returned from wherever he had gone to. In his agony, he became a one-man army and overwhelmed the vehicles transporting his friends to prison.

----------

     Mob woke to a peaceful setting. Though the lighting was dull with its many shades of gray/brown and the room dark, there was a calmness about it too. No buzzing machines. No scraping metal. No cold hard floor to sleep on. A calm hum emitted from behind the wall. Probably the air conditioning. A window peeking from behind the bed's headboard shined light onto the room. Ritsu lay beside Mob, partially curled on his side breathing peaceably.

     After a little bit of just laying there, Mob felt rested enough to sit up and climb down from the bed. Serizawa had a few piles of books and clothes laying about, a gaming station in the middle of it. But, his room was clean enough, if a little cluttered.

     Exiting the room, the remaining Apartment wasn't exactly in the finest state either. Definitely the house of two bachelors. Yet there was something comforting about the lived in space. Shigeo passed through the short hallway with ease and entered into what he knew would be the kitchen.

     Mob raided the fridge, having to hop a little in order to reach the milk. He carried that over to the nearby counter and set it down so he could look for something to eat with it. His eyes landed on the box of cereal just above the fridge. His height was a bit of a problem, but he knew how to get around.

     Shigeo scanned the nearby area for a stool. He found a tall wobbly one with no cushion under one leg and dragged it across the tile floor to the counter. He stepped onto that and carefully climbed atop the counter. He stood up on top of it and grabbed the box.

     One problem. Remembering how wobbly the stool had been + short legs = too afraid to climb back down. So, Shigeo settled with sitting on the counter top itself and making his bowl of cereal for himself.

     When Reigen emerged from around the corner in his blue striped jammies, he had to do a double take upon spotting the boy with his bowl of cereal.

     "Woah, up so early?"

     "It's twelve, actually."

     "o_o ...So it is."

     Reigen started to make himself a bowl as well while Mob finished his.

     "I'm sorry about your power, by the way..." The boy's head hung low. Reigen flinched.

     He was quick to pat the boy's shoulder and smile. "I-it's okay, Mob! I can do just fine without them! Maybe just a few less job opportunities than usual. That's all!" What was he saying??? For years, he'd lied to the boy about every job of his requiring the use of his spiritual powers!

     "Maybe.. But I bet you spent a lot of time learning how to control your powers... Since you're more powerful than me, maybe you had it even harder than I did growing up.." The boy stirred the remaining Cheerios in his dish slowly. Reigen rubbed his face nervously. "...Master Reigen, how long do you think it will take me to control my powers...so I never lose control like that again..?"

     The man had to turn his face away since his true emotions couldn't help but show. He felt terrible. Not just for this lie that had been going on since the start of their relationship, but for how now it was so integral to what all had just gone down. Not only did he have to pretend to be an Esper to his customers, but he'd have to pretend to be an ex-esper to Mob and the others, too! And Mob was left to feel responsible for the loss of something Reigen never even HAD in the first place!

     "Oh, oh, you know--! It took, well, a while to really work out! Think I was exiting highschool when I got it all together! You know, when the hormones start to calm down and such." He sighed and leaned his hip against the counter beside Mob. He started to chomp on the cereal. Maybe that would give him time to think.

     "Oh... okay..." He was hoping his would end a little sooner than that. Mob wasn't sure if he could continue on trying to live a normal life if situations like last week were going to keep jumping out at him.

     "Bu-but! Like I said, I was more powerful than you, so it could be anytime now! You're entering highschool, right?? Just keep at it and it could be only a couple weeks away!"

     Mob looked back up, a little more hope in his eyes. "You really think so?"

     "You bet'cha!" That was a relief at least. Mob happily downed the remaining milk in his bowl. "So what did you eat in, um, captivity anyways?"

     "Mostly just cheap ramen and the occasional boiled egg."

     "What??! For a boy growing as quickly as you?! Come on, then! Let's wake the others and go get some real food for lunch!

     "Okay." :)

----------

     Mob held the phone to his ear, waiting for those on the other end to pick up. He had returned to his dorm room at UA since. So far no one but a few teachers had seen him return.

     ""He-hey! Shigeo!"" His mother's voice rang, his dad's accompanying her after. ""We heard you had to attend a school event this weekend! Ritsu left saying you needed his help. Are you alright?? Did any villains attack?!"" Mob let the phone lower a little. It was so big in his small hand.

     "Um.. Yeah, guess you could say that. -But we had it under control and caught most of them." He assured his parents.

     ""Oh? That's good to hear, Shigeo!""
        ""My, you are becoming quite the responsible young man.""

     ""Hey Mob, why do you sound so high pitched again? Something off with your phone?"" His mom.

     "Oh! That. I..." He seriously considered lying to them about being sick or something, but since he already had plans to meet with them next weekend, it was pointless. "This is going to sound strange, but...

     I may have turned back into a ten year old."

----------

     Everyone who hadn't been involved in the mission itself stared down at Mob, who was still wearing his own old baggy clothes. They had all just returned home from school and Mob decided to face this head-on by greeting them at the door.

     "...He's. so. CUTE!" The girls squealed. Mob's cheeks heated up as they approached him as if he were any other child now.

     "Wai-wait. Please. Treat me like you did when I looked older." He bowed. They agreed.. but still had to give him a hug and voice their overjoyed appreciation that he was okay.

     "Man he didn't even take advantage of his new looks?" Mineta mumbled in the back. "Riddles me to no end. If I'd looked that cute, I'd let them swarm me all they want."

     "You can shut up now, Mineta. ◉⁠‿⁠◉" Mob overheard him. The two were roughly the same height now.

     (⁠'⁠◉⁠⌓⁠◉⁠'⁠) 'He's too powerful to be left alive.'

     While everyone commented on how happy they were that he was back, what he missed, and his new looks, the front door slammed open.

     "Did someone say that MOB was here!?" All Might, in his muscle form, stood in the doorway proudly.

     "All Might??"

     "Ha ha! It is SO good to see you, youn-- ⊙⁠_☉ " He had to tip his head a lot further down than before. 'Resist...maternal...instinct... to pick up child.'

     "Ah! It appears you have-" He suddenly deflated. "Wait how the heck did that happen?!"

     "It was the girl we were rescuing... Is she alright, by the way?"

     "Oh, Eri?" Izuku spoke from the sideline. "Yeah! She's doing so much better already. Aizawa and a few others are getting ready to start training her how to use her quirk soon. Mirio lost his quirk in the battle last week, so we're hoping that in time she can reverse that." Mob's eyes sparkled at that. So there was a chance Reigen could get his powers back too??

     "Oh! That would be amazing! Do you think she could fix Reigen's too?"

     "Huh? Oh-" Izuku suddenly remembered; the memories so fresh, his face shaded green and he had to cover his mouth. "Yeah.. I hope she can..."

     "Reigen...who..?"

     "My master, Reigen." Mob craned his neck to answer Small Might with a polite smile. "I work for him after school usually... He helped save me from the villains."

     "He did now...? Hmm..." All Might scratched his chin. "This sounds like an impressive man."

     "He really is!" Mob's innocent smile was so infectious. The girls and even a few of the boys were in love with the sight of it. "He injected himself with the drug so I could keep my own powers, which is why I want his powers to return as soon as possible!" He exclaimed, now filled with hope that it just might.

     'This man sounds AWESOME! I MUST meet with him.'

---------------

     Reigen paced around his apartment but found nothing to do.

     "Can't you sleep, man?" Serizawa was up to get another glass of water. He had been sleeping prior...or at least trying to. He felt worse for his boss than himself, though.

     Reigen plopped onto the couch with a muted huff. "Tried that already..." He was tired. That much was obvious. The other man sipped from his cup and limped back to his room without saying another word.

     Reigen stood again and started picking up things to clean up even in the darkness. He had nothing better to do.

Bonk!

     "Ow! Ssssss###!" Reigen predictably stubbed his toe in the darkness dropping everything he had collected to tend to his demanding wound.

     "You okay, buddy..?" The other yawned from his room.

     "Yeahh." Reigen groaned. His poor roommate was never going to get any sleep if he kept this up. Sleep he desperately needed after a longer than planned hospital visit. "I'm going to stretch my legs. Don't worry. I'm bringing a knife just in case."

     "Wait, where are you going?!"

     "Just on a walk... I'll only go up to the roof if that makes you happy."

     "O-okay... That works."

     Reigen grabbed his switch blade by the door and slid it into his pocket. Then he pulled a wooly sweater over his shoulders just in case it was a little chilly outside.

     It was. Just a bit.

     Reigen stood on the roof of the apartment complex, blankly staring at the moon ahead. It was so full and bright tonight. It shined oceans of pale blue light over the city, allowing the man to see for miles. So it was like a triple reflection-- whatever...

     A gentle breeze played with his hair and clothes, occasionally sending chills up his sweater.

     ...There was only one person he knew who would be awake at this hour as well...

     ...The only person he could talk about this kind of stuff with...

     Elyse was blowdrying her hair when her phone rang just outside the bathroom on the bed. She sighed but decided to pick it up anyways. Not very many people had her private phone number.

     "Yello." She answered dully.

     ""You aren't still working...right?"" It was Reigen's voice on the other end. Strange. She remembered exchanging numbers with him a while back to send him a grocery list of things for him to buy while she was on an emergency mission, but assumed he had just deleted her number immediately after.

     "...No, my shift ended about an hour ago.. Why are you still up?" Carrying her phone, Elyse walked back into the bathroom and put away her hair dryer.

     "Okay good. Because I have a question for you."

     "Hm..? For me, aye~?"

     "You-you're the only one I know whose still awake, okay?!"

     "Believable enough. Now just ask me before you forget." She stuck the tooth brush in her mouth and started to scrub.

     "I-it's about Mob...and me...and Serizawa...and--. It's about everyone, basically!" Reigen heard the woman casually brushing her teeth but continued anyway. "...You ever told a lie that's so big...it's the only reason people stick around..?"

     "Mm," mouth half full, "can't say I have. I always assumed people were as good at detecting lies as me, so I never got in the habit of telling them."

     "Okay, Ms. flawless.."

     "Ha-ha! Continue before I choke."

     "Alright..." Reigen leaned his arms on the railing separating him from the rooftop and the 40+ foot drop. "You already know I'm a con man, a fake, a fraud, all the other terms you've thrown my way. And you're right too. As much as I wish you weren't... You're right."

     Elyse spat out the paste, cleaned out her mouth, and slid on her fluffy white robe over her silk PJs before exiting the bathroom. "Yupp."

     "But the thing is that-- Hhhh..." Reigen sat with his back to the moon. One leg laying flat, the other propping up his elbow so he could keep the phone to his ear. "...You used to watch TV shows as a kid..right?"

     "Uhh, yeah. What does that have to do with your problem though? Remember that I have limited time before I need to be in bed."

     "Right-right. I'll be quick." Glancing up at the sky, the man could actually see a few stars overhead. "...Do you remember watching Bengi and Jake?"

     "Heh, yeah. Loved their stupid little adventures. Especially that one time when they landed on the moon somehow, which turned out to actually be cheese." Elyse chuckled. Reigen did as well. "...Hold on, now that I think of it, you act a LOT like Jake! Like, uncannily so!" Elyse said, now laying down on her bed ready to turn off the lamp beside her.

     Reigen smiled a tired, worn out kind.

     "...I don't think I've ever told anyone this story before; not even Mob. But... When I was little, I felt like I had no personality. I didn't stand out at all among my peers, in fact. ..Hardly anyone even knew my name...

     So, I thought acting like Jake might help. In elementary school, I started asking myself, 'what would Jake do in this situation?'

     Finally, I started to stand out a little and get some recognition. It wasn't all positive, but.. people actually remembered my name... It got to the point where I didn't even have to think about it; Jake's personality just came up out of me automatically... I started to think that I had just discovered my own personality finally. I hadn't.. And the cracks are beginning to show.

     Point is...

     I've lied to everyone for years...

     ...Even myself...

     And I rely on these lies to keep my life together... Because I know what will happen were everyone to find out..."

     "..."

     "..."

     "You said you had a question for me?"

     "O-oh, yeah. I just wanted your opinion on what I should do... Wanted to give you some background first."

     "Mhm?"

     "A-a-aanyways, sorry for sharing too much! I know you're in a hurry!"

     "Just ask, alright? ..I'm listening."

     Reigen swapped hands carrying the phone as he thought. "Oh-okay. It's mostly about Mob. He is probably blaming the h### out of himself over what happened, thinking I really lost all my powers just for him. But I HAD no powers to begin with! So what am I supposed to do?! If I just play along as usual, he'll probably keep beating himself up about it, and he already has really low self esteem! But-but, on the other hand, if I tell him the truth, he'll--" Reigen forced his breathing to calm down. His nerves were getting a little worked up as he unraveled for himself in that moment the deeper and deeper problems. It was like a line of dominos. A never ending loop of looking under one problem only to find an even bigger, scarier one.

     "...He'll leave me...
        along with everyone else..."

     "Not everyone." Elyse said sternly.

     "Huh?"

     "I may not be super close to you or anything, but I've known all along and have been pretty chill...ignoring the trying to run you out of business part. That's at least one person who won't leave you, right?"

     "What..? That's really nice, but-"

     "-This can of worms you're in may be a little too big of a mess to offer you any helpful advice, but at least I can tell you one thing... And, erh, this is coming from someone who was also..not very popular growing up...

     If they're true friends... they'll stick around no matter what. I know it's old advice by now, but it's definitely true."

     "No. I get what you're trying to say... Thanks." Reigen tried to smile, but it was hard.

     Elyse smiled faintly over the phone. "You're welcome."

. . .

     "Uhh, Reigen... You there?"

     On his side, the man lay fast asleep on the rooftop. He was so tired now and finally quiet enough in the head to rest his eyes. He had plans to just rest a little bit. Just a short..

     "...Hello?"

----------

     Ryo walked down a dimly lit hall alongside one of his subordinates wearing a lab coat. This place was a little darker and worn down than the other place, but he was alright with that. It had come to be so old for a reason, after all. The Esper's hands were folded behind his back as he listened carefully to the other.

     "-Oh, and also we lost twice. He defected from the project when he heard about The League. He must have been the one who reached them earlier today, because we haven't heard from him since." The woman informed, a clipboard bearing all the information at her side.

     "D#####! This is going to be a little harder now..." He turned his head away, seeming to peer through the wall at his left. The sight behind gave him assurance and he smiled once more. "Oh well... Guess he just won't be getting those benefits... Hardly a loss for us I'd say."

     "But the plan-"

     "-The plan hasn't changed." Twisting his head back to the woman. "Only difference being that we must take just a little extra care of these now...now that they're of limited supply." The two turned left into a dark room. The lights switched on, revealing a large room filled with rows upon rows of beds. On them were the same little gray haired girl... All in a deep sleep and with machines hooked up to them, steadily drawing their blood. There was at LEAST a hundred of them.

     Grinning, Ryo spoke again to the woman. "No, I wouldn't say we are disadvantaged at all..."

     It wouldn't be long before all who could stand up to him were "cured." Then, he alone would be the most powerful man alive.