Shine didn't have a much better time with Hantai.

He took her pretty deep into the base. Like the camps, it had a whole bunker section besides what was under the company building on the surface.

The whole thing reminded Shine was too much of the mad scientist lab where she'd been held hostage at one time, complete with the rooms of people who were probably being brainwashed.

In this case they were set out like classrooms, meeting rooms, and living quarters in some cases. They looked ordinary enough. Much like the town in Canada, the unnerving part was how normal it seemed, if you just didn't look too hard at the portions that weren't normal.

"Some of our families live in here all the time," Hantai told her, "I hear you're a teacher of sorts at UA. We have our own little school, away from quirk counseling... I believe in America they call it homeschooling."

"What you're doing is more like a co-op," Shine said flatly, "So do you just skip the parts with quirks?"

She looked in the window of one classroom. Some of the kids looked at her curiously but went back to the lesson.

"We teach them the ins of quirks, but not the application of them," Hantai said, "About 25% of children born to quirkless parents will also be quirkless. The others are likely to have weaker quirks. There's been few exceptions. Most of them join us and have their quirks removed or suppressed as best as they can by age 12."

"That's too young," Shine said, "They can't possibly understand the decision they are making by then."

"It's old enough to understand quirks are a disease, Miss Likstar," Hantai said, "The parents can choose it sooner. Most do. A few insist on giving their child the choice for themselves. Odd, isn't it? If quirks are such a curse."

"To me that would indicate even your own know that it's not totally true, if they feel qualms about removing it," Shine said.

"Well, there's that whole idea that even a deformity shouldn't be removed without someone's consent--hippocratic oath and all that. Some of our families are traditional in that way. So long as it works out in the end, there's not much harm in it. The children never use their quirks much anyway," Hantai continued, "and you have none, Miss Likstar. Surely you grew up without one. Did you feel any lack?"

Shine stared in the window. "There were times I wished I could fly, Commander. And times I dreamed of flying, and times I wished for superhuman strength or any other amount of powers. My sisters and I once made up our own powers and play acted them. Where I come from, kids love the idea of having super powers and fighting crime. It would not be considered a deformity."

"Oh, perhaps not if they could choose it, but surely if they were born with it, it wouldn't end up any different than here," Hantai said. 

Shine bit her lip. "I won't argue that," she said, "but actual deformities are treated the same in my world."

"And you see the problem. What if you could use them? Don't you think you could?"

"A wise woman in my world has said that the problem with that is there are some things we can only learn from 'the least of these', Commander." Shine turned to face him again. "If that's quirks here, then maybe there is something you are missing." [She's quoting Gianna Jessen, among other people.]

Hantai laughed like she was droll. "You are quite the enigma Miss Likstar...Silk was right, you never say what I expect you to say."

"Sorry I don't dance to you tune," Shine said cuttingly. "Were you expecting to be entertained by me?"

"Oh believe me, this is just as good as the alternative." Hantai said.

"I find you unsettling Commander," Shine was blunt. "That fact that you are not persuading me ought to upset you more." She kept walking. "If this is you best evidence in favor of your cause, you should have started with the torture chambers. I consider indoctrinating children to be one of the highest crimes a human being can commit."

"We're not indoctrinating them." Hantai said. "Unless you think having a quirk is what makes you a good or bad person?"

Shine paused. "No."

"Then, we let them live their lives how they want outside of that," Hantai said. "So what do you object to?"

"The part where you teach them that killing people with quirks like vermin is okay." Shine said icily.

"But we don't force any of them to join us." Hantai said. "They choose it."

"If someone makes a choice because they were denied any information to make any other, then it is not their choice." Shine said.

"Some people prefer not to question it. Our POV makes sense to them, and why would it? Don't you yourself think quirks are over hyped."

"My boyfriend has a super power, you idiot." Shine gave him a scathing look. "Not a quirk, but you really think I think have a special power is inherently wrong?"

"You just said, it's not a quirk, did he get a choice about it."

"Yes." Shine said, after realizing that not answering would be only a confirmation anyway.

Hantai looked very smug. "This is an argument I'm afraid you can't win, Miss Likstar."

"I don't have to win an argument against you about quirks," Shine said. "Even if they were a curse, we're already cursed, I was once, it's called Original sin. And you Originals are not free from that curse, clearly enough. If I don't disregard human life despite us being cursed by evil itself, I would not disregard it because of the much more arbitrary quirks."

She shook her head. "Is this really the best you've got? Tell me some great thing that has been accomplished because of your group. Some new enlightenment you've achieved. Some great noble, heroic acts."

"All the greatest acts in history pre-quirk would count." Hantai countered.

"No, they wouldn't. They were done by people who had no thought of refusing to use power they didn't have, and you can't sacrifice something you do not have or even have an inkling of." Shine said.

Hantai frowned for the first time. "You are one stubborn woman... let's take a different tact. Follow me."

He took her to a room that seemed to be a data filing room, it had a large map in it also.

"Quirks led to an uprise in crime, people thinking they could play god," he said. "Most people with quirks used them selfishly. The government imposed the idea of heroes later, to control them. But it doesn't really work. Look at these." He opened some holographic images of the Top 5 heroes. "I believe you've met at least two of them."

"Actually, I've met all of them." Shine said

"Splendid, that just makes my point more," Hantai said. "Your friends with the Rabbit right? And Endeavor...The number 5 hero wouldn't have been a bad recruit for us, there's a promising streak of independence and disregard for the system in her...but she still needs to play the hero."

Shine laughed. "You don't know her at all."

"Or you're too much of an an optimist." Hantai said. "When she's offered to choose between being a hero, and being loyal, she'll choose being a hero. Using her quirk any other way than for that is just not in her mind. It's not in any other's. They're drones. Endeavor could be a powerful leader, instead he's puppet for the government."

Shine folded her arms. "There is something to be said for respecting the law if it doesn't harm anyone to do so." 

"And you follow the laws here?" Hantai said.

"I am not from here, they don't apply to me. I follow the ones that do." Shine said. "And the higher law, more importantly, which all human law should imitate. And you do not."

"Your hostility is really so unnecessary, Miss Likstar, we don't even disagree that much." Hantai said. "But my point in showing you these is this: Let's just look at the the 1 and 5 and 3, nevermind the other two. Endeavor is an arrogant, cold hearted man, who's making a pretty turnabout now to impress the public. His own son was driven mad by his quirk, and they're making that out to be a good thing that he's been arrested. Best Jeanist is an arrogant, self righteous buffoon who turns all his sidekicks into little clones of himself. Why? He thinks heroes have to use their quirks properly. And Mirko? Forgive me for insulting your friend, but even you must see she's wild and hyperviolent because she can be...you know she used to be a delinquent? Brutal matches, people used their quirks to beat on each other. Sometime they died. Yet you consider her a good person."

"I think people are more complicated than you give them credit for." Shine said. "But no one is good but God, and those whom He purifies in the end will be like Him."

She smiled at the images fondly. "You don't know Endeavor at all, he's not faking it. He's the most truly remorseful person I think I've ever met. Greatness is not measured by how much we fail to get wrong, but by how much we can realize we've done wrong and turn away from it, Commander. None of us can be perfect, but a great man will realize that all our lives we must try to become perfect, but still be humble. Endeavor is much more that sort of man than most heroes who've done lesser things. My God takes the worst people and makes them the best, that is what he does. And the ones He helps the least are those who think they are good already."

She looked at Mirko's picture. "And Rumi, while wild and often brutal, is also one of the most honest and loyal people I've had the pleasure to work with. Anyone with real eyes would see she's still doing her best by what she does believe in. That is all any of us can do." She looked back at the Commander. "I rarely see such goodness in people without quirks. I can't see that it makes a difference at all."

Hantai was finally beginning to show some signs of irritation.

Notably, some of the other people in this room were giving Shine very odd looks, while listening to her talk.

"Even if you can defend them someone based on their good acts, what of the villains you keep company with? They are monsters." Hantai said.

"I wonder you bother to try to convince me of that when I'm known them for months, and you know them not at all." Shine's voice wae dripping with scorn. "If you think I will stand here and let you tell me I do not know my own friends better than you, an arrogant bigot who only looks for the worst in all humans who aren't like him, then you're even crazier than I already thought."

"Watch you tone," Hantai said, now actually angry. "You were to be civil, Miss Likstar."

"And you are wasting my time." Shine said. "This is pathetic. I know the damage quirks have done, you moron. I've seen it myself." She shook her head. "And you're not telling me anything new. I still chose to love these people and I don't think I'm better than them for being 'pure' as you so delusionally refer to yourselves. And for the record, you're not original. Humans have come up with ways to make themselves feel special for thousands of years over the dumbest crap." She tossed her head. "And it all ends the same way. You can't play God forever, Commander, eventually He will strike you down for it. It you're done trying to impress me, suppose we talk about the atrocities you commit in the name of your cause, and see how they line up with those done because of quirks. Who's really better?"

"Silence!" Hantai suddenly swung at her and knocked her onto her side.

There was some shock in the room.

Shine pushed herself up, but there was no fear in her eyes, only fury. "You fool! What are you trying to accomplish by striking me? Prove me wrong? Tell your minions there why you're so afraid of me, if you're so sure I'm in the wrong."

"I will not let you insult our holy cause in this manner," Hantai said coldly, "I find your stamina and nerve interesting, Miss Likstar, but you're just a little too out of control. But that's all right. I think with a little time, you can be made to see it our way. Your most dangerous trait is your belief that you really love those friends of yours."

Shine stared at him.

"So I think we'll start by taking that away." Hantai motioned, and some people came and grabbed her arms before she could move. "And then you and I will continue this little talk."

"Arrogant worm!" Shine snapped at him, "You think this has not been tried on me before? I don't feel loving all the time. You can take that away, maybe. Just a few hours without food and water would do it, wouldn't it? But I don't have to feel it to know what I believe, and you can't steal that from me. My Faith is mine, do you hear me? And so is My God. You try to take that away, and you will most certainly perish for it."

"You are crazy, Miss Likstar," Hantai said, "God is on our side. You've been hanging with the wrong people is all. They've corrupted you. Your pity for them is your weakness. I'd admire your soft heart, but it's dangerous to have one in this world."

Shine strained to break free. "I knew you would do this... How did you avoid that quirk working on you?"

"Hmm? Oh, the truth? Well, this wasn't a trap," Hantai said, "but your little tirade changed my mind about that. Also, Nemoto can turn his quirk off at will, so perhaps you should have thought of that."

"You will not succeed at what you're trying to do. No one ever has successfully brainwashed me," Shine said, "We have safeguards against that."

"Well, Miss Likstar, if that is true, I suppose your death will be eminent," Hantai said, coming up and cupping her chin in his hand, despite her trying to get away, "but who knows how long we can test that first? Maybe you're not as invincible as you think you are. Personally, I am dying to find out. If you could be tamed, you would be such an asset to have."

Shine tried to bite him.

"Wow, so savage." Hantai pulled back. "I think those quirked up degenerates have affected you more than you think."

"I'll take that as the first compliment you've actually given me," Shine said angrily.

"Maybe you'll change your mind after a few days," Hantai said, "Take her away."

Shine attempted to use her portals right then...and realized she couldn't...and she could feel why... Kurogiri...

He appeared in the room just moments later. "I thought this would happen, Commander."

"She's just a wild tiger, that's all." Hantai seemed unconcerned. "I've seen some like her before. She'll be taken care of. And her idiot fiancé will be too. Silk will have him in hand by now."

Shine didn't get the chance to try to use her sword, as one of the other members pressed a gun to her back.

* * *

Well, she thought to herself, as they dragged her away, Here I am again... Why do I always end up in this position sooner or later? That jerk!

She was taken to a holding area and handcuffed to the wall of a cell. The cell looked like a regular room, except it had no window, even to the inside, and everything was bolted down so it couldn't be used as a weapon...something people without quirks would think of.

She still couldn't portal...

She kicked the wall. "Kurogiri, I know you're out there. Answer me!"

"Sorry, madame," Kurogiri's mechanical but cultured voice came through the door, "but I don't believe we are supposed to converse. They'll bring someone to help you soon enough."

"Kurogiri, who do you think sent me here?"

"I really don't wish to speak to you."

"It was Shigaraki." Shine had to risk the room being bugged. It didn't matter much now. "You know--the person you used to take care of."

Pause...

"I no longer work for Shigaraki," Kurogiri said.

"I know what you are," Shine said, "Your name used to be Oboro, and AFO turned you into this...thing that you are now...and your sole purpose is to serve Shigaraki. How could you just abandon that?"

Silence, almost pained silence.

"I am Kurogiri..." came the same voice.

Shine closed her eyes. Then in a commanding voice she said, "I call you, Oboro, on the authority given to me, sent from outside the world to set free prisoners and to open the dark dungeons, to heal the broken, and to comfort the oppressed. In the name of my God, to speak to me. Whatever is left of you."

The air was shot thick with the electricity of her words. She didn't normally try this...but she was out of options, and her voice was the only thing she could use right then. At least they hadn't gagged her.

Suddenly, black smoke appeared in the room, and Kurogiri stood before her sight.

And then it was like some of the smoke melted away off of him...and there appeared a different person altogether...hardly a ghost of them....

"Who are you?" he said. It must be Oboro.

"The better question is, who are you?" Shine replied steadily.

"I...don't know anymore..." Oboro said, "I was broken down...over a long time... Am I even human anymore?"

"Some of you..." Shine said, "Some small part of your mind was left, I was told...some small part of your soul, I'm guessing. I can help you... Will you let me?"

Oboro winced like this hurt. "I'm fading away again..."

Shine began to pray quietly.

Oboro shook his head. "Did you say Shigaraki sent you? I can't imagine why he would."

"He's not so bad as AFO," Shine said, "He never knew you were not yourself. I hope you can forgive him. It was not his fault. He wants you to be yourself again... He asked me to save you, if I could..."

"I don't think you can save anyone," Oboro pointed at her being tied up, "even if I believed you... And this will not last long. I never can break through for long... It gets harder over time. I snap back... I'm so tired of fighting, too..." He put his hands...what was left of them...to his head. "So tired."

Shine strained. "Listen, Oboro...I'm being oppressed right now. if I could manage to free you, though, I'm not sure what it would do to you... You might die."

"Can you do that?" Oboro said, "Please, let me die already." He sounded pathetic. "I'd rather that than live a slave to that monster... Do you know what he intends to do?"

"I have a good idea," Shine said.

Oboro suddenly came over and grabbed her arm, scaring her.

"Shigaraki will be the next AFO," he said, as if it haunted him, "I don't know how long you delayed it, but be sure, they will never give up till they complete what they want, and there's worse coming after that... It's not clear to me, but I can't believe that they were really just intending to let him sit in prison the rest of his life, either... If you escape here, you must stop it, do you understand me? Warn Shigaraki."

Shine wasn't ready for this turn. "What...? But..."

"Ah..." Oboro grabbed his head. "I can't..."

The smoke came to recover his face.

Kurogiri reappeared. "I do not wish to speak with you."

Somehow, that made Shine that much more livid at the situation.

"Out, fiend!" she yelled at him, losing her cool completely, "Get out! Leave him alone, you abominable creation of science and darkness! When I get my sword back, I'll cut you into pieces, do you understand me? And free him."

Kurogiri may or may not have been a part of Oboro's personality, but whatever it was was not quite a real person...but it was real enough to feel fear.

That outburst must have scared him, because he fled the room like a bat out of hell. Not another word.

Shine was not sure that had been the wisest thing for her to do, on second thought. What if he went right to Hantai and told him what just happened? What if he didn't come back... If Oboro could be cut loose from that form, she would need to be close to him to do it.

"Ah, Wally, hope you're doing better than me..." she muttered.

* * *

Wally had been taken through the training area by Silk... It was a lot like the other one in Canada.

Silk had been offended enough by what he said to her to mostly not talk to him. A few people had come up to say hi though. Wally felt like a celebrity again.

But he wasn't fooled by any of it. Kisses from an enemy and all that.

"I want to regroup with Shine," he said, "Enough of this. I'm sure she's seen plenty by now."

Silk tilted her head. "Mr. West, do you really think that's true?"

Wally did a double take, then he suddenly twisted her arms behind her way faster than she was ready for.

"All right, sweetheart," he said, pressing hard enough to be painful, though not brutal, "we both know I'm fast enough to stop you from anything you try to do in the next 5 seconds. Where's Shine, and what are you planning?"

"Nothing if you cooperate," Silk gasped, "but if she didn't, the Commander is not known to let his prey escape once he has them in his grasp... If she's been her usual belligerent self, then I'd say by now she's been locked up. Kurogiri will be guarding her so she can't portal."

"So you really did think of everything," Wally said.

Silk smiled painfully. "You should have seen coming, Mr. West."

"We did," Wally said, "You think we're dumb enough to just walk in here, not expecting this kind of crap? Where can I find her? Or should I just go look myself?"

"Be assured, Mr. West, if you make a move to go look for her, they'll move her or do something to her," Silk said, "She was always going to be captured first if you both proved unreasonable."

"This was a trap."

"It was trap if you made it a trap," Silk said, "To be crass, the fly is only caught if it flies into the web."

"You know there a lot of species of spiders that don't use regular webs, right?" Wally said.

"So?" Silk said.

"So you're using her as leverage," Wally said.

He slumped. "Fine... You got me."

"Excellent, darling." Silk waved, and people came up to cuff him. "And, as I suppose you think she'll find a way to escape, I would advise you against causing any problems. We have guns too."

"If you think you can hold Shine that easily, you're the naive one," Wally said, "We've both escaped worse prisons than this."

"We only have to hold you long enough to do what we want," Silk said, "And if the rest of your friends are dumb enough to come here and find you, well, that's just bonus, as we say."

Wally started to get led away, but he looked over his shoulder. "You know, at one time in my career, Silk, that would have been scary to me...and I won't lie, I am worried about Shine...but there's just one thing you aren't remembering. We don't go anywhere alone. We always have One person with us, and you will never, ever beat Him. Maybe you should think about who you're really fighting right now."

Silk frowned at him. "Arrogant prick." She walked away huffily.

* * *

6 hours passed. No word from the DJs.

"Shine said she would let us know within 3 hours if they left okay," Momo said for the 3rd time in that hour mark.

"Why are we still here?" Mirko was pacing. "It's so obvious they took them hostage."

"If we rush into this, we'll end up in the same boat," Shigaraki said.

"Well, I don't think we should just be letting them have all the time in the world to do what they please to them, d--- it!" Mirko yelled at him, "Do you remember who they have over there? Do you really want to see Shine or Wally if they've been brainwashed?"

"But Lethe's quirk didn't work on her," Medea spoke, "I don't think they're so easy to brainwash."

"At most that buys us a few days," Compress said, "I think repeated exposure to it would prove effective, and there are other methods to break people with. Torture and what not."

"I think they could hold out," Shoto said.

"And you want them to?" Spinner griped.

"Like, no way." Camie waved her hand frantically. "This is worse that the freaking world you all went to and you said that was pretty intense. But we can't let our DJs go missing like this."

"If it was us, they would rush in and get us out as soon as they could," Bakugo said.

"But if they were here, they would tell us to be careful," Momo said, "I mean, none of us are as good at anticipating and outwitting the enemy as they are. Or as fast."

"No, Bakugo is right," Shoto said, "That doesn't matter right now." He put his hand on Momo's shoulder. "You're just as smart as Shine...and the rest of us have our powers... We have to try to help them."

"But, Shoto, even if there was the slightest chance I could come up with a plan, we don't know where they are," Momo said.

"Uh, about that," Compress said, tipping his hat, "I don't have your scruples about respecting people's wishes... I may or may not have put a tracking chip on them before they left. Even they aren't immune to my sleight of hand."

Everyone glared at him.

"You were going to go there, weren't you?" Mirko said, "Why? To get your girlfriend back?"

Compress recoiled. "I assure you, I don't care about that woman anymore. It was just smart to track them. And this situation has occurred, as I thought it would. Are the rest of you too stupid to think to take some insurance?"

"You know, I think he has us on that one," Hawks said.

"I...don't know how to feel about you cheating," Momo said, "They promised the ninja to come alone and not to lead you to them, didn't they?"

"And they didn't. I'm just one step ahead, as usual," Compress said, "Surely you remember. Don't you, Shoto?"

"B----d," Shoto said, "but I guess it does help... I mean it's too late to undo it now. It's not like we're not going to use it."

"Lol, I'd say he got a good one over on all of us," Camie said.

"What do you say, Boss, is it time for some revenge?" Compress asked Shigaraki, "I'd like to pay them back personally."

Shigaraki stood up. "I think it's high time we did just that...and for the DJs, if they did take them hostage, they'll pay for that too."

"All right, now we're talking," Mirko said, bouncing up and down in excitement, "But wait...I can't believe I'm saying this, but...don't we need backup? There's gonna be thousands of them, probably."

"Yes, who are you and what have you done with Mirko?" Hawks poked her with a feather.

"It's just that they would have ways to stop our quirks. Do you think they won't this time?" Mirko said.

"About that." Momo raised her hand. "If what blocks our quirk is some form of radiation or electrical signal into our minds, then it is probable your brother and Intelli could come up with ways to disrupt that signal. And if they could, we could all still use our quirks, but they wouldn't know that we could."

They all stared at Momo.

"Kid, you're a certified genius," Mirko said.

"That was so obvious. How did I not think of it?" Compress said.

"I told you," Shoto said proudly, "Momo is no one to underestimate."

Momo blushed.

"All right, I guess we better hit up Ren. He'll be at his college," Mirko said, "Obligatory warning that if any of you pull something, you're dead meat."

"Why would we hurt Ren? He's literally finding us places to live," Spinner said.

"Well, you just remember that later," Mirko said.

"Let's go already." Medea gestured at them all. "Every second we waste is one more they could do something bad to our friends. It'll take a while to get there anyway."

"I've got this, Purple Girl," Hawks said, "Just tell me which college it is."

"Oh...I don't like flying..." Monama muttered.