Shine decided to try one more thing.

"Stain, do you mind if I quote something to you?" she said. "From our holy text?"

Stain shrugged in agreement.

"'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, yet have not love, I am like a sounding gong or a clanging symbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy and can understand all mysterious and all knowledge, and though I have all Faith that I can remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, yet have not love, it profits me nothing.'" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Stain listened in silence.

"In another passage it says this:

"'For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.'" [Hosea 6:6]

Shine said, "And in two more: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" [Matthew 9:13]

"'If only you had known the meaning of "I desire mercy, not sacrifice," you would not have condemned the innocent.'" [Matthew 12:7]

She tilted her head. "And you condemn the innocent, Stain. You can't know the hearts of men. Only God can know that. Yet you decide whether Heroes should live or die simply because they are Heroes. You ask them to be more than human. No one idolizes Heroes so much as you."

Stain was silent.

"She's right, you know," Wally said. "Heroes aren't perfect. We know that. I don't know of any of us who say we are. We screw up. But it's not about us. We're just trying, and maybe some of us do let it go to our heads. I've been there, but you know, I grew out of it. And no Hero who stays in it for a long time is gonna be able to think that highly of themselves. The job humbles you."

"Your way is not our way," Shine picked up again. "We see that people are flawed, and we see a reason to help them become better. You don't even believe anyone can change--I know that from Iida and Todoroki, those kids you tried to kill. And your world is a dark place. But you see, it's just the one you live in. Because it's through your eyes. And you have blood on your hands. 'Those who live by the sword will die by the sword'. And you will not accomplish your goals." 

Stain was still silent.

"But we don't have to kill to change things," Wally said brightly. "I think you can change things just by doing the right thing, and maybe someone out there will catch one."

"That's naive," Stain finally spoke. "You are not willing to do what must be done."

"You watch your ego there," Shine said savagely. "It's fine talk to put yourself in the place of God and make judgment calls on people's lives, but God is not pleased about that. You are no better then the Heroes you kill, Stain--just as narrow. You've convinced yourself murdering people is the way to change the world. Many a madman has done that. You put All Might on a pedestal, but you never considered that that is how the world got to be this way. Hero worship. You're a product of the system you want to destroy. If you can be reasoned with, then you should listen--this will be your last wake up call from anyone who wishes to spare you, I can almost guarantee it. The next may be the final one."

She sure sounded threatening.

"You're in danger, Chisome," Shine said, foreboding. "A man like you who shows no mercy is not going to get any when it's his turn to meet his Maker. You may not believe in God, but that won't matter. A man will kill you, sure enough, Stain. A murderer usually is killed by another person. But it won't be All Might. It will be someone you detest, probably. And then what have you to show for your rampage? If you accept our words, you could be part of something that would actually change the world--and already has in ways you can't imagine." Her eyes gleamed. "You purge, but we purify without death. That is the difference. And, FYI, the person who doesn't need to kill to make change is far more powerful than the person who does. And you have not suffered with the people here, as we have, and learned their ways and their stories, and taken the time to really know how to judge them. You see only yourself. So I think you are a thoroughly selfish individual, and if you were honest with yourself, you'd admit it."

Stain rose up out of the place he'd been sitting. "You know nothing."

"We know it all, dude," Wally said. "We get it. We feel the same way when things aren't right. But we're not hateful about it."

"It is harder to love than it is to hate," Shine said. "Hatred is easy. Make someone your enemy, anyone you think you can. Never mind how ridiculous it is to blame a whole group of people for what some at a school you don't like did and taught. And sure there were bigger problems, but you attacked individuals, not the mass issues, and while it worked in a way, it created more problems for society than it solved. You turned people against Heroes, but that turned them on each other too. You had no strategy for that. Just hate, anger, rage, and 'conviction'. Your conviction looks very much like what we call spite, where I come from." She shook her head. "But what is it really? I knew a boy affected by your teachings. He blamed a victim of kidnapping for being kidnapped. And she was targeted by someone who was inspired by you. And so the cycle continued. If you hold Heroes responsible for the damage society does in their name, shall we cover all the people Dabi murdered after he became inspired by you? The things Spinner did in your name? Even that Shigaraki did because he got the idea from you?"

Here she began to have some effect.

Even Stain couldn't deny that made sense. He was just rational enough to put two and two together, and no one had ever been able to string things together for him like that before.

"That's just the LOV." Wally took a bite of an apple. "Lots of mini Stains popped up and caused trouble. It wasn't all for Heroes."

"So let's put you in the dock, huh?" Shine pointed her sword at Stain. He leaned away from it.

Wally made a mic-dropping gesture.

Shine sat back and waited.

Stain took a long time to answer.

He blinked strangely. "I can't find a problem with what you're saying...but if this is true, how did I cause something like this? Did I ever say to attack innocent people?"

Then he shook his head. "But if people took that out of my actions, am I responsible? This is very upsetting to think about. I do not like your take on it at all."

"Because it's right, dude," Wally said feistily.

Stain shook his head some more.

* * *

Meanwhile, the others had searched the area for any sign of spies and not found much.

Kitsune had gotten help from Silk, who didn't judge her ribs were broken but still scolded her for trying to fight that way. Her supervisor was even more mad than they were.

"Are we just okay with her being in on this?" Toga whined.

"What's one more?" Miss Joke tried to make light of it. She got glares.

She crossed her arms. "You know, for the record, I've been keeping your secret just as long as Mirko has, and I've been Shine's friend for much longer. There's no need to look at me like some kind of bug. And you didn't even ask me to do that. I'm just nice like that."

"She's cool," Twice said. "She's the worst."

"I feel sorry for you." Miss Joke shook her head. "Isn't he exhausting to be around?"

"Oh, you wouldn't believe how much," Compress said. "Though we feel sorry for the poor devil too."

"More like devils," Miss Joke said. "You know, Shine and Wally might be able to help him. They're good about mediating the damage of quirks."

"So Shine's offered many times," Compress said, "but Twice never takes it, just runs from her like she's a ghost."

"She's loud," Twice said in an odd voice, "and too bright."

Nothing contradicted him.

They looked at him oddly.

"But I don't like being this way," he said, almost like he was speaking from far away. "Sometimes I think if I was braver, I would let her help me..."

Then a different voice. "No, I must stay away from her. It's too hard to get close."

"He's not usually that...long speaking..." Compress said oddly.

"Did that creep anyone else out?" Spinner asked.

"No good comes of hanging around her," Toga sounded deadly. "If I could get close I'd take a knife and--" She described some graphic things that made Miss Joke turn green.

"What the h---?" Mirko was listening now. "What's she ever done to you, Crazy?"

"I don't like how she upsets things," Toga said.

Miss Joke hissed. "Normally crazy people don't really bother me, but that girl is just unsettling."

"Try living with her," Mirko muttered.

"Y'know, Twice, I think you should just let them help you," Medea spoke. "You deserve it." She gave him a thumbs up. "You're a good guy underneath all the crazy."

Twice didn't answer at all... That was even odder.

"Anyone else suddenly wish Dabi were here?" Spinner said.

"I wonder how he's finding confinement," Compress said.

"Likstar says he's getting used to it," Mirko reflected. "Anyway, his confinement period will be up in a month or so. Apparently he hasn't had one strike since he got there."

"Shine told me he's been trying so hard," Miss Joke confirmed, "though not because he cares about the law. Seems Dabi really is just the type to do his best for someone if he respects them... Shine says he hadn't really changed from when he was a kid, he's just losing the bitter edge to it. She says it's often that way with people like that, and that the real hard part will be learning to please himself, and God, over other people... You know, her knowledge of how to direct people with a past never ceases to amaze me."

"Why she cares?" Mirko said.

"No...well, yes, but I didn't even know that was something you could study." Miss Joke tapped her chin. "It seems to me you're not allowed to have a past if you're a Hero. We all have to be spotless, so we never talk about how to put someone's life back together. I know Eraser found it very annoying at first how our DJ friends would not do that. But I always thought they spoke as if they knew things...and Dabi couldn't be better proof. Who knew people like that can totally change what they want? Upsets a lot of our preconceived notions, doesn't it, Mirko?"

Mirko shrugged. "Well, I don't know if I find it so weird to change your goals. It's not like I always wanted to be a Hero."

Why did she admit that? She never had admitted that to another Hero...but she didn't even feel weird saying it.

"Oh, what did you want to be before?" Miss Joke was probably expecting something like a pro wrestler.

"Oh, tell her what you did before!" Spinner said excitedly.

"I bet it was cool," Kitsune said. "What was it? Come on, spill."

"Uh...well..." It wasn't anything to be embarrassed about though, was it?

"Does it really matter?" Shigaraki said grumpily.

"Now don't try to shield her, Boss. She brought it up," Compress said coyly. "Go on, do tell."

Mirko would rather just own it than act embarrassed.

"It's not even anything to get all hyped about. I just did a little cage fighting is all, and I wouldn't say I wanted to be that for a job. It was just for fun."

Miss Joke stared at her. "Do you mean illegal cage fighting?"

Mirko shrugged.

"I've heard of that," Miss Joke said. "In fact, I knew some Pros who busted in on a few. To the death?"

"Depends on the opponent," Mirko said.

"Oh my..." Miss Joke looked like she was having a hard time swallowing. "That...would explain a lot about your fighting style."

"Hey!" Mirko said. "It was great training. By the time I was in Hero school, I could stomp anyone."

"I suppose... So why did you decide to become a Hero?" Miss Joke asked.

Now this, Mirko didn't want to answer.

"Just thought it would be more exciting," she lied. "And it was. Much better challenge."

"I'm not surprised," Miss Joke said.

Medea snorted. "Sound basic to you?"

"I...suppose we have all sorts of reasons," Miss Joke said, "but I'm not sure I'd describe Hero work as exciting most of the time, but maybe being a teacher has altered my perspective. Once I had to send other people out onto the field, I started to worry about them not being ready. And it's more dangerous now than it has ever been. I feel less good about kids joining the fight. Being a Hero was like being a cop 10 years ago. Now it's like being a soldier..."

"Maybe if you guys didn't teach Hero kids to treat Villains like freaks, they wouldn't act like soldiers," Medea said. "Monama has told me plenty about training that sounds freaky to me. Kids injure themselves just to win a fight."

"I have never encouraged that," Miss Joke said severely, "nor would I."

"So, you seem pretty cool, Smile Lady, but you're just one person," Medea said. "I mean, I don't really get Stain's jibe, but he's not wrong. Hero schools are insane. I think I could handle it, but if I had any quirk but this one, I don't know."

"I'd say it's Villains who changed the game though." Miss Joke looked pointedly at the LOV. "I get it, there's a lot of things you don't like, but could you take the fight to actual Pros, not students?"

"Actually outside of the USJ and the camp, we haven't aimed any more attacks at students," Compress said.

"I guess, but even those two times were bad, and let's not forget that Shiketsu girl," Miss Joke said.

"Do we have to start this again?" Mirko interrupted. "We've been over it a hundred times. Everyone has something to blame everyone else for. Personally, I never had much on either side, so I'm getting sick of listening to it."

They all stared at her.

"What?" she said.

"You just...sound like Shine," Miss Joke said oddly. "But also, you have no horse in this race, so to speak, so you have no reason to care. Why would that make me feel better?"

"Yo," Kitsune put up her hand, "I know I'm new here and all, but, like, if we all have these problems with each other, couldn't there be a better way to fix it than a war? I mean, I never heard anything about how Villains felt while I was in school, but I'd have been down to learn about it. Maybe if that info was just available, more Heroes would take notice of it, and you wouldn't have to kill people to get their attention."

"A valid point, but you'll never get Hero schools to include any understanding of Villains into their curriculum," Compress said, "and not many people study it for fun on their own. It's considered taboo, that you might catch the ideas if you study them."

"I know that," Kitsune said feistily. "Don't talk down to me, Mr. Magician. Why not try to change that stigma though? Dabi's a perfect example. Someone tried to help him, and it worked."

"But we aren't interested in Heroes understanding us. We want them to pay for what they did," Spinner said.

"And what did they do?" Kitsune grumbled. "Specifically? Did a Hero kick you to the curb?"

"Well, not personally, but it's their fault," Spinner said.

"You can't all really not realize how stupid that sounds, right?" Kitsune said.

Silk sniffed. "Spite is not rational."

"Well, why are you against Heroes, then?" Kitsune said.

"Is not spite," Silk said. "I know Heroes are product of system, made into apathetic airheads by training. But only way to take down system is to take down enough Heroes. And even if they aren't so bad on their own, they don't try to understand either."

"We're told you're all crackpots who want to kill us!" Kitsune said. "And then you do kill us! It's kind of hard to listen if someone already has the gun to your head."

"Well, I can't argue that," Silk admitted.

"Whose side are you on?" Spinner asked her.

"I've never been like you," Silk said. "I think there's plenty of stupid to go around in this fight."

They glanced at her in annoyance.

"There's is no peaceful solution," Shigaraki said finally, tone robotic.

Mirko sniffed like she thought little of his statement.

"Did you try one?" Miss Joke asked bluntly.

"You know, that's just what Likstar said when she first arrived," Shigaraki snapped, "and none of you seem to get it. The kind of people we are have no peaceful solutions. It's not possible."

"It seems to me you're peaceful when it suits you," Kitsune said. "You just don't want to let the whole Hero thing go, do you? I bet it's because, if you all didn't hate Heroes, you wouldn't have anything left."

"She's got you figured out." Mirko did a poor impression of Shigaraki's tone.

But it was still funny, at least to Medea who had to smother a laugh.

Miss Joke smirked wryly too.

The LOV wasn't amused.

"Oh, very easy for you to say," Compress said. 

"Is it?" Mirko suddenly turned serious. "Is it really, Compress?"

Silence.

"Actually it's harder for us to say," Miss Joke said. "Here we are, trained to think there is no negotiating with Villains, and yet we've all been asked to put that aside and try to see you as human by our own DJ friends. You were just saying there is no understanding of villains taught at the schools. They are trying to remedy that. And with some success, their students are learning to see people for how they are, not how the world tells them to see it. But it seems to me, you LOV members don't think Heroes are just as desperate as you are to pick a cause and stay on it, and it's not just as complicated for us to change our minds as you. The world hates Villains, but it hates fallen Heroes even more. Any Hero who expressed mild sympathy for any Villain would get thrown to the wolves pretty quickly. So you'd have to be pretty d--- sure you should do such a thing."

"You know, this is all one big charade," Medea realized, putting it together. "The hatred on both sides, it's...it's just imaginary. Heroes don't really know anything about bad guys, and they talk a big game because people expect that. Villains hate Heroes because they're the public face of the problems in the world, but that's not real either. In a way, it's still for show. And when you look at it like that, the DJs don't seem weird, they seem like the only ones who are sane. The only ones willing to call it what it is. And they aren't taking us all into a delusion, they're trying to snap us out of one." She gestured widely, "Like that old Matrix movie, huh? The red pill, but once you swallow that pill, they try to kill you."

"That's just what I've been thinking for months." Miss Joke pointed at her like she was on a game show.

"I don't think the hate is imaginary," Spinner said.

"The reasons for it are," Miss Joke said. "You can't really hate someone you don't really know, can you? Not for any valid reason."

Spinner could think of no retort to that.

"Hatred is just a way of life," Shigaraki said.

Again he sounded robotic.

Miss Joke didn't know him so well, and his voice could be hard to read, but she was starting to notice it too. She shot Mirko an odd look.

Mirko shrugged like "it's a long story."

But the others, except Toga, who wasn't listening, were at least considering what Miss Joke said.

They wouldn't say so in front of Shigaraki, but it all was starting to make sense. It looked less and less like Heroes themselves were the direct cause of the problem, and it looked more and more like it was pure spite to hurt them.

And at one time, all of the LOV would have been fine with that. Spite was how they lived, and they liked to do mischief enough to be enthralled by it. Doing bad things has a certain thrill for a while that lures most people into doing them, up until they are in too deep to turn back.

But since none of them, except Toga, weren't actually sadists who could enjoy harming people just for the sake of harming them, the glamour was already coming off some of that, and the real reasons for what they did no longer were clear.

If they weren't stuck in this role, would they even choose it again? All of them had thought that, and only Twice would have probably said yes without hesitation. All he had in the LOV was friends, and he wasn't likely to get that anywhere else.

But it was sort of their home now...as they knew it would be, when they joined.

But enough Heroes had helped them out by now to challenge the idea that Heroes were irrational, and Miss Joke seemed anything but arrogant. Mirko had proved loyal, despite her initial dislike, and now Kitsune was avidly curious about them without anything to gain by it at all.

Then Shine's batch of kids had also been different than they thought.

How long could they pretend they didn't see that?

They were interrupted by Shine and Wally coming back quite suddenly, but walking at a normal pace.

"No sign of anyone?" Shine said.

"None so far," Mirko remarked. "Where's Stain?"

"He's gone," Wally said. "He left. We had a nice, long talk though."

"And you just let him go?" Shigaraki was mad.

"I told you, no promises," Shine said. "I'm sorry, I know you had a wish to settle things, but he said he didn't want to talk to you. He did give us a message, though. He said he does not intend to come after the LOV at all, or you Heroes, again, and that he has a lot to consider first before he does anything."

"We tried to tell him he shouldn't go back at all," Wally said, "but I don't know if he listened. He's a little out there." He twirled his finger around his temple in the crazy gesture.

"What did you say to him?" Miss Joke was wide eyed.

"The truth," Shine said. "We told him our Cause. And I told him why I thought his was wrong and narrow. He didn't care for it, but it upset him enough to think about it. Who's to say if he's capable of changing his mind? It's up to the Lord from here. But I don't think he will come after us. My chief concern is whoever busted him out will not like this."

* * *

"You're right about that," Moto muttered from she was was hiding in the shadows.

She tapped her communication device.

"Master. It's a code red! They've turned him!"

A harsh voice answered her verbally. "How is that possible? Did you not prepare him expressly to ignore them?"

"He must have gotten something from someone else," Moto said. "I'll run over our sources and kill whoever leaked info. But the damage is done. He'll be completely unmanageable now, if they had half their usual effect on weak-minded people."

"I thought this would happen," the harsh voice spoke with both anger and resignation. "He was too strong willed for us. But we could have used him. I want you to verify if he has indeed turned. If he's useless, you know what to do."

"Yes, my lord," Moto said, gritting her teeth. "I'd like to wipe those smug grins off their faces one of these days. But it's not just them. Those Heroes are getting out of line too. And even the LOV is starting to act unstable. Perhaps turning our sights back on them would be best."

"Do not presume to advise me!" The voice made her almost jump. "I am well aware that they pose a threat to our plans. But I already have another plan in motion. I will let you know when I need your help there. You've been too active lately. Someone is going to catch you. After you deal with Stain, take a hiatus for a few weeks. I will handle matters though some other vessel."

"I hear and obey," Moto said reluctantly, "but I hope I get to watch at least."

"I will have one thing for you to do while you're on vacation," the voice went on in a different tone. "There's someone I need you to find..."

* * *

Stain was actually not stupid enough to go back to the same spot he'd been living in. He already had a backup plan in case this happened--a run down, little spot, but it would serve for him.

He had to give what the DJs had told him a lot of thought.

But he didn't expect Kali to be waiting when he got there.

"Have fun, did you?" She was leaning on the wall, arms crossed.

Stain tensed. "How did you find me?"

"I never lost you, worm," Kali said tightly. "But you didn't follow orders, did you? You weren't supposed to go looking for those two little nut jobs."

"I like to see things for myself," Stain said, "not just take people's words for it. They interested me. We had much to talk about. The world is different now than it was a year ago."

"The world is the same," Kali said, eyeing him distastefully. "But you aren't. You've lost your resolve. I can see it in your eyes. Did they break you? Tell you what kind of small, worthless, little man you really are? But I'm sure they made it sound like some big favor." She stood up. "People like them always do. Now you'll be putty in their hands."

"With all due respect," and Stain sounded like that meant none at all, "I got the feeling that was exactly what you were trying to accomplish on your end."

Kali sniffed. "We were going to give you what you want."

"Perhaps I should rethink what I want," Stain said. "I have been a bit reckless in the past and caused things I did not intend. They have odd ideas, but there's something in them. I'd like to hear more. And it seems they have been effective. I never thought that boy Shigaraki would stand down for anyone, but I heard him speak with respect and even perhaps a grain of understanding. If someone has taught him conviction, I think I could stand to learn from them."

Kali's eyes turned black, pure black.

Stain felt his blood run cold.

He threw knives at her.

The darkness in the room seemed to swallow them up--they never touched her--and she dodged any that might have gotten close.

Then she advanced closer.

"You won't get the chance." Her voice sounded totally emotionless.

Stain, with perhaps the strange knowledge of fanatics, realized he was going to die right then.

He drew a sword anyway. "So," he said with crazed certainty, "you were just another devil the whole time. It's true what they say--no such thing as a free lunch."

Kali didn't answer except to blow dust out of her mouth.

Stain didn't inhale and backed up, but he knew he wouldn't be able to outrun it.

"So," he said to himself, "Likstar-san was right after all. By someone I detest, here I die."

He gave a cry that was like a final charge.

"Well, if I'm going to die anyway, then I'll go down fighting. And if what they told me was true, I ask only that I'll be given over to that and not whatever you are." By which he meant Kali.

Kali gave sounds of disgust and then choking, as her own quirk could affect her if she didn't back up from it.

She darted backwards.

Stain tossed his sword like a knife, and she dodged, but it sliced part of her hair and nicked her cheek.

Her quirk reached Stain at that moment, and he made sounds of pain...

But then there seemed to be some kind of malfunction, because he stopped yelling and went still.

Kali looked up.

Stain dropped to the floor...dead...she presumed.

Bu she had an uneasy feeling that her quirk hadn't exactly finished working yet... He just...died...

The blackness in the room seemed to fade too.

Kali shivered with a fear she seldom had ever felt in her life, and she bolted.

[...That was scary...

I'm sure some of you are wondering why I brought Stain into this story at all if it was going to be so short, but the truth is, I never planned for him to be in it long. This was a mini arc.

Frankly, the points made weren't ones I need a lot of time for.

Stain dying I wasn't sure about, but then I thought, someone will kill him no matter what--he's too much of a threat to multiple sides of the conflict. But I thought him dying for his conviction was the most fitting and kindest end I could afford him, so I think it's for the best.

See you in the next part.]