As a matter of fact, Shine was right about All Might. He talked to Midoriya about what happened just the day after Todoroki had, and Bakugo was included in it.

All Might had half considered including Nezu in it (Nezu had already asked how the visit to AFO went)...but Bakugo said he wasn't talking to that rat.

All Might scolded him slightly for calling their principal a rat, not realizing Bakugo had meant that two ways, but he didn't push it. Bakugo still kind of scared him.

Deku was not surprised to hear about Stain now, but he was to hear about AFO. All Might finally mentioned Shigaraki's origins.

Bakugo had to try really hard not to be amused or too obviously unsurprised, since he knew all this already.

But Deku was shocked.

"I can't believe he's related to Nana..." he said, dazed. "And AFO found him on the streets? And that he killed his family."

"Yeah, it's a real stunner," Bakugo said darkly. "But why did you wait this long to talk about it?" 

Real question. He hadn't known All Might was aware of all this, and now that he knew, why had the Hero not told them about it weeks ago?

Shine had told them about at least some of it right off, though she had not mentioned the bit about Shigaraki's family.

Bakugo thought he knew why: Shine would feel that was too personal to tell them, since they worked with the LOV so often to stop the ninja. That, he could understand.

But here, All Might was having no issue telling them that. Maybe he thought it would never affect Shigaraki if they knew...but that wasn't guaranteed. And if Deku ran his mouth off about it like he always did, Shigaraki might kill him.

No, this was just incautious. Bakugo regretted not trying to head it off somehow now.

But while he was thinking this, Deku was babbling on about it being disturbing.

All Might finally cut in. "The point is, we need to be prepared. I guess I should have told you this before, young Midoriya, but you'll probably have a harder time defeating Shigaraki if and when you find him, if he knows we're close... I'm not sure how much AFO told him about you. Maybe not that much. He didn't mention telling him much about you. But he did seem to think Shigaraki would never believe me if I told him the truth... I'm afraid he may be right about that. He's trained to hate me and, by extension, you."

Bakugo noticed All Might wasn't including him in this... He frowned.

"It seems kind of sad that Shigaraki doesn't even know that AFO lied to him," Deku said.

"Sounds like he didn't completely lie," Bakugo surprised them by saying, flatly. "Why didn't you go looking for that old lady's son after she bit it?"

Deku couldn't believe Kaachan was insensitive enough to say that to All Might.

All Might winced. "I wanted to respect her wish."

"The situation might have changed, though," Bakugo said. "Like that big boss Villain might have tried to get revenge on her family. Don't you think she'd have wanted you to do something if that was the case? Did she think she would die?"

"No, but Gran Torino and I just felt it would be wrong to disregard what she asked," All Might said.

"And now we're here." Bakugo gestured angrily.

"Kaachan, it's not like he knew," Deku reproached him.

All Might could do no wrong in Deku's eyes, Bakugo thought irritably. For all he admired All Might, he had never had that rose colored view of anyone. It wasn't in his character.

But it was useless to try to prepare the d--- nerd for anything.

"Mistakes were made," All Might admitted, "as someone else has already pointed out to me at length. And maybe they are right, but it's too late now. We must decide what to do going forward. The LOV has been quiet for some time, but they are bound to make a move again. AFO left me in no doubt of that. Stain's death may be their fault, and they will certainly use it. But maybe we can find them...and take Shigaraki down, once and for all."

Bakugo was silent.

"I don't know... Do you think I'm ready for that?" Deku said. "I'm still getting used to these quirks."

"We may not have time to wait," All Might said. "Whatever that nefarious tyrant is planning, it won't be good if it happens."

Bakugo frowned. "So, what, we find Shigaraki and beat his a-- and that fixes everything?"

Which would have been his solution half a year ago.

"Well, it may not be that simple..." All Might said. "It's not as if Midoriya can single handedly take on the entire LOV. But once they appear again...they may target him. And he has to be ready then."

Bakugo scowled. "Sure. That wastes a lot of time."

"But what else would we do?" Deku said.

Bakugo couldn't exactly say that he knew where the LOV could be found, now, could he?

Well...he could...

All Might was looking at him oddly. "Yes, do you have a better idea, Young Bakugo?"

Anyone else would have said now was the time to just tell them...

But Bakugo had given his word not to spill, and he was going to keep it.

He stood up. "Not really. I just think that stupid Deku is going to get himself killed trying to pull these crazy stunts. And he's your successor, so you should be taking better care of him."

All Might was surprised. Deku was mad.

"Hey! All Might is taking great care of me! And I can fight on my own now, Kaachan."

"Yeah, but you're too d--- clueless," Bakugo said darkly. "Neither of you get it. For the record, the LOV didn't kill Stain."

"How do you know?" All Might said.

"They would have taken credit for it already," Bakugo hedged. "That's how they roll... They aren't the most subtle b-----ds. It was probably someone else, and maybe they're after more than just Stain. Maybe we should be worried about enemies other places. Even in this freaking school. Just saying." He left the room in a huff.

Left alone, All Might and Deku could only guess at what he meant.

Deku wondered if Shigaraki would blame All Might for what happened with Nana's son... If only someone could explain to him it wasn't All Might's fault, that AFO was a liar...

Deku was just as naive as Bakugo thought he was.

All Might knew, at least, that wasn't going to work, but he wasn't sure what would. Maybe it was too late to save Shigaraki.

And not by him? But then would it be Midoriya? He seemed able to handle it, but Young Bakugo seemed too upset. Maybe he wasn't ready for it yet.
🙄🤦‍♀️

* * *

https://youtu.be/y1RQciil7B0

Bakugo interrupted Shine and Wally's worship/prayer time to update them on what he'd just learned.

He felt and acted sour about the whole thing.

"Stupid Deku will do something about it," he said, "if you don't let them know."

"All Might does know that we've been in touch with Shigaraki," Shine said. "If he did not disclose that to Deku, he must fear Deku is not ready for that information. He isn't aware that you know of it either."

"Well, if you told it all, maybe we could finally fix it," Bakugo said.

"How would we fix it?" Wally said. "It's not our fault it's a mess. Shine and I can't do everything. Some things are just...wrong. And things between All Might and the Shimuras are one of those things. And Deku, he's not the one to know how to deal with it."

"As you know already," Shine fingered her Bible, "we, too, evaluated you early on, not to see who was a better person, but to see your strength and weakness when it comes to handling change. Always our first priority is knowing who to help and who will only waste our efforts. When you have only months at most usually, you have to work fast."

"And Deku didn't make the cut," Bakugo said. 

He had, apparently. He felt a little smug about it even after all this time.

"I don't like putting it like that." Wally made a face. "He's just not ready."

"Could be years before he is," Shine said, "so...he already knows more than is good for him. Telling him about Nana and her son and Tenko, it's only going to weigh him down, but do you honestly think it would change his actions? Would he not take Shigarakai down just as determinedly as before?"

"No," Bakugo said, "unless he pulls that s--- he did with Icyhot."

"That was not necessarily letting Shoto off the hook, though, was it?" Shine said. "At such a moment, winning or losing a fight doesn't matter... Deku may have let himself lose, which is the best thing he's ever done, in my book, but it was once. Has he ever held back again?"

"No," Bakugo said. Then paused. "Maybe against me."

He hated admitting that.

"That's different. Your relationship is too complicated," Shine said. "He would hold back without knowing he was doing it. I mean on purpose."

"Then no," Bakugo said.

"There you are," Shine said. "It's just...Shigaraki's case is a very delicate, unusual one, and I don't think Deku is capable of understanding it. I don't think All Might is either. They want to decide if Tenko is now a Villain or a Hero--or a victim or a perpetrator. And the question does not matter in any measurable way. Now you, on the other hand, you never cared whether anyone is on the right or wrong side. You treat them the same."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Bakugo said.

Most people thought that was his worst quality, along with rage.

Wally glanced at Shine. "I admit, I didn't get it at first either, but, with seeing Bunny Girl be the same too, it's because neither of you judge other people on how good they are...and weirdly, that means that how bad they are doesn't matter that much either. You just want results."

Shine said, "And yet, God sends rain upon the just and the unjust and feeds them and cares for them, and so, in a small way, not caring whether someone is good or not in how you treat them is the beginning of really understanding humanity." She tugged her hair. "In all the time we've worked with the LOV, you never once objected just on the grounds that they were bad people. Everyone else did. The thing with Deku is, he won't just object to it, he will object singularly on that reason, if no other one is available, and it would not matter to him what else surrounds it. I've seen the type many times."

"Yeah, there're always a few Heroes who just don't get it," Wally admitted.

"Well, All Might think he gets it," Bakugo said sullenly, "and he's going to rely on Deku to fix all this."

Shine and Wally exchanged a look.

"It's bothering you, huh?" Shine said more gently.

"No, I just think he's naive." It was definitely bothering him.

Wally rubbed his neck. "Well...I know what it's like to be underestimated by someone I look up to. It's the worst."

"Don't you dare feel sorry for me!" Bakugo didn't like where this was going. "I don't need your pity."

"Katsuki!" Shine said warningly. "Do not speak to us that way. Do you think we pity you? There is no need to get angry at us. We're not the ones who put you down."

"Yeah, she's the one who stands up for you." Wally gestured at Shine with one thumb.

Bakugo bit back his anger. "I don't need you to try to make me feel better."

"You need to learn to accept that people will want to do that if they think you're upset," Shine said, "and deal with it. Let the rest of us have something to contribute to you. And All Might is not the only one who gets to approve of you."

Bakugo glared sullenly some more. "I don't give a frick about that."

"Liar," Wally said.

Bakugo shot him a dirty look.

"Come on, Katsuki," Shine said. "I can't have you on the front lines here with this gaping wound about being the chosen one. For what it's worth, I think you deserved it just as much as Deku did."

Bakugo looked up and snorted. "Now I know that's b---s---."

"Not at all," Shine said. "Remember Samson? I told you once we should talk about him. He had the strength of 10 men and was quite the ass about it. Wisdom is not, apparently, God's qualifier for being chosen. He chooses who He will, and he'll use a hotheaded person to do His will. Not an excuse not to grow, but it's also a reason not to feel you do not deserve something. We all have flaws. God does not care when He chooses us.  The weak lead the strong in God's world, you know. I would praise the Lord if you think you're weak, because that means you have so much potential to do something great."

"Are you saying I'm weak?"

"As I've said many times, strength is weakness," Shine said. "And you remember it, right?"

Sullen nod.

"Paul was proud to boast of his weakness," Shien mused. "He said, 'When I am weak, then I am strong.' Maybe the world will always think Deku is a better person than you, by nature, and that's why All Might chose him...or it was to give him a chance, since he had no quirk."

All Might had said that once.

Bakugo sniffed. "But Deku is always going to be more important than...than anyone else in the class."

Wally met that with a snort of laughter. "You've got to be kidding me."

Shine smirked wryly too. "Oh, if I had 100 yen for every time someone has said that about those paragon types..."

Bakugo shook his head. They were so weird...

"I guess Deku does get into it a lot with the bad guys," Wally said.

"And AFO does think he's important, if only to hurt All Might," Shine said. "But don't you see, Katsuki, that's the genius of it? No one will look at you or us, and that is exactly where we change things. The spotlight is a tough place to be in, often very limiting. We avoid it because of that. And you have this amazing gift: people think that you're actions are not going to matter. Because of that, you can do them and no one will try to stop you until it's too late. And then you get to laugh at how stupid they were." She was grinning now.

"Is that really a Christian way to talk?" Bakugo was dubious.

"Well, it's kind of biblical," Wally said. "I mean, isn't there some passage that says if the devil knew what was up with the Crucifixion, he wouldn't have done it?"

"Yeah, and wasn't he mad when it turned out the way it did," Shine said. "But it's the same always: God turns it all back on the devil when he least expects it. And Wally and I always get a kick out of watching that unfold in world, or even at home, for that's one thing that's true as much on a micro level as a macro one. Nothing is unimportant. So don't you fret, Katsuki Bakugo. You'll have your time. Everyone will. But if you don't get the world's approval for it, so what? They never approved you anyway--or us. That's why we get along."

Bakugo finally started to grin. "Well, that is true..."

https://youtu.be/Z5LJ2NX2ggQ

But he frowned again. "But All Might will still trust Deku more."

"You know, I kind of think it's because Deku is like him," Wally said, "and All Might thinks that's necessary. I mean, geez, it's all about being the new Symbol of Peace."

"Yeah, frick Symbols," Shine said. "I've had enough of that. We are not symbols, Katsuki, we are the light. When you are the thing, you don't need to worry about everyone emulating you. They'll catch on if they want to." She shook her head. "Deku really doesn't get it...All Might neither. But that's their problem, not yours."

Bakugo thought about that.

"So what you're saying is, you chose me," he said.

Silence.

Wally shrugged. "Yeah, we did."

"Our students are chosen by God," Shine said. "We can just tell, but I suppose if you equate God's choice to our choice, since we listen to him, then yes. Since before Samuel chose David, God has surprised people by who he selects for us to work with. But the answer, I think, is always the same as it was then: 'Man judges by outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart.' And outward appearance can be the appearance of goodness too. Trust me, in fact, it may mean that more than any other quality."

Bakugo began to feel better.

"Well, stupid Deku isn't going to be able to pull this off," he said with the attitude of one accepting the inevitable. "But I'm not dumb enough to say I know what to do either. Do you two have a plan?"

"Nope," Wally said.

"That's what I thought," Bakugo said. "So we're just going to wait it out."

"Soon enough we're going to see what we need to do," Shine predicted. "It will be very soon. I'm glad we talked with you about it now. We'd better tell everyone else that too. But, Katsuki...be ready for it to be nothing like anything you've ever experienced before, because usually, that's how it is."

Bakugo cracked his knuckles nonchalantly. "I'm not expecting it to be easy. I'm not a freaking pansy. I just hope someone kicks AFO's face in."

"I wish that would solve all of it," Wally said, "but I don't think that's all there is to this thing with Stain, the Originals, the Metas, and LOV. I've been in the Hero biz long enough to smell a conspiracy when it's there."

"You sound like Question," Shine said, "but I agree.... Perhaps we should use that red string board Shoto has in his room and make theories."

"I know you're kidding, but for real, we should do that," Wally said.

Shine grinned.

* * *

A few hours later, in Shoto's room with the board, all of the Hero part of the team had gathered to put their heads together.

"Since we can't do anything yet," Shine had a ruler from Kaminari's backpack and was pointing at the board with its sticky notes and string on it, "but we can try to at least be prepared. 'Not unaware of his schemes' and all that. So, let's run down it again, for everyone."

Ibara raised her hand. "I'm grateful to be included in this, but I also am confused. Stain's death had a place in all this chaos?"

"Yes," several people said.

"Gosh, keep up already," Bakugo said.

"No need to be rude," Momo said. "She's new."

"I get it," Monama said. "But now AFO is part of it?"

"Remember that we told you that in confidence," Shine said. "The rest of the world is not supposed to know, but we think at least some people other than All Might should be aware of what's really going on here. We chose you all very carefully as people we thought would not blab about it."

Ibara, Monama, Kaminari and Jiro all nodded somberly.

"We first heard about the Originals when Overhaul kidnapped Eri," Aizawa said darkly, "and they were part of it."

Shine nodded, tapping a note that read "Tower of Terror."

"Ugh, that was so gross." Kaminari shuddered at the memory.

"That submarine thing that happened after Mirko joined us," Wally pointed out, "and we met that Karen, and Dabi had his conversion."

Shine tapped the note that said "How to sink a Sub."

"Who was coming up with these titles?" Monama asked.

Kaminari raised his hand guiltily. "Wally helped."

"They're pretty funny, aren't they?" Wally said.

Monama muttered something unflattering under his breath.

"Okay, then you have the LOV's new hires turning on them," Jiro said.

"Yes," Shine agreed, indicating the note that said "The Twins infiltrate UA" on it.

"Then the nomu attack that we stopped," Shoto said somberly.

Shine pointed to a note that said "End of the monsters."

"They really were monsters..." Jiro mumbled, also shuddering.

"Uh huh," she said, "and then they disappear for a while."

"And then," Camie, who was there, naturally, piped up, "Moto starts psycho bullying me before she just up and disappears."

This note said "Moto shows her true colors."

"Which we don't know is connected to anything, but seems odd with all the bad guys around that someone just disappeared without a trace," Shine said.

"After that, we focused on the Metas," Bakugo said.

"Which I wasn't here for," Miss Joke pouted. "Really, you could have asked."

"We had enough, but we would have if we needed more help," Shine said. She tapped the note "Meta Take Down Squad Assemble."

 "Really, Wally? That was so cheesy."

"That was more Pikachu than me," Wally defended himself. Kaminari made a sound of betrayal.

"Then..." Shine hesitated.

"I got kidnapped, and you all rescued me," Ibara said.

"Again had to sit that one out," Miss Joke whined.

"'Canadian Ninja warrior'," Momo read the sticky note. "Uh...I don't get that one."

"It's...an inside joke," Wally said.

"Then Wally and I took the fight to the ninja...with mixed results," Shine said. This note said "Demanding to speak to Karen's manager."

"And I think now you are all finally on the same page, more or less."

"Fun recap," Camie commented. "I really like the cork-board, but, Brodoroki, how did you put it together just for today like that? or was it Wally-sensei?"

"No, I had it in here already," Shoto said.

Silence.

"What was on it before?" Kaminari asked eagerly.

"We're not getting into that," Shine cut in. "Any questions?"

Aizawa raised his hand.

"Uh, you don't have to do that. This isn't a class," Shine said.

"Right," Aizawa said. "Anyway, you've finally told us about Shigaraki, but why now? Your interest in him makes more sense, but I get the feeling you left out something."

"Only what it would be wrong to tell you without his permission," Wally said.

Bakugo thought of All Might and looked down.

"Okay," Aizawa accepted it reluctantly. "But this ragtag team you've got in here, all the Heroes in it, what can we do?"

"Well, there's one thing." Shine pointed to the board. "Now that we have this up here, I noticed just one off color thing didn't seem connected to any of the others. They all had a logical progression, except this." She pointed to the Moto one.

"Kali?" Camie said.

"Why is she even on this board? She was just a bully," Monoma said.

"No, you were just a bully," Shine said, putting her ruler to her chin, "but she was doing it to get something out of Camie. I was sure of it when I met her. And vanishing? Isn't it odd the police never made any statement on her whereabouts? No missing person report. Did she transfer to another school?"

"No one knows jack about it," Camie shrugged. "It's a little weird, but weird enough to be connected to all this other crap?"

Wally held a finger up. "I work at a crime lab, and trust me, it's the things that don't fit with everything else that tells you your narrative is all wrong."

Everyone stared at the board.

"Okay, lets say she's somehow related, then." Miss Joke held up a gloved hand. "How? And why?"

"That we don't know." Shine sat down on the floor mat. "We included Moto because we were going by things that threatened your lives in anyway. You see we have the LOV's other actions before we arrived there, in the corner, but they're no longer that relevant. And that bat-guy Hawks fought, but he went to prison. So as far as unsolved mysteries are, she's the only one who nearly got you guys killed, possibly more than once, and who threatened Camie, who we have yet to find out the whereabouts of, the motives, or what happened. As a DJ, may I say, that if there're that many incidents, it's rarely ever a coincidence. If it looks wrong, it is wrong."

"But a teenaged girl being linked to the movements of either the Originals or the Metas, it seems strange," Aizawa said, "and you say she was not with the LOV."

"I don't think they'd take her." Wally made a face.

"Ugh, yeah," Camie said. "She's a real creep...but I dunno, the worst she did was pick on me and my friends. She was in a Hero school, for crying out loud. You think she's connected to them?"

"I'm not sure," Shine mused. "It doesn't quite fit, does it? No sign of her not liking quirks. No sign of her feeling fettered by the restraints on them... If anything, she ignored both. She just messed with your head...but that's just what I don't like. When there's no obvious motive, that motive is often a deeper and scarier one."

Camie shuddered.

"I don't think scaring her is helping," Miss Joke chided lightly. "And speculation is useless. Don't you always say that?"

"Yes," Shine agreed. "I just want you all to keep any eye out. If you should happen to find a connection, let us know, no matter how small. But as for the rest of it, we'll have to wait and see if whoever killed Stain chooses to try to use it. But if they don't, it's more foreboding than if they do. We are including all of you now, because we have to be vigilant at such a time. We cannot ignore how often we ourselves have been attacked here. And while Wally and I don't care if we're targeted, it seems whoever we're close to is too, so...think of yourselves like a vanguard, or a guild, or an Order, or whatever works."

She gestured at all of them. "From now on, no more talk of competition between schools, or classes, or heroes. You are all with us, by your own choice, and you are to treat each other like your fellows brothers or sisters in the same household. You have each others' backs, you watch out for danger, and you keep each other accountable for doing it the right way. No one strikes out alone, and no one tries to control everyone else. Is that clear?"

The group looked at each other.

"We get to be part of this?" Kaminari said excitedly.

Jiro shushed him. "It's serious."

Ibara looked around. "I think I strive to view everyone the way you're saying, but if you mean I must take a more active role, then I am happy to do it."

"I think we've already been doing it," Shoto said, "but if you want us to widen the circle, that's okay with me."

"Of course, we need more help," Momo said. "Things have only gotten more dangerous lately, but only if they're willing. I couldn't ask anyone to do this who wasn't."

"He-- yeah!" Bakugo said.

"You know I'm in." Camie gave a peace sign. "But what about y'all, Teach?"

She meant Aizawa and Miss Joke.

Miss Joke smiled. "I'm not against working more with the other school's students... I see what you mean not to compete...and that's okay... It was a tired game already."

Aizawa probably had a harder time swallowing his pride for that, since UA prided itself on being special, but finally he nodded. "I agree it's time to lay that aside...at least in this inner core you've created... At one time I would have died before joining you, but we've all been thrown together by the attacks, and I guess we're willing to try something different if it means we can make it better, so I'll agree to it."

"I suppose if it means not being kept out of the action..." Monama said rather ungraciously, but for him it was gracious.

"All right," Shine said.

"And this means," Wally said, "that from now on, if one of you is in trouble, you don't just call Shine or me--you can call anyone else in this room. And we'll get Mirko in on it too. Maybe her brother, Kayla, and Intelli also, who knows? And Medea of course, and maybe the LOV will come around pretty soon. You never know. But if for whatever reason, we can't come, you have options, you got it?"

The group nodded.

"Do we get a cool name?" Kaminari asked.

Shine laughed. "We really don't need one. It seems pretentious, but you Heroes have to have a code for everything, so I'll tell you what--you can pick what you want to call it amongst yourselves, and we'll just ignore it."

"We don't need a name," Bakugo snorted. "That's lame."

"No, it's cool!" Kaminari and Camie argued.

All the kids began taking sides on the matter then, and the debate got heated.

The teachers/DJs all chose to ignore the debate--or else just laughed at it and didn't get involved.

Perhaps the kids needed to lighten the mood after all that seriousness, they all felt.

https://youtu.be/wE8CzFBKrP4