Mirko hadn't heard from Shine by the time the Top Heroes were on their way to the site.

She knew enough to know it was a trap, but that was, frustratingly, all she knew. And now Silk wasn't back either.

"Just when we were starting to get along, too," she muttered.

"So you came." Hawks flew behind her as she bounced along. "Didn't take Endeavor's advice. Not really surprised."

"Just stay out of my way, Hawks," Mirko said.

"Hey...listen," Hawks said, in a quieter voice, "I do sympathize. If you absolutely refuse to be dissuaded, I'll back you up, okay?"

Mirko looked at him strangely. "Really?"

"I don't like it. I think it's a stupid idea, but I don't want to let another friend get hurt," Hawks said. "And I know about making crazy choices because you feel backed into a corner. So yeah, I'll try, but you know, I can't promise it'll be enough to save this."

"That's fine," Mirko said. "I like to live dangerously. Just so long as you're not a whiny b---h about it."

"And there's the Mirko I know," Hawks said. "You know, if you survive this somehow and I don't, tell Fuyumi I'm sorry...and that I've been really happy these last few weeks."

"I knew it," Mirko said. "And who was giving me crap about my love life?"

"Let's argue about that later," Hawks said. "I think we're here."

So they were.

Well, in the general vicinity anyway.

Edgeshot was supposed to find out who was around.

Mirko was supposed to have her ear to the ground, literally, and listen for anything.

This much she could do, so she did.

All she heard were real construction sounds.

The wait was terrible while Edgeshot was gone.

Then one of the stores exploded.

* * *

AFO and Shigaraki had a very interesting talk about what happened.

Shigaraki wanted to know where the other League members had gone.

"They are running errands for me," AFO lied to him. "But let's talk more about your problem. I think I know what it was: It all happened too quickly. Your mind just couldn't accept it. But now you've had time to think about it, and I think you'll be ready the next time, if and when we should run into that Pro again."

"No," Shigaraki shocked him by saying, not even defiantly, just like it was a fact.

"No?" AFO repeated.

"Time won't make any difference," Shigaraki said. "It never has. This is just a failure." He seemed resigned to it. "Maybe there are just people who defy the law of nature."

"Interesting hypothesis," AFO said, "but I don't know if it's true. You're not giving yourself enough credit. Remember what you are, and who are you are. How could you really fail?"

"Why does it matter? The whole thing was a sham," Shigaraki said. "Ujiko and the others lied again. They fooled us both."

He naively assumed AFO hadn't known about it. AFO didn't correct him.

"I still don't trust her," he said, "but if you think it's impossible, I guess I'll say no more about it. Let's hope she just stays away from the League now. And once your friends are back, we can begin to rebuild. I have a new friend I'd like you to meet. He's an interesting person. I think he can help us finally gain the momentum we need to turn things back in our favor."

"Sure." Shigaraki didn't sound excited about it at all.

He seemed dejected, in fact.

AFO was puzzled. He'd always been willing to do this before.

"You're not even grateful," he said. "I did all this for you. You aren't even thanking me."

"Thank you," Shigaraki said dully. "I guess I'm just not really energetic about it today."

AFO didn't like it, not one bit. "Well, I hope you find your resolve. We wouldn't want to be caught off guard again."

Shigaraki went off after they were done talking.

"The sooner we enact my plan the better," AFO told Ujiko. "They'll have ruined him entirely if we let them get in touch again. I bet that woman will find a way to get to him too."

"Which one?" Ujiko said.

"Either would be disastrous," AFO said.

"He should be more grateful to you," Ujiko said.

"Gratitude alone isn't enough to counteract this kind of guilt," AFO said. "That is the problem... I think it may be time to consider that other option. I didn't like the thought of it--it seems it would cost us too much progress--but at this point, it might be better to just start over than to risk things decaying further in this manner."

"We should put in a request," Ujiko said.

* * *

Shigaraki didn't tell AFO, but in the few days since the incident, he'd been having nightmares about it.

Rather clearer ones than he usually had. Instead of just images and sounds and murky memories, he'd have clear visions of things.

He dreamed he'd succeeded instead of failed to do what AFO said...and he'd wake up in a cold sweat.

The thought of killing had never bothered him so much, but it did now. And he'd dream about his family now too. More and more clearly.

He wasn't sure if he was finally remembering what really happened, or if he was imagining different possibilities.

He would often dream of how his mother tried to reach for him before crumbling into dust.

One time he dreamed that, and then suddenly it shifted to Shine saying, "I love you," and looking like she just wanted him to come with them and get away from all this.

Shigaraki woke up after that one, shivering.

He would have given a lot to talk to any of the League about it, but they weren't around. And he'd rather die than tell Ujiko about it. He no longer trusted him at all.

He did meet Ujiko's fellow doctor, a man named Akume, who seemed oddly normal to be one of Ujiko's friends.

Akume and Ujiko talked about science, but Akume did look over at Shigaraki at one point and asked, "So how are you sleeping?"

Shigaraki hadn't been listening, but he looked up oddly. "What?"

"Don't mind him," Ujiko said. "Akume is a sleep researcher. That's his field, like how mine is quirks. He's just got a habit of asking about dreams and things."

"Yes, perhaps I can help if you are having any problems," Akume said. "I couldn't help noticing you look tired."

Ujiko kind of smirked there, for some reason.

"It's nothing," Shigaraki said.

"Nothing can be something," Akume remarked.

Shigaraki didn't answer him any more.

But it seemed odd to him.

In the end, all he really concluded about it all was that he had failed, and he didn't know why, but he didn't feel easy at all. He scratched a lot...

AFO suggested he destroy some minor thugs to relieve stress...but Shigaraki declined. Whether he thought it wouldn't help, or whether he thought he deserved to be miserable for failing, he didn't know. But it didn't seem like it would work.

AFO didn't care for that either, but he hid his concern from Shigaraki. It would never do to let on to him.

* * *

"They're here," a scrawny little teenager who'd been hanging around this new base melted out of the paint on the wall and told AFO and Shigaraki, who were just sitting, both lost in thought.

"Who is?" AFO said.

"All 5 of the Top Heroes," the girl, whose name was Paint, or so she'd said, answered, "and possibly some back up."

Shigaraki snapped to attention. "Did you say all of them?"

"Yes, sir," Paint said.

"Well, well, well," AFO said. "How peculiar... Are they attacking us?"

"It doesn't look like they've found our hiding place yet, but one of them or two is looking for it," Paint said. "The number...4, I think, and the number 5."

Shigaraki stood up. "You're sure about that?" 

"I saw it myself," Paint said. "And also there's some rando teenager in costume wandering around too."

"Hmm, I wonder who that could be," AFO said. "Well, if they've found us, I suppose it's inevitable. We'll have to fight them. Everyone will be ready?"

"Yes, but you should get to safety," Paint said.

"Of course. Where is Twice?" AFO said.

"He's back?" Shigaraki said.

"I think he got back today." AFO didn't miss a beat.

"Uh...sir, Twice has been missing since yesterday," Paint said. "Didn't anyone tell you?"

Silence.

"Strangely, no," AFO said coldly. "He's probably just wandered off in a fit of confusion. Find him."

"Yes, Master AFO." Paint bowed and left.

"I think it might be time to teach these Top Pros a lesson," AFO said to Shigaraki. "What do you say, Tomura Shigaraki? A chance to get the world's attention again."

"Hawks..." Shigaraki muttered to himself. "Of course he'd be here."

AFO took that as a yes.

* * *

After the explosion, the Heroes had to take cover, but when the smoke cleared, they saw...

"Is that...the giant?" Hawks cried. "Where was he hiding?"

"The parking garage..." Mirko muttered. "How did I miss that? Must have had some machine near him to cover his breathing."

"No one said anything about that." Endeavor scowled. "But surely all of us together can take him on."

"He leveled a bunch of people," Hawks said. "And he's no joke. I've fought him before...but I gotta say, him being here feels more like a distraction than a trap."

Gigantomachia charged them anyway.

Mirko agreed--this was just a distraction.

And that being the case, she had no wish to fight this thing again. Hawks and Endeavor were better suited to it anyway. She dashed off to the side.

Best Jeanist moved to try to restrain him also.

"This is just brilliant," Mirko said to herself as she ducked around a corner. "Five minutes and we're already not prepared... Could it be more obvious this was a trick? I bet that cowardly b-----d isn't even here or Shigaraki either. It's just to get us where they want us." She swore to herself. "I better get out of this alive, so I can kick AFO's face in--"

She bounced around a corner of one of the mall buildings, looking for any sign of people trying to get away.

She ducked as she saw some people running out... A bunch of kids, it looked like... Huh...were they even supposed to be here? They looked like random punks, maybe homeless ones. Probably just civilians. She looked away from them. She couldn't afford to stop and tell them to leave. It looked like they had the memo anyway.

Where was Edgeshot? Had he been caught? He would probably walk right into a trap, like a moron.

She leapt over a bit of construction equipment and hurried deep into the maze of buildings.

Maybe this was a good way to get herself caught, but everyone would be on the giant, not on her...right?

She dialed Shine while she had the chance. 

Shine picked up. "Rumi? Oh my gosh, what's happening?"

"I'm running, and Gigantomachia's here. Where are you?" Mirko hissed.

"We're on our way. Maybe I can portal to you now though. It might be easier. Listen, Nezu confessed. It's all up. Basically we either stop this, or it's all over for us. At least for UA."

"What? Why does he want that?" Mirko stopped, unwittingly.

"Never mind. Look, don't get distracted. Just stay in one piece until we get there. Should be 10 minutes maybe."

"Shine, I don't think I have 10 minutes," Mirko said. "And I don't think AFO is here. I'm betting it's a ruse."

"Do not fight him if you do see him. He's too powerful," Shine warned.

"I'n not anxious to fight him until I know I can win," Mirko said. "But yeah, just...hurry."

She hung up.

And then she rounded a corner and almost ran into Shigaraki.

The last person she expected to see just wandering around outside. She thought it was a clone for second.

"Uh...this can't be real," she sputtered.

"You!" Shigaraki cried.

No, that was real.

Mirko backed up a little.

"Okay...not prepared for this," she said warily.  

"So it is true--you really are here," Shigaraki said. He scowled. "I guess you ran to Hawks as soon as you escaped, then."

"Um...are you serious?" Mirko said. "After you almost killed me this is somehow my bad? I didn't run to anyone anyway. Obviously this whole thing is a trap."

"This isn't a trap," Shigaraki said. "This is an invasion."

"Of who?" Mirko said. "I don't think you're getting it. Oh, why am I even bothering? You're not going to listen to me anyway." She rolled her eyes. "I guess AFO just told you I'd do something again, and you believed him. Typical. It doesn't matter what I do. You're never going to trust me."

"Why are you here?" Shigaraki said in a slightly more subdued tone. "Why are they all here?"

"You know, I asked myself that so many times today," Mirko said. "I thought about what I'd say if this exact situation happened," angrily, "but now I think it wouldn't even work. I don't know what I expected."

Silence.

A loud crash kind of ruined the moment.

"It's not going to be safe to stand out here," Shigaraki said.

"Oh, well," Mirko said. "You think I'd follow you?" She didn't expect herself to be getting so upset, but it just kind of took over on its own. "I cannot believe what you tried to do! I was so mad!"

Shigaraki didn't say anything for a moment. "So this is your revenge?" 

"Oh, grow up, we're not all as petty as you," Mirko said. "This wasn't even my idea." She glared in the direction of the others. "I just came because I thought maybe I could work it out...but the attack's already started... I don't know if we'll get off with our lives this time." She clenched her fists. "Just answer me one thing: If it wasn't for the other day, and it had just stood on its own, would you have decided to trust me?"

Shigaraki didn't know why she was asking, but he thought about it anyway. "Yes," he said.

Mirko let out a sigh, like somehow that was a relief. "Well...fine... It's just like Shine said, then... I guess that's better than nothing. Some dignity there."

Shigaraki wasn't sure what was going on, but he kind of thought maybe he owed her some kind of explanation before a fight ensued.

"Twice and Toga told the truth," he said. 

"Huh?" Mirko was puzzled.

"The destruction was faked," Shigaraki said. "Toga posed as you."

"What? She did? That b----!" Mirko was furious. "Now it all makes sense! Oh, gosh." She laughed almost crazily. "Of course, of freaking course!"

"She was forced," Shigaraki said. "Twice also... Ujiko lied again."

"Just Ujiko?" Mirko said dryly. "Well...there, that clears it all up, doesn't it? I feel so stupid now. Why didn't I think of that? Of course it had to be them."

Shine would love this...if she ever got the chance to tell her about it.

"I thought they were wrong about you," Shigaraki said, "but now you're here, though I suppose after that, you have some reason to throw aside our agreement. I can't really fault you for it at this point."

Was he...letting her off?

Mirko suddenly stopped being angry.

She laughed instead and shook her head, then she brushed her hair back. "You moron," she said. "I'm here to warn you, dumba--."

"What?" Shigaraki was genuinely shocked.

"I couldn't stop them from planning this, but it was clearly some kind of trap," Mirko said. "I was going to try to sneak off alone and find one of you--preferably not you, after what happened, but I don't see anyone else around... Yeah, I'm not one to go back on my word." She shrugged her shoulders. "Anyway, I know the crap before was based on a ruse, so I'm not blaming all of you. Blame Ujiko, I guess. As far as I'm concerned, the deal was still on... Only I couldn't stop Silk from getting captured...sorry. She's good, but I guess they're better."

"Silk?" Shigaraki said.

"I guess you didn't know that...s---!" Mirko said.

She looked up again. "Hawks agreed to try to help. If you guys want to get away, now's your chance. That giant will keep them all busy for a while... The Pros might take that as enough of a win."

"You're just going to let us go?" Shigaraki was dumbfounded. "Even though you've been ordered to take us in."

"Oh, please," Mirko said. Actually, the thought of that was freaking her out, but she shoved it aside. "What have I learned from Shine if not to totally ignore what the authorities say is a good idea? This is so clearly set up, it'll screw both sides to continue it. Maybe this way the Heroes can escape too... Anyway, you let me go...so we'll call it even."

Shigaraki was further dumbfounded.

He felt oddly...something akin to touched.

"But...that's not right. You should be furious," he said incredulously, a little annoyed too.

"Is this the time to talk about that?" Mirko said. "Just go." She cast another look towards the others. "It'll be too late soon."

"Master sent me out here to find you," Shigaraki said.

Mirko suddenly froze. 

Then she looked at him uneasily. "I see...so he still... But I knew that..." She rubbed her arms. She kind of felt cold all of the sudden. "Is that it, then?"

Silence.

"Normally I wouldn't disobey Master," Shigaraki said. "Ever."

Mirko swallowed.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," Shigaraki mused, as if to himself, "but I just can't..."

"Can't what?" Mirko was confused.

"I can't destroy you," Shigaraki said, outright. "Something just won't let me... I don't know what it is."

Mirko's mouth dropped open.

The moment was ruined by someone suddenly appearing out of the maze of buildings.

It was Best Jeanist.

"Mirko? Where have you been?--" He stopped.

Shigaraki looked up, and his gaze narrowed. "You," he said distastefully.

Mirko frowned.

Best Jeanist made a move forward. "I didn't think it would be this easy to catch you... What is this, Mirko? Why are you just standing here. Are you really wasting time on trash talk?"

Mirko had a split second to think, and then she kicked Shigaraki into the building. Not that hard.

Shigaraki still didn't see it coming and for a second was confused.

"You idiot, why didn't you let me tie him up first?!" Best Jeanist cried, rushing forward.

Mirko pretended to jump a little off so that she crashed into him.

"Oops," she said. "Sorry, I tripped a little there."

"Get off me!" Best Jeanist said.

"Better hope he hasn't warped by now," Mirko said loudly.

Best Jeanist shoved her away and hurried into the building... Shigaraki was nowhere in sight.

Mirko let out a sigh of relief--but quietly.

"Are you usually this sloppy on the job?" Best Jeanist began to berate her. "This is no time to let one of our biggest targets just get away like that."

"He would have anyway. They've got that warp gate thing," Mirko said. "Sorry, I guess I didn't kick him hard enough. I don't want to bring the whole building down."

"How about you go help with the giant, and I will finish this," Best Jeanist said snidely. "I'm sure there's more around here somewhere."

"Oh, yes," a teenager's voice cut in. They looked behind them.

 A couple of teenagers, two boys and girl, were standing behind them. Where had they come from?

"There's more of us, all right," the boy in front said.

* * *

The Hero group had sped there as fast as they could, but they thought to make one stop along the way, picking up Ren and Kayla.

"Of course you two can't fight," Aizawa said.

"Then why are we here?" Ren had heard that his sister was facing off possibly against the worst evil the country had known in decades...and taken it pretty well, all things considered.

"We need to find Deku, and if we run around after him, we'll waste time," Shine said. "But you can sense people's phones, right? Can you tell the differences between them?"

"I mean, if I got really close I could," Ren said. "But at a distance, it's just a cell signal."

"Better than nothing," Wally said.

Aizawa pulled the bus to a stop. "This is as close as we can get..."

The police had the area blocked off already.

Kayla tugged her hair. "So we rush into a danger zone... I guess it wouldn't be the first time."

"You're our last resort," Shine said. "And...I'm not sure your quirk will work enough to stop this anyway." She peered out the window. "But if we need to slip by this blockade, I think it should suffice."

"So where do we find stupid Deku?" Bakugo asked.

"I still don't get why he'd come here alone," Ren said. "But is he even really in that much danger? Who'd let a kid get that close to this?"

They all gave him side-eye.

"Yo," Camie said, "that's UA's thing."

Medea rolled her eyes.

"I'm not sure why Deku did come here alone," Shine said. "If he'd answer his phone, maybe I could ask him." She sounded every bit the annoyed mom right there.

"All right," Wally said, "let's divide this up in a way that makes sense, right? Me, Bakugo, Camie, and Ren gotta find Deku, right? And Earphone Jack, you too."

Jiro nodded.

"Once we do, the kids should leave," Wally said. "We don't need a Kamino Ward 2.0 here, right? And, Ren, you can do whatever you want, but Shine and I will have to try to find Mirko and sort this out."

"And All Might might is no doubt around here too," Shine said. "If we can find them all before they find each other, we can potentially stop this from blowing up into what Nezu wants..." She bit her lip. "If they do fight...we can do our best to stop anyone from dying."

"If Deku is planning to fight AFO or Shigaraki," Bakugo said, "then he probably has this idea that he has to save the world from them while he still has the chance. Freaking moron."

"I still don't know why he would think that," Aizawa said. "What are you not telling me?"

"You know...damage will be done by the end of today, one way or the other," Shine mused. "In a nutshell, Aizawa, Deku is All Might's successor."

"I guessed as much," Aizawa interrupted.

Shine gave him an annoyed look. "He has the same quirk All Might used to have, plus a few extra, as you also know. And All Might has given him the idea that stopping AFO is his job."

"Why would he tell him that?" Aizawa said.

"Because it's why he gave him his quirk to begin with," Wally said.

Aizawa gaped at them.

"Long line of holders, started with AFO's brother, and now it's fallen to Deku." Shine did the 5 second version. "Get it?"

"No," Aizawa said.

"What?" Jiro said.

"Like I said, it won't matter. AFO will no doubt expose it if we don't," Shine said. "I hear he attempted to before when talking to All Might. I doubt he'll let that secret stay in the bag if he gets the chance. You all might as well know but don't tell anyone else. Let's hope we're the only ones who have to know."

"You can pass quirks around?" Jiro said. "I mean, I knew AFO could, but...he's weird."

"Maybe it's a family thing," Wally suggested.

"Nevermind," Aizawa said. "What matters is that we find Midoriya now... If it's what you're saying, he might go right into the middle of the danger."

"He will definitely do that," Shine said emphatically. "Now let's go."

They got out and approached the barricade. The police told them to leave.

Kayla looked a little guilty, but she tossed her hair and spoke in her quirk voice and said to let them through.

All the cops looked at her blankly, then they let them pass through.

"Her time limit is about 5 minutes once they're out of ear shot," Ren warned, "so let's hurry."

"Will they remember?" Wally asked.

"Uh...they'll remember it like a dream," Ren said, "but I have a feeling if they see us, it will come back to them."

They hurried off.

They could hear the crashing from the fight with the Giant.

Wally frowned towards it.

"You know the Pros are gonna die," he said.

"That's where Deku will be," Bakugo growled.

"Well," Wally looked at Shine, "I think we might have to fight a giant today."

Shine nodded. "All right."

Wally and Bakugo and Camie went off that way--with Ren.

"Kids, stay out of sight!" Shine yelled after them.

"So...your plan to outsmart Nezu?" Aizawa asked.

Shine put her finger to her temple. "You know, things usually just come to me. I don't sit around and think this stuff up. I'm not sure I can outsmart Nezu."

"But you have to!" Kayla said.

"Yes, where's your annoying overconfidence now?!" Aizawa said. "This is not the time for self doubt, Likstar."

Shine gave him an odd look. "What?"

"I mean you've been preaching to us for almost a year that we do things the wrong way, and we're gullible, and now it is your chance to prove you really do know better, and you're not sure? What kind of hypocrite are you?" Aizawa said.

Shine's eyes sparked. "You know what, Aizawa? I really don't think that's fair."

"I'm not sure lecturing her is the best way to motivate her," Kayla spoke up. "But, Miss Likstar, your plans have worked before. Come on, what's the first thing you would do, if you just had to save your friends right now?"

"Well, I'd find her first," Shine said.

"Good, let's just get on that," Kayla said.

"I wanted more detail than that. I already knew that part," Aizawa said.

"Well, you're not going to get more than that until we find him, so just take that and like it," Kayla said.

Aizawa blinked. "Fine."

Kayla winced. "Oops."

"Quirk or no quirk, I think he deserved that. Let's move," Shine said. She ran towards the mall area.

They followed her.

* * *

Shigaraki got far enough away for Best Jeanist not to be able to find him, but he wondered what the heck just happened...

Mirko seemed to have managed to clear things up shockingly easily...which made even him wonder if it had all been blown a little out of proportion, and he wasn't used to thinking that.

But also Silk was missing? This was concerning.

He wanted to find AFO and report this to him right off...but then he thought, how would he explain how he knew that?

Mirko hadn't said where she'd been when she went missing either. He needed more information, which meant finding her again...

But Best Jeanist was there now...

Urgh! Why was everything always so complicated?

He could hear the sound of fighting. He was up higher at the top of the parking structure now. He saw the fight between some other buildings. The Top Pros were not doing so well.

But then he spied...was that Wast? And a few of the kids... What were they'll doing here?

Shigaraki frowned.

"Hey!" someone yelled at him.

Shigaraki thought he knew that voice...but it had been a while. He turned with a blank expression.

Midoriya was vaulting himself onto the roof using some kind of...lasso power?

[Keep in mind in this canon, Shigaraki has not met Deku since he got his new quirks.]

Midoriya landed on the roof carefully.

"Tomura Shigaraki," he said, trying to sound brave, "I finally found you...and I'm here to stop you once and for all."

Silence.

Shigaraki just stared at him. Then he shook his head. "This is not really what I need today," he said peevishly.

"Huh?" Midoriya said.

"I don't have time for you, Midoriya," Shigaraki said. "As you can see, there's a lot more going on right now. I have a missing person to find, and this whole thing is a s--- show. So why don't you just run along, and I'll destroy you some other day?"

"Are you...making fun of me?" Midoriya said. "I'm serious. I know what you guys are planning."

"I highly doubt that," Shigaraki said.

Midoriya didn't remember him being this savage before.

"Look...uh...remember when we met last...and...you said the next time we met, you'd probably kill me?"

"I do remember that," Shigaraki said. 

"Well, I am here now." Midoriya had to have made that All Might reference on purpose. "And...uh, I don't know where AFO is, but I have to stop both of you."

Shigaraki glared at him. "Now you're just annoying me. Go away."

"I... What?"

"Normally, I'd just kill you and be done with it, but if I do that, Likstar will pop in here and yell about it, and I don't need one more problem to solve today," Shigaraki said. "Of course if you attack me, I suppose she couldn't really say anything, since it would be self defense. So think about your next actions carefully."

Midoriya was puzzled further. "I..."

He stopped. "I have to stop you. Before the whole world is destroyed."

Shigaraki almost thought that was funny.

"Well, if you're going to try, try," he said.

Midoriya seemed to power up.