After Ender's reveal of the plan, the meeting was adjourned. Apparently the Commanders and him had things to do.

AFO told Shigaraki they could have their "chat" now.

They were outside, between buildings.

Shigaraki looked around. He didn't see anyone...but he wasn't confident that they were really alone.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" AFO said amiably.

"I don't like these people." Shigaraki was blunt as usual. "They're...weird."

"They may not be our usual, but they can do what we need," AFO said.

"I don't like their powers," Shigaraki went on, as if he hadn't spoken, "and they're goals... It sounds like their willing to just use people as tools."

AFO had some reason to regard him very oddly.

"And?" he said, not really sure where this was going. He'd never seen Shigaraki this worked up about new hires. "You've always been a little hesitant to accept new people into our circle, but it worked out before, so I would think you'd have learned."

"And that's another thing--Where are Compress and Spinner?" Shigarkai said. "I haven't seen them."

"I heard they were around here," AFO said. "No doubt they're working."

"Or that's what they want us to believe," Shigaraki said flatly.

Pause.

"What was that?" AFO said finally.

"That's what they want us to believe... How do we know they're not lying? Any of that could have been a lie," Shigaraki went on. And once he said it, he thought it was all too likely.

At the very least, he knew Ujiko lied and Akume, probably... He couldn't tell about Ender.

"I believe them," AFO said. "You saw that device... Soon we can rid ourselves of those pesky DJs who stand in the way of our success. And all their little students also. And then all of Heroes. All society will bow to us. Just as we always wanted."

"Just as you always wanted," Shigaraki said.

Silence.

"What?" AFO's tone would have warned a more experienced person not to repeat that, but Shigaraki lacked the instincts of a child who's gotten in trouble before, as he'd never been in trouble with AFO and had forgotten what it felt like with his parents.

"It's what you want," Shigaraki said. "I wanted to destroy... My destiny... But...this isn't much like what I had in mind."

"And how is it different?" AFO's tone was clipped, but Shigaraki didn't notice this either.

"Society is complacent," Shigaraki said, "but it's not just because of Heroes...and the solution isn't that simple...and the DJs and their League (he slipped into using that word without realizing it) are trying to help. Why would attacking them serve our goals? We should be working with them. In the end, we want the same thing."

"We do not." AFO could not believe he was actually arguing with Shigaraki, of all people.

"You don't know them, Master." Shigaraki wasn't sure where this was coming from, it just did. "They're crazy, but...they're kind. Fair. Trustworthy. Maybe we don't agree, but we're not enemies. Handing them over to this...person, would be wrong."

"Wrong?" AFO said distantly.

"Yes," Shigaraki said.

"I don't remember you ever saying anything was wrong before," AFO said. He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Shigaraki finally noticed AFO wasn't happy.

"You think we should rely on these Dark Walkers, instead?" he guessed. "But...why...? Their powers...they don't seem normal."

"That's kind of the point," AFO said. "I fail to see your problem. All Might is dead, his protégé is useless at the moment, and UA is closed. Thus far everything has gone our way, despite numerous setbacks. The only people who could interfere now are those DJs. The Heroes are at a loss. And the solution is right here, using them to benefit ourselves. It's how we have already done things--and how I taught you to do things. Yet you are displeased, mistrustful of these dear friends who have done all this for us."

Shigaraki began to feel guilty.

"Still, using people as fuel..." he said more weakly, "why...?"

"I don't see a great difference between that and nomu. They serve a purpose. And people like that don't deserve their freedom," AFO said. "It is because of them that society is the way it is, that people are left to fend for themselves. Do you not remember that? And who's fault it was?"

"All Might's," Shigaraki said automatically, as he was taught...but then he frowned. "Not just All Might's... It might be that people are just...complacent anyway. But the people they teach are the ones who care more."

"What does it matter that they care? Their chance is past." AFO was actually getting angry. "Are you questioning me?"

"No," Shigaraki said. 

Pause.

"Well, then, what is it you want?" AFO said. "To destroy?"

"No," Shigaraki said. 

"No... Then what?" AFO said.

"I think we should go back to that group," Shigaraki said, "ask them about all this. There must be a reason for what happened to Overhaul."

As he said it, he convinced himself that had to be the case.

"You...actually want to think they're innocent." AFO was kind of slow on the uptake for him-- He just couldn't believe Shigaraki actually wanted to think the best of anyone. "You trust them."

"I think they've earned at least a chance to explain," Shigaraki said.

There was a long silence after that.

https://youtu.be/MkpoW0c9QxI

"Oh, captain, let's make a deal where we both say the things that we both really feel. I feel scared and I'm starting to sink , And I only sink deeper the deeper I think.

Oh, captain, make up your mind, before the salt burns your eyes, and you run out of time, 'cause you're popping the cork. You get lost in your brain, and you lose touch with all the things that made you feel sane!"

"I see what it is," AFO said finally. "You think that these people have actual loyalty to you? That they feel pity for you?"

"They pity everyone," Shigaraki said.

"Ah, Tomura Shigaraki, this is a tragedy." AFO affected a piteous tone himself. "Perhaps you are still naive. Someone like you cannot conceive of how cunning these people can be."

Shigaraki was silent for the moment. 

AFO gestured around. "Did they come while we were strong? Or while we were weak? It seems to me they took advantage of the fact that the League had suffered losses to put you in a position where they could use you. They could learn all about us and our weaknesses--and rob us of our tools. People went over to their side. And they prevented you from taking action, forced you to work with the Heroes and allow Heroes to see your weaknesses. They even used you to eliminate threats to them: the Metas, the Originals."

Of course this was just what AFO himself had done, which he knew, but Shigaraki did not.

"And they actually had the gall, while doing this, to claim it was a kindness? To weaken you and say it was a favor the whole time? I am heartily sorry, Tomura Shigaraki, that they claimed such despicable things."

Shigaraki began to feel a weird sinking feeling.

"I'm afraid it's the hard truth that, due to your quirk and your background, people will always fear you. The world is not fair to you-- Even they tried to control you or block it, didn't they?" AFO went on. "But remember who took you in when the rest of the world was afraid of you? I taught you to use your gifts, not to suppress them. Would you really trust that they actually care? They don't. I have seen this before...people masking fear as caring until they get a chance to eliminate the problem. My own family... Well, don't trust it."

Shigaraki realized he must be talking about his brother with OFA...

"Who wins here?" Mirko had said. "All Might is dead. AFO is somehow the victim?"

But what did she know, really? AFO was clearly a victim of cruelty...

Still...

https://youtu.be/V8CMBl8YOZI

What did he really have to go on?

"If it seems wrong, it is wrong..."  Shine had said.

Wait...

"But if that's true, why not stop me from coming back here when they knew I would?" he said suddenly.

And this question caught AFO off guard--because it didn't fit at all with his narrative. How exactly to explain that if he was saying they were afraid...

"They thought you would go back to them and warn them," he said.

"That doesn't sound like fear," Shigaraki said. "That sounds like they thought I would trust them."

"They believe you're gullible, that's all. It's a calculated risk."

"I've never known them to kill," Shigaraki said, "or even to stop people by force that often."

"The Heroes would." 

AFO shouldn't have said that, because of course the term 'Heroes' just made Shigaraki think of Mirko...and she hadn't seemed intent on using force... For some reason that was making him feel weird to think about...kind of too warm.

"It doesn't add up," he said.

"They have already betrayed you."

"Ujiko lied... They didn't do those things... He's lied to you too, Master," Shigaraki insisted. "I know that it's unlikely anyone would ever care--but perhaps that doesn't mean they are lying about the rest. Wouldn't it be more fair to hear both sides?"

"You've been listening to them for months," AFO said. "Here you will hear the other side. What these people suffer at the hands of World Walkers. Look at Overhaul, it was pretty bad, wasn't it? Do you want to end up like that? Or for all of us to end up like that, out of our minds?"

Shigaraki paused. "Well...no...they.... But...it might have been an accident."

"Or they might have known exactly what would happen."

"The only way to know would be to ask."

"They would never own up to it. They want you to believe them," AFO said. "Likstar is my enemy, especially. All of them are, but her...that woman, she's as bad as All Might...or worse. He was a fool, but she is a vixen... Do you understand me? She will never be any friend of mine."

"Ender is no friend of yours," Shigaraki shot back, perhaps the only time he'd ever dared to back talk AFO directly. "Listen to how they talk to each other... That's no way for teammates to talk."

"Don't be ridicul--" AFO stopped. "Well, it's their way. But their methods will work."

Shigaraki realized this was going nowhere. AFO was determined...

But was he determined? 

He'd normally not hesitate, but if AFO was making a mistake here...if he had been deceived by Ender and Akume...then what would happen to all of them?

He thought it would be best if he could speak to the League about it.

"Fine," he said aloud, "I'll play their game for now. But I don't like them." He walked away.

AFO let him, not caring to prolong this any more himself. But he frowned.

"Wow." Kali appeared from around a corner. "He's out of control."

"Quiet, girl," AFO said.

"Hey, don't shoot the messenger, Big Guy," Kali said snidely. "This is why Lord Ender thinks he's unstable. He's not fit for this anymore... They've corrupted him. But fine, keep nursing him along...and when he goes right back to them, what you gonna do then? Cry? Oh, right, you can't." She snickered as she flounced away.

AFO found Kali to be about as annoying as a high-school bully, but if he killed her for her insolence, it would upset the balance of trust with the rest.

Still, Ender would do well to tell her to leave him alone.

* * *

Shigaraki didn't sleep well after all that. He thought Akume might be probing his dreams again...reading his doubts, perhaps. 

He was sure he was being watched too. He saw team Armageddon around all the time.

Finally he got tired of them.

"Are you following me?" he demanded.

They exchanged looks.

"No," said Mixer, but he was probably lying.

Shigaraki lost patience. He grabbed Paint by her arm before they all were ready for it, holding up one finger.

"I think you need to tell me where Compress and Spinner are," he said.

Mixer started to raise his hands.

"Ah," Shigaraki warned, "if you try to confuse me. I may just put this finger down anyway."

Mixer stopped.

"The...master won't like it," Pipe said.

"But the time he finds out, it'll be too late for your friend," Shigaraki said.

Paint gulped.

"Hey, dude," Switch said, "we don't know where they're keeping your friends. They don't tell us much. We're guards mostly."

"I'm not convinced." Shigaraki tightened his grip.

"Wait," Mixer said. "Maybe we can find out. Will you let her go if we do that?"

"And how do I know you won't just run for it?" Shigaraki said.

"He really doesn't know that," Pipe said.

"Shut up, Pipe," Switch hissed.

"It's...fine," Paint gasped. "I know where they are... I sneak around a lot, okay?"

Shigaraki loosened his grip a little. "Where?"

"Not the holding cells where Overhaul is... They're in the reconditioning camp... It's...the inside of the front office...across the park," Paint said.

Shigaraki glanced at them all. "Take me there."

"Let her go," Mixer said.

"After," Shigaraki said.

"Switch..." Pipe said, "you can do it, right?"

"I'd take them both," Switch said.

"Then take us all. It's not worth dying over," Mixer said.

Switch scowled suddenly, but she snapped her fingers.

It felt like the whole world was jerked around. Suddenly they were just in front of a different building. The ground under them moved.

Shigaraki almost fell over but managed not too. "That's a bit like portalling, isn't it?"

"Not advanced enough," Switch said. "I can only switch out space, not time. But it works well enough. Can we go now?"

"No, show me where they are specifically," Shigaraki said.

Paint swallowed. "If they're the same space as before, their rooms are probably just inside. They lock them in at night...but they can come out during the day.... The barriers keep anyone from leaving who the boss doesn't allow to leave."

"Like the DJs..." Shigaraki mused.

Mixer scanned around. "Look, most of them are out right now." he pointed to a spot that had probably once had a grass and planter around the walkway, but it all appeared to be wilted away.

A handful of people were hanging around here. Shigaraki didn't recognize Compress at first, as he had no mask and no costume.

Spinner was nowhere in sight. He'd have been impossible to miss.

But Compress finally looked up and gave a start.

"There's Magic Man," Switch said. "There, happy?"

Shigaraki let go of Paint.

"Don't tell anyone," he said.

"Yeah, whatever." Paint rubbed her arm.

"We should deck him now--" Pipe started to move, but Mixer grabbed him. "Leave him alone... He's worried about his team. I can respect that. I'd do the same if one of you were missing."

"Well, yeah, but don't we have to defend our honor?" Pipe said.

"What honor?" Mixer snorted. "We're just the same as all these guys now. Garbage."

"Mix..." Paint said, kind of sadly.

"If it isn't the little Armageddon squad," Compress said, coming closer. "Not off running errands today?"

"Go to h---," Switch said.

"And to think I traded Medea for this," Compress sniffed.

"Where have you been?" Shigaraki asked him.

"You shouldn't be over here, Boss, unless you're being re- educated too," Compress said. "We'll get in trouble."

"Who's re-educating you? What's this about?" Shigaraki said.

"Ask your little tour-guides-through-hell. They'd know better than me... All I know is those Commanders, they have visited us once or twice a day and do things...things I prefer not to speak of... Where's Silk?"

"Silk..never got retaken...that I know of," Shigaraki said. "Why don't you just leave?"

"If I try," Compress said, "I hit a wall... They say some have crossed it before with enough persistence. But the watchdogs around here just showed up and shoved them back inside. They watch every inch of this place. No one leaves if they aren't allowed to."

"Then what are they teaching?" Shigaraki asked.

"I'm not clear on that," Compress said. "My mind is muddled a lot..." He kind of grimaced. "It's terrifying, I know that... This is a bad place..." He winced. "But who can leave? Might as well accept it."

In the background, Paint recoiled a little.

"This is sick, man," Pipe said to Mixer in a low tone. "We didn't sign up for this."

"Who can leave?" Mixer echoed Compress' tone. "Forget it, it's not our problem." He turned.

"Wait," Shigaraki said, "what are they doing to Compress?"

"Nothing much, Bub." Switch looked up. "Just what they do to all the new recruits who didn't sign up for it willingly. Teach them their place. The big boss is powerful."

"These four were just a pack of street thugs," Compress said. "Only reason they're here is luck. Isn't that right?"

Mixer shrugged.

"They found us because we'd fought the DJs," Paint said in a small voice. "They wanted any info on them they could get."

"What?" Shigaraki said. "When did you fight them?"

"They never told you? Huh, we thought you were tight," Pipe said. "But yeah, we fought, once. We were trying to mess up a kid from a Hero school, that one Smile Idiot's class... We were Stain's fans at one time...LOV fans, too. They stopped us. We wanted our revenge...then Kali approached us and offered us a job... She said she wanted to know about them. She ran into them too, you know, at Shiketsu... Actually, she was watching them for a long time."

"Shh," Switch said, "Akume will know that you told him. He'll punish us."

"He's one of us now. Why does it matter?" Pipe said. "They told him everything else."

Switch scowled like that didn't convince her.

"I've been informed that the DJs are not trustworthy" Shigaraki said, "so please, continue."

Pipe perked up. "We didn't know what they were at the time, but we told them what powers we observed. They offered to train us up, make us a real gang... Lord Ender...he can kind of enhance people's quirks. I'm not sure how he does it. Lends his strength sort of. He made us stronger."

"At a price," Mixer said. He looked over his shoulder. "The nightmares get worse."

"The sick feeling can be bad too," Paint said, "like breathing fumes...and sometimes I just feel dizzy."

"But we're stronger," Pipe said.

"I didn't used to mind being weaker," Switch muttered. "I thought we were fine."

"Oh, you agreed to it same as all of us," Paint said.

"I thought it was sus," Switch said.

"You didn't say so!"

"Girls, stop it," Mixer said. They shut up.

"Mostly we do minor jobs," Pipe said. "But Paint's good at blending into the background. She's our eyes and ears...so, yeah, we know what's up."

"Riveting," Compress said. "And yet you're still here."

"Do you not trust them?" Shigaraki said.

"Not trusting people who kidnapped me... Let me think about it," Compress said, then he winced. "But perhaps it was necessary... Why did I say that...?"

Paint shivered.

"This is giving me the heebie jeebies," Switch said. "I hate this place. Let's just go."

"You should go," Mixer told Shigaraki. "They'll punish him if you keep talking before he's completed the course."

"Shigaraki," Compress said, "about Spinner...they see us...but you know, he's weak... Whatever they do to me, he can't take it for long. I never liked him, but it's just inhumane. You ought to think about getting him out."

"I intend to get both of you out," Shigaraki said. "But Master doesn't believe that they are mistreating you. I don't understand how he can not know what's going on if it's so close."

"Well, you're totally clueless, aren't you?" Pipe said.

Paint elbowed him. "Shut up."

"Oh, well, take your time," Compress said. "But they'll never let us escape." He sounded hollow there. "It's clear enough now."

He was reminding Shigaraki of Lethe somehow... That wasn't good.

Shigaraki started to walk away, following team Armageddon.

They looked at him.

"He doesn't seem so bad," Paint hissed at the others. "Maybe...you never know..."

"We've made our choices," Mixer said.

"Look, overthrowing Heroes was one thing, but this is getting beyond that... Messing with people who didn't have it coming...messing with kids...come on," Paint said.

"We couldn't even kill those Heroes," Pipe said. "I'm worried they'll discard us.... You know how they are with people who fail."

"You know what Master Ender can do..." Switch said.

"What?" Shigaraki finally broke into this.

They looked back at him.

Switch looked around uncomfortably. "Well...I don't know exactly how he does it...but...when Kali didn't succeed at bringing in that woman, Ender was watching...or listening.... I don't know how they do that either, but Akume can kind of challenge him or something.... Anyway, he flipped a table."

"Ender did that?" Shigaraki couldn't picture it. He was so stoic.

"He didn't yell or nothing." Switch shoved her hands into her pockets. "But the table...unmade itself."

"Unmade?"

"I don't know how else to put it. It didn't disintegrate or break into pieces, it was more like it unraveled. It looked wrong. He walked away like nothing happened... Not even sure he noticed he did it...but if it could work on a person...who knows...?"

"Strange," Shigaraki muttered.

"They want to kill the DJs you know," Mixer said dully.

"I thought they wanted to capture them," Shigaraki said.

"Yeah...so they can suck the life out of them," Switch said. "Then they'll kill them. Lord Ender hates them. I don't know what's true anymore... You used to be friends with them, right?"

"All I know is, the only thing that seems to worry the master at all is them," Mixer said, "but he seems too happy right now, like he thinks he has them where he wants them."

"Yeah, well, it won't matter to us, Mix," Switch said. "We're dead if they win, and we're dead if he doesn't win fast enough too..."

"I heard Kali talking about you." Paint looked at Shigaraki warily. "She said you still think they might be right."

Shigaraki said nothing.

"We don't know who's right," Mixer said, "so there's nothing we can tell you."

"I think we could say that it feels wrong," Pipe said, "being here... At least it does now."

"If they cared about you at all, why'd they let you come back here? That's what I want to know," Paint said, bitterly.

"They...said it was my choice," Shigaraki said. 

"Idiots," Mixer said, "trying to be noble or some s--- when they could die. Maybe they deserve what they get."

"Why not tell you it was a bad idea?" Switch said. "If they think we're so evil."

"They did," Shigaraki said.

"And you didn't listen?" Pipe was incredulous. "The people who actually care about you said that and you ignored it? Wow...you're dumb."

"What are you talking about?" Shigaraki said. "You're all here."

"Well, all we have is each other," Pipe said. "We ain't got no one else. Our parents are either dead or think we're not worth their time. Ain't got any other people out there looking for us or who'd miss us if we were gone, so...yeah, why would we bother?"

"Kids like us end up working for one guy or another," Mixer said. "Might as well be the top dog."

"But people who have options," Switch said, "they're different."

"If anyone gave a s--- about us enough to warn us," Paint said, "maybe we'd have blown them off...but at least....looking back, it'd be nice to think they cared. We ain't telling you this because we like you or anything, freak. You seem like a loser, actually...but you suck more for letting that go. Ungrateful prick."

Mirko had called him that too.

Shigaraki stopped and stared at her.

"You were like us once," Mixer said. "That's what I heard... Then AFO found you...so now you work for him."

"Yes...Master took me in."

"But you had a whole group of people willing to do that, not just him? And they didn't want to brainwash others?" Paint said. "Talk about not seeing the bigger picture." She changed color briefly--literally. "What a moron."

"Guess AFO's really important to you, if you'd trade a chance to escape this for him," Pipe said. "Eh, if he knew what's good for him...but we've talked too much about it... They'll punish us later."

"The don't care what we tell him," Mixer said. "He'll never leave AFO anyway. Isn't that right?" He scoffed. "Come on...we have patrolling to do." They walked away.

Shigaraki stood for a while, thinking.

* * *

"It might be time to dial it up," AFO told Akume. "Destroy one of them."

"It's not so easy," Akume said. "They know too much now. They're hindering my attacks."

"How can they, you have that machine." AFO indicated the machine he believed enhanced Akume's powers. "You don't even need them to be asleep anymore."

"But being asleep makes it easier to really do damage," Akume said. "Waking people have defenses up. People who are asleep don't usually, but those DJs and their students are different. A part of them is active even while asleep. They don't belong to this world. The DJs are more fluid anyway."

"Well, find a weak link," AFO said.

"You know, I don't take orders from you." Akume looked up, adjusting his coat.

"We had a deal that at least a few of those fools would be killed," AFO said, "and so far none of them are. If you want me to hold up my end, you hold up yours."

Akume frowned.

"Oh, it's all right Akume." Ender appeared out of the shadows. "It could be our new colleague has a point. I'm a man of my word. I have a hunch that some of them should be weeded out. But I wouldn't let the boy find out it was us--yet."

Akume switched on his device. "Get Panniku in here then--uh, by your leave."

Ender waved a hand.

* * *

"Rumi, I really think it's a bad idea to leave campus," Shine said.

"I can't stay around here any longer," Mirko said. "I'm going stir crazy."

Shine bit her lip. "You know...you're not more likely to run into him if you go out there"

Mirko froze, then she scoffed. "That's not it... I'm going to visit Ren. Who knows if they'll come after him? He should be warned."

"I agree, but let one of us go with you, then," Shine said.

"I would prefer to do this alone," Mirko said.

"You need space," Shine said, "and I understand, but it's not smart."

"I'll tell you what, Miss Likstar," Midnight said, "I'll go with her. I could use a change of scenery--that's not a strange haunted mountain, that is."

Shine didn't like it, but as they seemed intent on going anyway, she let them.

She felt uneasy though. No more attacks had happened since Shigaraki had gone, but she didn't believe that was really to honor his wishes--it was more like they had no need of them anymore. They got what they wanted. Shine couldn't think about that without feeling discouraged.

* * *

It wasn't too far to Ren's dorms.

"I'm going to keep an eye out for cute college guys," Midnight said. "You run along."

"That's disgusting," Mirko said.

"You're into a Villain," Midnight said. "And isn't he a teenager?"

"No!" Mirko said, like it was shocking. "He's 21."

"And you're 29, right?"

"26!"

"So we're both into younger men," Midnight said.

"5 years and 15 seem like a pretty big gap to me," Mirko shot back, storming away.

Midnight actually didn't really intend to prowl around the college, but she did get out of the car. The driver said nothing.

Midnight yawned. "Wow...I thought it was more well rested, but suddenly I am drained."

She rubbed her eyes...then stopped. "I really did feel fine a moment ago... That's not like me."

Could be old age setting in... No! Wait a minute.

"Oh no." Midnight ran as fast as she could the direction Mirko had gone.

Mirko was in the hall to Ren's dorm when she started to feel sleepy.

"Huh...I had so much espresso earlier." She slowed. "What the heck...?"

It came on so heavy she almost didn't have a chance to question it.

Before she even knew it was happening, she was dreaming... Dark claws were coming out of the floor. Strange noises--which to her sensitive ears was worse than the sight--were filling the room.

Ren opened his door and came into the hall.

"Run!" she yelled at him. "It's happening again!"

Ren came towards her instead. "What are these things--?"

The claws reached up behind and snatched him. Horrible sounds and howling ensued.

Mirko wanted to look away but couldn't... She seemed frozen.

Midnight stumbled into the hall and saw Mirko frozen in place, and the shadows on the wall looming behind her, though to Midnight they didn't look like they were 3D, just that they were attached, grabbing her by the neck.

"I...have no idea how to fight these things..." Midnight said, hand on her whip. Maybe she could wake Mirko up with it. Maybe that would work.

But it didn't work. Mirko seemed to turn it into part of the nightmare.

* * *

"Careful now," Akume said to Panniku, who was hooked up to the device also. "Too much and her sense of unreality might awaken and she'll come out of it."

"Pain could wake her up too," Panniku said, gritting her teeth.

"Fascinating." AFO was enjoying this learning experience.

"Perhaps Itami could help," Ujiko suggested.

"Right here." Itami stepped in. "Allow me."

 He took one of the hook up lines too and seemed to focus.

"And if they do this long enough, she'll just die of shock," Ujiko told AFO. "A terrible way to die, in agony. Befitting for a Hero, isn't it? They're so annoyingly brave in real life, but no one can manufacture bravery in a dream."

"Keep it quiet though," Akume warned. "If her brother comes, he might snap her out of it. People with close personal bonds can sometimes break through the mirage. A feeling of comfort is associated with them. That's how she escaped before."

"Well, he is not coming this time," AFO said, frowning, "and we can be rid of this nuisance once and for all... Why not kill the other Hero too while we're at it?"

"Two people is hard," Akume said.

"Allow me," Ender said. "This is proving to be more interesting than I thought." He seemed to focus.