Mabui and Mirko talked a bit more, about their troubles with men and other things, but they also discovered they had a lot in common, both having had to deal with publicity a lot--and the pressure to perform well.

Considering they had polar opposite personalities, it was odd how much they could relate.

Mirko got along much better with the snowy tempered Mabui than she did with Midnight, Miss Joke, or Silk. They were all too spicy to properly counter her.

In fact...Mirko tried saying something belligerent one time, and the look Mabui gave her was enough to chill her bones, and it wan't even an angry look...so that kind of put an end to that.

"I can't believe that b------d Dabi," Mirko commented. "At least you gave it to him."

"I hope I didn't make a mistake," Mabui confessed. "I feel awful..." She sighed. "But I didn't know what else to do."

"Yeah..." Mirko frowned. "At least your idiot knew what was going on, though... I'm never going to even get that idea across." She sighed.

"I think you're lucky that you still have a shot," Mabui said. "But to each their own trouble. I'm still rooting for you... It's a miracle you've gotten this far."

"Tell me about it. Who would have ever thought?" Mirko gestured dramatically. "But then...with the League split up like this, it's hard to get excited. I hate to think of Compress and Spinner in the clutches of that megalomaniac, either of them."

"You've gotten quite attached to them," Mabui noted.

"I..." Mirko hesitated. "The League...what I can I say? They're a pain in the tail, but they accept people how they are--maybe a little too much--but for once I didn't feel like I was too much, you know...too crazy, or aggressive, or scary... I get that a lot with Heroes."

Mabui nodded. "Or too intelligent, too good at your job, so someone might stab you in the back."

"Not much fear of that when you don't have the same job," Mirko said.

"I never expected that the DJs would be the only group I ever felt I fit into," Mabui  said, "but that is how it happened. I would hate for my problems with Dabi to come between us."

"They'd never be that petty," Mirko said.

"Well, I think the League sounds all right," Mabui said. "Loyalty is an admirable quality in the ninja world... I will do my best to get them back if it falls to my power, I assure you."

"I think Shigaraki might need to hear that more than me at this point," Mirko said darkly. "He must be devastated... He won't admit it, but those idiots are literally all he cares about."

Mabui smiled a little. "They are so surprising, aren't they? I mean...these famed Villains, yet so warm-hearted at odd times."

Mirko nodded. "Yeah...you know I'd never tell that to anyone else because they think I was crazy, but you already get it."

"As I had difficulty in explaining why I like Touya to anyone else, but I have a feeling you also 'get it' as you said," Mabui said. "It's...the unexpected nature of it, isn't it?"

"Yes, exactly, finally!" Mirko sat up straighter. "Like...they're supposed to be scary and cruel and stuff, but they turn out to be...weirdly nice...sweet, even...which is not usually my type at all, but...somehow it kind of works."

"I wouldn't go as far as sweet, but kind," Mabui said, "in a different way, but kind nonetheless. Protective... He just can't see it in himself... That is why he holds back. It's saddens me, but I begin to despair of ever being able to help him."

"But what does he do for you?" Mirko said. "And I don't mean that in a weird way... Gosh, I hate Midnight's influence."

"I didn't take it that way," Mabui said, a little embarrassed. "I'm afraid I'm not really skilled at implications like that... But to answer your question, I think...Touya was one man I couldn't sort out right away, and then he challenged me. I liked it... A lot of people are driven away by my professionalism and treat me a little too nicely. Saves me a lot of trouble, but it's...lonely... He didn't act that way. And when I earned his respect, it felt like an accomplishment."

"That does make sense," Mirko said. "Though...uh, no offense, with Dabi, I don't get it." She made a face. "But I guess it's your taste."

"What was it for you?"

"Well, you know," Mirko cocked her ears, "Shigaraki has absolutely no sense of politeness or anything...which, uh, is something I get accused of, but he really doesn't, like, not even enough to be embarrassed about it. So he say whatever he thinks...and if that's criticism then you know it's serious, but if it's positive...then he's not out to flatter you or get you to do something. He just honestly thinks that, no other motive and no wish to just make you feel better. I hate that, the pity thing."

"But it's not there." Mabui was nodding. "I see... I understand actually how that would be attractive."

"Hey," Mirko said.

"I don't mean it that way... He's not my type," Mabui said. "But I understand it for you. My read of you is that you detest anything that's disingenuous in the slightest. You don't trust people so easily, do you?"

"No..."

"Neither do I. I think both of us are drawn to people who eschew the normal, because people who are not anxious to make good impressions they actually tend to be most trustworthy, if you can earn their respect." 

"Good way to put it," Mirko said, "not that I really care to analyze all this."

"Well, it is what I do," Mabui said. "Professional habit."

"So now that we've figured it all out, where do we go from here?" Mirko asked.

Mabui was on the point of answering, when Dabi suddenly interrupted them. "Hey..." he said.

Mirko got up. "What do you want?" she said warily.

"I just need a minute," Dabi said.

Mabui frowned but nodded. "Very well. It's all right, Rumi."

"Well...fine, you asked for this." Mirko stalked out of the room.

Shigaraki was just in the hall way outside... Apparently he'd gotten lost on his way back from the bathroom.

"D--- it...this stupid agency are so big," he muttered.

Mirko leaned on the wall. "Makes me think I saved myself a lot of turns by not having one."

Shigaraki jumped. 

"Lost?" Mirko said.

"No," he lied.

Mirko shrugged. "Come on...I think the two lovebirds want some privacy anyway..." She glanced back. "I don't want to listen to it if they make up." She led the way.

"The two what?" Shigaraki said. 

"Dabi and Mabui. Guess you didn't notice."

"Dabi...and the secretary?"

"Yeah, basic, I know," Mirko said. "Talk about boring. She's cool though... She could do better."

"Cool? Since when do you know each other?"

"Since last week, duh," Mirko said. "What, you got a problem with it?"

"First Hawks, now Endeavor," Shigaraki muttered to himself. "Why not just the whole tier...?"

Mirko rolled her eyes.

"Rumi!" Hawks suddenly came flying at them and skidded to a stop. "There you are. Hey...do you think you could lend me hand? I've got interns trying to get back in here, and I need to prove that I'm really colluding with someone else."

"I guess," Mirko said. "Why not get Endeavor to?"

"Why do you think? He left already. He says he won't stop working while we're twiddling our thumbs... I mean, I get it, I want to patrol also, but I'm a little afraid you'll all trash the place while I'm gone-- The point is, they need to be convinced this isn't another prank of mine."

"Another one?" Mirko said.

"Oh, you missed a lot." Hawks filed a feather through his hand. "There's a whole' nother side of me, Rumi, that you don't know about."

"Your dumb side? 'Cause I knew about that," Mirko said.

"No, my tricky side." Hawks looked over at Shigaraki, then he took her arm. "Just ask Midnight and Camie. We pulled a fast one on Dabi yesterday."

"Do you mind?" Mirko jerked free. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Just play along," Hawks hissed. "I'm trying to help you."

"Well, stop trying." Mirko frowned.

Shigaraki was glaring like he'd murder Hawks in another second.

"Then again, it might be bad for my health to keep doing good deeds like this," Hawks said. "I might just have to nix the idea. Unless you want to go for it?"

"I think you should see a shrink," Mirko said. "This wingman act of yours is just insanity personified."

"Ouch..." Hawks said. "That hurt... You're so ungrateful."

"She's doing you the favor and she's ungrateful?" Shigaraki said snippily.

"Oh, I am so many levels ahead of you," Hawks said to him slyly, "but at least I know what I want."

"Why don't you get back to your girlfriend?" Mirko said.

"She's at school actually," Hawks said. "But I can take a hint. Good luck with that one, then." he flew off.

"Idiot," Mirko said.

"Hawks will never leave anyone alone," Shigaraki complained.

"At least for once he's trying to help," Mirko said, "in his own dumb way."

"You like Hawks?" Shigaraki said something very odd.

Mirko frowned... Shigaraki never asked people if they liked any one.

"Uh...at times." She shrugged. "When he's not being an ass, he's all right. He can be pretty cheeky. I like that. But he's such a white knight, I want to strangle him the rest of the time. The worst of Hero men, really, they always think you need saving." She gestured wildly. "Like I need his help."

"He's stupid," Shigaraki said.

"True...but I guess we can't all be geniuses, right?" She winked. "I better go fix it with those interns before we have paparazzi all over this dump." She hopped toward the front entrance.

Shigaraki smirked slightly to himself for some reason, then stopped. What was he smiling about? This whole situation was just one problem after another... He remembered AFO and went back to frowning...

[So close.]

* * *

https://youtu.be/Pn0P0YTzo24

"So what is it?" Mabui asked Dabi cordially.

"Just...don't do the ice woman thing, okay?" Dabi said.

"Excuse me?" 

"See, that right there, stop it," Dabi said. "I came in here to apologize."

"Apologizing for snapping at me won't change anything," Mabui said.

"Not for that," Dabi said. "I figure that's moot at this point... Look...I'm sorry I didn't give you a straight answer before...and that I waited..." He clenched his fists. "I have all kinds of problems, and...I think they're big ones...but it could also be I just think too much of myself."

Mabui tilted her head. "This isn't what I want to hear," she said. "I understand how you feel, Touya. I can accept that." She stood up and turned her back. "But I just can't be responsible for it."

"I know that," Dabi said. "Can you just listen?"

She paused.

"You stepping off from this...I mean, I had that coming," Dabi admitted. "I shouldn't have pushed it. I thought it would be bad to rush into something I'm not ready for, but...also...the idea that you would just let it go, it...was the worst."

Mabui looked back, a little surprised. 

"I got used to you being around," Dabi went on with difficulty, "so used to it, that I didn't notice it. You came here, and I was still used to it...so I didn't feel any real urgency. I got complacent about deciding to move forward. And you know I'm insecure...a lot.... I hate that about myself.... But when you said you were humiliated...I didn't even think about that. That's because I'm selfish... I thought it would be bad for me and for you, but playing it safe, that wasn't any better. I wasn't being considerate, I was just being an ass... I guess they're right about me. I realize that now. I thought you should know that... I don't blame you, I blame me. I'm sorry about it too."

Mabui drew a deep breath. "Well...I'm...pleased to hear that you've understood me correctly," she said.

Dabi waited.

"Uh...Mabui," he said slowly, "I...I do love you...just...so you know."

Mabui dropped her pen in shock and turned to face him fully. "What?"

"I just...get scared of saying it," Dabi said, "so I don't.... Sorry, you really deserved more than that."

"Forget about that, just say that again," Msbui said, almost too quickly.

"Which part?"

"Do not torment me in this manner, Touya. You know which part!"

"I love you?" Dabi said.

Mabui smiled finally. "I love you too," she said. "Strange...isn't it?"

"I can't imagine why," Dabi said.

Mabui came a little closer. "Well, it could be that you're just so bad, I can't help it, but I'm inclined to think it's just that you're better than you think you are. If I could persuade you of that, maybe we'd have a chance."

Dabi swallowed hard. "Well...uh...is it too late to ask now?"

Mabui raised an eyebrow. "Ask what?"

"I don't want to rush," Dabi said awkwardly. "I figure...I mean, I have another 17 months of this service things...so...if at the end of that, you're still convinced this is what you want, we could talk a more permanent arrangement...but...um...we could try it out in the meantime..."

"You mean...date?" Mabui said.

"Well, it seems like the best compromise," Dabi said.

Mabui laughed a little. "This is your way of asking me that?"

"Now you're tormenting me by playing hard to get," Dabi said. "Look, are you still open to it or not? Just tell me?"

Mabui stepped closer and put a hand to his face. "I was only waiting for you to finally ask me. Don't be so thick."

"Oh...wow...I kind of thought that would be harder..." Dabi said.

"I'm taking it easy on you because I've been miserable since yesterday," Mabui said, "but next time I'll expect a much more thorough apology for your stupidity."

"Wow...I might be rethinking this now," Dabi said.

Mabui frowned. 

"I'll have to start all over for the beginning," Dabi went on slyly.

"You!" Mabui swatted his shoulder, but Dabi leaned over to cup her chin.

"Sorry, it was too easy."

"You're insufferable," Mabui said, before kissing him quite unexpectedly.

Dabi stopped talking, naturally.

[Finally...counting the other story they're in, this build-up took forever for me. Glad to see Dabi finally getting wiser.]

https://youtu.be/9SFdVXtUOxM

* * *

It was more peaceful than anyone expected, at least for that brief period.

Shine played her music and spent her time either worshiping to it or sitting with the students and Eri and just talking, or in silence, but with a hug or pat or some gesture like that.

Wally played games with them, and sometimes he and Shine just sat together.

The teachers felt unexpectedly peaceful also.

"We should be planning," Aizawa said.

"Sometimes you can't plan," Miss Joke said. "Let it go, Shota." She smiled weakly.

After a pause Aizawa said, "I...want to thank you, Joke...for...everything."

"I didn't do anything." Miss Joke was puzzled.

"I mean...from the start, you were trying to help and to make us see," Aizawa said. "I should have listened. And for helping with Eri.... She perks up a lot around you."

"She perks up around you too, Shota...but I'll accept it," Miss Joke said. "I'm happy to help.... It's kind of nice, not just being a teacher or a Hero all the time."

"Surprisingly, I don't hate it," Aizawa said.

"So I guess spending time with me no longer sounds like a literal nightmare," Miss Joke said.

Aizawa cringed at the memory of saying that. "I probably should have been easier on you..."

"It's my fault," Miss Joke said. "I teased you on purpose.... I knew what would happen, so it's fine."

"I didn't actually mean to hurt anyone," Aizawa said. "If I went too far, I apologize."

"Well...uh, same, then," Miss Joke said.

Aizawa shrugged. "I didn't really mind it as much as I pretended to.... I'm just used to being left alone."

"And you're real good at it too," Miss Joke said. "People have to be stubborn to be your friends...but, deep down, you're grateful, aren't you?" She smiled more upbeat.

"I...suppose, the way you're grateful for a dentist appointment," Aizawa said.

"You and your witty remarks," Miss Joke said dryly. "I know you have a sense of humor in there. You just cocoon it up with that sleeping bag."

Aizawa finally cracked a smile.

Miss Joke risked putting her hand over his. "You know we're going to be okay, right? I mean, somehow, we always get through these things. And your kids will be okay too. Look how strong they are now."

The kids were mostly doing regular activities or talking. It was true--they didn't seem on the edge of panic.

"Stronger than I was," Aizawa said.

"So you succeeded, right?" Miss Joke said. "They're happy you're here with them. Really, you'd see if you'd just pay attention. I can tell."

"Still, you didn't have to be here, but you chose to be. It...does mean...a lot..."

"Don't give yourself a heart attack, Eraser," Miss Joke said. "I get it. You don't have to spell it out for me. I'll save you the trouble: You've very happy I have decided to stick around, you'd be lost without me, and you hope I won't get tired of all the excitement and retire."

Aizawa shot her a look, but he didn't contradict any of it.

"That just melts my heart." Emi was only half kidding. "It wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I should just let you do the talking for both of us, if that's the case."

"Well, you always said I could talk enough for two people..." Emi reflected.

https://youtu.be/sY48BqCiyzo

* * *

Mirko suspected Shigaraki was tailing her again.... She couldn't exactly prove it.

She didn't really mind, but it was distracting.

Medea teased her about it too. Poor Medea...somehow Mirko didn't have the heart to punish her that hard--she was so stressed out about Lethe.

But he had begun resting a little easier. Yin was starting to have less panic attacks already, and it hadn't been that long. Lethe was becoming a little more reassured...

The DJs could work miracles, that was for sure. If they could just work one more and defeat Ender--but Mirko pushed that aside. She didn't care to worry about things she couldn't help.

Ren was going to come join them here, with Kayla, after picking up a few "essentials", but he also mentioned that someone else might be coming with them.

Intelli probably.

They did need all the help they could get.

Maybe they could pull this off... Mirko thought, as she searched around the staff's coffee room for their supply of espresso... She knew it was in her somewhere. Hawks had mentioned it.

She had a carrot in one hand too, not helping her search.

Finally she used her ears to pry open the top cupboard and spied it. Ha, someone must have hidden it up here just to spite people who were short.

[I completely buy this inner narration of her thoughts as canon for doing daily activities. She so would act like this.]

Well, joke was on them, she could just jump up there and get it.

A normal person would have just gotten a chair, but not Mirko. She started to calculate the exact amount of oomph to put into her spring.

"What are you doing?" Shigaraki startled her at the last possible second, and she over compensated and smacked into the ceiling instead.

"Oww..." she groaned, on the floor. "S---, why did you do that?"

"Why are you trying to jump on top of the cupboard?"

"What? I'm not!" Mirko frowned. "I was just trying to get the d--- espresso. Thanks a lot."

How embarrassing! It was so obvious she just couldn't reach it now... Stupid flying bird agency people!

Yes, it was of minor concern with all the other problems going on at the moment, but she liked to focus on things she could actually complain about.

[These two are more alike than they realize.]

"It's not that high up." Shigaraki made it worse, coming up to the cupboard. "Why would you even bother--?" Then he seemed to remember.

"Why are you watching was the better question," Mirko griped.

"I wasn't! I was...looking for something."

"Was it the door?" Mirko said.

"It was espresso." Shigaraki was clearly lying.

"It was not!" Mirko said.

This was childish, but she needed a good distraction anyway.

Actually it was kind of funny when him got uncomfortable...

"It was too." Shigaraki sounded like a 5-year old, all right. He reached up for it.

That was just adding insult to injury!

"Hey, I can get it. I was here first." She jumped up, but of course she just crashed into him instead, and they both fell onto the floor.

The offending coffee package fell out next to them.

Mirko rolled her eyes.

"That's what happens when you get over-competitive," Shigaraki said.

"When I did? I was here first," Mirko said.

"If you can't reach something, then why not just let someone else get it?"

"Excuse me?!" Mirko snapped. "Are you trying to start a fight? And height is just a phenomenon of nature. It's not really a skill!"

"Who said it was?"

"Ergh, forget it!" She jumped and slammed the cupboard shut. "Funny, after sharing the same house for months, I almost forgot how convenient it was to know where everything was... This agency is elitist toward people who can fly."

"That doesn't make any sense," Shigaraki said. "It would be higher if that was true."

Mirko winced. "Are you trying to offend me or are you just that dumb?"

"You can't make up your mind between dumb and genius," Shigaraki noted.

Mirko paused. "Eh, well, you're the kind of person who can definitely switch between both on a whim."

Shigaraki shot her an annoyed look...or was it...playful? Nah, he didn't know what that emotion was...

Shigaraki himself actually wasn't sure why he was prolonging this. Maybe he just missed things not being so...simple as before.

Mirko tossed the package up on top of the cupboard.

"Now I bet only I can get it." She crossed her arms.

"That's just petty," Shigaraki said.

"It's a short person thing," she said.

"Well, I can just destroy the cupboard, then," Shigaraki said.

"Now wait a minute," Mirko protested. "Hawks is going to lose it if you damage this room. Try explaining that to the staff."

"You can explain it. I'll tell him you were being petty."

"No you don't!" Mirko tried to block him.

Shigaraki pulled away too fast, like he was actually scared. "Are you crazy?!"

Mirko shoved away and knocked the door of the cupboard clean off its hinges by accident... It was already loose.

The door hit her in the back, and she ducked forward to get out of the way.

Somehow this ended up with both of them on the floor again, this time in a much more awkward position.

Mirko rubbed her head. "Well...that was stupid... You okay?"

"Get off!" Shigaraki squeaked.

"Hey, it's not like it was on purpose. That stupid door just--"

Mirko glanced up suddenly.

Hawks was in the doorway, with the weirdest look on his face.

"Uh...no, don't mind me," he said. "I was just here for coffee and chicken, but I can come back later."

Mirko got up fast and tripped. "Hawks, this was an accident!"

"I'm sure it was." Hawks backed up. "Sorry, sorry, I was never here."

He was gone.

"What's his problem?" Shigaraki got up.

"I'm...so dead..." Mirko groaned to herself. "At least it wasn't Midnight..."

Then she smacked Shigaraki in the arm. "This is your fault. This always ends up happening around you because you're too stubborn."

"Me?" Shigaraki said with his classic intonation. "You're the one who started it!" He rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, well, you finished it." Mirko didn't even know if that made sense.

"You broke the door!"

"Err!" Mirko kicked the offending door across the room.

"You're angry." Shigaraki suddenly seemed serious.

Mirko paused.

"No," she said, brushing her hair back. "I'm just having fun with it... Why? Did I seem serious?"

Shigaraki didn't answer right off. He was staring into space.

Mirko snapped her fingers, and he blinked, then just sank to the floor.

"Oh my gosh..." Mirko got down next to him. "What did I do?... Sorry.... Geez, I didn't mean to..."

It wasn't really her actually, Shigaraki thought dimly. Hawks had sort of taken him by surprise, and it reminded him a little too much of when his dad caught them doing something he didn't like. Mirko's temper was nothing new to him at this point, but one thought led to another...

He realized she was kind of shaking him.

"It's...nothing," he said vaguely.

"It's something..." Mirko was all concern now. "I...didn't mean to scare..." She trailed off.

"It's not you," Shigaraki said blandly. "I just can't seem to get away from it... I forgot for a moment, but..."

Of course there was hardly any waking moment he wasn't thinking about AFO... No surprise, he'd spent most of his time thinking about that and hatred for years and years.

Mirko had a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said slowly, trying to do what Shine would do. "Just...a flashback..."

Shigaraki now turned to look at her little blankly.

Then they just kind of froze like that.

Mirko swallowed, not really sure whether this was a good or bad sign.

"You....probably shouldn't be...this close..." Shigaraki said kind of uncertainly.

Bad things happen, he thought.

Mirko pulled her hand back. "I didn't mean to be pushy." She mentally kicked herself.

"People get hurt..." Shigaraki finished his thought.

Mirko actually felt relieved-- It was just that!

That maybe should have been more of red flag for her, but then again, she'd lived through this enough times with him to not really care anymore.

"Well, I'm fine." She held up her hands. "See? Stop worrying so much."

Shigaraki just stared at her.

This was getting kind of hard to resist...

Mirko thought, I have really bad self control...

Of course...Shigaraki might not be helping here... That look on most people would have been a pretty clear signal...

Oh, what the h---,  Mirko thought to herself. It couldn't get more awkward than it already was.

She leaned forward.

Shigaraki didn't move to get away at all when she kissed him.

Then she pulled back. "There...see?"

Wow, she thought...when did I get good at this?

"Apparently..." Shigaraki said in a very small voice.

Mirko almost choked on a laugh.

Then she remembered that someone could probably come in here again, and she got up. "You know what? It's all yours." She exited the room--and leaned on the wall.

"I think I'm getting a little overconfident here..." she muttered to herself. "Come on...it's not like... I mean..." She put a hand to her lips. "Or...is it?"

But...could it be? Was this...actually mutual?

[You know...this is the third time, Mirko, and he still hasn't gotten mad about it... I might suggest that the evidence points that direction.

She's so dumb sometimes. 😂 😘]

* * *

Ren and Kayla arrived in the late afternoon, and the person they brought with them was not Intelli, but in fact Kitsune.

And she was angry.

"It's been days!" she yelled at the group. "I haven't heard from Spinner in over 3 days! And then I hear you're all holed up somewhere hiding! What the h--- is up with that? I want answers, d--- it!"

"Spinner is kidnapped," Silk said flatly, arms crossed, "so is Compress. We are waiting for enemy to make move."

"What?" Kitsune was stunned and then horrified.

They explained as best as they could...though the world thing was a little hard for her to accept.

"I don't know if I believe that," she crossed her arms, "but the long and short of it is, this creep you say has them hostage, and you're just sitting around here?"

"Now, ma'am, we aim to do the best we can, but we gotta make them show themselves," Dillon said.

Kitsune sniffed contemptuously. "Well, seems like it's working."

"It will," Shine said. "Trust me. Ender will not rest till he has us, all of us probably. If he tries any other move, we'd sense it, somehow...and he knows that."

"So what does it mean that he hasn't moved yet?" Midnight wondered.

"Kitsune, you're welcome to stay," Wally offered, "if you want, but this is going to be really risky, and you might be better off just waiting it out."

Kitsune looked defiant. "This threat is this bad, and you think I'm sitting it out? You need all the help you can get."

"Her quirk could be very useful, you know," Shine said. "If she's got the guts, I wouldn't say no to her."

"Well...fine," Wally said.

Kitsune nodded firmly.

"So...you're a Hero?" Midnight asked politely.

"I am a sidekick Hero." Kitsune stuck out her hand half-heartedly. "Work name is Aesop. My quirk allows me to trick people up to three times into believe anything I tell them. As long as they aren't distracted too much."

"That's both overpowered and underpowerd," Midnight said. "I'm Midnight. My quirk is Somnambulist. I put people to sleep."

"So you're quirk is being really boring," Kitsune said.

Midnight frowned.

Mirko laughed in the background.

"I emit fragrance," Midnight said.

"So you're like Nyquil?" Kitsune said.

"Are you...trying to anger me on purpose?" Midnight asked.

"I dunno, it's just funny," Kitsune said, "but I guess I shouldn't talk. Sounds dangerous enough."

Ren and Kayla left Kitsune to sort things out for herself.

"The Tinker is at your service," Ren said to the others. "Intelli's a little spooked by this guy, but it sounds like we won't be doing much hacking. Maybe I can bust up some machine though."

"Shigaraki still hasn't told us that much about it," Shine mused. "He's shaken up. They really cut him deep."

"It's a pity," Ren said. He eyed Mirko. "Is he totally gone?"

"No," Shine said. "He's still there...but he has not a clue how to deal with all this... This respite was actually really for him."

"It was?" Dabi was listening.

"Yes... We need him to win," Shine said. "I've thought so for months, and now I'm sure of it...but it would be cruel to force him to fight...but we need some kind of help... I wanted him to have time to recover...though a day or two is hardly enough."

"It is more than Heroes would have given him," Aizawa commented. "Ever the merciful ones, aren't you?"

"We're just trying to be kind," Wally said.

"If he knew you were holding off because of him, he'd probably say to just go ahead," Dabi said. "He might have been a brat, but he's businesslike, quick to the punch."

"Which is why we have not said that to his face," Shine said.

"You can't coddle him," Aizawa said. "Its all our lives, and perhaps the whole world's, if this madman is as large a threat at you fear. It's time to question him."

They sighed, but they knew he was right.