About 4 days after the Camp incident, the LOV was not doing great.

They heard through the underground vine that rumors were spreading about Overhaul's gang being routed by a group of heroes...and some other people. No word yet if they'd been recognized.

Compress said Dabi might have got through all right, but Shigaraki should never have gone--he did not say that to his face, however.

Dabi found himself caring surprisingly little about it. He should have been more concerned that someone might catch on to them, but...he wasn't.

What kept him up at nights was that he'd blown his secret to that little punk!

Would he tell Endeavor?

No, Dabi didn't think he was going to do that... Then again, they were all cozy these days, after that internship...

What had he been thinking anyway? Was he really so bitter he'd just vent the first chance he got on one of his stupid family?

The answer to that was clearly yes.

Of all things, he wished he could talk to Likstar. Which was stupid. But she'd probably have some insightful answer about it. 

He sulked by himself and listened to some of the songs she'd recommended, like he thought that might give him an idea. But they didn't.

One started playing that wasn't on her list but linked to it on YapTube for some reason. Similar band maybe:

"I'm a reckless mistake. I'm a cold night's intake. I'm a one night too long. I'm a come on too strong.

All my life I've been living in the fast lane, can't slow down, I'm a rolling freight train. One more time, gotta start all over. Can't slow down I'm a lone red rover. Oh, how did it come to this? Oh, love is a polaroid, better in picture, never can fill the void.

I'm a hold my cards close. I'm a wreck what I love most. I'm a first class let down. I'm a shuddup, sitdown.

I am the headcase,.I am the color of boom! That's never arriving, yet you are the pay raise, always a touch out of view, and I am the color of---

[Chorus]

I'm a midnight talker. I'm an alley walker. I'm a day late two face. I'm a burn out quick pace.

I am the headcase. I am the color of boom that's never arriving. Yet you are the opera, always on time and in tune, and I am the color of--

I'm gonna get ready for the rain to pour heavy. Let it fall, let it fall upon my head!"

He got up and went out for a walk.

He was wandering around the city and passing through a park when he stumbled across someone on a bench. 

He wouldn't have thought anything of it, but then a second glance and he saw it was Likstar.

"Seriously? What are the odds of that?" he said, "This has to be some kind of set up."

Well, even if it was, why was she asleep?

He came up and shook her.

She snapped awake and took a wild swing at him. "Dabi!!?" Her eyes cleared. "What are you doing here?"

Why did she always have to look happy to see him?

Dabi backed up, scowling. "I was just walking. Why are you out here alone?"

"I'm not alone. Wally was with me." Shine rubbed her eyes like a kid. "I think he went to grab some food... I sat down... Oh no, was I asleep again?"

Dabi nodded.

Shine looked around. "In a park at night...What was I thinking? I should have just gone with him."

"Great guy you got, leaving you alone like that. There's dangerous people around here. This isn't exactly uptown," Dabi said.

Shine looked around. "We don't really keep track of that, you know...but he's usually back by now."

"Well, good luck with that." Dabi started to turn away, then he paused. "Is this on purpose? Are you following me?"

"No, just must be fate," Shine said. She looked at her hands. "Have you been feeling normal since...you know?"

"Yeah." Dabi looked at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Oh. Well--" Before Shine could answer, West reappeared holding some fast food.

"Sorry for the wait. I stopped to help someone cross the street---Hey, what're you doing here?"

"Walking," Dabi said.

"Apparently he's my guardian angel," Shine told Wally dryly, "Just showing up--I fell asleep."

"But..." Wally looked upset. "Wow...okay... Shine, this isn't normal at all." He glanced at Dabi. "How long was she out?"

"I only just walked up, so a few seconds..." Dabi shrugged, "Why? Has this been happening a lot?"

"That does it," Shine didn't answer him, "I'm convinced this is not because of the warping... It's something else. Something about that place was bad--or...maybe there was another cause."

"But you never got hit with a drug, right?" Wally was concerned. 

"I told you already, no." Shine sounded frustrated. "And here Dabi's showing up because clearly I'm not safe alone even for two minutes... Better get back."

Wally nodded. "Well, thanks for helping," he said to Dabi, "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought."

Dabi didn't take offense to that.

"I didn't do anything..." He hesitated. "Likstar..."

But he didn't know how to finish that.

But Shine saw what he wanted. She whispered to Wally, "Give us a minute, okay? He looks troubled."

"Look, Shine, I know, but you're not well," Wally said.

"Just a few minutes, Wally. I don't know if I'll see him again anytime soon, and I think something happened..." Shine hissed.

"Okay, 5 minutes." Wally pointed to his watch and moved away.

"What's wrong?" Shine asked him.

Dabi began to deny it, but she gave him a warning look. "Dabi, don't waste my time. I don't have that long."

Dabi sighed. "I did something stupid. I can't talk to the League about it... I don't talk to them anyway. You're the only one who knows about it."

Shine blinked. "What did you do with your family?"

Dabi was silent.

Shine blinked. "Did you tell Shoto something?"

"How the frick did you guess that?" Dabi was stunned into admitting the truth.

"Because nothing else makes sense, and you have a temper," Shine said bluntly, "I knew it. I knew you would do that if you got the chance... Dabi that was stupid."

She was agreeing that it was stupid, huh? That was new.

"Yeah, well, he asked for it," Dabi muttered sullenly.

Shine shook her head. "That wasn't fair."

"What wasn't?"

"Putting that on him... I can only imagine how upset he was."

"I'm sure the snowflake will live... He doesn't care about what happened," Dabi said bitterly, "He's got Daddy's approval anyway. I know all about it."

"You know nothing." Shine sat up straighter. "I tolerate your attitude out of compassion, you know, but you don't know anything about Shoto. Please don't talk about him like you do."

"And you know him so well, huh? You know both of us," Dabi said, "But you know what happened too...more than I ever would have told you. And you're still going to defend the little punk?"

"Did you come here to rant to me about your family?" Shine said strangely, "Is that what you want to do? Is that why I'm here?"

Dabi stopped. "Well...that's not what I was--"

Shine scoffed. "Oh, it so was."

"I can't help it," Dabi changed tactics, "I get crazy with them... I couldn't help but tell him. I couldn't take his smug attitude anymore. He deserves to know who he's related to."

"I see," Shine said.

"You're angry at me, finally," Dabi said, "I wondered what it would take to piss you off."

"I've been angry at you before."

"But not like this... You're finally seeing it, right?" Dabi taunted, "Why it was a bad idea to think I'd ever be like them? I'm not one of your little projects. You can make all the speeches you like. I'm not going to let you tell me what to do-- you or anyone else."

He was just spewing venom now--and he knew he was. He knew she didn't deserve that--but he didn't care. He couldn't stop.

Shine bit her lip. "Are you done?"

Dabi swore. "Sure, why not. What else is there to say?"

Shine looked up. "I did not think of you as a project," she said slowly.

Dabi didn't expect that to cut him as deep as it did, but he recoiled. "Yeah, sure you didn't."

"Is that what you thought?" Shine sighed. "Sorry...but you led me on, then... You kept choosing to do the right thing... If I got the idea that you might have some better feelings, I didn't just get it on my own."

"I wasn't trying to do the right thing. I just wanted to get you to leave me alone!" Dabi spat, "You could take a goshdanged hint! Why should you care about me anyway? What did I ever do to make you think it was worth it? Stop acting like it matters!"

"It does."

"No, it doesn't. I chose this! Why would I change my mind because of some b--- with a sword and crazy ideas and cookies or whatever? You think that's enough to undo all the evil in this world? Or the past...? You're crazy."

Shine didn't react at first, then she seemed finally to get angry. "Maybe it was crazy, Touya Todoroki...but what's wrong with that?"

Silence.

What could he, of all people, say to that question?

Shine stood up with difficulty. "I think you are trying to say goodbye, aren't you? There was no need to be this harsh about it. I understand. I know you must act this way because you are afraid not to. I get it. I've been there. You have to push me away, even though all I've done is be just a little nice to you, but you can't take even a little kindness. Even the bare minimum. It's too painful, isn't it? After so much time on your own. And I see what you mean: nothing I can do will change the past."

She tilted her head. "I never wanted that. I wanted to change the future. And I don't know that I thought I could just by what I was doing, but I think you can change it. I just wanted to be there."

She held up her hand to gesture to him. "Believe it or not, you already have the knowledge, deep down, of what needs to happen. I've seen it. You want justice? That's fine. I want that too. But we don't see it the same way, do we? I don't think you really want to hurt as many people as you're going to if you stick with your plan right now. But you're proud, and you don't want to admit that... You hurt Shoto too...but at the same time, you want him to know the truth, because the truth is important. Maybe it's just as well. He would have found out sooner or later."

She frowned. "But in the end, Touya, you're a coward. Because you know perfectly well that by telling me this, you're leaving me to pick up the pieces. You intend to burn things down, but you won't build up afterwards. And you think that's all you have, to destroy...but it's not. It's just all you're willing to do. You're taking it out on me because I am the one person who won't punish you for doing it. It's easy to kill, it's not easy to heal. It's easy to break down, it's not easy to build up."

She smiled wanly. "I will try to help Shoto even so. If he lets me. That is what you wanted, is it not? Me to fix it so you don't have to deal with it?"

"What? No--" Why was he shaking?

"You're not really anymore evil than anyone else, you know," Shine said coolly, "I've known that from the beginning...but you're afraid. So afraid you hate everyone... I know that's it, because that's when I felt I hated people the most-- when I was afraid of them..." She put her hands together. "I could help you, you know. I could give you the ways to stop being afraid...but it wouldn't help you if you wouldn't listen... Be wiser than that, though, I'm begging you."

"Shut up." Dabi backed up. "Don't start with that again...and why would that work on me? It's pathetic... I'm a villain, not a charity case. You think I care if you beg me? Do you think anything you do matters to me at all? Don't kid yourself, Likstar."

Wally had come back into earshot now.

"Then why did you come to her?" he asked, startling them both. 

Dabi looked at him oddly.

Shine nodded at Wally in agreement.

"Why come to either of us?" Wally looked Dabi in the eye. "You think you don't want this? I think you're the one kidding yourself. You could've said no. Come on, man, at least be honest. The only reason you're backing out now is fear. It's not because you think it's stupid."

Dabi was speechless.

"In the end," Shine said, "you're still like a teenager, aren't you? You don't know what you want... Wally is right, you know. We both know it, and you know it too."

Dabi was silent for a really long time...then, in a very different voice, that surprised even him, he said, "I can't... Whatever it is, I can't..."

He shuffled. "It's too late... If I even thought about doing things your way, I'd never be able to live with what I've already done... It's better to just be a monster and know it, than to be something else, some weird mix... I can't keep doing this thing where I play both sides."

Shine and Wally exchanged a look.

"That's true," Wally admitted.

"Then, what side should you play?" Shine asked, very calmly, "You know...doing what you did...it's nothing, really. Our book is full of people like you. Some of them became our greatest saints. We won't look down on you for having blood on your hands-- or a chip on your shoulder. I don't know anyone who doesn't have one or both of those things when they start off... Don't you get it, Dabi? This is not about heroes or villains... This is about so much more than that. This is bigger than all of us. We don't want you to join the heroes side, we want you to join our side. The Real Side. There's a real plan here, and I know it's good...and it doesn't matter what you are now. All that will change, and you won't even have to do it... He does it for you. All it takes to begin is to admit you don't like what you are now."

Dabi was silent again for a long time, then he shook his head. "I can't. I don't even know what you're talking about...and I can't be that way. Some of us are just too messed up."

"No one is too messed up," Wally said.

"No." Dabi turned. "I should get out of here... I guess this is it, huh?"

"If you choose it to be..." Shine said softly, "But anytime you want, come back to us... If we're still here...we'll never turn you away if you need help."

"That's right, we don't do that," Wally agreed, putting an arm around her, "Are you okay?"

"This woke me up, actually," Shine said.

"Oh, good," Wally said.

Dabi shook his head and walked away. Why did his feet feel so heavy? And why did he have a very bad feeling he was making a mistake?

He pushed it away.

* * *

Shigaraki couldn't stop thinking about Kurogiri's strange behavior. Why had he been so...dismissive?

Shigaraki had known him for years, practically been raised by him, as well as All For One's other "helpers", and he'd never been so...ignored by him.

It was just uncanny...and then to run off instead of coming back to them.

[Picture this as Kurogiri and Shigaraki...I just had to lol]

It just pissed him off.

So much that he needed to get a breather from the League's crazy, weird behavior--at this point he almost didn't notice anymore, but at a time like this, he just didn't want to hear Toga's weird talk or Compress and Spinner arguing.

So he went out. It was early evening at that time. Dabi had gone off somewhere too, but he knew how to get around unnoticed. All of them did.

Not really the type to wander around outside, Shigaraki found himself at the mall-- Kiyashi Mall, to be exact.

[Yes, the same one he ran into Deku at--Also did no one else realize at the time how weird it is that Shigaraki's go-to place to think is the mall? Seems so normal. It went over this author's head till, like, yesterday.]

It was pretty empty at this time of day on a school day...mostly older shoppers.

Shigaraki didn't have much of a plan, but once he was there he recalled a new game version was being released in stores now, and he could use a distraction.

That was always what Kurogiri would do to to make him feel better... Ugh, this was annoying to think about.

He still ended up in the video game store... There was a line in here.

Well, without his extra hands, most people didn't recognize him anyway, but he wasn't sure he'd push it enough to go to the counter...

"Did you see that man's cosplay?" he heard someone say.

"Yeah, it's really life-like.... Gross," someone else answered.

"Is there a convention going on here?" a third person asked.

Shigaraki scowled and turned away, not looking up.

Then he almost ran into someone.

"Hey, what the he--, dumba--! Watch where you're going," someone yelled at him--wait, that voice sounded familiar.

Shigaraki didn't want to, but he looked up.

Mirko was standing in front of him, in regular clothes, with a purse and an angry expression.

Once he looked up, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.

"Is that the number 5 hero?" The people in line were staring at her.

"'Could just be someone else with a rabbit quirk."

"No, that's her, I'm sure of it. Oh, wow, she's so pretty in real life!"

"Kind of scary though. Who's she yelling at?"

"It's the cos-player..."

Shigaraki thought fast. Killing someone right now would probably only get him caught. There were way too many people around... He couldn't afford that. He'd never live it down in the League if he was that sloppy

Ah, it was a stupid idea to come here at all.

But what the frick was the rabbit doing here?

He got suspicious.

Mirko was at least as puzzled.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Have we met?" was Shigaraki's brilliant response.

Mirko only just then seemed to remember that acknowledging him would get both of them in trouble.

She leaned in closer. "Meet me outside in two minutes, got it? Don't even think about trying to disappear."

"What? Why would I--?"

She brushed past him indignantly and to the front of the line. "Mind if I cut?"

"Oh, no, sure. It's an honor," the sales clerk said, smiling.

"Simp," Shigaraki muttered, walking away.

He went out to the central area. He didn't even get the game after all that trouble.

Well, he should just leave. 

He started to edge away to somewhere he could warp inconspicuously.

But Mirko was faster than he thought and had a good eye. She spotted him slinking away and bee-lined it over there.

"All right, what are you doing here? Who'd you kill?" she demanded.

"No one. Go away." Shigaraki was not in the mood for this.

"Right, you're just here for no reason," Mirko huffed.

"And if I am? What business is it of yours? Piss off," Shigaraki said.

Mirko glared. "I could call security."

"You want them to die? Be my guest." Shigaraki held up a hand threateningly.

"Oh, don't be so over-dramatic." Mirko was really not one to talk there.

She looked around. "D--- it, I'm not that inconspicuous. Start walking."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"This is no time to be arguing, or we're both going to get caught," Mirko said, "March."

Shigaraki wouldn't have just because she said to, but then he saw some people were starting to look their way oddly, and it would probably be wisest to just leave.

Of course she didn't need to follow him...but she did anyway. What did she think he was going to do, steal something? That wasn't his style... Kind of hard to pull off with his power.

Once outside finally, and out of sight of most people, Mirko finally seemed to relax.

"That was too close."

Shigaraki started to walk away. She blocked his path. "Not so fast. I still want answers."

"You want to die?"

"I'm not scared of you," Mirko said, tossing her hair, "Take your best shot. It'll be the last thing you ever do."

Pause.

This was not worth it. She definitely wasn't as easy to intimidate as that idiot Midoriya. He could threaten to murder some people--but realistically, she'd outrun him. Nope, it just wasn't worth it.

"If you must know, it was just for a walk. I didn't do anything," Shigaraki said very reluctantly, "And per our mutual agreement with Likstar where neither of us kills the other, you have to let me go."

"Likstar doesn't control me," Mirko scowled.

"She doesn't control me either, but I don't need to worry about her also," Shigaraki said.

"Ah, you're scared of her," Mirko said, like she was talking to a kid--one she was picking on.

He hissed.

"Not that I blame you there. She's terrifying," Mirko admitted, "Taking on Overhaul like that? She's nuts..."

As he recalled, Mirko had also done that... Heck, all of them had... They were all crazy.

"Maybe this is fate or something," Mirko went on, thinking out loud, "I have a question actually, and I bet you know the answer."

"I don't care if you have a question. I'll be leaving now."

"It might be worth your while to hear this." Mirko tapped her foot.

Shigaraki hesitated. "Is it about Overhaul?"

"Sort of... I've been thinking about those weirdos at the camp," Mirko shrugged, "I don't think they're just gong to disappear... I think they're a problem, too...for everyone...so I need to find them. I can't go through the usual channels because A: I don't have an agency to run ops like that while I do my job, and B: I'd have to admit I was there...and I can't do that... I bet your League knows, though."

"Not at all. We don't associate ourselves with those lunatics." Shigaraki was bored of this.

"But you could find out, like before." Mirko was persistent.

"And why the h--- would I help you?" Shigaraki said.

Mirko smirked smugly like she anticipated that question. "Because I can make it worth your while."

"What?" Shigaraki didn't like that look.

"You want to find your henchman, right?"

"Colleague, you nitwit!--What does that have to do with it?"

"Well, if I find them, then I'll probably find him, right?" Mirko crossed her arms. "So it's a win-win. Besides, one less problem for your League, right?"

Shigaraki couldn't believe this. "And why would you help the LOV?"

"Oh, I'm not. I'm just more concerned with these other guys for now. You guys have been real quiet. As long as it stays that way, I can just keep forgetting what I know... Of course that could change."

"Are you threatening me? Remember what happened the last time you ran into the League?" Shigaraki said.

She slapped him.

He froze.

Mirko rubbed her hand. "Don't talk about that... Now I'm not going to make this offer twice. If I'm going to keep ignoring my clear duties as Pro here, I need some kind of trade off. A different lead to follow. Take it or leave it, but I won't hold back if I get the chance to take all of you down."

Shigaraki's head got very clear... Maybe it was the blow. No, he thought, this was no time to pass up an opportunity like this. The League could exploit it.

"The League will not be helping any Pros," he said, by way of not giving in too easily.

"Of course not. I wouldn't ask for that." Mirko sounded disgusted. "All I need is a location. I'm not looking to lean on anyone, especially not scum like all of you."

"High talk coming from the hero who is not doing her job," he sneered.

"And that's high talk coming from the villain who isn't acting at all," Mirko shot back, "Deal or no deal?"

Shigaraki regretted leaving his hand at home. It looked so much more intimidating to wear it.

"I'll consider it."

"Consider it?!" Mirko looked angry now. "That's not an answer."

"Well, how do I know you'll actually keep your word? You're a loose canon."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Mirko gestured wildly. "I haven't even done anything! And I'm the loose cannon, really? I don't kill people in a murderous rage."

"For the record, neither does the League," Shigaraki said. This was not quite true, actually, but he'd forgotten about those incidents.

"Sure..." Mirko wasn't buying it.

"What would you do to prove it?" Shigaraki asked.

Now, this had worked on Hawks, according to Dabi, but apparently, Mirko didn't get the memo that when negotiating with villains, you have to make concessions.

"I'm not doing anything, you sicko!" She got angry instead. "You can just forget it, then. Don't say I didn't warn you. Ugh, villains..." She turned around to stalk away.

This was not good. At this rate she'd go right to the police just for revenge!

"Hold it," Shigaraki said, hating that he had to do this.

She paused.

"How about this...? Nothing's decided yet, but I'll see if it's possible," he said very begrudgingly, "But you can't go to the police."

"Ah, you scared I'll bust you all," Mirko said staunchly.

"Or we could just kill you," Shigaraki said.

"Promises, promises," she mocked him, "I'll sleep with one eye open, huh? Well, fine, look into it. Don't even think about trying to double cross me, though, like you did with Likstar. I'll kill you."

Shigaraki flinched. She sounded serious.

"Very heroic."

"I play by my own rules for a reason." Mirko walked away. "I'll be expecting something within a few days at the most."

Who did she think she was, making demands like that?

Shigaraki regretted coming out here at all. This whole thing could have been avoided. This was what he got for trying to get away...blackmailed. 

This song because he would...

"I've been mistreated, I've been abused.
I've been trespassed and invaded And I am not amused.
I've been insulted, disrespected I've been mistreated.
I've been insulted, disrespected I've been mistreated.
I've been insulted, disrespected I've been mistreated."

[If y'all ain't seen this movie, it's pretty funny if you can take the cringe. This song had to be one of the best parts-- so was Alan Cummings.]