It was nice to be able to get away from the LOV's dirty, dank lair, Lethe and Medea thought. They preferred not to be around the much older and creepier adults.

"Compress isn't so bad," Medea remarked, as they walked around the streets looking for something to nick.

"I don't like that crazy girl with the knives," Lethe said, "or how she says we're cute."

"She tried to cut me," Medea said, "I twisted her arm, almost broke it."

"What did we talk about?" Lethe frowned at her.

"You said no to let any b---h near me," Medea quoted him.

"I also said be more subtle."

"Subtlety is not my thing," Medea shrugged.

"Clearly." Lethe eyed the purple streaks in her hair and her colored contacts. "Don't you stand out enough without adding to it? Low profile."

"The police don't care about hair and eye color, brother of mine," Medea rolled her eyes, "just quirks. I'll keep it on the down low. You really need to chill."

Lethe didn't see any reason to get comfortable right now.

"We should try to find out where Dabi is," he mused, "That would get us more respect in the League. If they don't think we're useful, you know they'll probably kick us out. We'll be back to odd jobs."

"I know, I know," Medea grumbled, "So who do we find now?"

"More Originals, I guess," Lethe said.

After a long train ride and some walking, they came to the spot they had been finding the specimens of the cult to interview.

This time there was a lot more people at the run down little bar.

Slipping in as two under-aged kids was way too easy. No one here cared.

Lethe went to where they usually found people.

The booth had different people in it tonight.

Lethe scowled down at them. "I'm looking for a group with origins, do you know where I find them?"

"Origins of what?" one person said dully.

"Truth," Lethe said.

They all nodded to each other.

"Who are you?"

"Nobody," Lethe said, "It's not important... I want the story on someone."

One of them nodded. "Let's talk outside, kid."

* * *

Out the back, it was an empty street, quiet. A field was not that far away.

Medea followed Lethe and the Originals out.

Lethe assumed they would talk with him freely, since he knew the pass word.

But to his shock, one of them grabbed Medea by the arm and pushed a gun to her neck.

Medea stiffened and prepared to use her quirk.

One of the others shot something into her wrist, then held up a device.

"Quirk blocker. Personalized style. Works as long as I have this turned on. I suggest you don't try anything stupid."

Lethe frowned. "That was a mistake..." he said, glaring.

"Don't move. I have no problem shooting her." The one holding Medea yanked her arm, and she winced.

"You kids like to play high level games with info," the third one spoke, quite casually, "We figured out there was a leak here. Some people had some pretty loose lips...but we know why now. Loose lips sink ships." They glared at Lethe. "Submarines, sometimes."

Lethe felt himself starting to sweat. How had he been caught?

"You're a little naive kid, thinking that no one would watch the door, no one would be on the alert for people like you," the ninja went on coolly, "but that's okay... We like your initiative. Normally we'd de-quirk a little punk like you...but we actually have a purpose for you."

Lethe swallowed. "Why would I help you? You'll just de-quirk me anyway."

"We have a list of people at the bottom of our priorities," the ninja said calmly, "and you and your little sister here can be on it. If you cooperate. A lot happens, you might even get away...or you can refuse and die here. That little blockers's a tracking chip, by the way, also. So don't think even if you manage to get away, you're safe. We can't have you exposing all our secrets, can we?"

Lethe clenched his fists...but he was trapped.

"There's a few things we want you to do for us." The ninja leaned in. "If you want this."

The other held up the device.

Medea looked scared. 

Lethe bowed his head. "What is it?"

[Images all designed by Onerose, templates from original creators]

                                                                                      ***

Lethe had sworn to himself years ago he would protect his sister no matter what. Ever since the death of their parents.

They only had each other.

And she wasn't a devil child. He didn't care what the neighbors had said about her.

Both kids from that family were creepy-- that's what he'd heard when the police arrived and interviewed the neighborhood.

The girl had a devilish quirk, and the boy was always staring at people like he was trying to see right through them. It was just uncanny.

The remarks never bothered him until then, but they bothered his sister.

So Lethe had to shield her from it, from the harsh reality, so they could stay together. So she wouldn't break.

He'd shielded her when they were put in the foster care system, and people looked at them askance, until they finally ran away.

The memories of that time now, were mostly gone for Medea. She was happy enough. Lethe remembered it all. He remembered everything.

And he never forgot his promise to himself to keep Medea safe, no matter what.

Even if he had to do things no one would ever forgive him for doing.

* * *

It was late at night when the twins returned to the latest lair.

Silk was still up, drawing on her screen. This was her time to just relax away from the crazy of most of the League.

"Hello," she looked up, "Where have you two been? It's 1 am."

"You sound like a mom," Medea said sardonically.

But Lethe didn't think she really found it that annoying. Silk was the least scary of the LOV.

"Or just responsible adult," Silk replied, "Are you okay?"

Medea rubbed her arm nervously, where she'd pulled her sleeve over it. "Yeah, just tired. I'm going to bed." She glanced at Lethe sideways. 

"I put clean sheets in everyone's sleeping areas, by the way," Silk said, gesturing in disgust, "Even if not all of us have bed or mattress, does that mean we should sleep on filthy floor? Of course no!"

Lethe bit his lip.

"So what are you drawing?" he asked.

"Hmm?" Silk looked surprised at him expressing interest. "Well, I show you."

Lethe came closer.

It was a large four panel picture

"I am just designing a partition for my privacy," Silk said, "I tire of Toga walking into my room while I'm changing... Sometimes I think is on purpose."

Lethe made a disgusted face.

"We have art like this in my house a lot when I was younger," Silk continued, "Brightens up room, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Lethe said, "You must have a lot of fond memories of your childhood, huh?"

Silk laughed. "You sound like you're so grown up already, but you're only 16. You're still child."

"No, I haven't been that since I was 13," Lethe murmured. 

"I'm sorry." Silk tilted her head. "I not know what happen, but that is sad."

Lethe shrugged. "It's just life... I'm sorry."

"For what? It wasn't wrong to mention it," Silk said.

Then she froze as Lethe put his hand out, and her eyes glazed over. Panels of light appeared over her head, flashing many images.

"For this," Lethe spoke in a dead voice, "Though you won't remember it anyway."

Code Name: Lethe. His quirk? Mind Palace. He can access people's memories in the shape of squares or rooms of images, like a video. He can also manipulate or move around memories to be at the front or back of someone's subconscious, effectively blocking or unblocking them from recalling places, people, or information.

The flipside is that Lethe remembers their memories himself, as clearly as if he lived them. Which is sometimes useful and sometimes painful.

[All this come up with by my sister-- and modified by me.]

* * *

"Silk?" Compress thought he heard talking and came into the front room.

Silk was sitting next to her screen she was working on, looking confused.

"Were the twins out here?" Compress said.

Silk looked up. "The twins... Oh, yes, they just went to bed."

"Oh, I thought I heard talking... Did they say where they were?"

"No...I think they just went out for walk." Silk stood up and traced her hand over her screen. "Why was I waiting out here anyway?"

"You were concerned about them?" Compress suggested.

"Maybe," Silk said, "I feel like I had other reasons but I can't remember. I guess I'm too tired. I will hit hay, as they say in America. Though I not sleep good on hard floor."

"Hmm." Compress tossed up a marble. "Want to know a secret? I always carry around these sleeping mats when we move. I don't care for the dirty floors in these lairs either."

"Smart," Silk said.

"I might be willing to loan you one, in exchange for a nice curtain like that, so that no one can just surprise me," Compress offered.

Silk nodded eagerly. "Done and done... This is what we call mutually beneficial trade...but who wants to live like swine anyway?"

"Yes, I never will understand how the others are so okay with it. I swear the rats around here have higher standards of living," Compress shuddered. 

Silk snorted a laugh.

"Here." She spun out a curtain size piece of cloth with a nice pinstriped pattern on it.

"And here you go." Compress tossed her the marble. "It'll decompress in about 10 minutes."

"I envy how handy your quirk is."

"But yours has a thousand uses also."

"Convenient quirks are much underrated," Silk observed, "Good night."

"Same to you, Silk."

"Kira." Silk looked over her shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Kira, my name," Silk said, "Actually, I have four, but Kira is only one you people can pronounce."

"A name that means glittery, how appropriate," Compress said.

"Actually, it means leader of the people, in Russia," Silk said, "but whatever boats your float."

Compress smiled in amusement.

"So what is your full name, if I might ask? Don't worry, I won't run a background check. I can't."

"My real name is clean anyway. It would not matter. But is mouthful. Anya Ekaterina Kira Krestovina."

"That is a mouthful."

"Would you believe is still short for Russian? My mother wanted me to at least remember all of it," Silk, a. k. a. Kira said. 

[Russian nobility usually have around 6 or 7 names minimum, and common folk still have 3 or 4. It's a nightmare to memorize, plus they can often be modified in spelling three different ways depending on the name, and who is using it, and where they are visiting. Oy vey.]

"If we're swapping names, my real name it Atsuhiro Sako," Compress said.

[As with all mha characters, his name basically translates to his quirk. Look it up if you want it broken down into kanjis.]

"Nice to meet you," Silk said dryly.

"And you, madame."

Silk went off to where she was sleeping.

[If you all want to know, Silk's full name, in order, means this: Anya= grace, Ekaterina=Perfect, Kira=leader of the people, and Krestovina=Crosspiece, like a frame for a weaving or needlework, and Spider, also a term related to weaving-- the only part of her name that references her quirk. I hope  you all like the unique choice to make her name Russian. I thought it was fun.

Comment what you think of her character so far. I'm curious about how these OC villains are fitting in with the canon cast.]

* * *

While this was going on in the LOV, there were some seemingly unrelated events going on on the heroes side.

Actually, Camie was the one who had the most excitement for once.

She enjoyed getting Bakugo's updates on it all, and she even visited in person so they could tell her more about Dabi (via phone didn't always seem like a good idea).

But things at her school had been a little dull for a while.

Maybe that's why she thought about Bakugo so much... It was getting to be a little too much though. She was spacing out even more in class.

Shishikura would snap his fingers in front of her, using his quirk to do it from across the room, and that was gross.

"You're more of a space cadet than ever since you started hanging around that Bakugo idiot more often," he said disapprovingly.

"Yo, do I need to remind you not to bug me about that?" Camie said. This was the only time she ever got pissed off at Shishikura, and the whole class had noticed by now.

"Fine, but I'm just saying for your own sake, you should really give yourself some space from him," Shishikura said huffily.

"Hmm, if she drops out of the class because of bad grades, he won't associate with her anyway," Moto spoke up calmly, filing her nails, "so don't bug her about it, Shishikura. It's just creepy at this point."

He looked miffed at her and went silent.

Camie didn't feel super flattered by Moto sticking up for her in such a way. She wasn't even 100% sure that's what the girl was doing. What was eating her anyway? Bad breakup? Oh, right, they weren't allowed to date. Maybe she was just jealous that Camie hung out with UA kids.

Or maybe she had a thing for Bakugo herself...Camie wondered. Her being jelly would definitely explain a lot.

After class, Camie was walking home.

Shishikura followed her. "You know I only reprimanded you because I care about the image of the class."

"Uh huh, bro, I gotcha." Camie made an a-ok sign.

"It's not that I would care, otherwise," Shishikura said, "If you want to embarrass yourself, it's nothing, but the rest of us shouldn't get dragged down with you."

"Bro, this is going from an apology to a lecture real quick," Camie said.

"Who was apologizing! I was telling you to be more conscientious, you moron!" Shishikura snapped.

Camie laughed at his antics. "Sure, bro, I'm way conscientious... Whatever that means."

"Why do I even try?" Shishikura turned away in disgust.

"Why do you even try?"

 He jumped.

Moto was leaning on the wall chewing gum. 

[Design by Onerose]

"I can't help but notice your one man mission to make Utsushimi more like the model student is just going so well," she said sarcastically, "Ever think you might just be going about it wrong?"

"Excuse me?" Shishikura said.

Moto leaned in. "Camie's too much of an idiot to care about the school's standards. A flirt like that is just going to care about impressing boys... You want to get to her? You have to direct her attention to what she really wants... You get me? She probably wants to impress that Bakugo dips--- by acting like a rebel because he's into that."

"Do you really think that could be it?" Shishikura looked shocked, as if that thought had never occurred to him.

Moto rolled her eyes. "It's about as obvious as your hate crush on her is."

"What? I do not have a hate crush on her! What a ridiculous idea. I can't stand her," Shishikura said.

"That's kind of what a hate crush is, idiot," Moto said, "The point is, you want Camie in line, and to be honest, so do I. I'm tired of the cringey things she says that weird other people out about our class. Just look at how she made the UA kids think we were a bunch of sluts."

"Don't use that word!" Shishikura was shocked.

"Hey, I'm just saying what they said," Moto said. This was not actually true.

"Really?" Shishikura looked sick. "But...wasn't that just her double?"

"The point is no one forgets that, double or not, her reputation is shot," Moto said, "and she should realize that and do something about it, before we all go down with her... The world's in chaos right now. We don't need any weak links in the hero course."

"I agree...but Camie will never change," Shishikura sighed, "I don't know why I bother."

"Ah, sweetie," Moto smiled, "you're just too basic about it. Trust me. She'll get the point if you put it to her the right way. Even she can't be that thick. Ah, well, good talk." She walked away.

"Hmm..." Shishikura wondered if she was right.

* * *

Camie was texting Bakugo in class the next day when Moto leaned over. "You know, Utsushimi, texting a hero student during class is kind of a bad move, isn't it? He's probably trying to focus. He'll think you're not serious if you do that."

"It's just a little meme," Camie shrugged.

"It's never just one with you," Shishikura muttered.

He knew this from experience.

"Why don't you two just get off my back?" Camie said, a bit testily.

"Leave her alone." The class rep gave them a warning look through his hair... Funny how intimidating he could be when he looked like a haystack.

Moto shrugged and went back to taking notes. She shot Shishikura a sly look.

Camie put away her phone only a minute later. Maybe the jerks had a point.

The teacher never acknowledged any of that happened. He didn't usually.

* * *

"So how do you all feel about the idea of getting together?" Shine asked the core group.

"I'm down," Kaminari said.

"Sure." Jiro wasn't sure at all.

"I'll try it," Momo said.

"Whatever," Bakugo said.

"And I thought Camie could join us too. She's one of us," Shine said.

"No doubt she'd not be left out even if you tried," Bakugo muttered.

"Shoto..." Shine said hesitantly.

He scowled. "What do you think?"

"You don't have to," Shine said, "but you can."

The others looked at him uncertainly.

Shoto scowled deeper. "I don't want to, and I think it's a terrible idea, but if you all go, I'll go with you to make sure nothing bad happens to my friends." 

He said friends pointedly, as if to imply Shine was not included in it.

Shine winced.

Momo wanted to reprimand him, but she didn't think it was her place.

"Well, okay then," Shine said.

* * *

It was a week after Dabi had moved into the emergency housing. He hadn't left the building in all that time, though it was driving him crazy all over again, he thought, to stay in.

The DJs made it more bearable. They'd been over every day, multiple times sometimes, and brought him stuff or talked or had a game.

Dabi had never had anyone look after him the way they did. Even his parents before everything went sour hadn't been this attentive. Or he didn't remember it if they had.

It made him really uncomfortable, but even a week in, he was starting to like it more than he wanted to. There is something magical about the effect of actual care and effort on someone who's never had it before. It disarms them, but it makes them wary of losing it or of finding out it's just a farce.

Shine put up with plenty of biting comments from him when he didn't even know they were biting, and Wally ignored many a time he could have taken offense.

But all in all, Dabi treated them more civilly than he ever had. He knew he was screwed without them, and that would have made him more resentful if he could have ever felt they would use it as leverage, but as it was impossible to picture that, he was more humbled by it than he let on.

Still he was bored, and when Wally said he'd let him out, on the 8th day, he took him up on it.

"But Eraser said you couldn't go near the dorms or the classroom building," Wally said.,"But there's miles of campus the kids don't even use. You have to stay where I can see you...but since this is just as embarrassing for me as it is for you, I'mma just pretend I'm taking a lap."

"Why do you Americans have to have your own unit of measurement?" Dabi said, "Why can't you just say kilometers like everyone else?"

"What is the point of being American if you can't do whatever dang thing you want?" Wally replied.

Dabi smirked... He hated it, but he was starting to find Wally funny... The guy just never took himself too seriously. Not like these pros.

"And if you're really from another world, you're not enough of a freak?" Dabi countered.

"I'm not sure the ex-villain should talk." Wally also had absolutely no problem bringing that up. "Look, just don't make this a whole thing. I'm just going to ignore you like I do most of my problems."

He shot off, almost out of view.

Dabi snickered. "Stupid moron."

But wandering around outside in a grassy area instead of the streets of the city was very different... He felt exposed.

He still wasn't comfortable in his new skin either... D---, it was weird to think that.

Shine kept telling him not to worry about what he'd do with himself now, but what else was he supposed to think about? What would he do? If he reformed, he'd still never be normal...and normal people were the only ones that fit in this society...

Still, all he was learning about, a whole new different way of perceiving things...it was unlike anything he'd ever heard.

What did a guy like him do with all this? He'd lost his mind trying to figure out his own family. What about the secret to the universe would he ever understand? It was too big for him. Yet if he didn't crack this, he was never going to be satisfied he'd taken the right course...and now he cared, for some reason, about that...

Ugh, these people got into his head!

So lost in thought he was, that he didn't realize he'd gone the wrong way from where Wally was very silently indicating he should go. It was easy to get lost at UA.

He didn't seen any student buildings, so it didn't dawn on him that he'd strayed until he very unfortunately passed out of some trees onto a pathway and it hit him he'd gone the wrong way.

"Oh, s---..." He looked around. "Great, Eraser will kill me if he finds I stepped foot on the oh-so-sacred student pathway... Where the frick am I?"

He didn't see West anymore. The trees blocked him. But he'd find him sooner or later. Probably better to just stay put.

Dabi leaned on a tree.

But he didn't expect someone to actually come. Unfortunately it was just the time school was out.

He must have been closer to the dorms than he realized, because the someone was his stupid, estranged brother and that high class rich girl he was always with... Dabi privately was starting to think there was a thing going on there, but he had no reason to care.

He tensed up, forgetting that he looked totally different now.

Shoto and Princess were talking and didn't even see him against the trees. His clothing was so dark it blended in.

"Even if all that is true, why should I have to be part of it?" Shoto was talking, coldly.

"I don't think you have to be," the Princess was answering.

"I know what they will think of me if I don't come...and he'll think I'm scared of him, which I'm not." Shoto made a fist with his left hand. "But I don't accept all this."

"I think they might just think it's too awkward for you right now," the Princess said gently, "if you really don't want to come."

"What if I think that about myself if I don't--?" Shoto broke off.

He was only about 3 meters away now. He'd seen Dabi.

Dabi didn't give him a very friendly look.

"Who are you?" Shoto grabbed the girl's arm and pushed her behind him a little.

"Who, me?" Dabi said hostilely.

The girl eyed him nervously. "I don't recognize you."

Oh...oh, they must think he was an intruder! Dabi felt relieved, also annoyed. Boy, this would be one way to mess with the little snowflake. He couldn't resist the chance--plus no way in h--- was he going to admit who he was while he was out in the open like this.

"Oh, I'm new here," he said casually. While not usually a liar, he could lie pretty naturally if he needed to. "I'm the--" his mind scrambled for the simplest excuse, "--new janitor/gardener. Just checking out my new turf."

His voice had changed a little, he'd noticed-- less damage from heat, maybe...and clearly it was enough to fool them.

"Oh." The girl looked relieved.

"And you're just out here, alone, out of uniform," Shoto said.

"Uniform hasn't arrived yet," Dabi lied glibly, "but I thought I might as well get a head start. Got a problem with that, kid?"

He didn't dare use one of his usual nickname insults.

Shoto frowned at him warily. "I'd like to see some ID."

Now he was screwed. He didn't have any, of course. Dang it, why did the little b-----d have to be smart at a time like this?

But he was saved just in time by West appearing out of the trees and seeing the situation.

"Oh, hi, kids..."  He shot Dabi a questioning look.

"Mr. West, do you know this man? He's claiming to be a gardener," Shoto said.

"Oh..." West said, "Well, I don't know that whole maintenance staff, but I don't have any reason to disbelieve they need some new hires. Good luck, sir."  He saluted Dabi.

"You don't find him suspicious?" Shoto said.

"Was he doing anything suspicious?" West asked.

"He was just standing there leaning on the tree," Shoto said, like it was the same as spray painting a wall.

"And...?" West had a great look of incredulity.

"Well...he's not working," Shoto said.

"I told you, I'm just surveying." Dabi was tired of this act now.

"I think we had better just keep walking," the Princess said, "Mr. West can handle it from here." She gave Shoto a little shove.

"Fine," Shoto said, still frowning. They both walked away.

"What were you thinking?!" Wally shook Dabi by his coat lapels.

"It was an accident, jackass!" Dabi shoved him off. "I didn't mean to. This place is freaking huge. I got lost! And weren't you supposed to watch me?!"

"I guess. Sorry," Wally said, "I just turned around and you were gone... Nice cover story, by the way. They totally believed it. I just hope Peaches didn't catch on. She's smarter than any of us."

"Even if she did, doesn't look like she'll tell the punk," Dabi said, "But this was a bad idea."

"Just make sure they don't see you around here again," Wally said, "But we're so screwed now...if they realize you're on campus... Well, we were going to tell them eventually, but you just
made it way sooner than we wanted."

"Sorry for ruining that for you," Dabi said flatly, not at all like he meant it. He began walking away.

"We're trying to help you, man." Wally followed. "You could make it easier, you know... Look, it was an accident, but being proactive about fixing it is important too."

"Nothing to fix, West. I'm done as soon as they know it was me. It was a funny joke for a second, but that's it."

"Give them a little more credit. They've been really open minded."

"Yeah, from the sound of it, Shoto Todoroki is really open-minded," Dabi said, "I don't want to talk to him either, for the record. As far as I'm concerned, that part of me is dead along with the rest. I don't want to be a Todoroki again just because I'm not going to be a villain."

"I get it..." Wally said, "but you are a Todoroki...you know, in blood, even if not in spirit... Don't you think that will affect you? Inherited problems and all that. The only way to fix that is to face it. If you run from it, you'll always belong to the Todoroki clan in one way, even if you say you don't. It'll always hold you back."

Daib scowled. "Shut up."

Wally dropped the subject from there. He wasn't much like Shine. He'd back off if you made it clear enough you didn't want to talk... Shine would have just pulled some unnerving observations out of her hat.

The little walk ended with Dabi just going back inside and stewing over the whole incident for the rest of the day...but he was very careful not to ever get lost again after that.