Back at UA, Dabi filled in the other kids on what happened.

"Whoa, so lit..."  Camie said.

"Should you really be here if Shine isn't here to cover for you?" Dabi said.

"Ah, it's cool. Mr. A is okay with it as long as I stay away from the main buildings," Camie said, "And, like, it's been so relaxing to be away from Moto all week."

"I still want to kick her teeth in," Bakugo grumbled.

"So, what'll happen to Hawks, Mr. Dabi?" Kaminari asked.

"Don't call me that, and I dunno," Dabi said, "I suppose he's just another lost sheep to those two blockheads...but I doubt dear old dad is going to be happy about it."

Bakugo gave him a look.

"What?" Dabi said.

"Just you and Icyhot sure talk alike sometimes. I'd almost actually believe you're brothers. That, and you're both idiots," Bakugo said.

"Well, by that logic, Blasty, I'm surprised you're not his long lost brother," Dabi said.

"What the heck did you just say to me? You piece of crap!" Bakugo exploded.

"Yo, bet if you told Todoroki-san that, he'd make a theory about it," Camie said, "He totes thought Deku and All Might were related... They look nothing alike though, but I gotta admit, personality wise, they're twinsies."

"Bubbles, do you actually talk like that or is it an act so we all thing you're a space cadet?" Dabi asked.

"Bro, do you actually talk like that or is it an act so we think you're an a--h---?" Camie retorted.

Dabi snickered.

"Ah, Ponytail's calling." Bakugo answered his phone. "About d--- time. It's been an hour!... Tch, hang on." He put her on speaker.

"So, the whole LOV is here...well, half of them," Momo's voice said, hushed, "I stepped into the next room... They agreed to help. We're taking on the Metas directly... Well, I'm not sure they're letting Todoroki and I help or not. I don't think Endeavor is going to be okay with it, but the adults are."

"Like h--- am I being left out of that!" Bakugo said.

"Bakugo, the Metas have killed, like, dozens of heroes, maybe hundreds," Camie said.

"Yeah, so?" Bakugo said.

Camie bit her lip. "Well, they probs won't let us help."

"I hope not," Jiro muttered.

"They're talking right now about what they need," Momo said, "Shine said to fill you in... Also, I'm supposed to ask Dabi if he wants to work with the LOV again for this, since this was also his fight."

"Would they even want that?" Dabi said.

"It seems so," Momo said, "They really don't seem mad...but you don't have to, of course. You should stay out of it, if you want."

"It depends what kind of plan it is. I don't want to be exposed," Dabi said.

"And Endeavor is okay with the LOV just being there at his house?" Bakugo said.

"Uh...no, but he's tolerating it because of the situation." Momo said, "Hawks is...well... I think it's more personal right now, so...I gotta go."

She hung up.

"Well, frick..." Jiro summed it up.

* * *

"I think it would be possible," Shine said after explaining her idea.

"I love it when you get into plan mode," Wally was clearly enjoying himself. "Remember with Watts? Good times."

"Yes, but right now it's a little more risky," Shine was waiting for Endeavor to answer.

"It seems like a lot of it would be depending on luck," Endeavor said.

"Well, we have a good track record." Wally was eating more dumplings. "Shine and I have done this a bunch of times. Nothing like busting an evil cult to put a little spring in your step again. Anyway, what do you all have to lose? Most of you are on borrowed time as long as those guys are loose."

"I hate to agree with West on anything, but he's right," Shigaraki admitted, "We're never going to move on with our plans while the Metas are on our tails... If this worked, considering we've lost all our other resources, it would be worth the risk."

"I agree, sort of," Compress said, "and of course you're the boss, but...I don't like how much it involves heroes."

Shine sighed.

"It's not just that I'm biased," Compress said, "It's too easy to spot heroes. Especially top heroes. How would we ever escape with our anonymity?"

"It's hardly news to anyone you dislike the metas," Shine said, "and would the world blame you so much if you took them out?"

"Sh--, I say let's do it," Medea said, "This sounds fun. Can I help?"

"I suppose if you want," Shine said, "But it's not a game, Medea. They are killers."

Medea's eyes flickered purple. "I know...but they're after us anyway... Might as well fight back."

"It's just risky..." Endeavor said, "Hawks, could this work?"

Hawks was thinking. "If we found the HQ-- that's the biggest problem-- it's possible the rest of it might work, but it would be really unlikely they'd not be expecting it. The only thing we might have is, they would not think we'd work together. They'll expect one or the other side to find them, not both. I say we should split up like that to throw them off...but the thing is, to get close, I'd need to be unseen, and I'm really visible."

"Here's the question," Shine said, "Are we willing to use kids...? They could help...but I don't like the idea of it."

Wally nodded. "It's messed up, but maybe for the stealth part...not the part we'd be fighting in. I don't know if we can get by without them. They're tough kids."

"Well, if it is stealth you need," Silk held up her hands, "I can sneak up on people pretty well. Maybe you no need kids. I can capture them easily too. Remember?" She looked at Momo.

Momo leaned away. "She is good at that."

"If we need back up, I prefer to call in other pros," Endeavor said.

"Very few we could trust," Shine said, "I hate to endanger them...but we might have to."

"Okay, Shine, stop calling it that every time." Mirko got annoyed. "I don't know what your damage is, but we're heroes--it's literally our job to risk our lives every single day. Why does it matter who we're doing it for? Get over it."

Shine blinked at her. "Oh...wow...Rumi that actually does kind of put it into perspective... Thanks. I didn't see it that way."

Mirko smirked. She didn't often get one over on Shine... This might be the first time on record, actually.

"She's right, hon." Wally patted Shine. "This is what we do. And we'd do the same for them. You have to think it's not us forcing them to."

Shine nodded. "You're right, you're right..."

"Sheesh, and I thought we had problems," Compress muttered, "What about the rest of our League, boss? Do we need them?"

"Well, I don't want to put Twice through that again," Shigaraki said, "but Spinner really could do something useful for once, so perhaps he should join us after all. Toga...went down too easily last time. She's not that much use."

"Why does Spinner never do anything?" Shine asked.

"Honestly, I think he has confidence issues," Compress said.

"Maybe because you all dunk on him," Silk said.

"No, he was like that before," Compress said.

Momo said, "The others want to help... Well...Bakugo wants to. Dabi said he would if the plan was right, I guess."

"Wow," Shoto said.

"He's so brave." Fuyumi forgot most of the heroes thought Dabi was still a villain.

Endeavor and Hawks looked at her very strangely.

"I mean, to want to...you know..." she fumbled.

Wally winced. "Ooh...awkward. Wait, how would that work? Won't...you know?" He nodded at Endeavor.

"Likely as not," Shine sighed, "Oh, well...have to keep them apart."

"So when can we implement this?" Hawks said.

"Well, first of all, we're not doing it today," Shine said.

"Wait...we're not?" Shigaraki said.

"No," Shine said, "Don't be silly. Hawks is going to go to Recovery Girl and get patched up the rest of the way so he's at full power. And while he can't stay at UA permanently, one night should be okay. He can't go home, that's for sure... Afraid we can't risk it either, so we'll have to round up some materials. Momo, can you ask the others to get on that?"

Momo texted them.

"We'll be praying and thinking," Shine said, "And I want all of you to get a good rest and be thinking clearly. We start tomorrow morning. Endeavor, I'd leave this house just in case. You have a back up one, right? Better go there or to a hotel for the night, all of you."

"So, who at UA are you gonna bring?" Medea asked.

"I don't think your crush would agree to come," Shine said, "We could ask, but this is a little... Then again, come to think of it, when we don't know who we're up against, he could be useful... Still...we'll see."

"Her...crush?" Hawks was blank. "Does she go to UA? Who is this girl, anyway?"

"I'm the one with the crazy brother," Medea said.

"Uh...that didn't help," Hawks said.

"I'd rather Hawks not be at UA," Endeavor spoke, "He'll put the kids at risk. He should come with us. Two top heroes ought to be a challenge if anyone shows up."

"Oh, well, I don't know--" Hawks said.

"Okay, sure," Shine agreed, "Better anyway. Not sure how Da--... Uh, we should go."

* * *

Needless to say, it wasn't the most peaceful evening for anyone.

Shine and Wally and their crew probably had the smoothest time. They prayed and talked and helped each other calm down.

The LOV were far more of nervous wrecks.

Twice in particular declared he didn't want to be left out, and Shigaraki argued with him for a long time about it before caving in because Twice said if Mirko could do what she wanted, then he could too.

"And you think he can handle it?" Mirko said.

"It's his choice." Shigaraki gave up.

"Ugh, you know, you're kind of a pushover," Mirko said, "You could pull rank, you know."

"I don't really do that."

"I noticed." She twitched her ears. "This isn't about choice. If Twice is unfit to deal with that again, then he's not the one to make that call. Toga didn't put up a fuss."

"Toga doesn't really care about anyone other than herself," Shigaraki said quite coolly.

"Twice cares too much, then," Mirko muttered. After hearing about it earlier, she was convinced Twice might be kind of unhealthily willing to hurt himself for the League.

"This is not really your concern. Mind your own business," Shigaraki said.

"Frick you," Mirko said, "You know, I am a professional, like it or not. I know whipped when I see it. Twice is not ready for this. But why should anything I ever say matter around here?" She walked away.

"I'm afraid she could be right about Twice..." Compress said. "He managed before, barely, but without Toga there, I don't know if he'll have the fortitude...and we can't break his arms to prove he's real..."

Shigaraki frowned. "I can't make him stay out of it if it's important to him."

"Sir, I'm not sure it really is the same. Mirko is...well...Mirko, but she's not unstable...uh, like that anyway. That is to say, if she runs into a fight, she won't break down in the middle of it because someone is torturing her. Twice could be involved at his own risk," Compress said, "and ours. I'd honestly vote for him staying behind."

"You're saying there's stats involved in these decisions?" Shigaraki said.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Sir, but factors other than just what someone wants could be." Compress felt he was really not paid enough for this. Wasn't all this plain as day? Really, didn't Shigaraki know anything about people?

The answer to that was no. Of course.

But as he was as easily swayed by Compress as Twice, he changed his mind. It took the others backing him up to get Twice to shut up about it... Finally, Silk said to him that Toga would need someone to guard her, and he was a one man army. That did it.

"You know, I don't usually comment on people's relationships, but Toga does not deserve that man," Silk said to Compress and Spinner.

"Yeah," they agreed.

"And I don't even care," Compress added, "but, affirmative..."

Mirko heard the whole thing from the adjoining area but didn't comment on it.

"We're going from the Origi-ninjas to the Metas," Medea remarked to her, "Is that a step up? I really can't tell who's creepier."

"They're both bad-- and don't use that term," Mirko said.

"What? It fits," Medea said, "We'll all be using it soon, I bet. It was a real mouthful calling them by the full name."

"No, Origi-ninja sounds like a dumb kids' show." Mirko said.

"Genius," Medea said, "They sound so much less creepy..." She frowned. "I wonder if...Lethe is still with them."

Mirko was silent.

"You have any siblings?" Medea asked her.

"Uh...a few..." Understatement of the year, but still.

"Brother?"

"Yeah..." Mirko was cautious.

"You think if you found out he'd been controlling your mind and lying to you for years, you'd still worry about him if he joined an evil cult that almost killed everyone who was ever remotely nice to you?" Medea asked.

Mirko pictured it... Well...Ren probably would do something like that just for kicks...not the mind control part.

"Before or after I beat the crap out of him for doing all of the above?" She hedged.

Medea laughed. "Good answer. But, you know, after beating the crap out of him."

"I don't know. Is he supposed to be sorry in this scenario?"

"I don't know."

"I don't know either, then." Mirko was not great at this. "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts."

"No," Medea said, "Lethe isn't someone I ever want to be around again. But...it's...when you're twins and on your own, it's you against the world... Someone is always there. You'll have someone to talk to, yell at... What's the thing old people say? You see your shadow as two people? That was us. He was fake with me, but I don't have anyone else... Is it weird if I miss that without missing the person with it?"

Mirko had no clue at all.

"Maybe I could see that, but I think I'd be too pissed off."

"Maybe I'm getting past that part..." Medea studied her hands. "At least partly. I'm so confused. Was he really that scared of me? That he had to lie and hide my own memories from me?"

Mirko tilted one ear. "I'm not a shrink...but I do have one thought on that last part. Only because it's something Pros learn in training."

"Oh?"

"Well, I wouldn't say we're taught it so much as you get out on the field and it hits you... Power like that is really easy to lost control of. Pros with dangerous quirks have to daily make choices usually about what to risk doing with them, what's acceptable... We get major flack for going too far in the eyes of the world. I've gotten a lot of complaints for excessive violence."

"That's no surprise." Medea was blunt.

"Oh, shut it," Mirko said, "The complaints can be stupid too, you know. Some pros get complaints if they scare someone while fighting a villains... Like, get your priorities straight, people, do you want them to save you or not? Sheesh...Endeavor got those a bunch before this last year, but hey, who cares? Not me. The point is, you do what seems like it would work, and you have rules...rules that, I really think, can be a little too restrictive, but in cases like Lethe's they make sense. Abuse of that quirk is straight up evil. When did he get it? Did he get quirk counseling?"

"Nah." Medea remembered now. "My quirk came really late, but his was only a couple years earlier, and I didn't even know what it was. He said he could see videos of people's lives, that's all. He didn't tell me he suppressed memory until after we ran away. And even then it took me seeing him do it a few times. Maybe he just thought it was better to explain so I'd cooperate. Then again, if I was okay with it, am I just as bad as him? I always thought it was kind of creepy...but I didn't know how much he could suppress. I thought, you know, it's a few hours. Just enough to do the spying. I didn't know it could be your whole life..."

Mirko shuddered inwardly.

"I got suspicious more the last few days before it all went down," Medea recalled, "and then I realized he was going off the deep end. He was just willing to let them kill people, and I thought, when did he get so callous? And how did I not know that? I don't even know if he could have killed anyone before and I just don't remember. I hope not. He never seemed that messed up, but... Why did you ask? Oh, right, quirk counseling. No, we kind of skipped it. I think our mom was going to sign us up later when our quirks did surface, but then mine was nothing at all, just eye color changing, we thought. And I don't think Lethe ever got around to going... What do they tell you in that?"

"Oh, a lot of boring stuff about how you should not abuse your quirk," Mirko said, "Most kids don't really listen, but you'd get in trouble for it at school too...not if you're like me, and it's just part of your body, but for you or Lethe, you'd get in trouble."

"You got off easy there," Medea said.

Mirko sniffed. "You think? There's a class system in plenty of neighborhoods and schools about physical type quirks you can't hide. I never really wanted a different one, but it's not any cakewalk either."

"What, did they make fun of you for being a bunny?" Medea was just a little too smart.

Mirko glared.

"Oh, s---, really?" Medea was smirking. "That's so lame. I mean, low hanging fruit, right? I bet they said you were cute and fluffy, right? There was a squirrel girl in one of my classes. They used to ask her if she had any nuts."

"I hope she kicked them in theirs."

"She wasn't much of a fighter," Medea said, "Did they ask you if you wanted a carrot?"

Mirko didn't like how good she was at guessing this. "Something banal like that."

"Did they call you Judy Hopps?"

"Okay, I think you've made your point," Mirko said.

"Honestly I'd take that as a compliment though," Medea said, "Zootopia was one of my favorite movies when I was littler...kind of lame now. I mean, it's boring, but still." She started humming Try Everything.

"I don't think it was a compliment," Mirko said.

"Wait, are you sensitive about it?" Medea as usual tripped over the obviously taboo subject. "Oh, that's weird. I didn't think you were the type."

"Of course I'm not!" Mirko said, "But it's stupid to sit here and talk about it."

"Oh my gosh, you are." Medea sat up straighter. "Oh, that's too funny. What, does it bug you if someone calls you cute or fluffy or something?"

"Shut up," Mirko warned her. Ears back.

"You big angry," Medea said, "but like, if you don't want someone to say it, don't make it so obvious it bothers you. First rule of classroom bullying...I think... You know, though, bunnies are pretty nonthreatening. I can see why that would be a problem."

"You know, it's really narrow minded to say that conventional ideas about any animals apply to the quirk." Mirko was salty.

"But objectively, I mean, what if your quirk was weaker?" Medea said.

"What if I knock you into next week?"

"Touchy, touchy," Medea said, "but everyone likes bunnies too. I think you're kind of lucky--no pun intended. Instant win for most people."

"Shut up."

"What do you think, Bossman?" Medea wanted someone else to join her in this, and Shigaraki was the only one close, though he wasn't listening.

"Huh?" He looked up. 

"Bunnies, aren't they, like, an instant win?" Medea said.

"In Animal Crossing?" Shigaraki was confused.

Medea started cracking up.

"What game are you talking about?" Shigaraki was confused further.

"No, I mean, everyone likes them." Medea dodged Mirko's first swing at her by turning into fire. "They aren't threatening, that's why."

"I don't know what game you're talking about," Shigaraki said.

"Are you really this dumb?" Medea just had to pause for a second and take it in.

"Rabbits are kind of terrifying, actually." Shigaraki got distracted now.

Mirko froze right before she was going to yank Medea down by her hair.

"What?" Medea snorted, forgetting Mirko, "Seriously, you're afraid of rabbits now? What, is it that one movie...Hoodwinked...?" [Legit reason if you ask me, that movie is scary.]

"No. Do you know rabbits eat their own young?" Shigaraki said, "That's just disturbing."

Medea made a face. "Ew..."

Mirko leaned on the chair. "Knowing my mother..." she muttered to herself.

"I don't think I like bunnies anymore after that," Medea said.

"You do know it's not the same thing, right?" Mirko said flatly.

"Do you? Who was getting all touchy about it?" Medea retorted, "You're not gonna eat me, are you?" 

Mirko knocked her onto the floor. "Keep that up and you're going to wish I was."

"Maybe I did go a little too far." Medea rubbed her head. "But, still, you just pissed me off." Her hair lit on fire.

[Image design by Onerose. Original template to original designer.]

"Medea," Shigaraki called, "I don't know what's going on over there, but if you set the lair on fire, you're going to find the next one."

"Ew, no way." Medea turned her quirk off. "Forget it. Spoil sport." She walked away.

Mirko rolled her eyes. Upstart teenager.

* * *

Shine and the UA kids cast a wider net...but there weren't too many people to ask. Aizawa said he wasn't going on an unauthorized suicide mission.

"You're not going to help?" Shine said.

"Your plan is to attempt to single-handedly take down the cult that has been killing heroes for months and is our public enemy number one, with a band of misfits and two--or three-- Pros. And some kids?" Aizawa said, "You won't be taking my students with you."

Shine tilted her head. "Very well," she said. She walked out of his office.

Just that, no fight.

Aizawa had fully expected an argument.

He followed Shine. He didn't trust this.

She had gone back to the dorm courtyard. The students in the group were there. Monama and Shinso were with them.

"I heard from Kaminari you were planning something," he explained, "I can help."

"But Shinso," Shine said, "Aizawa will not allow it, and it's going to be dangerous."

"I can help you," he insisted, "My quirk is perfect for this. There's a thousand different scenarios I could do... Miss Likstar I've barely gotten on the field at all. I might be in the hero course, but I've not been in a lot of real fights-- and nothing major. The metas are tearing our world apart."

Shine bit her lip.

"You can't stop me!" Shinso said, "It's our choice, and you're not like the staff. You understand that rules have to be broken sometimes, right?"

"I agree with him," Shoto said, "I don't care what my dad says. I'm my own person. If I sit this out, I'll never forgive myself. It won't just be you at risk-- a lot of people will be."

"You us trained for this!" Even Momo was protesting.

"I'm not being left out!" Bakugo cried.

"Yo, you have to let us," Camie whined.

"If Aizawa catches me doing that, I'll be dead," Shine said. 

"If this goes wrong, you'll be dead anyway," Bakugo said.

Silence.

"For all we know...they'll come after us." Jiro was speaking. "This is a shot to weaken them a little. Don't you think we want that? It's a freaking war."

Shine was wavering.

"So," Aizawa startled all of them, "this is what you all talk like when I'm not around."

Everyone jumped and turned to stare at him in horror.

"Dang..." Wally said.

"Oh, crap!" Kaminari looked ready to pass out.

The others swallowed nervously.

"So much for telling them no," Shine said to Aizawa, "They don't listen to you. I guess they don't listen to me either."

Aizawa took a really long look at all of them.

"Fine," he said, "If I can't stop you...then fine...but I want them out of any front line action."

Wally nodded. "So do we."

"You're all getting expelled for this," Aizawa said.

"What?" Kaminari almost had a heart attack.

"He's kidding," Shine said.

"Am I?" Aizawa said.

"All in favor of Wally and I opening our own private hero school if you all get expelled?" Shine held up her hand. [Lol.]

Everyone's hands shot up except Shinso's and Monama's, who just looked confused.

"Hey, am I late?" Ibara appeared from 1-B's courtyard.

"Nope," Wally said.