"Is it okay if we take all of these bad guys to Endeavor's other house?" Wally asked Shine.

"We'll ask them if they intend to destroy it. They've been keeping their word for a while," Shine said.

...

"Destroy it?" Shigaraki said, like it was an odd idea when they asked, "Why would we do that if we're hiding out?"

"And you won't come back and do it?" Shine said.

"That seems like a weird thing to do," Shigaraki said with a straight face.

"Is...is he real?" Wally hissed at Shine. "My villains would love finding my house."

"It's like some unspoken rule here or something..." Shine mused, "I don't think we should stay in the woods. The Metas will realize sooner or late their people are missing. I wonder if they installed trackers on all of them."

But a quick inspection suggested the answer was no. Ren even had a metal detector.

So, they all went to meet the Todorokis at their new residence.

Shoto had actually not been there yet.

"Wow...it's a lot like our old one," he said.

"Where's the koi pond?" Dabi sounded offended.

"Maybe it's not installed yet." Shoto took him seriously.

"Are you good with waiting out here?" Shine asked Dabi, "I didn't want to leave you alone."

"I'll wait with him," Spinner said, "I don't really want to hear this."

"Thanks," Shine said.

"I'm not doing it to be nice," Spinner shot back, "Come off it."

Shine shrugged and walked away.

"Was that really necessary?" Dabi said coolly, "She can read people like books. You think she doesn't know you're a shallow, selfish, idol worshiper?"

He'd learned this term from studying, and he was kind of liking calling people it.

"Shut up," Spinner said, "I just don't get you. Why did you leave? You're now helping the same person you hated your whole life."

"I ain't that much of a saint," Dabi said, "I'm not doing this for that monster. Maybe he's changing, but it's too late for that to matter much to me. I guess I can't say he can't change, but I don't want anything to do with it...but this affects everyone around me, and that affects me... Maybe I'm still pretty selfish too, but there's really no point sitting on my a-- while that happens."

"You're going to get caught," Spinner said, "You know that. They're too visible."

"Oh, don't start acting like you care now, Spinner. Let's keep things real," Dabi said sarcastically, 
"And I know. I always thought I'd get caught sooner or later...but I've had a taste of what's it's like to be...well, almost free. If I get the chance again, I'mma take it. Anyway, no one else ever really cared about me. I'm not very grateful, am I? But, still, you don't let that go, I've decided. There's not one villain in a thousand who usually gets to see that."

Spinner was silent there.

* * *

"Miss Shine?" Fuyumi was the first to greet them. "Oh, please tell me you saw my message."

Shine froze. "Your...message?"

"You didn't..." Fuyumi said.

"Our reception out there was bad..." Shine said slowly, "and our phones were on silent anyway.... Uh oh..."

Shoto pulled out his. "I have a message from you... Oh..." He read it.

Shine glanced at hers. "It's in Japanese."

"Yes." Fuyumi didn't see why that was a problem.

Shine sighed. "Uh, maybe just tell me..."

Fuyumi glanced at the LOV members who'd come inside, then at Mirko and Ren.

"All of them know," Shoto spoke, "except for him." Meaning Ren.

"What don't I know?" Ren said, like the idea offended him.

"Why don't you go check for any signs of surveillance?" Mirko shoved him down the hall.

"Pushy," he muttered.

"I went back to the other house," Fuyumi explained.

"And they left some sign?" Shoto said.

"Well, they went through the whole house, probably looking for Hawks," Fuyumi said, "or...just to scare us. But they didn't touch this."

She held up the picture.

"That kind of looks like Dabi," Compress said, "but younger."

"Oh no..." Silk muttered.

"Ah, he's so cute." Medea peered at it. "He'd kill me if I said that to him though."

"Did you just foresee consequences?" Monama was sarcastic.

But Medea looked up in wonder. "Yeah...'cause I remember him getting mad before... Oh...wow...is that what this feels like?" She laughed. "Wow...yeah, it sucks."

"Welcome to having a filter,"  Shinso said dryly, "Still confused about your entire personality, by the way."

"Yeah, well, you freak me out too, Gloom and Doom," Medea retorted.

"And you think there's a chance they know who he is?" Shoto was still on subject.

"I hope not, but...I mean, is it odd it wasn't moved at all?" Fuyumi said, "When everything else was? Seems significant."

Shine bit her lip.

"Not bad, though." Wally gave Fuyumi a thumbs up. "We could use you at the crime lab. So you must be the smart one. Always the one with glasses."

Fuyumi reddened. "Oh, Mr. West, I don't really know if that's a true stereotype."

"I've known some real idiots with glasses," Shine said, "but that's besides the point... This is bad...but it's too late now to do anything about it. At least you warned us. Thank you."

"I'm so sorry. if I'd only thought of it sooner, I could have taken the picture," Fuyumi said, "I must have walked right by it. We all did."

"So you're all dumb," Compress said, "Taking photo evidence is the first rule of leaving a site."

"Not helping, Darling," Silk said.

"Is that them?" Endeavor yelled from an adjoining room, "About d--- time."

Shoto sighed. "We'd better go fill him in."

* * *

"So we still don't know where to go," Endeavor said, "And we have three hostages? We should hand them over to the police."

"Probably, yeah," Wally said, "I mean, you guys wouldn't object, right?"

The LOV looked up.

"Why not just kill them?" Shigaraki said.

"Because we don't do that," Wally said.

"So let us kill them," Compress said.

"That's just as bad," Shine said.

"Then arrest them. Whatever." Shigaraki sounded put out, like she'd stopped him from playing his game.

"You're kind of cold blooded," Endeavor said frostily.

"Keep in mind the Metas tried to murder all of them unprovoked," Shine said to him, "They have some reason to resent it...but we still don't do that."

"I still don't understand why they attacked the LOV at all. The LOV aren't in opposition to their goals," Endeavor said.

"Wait, that is kind of true," Wally said, "Why do they hate you?"

"D----d if we know," Compress said, "They're jealous or something. That's what one of those lunatics said. Something about we got all the hype."

"Sort of like how Stain got all the hype and you fed off of it?" Shine said.

They scowled.

"At least we did things," Compress sniffed, "That Cupcake Cult couldn't make an impression on anyone back when quirks first arrived, and they still can't. They're just jealous that people like us."

"Who likes you?" Endeavor was salty.

"People," Compress said, "Who likes you, Number One?"

Endeavor frowned.

"I can see why they'd be mad," Shine mused, "Jealousy is a powerful motivator."

"I suppose next you'll say you know how to stop them from caring?" Shigaraki said.

"Oh, no, as the Proverb says, 'Who is able to stand before jealousy'? Even God is jealous," Shine said, "Though I'd say they envy you too, which is worse. Jealousy can be deserved, but envy is just petty. Jealousy is even a compliment in a way. It shows you value something, but envy isn't about value, it's about wanting what other people have. I'd say they're envy is higher. They don't really like the population in general enough to care if it likes them less than you, but they want your influence."

"I'm getting Avarice flashbacks with you saying that," Wally said. [RWBY story ref]

"And all this matters because...?" Endeavor was impatient.

"Let her do her thing," Shigaraki snapped. He was kind of interested in this.

"Wow..." Mirko waited to see if Endeavor would take that.

He actually did. He was quiet.

"You won't be able to reason with them," Shine went on, "They recruited you, sure, but they'd have hated you regardless. You never really are satisfied, with jealousy. But the LOV has had more impact than the Metas would ever have through sheer ideology, because they do the one thing the Metas overlook: They appeal to the worst of people as well as the strongest. The Metas base all worth on having a 'meta ability' or whatever they call it, from what I read about them. They kind of sound like the Naturalist or Humanist groups where I come from."

"Ugh," Wally shuddered, "Gross."

"Quite," Shine agreed, "And like them, no one else will take it too seriously. See, people identify with a group if it seems they are helping the underdog...even if the group itself is corrupt. People live to tout their own problems and ask for pity. The Metas teach pride in quirks, when most people feel ashamed of themselves if they have  bad ones. While that will appeal to some, too many people are not going to feel proud of their messed up quirks even then, and so a group that says that doesn't matter, and takes them in anyway, that appeals more. It will catch on faster. This is all psychology."

She tapped the table.

"Oh, wow." Fuyumi was wide eyed. "I've never heard anyone analyze villains like that before."

"Welcome to American television," Wally said.

Shine nodded. "Yeah, you won't get this on anime usually, but backstory does not explain everything. You have to know what people want, and when you know that, you can make them do just about anything if they think they'll get it. Unless they have the character to choose between what they want and need and can do without. That's a rare person."

"I have to say," Hawks spoke up, "I think you're right about the Meta Liberation Army. They don't reach everyone the same way. I mean, they've gotten the world's attention now, through fear, but half of that was inspired by the LOV's approach."

"Am I the only one who's starting to think we created our own problem here?" Compress hissed.

"You just now thought that?" Silk hissed back.

"Well, I have good news." Ren suddenly walked back into the room. "I have a location for you."

"What?" Everyone whirled toward him.

"Intelli went home with the phones we took off those Metas, you know, while you were all arguing," Ren said, "and he hooked up to their wireless server and traced where they were. Then he eliminated a lot of places that were too exposed to be a hideout. We've got about 3 or 4 that could be a hideout. Not sure it's an HQ, but hey, it's a start."

"It's...been like...45 minutes since he left..." Shoto said.

"Wow..." Momo was amazed.

"Yeah, well, it took little longer because he had to get to his room on campus," Ren shrugged, "But yeah, still."

"Supervillain," Mirko muttered, "seriously... Well, fine, this is good. So we just have to check out all 3 or 4 places. Easy."

"Now just a minute, Sis." Ren held up his phone. "Pro heroes are not allowed in at least two of these locations. They're sanctioned off, just like that one the LOV busted into. Nice work there, by the way."

Shigaraki and Compress both started a little at that.

Ren zoomed in on his screen. "You'll never get in. You have to be invited. You wouldn't make it past the gridlock around the place. They've got all kinds of quirked up people whose job it is to keep  you out. And since the war, they'll be extra careful about that."

"We can get in," Shine spoke, "We'd just have to have someone on the inside we know or been there already."

"Assuming that's true, they'll come for you as soon as you're in," Ren said, "You need some kind of ID. Now, the other two places are probably just transport."

"Just...what?" Camie said.

"Transport," Hawks spoke, "They use locations to pass weapons and people and orders through, but they don't keep a lot of actually important stuff there. Wouldn't likely have any info on the big fish we're after."

"But might be worth checking out just in case," Ren said, "Never know who might be there. You want the bigger fish, you cast a wider net, I always say. But it'll be easier to sneak up on them there. Now that we have even less man-power than before, thanks to Miss Likstar. This is gonna be real tricky.

"I do have reinforcements," Shine said.,"Well, one anyway."

"Unless that one is a top pro, it doesn't matter that much," Ren said.

"Who are you to say that?" Shine said.

"Anyway," Ren sighed, "however we gonna do this, pick the group carefully. If we all hit up each one it could take all day. That's all day for them to find your bird-brained friend there. And that's another thing-- if he's seen with you, they'll know what's up."

"I can't just sit it out," Hawks said, "I'm too useful."

"Blowing our cover is not useful," Shine said.

Ren tapped his earpiece. "Intelli is going to keep trying to hack them from home. He's the man in the chair, but I have to be close to the system to really do my thing, so I'll have to come in person. I can just go with Rumi."

"What makes you think I want a little scrub like you hanging around me?" Mirko said.

"Because you'd never lend me out to anyone else. I'd be too much of an advantage," Ren said.

She smirked.

"We have a group of heroes and villains," Endeavor said, "I don't see how we can divide it up in any way that would make anyone happy, except all the villains staying together."

"All 5 of them?" Shine said, "That's a huge lopside in our numbers. That just won't work. But if you want to put in a no villains request, we'll accommodate you. Who here is willing to work with anyone else?"

Momo raised her hand. "I don't care, as long as we can pull this off."

"Me neither," Shoto agreed.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter," Bakugo said.

"Yo." Camie gave an A-Ok sign.

"The kids are more mature than the adults," Shine muttered.

"Say, I think it'd be hilarious if we took Bakugo with some of us," Compress said, "You know, for old time's sake."

Bakugo glared at him.

"Yeah, that right there, that makes it sound like a bad idea to let you," Shine said.

"Oh, pshaw, Likstar, we won't hurt him. We never did anyway," Compress said, "And I'm personally still just curious to see what he'd be like on our side. Come now, we're all a team, right?"

"Why do I feel like he's twisting this?" Hawks muttered.

"Well, it's up to him," Shine decided.

"Are you afraid of us?" Compress asked Bakugo.

Bakugo sniffed. "That s--- won't work on me anymore, Clown. I ain't afraid of you, and I don't freaking care if you call me a chickens--- either."

"Oh, oh, can I pick Camie?!" Medea put her hand up.

Monama looked surprised.

"Girl, yes!" Camie said, "We want to be on Medea's team."

"I think we should have at least one adult per group..." Wally said.

"I pick Mirko!" Medea said.

"What?" Mirko gave her an odd look.

"Oh, h--- yea!" Bakugo said.

"Frick yes!" Camie cheered, "I always wanted to go on a mission with the top female hero. Perfect."

"Well, then, me too," Ren said, "So that's settles one team. I think I can get us into one of the sanctuary cities too. A little hacking and modifying is all it takes."

"Are we just letting them do that?" Compress asked Shigaraki.

"I don't think we really can stop it," Shigaraki said, "but, Medea, do not get carried away."

"Uh, sure, grandpa," Medea said flatly, "I'll play carefully with the other kids. Geez, do you know how you sound?"

"I think we should be more worried about Mirko doing something crazy," Silk muttered.

"I'm putting Monama with you too," Shine added, "He is most useful for the element of surprise, and you'll need it. Plus, he can copy everyone but Rumi in that group."

Monama didn't object.

"Well, if they get Medea, I think we should get Dabi, for old time's sake," Compress frowned.

"Sure," Shine said, as she thought, if Endeavor would not be around villains, it would be best Dabi be with them.

"Hey, uh, can I come?" Fuyumi said.

"What?" Endeavor looked at her incredulously.

"I don't really fight." Fuyumi twiddled her thumbs nervously. "But you seem to need to get close, you know...and...well...maybe I could do that easier... You know, just get in, and then get back out. And I want to help-- because this affects us too."

"Sis..." Shoto said, "You don't have to do that. We'll be fine."

"I never do anything, Shoto, to help," Fuyumi said.

"I think we should let her," Wally said, "We're not ones to turn down help."

"Do I get a say here?" Endeavor said.

"She's a grown woman. Should you get a say?" Shine challenged him.

Silence.

"Dad, it's okay," Fuyumi said, "It'll be fine. I won't fight or anything. I'll just help them get past suspicion."

Endeavor was not happy about it.

"You're with us, in that case," Shine said, "and I want Momo and Shoto too and Shinso. Endeavor can come too if he insists, but I think he'd be better at the Transport locations. Less weird if those are raided. I think Ibara better go with one of those. Wally, what do you want to do?"

"I want to go with you," Wally said, "but, sadly, I have a feeling I'd be better as a runner, if I check in with everyone. No one will know what hit them. I mean, I can almost be in two places at once."

"Okay then," Shine said, "We have our teams. Let's pick our targets, and then get the heck out of here. We're wasting too much time anyway, unless anyone objects."

But no one really could. What else was there to do?