Back on the mainland, a lot of information awaited them.

Intelli came to pick Ren up. He actually had a car. And he told them all more news.

"Endeavor's squad didn't do well," he said, "The Metas sent reinforcements, but the thing is, I can't figure out how they knew to do it so fast. Until I realized, it wasn't just them."

"What?" Ren said.

Intelli showed them some security footage he'd hacked from the Metas' transport site.

"Look at this."

Some of the cameras had picked up dark clad figures lurking around the scene. The camera had been taken out shortly thereafter.

"Ninja..." Mirko's ears went back. "What were they doing there?"

"From all I've heard about them...I don't know," Intelli said, "Do they have a reason to be involved?"

The group exchanged looks.

Suddenly, Kayla laughed.

They all turned to look at her...and they frowned suspiciously.

She was handcuffed, but she still smirked smugly. "You all are so easily fooled."

"You..." Mirko lunged at her. Hawks held her back. "You're one of them!?"

"You thought I would have cooperated with you if I was a Meta?" Kayla snorted, "Please, they'd rather take cyanide than betray their precious, despicable cause."

 She tossed her hair. "I let you invade the island. We were watching those transport sites too... I knew something was up when the guard mentioned all getting confused. And those attacks? It could only be one person." She looked right at Shine.

Then she looked at Mirko. "The Originals knew you'd all be of use to us."

"If that's true," Ren pulled out a weapon casually, "why are you telling us this now?"

Kayla's smile faded. "I've seen your power, and I heard stories from the other times... I may work for the Originals, but I'm not stupid." She tilted her head. "They wanted to pit the heroes and Metas against each other, let you or them clean each other out. They don't care which happens first. But, after I saw how you operated, I wasn't so sure that would work. Taking down their whole network? That was an impressive plan." She shrugged. "And you don't kill, so I know you won't kill me."

"We'll just see about that--" Shigaraki began.

Shine stuck out her sword and held him back.

"What do you want, then?" she said.

Kayla held up her hands. "Release me first."

They all looked at each other.

"Look, I'm faster than her," Wally said, "Unless she has a bomb or something--which Ren would be able to sense, I bet--she can't do anything. She's quirkless."

"Actually, I'm not quirkless," Kayla said, "but I can't use my quirk out of water, if that helps."

Ren made a motion. Her cuffs unlocked.

"What do you want?" he repeated the question.

Kayla rubbed her wrists. "The Originals don't know I'm not quirkless yet, most of them. I can hide it pretty well... I agree with them about quirks, but that city business with the nomu, it was a little much...but you stopped it. You have heroes and villains working together." She looked at Shine and Wally. "I can't just leave the Originals. You don't just leave them. We took the girl with the vines."

"What?!!" Monama said.

Kayla nodded. 

"I only know that because I got the message while I was on the boat. They said to use it as leverage if I got caught, but I have a better idea." She pulled a card out of her pocket. "I infiltrated the Metas for a reason. I wasn't caught. That should tell you I'm a pretty good spy." She winked. "This card is for a company that the Originals run. A travel agency. I work there part time. I want you to call this number at the date and time I wrote down. I'll lead you to Ibara, if I can find her."

"If?!" Monama cried.

"If I do that," Kayla said, "then when you take down the Originals the same way you took down the Metas, you're going to let me go--and anyone else I want to come with me."

"Excuse me?" Wally said.

"I have a quirkless dad," Kayla explained, "That's how I got into the Originals..."

"Forgive me, Kayla," Shine said, "but why should we trust you? You seemed pretty smug about this a second ago."

"If I wanted to lie to you, I didn't have to own up to it," Kayla said, "It was a good hustle, I thought. You should have seen the looks on your faces." She made a face. "I don't like heroes. Why should I feel sorry about it? But I understand to get something, I have to offer something, so I'll help you get her back. They won't kill her for now. They used the Metas as a cover to attack her so that you would go after them. I guess you've followed their plans enough for them to be cautious. They think you--" she pointed at Shine and Wally "--are some kind of quirkless gods or devils or something like that... It's kind of unclear. Ones who can stop nomu by talking to them and tame the LOV."

"What?" Shigaraki said.

"That is a gross misconception," Shine agreed.

"Rumor are rumors," Kayla said, "They are scared of you. They think your power goes beyond human or quirk. I'm not sure what they want to use the girl for. Maybe they were just seizing an opportunity. If I help you get her back, my dad and I get to go, okay? I've had enough of doing the Originals' dirty work, and he has too. I didn't think we could leave, but you helped him leave." She pointed at Dabi. "And her." She pointed at Medea, who blinked at her. "So I think you can help. I'm not gonna join your side, though. Don't get any ideas. I'd prefer to just live a quiet life once I change my identity."

"Kayla, we can't promise you anything," Shine said, "but I'll go this far. You do as you said, and don't betray us, and I believe your faith will be rewarded. Is that good enough for you?"

Kayla nodded. "If that means you'll try."

"We'll do our best," Wally said.

"Wait, what about us?" Shigaraki said, "She lied to us. You're just going to let her off?"

"We let you off," Shine said, "What do you expect us to do? Are you really stupid enough to try to kill her in front of us?"

Silence.

"Perhaps if you gave the LOV something also," Compress said, "since we're kind of working with Likstar and West right now."

Mirko snorted as if to say she doubted that.

Kayla raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Compress thought. "What about a location? A real one, where the Originals operate out of... Where is their main stronghold?"

"Oh, if you look for that, you're dead," Kayla said. She smirked. "I can tell you one thing. You're in the wrong country. Did you really think they mainly operate in Japan? Quirkless people are far less oppressed in certain countries. They can have groups and clubs... The ones here collaborate with them."

"Canada..." Ren said, suddenly, "You said you're from Canada... Is that where they are?"

Kayla smirked. "Maybe... I didn't tell you one way or the other, did I? You're just guessing."

"You'd lead us to it?" Compress said.

"Let's see how well our first objective goes," Kayla said, "Maybe if you don't do anything to double cross me, I'll consider throwing you another bone." She tugged her hair. "Can I go, then? Do we have a deal?"

Shine shrugged. "Is it necessary to remind you we can find you easily if this is a trick?"

"I already know that," Kayla said.

"Then you can go," Shine said, "Let her, guys. It's useless to detain her anyway."

"If you say so," Shoto said.

Kayla nodded. Then she dived off the edge of the dock into the water.

She didn't come up again, but Hawks thought he saw flashes of scales in the water right where she'd been.

* * *

"So now we have a lead," Shine said, "At least we know Ibara will not be killed. And why I can't find her."

"I guess you made a real impression on her," Ren said.

"I don't think we've done anything that special," Shine said with a straight face, "All we do is just as God has us do and to his glory, but if people are impressed by it, I won't turn it down. We have a Rahab, if she proves sincere."

"Or a ringer, to put it a bit more crime-movie," Wally said, "She could be a character in Oceans, couldn't she? Get it...? 'Cause of the water quirk."

"Not funny," Bakugo said.

"Now that that's settled...can we go?" Compress sighed, "This has been...the longest day of my life. A real show stopper, to be sure, but I'm ready for intermission."

"No one's stopping you," Wally said. 

"Rumi, are you going with them?" Ren said. His tone kind of implied more than the question would normally mean.

Mirko frowned at him. "Yeah, so?"

"Wait, what?" Hawks said, "Exactly why would you do that? What's going on here?"

"She's living with us now." Shigaraki finally had had it with this game.

Mirko glared at him. "I didn't want him to know that!"

"Well, this is torture," Spinner whined, "Everyone else already knows, and who's he gonna tell?"

Hawks' mouth dropped open.

"Is to get away from Originals. They left her threat at her house," Silk said.

"What? Really?" Monama said.

"Wow," Shinso said, "and the LOV was the natural alternative?"

"We're not traceable the same way," Compress pointed out, "It's cover. A Pro hero is too visible otherwise. Any hotel they stayed at someone would find them. Any flight they took out of country--you get the idea."

"I guess..." Shinso said dubiously.

"That's why I keep seeing you together?" Hawks blinked, "Why...? But you...but how?... And you haven't killed each other yet? How long has it been?"

"Month and a half or so..." Mirko said.

"And...you're not dead..." Hawks said.

"Stop saying that." Shigaraki really didn't like Hawks.

"Actually, she's been pretty useful," Spinner defended them, "and this way we can pool our resources to keep an eye out for that cult. So it works out."

"I need a hero around to supervise me," Medea said, "I mean, I'm surrounded by crazy people, and I'm an impressionable teenager. But I can't go anywhere else either for the same reason, so it worked out."

"That makes no sense," Hawk said, "What about the Witness Protection Program?"

"The Originals have no doubt infiltrated those." Mirko tapped her foot impatiently. "We went over it all, Hawks... It beats living under a bridge, but I'd still rather live under a bridge than in a house I know those psychopaths were watching... Look, did you miss what just happened? They even had someone in a Meta campaign. We need every edge we can get. This is nothing I can't handle."

Hawks stared at her. "This takes thrill-seeking to a new level... I mean, I knew you were crazy, but...this? This is your plan?"

"Is it so much worse than you collaborating with us?" Shigaraki spoke again, annoyed further.

"Why don't you lay off her?" Spinner said, "We're not that bad... I mean, compared to the Originals we're not. We have standards, and we haven't done anything to hurt her at all."

Hawks kind of scared Spinner, honestly.

"Yeah, they haven't." Mirko tugged her hair. "It's been fine. I mean, honestly I've had more near death experiences living with my actual family, so..."

Hawks looked at her like she'd gone over the moon.

[References!]

"You all knew about this?" he said to the others.

Shine gave him a "get real" look.

"She is our chica loca," Ren said, "After all...it's not that surprising...though I really wonder how safe it will be. Seems you can't get away from these people."

"I can help," Intelli offered, "If that Kayla girl is for real...as long as I don't get implicated, it should be fun. Today was a real rush. But I can't hack them as well as the Metas. I've never even heard of these guys. Still, if you need simple stuff..."

"I'm fine," Mirko said.

The LOV glared at them also.

Hawks really couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Let's go," Mirko said to the LOV, "The police will be here any minute."

"Good news, by the way--since I hacked this system...any photo evidence of you being there should be gone," Intelli said, "Unless the locals took pictures, but I doubt they would have been close enough to. I can keep on the look out for it."

"Thanks," Shine said, since none of them were going to thank him.

They all left.

"Uh...am I the only one who found that bizarre and trippy?" Hawks said, "Is she just one of them now?"

"Sure seems like it," Dabi said, "I can't believe it--they replaced me with a bunny! And a teenager..."

"Well, she does have fire powers," Shoto said with a straight face.

"Oh, shut up!" Dabi said.

"No one could replace you," Shine said, "They're just temping."

"You think this is funny?" Hawks said, "She's so dead...if someone catches her... How would they not? How has she not already been caught?"

"They are good at evading detection, obviously," Wally said, "Kind of the right people to join if you want to keep a low profile. She's not stupid."

"This is stupid!" Hawks said, "She'll... I... And you just let her?"

"Try stopping her from doing something sometime," Shine said.

"You did before," Hawks said.

"A recent, not unpleasant development, but very recent," Shine said, "If anything, hanging around the LOV is making her a little bit less reckless, so it's been refreshing to actually get some cooperation from all of them. You're taking this too seriously, Hawks."

"I am!?! Or are you not taking it seriously enough!" Hawks said.

"Is that what we sound like?" Shoto wondered.

"Yeah, you sound even more like that," Bakugo said, "Really, you all overreact so much."

"Coming from you, bro?" Camie said, "Wow."

"I really want to go home," Monama said, "It's...gotta be midnight by now... How has it only been one day?"

"I guess we got s--- done," Camie said, "I totes gotta stay in touch with Medea though. She's way cool...and I gotta get home. My parents probably think I moved counties at this point. I had to tell them I was doing community service with y'all to reform my character."

"You lied?" Momo said.

"I consider this community service, so not really," Camie said, "And hey, I bet the news will be all over this, wondering who fried the Metas! It'll be so lit."

"Better just tell your parents you're spending the night with friends," Shine said, "No way you can explain being gone this long otherwise. You should just come with us... We're too tired to send you anyway. I'm going to collapse soon."

"Okay..." Camie said.

"Let's go, then," Momo said, "I'm calling my chauffeur..."

* * *

Somehow it was weird to be back at the lair after that long day.

Medea was exhausted. At least this lair had a bathroom though. She washed off all the remnants of her quirk.

The others all washed off too. They were all covered in dust.

Twice wanted to hear all about it, but then he wanted to tell them stuff instead. He showed them the news.

By now, the police and heroes had arrived and arrested all the Metas, except a few who probably were able to escape using their abilities. The remaining Elders were taken, and the ones who were trapped in the fortress were dug out and arrested also.

The High Father, though he was not called that on TV, was reported dead. The lightning had killed him. Though it was unclear if it had been instantaneous or not.

"To think," Compress remarked, "we didn't even have to do anything... He basically just did it to himself... Why does that happen so often around those DJs?"

Mirko glared at the TV. "Served him right."

They all glanced at her. She really didn't seem quite herself. She'd been oddly quiet.

"Yeah..." Medea spoke, "He was so creepy. I mean, I don't even know all of what that was about, but it looked bad."

"The world is well rid of him," Silk agreed, "and of the others."

"Does that mean we did the good thing, then?" Spinner said.

"Nah," Compress said, "our goals just happened to coincide with the heroes."

"Why is it so bad if we did a good thing?" Medea got up. "I don't even know if I want to do bad things anymore."

"Aren't you in the wrong place, then?" Twice said.

"You should talk, Twice. You just like having friends," Medea shot back, "Are you even really a bad guy?"

Twice didn't really answer, oddly.

"I'm okay with helping the heroes," Medea said, "at least, those ones... I mean, most heroes are pretty annoying, but they're cool. I mean, just get over it. They aren't trying to hurt us."

"That's not the point, Medea. There's a lot more to this than that," Compress said, "I think you might be a little young to understand the problems of this society."

"I'm not that much younger than him." Medea jerked her head at Shigaraki. "And he's the leader. Five years isn't that much... Don't talk down to me, Compress. I went through hell today helping all of you. And you know what? It felt really good not to frick something up, just like it did to stop that nomu thing. Maybe I like helping people. Wouldn't that be crazy? I never really got the chance to try before. It was always 'me first' with Lethe. I mean, I just accepted I was a villain...but did I ever get a real choice?"

They looked at her oddly.

"It's different for you guys," Medea frowned, "You all got here 'cause you wanted to. But what about me?"

"Now wait a minute," Compress said, "I'm not one to really judge here, but don't you think it's a bit of a logical error on your part to say you didn't get a choice? You could have not done those things. Even if Lethe took your memory, didn't you decide to do bad things, as you call them? I'd call it survival."

"I know you'd call it that," Medea sassed him roundly, "but...okay, okay. Fine. You're right...I did do that." She crossed her arms. "I was scared not to go along with it. What did I have without Lethe? Nothing, I'd be alone. So, yeah, if I didn't do what he wanted, I didn't know what would happen. I didn't want to split up... Look where that got me. I still lost him. Maybe doing the wrong thing was never going to pay off anyway. Since I started doing the 'right' thing, I've been treated better than I expected. I might be a young kid to you, but I'm not stupid."

Mirko tilted her ears. "Yeah, you're not," she said oddly.

Everyone looked at her weird.

"Oh...I was just remembering something Ren said earlier," Mirko explained.

"What'd he say?" Medea said, "Was it about me? Did he say I was stupid?"

"No...he said you'd do whatever someone told you, to survive," Mirko said, not thinking it might be a bad idea to share that detail with someone as unpredictable as Medea.

"What business is it of his?" Compress didn't like Ren talking about them to Mirko behind their backs.

Mirko didn't acknowledge that question.

"That's what he thinks?" Medea said, "Well...huh..." She looked downcast.

"But that is not what you are like," Silk said, "For better or worse, you're pretty self willed."

"For my money, kid," Mirko leaned back coolly, "I'd say you're already close to hero material. You've got enough guts. You can make up your own d--- mind. You don't need someone else to tell you what to do. I don't care how old you are."

"Are you trying to convince her to quit?" Silk shot Mirko a dirty look.

The thought hadn't even crossed Mirko's mind, and her expression said it. "Uh...no, just saying she can decide for herself... What, isn't this all about doing what you want?"

"Well, that is true..." Twice muttered, "Not quite..." his other voice contradicted him.

"Yeah, would you all stop me if I did?" Medea said, nervously. 

Awkward silence.

"This is why we need a policy about defectors," Spinner said.

"What do you say?" Compress asked Shigaraki.

He was staring straight ahead, but he must have been listening, because he answered flatly, "We didn't stop Dabi, so it's too late to start with that. If she wants to go, she should just go."

"Now wait a minute," Silk sat up, "This isn't just about what side you're on. We all know the ninja are still watching... We know it more than ever. Medea, don't do something rash."

Medea tossed her hair. "I'm not gonna dip, not yet. I kind of like it here. And like you're saying, I can't go...but maybe someday, the ninja wouldn't be a problem, and I kind of think maybe I'd just like to try different things... I don't know if being a villain is for me."

Why did this sound like a career counseling appointment? Mirko thought. She remembered doing that in high school. Yeah, her teachers hadn't had the highest hopes for the student who showed up to school covered in bandages half the time...but she'd showed them.

"Well, good." Silk seemed relieved Medea wasn't going to do something entirely crazy.

"I just wanted to be sure it was fine." Medea tugged her bangs. "You know, in case I needed to dip for real. I bet they'd help me out if I did. But we're cool, no sweat. I'm going to bed. I feel like I ran a marathon underwater today." She left the room.

"That was awkward," Spinner said, "I can't understand why she doesn't want to commit to the League."

"She's still a kid," Silk said, "She's not sure what she thinks. You know heroes are more glamorous than villains. That's probably a factor."

"You guys are idiots." Mirko got up, done with this. "She's not that shallow. She's just smarter than all of you."

"Oh, now we're stupid for being villains?" Spinner said. 

"It would be stupid to be a villain just because someone dragged you into it and you think you're stuck," Mirko shot back, "Give the kid a break. She's got enough to deal with without you trying to rope her in. It's kind of a cheap shot to do that to someone who's got all that PTSD anyway. Don't you feel like you're exploiting her?"

Uncomfortable silence.

"I'd like to think she's under our protection," Compress said, "Anyway, she wanted to be here."

"No one's exploiting her," Spinner said, "We don't do that to kids...now..." Since Bakugo's kidnapping was still a thing.

Mirko snorted at that tacked on modifier at the end.

"Since when are you so chummy with her anyway?" Silk asked Mirko narrowly, "You've never liked any of us."

"I admire her guts," Mirko said, "I mean, she just told all of you off, again, and you're the LOV. That's pretty cool."

"True..." Twice said, "No, it's not," he argued.

"One of these days, Twice, if you ever figure out which of you is the real one, I think you might actually be intelligent," Mirko said dryly.

"Really? Thanks," Twice said, "Frick you," his other voice said.

"Forget it." Mirko left the room.

"What's with her?" Spinner wondered, "Normally she just ignore us... I kind of liked that better."

"I noticed a lot of things going on today," Silk said, rather vaguely, "I think Pro Hero is just rethinking some things... I suspect her brother put pressure on her to leave us. Didn't you notice the tension there?"

All the males, oblivious to emotions and tone, gave her puzzled looks, even Shigaraki.

"That little twit!" Compress said.

"It didn't look like it ended well, from what I saw." Silk ran a hand over her scarf. "I can't imagine why she's not taking him seriously, though. I'm sure he and his hacker friends could help her out with her problem. Get her off our hands. This deal is lasting much longer than I ever thought it would. But no doubt she doesn't want her brother involved further. Pros always have to be annoying like that."

"Well, isn't protecting your brother what a good sister would want?" Spinner defended her. He didn't have siblings, so he thought it was kind of nice.

Shigaraki winced visibly, though none of them knew why.

"I suppose," Silk, also an only child, said dubiously, "I guess it beats Lethe and Medea's relationship, but I've never really understood siblings... I mean, they act like they hate each other, but then...I don't know."

"Well, none of us have family, but I can imagine if we did, we'd not want them to get dragged into the Originals' business," Compress said, "So, if we overlook that she's a real pest, I can kind of sympathize with her there. Pretty committed to pick the LOV over your own family, though."

"Eh, that's why she came here to being with," Silk said, "I figure that out before when I first made suggestion. She could have gone to them, but she doesn't want them involved with ninja. I never thought that Pro would care about anyone other than herself, but I guess family runs deep even for loners. Her brother seems to care what happens to her. Odd that he's the only one who seems to know anything about this... Clearly she told him. He wasn't surprised to meet us at all." She eyed Shigaraki suspiciously. "Or to meet you."

Shigaraki said nothing. Like he was going to own up to that.

Spinner and Compress eyed him oddly. Twice didn't care.

"If we knew she had family, we could have used that against her ages ago," Compress said. 

Spinner shot him a dirty look.

"I mean, now it just seems wrong, since he helped us out," Compress added hastily, "but you know, hindsight is 20-20."

"Would it have shoot us in foot if we did do that? Given how useful he and his friend were?" Silk pointed out, "Maybe some things are blessing in disguise."

"I think she's helped us a lot, though," Spinner said, "I mean, surviving the Metas and the Originals both, without our resources, that wasn't easy. I guess some Pros aren't total hypocrites... I mean, Stain would approve, right?"

"Stain is so far removed from this by now I don't think he'd have an opinion," Compress muttered, "I would prefer it if Dabi just hadn't left and all this mess hadn't happened. Nothing has gone normal since those DJs showed up. Having a pet pro is just the top of the pile of weird things going on."

"Oh, you better not let her hear you call her that..." Silk said, smirking.

"I'm turning in." Spinner didn't care for continuing this. "Unless there's a literal raid on this lair, no one bother me."

"Guess he needs to hibernate," Compress said. 

"I don't think geckos hibernate," Silk mused.

* * *

Across Japan, at Shiketsu High, the students all heard the news before they came into school the next day. Every channel was talking about the Metas' major defeat.

But the credit for it was kind of a mystery. A lot of heroes had been called into help, but they all denied knowing who found the fortress and how it got destroyed. The locals reported a colorful band of people coming through, but no one had identified the LOV--it had happened so fast...and the people on the island didn't really follow the news too much themselves. They had quiet lives... Perhaps also they were afraid to talk since the disappearance of few of their neighbors had scared them.

So it was another anonymous victory. The news was comparing it to the nomu incident of the month before. People were theorizing vigilantes might be behind it.

Of course Mirko and Hawks were easily identified, but the reports were too vague for the media to conclude for sure they had arrived apart from the other heroes, and the police refused to comment on it. 

It seemed likely though that Hawks would be left alone for now. The Metas couldn't network with each other enough to take him down, and he'd be likely to retaliate if they did try, since he had access to someone who hacked their whole system. He was a wild card.

At least, that's what Kali Moto thought when she saw the whole thing.

She was sitting alone under a tree by the school wall when she watched the report, chewing gum as she usually did.

"So, Likstar," she said, lowering her phone, "your plan was to keep working behind the scenes...taking down the schools' enemies one by one? Fixing stuff? Is that what you want?" She dialed a number off her phone.

"Hello?" a cold voice answered.

"Hey, Tomomoto here. Remember how you told me to watch for anything interesting around UA?" Moto said, pulling out her nail file with her free hand and eyeing her manicure lazily, "I think I might have an idea what's going on there. Did you watch the news today?"

Pause.

"Go on," the voice said tightly.

[Hmm...wonder who that could be.

Yeah, you all are never going to guess, I'm almost positive.

Ominous as heck, am I right?

This is the end of this arc, by the way. It was quite the ride, wasn't it?

The Metas are not a huge part of this story, I'm much more excited to get back into the Originals part of the plot, so if you were enjoying that, you should be elated for the upcoming arcs.

Later.]