Once they were back at the dorms, where a lot of worried students greeted them, and the tension in the class was temporarily forgotten (which was encouraging-- perhaps they didn't really hate her deep down, Momo thought), Todoroki was troubled. He still thought the whole thing was his fault

He apologized to Shine when he got a moment to do so.

"I should have done as you said as soon as you said to. I'm sorry... Yaoyurozu could have been in real trouble because of me."

"So it evens out from the time she got in trouble," Shine dismissed it, "Please, don't worry about it. It's not your fault. We moved pretty fast. The villain could fly. It's not like it was fair. Momo's fine too."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How did you do that?" Todoroki demanded.

"The same way I do everything else." Shine started humming a song. "Every move I make I make in you. You make me move Jesus. Every breath I take I breathe in you..."

"That doesn't make sense," Todoroki said, "It's nothing like your other powers."

"Which of them is like the other exactly?" Shine countered, "Now could you just be grateful and stop questioning it? I've had a very long day, and Wally will be here any second to grill me on what happened... and then I'll cry, so that's a thing."

"You'll... cry?" Todoroki said blankly.

"I usually do after the fact," Shine said, "Kind of wired that way... What? Am I not allowed to have emotions?"

"No, it's just that, I didn't think things bothered you," Todoroki said.

"Of course they do," Shine shrugged, "But you can't show it, not in the moment when you need to do something. But if you never show it, then you just carry it with you all the time. That's no good."

"I wanted to ask you also, why did you heal that villain?" Todoroki said in an different tone, "He didn't deserve pity. And he tried to kill us all. Just minutes before, too. Why?"

Shine looked at him. "Why not?"

"What could possibly be the use of it?" Todoroki said.

"We don't operate based on USE," Shine said, a little annoyed, "I felt it was the right thing to do. Would you just have callously watched him suffer?"

"I might have." Todoroki saw no problem with this. "I don't exactly pity his type."

"The capacity for compassion can grow with time," Shine said, "I am now to where I can pity most people. Still working on others. Pity is wasted on some, but we can't know that until we try. I am not here to judge, Todoroki. I also don't have favorites, so to speak. Sure, I like some people better, but that's not supposed to affect what I do. It shouldn't affect what you do either, you know."

"I understand rescuing civilians, whether you like them or not-- but not villains," Todoroki said.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Shine muttered. Then she said, "How would you like to be treated, Shoto Todoroki? If you were hurt like that."

"If I did what he did, I think I would deserve it, and I wouldn't be able to accept myself," Todoroki answered quite readily.

Shine looked at him kind of sadly. "If we can't receive mercy, then we cannot understand it either. And if we don't give it out, we won't get it back. All I can tell you is this, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy' [Romans 9:15] and 'blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.' [Matthew 5:7] This is how we are supposed to live. If you don't like it... I'm sorry for you, but I don't really care. I will be free to forgive you and free to have mercy on a villain, if I see the need for it. I don't make the rules, I just follow them. And that's why I cannot blame you for what happened, because I see no need to assign blame. And in the same way, I can forgive that man for what he did, because I want to be forgiven when I make mistakes."

"But some things are unforgivable," Todoroki said.

"Murder is not one of them," Shine said, "If anything is unforgivable, it's the refusal to forgive, because it implies you think you are somehow more righteous than someone else. We all have done many terrible things. Hatred is murder at its core. There are hateful parts in even the best of us that we have to kill. And knowing that, we shouldn't judge someone else who has not yet conquered theirs. Only judge whether or not you can afford to give them the time to do so anymore. And that should be something we are sorry to have to conclude, not happy. Anyone who exults in the death of someone is seriously messed up. Sometimes we feel nothing, because we can't bring ourselves to pity them, and that's all right. But we shouldn't be happy. It's always a defeat when it comes to that. And I personally avoid it. Please, do not reprimand me for this again, or I promise you, I am going to lose my cool next time."

She very slowly walked away from him.

That was perhaps the most chilling warning she'd ever given him, if only because the way she said it was ominous and sad at the same time. Todoroki felt worse about that than he did about the incident itself now. He was a big ball of uncertain feelings, and he went to his room in order to indulge in the bitter pleasure of mulling them over and over until they became indistinguishable.

***

Endeavor was not done being angry with Shine, as the whole incident had truly frightened him, and he was the type to turn fear into rage. He called her while she was still telling Wally what had happened.

She rolled her eyes. "I guess he was serious about continuing this."

"Is that really Endeavor? What is his deal?" Wally said, annoyed.

"I'd better answer." Shine picked it up. "Hello?"

"You are supposed to be acting as a watch. That was the deal," Endeavor said.

"Technically, it's only our deal that I inform you of what happened," Shine said.

"And why didn't you alert me as soon as it did?" Endeavor demanded.

"I was more focused on getting your son back." Shine was just barely keeping her tone level.

"That is not your job! Leave that to the professionals," Endeavor said, "You could have cost us his life by making such a rash decision."

Shine rubbed her forehead. "Could we perhaps talk about this tomorrow?"

"Don't deflect. I'm not done," Endeavor said.

Wally could hear all this, and he frowned. The next second, he'd snatched the phone out of Shine's hand much faster than she was able to process, let alone stop him.

"Hi, Endeavor, right?" Wally said.

Shine made a worried face at him.

"Who is this?" Endeavor said.

"This is West. I'm Shine's partner/boyfriend," Wally said in an unmistakably angry tone, "And I don't care for the way you're talking to her."

"This is not your concern," Endeavor said.

"Actually, sir, we share the responsibility of supervising this class, and it kind of is," Wally went on in the same tone, "And the way I see it, Shine's the reason both your kid and the other kid even came out of this alive. Her quick thinking enabled her to track him down and stop the villains from killing him. If I were you, I'd been really grateful to her, not calling her to chew her out for not doing a good enough job. Fact is, she was there, and you weren't."

Shine's mouth dropped open. Had Wally lost his mind? She was brash, but saying that to a man like Endeavor pushed even her limits of recklessness.

"What?!!" Endeavor yelled.

"You heard me." Wally was still miffed. "If you can't keep track of your kid on your own because you're out there doing hero stuff instead of being a parent, then the least you could do is be a little grateful to the people who are keeping track of him. And don't talk to my girlfriend like that, or so help me, I'll come over to your agency and kick your butt personally."

Shine covered her mouth.

Endeavor paused. "Who are you?"

"You can just call me the Flash, because that's all you're going to see of me if I show up, man," Wally insisted in his best superhero voice, "You got that? Stop bullying people, or you'll end up alone in life, you know. No one likes a bully."

Shine blinked at him.

"How about you apologize to the lady once I hand you back?" Wally went on more slowly, "Or, I have this gut feeling, she's not going to be available for a while in the future... Just call it a premonition."

He winked at Shine and handed the phone back.

Shine drew a deep breath. "Uh... Endeavor? Are you still there?"

Silence, but she could hear the rage from the other end of the line.

"Who was that?" Endeavor said.

"My partner." Shine gave Wally a look. "He's very protective... Perhaps with good reason this time."

Shine might not have wanted that, but she was the type to back up someone rather than humiliate them by contradicting everything they just said... if they had her respect.

"Does he speak for you?" Endeavor said.

That made Shine mad. "You know what? We're a team, so what he says is what I say. How's that?"

Pause.

"Perhaps I was a little hasty..." Endeavor was honestly too stunned that someone had threatened him at all the way Wally had to be as angry. "That will be all, Likstar."

"Very good, sir," Shine said, "I'll let you know how Shoto is tomorrow."

Click.

Wally grinned. "Wasn't I cool, there?"

"For a minute I wanted to slap you," Shine said, "But then, I admit, I was kind of into it. That guy can be a real pain."

"Well, yeah, and you shouldn't put up with that kind of verbal barrage," Wally said, "I don't care if you think you can take it, Shine. I don't like it. Heck, I don't like it when anyone talks about my people like that."

"I suppose I am too used to it to notice," Shine said, "We have very different experiences in that area, you know. I wish I could just absorb some of your confidence that that treatment is unacceptable."

"Well, you could always just let me handle it too," Wally suggested, "I'll punch him if you want."

"In this culture, I don't believe it would be as effective," Shine said, "Things are different at your home... but either way, thank you." 

She kissed him.

"Any time," Wally leaned back comfortably.

***

"I can't believe someone got in a villain fight again," Mina said that evening.

"I know, right?" Hagakure said.

"At least it wasn't Deku this time," Ochaco said.

They looked at her oddly.

 "I didn't mean that the way it sounded," she said sheepishly.

"Good grief, just date already," Mina muttered.

"Mina! It's not like that!" Ochaco said.

"Are you guys talking about Todoroki and Yaoyurozu?" Kirishima came over to them.

"Yes, isn't it awful?" Mina said.

"Yeah, at least they weren't hurt, though," Kirishima said.

"Why do you think this keeps happening?" Tsuyu said.

"I don't know," Kirishima said.

"It seems like Likstar-san is always there whenever something happens, though," Tsuyu went on.

"So is Momo," Ochaco said, "I don't think it's their fault."

"It could be connected," Jiro grumbled.

"You ever feel like no matter how much we train, the villains are always one step ahead of us?" Hagakure said.

They frowned.

"I know what you mean." Kirishima made a fist. "It's so frustrating."

They sighed.

***

"Again?" Camie said, when Bakugo told her what happened.

"Yeah..." Bakugo scowled to himself.

"Geez, it's like your class attracts this stuff like a magnet," Camie said.

"I would kill those villains if they showed up again," Bakugo said.

"You seem stressed," Camie said, "Tell you what, fahm. I'll slide, and help get the vibe straightened out."

"Speak Japanese," Bakugo said.

"I am," Camie said, "What did it sound like? Swedish?"

Whatever she meant, Bakugo didn't try to figure it out. But he was shocked when, the next day, Camie appeared at the dorms during free time.

It literally happened when he walked into the common room to get study snacks, and she was just leaning on the back of the sofa checking her phone. "Oh, hey, Bakubro."

"Hrmf..." Bakugo started to walk past then jumped about a foot. "What the h--- are you doing here dumba--?!"

"That's the first thing you say after all this time?" Camie pouted. "Well, it's not like I came over to lift your vibe or anything, baka! Sheesh. You're such a jerk."

"I am not!... How did you get on this property?" Bakugo demanded.

"I have your teacher's numbers now." Camie held up her phone. "I literally just DM-ed Likstar to let me come over and hang, and she was down for it, so I did... Those portal things are mad lit, btw. It was like something out of a movie. Lol."

"Likstar is really getting on my ------ nerves!" Bakugo griped.

"You mean you're, like, not psyched that I'm here?" Camie said coyly.

Bakugo flushed uncomfortably. "I'm pissed off."

Camie made a face at him. "This is you." She blew an illusion of him frowning and doing his duck stomping pose.

"I don't freaking look like that. Get rid of it before someone sees it." Bakugo swatted at the illusion.

"Yo, that's not cool. You're messing up my art!" Camie said.

Someone was coming down the hall.

Bakugo lost it and yanked Camie into the kitchen. "If anyone else sees you're here, they'll lose their s---!"

"Idk, I think it's fine," Camie said, "Plus, I totes want to see what the rest of the dorm looks like, bro."

"Bakugo?" Momo's voice was heard in the common area.

Before Bakugo could answer, a mirror image of his voice said, "What?" really snippily.

Camie stifled a laugh. "That's pretty good, isn't it?" She hissed, "You're a little harder than Hot Boy, but I think I nailed it."

Bakugo probably would have blanched if he was a differently constructed person. As it was, he just glared daggers at her.

"No one else is down here, right?" Momo said.

"No," Camie made the illusion answer.

Bakugo would have smacked her if she'd not have yelled about it.

"Good... um... there's something.... Well, this is difficult to explain..." Momo said, "but I need to run it by someone, and I can't think of anyone else to do it with... If you don't mind..."

"Whatever," Camie replied in Bakugo tone.

"Stop it," Bakugo hissed at her.

"Why? This is great." Camie had no sense of boundaries.

"Okay... I'll be brief," Momo went on, "I... saw something yesterday.... I'm not sure what to do with it... While the villains were attacking us."

At this point both Camie and Bakugo forgot that this was a prank. 

"What?" Camie made the illusion say with probably 100% real interest.

"It was Shine... She and that Dabi villain were talking, like they knew each other," Momo said in a lower voice, "A lot more than they should... It sounded like they had some kind of arrangement... I know what you're thinking: that's impossible, but I've run over what they said over and over in my mind, and I can't see it any other way. Shine said something about him not hurting the students, and he said something about that not including Pro heroes... Then, when the Vamp showed up with Todoroki, Shine just stood back as if she knew what Dabi would do... and he let us go like... like he was supposed to... Then she ran away like she didn't want Hawks to see her and didn't come back for at least an hour... She never gave us an explanation, but I can't tell Todoroki that. He's already upset enough, and I'm sure he would be furious.... Anyway, the only other person who knows about them at all is you, so I thought... you know... maybe you'd have an idea..."

"She must be pretty desperate to come to you," Camie said.

"Shut up," Bakugo said.

"Ah, bro, I think it's sweet," Camie said, "But I thought that Todoroki was more her flavor..."

"He is, idiot! Gross," Bakugo balked.

The illusion spoke, "What do you think it is?"

"I prefer not to think it's as bad as it looks," Momo said, "I know what the rest of the class would think. Maybe I'm just deceiving myself."

"This isn't funny," Bakugo hissed at Camie, "Knock it off."

"If we admit it now, she'll kill me," Camie squeaked.

"Not if I do it first," Bakugo said.

"How would that work, bro?" Camie said.

Bakugo rolled his eyes.

The illusion spoke, "Go make sure no one else is listening, moron."

Momo didn't care for the insult, but she was desperate enough to humor him, so she moved toward the doorway. The illusion vanished, and Camie pushed Bakugo out of the kitchen.

"Everyone is upstairs." Momo came back.

Bakugo's real thought on it was... he really wasn't sure, but he didn't want to say so.

"What else was going on? Is that all they said?"

"I was a little stunned. I didn't remember as much as I normally would," Momo confessed, "I just know that they seemed familiar with each other. He said something about her liking fast, stupid looking types, like he knew her better."

"Well enough to know who her idiot boyfriend is," Bakugo said.

"I think he meant Hawks," Momo said, "But what's more confusing is... he didn't try to hurt us.... Even though we know he has a vendetta against Endeavor, he didn't try to hurt Todoroki at all. He seemed surprised to see Shine there, so I know it wasn't a set up. At least I have that much.... I mean, clearly, she wasn't setting us up. She's shown up to save us from Dabi and the rest... but then, she always knows where they are... or where we are... I... It looks bad."

"All right, shut up and let me actually think about this," Bakugo said irritably, "It looks like it wasn't a trap... I'd say, she's got some kind of alliance with the LOV."

"No, that can't be it," Momo said, "Bakugo, I know they are odd... and mysterious, but they are not evil. I can't believe that."

"Who said that, Ponytail? Do they have to be evil to do dumb s--- like that?" Bakugo snapped. He thought back to when the LOV had talked to him... Surely nothing in that would interest Shine... Then he reflected on how often she disagreed with hero society, and how the LOV looked at it... and he suddenly had a very clear picture of just why Shine might be interested in them.

Perhaps it would not have been obvious to anyone else, but maybe having talked to them himself, Bakugo knew just a little bit about how it can be tempting to listen to the other side, especially if you're uncertain who to trust.

He felt more than he consciously thought out this reasoning, but he had a gut instinct that after UA's treatment of Likstar, and possibly West, they might easily consider the LOV's perspective as somewhat valid. Had heroes made the best impression on them?

Outwardly, he swore.

"That's not helping!" Momo hissed, "Someone will hear you."

"Don't tell anyone else about it," Bakugo said quickly, "Not until we get the real story."

"You don't actually mean we should ask them!?" Momo said, "We can't do that! What if they lie to us?"

"If they lie, then they've been lying all along," Bakugo said. Why did something about this feel familiar? "And if so, then we kill 'em. But if they tell us the truth, then we'll have to decide if it's worth killing them over it."

"I don't like either of those options," Momo said.

"What, you want to go right to the teachers with this?" Bakugo said.

"No... but... there was something Shine told me a while ago... that... it would be more dangerous if we knew some things, and she didn't want us to be liable for them.... If this is that thing... you understand, it's our legal duty as heroes to turn them in." Momo bit her lip.

Silence.

Bakugo scowled. "If you're already decided, then you shouldn't ask them at all."

"Do you realize how much trouble we will get in if we don't turn them in?" Momo said. "I think it could result in expulsion at the very least."

"You shouldn't have blabbed it to me if you were worried about that. Now I'm in the same freaking boat!" Bakugo growled.

Momo recoiled. "I'm sorry... I just... didn't think I should keep it to myself."

"Then just turn them in now. Why freaking wait if it's already obvious?" Bakugo snapped, "Throw away that last couple of months on a whim. Who the frick cares?"

"Bakugo--"

"Shut up!" Bakugo snapped, "Just go away. Scram!"

Momo blinked. "I don't know what I expected..." She shook her head grimly. "Fine... I'm sorry I bothered you." She left the room in such a rush, one might assume she was going to go cry somewhere else.

Camie slowly peeped out of the kitchen. "Bro... that was kind of harsh."

Bakugo punched the wall. "Shut up."

"You really like these weirdos, huh?" Camie said.

Silence.

"It's wild what she said though... but it's totally got me bugging. Isn't it kind of like that sim we did back when y'all came over the other week?"

The thing that had been nagging Bakugo about it clicked. "You mean... where Likstar pretended to be a villain and sell the other villains out?"

"Yeah, yeah, it was weird. I'd never had a scenario like that before so it stuck in my memory," Camie said, "Which is wild. I usually forget scenarios, like, immediately after they happen... Geez, what did she say about it then...?" She paused and then in a dead-on impersonation of Shine's voice, she said,

"You can't trust a villain? Not even if it could mean winning the larger fight? You'd not even try?"

"I remembered it because I thought it was so weird for a teacher to say that."

"That's freaking it," Bakugo said slowly, "Was that whole thing some kind of stupid test?"

"Did you pass it? I mean, you were the one who was like 'yo, let's risk it, YOLO Swag,'" Camie said.

"I never said that," Bakugo grumbled.

"It's called interpreting," Camie said carelessly, "Whoa... that's so mystery movie. This is so cool."

"Are you stupid or something? This is a disaster," Bakugo said, "Likstar's an idiot if she thinks compromising with some villains is a good idea... and that Dabi jackass is a killer."

"Is he? I never met him, but he's kinda hot on TV," Camie said.

"He's a flipping coward," Bakugo said, "He didn't even want to untie me." He grunted. "Guess he has an instinct for self preservation."

"Bro, my whole shtick is manipulating people, and I'd exploit the crap out of that." Camie waved nonchalantly. "If I were Likstar, I'd totally pick the villain who's at least a little afraid of heroes to mess with."

"This isn't a scenario, Camie. This is real," Bakugo said.

"Wow, you used my actual name. This is serious," Camie said, deadpan.

He glared at her.

Camie sighed and put a hand on his shoulder, much to his surprise. "It's okay, fahm. I'm sure they've got a plan. Maybe it's best to just... you know... leave it alone."

Bakugo was not going to do that. It was not in his nature.

Camie might have known that too. She tilted her head. "Don't do anything stupid, Bakugo. I mean, I'd kind of miss your yelling emoji face if you got yourself killed."

"I'll be freaking fine! I'm not the stupid one!" Bakugo said, "It's Likstar."

"At least you have some dirt on her though," Camie said, "You could totally use it as leverage."

Bakugo thought Shine would probably beat him up before she'd let him do that, but he was not about to say so out loud.

As if on cue, Shine walked in from outside carrying a book and notebook. "Oh, hey, Bakugo," she said, "Camie... you'll have to go back soon."

"Right." Camie was completely natural-- it was almost unreal. "That's fine, fahm. You now, I'm kinda of drained anyway. Maybe I should just head home now."

"Oh, that's a shame. I thought I could see if you know any of the movies we like," Shine said.

"Maybe next time," Camie said.

"All right then." Shine opened a door for her. "Later."

"Lates, sis." Camie hopped through like it was totally normal.

Nothing really fazed her. Bakugo didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed by it.

"What's wrong?" Shine never missed anything. "You seem bothered."

"Nothing is wrong, moron," Bakugo said.

"Is it Deku?" Shine asked.

"No! Shut up!" Bakugo said.

"Sheesh, I just wanted to help," Shine said.

"Yeah, sure," Bakugo said a bit bitterly, "You're so stupid, Likstar. One of these days, you'll bite off more that you can chew with one of your crazy moves, and you'll crash and burn."

Shine stared at him strangely. "I've heard that one before, Bakugo Katsuki. Thank you for your input, but Wally and I didn't come here to play it safe. One does not cross worlds to play it safe."

She tossed her hair and walked out of the room.

Bakugo stared at the wall.

When had he started to actually care if Likstar died or not? This was so freaking annoying.

Probably he just cared if she took the school down with her.

He wasn't going to admit to himself that, for all she got on his nerves, she didn't act scared of him, ever. Or treat him like he was a bad guy. Maybe he had just become a little bit humble in the last year, enough to know deep, deep down that if Shine could see past the traits many people deemed villainous in him, she might apply that to an actual villain too. But he knew how insane the LOV was. He might be an ass, but he was still trying to be a hero. Overlooking his flaws was one thing, but overlooking actual villainy, that he couldn't understand.

But the alternative was she was a villain herself, and that didn't add up at all. No doubt it was what Icy Hot would think, however, and he had no intention of telling him. Ponytail better not either.

He was fine with Camie knowing, though. Who could she tell even if she wanted to? No one would believe her, and besides, she wouldn't tell. She might be an airhead, but she was no snitch. Anyway, she was less pretentious than Ponytail was...

Yelling Emoji face indeed! He'd kill her next time!