The day after those two rather difficult visits, the semester was coming to a break for the holidays. The UA hero course only got 1 day actually off for it, but the other courses were going to be off.

Shine and Wally both complained about the short break-- but not much. It wasn't like the students felt they could take a whole two weeks off. As it was, Nezu was miffed at them for what had happened with the parents... Though Mrs. Iida had not named names, he could guess. But without proof, there wasn't much he could do, and Iida was too embarrassed by what happened to report it to him. Still, he was rather cold to the DJs when he passed them in the hall.

They didn't care much.

But perhaps the atmosphere around the school was too chilly for Shine after those incidents, because she told their little group that she thought an outing would be a good idea.

"For more of what we talked about." She nodded at Momo. "I want you guys to understand... and it's occurred to me, the only way for that to happen is to show you what we see around here."

Todoroki lacked context, but he was all for more information. "What do you want to do? Is it more training?"

"It won't be training like you're used to," Shine said vaguely, "Of course, getting Aizawa to agree will be the hard part."

But it surprisingly wasn't. Wally told him it was for Christmas stuff, and Aizawa didn't even ask questions about it. He had come to accept that the DJs could handle situations.

Wally wasn't going to come, though, because someone needed to stay with the other students.

"And besides, we've got to decorate the dorms, and you all don't have the time to do it unless I help," he said.

The actual celebration was the following day, but they had to start early.

"It should be fine with just us," Shine told the three, "I can get us places, and if we did run into any mild trouble, I'm sure you could handle it just fine."

"I thought you didn't like us doing that," Todoroki said.

 Shine shrugged. "It's unfair expectations that grind me, but I'm not taking you to fight villains-- that would be ridiculous. I'm just concerned about the occasional street thug."

"That's nothing," Bakugo scoffed, "They're more afraid of us."

"Probably," Shine allowed.

Momo didn't really want to fight a thug anyway, so she hoped nothing happened, but where was Shine taking them that they needed to worry about that? Then again, anywhere in the city could have criminals these days

                                                                                           * * *

But none of them could have even conceived of where Shine actually had in mind. It was the same place Dabi had showed her... and she didn't even know how to get there by train, so she had to portal.

"Where is this?" Todoroki took one look at the neighborhood (if you could call it that) and thought it looked most like where he'd encountered Stain. 

"Hell," Shine said, to Bakugo's amusement/annoyance, "or to be more accurate, something a lot like it for many people... A friend of mine brought me here. I haven't been able to forget about it since... I thought you all should see it."

"See what? It looks like a dump, probably with rats." Bakugo eyed one street where he was sure he saw... human waste at the corners.

"Why did you bring all that?" Momo pointed to a large bag Shine had lugged along with them.

"What? Don't tell me you brought us here to do some d--- charity work!" Bakugo raged, "That's the lamest reason ever! You said it was training."

Shine gave him a long look that made him feel small.

"Ah, well, if you don't want to learn something, you can wait here," she said carelessly, "Too bad. I thought you were up to any challenge I could dish out. Of course, if this makes you uncomfortable I understand. It makes me uncomfortable too, but c'est la vie."

They looked at her oddly.

"I guess you're into this, but I don't see why you brought us here," Todoroki said.

"I don't actually know if I'll use any of this, but I wanted to look around again, without a tour guide this time," Shine said, "But you never know what you might find... I won't make you accompany me. You've seen it, so I guess that's your end. Just look sharp."

"No, of course we'll come with you." Momo had no intention of letting even someone as powerful as Shine go around somewhere like this alone. She couldn't even read the signs! "If you're going to do this, you shouldn't be by yourself."

"Oh, really? That's sweet," Shine said.

"I ain't standing here doing nothing," Bakugo grumbled, "Anything's better than that..."

"Great attitude to have," Shine said.

"I guess...." Todoroki said.

                                                                                           ***

Dabi was trying to coordinate a plan, but the timing wasn't great. His contact at UA said the holiday week wasn't a good one-- too much going on, and people too likely to notice a security breech because of all the extra paying attention to students coming and going for shopping and stuff.

On top of that, no visit from Likstar since the incident... Sure, it had only been about a week, but still. 

And that punk Bakugo and the little drip had both been on TV for saving a city too.... Not the best time at all.

But the LOV didn't want excuses, they wanted results.

He felt mad about the whole thing and stalked around the city, wearing a hood and large mask so no one would recognize him. That worked surprisingly well-- his scars weren't as identifiable until you were up close. And in this part of town, no one got close...

He was lost in thought about how to fulfill his new mission... and how much he hated Christmas decorations-- there was too much red and white-- when the object of his thoughts appeared before him.

Dabi was convinced he was seeing things because he'd gone mad from brooding over it-- well, more mad than before.

He stopped short.

Likstar and her gaggle of annoying kids were walking along a street, pausing to talk to someone who was sitting against a wall, looking cold. Likstar was doing the talking, really. The three idiot heroes were just watching. The girl looked pretty nervous-- but she always looked nervous, Dabi thought.

Slowly it dawned on him this was real... Wait... this opportunity had just fallen into his lap? Fate must be on his side.

No, Dabi thought bitterly, fate was never on his side. It was just bad luck for them.

This wasn't the best place, though. Likstar could easily get away. He'd have to get one of the kids first to even keep her in one place... He really wasn't sure he could pull this off anyway... not if she figured out what he was doing... which meant only one plan. His least favorite--acting.

He watched until they came closer to where he was hiding around a corner. His heart rate was up.... Honestly, he felt kind of sick, maybe from the cold. 

It took a while, but finally, the little brats hung back a minute, it seemed, to talk amongst themselves, and Likstar was walking a little ahead to scout out more people-- or perhaps places.

Dabi took the chance when none of the kids were looking to yank her around a corner.

Shine almost screamed, but he didn't give her the chance. "Shut up. It's just me."

Shine took a second to see past the mask. "Dabi?" Then to his great chagrin, she immediately relaxed. "Oh, ok... Why did you scare me like that? I thought you were a thug. Bakugo was about to have one over on me."

Why did she have to be so flipping friendly? Was she stupid or something?

"Don't get all chummy. I just didn't want those idiots to see me," Dabi said. Not yet anyway, he thought.

"Okay..." Shine said.

It would be easier to just set her on fire now, but if it didn't work, he'd blow his only chance. He needed leverage for sure. He didn't think he was fast enough if she portaled... and then there was her body guard.

"Where's the fast guy? Don't tell me you came back here without your body guard." Dabi never expected the answer to that to actually be yes.

"He's not here... Someone has to look over the dorms," Shine said rather easily, "It's Christmas tomorrow, and we love Christmas. They are prepping for it. Anyway, I wasn't looking for villains today. This in unexpected. What brings you back to 'hell' as you called it?"

"I wander around these places sometimes," Dabi said, "No one recognizes me... No one would say anything even if they did. They have no reason to want the cops sniffing around in here."

Shine didn't seem at all alarmed to hear that, nor had she hesitated to admit that her boyfriend was not around to watch her back.... Did she seriously think three kids, even hero kids, were going to be enough? 

Why the heck was he getting annoyed? This worked out perfectly for him-- It just could have been a bit more of challenge...

Likstar had walked right into the very situation he had needed to set up.

"You're so stupid," he couldn't help saying, "This is no place to just want to come. Especially not someone like you."

"But you come here," Shine said, not getting it.

"I'm trash just like these guys are," Dabi said, "Well, a villain anyway-- same thing. You're a teacher!"

"In the words of a movie I like, 'we are all trash,' Dabi," Shine waved, [The movie is The Hiding Place, if you care] "And while I may not be from the ghetto, or hood, or whatever, may I remind you, neither were you originally? If you can adjust, so can I. I've been places like this scores of times. I can watch my step-- Oh, the kids."

She looked back around the corner, but they clearly were still fine.

"Shine, what are you doing over there?" Shoto's annoyingly calm voice called.

"Nothing much," Shine replied.

"You let him use your first name?" Dabi said.

"Why not? I'd let you use it if you wanted," she said, "I don't care. American's mostly use our first names... Actually, giving someone your last name is seen as a security risk by many people. Odd, isn't it? Those hackers will get you every time. I think we all watch too much AI science fiction."

"All that is probably real," Dabi said flatly.

"Does being a conspiracy theorist run in your family or something?" Shine said, amused, "Even if it is, what benefit is it to think about it?"

Dabi wasn't getting into this right now. He needed the kids to get close enough for him to grab one... but what if they recognized him first? They would call the police.

He backed up a little. The teens must have been coming.

"I don't know if that disguise will fool Momo," Shine said, "You should probably go."

But she was a little too late. The three of them came in view right then. Dabi turned slightly so they couldn't see him.

"Who's this? Another hobo?" Bakugo said.

"Bakugo, I just told you not to use that word," Shine said warningly, "Do it one more time and you're going home."

Bakugo scowled at her. "Whatever."

"Did you talk to him already?" Momo hissed in what she clearly thought was a whisper.

Dabi rolled his eyes.

"I did, yes... I think we're ready to move on..." Shine said casually. Why wasn't she getting that this was a trap? Stupid woman.

"How much longer are we going around doing this?" Shoto said.

"I think we're almost out of supplies..." Shine said, "But people seem surprised just to be remembered at all... I feel sorry for them...but I thought they'd be more hostile.... They've no pride left-- that's a hard thing."

"That is hard," Momo said, completely unaware that a villain was literally 10 feet away, "I never saw people living like this. I mean, I knew about it, sort of... it just never sank in... I think their whole house could fit into our service closet in our pool house."

The others stared at her.

"Okay, I know Shoto is rich, but Momo what world do you live in?" Shine said.

"Why do you keep saying things like that?" Momo said, "Was that not a normal comparison?"

"You can't actually not know you're doing that..." Bakugo grumbled.

"Momo, could you... uh, microscopically see why maybe saying that, around here, might be seem as a little... insensitive?" Shine tried.

Momo's eyes widened. "Oh... ooh, I see. I'm sorry, I didn't realize... I'm a terrible person!"

Was this girl for real? UA was really full of idiots.

"What's the difference between bragging about your pool closet and bragging about anything else?" Dabi muttered bitterly.

He didn't care that she was rich-- he used to be rich-- he just cared that she was that clueless about the area. Even if he thought poorly of it, at least he earned it. He had to live around places like this.

"What?" Shoto looked his way, frowning... but he didn't actually recognize him. He was not good with faces at all. Or voices. (Anyone who could forget Inasa Yoarshi had to be bad with both those things).

"There's no reason you need to feel guilty," Shine waved, "Just... don't say anything about it while were here, okay? It's dangerous too. People get crazy when they hear about money."

That was a good point at least. She wasn't completely naive.

Dabi should have been taking this chance to nab one of the kids... but he wasn't sure, now that it came to it, that that idea was going to work. And if it didn't, he have no chance to try again. Shine wasn't joking when it came to protecting them... And... despite the fact that she didn't threaten the LOV... there was something frightening about her even so. For all her fancy words and politeness... somehow she gave off the vibe of someone who'd fight tooth and nail if she had to. And coupling that with those weird powers, the odds didn't look good.

And all three of the kids together? That wasn't good either. He needed them farther apart.

Geez, if they only knew who he was, he couldn't help thinking.

Shine glanced at him as if she was wondering why he hadn't left yet... then slightly, almost unnoticeably, she moved between him an the students. "You guys go on. Give me a minute."

For some reason, they apparently trusted her enough to do that. They went on ahead.

Shine turned suspiciously to Dabi. "Why aren't you running? Don't tell me you're planning to attack them again?"

"Again? I told you last time wasn't planned!" Dabi said.

"Then why are you lingering?" Shine said.

"If I just booked it once they showed up, it'd look suspicious," Dabi said, "But now that you've so kindly gotten rid of them, I'll be on my way."

Shine seemed to accept that... It was actually a decent explanation-- he'd probably still have had to fake it out even if this had been just a coincidence... Well, technically, it was a coincidence.

"You better hurry, then. They still think I'm going to get myself in trouble..."

"They know you too well," Dabi said snarkily.

"I guess." Shine didn't even get offended. "I'll see you later... Hey, I don't suppose all you in the League are going to be hanging tomorrow?"

"Why?" Dabi said.

They actually had planned to meet, if only to avoid being alone around places where people would be coming and going a lot.

"Just wondering, how do villains celebrate Christmas?" Shine asked.

"We don't. It's a commercialized waste of time and fluff that stupid people think means something," Dabi scoffed.

Shine raised an eyebrow. "Wow... how cynical."

"Remember who I am?" Dabi said.

"Well, I agree about the commercialized part, but it's not a waste of time," Shine said, "And some of the decor is quite lovely, if you know where to go. But... well, what do I expect? You're right. Look who I'm talking to... I'll see you later." She walked off.

Dabi let out a sigh of either relief or frustration. Well, he blew that chance, now she'd gotten suspicious...

Luckily,  no one in the LOV had to know about this. He could still pretend he was setting things up.

She'd be less likely to suspect anything in the future now, anyway.

[Burn it down--Skillet]

* * *

After the excursion-- that had not gone wrong for once, even if Shine had still managed to encounter a villain unbeknownst to the three kids-- they had a lot to discuss.

"To think, just because of their quirks." Momo kept shaking her head. "It's just so unfair."

"That's how things are. Quirks are everything in this world," Bakugo said, just as cynically as any LOV member could have.

Shine handed them some hot chocolate. After all, it was freezing outside.

"Bakugo is right. To many people, quirks are all that matter. Just like it was money and rank before that... No offense, but your country has not really changed... No country ever really does. You all earn your place in society either by being born with advantages or cutting down everyone else who was in order to claw your way to the top."

That described Endeavor pretty well, Shoto thought... though also Bakugo, in a way.

"It's not our fault we're just luckier, though," Momo said, "And it would be a waste not to use our talents."

"No one is arguing that." Shine sat down with her cocoa. "I can't even say the USA is much different these days. I hope we still retain some of our old values... but equality, of anything except basic rights, does not and can not exist. That's the fact. Society is not a scale, it is a tapestry, and there has to be more of one color or thread in order for there to be less of another. That's how you make a pattern. A good or bad pattern, people can debate all day long on, and they do, but in the end, we can't make a checkerboard out of it."

"That seems bleak," Shoto said.

"It is," Shine said, "But men are not angelic enough to do things fairly of their own free will, and a power struggle is the only way to ensure any kind of justice for anyone. It's the lack of that here that is the real reason people are not given justice. Heroes have no opponents for power. So heroes dominate everything. The further removed from the idea of a hero you are, the less you matter or fit in this world. People like Shinso have to fight to earn their place as heroes so as to even have a shot at a better life. People who are poor can get rich, if they have the talent for hero work... but if they don't, where do they fit? Heroes market everything... If you don't like them, why, you don't fit here at all. You'd be better off dead is most people's attitude. Or shoved into a dirty, little neighborhood like the one we were just in."

"Shine, I am sure none of what you just said is in line with UA's philosophy," Momo said.

Shine took a deliberate sip of cocoa. "And your point is...?"

Momo thought better of saying it.

"So what? That's just how it is. People who are too weak to do anything about it don't deserve any better," Bakugo said.

Shine's response to that? She set her mug down, picked up a book off her desk, and threw it at him. (It was a small book.)

Bakugo blocked it but got angry. "What the h--- was that for?!"

"I was hoping to knock some sense into you, but I think I'd have to throw the whole bookshelf first," Shine said.

"That did sound very harsh, Bakugo," Momo chided a bit reproachfully, "Not everyone is the same. That's not their fault."

"Well, they shouldn't try to stick their necks out if they can't fight," Bakugo said, "Life isn't fair."

"That is true, but does that mean we get to look down on people who are weaker than us?" Shine said, "Are quirks really so important."

"No," Shoto said vehemently, "They aren't. Bakugo is just an idiot."

"What? You shut the ---- up!" Bakugo said.

"Shoto, I would ask you to refrain from insulting him," Shine said warningly, "We all have our blind spots. Consider what Bakugo has been taught, what all of you have been taught, since childhood. The bigger surprise is you don't agree with him, but I understand why. With your background, it must sound very sick to you."

"It does," Shoto agreed.

"I think Todoroki's case is... well... extreme," Momo said carefully, "Most people don't go that far. They just want their kids to have a good life... and plenty of careers outside heroing exist."

"How many kids want to do those things?" Shine said.

Silence.

"None at my school," Bakugo said helpfully, "but they didn't have the chops to be heroes."

"The point is, no one sees any honor in any other profession these days," Shine said, "I bet that's not true in every part of the world, but here it is very prominent. You all will be part of this system too. You won't be able to help it."

"What? That can't be right," Shoto said.

"How would you leave it?" Shine said, "You still intend to be a hero, don't you?"

"Are you saying that's wrong?" Shoto was mad.

"No, but it might be wrong to do it the way people expect," Shine said, "Look, I won't tell you what to do with your life-- it's not my job. I don't know your calling. Being a hero could very well be it. I just want you to think about how it affects others. You all act like it's all about you, all the time, even Momo, I'm sorry to say."

Momo looked shocked-- then ashamed.

"How do we do that?" Shoto said.

Shine sighed. "Didn't we go over this? All I hear around here is I have to become a better hero. Do you ever even think about who you are going out there to save? Or is it just a title to you? Just an identity, with no weight under it except your own. Anyone who chooses a career for their own personal sake will end up unhappy with it eventually. I've never seen an exception to that rule. Heroism is more subject to that rule than other jobs. Because how can you be happy doing hero work for your own sake? You get to the top, then what? If you don't really care about people, then what's the reward for saving them? Why, Shoto, this is just what your dad realized once he hit the top."

"Huh?" That got his attention.

"What do you mean?" Momo said.

"Yeah, when did Endeavor tell you that?" Bakugo demanded... He wouldn't have put it past Shine to talk to the no#1 hero about it.

"He didn't have to," Shine said, "I have spoken to him a couple times-- he was surprisingly civil to me, all things considered-- but it's easy enough to see he's trying to reinvent himself... There is no reason for him to do that-- unless getting all he ever wanted really doesn't amount to anything without a deeper reason for it. What reason does he have to go on now?"

"But he is going on," Momo said.

"And for the first time, he is considering other people's well being besides his own," Shine countered, "Do you deny it, Shoto?"

"No," Shoto said very reluctantly, "but I don't know if that makes him a good hero."

"No, that should be the most basic component of even being a bad hero, but it's a start," Shine said, "My point is, oddly enough, he may be closer than any of you to getting it. A man who's hit rock bottom tends to look up before anyone else does. Starts seeing what he missed when he kept his eyes on his own level. I glory in meeting people like that."

"You sound like a crazy person," Bakugo said.

"You would too, if you were in my profession," Shine said.,"It's hard enough to get an open-minded person as it is. I'll take any reason I can get for it."

"If... So what you're saying is, my dad is actually more of a hero than we are?" Shoto looked ready to explode.

"No, I won't say that. I'd say he's closer to confronting his real problems in the way of being a real hero than you are," Shine said, "But he had farther to go. You would surpass him in no time if you simply understood what I'm saying."

"You're so confident you know the key to being a real hero," Bakugo said.

"And what would All Might tell you??" Shine countered brilliantly, "Would it be any different?"

No... it wouldn't. Bakugo had no choice but to admit that.

"But if we don't focus on ourselves and our skills, how will we ever be good enough to worry about other people?" Momo said.

Shine leaned on her hand. "I love you, Momo, but that is truly one of the most selfish things you've ever said."

Momo was ashamed again. "Oh... I'm sorry."

"Why? She has a point," Shoto defended her.

"I guess I could have been nicer," Shine allowed, "But what I meant was, she doesn't know it's selfish. That's the problem... but think about it.... There is never gong to be an end to improving. Are you going to wait until you are perfect to focus on other people? I think the most encouraging thing about your class is that you are not all willing to sacrifice each other always to get ahead. Or to go all out on your other classmates. Perhaps the early danger you were exposed to taught you that. 1-B doesn't get it... but, if you only extend that respect to other heroes, you are still not heroes. Our word says, 'If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? For even sinners (or villains) love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.' [Luke 6:32-33] It's the truth. Among equals, there is no such thing as real unselfish giving. And that is what being a hero is about. Helping people who cannot help themselves, or you, often enough."

"Well, if everyone's weaker than me, anyone I help is not my equal," Bakugo said.

Shoto and Momo just stared at him in disbelief, but Shine laughed.

"Well, you're close, Bakugo. I suppose, as long as you truly do treat them with kindness, it doesn't matter if you think you're better than them. Pride without cruelty because of it is not that harmful... at least to others. It is more harmful to you. But do you think you actually succeed at kindness?"

The other two never could understand how she had the nerve to ask those questions point blank. You just didn't do that... especially not to Bakugo... but he didn't explode.

He was just quiet.

"I don't think people like to be treated as less than you, even if you mean well," Shoto said.

"That is very true," Shine agreed, "and the harder part is that everyone's idea of that is going to be different. Being a student of humans is really the only option for us. It gets easier with time. Actually, our book goes a step further. It tells us to 'love your enemies. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return' [Luke 6:35]."

"Who could love enemies?" Bakugo scoffed.

"It's not as hard as you might think," Shine said, "The feeling is hard, but the choice, once you've become humbled enough to realize how often you screw up, becomes easier. I got to far as to be nice to my dad again, after all."

Shoto looked at her oddly.

"Compared to him, the many people who try to kill me really don't seem so bad, because it's not personal with them," Shine went on, even more astoundingly, "Honestly, I barely take it seriously anymore. Desperate people do desperate things... Once everything is not personal, it's far simpler to love your enemies. I admit... the ones who are trying to screw me over because they hate me are still the biggest challenges, as you all have seen. I could be better to Midnight, I know... but I am still human. I'm working on that."

"You're not so bad to her," Momo said nicely, "I wouldn't even have said you were enemies, really."

"I must be doing okay, then," Shine said hopefully.

"She doesn't like you." Shoto never did know why some things shouldn't be said. Momo gave him a look.

"Most of the staff doesn't like her." Bakugo honestly thought that was a reassuring statement.

"True," Shine took offense to neither, "but you didn't like me either at first-- no need to deny it, I could tell, and look at us now, so you never know."

"I don't think I'll ever be able to be that lax," Shoto said, "I think you fight with Midnight, but you don't act like you hate her. I don't think I can do that with people I truly consider enemies. They would have done too much wrong."

"I don't have any enemies," Momo said gratefully.

"You wait. You will," Shine ruined it, "All of us do, sooner or later."

"What about the LOV? Those are our enemies," Bakugo couldn't resist seeing what Shine would do.

Momo couldn't believe he'd bring that up. What if Shine let something slip!? Todoroki would get suspicious...

She overestimated how perceptive Shoto really was. [I don't hate Todoroki, I swear. I just like making fun of him.]

"And if I said that loving them was what our master commanded us to do, what would you do to me?" Shine asked, not intimidated.

"I won't do anything," Bakugo said, "But your master sounds like a real--" 

The look in Shine's eye made him edit himself. "--weirdo."

That was more than the other two would have said anyway, but Shine laughed.

"You've got the idea, Katsuki Bakugo. That was the intention."

That was also the end of the conversation, as they were called to help with preparations after that.

Bakugo still thought about it, though.

[Were y'all surprised Dabi backed out? But he's not giving up. The next few chapters are going to heat up as we find out just how he intends to bounce back from this.

Also we'll have a Christmas special...in July, because the show did it, so why not? It's going to have more detail than the show's though, and maybe even some bonus characters that we all love, so stay tuned]