While Shine was having her adventure with those two ladies, Wally was on a very different track.

He ran around as he usually did, wondering what GL, Bats, Supes, and the girls were up to. He supposed it had only been a few hours of his time, but for them that could still be eventful.

One nice thing about having a new phone was, he could search up popular restaurants, and when he was out of juice, that's exactly what he did.

He was warming up to Japanese food too. He'd eaten it at home, but it was hands down better in its native land. Takoyaki was becoming his new favorite on-the-go food. He found a nice stand while he was searching for a place to eat a full meal. Hmm...this city looked kind of familiar... He'd run through here before.

At least UA paid him a lot for what he did, he thought as he ordered a king-sized amount of food from the vendor who stared at him as if to say "where's the army?" Buying the amount of food he needed was a heck of a lot easier than it was on his salary at home, that was for sure. Though the Flash could often get complimentary food from his nicer fans.

While he was waiting for his order, some more customers approached. "Hey there. I need about 10 of your specials," a friendly voice said.

"Eh, you too?" the vendor griped, "Are you two cousins or something?"

"Huh?" Wally looked behind him and his jaw dropped. The fattest man he'd ever seen... He looked like an egg...

"What?" the guy said.

Wally realized who it was-- he'd seen him in the news. "Fat Gum! Oh, wow...you're that guy Kirishima was working for."

"What? You know Kirishima? The Red Riot kid?" Fat Gum said, eyebrows up.

"Heck yeah. I work for the school," Wally said, "I supervise, see?" He held up his ID. He'd taken it only because he wasn't going to go anywhere important.

"Oh, nice. I didn't know they had one of those," Fat Gum said, "Kirishima's a good kid. You must be proud of him as his teacher."

"Oh, he's great," Wally agreed, "I 'member him talking about you though. He had lots of good things to say. Most of them about being manly..."

Fat Gum laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like him. Ey, have you met my student intern?"

He gestured behind him. Amajiki, or Suneater, was shrinking back behind him. "He goes to your school also," Fat Gum said.

"Ah, yeah, we're friends, aren't we? Hey there, Sun boy." Wally waved.

"Uh...hi..." Amajiki said nervously, "Uh, Mr. West...it's been a while, huh?"

"I saw you yesterday," Wally said.

"I mean...we didn't really talk though..." Amajiiki said.

"Oh, wow, you are friends," Fat Gum said lightly, "I've never heard him talk so much voluntarily. I think I like you already...West, was it? You American?"

"Yeah, American, Scottish. You know, here and there..." Wally said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you," Fat Gum said.

"Nice to meet you too, man," Wally said, "Weird that this is the first time, actually. You'd think we would have bumped into each other by now. I eat in this area a lot."

"Oh, me too... Hey, when we're done with our patrol you should join us for dinner. I'd like to hear how Red Riot is doing."

"Oh, sure, man," Wally said.

* * *

It was not that long later that they were finding a nice place. Fat Gum told Wally bluntly that he shouldn't trust Help! reviews. He needed to hear it from the locals. "I always ask people in the area what's a good place to get some victuals, and this is my favorite spot... Eh, Suneater, aren't you going to order anything?"

"Oh...uh. Well...I'm not that hungry..." Amajiki said.

"But your quirk, Son!" Fat Gum insisted.

"Oh...right.."

"So?" Wally said, already eating the appetizers, "You got a real name, Fat Gum? I don't really go for the formality between friends."

"Well, it's a bit unusual, but I guess you can call me Taishiro," Fat Gum said.

"Cool. Call me Wally... I got used to West, but it makes me feel old."

"Oh, really?" Amajiki said, "Sorry."

"No, it's cool, kid. I know you all have to do that for respect," Wally said.

"You know you might be the only guy I've met who could out eat me," Taishiro said, "How are you doing that?"

"Oh, hyper-charged metabolism," Wally said, "I turn food into speed fuel. Especially high glucose food."

"Really? My quirk's almost the same. We should have some kind of contest."

"Any time," Wally accepted the challenge.

About an hour later they'd almost put the restaurant out of business. But Fat Gum eventually had to admit he'd reached his limit. Wally was still good, but eating all that without running it off made him a little sluggish.

He texted Shine to ask her how she was doing. She replied, "Eating Dinner with two Pros right now... It's weird. 🤗👌🤷‍♀️"

Wally replied. "Same--well, one is a pro."

"Who's that? Your girl?" Fat Gum asked.

"Yeah," Wally said, "She's doing fun lady's night stuff."

"Miss Likstar is out?" Amajiki said, "Wow... I mean, sorry it just feels like you two never leave the school-- Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Oh, no, you're right, but everyone needs a break," Wally said. Especially today, he thought.

"You should come around here more," Fat Gum said, "We could set a new record."

He looked around. "Hmm? Oh, look, another old friend ours. Hey, Rock Lock, over here."

Wally saw a darker skinned man, who looked like he was a Kingdom Hearts character, sitting over with someone who appeared to be his wife. They glanced at Fat Gum oddly, then the guy got up and came over.

"Hey, Phat," he said.

"Hey, wow, what a coincidence. You like this place too?"

"No...actually, it's the first time. Wife wanted to go somewhere new," Rock Lock explained. He looked at Wally oddly. "Who's this guy?"

"Ah, this is my new friend, works at UA," Fat Gum said, "Wally West. Wally, meet Rock Lock-- Eh, he doesn't like going by informal names."

"That's cool. I can remember Rock Lock easy," Wally said, sticking out his hand.

Rock Lock shook it a little reluctantly. "You're a teacher?"

"Supervisor/body guard...you know, for safety." Wally really hoped that sounded more legit to them than it still did to him.

It must have, because Rock Lock didn't question it. "Those kids are tough. I'd imagine they'd be a handful."

"Oh...you've got no idea," Wally said flatly, "Like herding cats...or monkeys. Scratch that, I've herded monkeys before and that was easier."

Fat Gum laughed. "That's teenagers for you. But they're good kids."

"Yeah, some of the best I've met, but still, it's the curriculum," Wally said. Wow, did he just use that word? Shine really had rubbed off on him.

The two Pros started talking about work then, but Wally could follow that just fine and ask questions, so they included him more in it. Amajiki was totally silent, and he seemed fine with that.

Rock Lock eventually had to go because his wife was giving him a look, but he said Wally should come to his agency if he had more questions about the city-- Wally took that to mean a gesture of friendship.

"He must like you. He's not usually that friendly," Fat Gum said.

"I guess I just have a magnetic personality," Wally said.

"I don't know. I like you, West." Fat Gum leaned on the table...making it creak. "You have a sort of straightforward manner. It's a little unusual, but I like it. No bull with you, right? How long have you been a Pro?"

Wally decided that it was not lying to say he was a Pro, given he had his own museum.

"It's hard to say exactly when you really become a pro, but technically it's been about...I don't know-- Going on 15 years soon."

"Huh? How did you start that young?" Fat Gum said.

"Well, counting when I was still getting the hang of it," Wally said, quickly.

"That's a lot for a guy your age. You seem experienced though. Amajiki, you see, you should be more like this guy. Relaxed and confident."

"Yes, sir..." Amajiki said.

"That's a nice compliment, but I think Amajiki's pretty cool already," Wally said, "He's really devoted to his friends-- gotta appreciate that."

Amajiki turned red. "I...don't know about that."

"Come on, buddy. What did we talk about? Say nicer things about yourself. Say one, come on."

"I...uh...didn't...uh...make any really bad mistakes today..." Amajiki said, with way too much difficulty.

"You did great today, sheesh." Fat Gum thumped his back, making him wince. "Can you believe this kid? So negative."

"I think it's called crippling anxiety," Wally said, "You know, you should see the therapist when they arrive, bro... No shame in needing a little help."

Amajiki didn't look thrilled about that idea.

"UA's getting a counselor, huh?" Fat Gum said.

"Yeah...can you blame them?"

"No...but I'm surprised. Usually they don't have problems like that."

Wally stared at him. "Uh...I'd say after working with the staff, pretty much all of them need some therapy. I mean, Aizawa overworks his class like crazy, Vlad pits his students against other heroes, Midnight creeps on kids, and Nezu takes out his frustrations on humans in training scenarios...self-admitted, man. They're all a little neurotic."

Fat Gum didn't quite know how to react to that.

Dang it, I'm doing what Shine does and shocking people as soon as I meet them, Wally thought to himself.

He shrugged. "But I'm not the one to judge, you know? I just think a counselor would be good."

"Oh, well, of course it's always a good idea." Fat Gum sounded relieved.

Thank goodness, Wally sighed mentally, I love Shine, but I'm not sure I'd want to copy her people skills...

[I love her as a character, but I can't say I blame him on that, lol.]

* * *

Shine wasn't doing so badly though. Once Miss Joke and Mirko had caught up with her and told her they were wiling to compromise, she put in an effort to be less salty.

They ended up going to dinner (since all she and Emi had had was coffee and muffins before) and talking more in a private booth about it. (Being a hero, especially the no#5 hero had its perks. They even got a bottle of sake on the house, which Shine didn't touch.)

They batted around ideas that didn't seem to go anywhere...but one that they came back to was the idea of a bait and switch.

"Give me till tomorrow," Shine finally said, "I'll ask the students... I have to, and we'll decide together."

"You want to give them the power to make those calls?" Mirko said weirdly.

"They are just as smart as I am, so why not?" Shine said, "True, they lack experience and confidence, but I know plenty of adults who lack that too. Some are teachers...so what's your point?"

"Nevermind. After two hours I should be expecting this..." Mirko muttered.

"And if they agree, we go ahead with that plan?" Miss Joke said.

"Well, after prayer, but it does seem the only one that might work," Shine said, "I wish we had more contacts... We'd have more options, then."

"Well, we have plenty, but you don't trust Pros." Mirko had gathered this much from the time they'd spent together.

"It's not that I don't trust them, as far as doing their jobs go," Shine said, "But for nuanced issues? No. I don't. I've argued too many times with them about basic common sense. Well, let's leave off this for a while. Nothing more we can do till I talk to them. Tell me more about you, Mirko, or whatever you actual name is. Why are you the hero without regrets?"

"Oh, that's just a cute little catch phrase for how I live every day to the max," Mirko gestured, "When I go out, I want to know it was doing my upmost."

Shine smiled. "That's just what our faith teaches.... Nice to meet someone with a zest for life for once, I swear, half the people I live around are mildly depressed."

"I agree," Miss Joke spoke, "If you can't be smiling everyday about something, what's the point? I mean, sure, we have to cry once in a while, but most of us don't need to be so miserable."

"You and Aizawa are so different. Why do you have such a thing for him?" Shine inquired.

"Oh, that's mostly just to tease him," Emi said.

Shine snorted. "I'm not blind or stupid, Emi. No woman spends that much time teasing a man she's not actually interested in. I'm on it, aren't I?"

Emi looked a bit more serious. "Ah, well, let him believe it, okay? I can take years of hints."

"Love troubles?" Mirko rolled her eyes. "What a waste of time. No offense, but I think relationships are a drag."

"Yes, well, from what you said before I'm not surprised," Shine said, "But I confess, I don't get why. Teamwork is essential, isn't it?"

"I guess in extreme circumstances, but all the time? Just slows you down. Makes you weak if you rely on others," Mirko said.

Shine laughed at her outright, to her annoyance. "What's so funny?"

"You are... I'm sorry, I know that was rude...but I...well, I used to work alone, and I thought it was better that way too. I thought it was dangerous to get too connected to anyone. Then my wonderful boyfriend fell for me ,and I ditched his rear end because I was so freaked out... Not my best moment, and I know it hurt a lot. I was immature back then."

"Really? You and West? I thought you were golden from the start. You act like it," Miss Joke said.

"He forgave me. Wally doesn't hold a grudge," Shine said.

"Wait, wait, you have a man?" Mirko said, "You? Really?"

"What? You think I'm a troll or something?" Shine tossed her luxurious hair. "I'm a total dish. I know it."

"Not that. It's your personality. I'd think any man would be scared away," Mirko said.

"I have heard that, but Wally's a hero. I think he's got some guts," Shine said, "Anyway, he convinced me to try being a team...and he was so, so right... Ugh, I was so high strung back when I worked alone, making all the decisions alone-- no one to talk to when a student or other person wad a jerk to me... A total nightmare. I'm so much better now. And I form a better bond with my students since I learn how to be part of a team... Anyway, being a couple gives you major status points with younger kids too."

"You shouldn't say things like that anyway," Miss Joke told Mirko, a little miffed, "Her personality is fine."

"I don't know if insulting people as soon as you meet them is the best idea," Mirko said casually, "Luckily for you, I'm not overly sensitive."

"If I thought you were, we either would have had a lot more fun with that exchange, or I'd not have said anything at all," Shine replied.

Mirko stared at her a second, then laughed. "That's probably true..."

Miss Joke was glad to see the ice had finally been broken between all of them.

"I wish Aizawa could be persuaded, Shine, but he's very set on the loner thing."

"You know, it'd be good for him to change it up," Shine said, "I don't think he hates you. Maybe he's just stupid-- he thinks you're just kidding."

"Why waste your time? If you insist on dating, find a guy who's interested," Mirko shrugged, "Why are we talking about this still? It's boring."

"You must be the only woman in our age group who finds talking about our love lives boring," Shine said with more spice, "What do you prefer?"

"Beating up villains," Mirko said.

"Do you have hobbies?" Shine asked.

"Well...I game sometimes," Mirko said, "but heroes can't spend a lot of time on hobbies. Mostly I train."

"Alone." Miss Joke took a sip of sake.

"So?" Mirko twitched her ears in some annoyance.

"Emi, what do you do, huh? We've never talked much about it," Shine said.

"I hang with my pets," Miss Joke said, "I taught my parrot some new phrases... Also he's learned how to escape his cage. You know the movie Rio? That old American movie? It's like that."

"Old by, like...8 years..." Shine muttered to herself, "So...how do you all know those movies?"

"They've all been dubbed now," Miss Joke explained, "New movies really were cut back on because of quirks. They've gotten a bit more popular now that society has settled down, but for a while there was mostly just dubbing of old ones. Quirks changed acting too."

"How do you not know that?" Mirko said oddly.

"I guess it's different where I come from," Shine said, "America's the movie capital, right?"

"Technically, but India and France are almost as popular," Miss Joke said.

"So, something has changed in 80 years," Shine said to herself, "give or take... That makes sense."

"K-dramas are better," Mirko declared.

"Aren't those mostly romances?" Miss Joke said slyly.

"No, there's medical ones and hero ones too... Of course the fighting is laughable, but that's why it's relaxing," Mirko declared.

Shine laughed. "Wow."

"Well, what are your hobbies?" Miss Joke went back to the subject. "Surely you don't have many either."

"Well, when Eri's busy I still indulge them," Shine said. She thought. "I keep up on my Sign Language because I'm training for interpreting still, and I write everyday, usually once the kids are in bed or in class, while Wally's watching Eri, but here and there, I read all the time. Wally and I play board games and binge shows for research and fun-- and movies too. And I cook usually once or twice a week because the kids like homemade stuff, and Sato doesn't have time to make enough for them all always. All that training, you know.... Hmm... I go for walks when I get the chance, and then I hang with you." she nodded at Emi.

They stared at her.

"You work all day, and you still do all that?" Miss Joke said.

"Well, most of my work is watching other people work," Shine said, "Not like you."

"Wow..." Mirko said. She felt a little bit uncultured now.

"Why Sign Language?" Miss Joke asked.

"It's fun," Shine waved, "Actually I found this cool movie here too. It's old, but all the good ones are old. No offense, the post-quirk movies are all the same. Quirk propaganda. The movie's called Koe no Katachi. Kind of dark but sweet in the end."

"I think I've heard of that one... Some old list of award winners," Miss Joke said.

"I've gotta go," Mirko said abruptly, "I really can't stand around chatting. I've got stuff to do. Gotta bounce." She bounded away.

"Does she always end with that?" Shine asked.

"On TV, every time," Miss Joke said, "I wish I had a catchphrase like that for when I leave, but nothing works with Joke."

"I think I like her after all," Shine said, "Though she's a little odd."

Miss Joke snorted a laugh. "That's coming from you, Likstar? The alien?"

"Good point, but you're not normal either, you know," Shine said.

"Well, I like not being normal," Emi said, "Normal is boring."

Shine sobered. "I'll have to go too, if I'm going to have time to include all the kids... I almost forgot about it briefly, but...no getting away from that deadline."

"Hey, I think we have a shot," Miss Joke said comfortingly, "You call me as soon as you can about it. We'll plan. Don't worry, with so many Pros helping you, you're bound to succeed."

"I don't trust in Pros, but I will be grateful for it." Shine got up. "Later."

* * *

Camie was still at UA at dinner time and just ate with them. She kept thinking Bakugo was watching her...and she wasn't sure whether she liked or disliked it.

Was he mad or something? Maybe it had to do with Todoroki.

He went out on the front porch after dinner, and she decided to follow him out and just ask him.

"Yo? Why you bugging? Did I do something?"

"Eh? What? Go way. I'm not bugging," Bakugo said.

More like embarrassed, he thought. But he wasn't going to admit it.

Camie cleared her throat. "Ahem...so, the boys told me why you were on Todoroki's a-- about stuff..."

Bakugo stiffened. "Yeah, well, I heard you lost it too, so what's the big difference?"

"That's just it. It's kind of funny that it happened to both of us, huh? I mean, we do not handle stress well," Camie joked.

"I handle it just fine! It's the incompetence that pisses me off!" Bakugo said loudly.

"Shh, bro, they'll hear you," Camie shushed him, "You want to start another fight?"

"I don't care."

"Well, I do. They're super chill. Anyway, don't stress them out..."

"Don't tell me what to do."

"OMG! You're impossible." Camie threw up her hands. "You really should try shutting up like I said. I was going to thank you and all, but now I don't even want to."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For sticking up for me, of course, dumba--," Camie said, "I don't get why, but that's cool... And, you know, no one ever does...so... Hey, I didn't know you had a sensitive side, bro, but that's gucci? You feel me?"

"I don't know that the h--- you're talking about. I was just calling it like it is." Bakugo meant that as criticizing IcyHot, but Camie took it more to mean saying he hadn't exaggerated--perhaps it meant the same thing in the end.

"Well, it was lit, for moi, anyway. Maybe you can be cool from time to time."

"Shut up!" Bakugo was blushing like crazy, but it was dark, so he didn't think it was noticeable. Why was this bothering him so much? He'd always been cool!

To make matters worse, Camie plopped down on the step next to him.

"Everyone at my school thinks it's on me," she said flatly, "but they don't know the half of it. I froze up so bad out there. It's really thanks to you I'm not dead...but I didn't have the guts to tell them that, not after Shishi coming down on me. Maybe they'd give you more credit, then...but ...it's lowkey embarrassing to talk about it."

"I don't care about credit," Bakugo said, oddly not yelling, though he thought he was, "Anyway, why take their s---? You did all right, compared to those other losers..."

"That's real nice of you, but I kind of think I locked up too much," Camie said, "Geez, I don't know what it was... Once I felt her needle thing, I just...reacted... Thought I was going to be sick...and then the blood...and I don't have a problem with blood, but it was weird... Toga scares the crap out of me."

Bakugo wasn't a psychologist, but the answer seemed kind of obvious. "Isn't it just because she kidnapped you?"

"You think that's it?" Camie sounded amazed. "But...I don't remember it, so that can't be right. Sheesh, I didn't even figure out who she was till she said something about it."

"I dunno... What other logical explanation is there?" he muttered uncomfortably.

"I guess... Wow, that's so lame though... Eh, I dunno why Todoroki felt bad about it. I kind of wimped out on him too, so we're even."

"Freaking PTSD isn't the same as being a stupid idiot!" Bakugo got all mad again thinking about it.

"Whoa, keep your voice down...geez-- PTSD? What do you mean? I don't have that," Camie said.

"What the h--- do you think that was? Don't be such an idiot," Bakugo snapped.

Camie went quiet for so long he thought she'd sneaked away and just left an illusion there...but then she sniffed suspiciously.

"What the...? Are you freaking...?" Bakugo was dumbfounded.

"No," Camie said, but she was, "It's just too cold out here... Ugh, screw you!"

"For what? I didn't say anything that wasn't true!"

"Still, screw you! I don't want to think about that crap!" Camie said. She sounded more scared than angry though.

Bakugo didn't know how to people enough to handle this well.

"Stop whining!"

"Oh, sure. It's that easy!" Camie gave him attitude about this.

Bakugo did feel he probably wasn't saying the right thing...but what was he supposed to say?

"You don't have the best people skills..." Kirishima had said.

Well, d--- it! How was he supposed to be prepared for this scenario? Why was she whimpering to him about it anyway? Plenty of other people to whine to if you needed to!

He seethed silently.

Camie drew a deep breath. "Anyway...whatever, it doesn't matter. Sorry for wasting your time. Jerk." She muttered the last part.

She started to get up.

Bakugo didn't really know why he did it, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her back down. "Don't just run away, wimp! You gonna start something, then finish, d--- it!"

"I'm not talking to you! You're just going to insult me anyway!" Camie jerked free. "Seriously, you have no clue how to talk to a girl, do you? Or anyone, really."

"Well, why don't you talk straight and stop beating around the freaking bush!" Bakugo said.

"Straight? You want it straight?" Camie said, now annoyed, "That's not really my thing, yo."

"Talking to people isn't my thing, yet here we freaking are!" Bakugo said, also annoyed, "You came out here. If you were going to talk in frigging circles, could have talked to one of those other morons inside."

"What, like I wanted to talk to you specifically, is what you're saying?" Camie retorted.

Bakugo had a choice to either back down or press his point-- Given his personality, he barreled on, though it didn't sound convincing even to him.

"Yeah, sounds like it."

Camie stared at him-- glared at him, really.

Then she kind of shrugged, annoyed. "Fine. Have it your way..." She crossed her arms. "I'm not good at just saying what I really mean...not straight out..."

That made two of them...if he was honest.

"Maybe I was trying to say I appreciated it, but it wasn't necessary..." Camie sounded really uncomfortable compared to her usual breezy manner. "But since you can't take a flipping compliment, I dunno what to say now. You're so annoyingly insecure about some stuff, you know that? If it's good it's bad with you. We can't have a normal conversation, even if I talked normal like other peeps. Seriously, if you talked in a normal way, I think I'd die of shock."

"I can talk normal. I always talk normal," Bakugo scoffed.

"You and your stupid ego." Camie rolled her eyes. "Like, is the world going to end if you don't nail every tiny detail of everything? Sheesh... Well, that scary, loud act works on your class, but you know what? It doesn't work on me. I ain't scared of you, Bakugo."

"That right?" Bakugo meant that to sound scary, but it probably was more puzzled.

"Right," Camie said staunchly, "because I think it's all just an act... I mean, I can read people pretty well thanks to my quirk, I know when someone faking it. The people who are really scary, you can tell. Even if they're smiling, you see that in their eyes.... Moto scares me. Heck, even Shishi sometimes, but you never scare me. I think, behind all that anger, you're just kind of nervous...possibly, even a nice guy, if you'd let yourself be."

"What a load of--" began Bakugo.

"Shut up." Camie put hand over his mouth, to his great surprise and bewilderment. "I'm still talking, you ass!--Anyway, it's kind of a shame you hide it so much, but it's no big, really. It's kind of fun being the only one in on it. Only, it sucks just a little bit, because I don't really think you even know that about yourself, do you? So you still act mean... Does it kill you how well I read you?"

"Don't do that." Bakugo shoved her hand away.

"Well, you wouldn't shut up any other way!" Camie defended herself. "Loud mouth."

"Dumba---!"

"Like, get a new insult, you hack!"

"You--whatever." Bakugo scowled at the dirt. "I don't know what all that bs was about..."

Camie shrugged. "Eh, I'll give it time to sink in."

"I'm not a jerk, anyway. I'm a normal hero," Bakugo said.

"Then why do you act like a jerk?" Camie said.

"I don't need to be fake nice to people. I act how I want!" Bakugo said.

"I don't think that's true though," Camie said, "Like, I bet you want to say something right now, but you're not saying it because you want to sound all scary and tough...or maybe because you're secretly nice and not telling me to piss off because of that. I never know with you...but either way, you're not saying what you mean, fahm."

"If I wanted to, I'd say it!" Bakugo huffed.

Camie shrugged and was quiet.

"Weird Hair mentioned you told off that Meatball moron," Bakugo said, after a long pause.

"Oh, yeah, that was totes embarrassing how I got all angry at him." Camie fanned herself with her hand.

"He was talking s---?"

"Well, yeah, he is kind of a b---," Camie said.

Bakugo actually snickered. "He is..."

"Well, after what happened, I couldn't just let him talk s---," Camie said, "I mean, fair's fair. He's a jackass anyway."

"I don't need you to defend me, you moron!"

"I didn't ask you, did I?" Camie shot back, "I can say stuff if I freaking want. You don't tell me what to do, a---h---!"

Silence.

"Just so we're clear, you're doing it because of that and not because I freaking need it," Bakugo grumbled.

"Yeah, clear as crystal, you ungrateful jerk." Camie smacked him, lightly.

"Hey." He swatted her away. "Cut that crap off!"

"Well, at least I said thank you!"

"I didn't ask!"

"I didn't ask you to help me either! What's that got to do with it? That's what friends do, stupid," Camie retorted.

Well, it was a better retort than anything Kirishima had come up with.

"Whatever," Bakugo said, "Thanks, if it'll make you shut up about it."

"Whoa...really?" Camie was in awe. "Why are you being nice all the sudden?"

Bakugo glared at her. "Why don't you--?"

"I was kidding. I know you're nicer to me anyway." Camie gestured widely. "It's 'cause I'm cute, right?"

"What the--?"

"That was also a joke, Bakugo. You really need to lighten up," she snickered, "You should have seen the look on your face right there...lol... I know you'd never say that. That's why it's so funny to mess with you..." She stopped because Bakugo was actually looking kind of oddly at her.

Like, way, way more calm than usual...but still focused... It was kind of weird...

That went on for like a full two seconds before both of them realized it was awfully quiet.

Bakugo looked away quickly. "Isn't it time you went back to your crappy school?"

"My house, actually...but Idk. Shine said not to leave until she got back... I can't anyway, if they aren't here... You wanna come back in and play another round of that new game?"

"The frick? I already won."

"That was just a warm up round, and the other boys said so too. You just left before we all really got going,"

"Yeah, or maybe because after I left your pathetic scores looked better next to each other."

"I mean, that's a possibility bro, but how will you prove it?" Camie said saucily.

That was a good line. No real way out of it.

"Fine, I'll come kick all your a---- again." Bakugo got up.

"Cool." Camie was unfazed.

Better to just forget about whatever that weird moment was, right? Geez, the cold night must have gotten into them or something.