Todoroki and Momo were still wandering around enjoying the festival when the fireworks finally began. They found a good spot to watch.

Shoto was thinking that he liked doing this with Momo. It just sort of felt like their thing. Would she be okay with doing this every festival...? But that was a lot of times to agree to.... He frowned to himself, thinking it over.

"Is something wrong?" Momo asked, "Are you thinking of your family again...?"

"What? Oh...no," Shoto said, "I was just thinking about the next festival."

"Let me think-- which one is after this...?" Momo tapped her chin.

"I was just thinking about going to it, is all," Shoto said, "Uh...Yaoyurozu..."

"What?" Momo said gently. Expecting a problem.

"I know it sounds like a lot...but, I don't know, do you think you'd want to keep going to these together...? I don't have anyone else to go with, and I think I like going."

"Oh..." Momo flushed red, but the orange glow of the fireworks hid it. "Well...uh...I mean, are you sure you want to go with me, specifically?"

"Why not?" Shoto didn't see a problem here.

"Oh...well...okay, sure." Momo looked down. "That would be nice..." And it would stop the others from teasing her about her mom.
she thought to herself. But it sure sounded like a date when he put it like that...

[Internal facepalm and screaming.]

For some reason, Shoto felt kind of good when she agreed. Like more than he would have thought. Well, it had kind of been going out on a limb-- he never asked anyone for anything. But of course Momo would say yes. She never said no to helping anyone out... Maybe he was taking advantage of that...but before he could really overthink it to that extent, something distracted him.

It was a commotion farther down the street from them.

Momo looked too. "Todoroki, isn't that Mr. Aizawa?"

"Yes, it looks like it. And that's Shine...and Miss Joke?" Shoto blinked. "Why's she here?"

"Patrol maybe, but it looks like there's trouble. We should go help," Momo said, picking up her Yukata so she could make a break for it. Shoto followed her.

* * *

Aizawa was looking for West, who had still not appeared, and asking people near the food stand if they'd seen a red headed man and a little, sliver haired girl with a small horn on her forehead.

Miss Joke asked people on the other street. Shine was still trying to call Wally, and she was holding her sword up like a beacon. Some people thought she was a performer and cleared the way like they expected a play to begin. Some even thought the search was a play. Only they didn't see what it had to do with the theme of the festival.

"Shine? What's going on?" Shoto appeared out of the crowd.

Shine looked over. "Have you seen Wally or Eri? He's not picking up, and he's not around here, and I feel like he wouldn't have gone farther than this, but with him you never know, but he'd answer his phone, normally."

She sounded more nervous than they'd ever heard her.

"Oh, dear. Do you think they got lost?" Momo said.

"Wally doesn't get lost," Shine said.

"He could find us easily," Shoto reminded Momo, "It's more likely he got held up by something."

Aizawa cast him an irritated look, then said, "I think he's right, however. It's been 15 minutes now. Your boyfriend isn't that slow."

"Eraser, there's all kinds of people at the festival." Miss Joke came up. "But Wally could handle any of the regular types I'm thinking of. And what higher level villain would pick on a regular guy and a little girl?"

"I'm not sure it would be a regular villain," Aizawa said darkly.

Shine turned whiter than she already was. "But it can't be... What reason would the LOV have to target Eri?"

Momo covered her mouth. 

"I could think of a few," Aizawa said in dead voice, "But if they took her, I swear I'll hang them all up by their entrails after I beat them within an inch of their lives."

Miss Joke cast him a worried look. "Well, I'd take a few swings myself, but this isn't exactly the LOV's usual motif, is it? Wouldn't they make a show out of it?"

"Let's start calling our class and seeing if anyone saw anything odd," Shoto spoke, "Maybe there was a fight, but it's too far for us to have heard it."

"That seems unlikely, but it's worth a shot," Shine agreed.

They all started calling people.

* * *

Bakugo and Camie were walking over a bridge all decked out in lights, so Camie could do a photo opp, when his phone rang. He checked it, expecting to see Weird Hair, but instead it was ICYHOT Pokeball. Now he wouldn't be calling unless...something was wrong.

Bakugo answered on the second ring. "What?"

Then he listened for about 5 seconds and swore. "When, d--- it?"

Then listened more. "No, nothing. Where the heck are you?... I don't know where that is, idiot!"

"Bakugo, what's wrong?" Camie had put together it was bad.

He shook his head. "Yeah, we'll be there... No, Camie is. It's a long story, all right! But it's just as well-- she can help. No, they're at some carnival thing, but we'll get them... I didn't ask for thanks. Just find the stupid kid and the WacDonalds Clown!" He hung up.

"West is missing?" Camie said.

"Yeah--how did you know that's who I meant?" Bakugo said.

"Duh, the colors," Camie said, "Who's the kid?"

"Eri."

"What?? That cutie with the horn?!" Camie was shook. "Oh, that's so wrong. Who'd want to hurt her?"

"Well, don't jump to conclusions, but there's a few reasons. We're not sure they're actually missing, but come on. We have to start looking for any signs of a commotion," Bakugo said, heading straight for the carnival area.

Camie dialed Mina after shooting her grandma an explanatory text that she had a "hero situation" come up.

* * *

After several calls, the whole class 1-A, and most of 1-B, were all looking for Eri and West all over the festival area and then outside it too.

They checked bathrooms, even. The girls were more helpful there than the guys.

They checked stores too. Some of them used their quirks to help. The guy who could melt into darkness went all over the streets.

He actually was the one who ended up discovering something. It wasn't that far from the original point of the food stands, but it was off the festival streets and in a regular street.

When they got the call, the adults had been combing over the perimeter of the grounds again.

Aizawa answered. "Yes, Kuroyiro?"

Then he turned to Shine grimly. "Well, he found West."

"Good...!" Shine trailed off at the look on his face. "It's not...good, is it? What about Eri?"

Aizawa shook his head.

"But West is all right?" Miss Joke said.

"Give him some credit." Aizawa sounded so dead inside. "If he was all right, Eri wouldn't be missing, would she?"

"What do you mean?" Shine looked like someone had punched her.

Aizawa sighed. "I'm not sure. We'd better go see for ourselves."

* * *

What they found was Kuroyiro and some of his classmates-- and the other hero students who'd been close enough to come-- along with the police, who he'd called, and who wanted a perimeter, but Shine pushed past them all, and Miss Joke flashed her license so they'd let them.

The two Pros and Shine came up to the students. Wally was being guarded by Police officers. He seemed okay at first glance, just unconscious.

But then Ibara and Iida moved out of Shine's view with somber faces, and Shine saw the truth:

It was hard to describe exactly what she was looking at. Wally's feet, from ankle to knee, just looked...wrong. Like, still like legs, but like, you could just look at them and know that something wasn't put together right. Like a really, really bad surgery...or a tumor or something. But...in multiple places.

"I doubt he could even stand like that, let alone run," Aizawa said the worst possible thing, as he realized why Eri was not there.

Miss Joke punched his arm and shot him a dirty look, then she glanced at Shine. "Shine?"

Shine had her hand over her mouth. "Shine? Dear? Are you okay--?" Miss Joke stepped closer.

Shine fainted.

This shocked all the kids. Ibara especially seemed worried and started crying.

"Who would do such a thing to Mr. West? He's so kind and sweet and helpful..."

Iida uncertainly patted her shoulder in an effort to be reassuring, like a Pro.

"Where's Eri though?" Kirishima said.

Mina shoved him too. "Kiri, shut up."

Aizawa seemed greyer than usual. "Well, it's hard to say exactly what caused West's injuries, but it reminds me a little too much of something I saw before. You remember Midoriya, Uraraka."

They glanced at him oddly. Then they gasped.

"No, no way. He's in prison!" Deku said.

"Yeah, and he'd never get out," Uraraka said, "And why would he come here anyway? How would he even know how to find us?"

"The League." Miss Joke laid Shine against a wall and then hit her fist into her hand. "They would know how to find out...if they are working with him."

"Didn't they, I don't know, betray him though?" Kirishima said, "I mean, we're talking about Overhaul, right?"

Aizawa just turned and walked toward the police and began explaining.

There wasn't a whole lot of evidence to go on, but Eri was a ward of the state and a national concern in some ways, so they began making some calls.

But of course, it had taken a long time to find Eri, even when Nighteye had been able to help them. And the amount of time, if this was a kidnapping...

Some of the students tried to hope it wasn't, but Aizawa ordered them all to go back to UA right off.

Miss Joke took Shine back there too. Shine woke up after an hour or so but didn't talk. Which was a bad sign. 

She didn't say a word, in fact, until Aizawa came back late that night, with nothing to report and a lot of worried UA staff who wanted to know what was going on. Wally had been taken to Recovery Girl...but she already was shaking her head over it. She couldn't heal this type of thing.

Aizawa just walked in and looked at Shine like..."Well? Why didn't you portal to her?"

Shine bit her lip, then spoke in a very defeated voice. "I've been trying to get a bead on her ever since it first happened, but if I wasn't sure at first, I am now.... Something is blocking me."

She frowned. "If this is the League's doing, I'll smack them down myself."

"I'd be happy to assist you, but we don't know where they are," Aizawa said.

"I can find out." Shine looked up. "But we may need some back up."

"I'm here," Emi assured her, "but you're in no condition to go anywhere, Shine."

"I'll be fine. There's no time to wait," Shine said.

Emi sighed. She had a point.

"Who else?" Aizawa said.

"I don't know... People we could trust...and I can only think of one who knows the situation," Shine said dully.

Emi stood up. "I'll call, Shine. Maybe it'll be better coming from me. Eraser...maybe some Pro who were on that Overhaul case with you? You know any?"

"Yeah... Fat, Rock Lock...but I can't just call them in without a warrant..." Aizawa said.

"Call it a favor," Miss Joke said, pulling out her phone and stepping into the next room.

* * *

Rumi was on patrol too, though once fireworks started, she pretty much had to stop and put in ear plugs. But she felt her phone vibrate and answered it reluctantly.

"Joke, this had better be about a job."

She listened for about one full minute before she sat bolt upright. "What?!"

"Can you help or not? Are you busy?" Miss Joke was unusually crisp with her.

"Uh, yeah, of course I can help." Rumi grabbed for her shoes. "I'll be right there. Who do I need to beat up?"

"The LOV probably, but don't do anything stupid. We have to find them first," Miss Joke said.

"Are you kidding? That just makes this fun for me," Rumi said, yanking her shoes on.

"Yes, well, I hope you don't say that to the man who just lost his almost daughter and the woman who's boyfriend is critically injured," Miss Joke sounded salty.

"You know what I meant. Sheesh," Rumi brushed it off.

***

"Tea?" Momo offered Shine very meekly. 

Shine took it but didn't drink it. She just put her head in her hands. "Why was he out still...? What if they scrambled his brain too?"

"Who'd notice?" Bakugo said.

Camie smacked him. "Bro!"

"What I meant was, he'd be dead if that happened, so he's probably just concussed," Bakugo amended.

"Yes, Shine, no one could survived that," Momo said, comfortingly.

"Oh, okay..." Shine said dully.

They'd never seen her like that.

"It might be fixable..." Kaminari said.

"Don't feel so bad," Jiro said.

"I can't believe it happened so fast..." Shine said, "I didn't even know. How could I not...?"

"But you didn't know. It's not your fault," Mina said nicely.

Shine started to cry. "Eri must be so scared right now... Why couldn't they just leave her alone? She's just a kid!"

Ochaco hugged her awkwardly. "But we'll find her. The Pros will."

"Good news." Miss Joke came back in. "We'll have back up... Likstar? You good?"

"No," Shine said. 

"I know," Emi sighed.

Aizawa came back in. "West is awake. Mic just told me."

Shine got up and dashed out the door without even grabbing a coat.

Some of the class followed her.

"Geez," Sero, who didn't, said to most of the Bakusquad and Camie, who couldn't be seen at this school. "She seems so tough, but I guess West is sort of her Achilles' heel."

"Can you blame her?" Camie said.

"No, no, it's sweet," Sero said.

"It's messed up, what they did to him," Bakugo said, "The sick --------." He used some very ugly words.

Camie sighed and checked her phone. "Ah...if I don't get home I'll never make it to school tomorrow."

She put a hand on Bakugo's arm. "Call me and tell me what happens, 'kay? I want the facts. And I'll totes be there if y'all need to go kick the Leagues' a---- again. No worries." She nodded at Miss Joke.

"I'll walk you out," Miss Joke said.

Once they were going, Sero said, "That's the girl for you, Bakugo. I think you're on the same wavelength."

Bakugo didn't even tell him to shut up. He was lost in thought.

***

Wally was alert enough. "Shine? Oh, good, you're okay," he said when she walked in.

His whole expression cleared. Momo and Kaminari thought it was so sweet.

"Me? What about you? Are you in pain?" Shine ran up to him and grabbed his hand.

"Uh...not much," Wally said, "But Eri's...not here, is she?"

"What happened?" Aizawa had no tact in this matter. But Wally understood that.

"Well, I got knocked out, but before that...I remember we were just getting food, like we said, and then something black and smokey just was in the corner of my eye, and I didn't even really see it, but then we were tripping out into a street, and something just gripped my...well, my legs. Like a vice thing, but like, 1,000 times more fricked up feeling... I can't even describe it...but then I tripped and fell over, and Eri was...well, I think she was yelling...um, in fear..." Wally lowered his head, either in shame or sympathy or both.

"Then something hit me-- a brick, maybe? And that's all I remember... I'm sorry, but it was so fast, I didn't have time to think or realize what was happening."

"It sounds like they planned it that way," Aizawa said flatly, "It wasn't your fault." That was big of him to say, considering how he must be feeling. "Sometimes we're just outnumbered... We'll have to focus on finding her."

"I can find the League," Shine said.

"Without me?" Wally said, looking at her sharply, "Shine, we talked about that."

"I won't go alone, Wally, but every minute we waste, is a minute that girl could be being tormented," Shine said, making Momo wince, and Shoto shake his head, "The sooner we can find her, the better." She shook her head. "I...can't wait for you. You understand that, right?"

Wally shook his head. "Well, in my head I get it. I'd do the same...but, uh...can you just not do the heroic thing this time?"

He wasn't serious...well, not completely. Shine laughed wryly. "I wish...but I must."

"Let us help, then," Shoto said.

"Absolutely not!" Aizawa said, "I won't risk more students on this. Eri is bad enough without the rest of you doing something risky and stupid."

"But we know the LOV," Shoto argued, "We've fought them the most, even more than the Pros have. And we know their weakness and could use it."

Shine looked up. "I hate to say it, but he has a point, Aizawa. We don't have time to gather more Pros if we're going to find her before they have a chance to...um, you know...and the kids are tough."

"Even if they can legally participate now, it's irresponsible to let them," Aizawa said.

"You let them be irresponsible in training all the time, but this is actually important," Shine said, "And I want to keep them safe, but I know they at least can fight back, and I know what the villain wants Eri for... To me this is an emergency."

"And you think you're making a clear judgment right now?" Aizawa said, "You've been through a traumatic experience tonight. You're desperate."

"And you are more so than me!" Shine said.

"Calm down," Nezu spoke. He'd come in unnoticed. "We must go through the proper channels to deal with this..." He began making a speech about not going behind the law.

But absolutely no one was actually listening to him. They just nodded mechanically, and Aizawa said, "Yes sir..."

Nezu then nodded. "Good, I'll go make some more calls."
He left.

Once he was out of earshot, Shine said, "Two faced rat."

"Likstar, that is not appropriate," Aizawa said.

"Well, his plan won't work fast enough to be any good. They don't need more than a day or so to get what they need, if that long," Shine said.

"It sounded like Kurogiri was with them," Aizawa mused, "but that would mean he escaped... With the quirk blockers they use in prison, how would he have? How did any of them?"

"Quirk blockers? Well, that's terrifying," Shine said, "But I'm sure the people who wanted to eradicate quirks don't have a plan for escaping places without them... There's always a blind spot, isn't there?"

"Tartaros is more thorough than that, Likstar," Aizawa said.

"Evidence suggests otherwise," Shine said. But she frowned. "Yet, I'm certain the LOV could not have done this alone, with the current members they have."

"Plenty of people might have an interest in those criminals..." Aizawa said, "but it doesn't matter. Right now our priority is to get Eri back."

"But...Principal Nezu said not to," Momo said.

Aizawa was silent.

"Technically, he said to do it the proper way," Wally pointed out, "You know though...he means we shouldn't do it."

"I'm sure he thinks he can stop us," Shine said sarcastically, "But how will he do that, I wonder."

"I'm sure he doesn't want anything bad to happen to Eri," Shoto said.

Shine shook her head, then she leaned over and kissed Wally goodbye. "We better go. Take care of yourself."

"I should be telling you that, babe," Wally said, "Seriously, be careful. Don't, like, try to single-handedly take on this guy."

"No promises, but I'm not going to try," Shine said.

"So...we're helping?" Momo said.

Aizawa sighed. "I wash my hands of it. None of this is above board... Anyone who comes with us is responsible for themselves. You'll be considered the same as an adult. If that's fine with you, I'm in no position to be able to stop you... I can't take on Overhaul alone...but remember Lemillion."

He walked out.

That was chilling.

"We could lose our quirks..." Kaminari said.

"Well, not a problem for me," Shine said, walking out. But she looked back. "There are worse things than being without a power. One of them is being without a conscience. Overhaul's already there. I won't tell you what to do...but moments like this tell us who we really are."

Then she left.

The students looked at each other.

"We could go the rest of our lives without a quirk..." Shoto spoke.

"Or at least a while..." Deku said, "even if it's possible to reverse it. We'd fall behind... I can't afford to do that, not now...but Eri..."

"You probably shouldn't risk it," Wally said to Deku, "Not just for that but, if the dude stole your quirk..."

Deku swallowed. "Oh...right, he can do that. How did you know that?"

"Hey, I've heard all about it. You told us some of it too, and we heard it when they debriefed us on the poor kid."

Momo was hesitating. And she hated that she was hesitating.

"This is, the moment, it's on the line. Which way you gonna fall? 

In the middle, between wrong an right, but you know after all...

It's your life, whatcha you gonna do? The world is watching you. Everyday the choices you made say what you are and who your heart beats for. It's an open door. It's your life."

Shoto clenched his left fist. "Well...I never liked this quirk that much...and they need help. We could be really outnumbered. It's not guaranteed we'll even see Overhaul. I'm going." He went out the door.

Momo put a hand to her chest. "I'm going to go too," she heard herself say, "Someone has to help."

"Wow...you guys are so brave..." Kaminari said.

Jiro, who was there but had been silent, spoke, "But, Yaomomo...we're not even supposed to do this...and it's such a risk."

"But...rules aren't everything." Momo couldn't believe she was saying this. "Anyway, Todoroki can't go alone. How would that look? And Mr. Aizawa always risks everything for us. It would be so ungrateful not to return the favor...and Eri.... I have to go." She ran out the door.

"Peaches is the best," Wally said.

"Ah, dang it, fine," Kaminari said, "I guess...I mean, if your friends are gonna go, you know..."

"Kaminari?" Jiro was surprised.

"It's cool, at least if I go out this way it's more boss than if I just got outclassed by everyone else. Dignity, you know?" Kaminari tried to put a lighter spin on it. That fooled no one.

"You idiot," Jiro said.

Kaminari shrugged. "Oh, I should get my costume..." He ran.

"Wow..." Deku said. 

Jiro stomped her foot. "D--- it...ugh, fine." She ran after them too.

"Geez..." Kirishima said, "They're so manly!"

"When did you get here?" Wally asked.

"Oh, Bakugo and I arrived a few minutes ago. Camie left," Kirishima said.

"And Bakugo?"

"Already went after them... Geez, maybe I should too."

"Nah, man," Wally said, "Too many people will crowd it there's already like 10. Someone has to be here to protect the school, and you're not that stealthy. Better let them handle it. And anyway, those guys will recognize you faster than the others."

"Oh, good point. That's why he and I shouldn't go, huh?" Deku said, "We'll blow the cover too fast. The others might have a chance."

"Sure," Wally said. Though it was only a small chance.

[Well, this got intense fast. Who did not see that coming? Stay tuned. This is only going to get more gritty from here.]