Back inside, things had progressed to talking about the rescue and what had led up to Dabi's decision.

Dabi would never have imagined being ready to talk about this, but the others actually genuinely wanted to hear it, and Wally helped a lot with mediating it.

When Shine rejoined them, she smiled reassuringly but didn't interrupt.

Shoto finally snuck back in. No one acknowledged it, except Momo put a hand on his arm as if to ask if he was okay, and he nodded.

"I can't believe you're related to Todoroki." Kaminari didn't notice he'd come back in.

This had come out too...with a surprisingly small reaction. Bakugo barely batted an eyelash at it. He'd sort of suspected it already. Jiro and Kaminari just thought it made sense with the quirk.

Camie never acted surprised at all.

"Yeah, me neither." Dabi didn't make eye contact with Shoto. "But that's all in the past. I don't consider myself one of them anymore."

"I don't blame you for not wanting to be related to Endeavor," Jiro said, "I've picked up on a few things..."

"Yeah, but Todoroki is cool," Kaminari said.

Jiro elbowed him.

Dabi ignored him. He already didn't take Kaminari that seriously.

"So," Momo changed the subject, "what are you doing to...well, entertain yourself?"

Dabi frowned. "Why do you care?"

He tended to meet every personal question this way.

"She's just being polite," Wally said, tirelessly mediating, "No offense meant."

"How would that be offensive?" Jiro asked.

"It could be," Bakugo scowled.

"You mean 'cause people think you amuse yourself by beating up nerds or something," Camie said.

"That's just my job," Bakugo said.

They snorted at his answer.

"This is so weird." Kaminari always said whatever came into his head. "I never would have pictured this... Dabi's kind of chill once you get used to him."

Dabi frowned at him.

"Careful," Shine said, "he's still prickly. I wouldn't say things like that about him."

"I meant it in a good way," Kaminari said.

"I'm not a pet." Dabi glared. "Don't talk down to me."

"I wasn't..." Kaminari said.

"And you don't need to narrate me," Dabi said to Shine.

"I apologize," Shine said, "I was trying to help, but you're right, that's weird."

When a conflict like this rose up, Shine and Wally both had a way of negating it, like water to Dabi's fire of provoking things.

The kids were starting to take notes. None of the ever diffused a situation like that with Bakugo or their other angry friends.

Maybe the key was apologizing right away.

"This is weird for me too," Dabi admitted, "I don't know if this is even right. Just talking like this. I've never been one for a long conversation."

"I think you're a natural at it, though," Camie said.

"Shut up," Dabi said.

"Hey, whatever, bro. No one here cares," Camie said, "We all suck at it anyway."

"How do we suck at it?" Kaminari asked.

"I never learned how to do this in school," Camie said. 

"It's not like it's science," Bakugo said, "All we were supposed to do is figure out if we could do study together."

"Did we decide that?" Momo asked.

Everyone looked at each other.

"I don't want to bring everyone down," Jiro said, "but if I'm really honest...I'm okay with Dabi here reforming and all, but I don't think any of us get along well enough. We'd just fight and argue the whole time. I don't know if it's a good idea."

"That's fair," Wally said, "but it depends on whether you think you want to challenge yourself to get over it."

"What if I don't?" Dabi said.

Shine shrugged. "Like it or not, these are the only people we have here, Touya. All of us have problems. But learning to forget all that, just the way you want to forget your own past, is essential. And none of these kids have ever done anything to you. So why does it matter what happened before?"

"Even if I don't have personal reasons, they don't like me," Dabi said.

"I'm chill with it," Kaminari said, "I mean, if it's legit, I don't care, then."

"You're a gem." Shine patted his head.

He smiled adorably. Jiro reddened.

"I want to try, if it's okay." Momo looked at Dabi. "I'm working really hard to overcome thinking of people in these groups...hero/ villain, and I don't know how else I would learn, and if you're trying to change anyway, I don't know who better to work on it with, but I understand if you wouldn't want that."

Dabi was surprised.

"Well, you're okay, I guess..." he grumbled very reluctantly, "at least better than the other idiots...but what about Blasty, there? I kidnapped him."

"So? You think I'm scared because of that?" Bakugo exploded, "I'm not scared of you... Be a good chance to get pay back for it. You think you can reform? We'll see."

"Is that really the right reason?" Kaminari said.

"For Bakugo, I expect this," Shine said dryly., "Don't worry, he means the same as everyone else."

They looked at Shoto.

He was looking at his hands. Then he looked up. "I'm not sure I'm okay with all this yet... I still have a lot of things to think about, and I don't know if I've forgiven you. I don't even think you want me to."

He was right about that. Dabi scowled.

"But since it is part of what we're supposed to do, I don't want to neglect it either," Shoto continued, "I'm willing to at least give it a chance. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't...but I don't want to hold everyone else back if they're ready."

"Very mature," Wally approved.

"Well, I'm down for anything if I happen to be around," Camie said, "That is...if you think I'm serious enough for your study group..." Her face looked a little uncharacteristically sober there.

"Anytime you want to join us, you can. Just let me know," Shine said, "Why wouldn't we want you?"

Camie nodded. "Okay, cool." She smiled. It didn't seem quite right though.

Bakugo looked at her narrowly.

"I think we need to go," Shoto told West, "It's late."

"Yeah, true," Wally said.

He took all the kids back. Shine hung back to talk to Dabi.

"I take it that wasn't as bad as you thought it would be."

"It was weird," Dabi said, "At first I hated it, then it just kind of went away, and then I was just talking like I was normal... I don't understand what happened."

Shine smiled. "Maybe a lot of that hatred was based on misery, and without it, it's just...gone. You never hated them for any real reason. Why should you hate them now?"

"They're heroes."

"But they want to be better ones. Therefore there is no reason to hate them. It makes perfect sense. I thought if you gave them a chance you'd like them. They are great kids."

"Well, even if they aren't as fake as I thought, I don't think we're going to be friends or anything," Dabi said, "If I wasn't so bored here, I wouldn't ever agree to joint studying."

"I'm glad they did though. I am getting tired trying to keep up with everyone." Shine rubbed her forehead. "I have a reading list for you, by the way. If you're no reader now, you will be if you want to learn from me. Books are important."

"I don't have anything else to do," Dabi grumbled.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Dabi got along much better with the UA kids than he'd ever expected.

Jiro didn't come to the sessions. She rarely ever had anyway. She wasn't comfortable with it all yet.

Kaminari didn't come much without her, but he was supportive.

Momo was all in, and Bakugo was right behind her. He didn't like to say it, but he was really just as interested in seeing if it was possible to really befriend a reformed villain.

Shoto and Dabi continued to be on edge, but they tried to just ignore each other in order to keep the peace for the others. Shine and Wally broke it up if they did start to fight, and they'd cool off.

Dabi still didn't like him, but sheer exposure began to make him less quick to start something because he learned it would not get him anywhere or out of anything. Shine ensured that.

Shoto didn't like Dabi any more for it either, but he paid more attention to why he was disliking him and asked himself if it was fair. He wasn't ready to say it wasn't yet, but he wanted to be really sure it was not something petty, like jealousy, that was influencing him.

Shine kept reassuring him that she cared about him and would not cast him aside if he didn't move fast enough. That seemed to help more than anything.

Wally kind of just played peacemaker when he was around.

Camie did join them sometimes, and she was faster at picking it up than they expected.

Shine didn't just teach them the Word. She would tell stories she'd heard, show them videos, and talk about history. They learned a lot in just an hour or two, which was usually how long most of them could squeeze in.

Dabi did ask a lot of question on his own. He proved to be a better student than she thought. He'd never finished high school, but he wasn't stupid. And learning about the world and how people thought was right up his alley. He was willing to learn about other problems besides the ones with heroes, though they still spent a lot of time discussing that.

In all this time, Shine didn't hear from Mirko, except when she texted her to make sure she was still alive.

Mirko was...but she was busy. At least, so she said.

* * * 

Mirko was busy all right. She wanted to find that cult...but she knew going to the LOV again was a waste of time.

She did something stupidly dangerous instead.

She went back to the Dairy Farm where she'd first found the Originals.

The place was empty. Completely evacuated. There wasn't even a lock system in place anymore.

Somehow that was creepier than finding it the same would have been.

Mirko walked around the inside, feeling chilled. Nothing activated to trap her. No one would ever believe it had ever not been a dairy. It was crazy.

She left, not sure what to do next.

After a couple weeks had gone by of her not being able to find leads on any of the people who were arrested, she got the feeling someone was hushing it up.

All the murdered people were nobodies, no criminal record. And anyone she asked for more info just told her it wasn't worth it to look into it.

Whether they were all paid off, or whether they were just that arrogant and short sighted, Mirko could not tell.

It was danged frustrating for her.

All she was able to confirm was which prisoners went missing. They were never found. One was the one West had talked to-- he called her Karen-- and three of them were the ones Shine had convinced to go. The last one was the captain of the submarine.

The two other people Shine had led out had been murdered. And every single one of the prisoners who'd been kidnapped by the cult also.

The whole thing made Mirko sick.

She was thinking about it all the time, dreaming about it, scouring the internet for leads. Not finding anything really useful...

And all the while she couldn't figure out why she was being left alone by the cult. What did they intend to use her for?

The search kept her in Japan more often than usual, and things were heating up there too. The  Metas were starting to make moves.

The LOV had gone silent though.

That being the case, she was quite shocked when she walked up to her apartment, about 3 weeks after the submarine incident, and opened her door to find Shigaraki standing inside her foyer.

Mirko dropped all the groceries she was carrying to stare.

It's happening, she thought to herself, I've been thinking about it so much my mind is going. I'll be seeing the ninjas next minute if I don't snap out of it.

She blinked hard to erase the image. It wasn't going away.

"Are you real?" she asked.

"What?" Shigaraki said.

She couldn't imagine that voice, she thought.

"What are you doing at my house?! I thought I said not to pull this s--- again."

"You never said anything like that."

"You can't just show up here whenever you feel like it--"

Maybe this was about the Originals. Maybe the LOV got a letter too... She became guarded. 

"Why are you here?"

"I got tired of waiting," Shigaraki said, "and you're the only one with her number."

"With who's...?"

"Likstar's. And she knows where Dabi is. I'm sure of it. So, I need to get a hold of her and tear her limb from limb if she doesn't tell me."

"What...?" Mirko was completely lost. "What does Dabi have to do with it?"

"He's been missing for two and a half weeks, and the only one who'd know where he is is Likstar. He wouldn't go to anyone else." Shigaraki made it sound like she was stupid for not getting it right away.

"And you came to me because I have her number?" Mirko was not following.

"Yes...and it's not suspicious if you call her."

"You want me to call her...for you...to find out where your pyromaniac lackey is?"

Silence.

"This is a new one," Mirko talked to herself, "I never in my life thought I'd end up in a situation like this... How did I get here?"

"Stop it," Shigaraki said.

"You must be pretty desperate to come to me," Mirko smirked suddenly, "Wow...a person doesn't get in situation like this every day."

Shigaraki frowned. "Forget it." He stepped back.

"I didn't say no." Mirko started picking up her bags. "Kind of hard to pass up a chance like this actually. But what do I get in return?"

"The way I see it, you owe us this for before."

"Nah, I already made it up by saving your sorry a---s," Mirko said, shutting her door, "Why did what's-his-name disappear? Was it those d-----d ninja?"

"I don't know. That's why I need to ask."

"I guess I could be useful," Mirko reasoned to herself. She started putting the food away in the kitchen.

"Hello?" Shigaraki said.

"I'm not leaving this stuff out. I have perishables! You can wait-- How long were you standing in my living room anyway?"

Silence.

"Are you stalking me?" Mirko glared.

"Of course not!" Shigaraki said, "It's just that Dabi disappearing is out of character. It might be a threat."

"Oh, sure." Mirko finally came out and pulled out her phone. "Well, I'm never this nice, but I'll do it for free, if I get to listen in. This ought to be good."

"Just a minute--"

"Too late." The phone was already dialing.

Shine answered after 2 rings. "Hi, you're finally calling me up?"

"Don't answer after 2 rings, you loser," Mirko said, "It makes it seem like you were just waiting by the phone."

"I don't have the time to waste stalling answering my phone, Rumi," Shine shot back, "Did you call just to insult me?"

"No." Mirko eyed Shigaraki with a smirk. "You'll never guess who's standing right here, right now."

"Stop playing around," Shigaraki said.

"Was that Shigaraki's voice? What's he doing there?" Shine said, "Are you still working together?"

"Nah, I'm over that," Mirko said, "Teamwork is bulls---, but somebody apparently can't live without their little minion. Do you know where Dabi is?"

"Give me that!" Shigaraki snapped.

"My phone, my rules, jerk." Mirko held it away just in case. 

"Rumi, put me on speaker," Shine said.

Mirko pressed the button.

"You there, Tomura?"

"Don't use that name," Shigaraki said.

"And you want to know where Dabi is?"

"I know you're the one who's hiding him, Likstar." Shigaraki actually sounded kind of nervous, maybe like he just wanted to believe that. "Now 'fess up. Where is he?"

"Even if it were true, I'd never tell you that over the phone," Shine said, "This is not safe at all. You want to know about him, come meet me at the same spot we talked a few weeks ago. You know the one. Outside. We'll talk then."

"Both of us?" Mirko asked.

"If you want to know too, sure, why not?" Shine said, "And we can talk about that other thing you're not telling me about."

Mirko frowned.

"Yeah, I won't be surprised if you don't show now," Shine said dryly, "but if you want to meet today, hurry. I have a lesson later. And we're going out. So, yeah."

"And you swear you're going to explain," Shigaraki said.

"I'll explain what I can. What other option do you have?" Shine replied.

"Fine," Shigaraki said, "This better be worth it."

"See you in a few." Shine hung up.

Mirko put her phone away. "Maybe you should just get her number. I'm not a messenger, here."

Shigaraki didn't say a word to that.

"You're welcome," she said dryly.

"Shut up... This whole thing is just one big mess." Shigaraki started scratching at his neck, to her disgust. "One thing, then another. Going all over the place just to get a straight answer from some idiot."

"At least she said she'd stalk to you. Geez, you're so ungrateful." Mirko grabbed sunglasses. "Let's go."

"I don't remember inviting you."

"I don't remember asking your permission. I'm going to hear this too. If it has something to do with that cult, I have a right to know."

"Then you can hop there by yourself."

"Oh, sure," Mirko said, "I could. But I was so nice right now, I'm sure you're going to be real nice and just warp both of us there. Or I can just call Likstar back and tell her you changed your mind, and she can suck it."

"You wouldn't!"

"Watch me!" Mirko patted her phone.

The funny thing was, Shigaraki apparently thought that would work on Shine. What a moron.

He very stiffly warped both of them.

* * *

Shine was sitting in the grass waiting for them. "Good, you knew the right spot. I thought the roof would work too, but I was hoping for this. You might want to sit down. This could be a long talk."

"How about a short talk: Where is Dabi?" Shigaraki demanded.

Shine sighed. "He didn't authorize me to tell you, and I think it's unwise to tell you that. But he said I could tell you what happened."

"So what did happen?" Mirko prompted.

Shine looked Shigaraki in the eye. He had his hand though, so that was tricky. "Dabi is leaving the LOV."

* * *

Stunned silence.

"That's a lie!" Shigaraki said.

"No. No, it's not. I'm sorry you have to find out like this, but he doesn't want to be seen right now... It's complicated." Shine sighed. "It's nothing you guys did, don't worry. He's just...realized it's not what he wants."

"That's a lot of b---s---!" Shigaraki snapped, "I know it's something you did, Likstar. What did you do?"

"You really need to hear me on this-- I didn't make him do it," Shine said, "And for the record, I have never once asked him to leave the League directly. You know I am not a liar...but he can't return even if he wanted to. It's now pretty much impossible. You would know if you saw him."

"This makes no sense. Why would Dabi be unable to come back?!" Shigaraki sounded upset. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing. I wish I could help more. He doesn't want to be a villain anymore," Shine said. She smiled. "But really, he's so happy right now... He doesn't realize he is, but I've never seen him so upbeat."

"Happy? Villains aren't happy," Shigaraki said.

"Yes, and he's not a villain now."

Mirko laughed suddenly. "You've got to be kidding. Villains don't just stop, Shine."

"No, they don't," Shine said, "but he's made his choice."

Shigaraki was speechless.

"But why?" Mirko insisted, "What would change his mind?"

"Better for him to explain, but he told me he was tired of being the same person he always was," Shine said, "And he never thought there was any hope of changing, but now there is." Her eyes gleamed. "It's been a privilege to be part of that. But I can't take the credit. I assure you, I never bribed or threatened him. He's freely chosen to leave, just as he chose to join. It's as simple as that."

"It's easier to become a villain than to get out of it," Mirko said.

"A fact he chose to accept. The alternative was worse," Shine said, "But I'm risking over-explaining what I really can't explain. Maybe you can talk to him sometime about it, Rumi."

"I'd like to hear it, yeah," Mirko said. "When?"

Shine laughed. "I can ask for an appointment."

"This is ridiculous," Shigakari said, "Dabi was one of our most driven members. He can't just leave. What about...? And...? D--- you, Likstar."

"I'm sorry if it puts you in a bad place, but I won't apologize for anything else," Shine said candidly, "You know where I stand. You always have. We rescued one."

"He didn't need rescuing! You've ruined it!"

"I couldn't ruin it if it was a stronger thing." Shine was rather merciless about that.

 "So he's not going to return?"

"No... I'm sure he'd be happy to help if you need it, but only if it's to save someone again. I don't know though. We haven't talked about it."

"And the Originals had nothing to do with this?" Mirko asked.

Shine shook her head. "Nothing at all...but have you been poking into it still, Rumi? Please tell me you haven't been."

"All right. I haven't."

"No, I mean, tell me because it's true."

Mirko was silent. Then, "You don't order me around!"

"Once wasn't enough?!" Shine lost her cool. "Are you stupid or something? What are you doing? Rumi, for crying out loud, don't you understand what they'll do to you?!"

"Oh, what's it to you, anyway? I'm just doing my job," Rumi said back, loudly, "I'm not going to stop just because you're a little squeamish."

"I'm squeamish? You're the one who's afraid of them!"

"Hey!" Mirko made a fist. "Don't push it."

"I can't protect you if you go off alone!" Shine continued, "I may not be able to anyway."

"I didn't ask you to protect me. I can take care of myself. I don't need you," Mirko said, "Stop trying to make me do what you want."

"I'm just trying to keep you from getting yourself killed. I didn't say to follow my every command, but I worry about you."

"Well, don't. Worry about yourselves. Seems you've got enough problems," Mirko dismissed her, "I think you should lay off of everyone else."

"Rumi, seriously, you can't be this dumb," Shine said.

Mirko grabbed her collar. "Stop it."

Shine grabbed her wrists to pull her off. "This is so childish. Is this your only response to anything you don't like?"

"I didn't hit you this time, did I?"

"Should we find a roof for you to dangle me off of instead?"

"Don't tempt me!"

"You're foolish, you know that?"

"Do you mind?" Shigaraki finally cut into this. "We were talking about Dabi, not having some stupid fight."

"You stay out of this, Hand Boy," Mirko said.

"I'm afraid this is more important," Shine said, still being held forward by Rumi, making a very weird picture, "Unless you have something to contribute to this debate."

"Other than it's stupid, and Rabbit Hero is going to probably die, I don't see anything to say about it," Shigaraki said.

"Why would you care anyway?" Mirko said, "Stay out of my business. I didn't ask for your input. Likstar, don't change the subject."

"Let go of me."

"Fine." Mirko let go of her hard enough for her to fall on her back end.

Shine kicked her in the shin.

"Oh, you did not," Mirko said.

"Honestly, hanging around you takes me back to when my sisters and I used to fight," Shine said testily, "I thought I grew out of this. It's lucky for you you're a hero and highly trained, or picking on someone so much taller than you would be a stupid idea."

"What the frick did you just say to me?" Mirko's eyes snapped.

"Fine way to treat your friends," Shigaraki remarked.

"Don't start with that again. She asked for it," Mirko said.

"By expressing concern for you? Wow, so evil," Shigaraki said, "What about Dabi?"

"It's all of a piece." Shine got up. "Dabi is fine. Isn't that all that matters?"

Shigaraki glared at her. "No...the League needs him."

"They will have to do without him...but you know, we're already willing to help if there's any real trouble that you didn't actually start first."

"You think I want your help, Likstar? Nothing goes right since you came," Shigaraki said.

"Do you really think this would have been better without us?" Shine said, "The Originals would have come after you anyway. That has nothing to do with us. But maybe they would have succeeded. Like it or not, it's worked out for you to have this alliance. I wouldn't throw it away out of spite if I were you, but I can't make that call. I'm not going to stand around and take your verbal, and Rumi's physical, abuse anymore."

"I'm sorry," Rumi said, surprisingly, "I got mad."

"I forgive you, but I really have to go anyway," Shine said, "Please, don't do more alone. If you really want to find these guys, let us help...but they'll make a move, you know, soon enough. If you force them to act sooner because you can't wait, what if it means they go after us? You're not the only one affected here, Rumi. And if you endanger my kids by all this, so help me, I'll beat you up myself."

"You would never."

Shine's sword appeared, and she swiped Rumi off her feet with a speed she shouldn't have had.

Rumi stared up at her in astonishment.

"Try me. I suppose I'll have to bail you out anyway. Why am I so nice? You all make so much work for me. Sometimes I go to nice places where people go out of their way not to take stupid risks and to work together and cooperate, and it's a piece of cake. And then I have to come here where everyone avoids teamwork like the plague and rushes into danger like they're invincible. You're all idiots! I could swear...but then, I do like you... I'll tell you, having a soft heart can be the worst."

She shook her head. "I'll talk to you later." She vanished.

"How do you like that?" Mirko said.

Shigaraki sighed. "You're a moron."

"Oh, shut up," Mirko grumbled, "At least I did something."

"The Originals are only going to be provoked. I think you are stupid and selfish, just like Likstar said. All of us are going to get dragged down with you."

"Don't give me that 'you're selfish' speech again when you're just sitting on your a-- and doing nothing about any of this," Mirko shot back, "Just sitting around and waiting for those psychos to pick us off is insanity. I don't know what she's thinking."

"Or maybe it's smarter to do that and be ready for it... Being down a player doesn't help either."

"It's not being ready for anything to do nothing."

"And your doing something before nearly killed us all. What kind of a pro are you?"

"Shut up." Mirko shoved him back.

He just stood there, not phased at all.

"Don't you think I know that?" Mirko exploded, forgetting herself, "I have to make it up. I have to stop them! I'm never going to be able to sleep at night if I don't finish this! And if they're planning to use me again, I can't let that happen. I never want to be a pawn, ever! And you couldn't possibly understand that, so just shut the h--- up about it! Your stupid League and you can go screw yourselves! What about what happened to those people? 38 of them are just dead! 5 are missing. We didn't save anyone! It was a complete loss. But that doesn't matter at all to you villains, so who're really the selfish ones?"

"Of course it matters!" Shigaraki lost his cool now too, surprisingly. "There was no reason for them to die."

Mirko stopped, shocked. "Huh?"

"It just kills me that those goons got away with destroying that evidence." Shigaraki clenched a fist. "It would have been good for the League too if those crooks were able to tell what happened. Anyway, there's no reason to kill people like that if they could be useful. A few of them helped out and would have been useful. But they're gone now. It's worse than before."

"If that's true, then why do nothing about it!?"

"There's nothing to do, that's why, you nitwit. They're always one step ahead of us."

"So? A hero turn odds like that around."

"A hero would be an idiot to think that's likely to happen when they can know everything about us, and we know nothing about them that would be useful. And some of us they'd just like to kill, not use."

"I see," Mirko said, stiffly, "That's true... Yeah, I guess so. Well, looking at it that way, we've probably fraternized long enough. You want to save the League's skin. I want to solve this. So there's really no reason to talk about it. Don't get in my way."

"You're willing to just ignore what Likstar said about endangering everyone and go on anyway. You're a fool."

"What else am I supposed to do? Wait for that axe to fall?" Mirko was scornful. "That's not how I roll."

"Like it not, if all of us are targets, it was serving our purpose more to cooperate, even if that just means not doing reckless things."

"And if we are all doing nothing, we're giving them a free pass to do whatever they want. And since when are you about diplomacy? Don't give me that bs." Mirko was mad. "At least Dabi had the right idea. Might as well bail if someone is going to hunt you down anyway."

Shigaraki looked stunned, like that idea hadn't occurred to him. "You b----."

"Who can blame him for jumping ship if no one's doing anything to keep it from sinking? Smart."Mirko shrugged. "I'm out of here." She jumped away.

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