Mirko didn't care for Miss Joke's questions and intrusive curiosity...and the fact that she caught on.

But the whole thing with the LOV was over, once and for all, Rumi thought to herself. After this, there was no point to it anymore...unless the Originals struck again around them...which they probably would, but that could be weeks or months from now. And she wasn't going to be poking around the LOV any more if she could avoid it.

The whole thing made her uneasy. She didn't like not knowing what was going on with that cult.

She must have spent hours patrolling before she finally went home. She spent way more time here than usual lately... She was almost getting used to the place feeling normal.

Come to think of it, she really should clean it or something if she was going to spend more time in the area...

She went up to her door and unlocked it. Going in, she turned to shut it...and froze.

Stuck to the inside of her door was a throwing star and another note.

She flipped on a bright light and stared. This one was not in code like the other one. At least it didn't seem like code.

It just said a few short sentences: It will be your time soon. Be ready. Rabbits are in season.

Mirko thought the last part was in really poor taste...

She stared at the note.

Then she looked around her house.

First a tree...now they'd actually come in here--they could still be in here now.... 

What was this, a threat? A warning? An offer?

She started shaking, not sure what to do or why it was getting to her so much.

She was afraid to even go into her house, but then she smacked herself. This was stupid. Why leave a note if they were just going to wait for her in person anyway?

She forced herself to go into the other areas of her apartment: the kitchen...the bedroom...the gym...nothing. No one was there. The window wasn't even open.

But they could come back at any time. It wasn't just a one time thing...

Mirko bit her lip. Then she grabbed her travel bag out from under her bed. 

"Frick this, I'm not staying around here waiting for them," she muttered.

But...where would she go? Any hotel they could trace her to... She didn't have any friends. Likstar would let her stay at UA...but that was no good. She couldn't work from UA. Someone would see her leave. It was ridiculous.

There wasn't anywhere to go. Mirko started to have something like a panic attack. She had to calm down...

This was not like her at all! What about this group rattled her so badly? Just not knowing when they could strike?

Even so, she took her bag, once it was ready, and walked out of her house, locking the door. She took the note with her and the throwing star. 

She doubted it was chipped. Why chip the house of someone you knew? And why bug it if you knew they'd get rid of the weapon?

She wasn't sure where to go now...

* * *

After finding somewhere to crash temporarily, the LOV didn't talk much about what happened as a unit...

Silk and Compress discussed it privately-- and what happened to Medea

Medea's headache kept getting worse and better by turns. If she slept, it would go away, but she would have dreams that seemed like half memory and half nightmare.

Silk was worried she was going to go crazy again if she didn't find some way to cope with it. And Toga's suggestion to sedate her didn't seem like a good solution.

"It's a very strange case," Compress said.

Shigaraki walked by wordlessly, wearing street attire.

"Uh, boss, where are you going?" Compress asked.

"Out," Shigaraki said.

"Aren't you worried those fiends will track us down?"

"Not so soon. They always wait a while to lure us into a false sense of security. They won't attack the morning after," Shigaraki said dully. He went away.

"He's taking this harder than I thought," Silk said.

"I think it's Kurogiri's evident betrayal," Compress said, "That was rather a shock when I heard it. Working for Overhaul first-- and now trying to get us killed directly."

"Is possible they blackmail him like Lethe?"

"But how? That's concerning too. What could they have over him? As far as I know, his only motive was to serve AFO and Shigaraki."

Silk frowned. "Hm... You know, we need more food. Maybe I follow Boss, make sure he's not getting into trouble. I pick up special treat on way. Ramen, maybe... Not as good as stroganoff, but oh well."

Compress chuckled. "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Please." Silk got up. "I can easily disguise myself. Is boss I'm worried about. He's easy to spot."

"I suppose if that E-boy look is what stands out to you..." Compress sniffed.

* * *

Shigaraki went back to the mall... He really didn't have anywhere else to go.

But it wasn't making him feel any less annoyed...and unnerved...by the day before.

No one recognized him, oddly enough... Really, people just did not look past the hands when he was in action, did they?

But it bothered hims less today. Too much else to think about.

At least he wasn't likely to run into Midoriya here again...

But he really couldn't believe his bad luck when he did see someone familiar sitting outside the front entrance under a tree.

Mirko.

She was just staring into space.

Shigaraki was just going to walk the other way (he did not need this today)...but then he thought better of it. This was probably on purpose. He was not giving her the satisfaction of running away.

"What the h--- do you think you're doing?" he said instead.

Mirko jumped at least a meter into the air and hit the lower branch of the tree.

"Ow!!" She rubbed her head. "D--- it, do not do that! Wait--why are you here again? Is this like your favorite spot to creep on innocent bystanders or something?"

"You know, I've been coming here a lot longer than you have--" began Shigaraki indignantly.

"Oh, forget it," Mirko dismissed him, "I don't have the time for this." She picked up some kind of duffel bag. "I knew this wasn't going to be a good place to think..."

"Going somewhere?" Shigaraki thought it was weird to lug that thing to the mall of all places.

"Do you know something?" Her red eyes narrowed.

"No." He backed up, not wanting to be with kicking range.

Mirko sighed. "It doesn't matter if you know or not. It's too late. I'm dead." She shook her head. "Bye. I gotta go..."

She moved away.

Shigaraki was not letting that slide. He followed. "Someone show up at your house again?"

"What the--?" She whirled around and slammed him into the tree. "Did Likstar snitch?"

"Get your hands off of me before you lose them," Shigaraki threatened.

Mirko didn't back off. "I'll take my chances. Answer me."

"Likstar didn't tell me anything. That was just a wild guess...but now I think I might have been right." He was real smug about it too.

Mirko let him drop. She backed up. "I have got to stop falling for that trick..."

On closer look, she didn't look like she'd slept a wink.

Something was definitely up.

"So who broke in this time? Your stalker?" Shigaraki said snidely.

"Yeah, actually." Mirko was killingly sarcastic. "They did, left a note this time...with a little calling card." She held up a throwing star. "Happy?"

Shigaraki knew at once what it was. "The Originals. Already? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Why? It's the same as last time." Mirko pulled something out of her bag: two sheets of paper. "I can't detect any pattern here. They typed it up...but it's just as before. The day after or of... I hate them so much."

"This happened before? What do those say?" Shigaraki said.

Mirko held them up. "It doesn't matter if you know. See for yourself."

Shigaraki read them. "What's all the nonsense in the first one?"

"Likstar said it was a lot of American sayings... Basically it boils down to not talking to anyone about what happened--who doesn't already know--and them not being done with me yet." Mirko shook her head. "And the second one just kind of echoes it... I guess I'm becoming a nuisance to them."

"That is what you're good at."

"Oh, shut up!" Mirko snapped, "I'm not on their kill list, remember? You're in no position to talk."

"I'd consider it an insult to not be on their kill list at this stage."

"So would I! And this is an insult!" Mirko said savagely, "What do they think I am? Some toy? A puppet? Please, over my dead body am I ever going to work for them."

"I don't think they need your consent." Shigaraki never did have any degree of tact with anyone. "They have a mind manipulator now, and they don't seem to expect your cooperation."

Mirko went wan. "Yeah, I know." She swallowed.

It was weird to see her look that terrified...really weird.

Kind of unnerving actually. If the stupidest, most overconfident hero in the world was afraid, that was even more reason to be wary of this group.

"I'm so screwed," Mirko said, in that half laughing way people who are about to snap talk, "I didn't even sleep at home after this. They're watching my house...and I''m standing here talking to you about it because, unbelievably, that's somehow less of a problem than going home is. Frick my life... Well, I suppose this is high times for you villains..."

"I don't find this funny," Shigaraki said, "This is a serious problem. They keep using you to find us."

"I know, right? How do they do that? I don't even go looking for your weird League on purpose," Mirko said.

"I wonder..." Sarcastically.

"It would make more sense to tail Likstar. She's the one who can find everyone."

"They probably can't tail her," Shigaraki said.

"You know, I'd almost think this was on purpose." Mirko frowned suddenly. "Like I'm being played here. You show up, and I'm just supposed to think that's a coincidence? Or are you actually all the same?"

"Try thinking about something, moron. Why would the League set nomu on itself?" Shigaraki snapped, "This actually is a coincidence. I don't know why it keeps happening, but I'm not doing it on purpose! And you are screwed. I'd say it was nice knowing you, but it wasn't. So good luck surviving."

"Fine!" Mirko snapped, "But it's not surviving that's the issue here."

Shigaraki paused. Good point...

"Well, it would be easier just to kill you," he said aloud.

Mirko backed up. "Don't get any ideas."

"Then again, they'd see that coming," Shigaraki mused further, "so they probably have a plan for it."

"The mind games really get old, don't they?" Mirko put one hand on her hip. "I'm so done with this... Ugh...why can't people just show up in person so I can kick their a----?"

Shigaraki didn't bother to answer that. He was thinking and scratching at his neck... There was no solution to this one. If he killed her, they'd just exploit that. If he didn't, they probably had a plan to exploit that... Was just a matter of personal preference at this point which way he wanted them to do it.

Of course if she was dead that pretty much sealed it-- no way out of it. But alive there might be a way to flip this around...

Before he could decide what to do, he was interrupted by Silk appearing from around some plants.

"Hello, Boss... Uh, sorry for following you, but I thought we need supplies. I couldn't help noticing this."

Mirko jumped again when Silk showed up. "Gosh, why are you always popping up?"

"Would I be right in thinking you have relocation problem?" Silk said.

"Uh...so?" Mirko was wary.

"I think I have solution." Silk raised one finger. "Only, is one no one will like."

"And?" Mirko said.

* * *

"No," Shigaraki said, after Silk proposed her solution.

"No way in he--!" Mirko agreed.

"But," Silk protested, "it is last thing they would expect...and it enables all of us to get what we want."

"Even if on the microscopic chance I agreed with that, the rest of the League never will," Shigaraki said.

"You are boss. You can just overrule," Silk said. 

"We make decisions together," Shigaraki snapped.

"And I have a reputation to maintain," Mirko said.

"Your reputation cannot be that important to you, given we are standing here talking like this," Silk argued, "And you are out of options, darling. Where can you go that they won't find you? Is like mafia... And what could it really hurt? If we were going to kill you, we would have by now."

"Uh, I don't find that a very convincing reason," Mirko said, "and the idea is absurd."

"Yes, that is why it would work," Silk said, "No Original would ever think of it."

Silence.

"And alternative is waiting for them to find you and use you," Silk said, in a scary tone her accent only made more foreboding, "Wait till they use that hapless teenager to come mess with mind, turn you into walking trap for anyone around you, and no one would know about it. 'Rabbit season' is one that could last very long time."

Mirko leaned away from her. "I thought Shigaraki was creepy, but you're on a level of your own, lady."

"Come with turf," Silk shrugged, "but I'm right. The safest place for you is where no one would ever look for you. And while it sounds crazy, there is old saying I believe applies here: Keep friends close and enemies closer."

"That is a saying..." Shigaraki mused.

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about it!" Mirko cried.

"Well, she makes a good point. It's either that or just wait till they use you against us...and since you're connected to Likstar, there's that ugly possibility, too, they can use you to get to her-- and then us by extension."

"I didn't think of that..." Mirko put her ears down kind of worried like.

"That is more," Silk agreed, "So what you say?"

Mirko looked around. "I don't have a better plan...but I don't feel really safe around you freaks either."

"If it help, I promise not to kill you." Silk held up her hand like she was a girl scout.

Mirko snorted a laugh. "You know, I almost like you, Russian Roulette...but think: Spinner will never agree to it."

"Yeah, he won't," Shigaraki agreed. 

"So why does he get opinion?" Silk replied.

"Are all Russians like this or just you?" Mirko asked, "'Cause I feel like you're really stereotypical..."

"Darling, that's like saying you're stereotypical Hispanic," Silk said drolly, "Some things we just pick up..."

"I don't know how I'd be stereotypical..."

"You never hit someone with chancla?"

"I would do something like that..." Mirko admitted.

"Well, it's a terrible idea, but if it'll prevent the Originals from finding us, I'll allow it," Shigaraki said very reluctantly, "But you get to explain it to the League... Ugh, I'm gonna be sick if I think about this for very long."

"Me too." Mirko made a face.

"Perfect, let's go. I suggest we warp," Silk said, "Is okay. I already get shopping done." She retrieved bags from the bushes.

"Okay, I've known her for, like, 5 minutes, and she's already more competent than any of you casuals could ever dream of being," Mirko said.

"Shut up," Shigaraki snapped.

"I wanna roll with him, a hard pair we will beA little gambling is fun when you're with me (I love it)Russian roulette is not the same without a gunAnd baby, when it's love, if it's not rough, it isn't fun (fun)"

[This was just Silk in this part, my sister pointed out the Russian Roulette line...Silk is kind of a gambler when you think about it

Again these are just jokes, I'm not actually claiming Russians are like this, the whole point is that Silk is making it into a gimmick, which I think is probably obvious by now, but there's always that one person who takes it seriously if you don't explain...]

* * *

"You...have...got to be kidding me." Compress stared at them.

Mirko sniffed. "That's what I thought too..."

"Compress, think about it," Silk said, "Is only way."

"Well, I agree it has some merits as a way to keep the ninja from sniffing us out," Compress allowed, "but you can't actually mean this pro agreed to it? That idea is preposterous."

"I'm not happy about it, but it was either this or living under a bridge," Mirko said, "and I'm weighing that option still, but that's kind of exposed too."

"It's...just...it's too hard to believe," Compress said, "It's like one of those weird stories you find on some fan fiction site..."

"That is your concern?" Silk was amused.

"That and Spinner will never agree to it."

Spinner did not agree to it...right away.

But once Silk put her reasoning to him, to their surprise, he said it was probably the only way. 

"But aren't you worried she'll stop our plans?" he said to Shigaraki.

"No," Shigaraki said, "We don't have any plans. It'll take months to recover from the loss of the lab, and we have no resources... Frankly, by the time it's a problem, she'll be gone anyway."

"Did you tell her that?" Spinner said.

"No," Shigaraki said, "and you don't tell her either! That's the last thing we need."

"In meantime, I'll get her settled in," Silk said, "and no worry. The pro is not capable of subtlety. I'm sure this is not a trick."

"And what will Likstar think of this?" Spinner wondered, "Because we all know she'll find out."

"She'll agree it was the only option," Shigaraki grumbled, "Unless they want to move her to UA...but I'm not convinced that would work out any better for us-- just puts the targets closer together."

"And this doesn't?"

"We're moving targets. It's different."

"Well, on the one hand, it's a really stupid idea," Spinner said, "but on the other, we could use extra manpower now that we're down two. There's people and the nomu. As long as no one catches on... Can we ensure that?"

No answer.

Medea and Toga and Twice didn't really see the reason behind the whole thing. But Medea was far too caught up in her own pain to care that much, and Toga was not one for rationality, and Twice couldn't make up his mind, so they didn't vote at all.

Toga did go up to Mirko and say she'd like to cut her because she was such a cute, little bunny--and Mirko told her roundly if she ever said that again, she'd get both arms broken, and that would be if she (Mirko) was in a generous mood.

Toga backed off right away.

No one bothered to tell Mirko not to threaten her. With Toga you did what you had to.

[Yeah, I bet no one saw this twist coming... Honestly I thought the idea was ludicrous, but, in the right way, it would probably work better than anything else. And hey, desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'm sure all you fan fic readers care more about the hilarious scenarios I could get from this than any real practicality, but I like to have both.]