Mirko stayed up all night.

About 6 am, Shine called her.

"You get back all right?"

"Yeah..." Mirko said flatly, "Almost beat the crap out of the weaver...didn't get very far."

Shine didn't act at all surprised. "I won't say she was right."

"You better d--- well not say that." Mirko was still livid. "I can't forgive that..."

"It's better not to say we can't forgive," Shine said quietly, "Just acknowledge it was wrong and move on."

"I can't do that. I've never been so ineffective on a job."

"Rumi...I know it's a little soon. It wasn't even 12 hours ago, for crying out loud. We're all shaken... I didn't sleep. I'm sure you didn't either...but I came home here to people who care about me, and I have someone I can trust to talk to...several someones...and I'm just saying, if you need any of that...I'm here. We all are."

Mirko bit her lip. "I'm good."

"You're not."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You do," Shine said, then, "We're not in competition, you know. I don't win if you need something. I don't care about it. You don't need to beat me. If that's acceptable to you. What happened wasn't your fault."

"Yet, even though I knew, I couldn't do anything."

"I wouldn't call helping Ryuku nothing. Saving one person is just as important as saving a lot. We don't count saves."

"I can count the death toll."

Pause.

"All right, Rumi...we shouldn't overlook that, I know," Shine said, and she sounded a little fragile.

 "Goodness knows, I feel awful every time...but, here's the thing-- failing to save someone is not a crime. It's not killing them. And we can't decide who lives, who dies always. We can just be tools to help or to hurt. That's what I think. I've dedicated my life to helping take away the pain of the world in whatever form I can. I think sometimes just being there with someone, giving them a hug, a kind word, it's all just as important as saving their life. And it may save their life, someday. All our experiences shape us later on. 

"And I'd say, for my money, if you were trying to help, regardless of how much it succeeded, which is something that never depends solely on our own effort, you were just as much a hero as you ever have been. Even better, no one was watching. It wasn't a job...no clout... Someday, you'll have to learn we don't get to call the shots for other people, just ourselves, and not even then, usually. One of my personal heroes, king David, once said, 'Lord, make me to know my end', [Psalm 39:4]  and another says 'teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.' [Psalms 90:12]. In the end, God doesn't call us to account for the end results of our efforts, just for why we did them. Perhaps that is small comfort to you, as you care what society and other heroes are going to think...but I don't, and for me, it's comforting to know that."

"Sounds like a cop out," Mirko said.

Pause.

"Do you have any idea how insensitive you are?" Shine suddenly sounded hurt. "I just went through a traumatic experience, same as you did, and I'm trying to help, and you insulted me."

Even Mirko felt kind of crushed by that.

"I... Sorry, I didn't mean to do that," she said, "I...just...I don't know. That's what I'd tell myself."

"I know that," Shine said, "but that is no excuse not to think about my feelings before you say it. Perhaps you don't have friends, Rumi, because you don't want them, but here's the thing-- if you're going to interact with human beings at all, you'd better treat them like humans."

Silence.

"Well, I'll let it go," Shine went on finally, "You apologized. I know you didn't mean it that way. I've had a long night."

"I deserved that," Mirko admitted, for once, "all of it... I'm just pissed because you got to do more than me."

"But it was only because I wasn't the target. Another time, I might be, and I might need you, and you've helped a lot. Let's not count, huh?" Shine said.

[Foreshadowing?]

Mirko sighed. "All right...fine...yeah, it's useless at this point, huh? I've lost track anyway."

"You really seem out of it. You're not normally this humble."

"Shut it!"

"There's the Rumi I know," Shine laughed, "Sorry, I needed to break the tension there... Is the League okay with you?"

"Eh, Compress wanted to kill me." Mirko wasn't exaggerating that much. "Shigaraki stopped him."

"Shigaraki is a lot nicer than I expected," Shine said, "I'm almost starting to like him. Dabi's told me he was pretty chill, all thing's considered."

"Consider the source-- and your crap taste."

"I like you too, so perhaps I do have crap taste," Shine said dryly, "or I just see things other people are too busy posturing and proclaiming their own superiority to see."

Mirko snorted. "I'll admit, this has been better than I thought it would be. Kind of entertaining at times...but, after I blew up, it won't be anymore."

"Do I hear a tinge of regret in that?"

"I'm not sorry I stomped her."

"No...but you might be sorry if you shot through any peace that was present... Rumi, I can tell you're stressed. I wish you'd unload some of it."

"Like you need more problems. You have dozens people to take care of already," Mirko said, "so even if I needed it, I wouldn't bother you. I'll march on, always have. The only thing that's killing me is sitting it out. If I had just been up there, I wouldn't care as much."

"Sweetie, that sounds very much like you care more for your own rep and ability than that people died... It's an easy trap to fall in. I have too, and every hero I know has. It's easier to think that than to accept fate is not in our hands. Easy...but it kills you eventually. To move from that to hubris is literally only half a jump. If I could have made it better, then maybe I know better than God. That's hubris. I can do everything-- I can rise above it all...and that, is, of course, of the devil."

"That's nice, Likstar... That's the hero world."

"I didn't speak lightly."

Silence.

"It's not special. The king of the world is always the devil," Shine said, "Some people take that metaphorically. I don't, but it wouldn't matter either way. It's true. Evil rules this world, but it does not rule all of the universe. It doesn't control fate. We'll always be seeing more evil than good if we look at the world. That's just as true of the hero part of it as anywhere else. But I've found if I look higher than that, I see more Good than Evil. That is why I'm not crazy. I'd go crazy if I kept focused on humanity. And you, my friend, will go crazy if you focus on yourself. You've half gotten there already by thinking all this was something you could prevent. If we're playing a losing game, it is always because we played by the wrong rules."

"Do you ever run out of those sayings?" Mirko rolled her eyes.

"No, I just talk and they come out," Shine said, "I know, I'm pedantic. I've always been that way. I was born that way...and it's saved my life. I know people don't always like being preached at, but there are people who are dying to hear any kind of direction. And I'd rather it be one I can rely on, than shut up about it just to see them go off and follow the first fool with a big head and a big mouth-- as, I think, is all that happens usually. I don't risk silence to be liked, and my advice to you, Rumi, is not to risk it either-- or anything else that's important, for pride."

"You're trying to tell me something, but you're not telling me directly..." Mirko noted, "What?"

Shine paused. "I... Well, you know what I am now."

"Uh huh..." Mirko leaned forward, though she wasn't talking to her in person.

"I can't see the future...but I get these glimpses of it-- comes from moving in time differently than other people do. Call it a hunch. When I advise people, I usually base it off that. When I see destruction coming, I tell them. When I see something good, I tell them. When I see what they will need to do, I tell them that too. I may get it wrong, but it never has been wrong, because it's not me. I know that. I'm not that smart... I know it was no accident I met you when I did, or that things unfolded this way. And I'm telling you, take it as an opportunity. There's very few people who get the kind of chance you have, by no volition of their own. Most of us have to choose to go into places we don't know...but you were thrust there. If I may, The Man Upstairs usually only does that for people who are going to have to do something important later. Keep an open mind."

Somehow, Shine knew, or else it was just her gift, that Mirko needed to hear that idea...after how bad she was feeling.

"Shine--" she didn't used her last name, "--can I ask, what about Shigaraki...? I've learned some stuff, and you seem to think it's important, didn't you say? So what are you seeing?"

Silence.

"Like I said, it's not like I know," Shine said, "I feel it, more... I can't tell you. I wouldn't even if I could, because that's not your story. I wouldn't want you to decide things based on what I tell you alone. Make up your own mind. What are you seeing?"

"I don't know. If AFO was around, I think it would be pretty clear, but nothing is clear. Who's the real problem-- these Originals, the Metas, or the League?"

"For all I know, Rumi, it's the pro heroes. Who's the real bad guy? The damage any of those cults or side groups do, in comparison to what society overall does, is minuscule, likely enough. Until they burn it down. We either throw water or gasoline on these fires, but they won't go out. Hatred and blame will be around as long as humans get to call their own shots...and, really, heroes are betraying each other. If you don't give up thinking like that, you'll never get it. I've shown you enough for it to be clear, and I think more people than just me have shown you. But even the word of a child on this matter would have weight, if it was true. I wouldn't be too picky about sources if I were you... I should go. I don't want to stay on this line too long, and I'm bushed... Check in soon, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe," Mirko sighed, "Fine, bye." She hung up.

* * *

Mirko ended up falling asleep in the part of the lair she was in-- the attic of it, as it turned out. She woke up about 4 hours later, around 10 am. 

She dragged herself to the lower level to get coffee.

Silk was down there. She looked up coolly. "I was recommended to apologize."

"Don't bother. It's fake anyway." Mirko walked past her coldly.

"Da, good..." Silk said, just as coldly, "On record, I said it."

She left.

Rumi sighed and poured herself some coffee. She felt like crap after that night.

[Design by onerose. Original template by original creator.]

No sign of anyone else. They must have left her alone on purpose. No real surprise.

She had a text from Hawks to the effect of, "Hope you're okay... Sorry..."

Like that made it any better... At least he warned them...so he hadn't gone so far as stabbing every single Top Pro in the back. What made him draw the line here?

Rumi was tired of questions she didn't know the answer to.

Someone finally did come in-- Shigaraki.

Great.

Well, compared to Compress or Spinner, not at the top of her hate list right now. She would just ignore him.

But to her shock, he didn't ignore her as usual.

"Did you talk to Silk yet?"

Mirko gave him the death glare. "If her fakea-- apology counts, then sure."

"Good, then it's resolved."

"It's not resolved." Mirko stared at her coffee. "But I won't bother beating her up. I'm done with this s---. Guess it just made me remember why I didn't want to work with villains to begin with."

"Which was?"

"Can't trust them. No honor among thieves," Mirko said flatly.

"So the whole League is roped in with Silk?"

"She's got this League eating out of her hand. Why not?"

"Did it escape your attention that you won the debate earlier?"

Silence.

"Did I really win?" Mirko said, "It was more like a draw. I can't really win around here."

Shigaraki would have normally found this annoying and brushed it off, but what Medea said had kind of stuck with him. Now he was seeing it in the light of Mirko getting the hostile treatment...maybe the LOV was bringing this on themselves.

"You missed Medea's speech." He tried a different tactic.

"Medea made a speech?"

"Yes, interesting one too. She thinks the League is being unfair to...you." That hurt to say.

Mirko's ears perked up. "That sounds like bs."

"Medea isn't much of a bs-er."

"What was unfair in her mind? Letting me off the hook?"

"No, she claimed our treatment was, and these are her words, 'ungrateful.'"

One word technically, but who cared?

Pause.

Mirko snorted a laugh. "Well, what else is new?"

"So you agree?"

"If I expected gratitude, I'd be working with nicer people. Frankly even other heroes aren't usually grateful for my interference-- kind of pisses them off. I'm not really in it for that." Mirko took a sip of coffee. "Still, nice of someone to notice for once. Maybe she's not as much of a brat as I thought."

"She said something else too. She said you're basically a villain."

"What is it with all of you and saying that? I'm not doing anything wrong," Mirko said testily.

"That's not what she meant. She said it's because of the position you're in-- you'd be considered one by the other Pros."

"Oh..." Mirko couldn't argue. Medea was smart. "Sharp kid."

"And that doesn't bother you...?" Shigaraki really couldn't picture a pro being okay with that.

"In theory? I guess it should." Mirko didn't have the energy to even bother arguing about this. "Probably not a great sign that I'm past caring by now... I'd rather just get the job done. Well, of all people, you know by now that I'm not as much of a goody two shoes as some of those other stuck up pricks like Best Jeanist are. I've done illegal things before. I bounced back... You move on, you know. I'll do the same whenever this is over. It's just a stage."

"You think it's that easy?" Now she just sounded naive. And that was to Shigaraki-- easily the most naive person in the LOV.

"If it's not easy, it still better be possible, otherwise what the frick was all this for?" Mirko said, thinking how little she'd like to relive the last couple months. 

"What's with the interrogation?" She changed the subject. "What do you want?"

"I'm simply gauging how much of what that teen-aged upstart said was true."

"D---, wish I was there now. This would go a lot faster." Mirko sipped more of her coffee.

A long silence ensued.

Mirko almost forgot he was there. He was just lost in thought. She was starting to wonder where to patrol... The police had said to lie low for a few days, but like heck was she staying around here.

"It's only fair to say you have held up your end of this deal," Shigaraki finally broke the silence, "which is more than expected."

"Oh, come off it, prick."

"Your manners could still use some work."

"No one else's are any different. You just take it personally from me." Mirko actually hit on a real point. Mostly be accident.

"True." Shigaraki kind of ruined the moment by just owning up to it. "For obvious reasons. Why would we trust you?"

"I never expected that," Mirko said flatly, "Not really a requirement."

"But the rest of us trust each other."

"Which is weird in of itself, but not really my problem."

"You're so difficult!" He was losing patience.

"What are you trying to say, then?" Mirko was also. "Just get to the point. I'm not exactly in the mood for this."

"I was trying to say the League could change our perspective slightly." Shigaraki felt like this was going out on a limb.

Mirko cocked her head. "On...?"

"Are you really that dumb?"

"Maybe you're just cryptic," she shot back.

"You, you moron." Shigaraki was now out of patience.

"Me?" Mirko really thought this was going somewhere else-- she didn't even know where. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You want more respect, right?"

"It'd be nice, but I'm not looking for miracles."

"Let's start with possibilities. It's conceivable that all of us could stop threatening the others' safety constantly."

"All of us, huh?"

"Yes, that includes Compress."

"What about you?" Mirko challenged, looking amused. "What would you do if you couldn't throw temper tantrums?"

"You shut up! you threaten to beat people up every single day."

"And I don't have a problem with it," Mirko said, "You're the one saying it's bad. Which is ironic..."

"Well, if you prefer to be in the same position as before, that's your choice." Shigaraki was so done.

"All right, hang on." Mirko didn't know if she should let this slide. "I'm not really following. If I didn't know better, I'd say this sounded like an apology of sorts, and that's not really normal. Why should I trust it? What's the punch line here?"

Shigaraki wished he'd left this alone. So much for following advice...

"The League doesn't do apologies."

"Me neither...usually..."

"It's a compromise."

"Yeah, I don't do that either," Mirko said.

Shigaraki rolled his eyes.

"I'm kidding... This whole flipping situation is one big compromise," Mirko sighed, "Look, I think I get it. It's a waste of energy fighting amongst ourselves right now. I can get behind that idea. But I'm not a puppet, and I'm not a sucker. And I can't just get over what she did. Maybe villains don't care, but I don't like to be controlled."

"What Silk did was not fair," Shigaraki said.

Silence.

"But it's too late to change it," Shigaraki went on, feeling like he was saying something he didn't wholly understand [yeah, maturity is a real b---] ,"So, now what? That's the question. If you had a chance to get something in return for letting the whole thing blow over, what would you get?"

This was literally the only way to manage people he knew, based on the League.

Mirko was surprised at the offer.

She thought. "Hard to say."

Well, that was getting them nowhere.

"For starters," Mirko tapped her chin, "enough with calling me pro. I'm sick of it. It's annoying. Also sounds expendable."

Pause.

"Is that it?"

"No," Mirko said, "I also want everyone to stop saying I'm shallow. Keep your opinion to yourself if it's just going to be the same broken record. You want respect? Then don't diss on my job constantly. I've shut up about the LOV's mostly while I've been around because I don't want to know. So if all of you would shut up about my job, and stay out of it, that would just be nice. I won't ask not to be insulted-- I think you'd have a stroke-- and I can handle that. But the hero-thing is played. Anyway, like Medea said, I'm already crossing enough lines. It's not the same anymore."

All this was reasonable enough...oddly.

"One last thing," Mirko said, "I want to know the details about Hawks. I'm sick of not knowing sh--- whenever this stuff comes up. And I think he's probably in trouble or going to be, and the moron is going to get hurt."

"Aren't you mad at him?"

"So?" Mirko tapped the table. "I can't just let him die. I want to kill him myself once I know what's going on...or suspend judgement. I'll be furious if the Metas get to him first."

"This is your idea of friendship."

"I wouldn't call him a friend at this stage, but I owe him, sort of, for yesterday. And I'm not letting him hold that over my head next time I want to yell at him or talk s---, so..." Mirko shrugged, "I'll have to pay him back."

"That is truly the most sha--"

She glared.

"Unheroic reason," Shigaraki said.

"And that's a problem?" Mirko said, "Honestly the people who care the most about heroes sticking to that strict moral code appear to be villains. I never said I was nice."

Well...true...

"So you're honest-- about how much of a jerk you are," Shigaraki said.

"Someone has to be." Mirko had a really good burn for once and she knew it. She was so smug.

Shigaraki had no retort.

"I don't know, maybe you're faking it," he suggest, annoyingly, "Maybe you really do care what happens to that birdbrained twit."

"First of all, calling him a birdbrain and then a twit is redundant. They mean the same thing," Mirko said, "And second, it doesn't matter. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I made a reasonable request, right? And there wasn't any stipulation about it being for the right motive, was there? So do I get it or not?"

"There's really no reason not to concede, but it's not going to make you happy," Shigaraki said.

"I wasn't asking that." Mirko finished her coffee. "I want the truth."

"Fine."