Shine woke up the next day with very foggy memories of what happened-- not because she got drunk, but because at one point, Midnight had gotten so mad at Mt. Lady, she'd used her quirk to knock everyone out, except 13, who was immune thanks to her spacesuit.

Shine understood why 13 always came along, if this was a common occurrence.

13 assured Shine nothing too bad had happened: Midnight had gotten bored once everyone was asleep, and then the police had come to see what happened. 13 had taken Shine and Mt. Lady home. They'd come out of it on the way, but Shine still felt drowsy.

"I am never going anywhere with Midnight ever again," she told Wally over coffee.

"At least nothing too bad happened." Wally was creeped out by the whole thing. "That woman is terrifying. Sorry I told you to go."

"It's not like you knew," Shine said, "I feel a little bad for her, though... I think I see why she doesn't have a lot of female friends."

"Yeah...real shock there..." Wally muttered, "Look, Shine...sometimes pity and action are two separate things."

"I know.... Funny, you're more worried about that than you know who," Shine said.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kaminari asked coming in.

"Nothing much," Shine said, sipping coffee.

"Well...maybe you should talk to Todoroki... I heard him crying last night," Kaminari said.

"You sure he was crying?" Wally couldn't picture it.

"Or laughing...but he never laughs," Kaminari said.

"Of course he was upset," Shine said, "We all are."

"Yeah, but...I didn't think he'd, you know...cry..." Kaminari said.

Shine bit her lip. "I don't know if I'm even okay yet, but I should try to talk to him."

"Or I could," Wally said.

Shine shook her head. "I...think he'll hear it better from me, babe. His dad probably upset him."

"Oh..." Wally said.

"Why does that matter?" Kaminari said, "Mr. West is cool-- he could handle it."

"Sometimes if someone has a bad experience with one gender, they have a hard time with it," Shine said, "An unfortunate fact of psychology...but maybe it's right. Still, I think I should try."

"I wonder if Peaches is okay, then..." Wally said.

"No way," Shine said, "When is that therapist going to get here?"

"Funny you should say that, Miss Likstar," Iida came in, "Mr. Aizawa just informed me the school is going to be getting counselors for the hero course. They were supposed to start New Year's week...so, next week. I don't know why they are doing this...something about a petition."

"Ah, yea, I signed it," Shine said.

"What?" Iida said, "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"Because no one cares about your opinion," Shine replied sassily.

Iida looked miffed, while Kaminari choked on a laugh.

Jiro came in to grab breakfast. "What's so funny?"

"No one does..." Kaminari said.

"Really?" Iida said.

"No, but...like...loosen up, dude," Kaminari said.

Jiro snickered. "Kaminari has a point for once."

"I...do?" Kaminari said oddly.

"That's good though. This class needs it," Wally said, "My counselor is a Martian."

Pause.

"You...you were serious?" Kaminari said.

"Yes," Wally said.

Pause again.

"I'll just go now..." Shine got up. "You guys go to class."

"Shouldn't Todoroki be going to class also?" Jiro said.

"I'm sure he will," Wally said, "Want me to help you get your stuff?"

"Mr. West, we're not kids, we're heroes. We can get our own stuff," Jiro said before Kaminari could accept.

They walked away. Tough crowd.

* * *

Shine went upstairs and knocked on Shoto's door. Shoto opened it. At least he was dressed for school. 

"What is it?" he said dully.

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," Shine said, "I...heard you were upset."

"No, I'm fine," Shoto said, "I'm trying to get ready for class."

"You know...if you need a break from class--" began Shine.

"No," Shoto interrupted her really sharply, even desperately, "I don't. I'm fine. Excuse me. I need to finish." He shut the door.

"So, he's not fine," Shine said, "Guess I should check on the other one."

She knocked on Bakugo's door. "Are you in there?"

"What?!" Bakugo yanked it open.

"You're holding up okay?" Shine said.

"I'm freaking fine!" Bakugo said.

Shine tilted her head. "I'm serious... Really? You know, I won't look down on you if you're not okay. No one is."

"Worry about your d----- self, Likstar." Bakugo shut the door in her face.

Shine went for three out of three.

"Momo? How are you feeling?"

Momo looked somber. "To be honest, Shine...not great. But I'll get through it."

Shine was relieved someone admitted it. "What's bugging you?"

Momo shut her door once Shine was inside the room. "Isn't it bothering you? They betrayed you."

"I knew they would sooner or later, if nothing changed," Shine said, "It bothers me more what happened to you guys... I feel sorry for Dabi."

"You do?" Momo sat on her bed. "How can you? He's terrible."

"Well, I'm surprised you'd say so," Shine frowned, "He did save you."

"What...? Wait...that was real?" Momo rubbed her forehead. "I thought it was a concussion-induced hallucination... My mind just inserted it, or something."

"Why would your mind insert an enemy into a dream?" Shine asked, "Not one about being saved. It actually happened-- I saw."

"But...why?" Momo was puzzled.

"He kept his word...in the end," Shine said, looking wistful, "At least, part of it. He must have felt bad."

"But...is that really a reason to...have faith in him?" Momo said.

"Oh, I don't." Shine leaned on the bed post. "I don't have faith in people, Momo. They're just human...but he's not pure evil, you know...and I'm worried he may have paid the price even for that small disobedience."

Momo sniffed. "I have no reason to like him, but I would hate to think he was killed because of me..."

"No, it would be because of me, so don't hold that on your conscience," Shine said, "This was all my doing, Momo... Be mad at me, not yourself."

"I can't be mad at you. You were just doing what you thought was right... I saw that." Momo tugged her hair. "He really upset you, huh?"

Shine was silent for a bit, then she answered. "Yes...but I'm not...crushed. 'Pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.' What I mean is, I'm upset about it, and I know that... I know I don't act like I am...but that's because I can't show emotions like other people, but I am upset...but I know I will be all right. I have a fall back. I'm worried about you because you always blame yourself. You don't let it go."

Momo bit her lip. "Maybe neither of us show we're upset, then... No, I always do, but I wish I didn't. I wish I was as calm as you."

"I didn't want to be this way." Shine looked out the window vaguely. "I just wasn't allowed to be upset...for a long time... Then I got older and I realized, I'd forgotten how. I'm relearning, but...it's hard. Don't shut it down, Momo. It makes us feel human."

Momo stared at her. No one had ever put it that way before. 

"In the end, you'll bounce back faster than either of the boys," Shine sighed, "I know it. You're tough."

"Shine...I'm not..." Momo said.

"Life is about how fast you recover, Momo, not how hard you fall," Shine said. 

Momo shook her head. "I think you have the wrong idea about me."

"No. But even if I did, it wouldn't matter," Shine said, "It's still true...and that applies to that troubled man too...I hope."

"Do you think he would really...? No...once a villain, always a villain," Momo said.

"Who told you that?" Shine scoffed, laughing. 

"Well, it's something they tell us to remember in training," Momo said, "Villains try to sound like they have a noble purpose for what they do, but they just like it. And they don't really change. We should never let our guard down around them."

"Ah, that is a good thing to teach you--if they do not want villains to change," Shine said.

"Huh?" Momo gave her a weird look.

"It's convenient when everyone's roles are so clearly defined," Shine said, "Keep the lines drawn, like I said the other day...but it gets complicated when someone steps a little outside those lines. A hero does something kind of villainous...and a villain does something kind of heroic, even if only a tiny, tiny bit. A villain putting someone else over themselves...well, it messes with the system. Soon you start classifying any act done outside the system as villainous in order to keep that balancing act up. And then one day, a smart person will realize that the only line anymore is what people say about it. Not what's actually happening. Going to rescue your friend is acting like a villain, and running from a fight is acting like a hero.

"So what happens when a villain decides to help a hero because of a promise? And a hero doesn't help an innocent person because they have something to prove? Who is right? Who is wrong? Is the label hero or villain going to help you then, Momo?"

Momo clenched her covers. "I don't know what you're asking."

"You will have an easier time with this if you take the good with the bad," Shine said, "Stop trying to divide the experience of hero=good, villain=bad.... It is true that is usually the case, but your heroes and villains are just human, Momo. Both parties are capable of good and evil, or they aren't human. To err is human. That's a saying...but to repent is also human and human alone. We are the only beings we know of that can feel regret for doing wrong and change because of it. Throwing that aside makes monsters out of heroes, if you ask me.... I'm not happy about Dabi, don't get me wrong...but I won't say I was wrong to hope either. All I can do is hope. We live off of it."

While saying this Shine was reminded of her experience on her last mission, where good men had ended up betraying their comrades and criminals and worse had turned the tide in their favor. 
[The RWBY: Through Worlds story.]

Momo truly had not expected even Shine to be able to say that. Most people would have regretted everything if what happened to her happened to them... Was it inspiring or terrifying that she remained steadfastly convinced of what she'd done?

Shine then slumped a little. "But I did want it to go better than that..." she said much more sadly, "Dang it.... Sorry...it must sound pathetic to complain about that to you. You don't look at things that way. I'm sure it just seems I got what I deserved."

"No...I won't say that." Momo got up, glanced at her phone for the time. "I have to go, but...I don't think you deserved it. I would be much more cautious than you are, though. I think you may not be taking it seriously enough that...essentially, nothing changed. He let us go. That's nice that he isn't wholly bad, but he's still a villain, and we still must stop him, Shine. You understand that?"

Shine stared at her. "I have always understood that, and I've never intended to prevent you from doing so if the time arises... But let me ask you in turn...suppose what I wanted happened? Even if it seems unlikely, what if it did? What if someone could change? Would you be able to let go of that need to take them down? Could you welcome a reformed person as easily as a hero?"

"Why...I...?" Momo faltered, "When would...? I mean, it's not the same."

"That is where we have our biggest difference, sweetheart," Shine said soberly, "It is essentially, that you think there are good people who are not reformed bad people, and I do not. I am one myself... Oh, not like how you think of it, but you see, on a Grander Scale, it doesn't matter. I don't think villains are different from regular people...and you do. And we'll never see eye to eye on this matter as long as that is the case."

"I'm...afraid I don't see any sense in looking at villains as regular people... You must be pretty bad to do what they do," Momo said.

"It is naive, forgive me, that you think there's a huge difference just because of that. All villains began as regular people, Momo. They just made a different, more drastic choice than most of us...sooner than we did. I know bad people who aren't villains who simply never changed. I know good people who were villains, and I know good people who never did much wrong in the eyes of the world...but they wouldn't tell you that. You're talking to a church girl, honey. I was the epitome of good, outwardly. I've never done any of the things bad kids do."

She opened the door for Momo. "And you know where that got me? Absolutely nowhere. I hated myself... I had my weaknesses same as anyone else, and it was a living hell to not be able to escape them. Perhaps, more than other people, good kids know that we are not really good. I could have gone bad, I knew that. Others like me have... Nicer people than me have... It is frightening how being a good person is no guarantee against becoming a monster...but it's also...well...liberating. Takes the pressure off." She tilted her head. "Don't be late for class."

Momo was glad enough to go. Shine was freaking her out.

She almost ran into Shoto at the bottom of the elevator. "Oh...sorry."

"I wasn't paying attention. My fault," Shoto said flatly, "Aren't you late?"

"Aren't you...?" Momo didn't mean to sound so snarky, but she was a bit rattled.

"I guess..." Shoto hurried.

"Out of my way, losers." Bakugo brushed past both of them.

* * *

Momo thought about what Shine had said all day. She sounded so sure...but...it was crazy to say things like that... Heroes and villains were opposites...everyone knew that. There wasn't room for overlap.

Her attention wandered in class. She answered things mechanically... This had never happened before the DJs came.... Why did these things bother her so much?

Shoto was out of it too. He seemed to be staring into space all day.

Aizawa said something to them and Bakugo about being all right and able to continue. They said they were...but even Bakugo didn't sound as fired up as before. In reality, he was wondering if Camie was getting on okay...and he was mad that he was wondering it. Why should it matter to him?

During lunch, he and Shoto got into another fight. Shoto was telling Midoriya and Iida more about what happened, and in his distress over it, he told them Camie was acting weird.

"I didn't understand why she acted that way, but I shouldn't have left her alone..." he said.

"Well, it's easy to get distracted when multiple people are in danger..." Iida said.

"So she didn't like Toga?" Midoriya said, "I guess I could see why. Must have been weird to fight her."

"Yeah, but I thought screaming and losing it was a bit of an overreaction," Shoto admitted, "I mean, as heroes, we should be prepared for villains to attack us. We can't panic every time."

Bakugo nearly choked on his hot curry. When he could speak again he butted right into the conversation.

"Are you dumb or something, Icyhot? That crazy knife b---- is the one who drugged Mrs. Illusion before."

The whole cafeteria must have heard, most of them pretended not to. Monoma leaned in though.

"Bakugo, keep you voice down," Iida said, in vain.

"She was?" Shoto said. The color drained from his face. "I didn't know that..."

"How the flip could you not know that? Who do you think posed as her, idiot?!" Bakugo was livid. "Maybe you shouldn't talk about things you can't freaking understand!"

"Kacchan, he didn't know. It's not like he was doing it on purpose," Midoriya squeaked.

"You zip it, Deku. Like you're one to talk!" Bakugo snapped.

"Man, come on. Calm down," Kirishima tried to stop him

"Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo shoved him away. "This is BS. I'm outta here." He left the room.

"I've never see him like that..." Kirishima was puzzled.

"That was...scary..." Mina said in a small voice.

"Yeah..." Jiro was dumbfounded.

"I bet I know what's going on," Kaminari said in an unusually serious tone, "Bakugo is mad because that Camie chick and him have something in common, with the League and all, and he feels bad for her. I forgot all about it-- she acts so chill-- but I guess you don't just forget something like that."

"Wow..." Jiro gave him a weird look. "That was...surprisingly insightful."

"Well, I know how I'd feel if I were him," Kaminari said, "It'd suck. I mean, if the girl you like--or tolerate, I guess, in his case-- was in trouble like that, with the same person who got her before...I mean, it'd suck."

"Who are you and what have you done with Kaminari?" Mina said laughingly, "You're not usually this deep, bro."

Kaminari shrugged.

"No, but I think the idiot is right for once..." Jiro said, looking up, "I think that is it... I actually feel kind of sorry for Bakugo...but he'd kill me if I told him that."

"Well, we all know what it feels like to have someone we know be in danger," Mina said.

"Yeah..." Kirishima said, "but Bakugo never acts like it matters to him. Even at the USJ, he acted like we could all handle it. Why's this bugging him?"

"'Cause he likes her," Sero said.

"I don't think that's it," Kaminari mused, "Like, I think you could like a girl and still think she can handle herself... It's weird, but I almost feel like maybe it's what Todoroki was saying about how she reacted. Maybe like she's not okay, you know? And that's what's got him all tied in knots."

"Did you absorb someone else's brain cells over night?" Sero said jokingly, "You seem real sharp today, dude."

"Hey, just because I'm stupid at school doesn't mean I don't get people..." Kaminari grumbled, "It's not like it's that hard to figure it out. That's just being a normal person."

"I'm not so sure it is normal." Jiro picked at her food. "But...we should probably do something to cheer him up... You know, before he kills all of us because he's so pissed."

"What about Todoroki, though? He doesn't look so good," Kirishima said, "He's not even eating his soba."

They all stared at Todoroki.

"Not sure Momo's doing so hot either..." Mina said. They looked. Momo was watching the whole scene with a pained expression.

"But how do we fix it?" Kaminari asked.

"We should plan something fun," Sero said.

"Like what?" Mina asked.

No one knew. They didn't normally do those kinds of things.

* * *

"Fun?" Wally said.

"Yeah, we can't think of anything except the mall, and we've done that...and besides, they shouldn't leave campus for a while," Kaminari said.

"You must know something." Jiro crossed her arms.

"Please, man. We're stumped," Kirishima said.

"Uh...well...I guess going for a race is out..." Wally said, "Uh...well, when my buddies and I need to chill, we usually just eat something together and talk. Or play Wreckin' Robots."

Blank stares.

"Shine and I watch movies and play board games," Wally said, "I used to hate board games, but I was just playing them wrong. Turns out, you have to get real crazy while you do it. Then it's fun."

"I don't think that will work for Bakugo..." Kirishima said.

"Well, I'm no expert on Bakugo. Shine's more that..." Wally looked her way. "Sunshine? How should they help Bakugo?"

Shine looked up. "Bakugo needs to vent. He should blow stuff up. Breaking stuff can be a real stress reliever. I've tried it... I prefer writing, but that won't do it for him."

"You know, there may be something in that," Deku, who'd followed them, said, "He does seem to feel better after he blows stuff up."

"I could kind of see that..." Kaminari said.

"Okay...so what? We find something worthless he can blow up?" Jiro said.

"And don't let it be Deku," Shine said, "Whatever he says. Deku is not worthless, and I'll have a conniption if we get a repeat of that."

"Oh...thanks, Miss Likstar," Deku said.

"No problem." She waved nonchalantly.

"What about Todoroki and Momo?" Mina asked.

"I think Todoroki needs space right now," Wally said, "He's kind of not talking... I don't know about Peaches... She's kind of hard to read."

"Try the game thing," Shine advised, "It was good...and she's not picky. She'll be happy you did anything...but if she starts crying in the middle of it, stop and listen. Don't try to gloss over it."

"Why would that happen if we're having fun?" Mina said, dismissively.

But that exact thing happened while they were playing.

Momo just couldn't take all the good vibes after the week she'd had, and she started bawling. The students weren't sure what to do, especially the boys.

 Mina patted her shoulder and Jiro tried to say something reassuring, and the boys just froze.

Momo ended up telling them how horrid the whole thing was, and how she felt so scared about it. And...someone had died...that boy Toga had probably killed. And they had been too late.

All the fear and anger and regret of the past few days just seemed to pour out of her.

The others began to understand. They'd all felt the same way.

"Hey, it's okay," Kirishima said, "We've all been there... This kind of happens a lot to us."

"I thought I was the only one it bothered..." Mina said.

"Really? Me too..." Kaminari said.

Jiro silently nodded.

"Uh huh..." Deku mumbled.

"Wait..." Momo sniffed, "you all felt the same way?"

"Yeah..." Mina said, "Of course we do. Knowing that stuff happens is the worst. But...you can't blame yourself, you know. You did all you could."

"I hardly did anything..."

"Don't say that," Jiro said, "Aizawa told us you called the police. You basically saved the day. Who cares if it was in a fight or not? At least it helped."

"Yeah, you were awesome," Kaminari said helpfully.

"You're really talented..." Deku tried.

"All you guys are," Kirishima said. "You survived even in a trap like that, with one person de-powered. That's so manly!"

They started laughing at his use of that word in this context. Even Momo had to smile a little.

"Well, he's got the right idea," Mina said, "So...don't feel bad. You know, Yao-Momo, we all thought you were super brave."

"It's not like we aren't going to feel useless, when someone is taken out like that," Jiro said, "But it's...you know...we can't save everyone...and at least saving someone is better than nothing. Ugh, I'm not saying it right."

"I think what you mean is, she did her best," Kaminari said.

"Yeah..." Jiro muttered.

"We have to try to do better," Deku said.

They glared at him.

"I mean...not that you didn't do your best, but all of us, you know, we have to improve, but we're not there yet, so that's okay. I mean, it's not like anyone knew what was going to happen, so you didn't have any time to prepare like we usually do..." Deku babbled.

"Midoriya, you're kind of in the zone..." Kirishima said.

"Oh...uh, sorry..." Deku said.

"At least that's normal," Mina snorted. They all laughed again.

"Are you okay?" Jiro asked Momo.

"Actually...I think I do feel better..." Momo was surprised. "I guess...I needed to say it, maybe... I feel like I'm weak for that."

"Eh, whatever works," Kaminari said, "At least saying it is better than freaking out in a fight, right?"

Since Momo had done that also, she gave him a look.

"Uh, should we...you know, finish the game?" Kirishima changed the subject.

"Sure..." they all agreed.

"Believe in me, believe in me. 

Sometimes it's all right, to pour your heart open.

To fall straight through the floor, to eat yourself alive.

You lock yourself away, just pour your heart open. I want to show you the reason, the reason to believe in me!

Believe in me!

Sometimes it's all right, to break your heart in two, 

to search out of your window, believe me I know you.

I ain't always been this way, my heart's been nailed to the table.

I want to show you the reason...

Forgive me, I left my broken heart out on the table. 

Please forgive me, I've been spending too much time locked inside my brain..."

[Check this artist out, seriously, they are amazing. A Million in Vermillion.]