"What did you hear?" the woman with the bird-beak asked the man on the bike, as he came through the streets of Nataro, delivering scavenged food to the residents.

"The heroes made a move." A small crowd gathered, for the food and for the news. Both trickled in slowly these days. "In Kijimi."

"Kijimi? Is that where they have the old Olympic arena?"

"No, it's riverside. Nightclubs and stuff like that."

"What happened?"

One of the teens climbed up onto the stack of crates, receiving a hand from his friend to reach the top so they could return to the safety of the warehouse's shadowy rafters. "Did you manage to find Goro?"

"Yeah. He said there was a battle. A huge villain got taken down. In Kijimi."

The other teen whistled. "Man. Maybe we should go there and score some, now that it's safer."

"The villains are the ones running the casinos and the girls now, genius."

Cheers went up at the police station upon hearing the news. "That puts strain off of us!"

"We need to move into the area past 7th now. UA will be able to loop back and reinforce us."

The woman walked back into the daycare center, where all her young students were hiding. Playing with old crayons and blocks, looking up at her expectantly.

"Good news," she said, conjuring a smile and clapping her hands. "The good guys have won a big fight."

Some of the kids whooped. "Was it the green man?" a little girl asked, pushing a toy car back and forth.

The woman frowned. "I actually heard that it was UA students."

"He is a UA student," another boy insisted. "He was that arm-breaking kid in the sportsy fest."

"You're far too young to be watching stuff like that," she snapped. "Besides…don't be silly. There's no way that could be a boy. He stopped those raiders across town by himself."

"Yeah!" the first girl proclaimed, putting her fist in the air.

"The green kid? What's he call himself?"

The second thug took a drag of his cigarette and leaned over his knees. "Beats me."

"Boss won't be too happy about that one. Wasn't he ordering from the Skindancer?"

"Ohhhh, yeah. He wasn't the only one, either." The puff of smoke wafted away. "Lots of people are about to lose a lot of what they spent the last month trying to build."

"Damn heroes. Trying to claw their way out of the darkness."

The second thug decided to put his cigarette out and stomp it on the pavement. "Something about this feels different," he muttered.

"Will you be alright in here, do you think?" Endeavor asked his wife.

Rei Todoroki nodded and sat down slowly on the bed. A soft bed. Better than a hospital bed. But no one to share it with.

"UA at last…" she mused. "I don't suppose you know where Shoto might be."

"He may not know you're here yet. Or he's talking to his brother and sister. I'll…hang on." Endeavor held up a hand and put his other hand to his ear, where Rei could hear static chatter coming through his communicator. "Hawks, slow down, I can't…yes, we just got back. Hold on. Midoriya did what?"

Rei had turned to look out the window, and whipped her head around in wide-eyed alarm.

"They snuck in somehow, apparently," said one of the first-years.

"Isn't that Mandalay's zone?"

A huge group of students had gathered in the atrium to witness Shoto Todoroki reunite with his siblings, who'd just come in with a rescue convoy from the distant Annaka Hospital. Mirio Togata was among them, but then another bit of news had come in with some policemen who were entering UA on their break: a huge operation had gone down in Kijimi, not ten miles away from the school campus.

The Todoroki kids had broken their conversation to look back at the group of whispering students. "What's happened?" Shoto asked out loud.

"There was a battle in the entertainment district."

"Damn, I used to go to the arcade out there on weekends…"

"Was it the Paranormal Liberation Front?"

"No, dumbass." Bakugo, amidst the onlookers, scoffed. "Not in Kijimi. That's mob scum out there."

"A villain called the Skindancer…"

Mirio Togata felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned away from the group conversation to look at who wanted his attention. "Hmm?"

It was the tall mutant girl, Kitsune, who'd been living here at UA for some time now. She'd befriended many of the students, and Mirio had made a point to make her feel welcome. "What do you need, Kitsune-san?"

"Err…what's going on? Is it something about Midoriya?"

A few of the 1A students in the crowd perked up at hearing his name mentioned, but Mirio only shook his head. "I don't think so."

"What does the Skindancer do?" someone asked.

"She did use telepathy to pull people's organs out. That's what I heard, anyway."

Someone else whistled. "Well, she was a goner regardless. Even if we lose the war, there's no way All For One lets a Quirk like that run rampant on the streets without it belonging to him."

"What did you mean, she did use? How'd they defeat her?"

"...-senpai blinded her, I heard…"

Kitsune's ears perked up. "Who? Who did they say?"

People were talking over each other.

"Used her waves right in the eyes…"

"Damn! That probably hurts!"

"I didn't know Nejire-chan had it in her."

Mirio froze. Kitsune froze.

"Did they say Nejire?" the tall girl whispered.

The news reached Mustard in his amusement park hideout through his…source.

Well, as long as the cargo was secured, it's not a big deal, he thought. They tried to get out in front of me, but just as I predicted, they don't see the full picture. As long as the fourteenth proceeded smoothly, everything would be fine.

Then again, the heroes are known for accelerating the pace. Mustard had a good idea of who was driving them forward now. Deku. He's getting all wrapped up in Kijimi because of me. The idea that he was enough to distract Deku off of the trail of All for One and Shigaraki…Mustard was trying not to let it go to his head.

Gotta be verrrrrrrry careful now. Mustard did not actually want All for One and Shigaraki to win against Deku. He wanted society to be restored in the end…just without any damn hero schools. If I pull Deku too far, the monsters will catch him out while he's focused on me, and then there's no one to kill the monsters later.

Perhaps the next clue should be a bit less obvious. The source had provided, along with their message, a singular desire: to get Deku out of Kijimi.

Surely I am not enough to make him linger there. Mustard refused to believe it; he didn't have that high of an opinion of himself. It had to be something else. Someone else. Tying him down.

"Good work, messenger," said the man in the shadows. "To think…Mandalay and Gang Orca capable of such a reckless plan…and yet, the cat still spared your life. Boys, let them take a nice long soak in the jacuzzi. I don't imagine the feeling of Mitoma's claws will wash away quickly."

The white-faced Hojo envoy nodded graciously, and was escorted out of the room by the guards.

Marlo Hojo, son and heir to the empire, turned to look back at his father. "They will come for us next. Our scout did well to escape, but no further good can come from being friendly with the heroes."

"The heroes were certainly acting friendly with the Harbor. Imagine if the country still had widespread media access…we could have them exposed in a scandal in no time."

"The heroes knew what they were getting into. Their friendship was false. They will use ours the same way." Marlo, his face serious and slightly desperate, stepped closer to his father. "These aren't the same heroes we were facing last year, or the year before, or any time before. We can't pay them off, not with money or sex or anything else. They know our tactics and have already begun throwing them back in our face. Rescind the party invitation."

"That's not within my power to do, boy."

"You must try! Inviting them in willingly…the exact same thing will happen to us!"

"The Harbor is not spent. The Skindancer was a center of power, but she did not make up the whole puzzle. They will recover from this blow, and so will we…if we have to take one. The risk is still worth it, if it means we get our hands on one of these costumed freaks."

"And do what?"

"If we take hostages, we can start negotiating with UA. Get a foothold outside the district. Start carving ourselves a safer position. And then, when the Paranormal Liberation Front inevitably strikes back, assist them."

"UA will not negotiate with us."

"Of course they will. Can't you see? The Pussycat is desperate. She was willing to pretend to sell her comrades, but still couldn't bring herself to let our messenger die. She's tearing apart at the seams, and I intend to finish the job."

"Father," said Marlo, quietly, "I don't think she was the one calling the shots. She was not the one who blinded Mitoma. They aren't desperate. They're being bold and creative."

"They…?"

"The students, Father. The UA students. They're young, they're idealistic, and they will not stop until everyone like us is behind bars, or dead in the ground. And in this environment, with the nation collapsed…the adults are listening to them."

"Marlo…my son…I am so proud that I raised you to be this forward-thinking. But you don't know everything yet. And neither do the heroes. They may try to shed the past, shed the Commission, shed the corruption, shed all dealings they had with people like us…but that just means they don't understand us as well. And they won't understand when the real blow comes from a place they least expect."

"It was right here," insisted Mirko. "Right here!"

They were in the depths of the industrial maze beneath the casino, now fully under control of the heroes. Personnel were moving things out and inspecting the various rooms and halls, moving back and forth past Izuku, Nejire, Tamaki, and Mirko as they stood in an empty corner, staring at a space where Mirko had seen a crate of explosives.

"We could ask if someone took it out already," suggested Tamaki, looking at some policemen as they went past.

"No." Izuku shook his head. "Explosives are too dangerous. They would have reported it straight to Mandalay and Gang Orca and organized a safe means of extracting it."

"Unless there's traitors in the ranks of your people here." Mirko's prosthetic hand opened and closed. "That's the only explanation I can think of."

"We're finding other weapons," said Nejire. "Plenty of firearms and support items and stuff like that. Why would this be the only thing missing?"

"We're missing people as well. The Hojo envoy escaped, and so did that guy with the music notes." Izuku frowned. "It feels like there's a game being played…and we're in the middle of it."

Would you go so far as to say the game is afoot, Mr. Ace Detective? Nana asked him dryly. That was another thing - after twenty-four hours of silence, the past users had started speaking to him again after they'd defeated Mitoma. And Izuku sensed that a few of them were slightly upset.

"The Harbor is less centralized than the Hojo family. There are other big leaders besides Mitoma out there, and the deal on the fourteenth is probably still going through. The fact that these bombs are gone basically confirms that they're the thing that's going to be sold. But we've at least forced their hand, and crippled their profits." Izuku turned away from the spot. "We should head back."

"Umm…hello? Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions a little quickly here?" Mirko snapped. "Look how many extras we've got milling about in this place now, all supposedly on our side."

"You shouldn't call people extras," admonished Nejire.

"When they all wear the same three outfits, it's hard to think otherwise. And it's also hard to pick them out as individuals." Mirko sneered. "There was a battle here, kiddos. Well, it was kind of a scuffle, to tell the truth, but it had lots of schmucks involved. And battles have scavengers. Can you say that there's anyone in this operation that you personally know and trust, besides us heroes? We should be interrogating every single person we have helping with cleanup in here."

"That would take like, so much time," Nejire complained.

"I want to catch Mustard, too," Izuku muttered, "but blanket paranoia doesn't get us much of anywhere. Also…the four of us together don't actually have the authority to do that. You and I are just guests here. I'm sorry, Mirko."

Mirko sighed. "I might talk to some of them myself," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Just one or two. Or three."

Tamaki said nothing.

When they got back to base camp, Nejire gasped in surprise when she saw a sleek black armored car parked in the street. "Someone's here," she blurted. "Who's here?"

Izuku recognized the car - it was slightly more stylish than All Might's, though it was just as strong and durable. "It's Best Jeanist," he said. Great. Why was his initial reaction a sinking feeling?

It turned out to not just be Best Jeanist, but Hawks and Endeavor as well - all of the top three were here at Kijimi, speaking to Mandalay and Gang Orca just outside the jazz club.

Izuku took note of everyone's faces before the five of them noticed the four new arrivals. Hawks seemed laid-back as usual, and Endeavor looked like he was even in a good mood, but Mandalay and Orca seemed nervous.

Hawks saw him. "Oh, hey Deku. There you are."

All nine heroes exchanged greetings with one another, some of the nearby police looking onto the scene with confusion and wonder.

"They had something to tell you youngsters," said Gang Orca to Nejire, Izuku, and Tamaki. "We'll leave you to it."

He, Mandalay, and Mirko left, leaving Izuku with the graduates and the top three. Mandalay's eyes lingered on Izuku for a moment before glancing away quickly, her face unreadable. The two of them had not spoken since they'd…

"Deku, why is your face turning red? We haven't even told you anything yet," said Hawks.

"Oh. Erm…I don't know. Sorry."

"Anyway." The winged hero flapped his now-medium-sized red appendages, which seemed to be growing back in quite well. "We heard all about what happened."

"All…about it?" Izuku swallowed, anxious. He and Nejire exchanged a panicked glance.

"Yeah." Hawks gave a thumbs-up. "Good job."

"The Skindancer was a formidable opponent. Excellent work to all of you," Endeavor echoed.

Best Jeanist was typing something on a digital tablet. "For some reason, talk of this victory has really gotten around. Hawks and I have been far afield solving incidents, and all kinds of people are hearing of it. And hearing of you, Deku."

Izuku swallowed. He didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"Well…thank you, for the compliments," squeaked Nejire. She and Izuku looked at one another again. It didn't seem like the top three heroes had heard about exactly how they'd infiltrated the casino and taken out the villain…or perhaps they didn't care, which was almost as alarming.

Tamaki's mouth twitched.

"Anyway, we just came from UA." Hawks pointed back over his shoulder in the vague direction of the school's hill, ten miles away. "Nezu asked us to pass along a message. He wants to speak to the two of you. Directly."

Nejire and Tamaki raised their eyebrows. "Us?"

"Yep. Don't worry, I just cleared it with your mission commanders. It seemed urgent, based on the rodent's demeanor, so I'd get on with it if I were you. Head there now. We'd like to speak to Deku alone."

"Ah…alright." Nejire hesitated, but Tamaki had already taken off, walking in that direction with his head slightly down. What's gotten into him? Izuku wondered.

The blue-haired heroine swayed in place, and then awkwardly waved at Izuku. "Later, Midoriya-kun. Don't…don't just jet off while we're gone, 'kay?"

"...Okay." I shouldn't be making promises like that. But then she was gone.

He turned back to the top three. "What is it?" Alarmed, he looked to Endeavor. "Is your family safe?"

"Yes. We just finished getting everyone from Annaka into UA, soundly." The flame hero had a relieved expression. "So now, the three of us are ready to start supporting you again."

"Yes. We wanted to apologize." Best Jeanist bowed. "We have neglected to back you up recently, and this has led to you getting into danger…not just here, but with Lady Nagant as well."

"Oh…umm…that's okay." Izuku felt awkward. His gut reaction was not something he'd expected. Subconsciously, what he wanted to say was that he didn't need their help. Or want it. But…but these are the top three heroes.

"Were there any updates on Lady Nagant?" he decided to ask.

"Yeah…I went to get that bullet analyzed, but nothing came of it." Hawks shrugged. "Sorry about that. But since Nagant is hunting you directly, it won't take long for her to show her face again. And this time you'll have us. We can capture her and then focus on Shigaraki and All For One."

"Ah, but…"

"But?" Endeavor raised an eyebrow.

But what about Kijimi. What about Mustard. What about the hero schools. Izuku didn't understand his own feelings. They were right - Shigaraki and AFO were the absolute priority. But…but…

"...Yeah," he finally muttered. "Yeah, that should work. Thank you guys for all your help."

"No problem," said Best Jeanist. "We just want to make sure that you're doing okay, Deku. You look like well-worn denim."

"I'm fine," he insisted.

"Well, sure. Of course you are." Endeavor's tone suggested that he didn't believe his own words. "We're proud and happy that you've worked with the heroes here, and defeated such an evil, and saved so many people. And I can never personally thank you enough for what you've done to help my family in the fight against my eldest son. And yet…Deku, you do need to maintain focus. On the final enemy."

"Agreed," said Best Jeanist. "Like we said, we will back you up no matter what. We can't order you to do anything, but…All Might is coming around later. He may have some more words for you about this."

Izuku had no response to that. He couldn't disagree with anything they were saying.

"Excuse me," he told them, and bowed out, feigning that he had something important to do.

I can't leave this be.

But you yourself suspect that this Mustard boy has no connection to Shigaraki and All For One, said Shinomori inside his head.

It doesn't matter whether he does or not if he's threatening the schools. The schools are our shelters right now. So many people are in them. A series of faces flashed through his head, beginning with his former classmates and his mother and culminating with Iruka and Rei. I have to keep them safe from any threat.

There are others doing that now. Now that two schools have been attacked, the other heroes are all over this. Why do you feel that it has to be you? Yoichi asked.

Izuku sensed that he was being tested. I…I don't know… Frustration rose. I already TOLD you guys. The purpose of One for All has changed. Widened. You don't get to decide what I do.

We know that, said Nana. Most of us are pleased at how you're making your own decisions. But we just want YOU to know why. We want you to be honest with yourself.

I AM. He was being honest with himself, wasn't he? What other reasons could he possibly have to want to stay involved here? To feel averse to the idea of joining back up with Endeavor and company again, and getting back on the hunt for AFO?

There were no more words from the ghosts. Nana had said most of them were pleased. Most. What did that mean? Who wasn't pleased? Banjo hadn't spoken much recently, nor En. The second and third were a mystery. Are they fighting each other inside me? Is that why he felt so indecisive and torn recently?

Izuku hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. He'd walked into the apartments that were now occupied by most of the Kijimi team at the base camp. The frontmost apartment in the hallway had its door ripped out - the doorway was wide open, and supplies were scattered across an open floor plan on the inside.

Shino Sosaki was sitting on the windowsill, one leg crossed over the other, daylight bathing her face.

"...Midoriya! S-sorry, I was just…just taking a quick breather." She leapt to her feet and brushed off her skirt self-consciously.

"That's okay. I came in here on accident."

"Oh. Ah, uhh…" Her lack of composure was off-putting, but it wasn't like Izuku didn't know its origin. "Yes. What did Endeavor need to speak to you about, if I may ask?"

Izuku sniffed and stepped into the room, eyes on the far wall away from Mandalay. "It was about me moving on. Focusing on my mission."

Mandalay stared. "...Right." She slowly sat back down on the windowsill, almost wistfully. She's really beautiful. "I think you sh…well. Maybe it doesn't matter what I think."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

She laughed scornfully. "I have no right to even speak to you. If you wanted, you could go report me to Nezu for what happened. You may as well. Losing my license would just be a formality at this point."

"Mandalay, what are you talking about? A formality?"

Sosaki nodded out the window. "What Hado and Amajiki got summoned back to UA for…well. I guess you'll find out when they get back. But a lot of things here are about to change. And I've…let's just say I've been…I'm getting what I deserve."

"What do you think you deserve?"

"Punishment." She finally managed to meet his eyes again. Hers were on the verge of tears, and her mouth twitched. "After what you did for my nephew, I repay you by doing that."

"You act like I didn't have any agency in the matter."

"You had the agency of a teenager who didn't know what he was getting into. And I enabled that, because I thought my own leadership had failed already…I couldn't even seize back a little bit of control. I let that awful woman play her games…"

"But you…no! We did defeat her, Mandalay! You kept up the facade for us brilliantly! You were the only reason we were able to do it!" Izuku insisted, taking steps toward her. "If you hadn't intervened, Hado and I were probably toast. You kept us from having to do anything with each other, at least…"

She wiped a tear off her face. "Yes, that's what I thought I could do…I guess I just…if I could at least halve the trauma that would be carried out of that place…"

"I'm not traumatized," Izuku muttered.

Mandalay laughed again, with thrilling scorn. "Be for real, Midoriya."

Be honest with yourself.

"What about your own trauma, then? Is that not worth trying to prevent?"

She shrugged. "We never should have gone in there with that plan. We should have thought of something else."

"Who cares," Izuku said bluntly. How do I keep her from putting herself down so much? She was Mandalay, she was one of his favorite heroes, and he hated to see her like this. "It worked. We saved tons of people, and the only ones that were endangered were us heroes, who signed up for it. Whatever consequences come, you should be nothing right now but proud."

"I am proud," she insisted, sniffling. "I…I am. I'm proud of you, I'm proud of what we accomplished, but…"

"But what?" He knelt down in front of her. Mandalay's eye contact was almost reproachful, but Izuku could tell that all her negative feelings were directed inward, not at him.

She sniffed again and smiled sadly, shaking her head a little. "You're too caring for your own good, Deku. I worry what your reaction would be if I told you the deepest feeling I'm feeling right now."

Izuku had no idea what that meant. "Well, you can't change who I am. Or my opinion of you. I'm not going to report you to anyone."

Some kind of stress or resistance visibly went out of her shoulders. A few more tears trickled down her cheek. Izuku didn't think it would be appropriate for him to reach over and wipe them off.

"If it makes you feel any better, otherwise…" he muttered. "You didn't steal my first kiss or anything. You weren't even the first…erm. Older woman. I've kissed."

That made her whip her head around in sharp, stern alarm. "Who?"

"Wha…now wait a second. That's none of your business."

Mandalay's eye twitched, as if her brain was flipping over and inside out. Then, unbelievably, she stifled a chuckle.

"Why am I not even surprised. You're actually a little troublemaker on the inside, aren't you? My goodness, if Pixie-Bob were to ever find out…"

"I don't know about troublemaker. Aizawa-sensei used to call me problem child…I guess I do have a tendency to end up at the center of things." He managed to laugh a little with her, though the situation was awkward and unfamiliar. Some tension drained from the room.

"Well…" Smiling reasonably, she had affection in her eyes as she looked at him now. "Now we know why that is. The successor to All Might's power…you'll do great things, I'm sure of it. I guess I got that new fact in my head…and didn't want to tread on your potential by putting you through something unnecessary…"

"Is that why you initially picked Hado?" he asked. That hadn't even been something at the top of his conscious; the question had spilled out.

"Erm…I don't know how to answer that. I mean, part of it was reducing trauma, like I said…but I guess there was also another part of me that…I dunno. Pardon me for making assumptions, but…I believed there was something going on between Hado and yourself already."

Izuku reddened. "Something…going on?"

Mandalay nodded. "Nothing concrete, but seeing the way you two looked and acted with each other…I thought that if there was something developing, then it wouldn't be fair for you two to have to have your first kiss in a situation like that." Another bitter laughter escaped her. "It sounds so silly now."

What on Earth. "I…appreciate the concern, I guess. Though I think it was misplaced. There's nothing going on between Hado-senpai and me. But…you did at least prevent her from gaining any…trauma. By your logic."

"Oh, Midoriya. That girl is carrying more trauma with her than she'd ever let on. To tell the truth…part of me thinks it was meant to happen that she was the one to deliver the finishing blow on Mitoma. I don't think you or I, whatever our capacity for spite or righteous anger may be…would have been able to make the choice to blind her." The two of them were both silent for a solid ten seconds: Nejire's brutality was not a can of worms either wanted to open. "Anyway." Mandalay rubbed her bare leg with her hand, as if she was cold. "Why do you ask? About me choosing Hado, I mean. Was it something that was on your mind?"

"I…don't know. I guess for a second I thought it might have been as simple as you being a lesbian. But then…we kissed each other…and I kinda figured out that you're not a lesbian." Izuku coughed and averted his eyes.

Both of them grew slightly red.

"I must admit I was a bit surprised at your…confidence." Shino's eyes wandered far away from him, embarrassed. "I didn't expect you to…ahem….spin me around like that. Though, I guess now that you've told me you're experienced, it makes sense…"

"Yeah, see? So, you don't need to feel bad." He laughed, a bit nervously, and stood back up straight. Fighting to keep his eyes from lingering on her smooth, bare legs, or the chest that had distracted the Skindancer so. She'd want me to forget, but it's burned into my brain. The way her chest had felt pressing against his own. Her hot, desperate breath mingling with his as their lips crashed together. Her hand passionately wandering up to his neck and chin to lock their mouths together after he'd twisted her around. It had all been part of the bit, and he had guided her into it, but for a moment it had all felt…

Maybe she's thinking the same way about it…no, that's ridiculous.

"I'll see you later, Mandalay." He walked toward the door.

"Midoriya…you'll make the right choice." That encouraging, authoritative smile that he associated with her was back, to his relief. "I believe in you."

"...Thank you, ma'am." And he was gone.

Tamaki and Nejire found themselves before the door to Nezu's office, unable to cross the threshold.

"You…you don't think it could be about…"

"I dunno, what do you think?" Tamaki hissed, with barely-suppressed hysteria. "It's over. It's so over. It's literally joever."

"Joever?" Sometimes he pulled terms from the Internet that Nejire had no context for.

"Forget it. Let's just get this over with. I'm gonna puke." He stepped forward and shoved the door open, proclaiming loudly, "We're here, Principal."

The little gremlin creature at the top of UA, who most of the city's heroes currently answered to, perked up from behind his desk. "Ah! Hado, Amajiki. Welcome, welcome. Have a seat."

The two of them obeyed. They had little choice.

Nezu's smile could have meant anything. "Tea?" he offered.

"No thanks," Tamaki declined immediately, pale.

"I'm so thirsty I could inhale an ocean," said Nejire, plainly.

The principal chuckled and offered her a steaming cup. She sipped it politely. Tamaki glared at her, but she couldn't help her instincts: when food and drink were offered, Nejire Hado often impulsively accepted.

"So…" He set his paws on the table. "I suppose I should start with the question I've been meaning to ask you both for weeks, but on another hand, I suppose I shouldn't. That question is, how are things coming along? But, perhaps in my delay in having another meeting with you two, that question has no longer become relevant. A failure on my part, alas. Based on what I've heard you have gone through, I can make an educated guess as to how things are coming along." He took a sip of his own cup. "And I'm sure you both know how educated my guesses can be."

If not for the piping hot tea going down her throat, Nejire would have shuddered from a chill. Tamaki seemed to be in permanent shudder mode already.

"You poor things. You both look terrified, and no wonder. You've faced a villain that I confess the Commission had for, a long time, ordered us to all but ignore, due to the dangers presented. Not just from her Quirk, but economic dangers…of course, the country being what it is now, those concerns are no longer relevant. If they ever were. But that's just my own personal opinion. You humans and your profits." He chortled and took another drink. "And, the Commission is no longer in charge. I am. And I shall decide what's to be done with you now."

"What's to be…done with us?" squeaked Tamaki.

"Oh, don't worry! You're not being punished."

Nejire's back relaxed in relief. "We aren't?" she blurted.

Nezu shook his head. "I can understand your feeling of guilt. Going rogue from the operation, and then crippling a villain without explicit permission to do so…in the former days, it would have been grounds for a license suspension, at the very least. However, my brain has the benefit of judging each situation on its own merits. Strict regulations and systems are put into place for a reason, it's true…but what are rules without exceptions? In this case, I am obviously aware that removing the Skindancer's ability to see was the only way to succeed. So worry not on that front, Nejire Hado."

Nejire and Tamaki gaped at one another. He doesn't know. He doesn't know that we posed as sex workers! How is that possible?! Had the other news - the news about her blinding the villain - been so extreme that it had completely buried any other details?

Nezu sipped his tea and continued on, oblivious. "Of course, Mandalay and Gang Orca's oversight was in fact deserving of some punishment, in my view. That first plan that was conceived by the operation…"

Nejire had to fight not to gasp. A bead of sweat dripped down her neck.

"Well. Regardless, they ultimately decided not to go through with it. However, they did decide to forgo their authority and allow you youngsters to do something reckless. And dragging our lynchpin Deku into it as well…" Nezu clicked his little teeth. "Tut tut. Nevertheless, the punishment should fit the mildness of the crime, and I have seen a perfect way to make them learn their lesson while also rewarding you for your commendable efforts." He leaned forward onto the desk, both paws down. "Since Mandalay and Gang Orca were so apparently eager to concede this difficult operation to your hands, then why don't we make it official? You two, Suneater and Nejire-chan, will both act as operation commanders for Kijimi for a period of a month, while Mandalay and Gang Orca will be answering directly to you from your former roles."

Nejire dropped the teacup. It miraculously did not break on the ground, though hot tea spilled everywhere. She hissed and swore, scooting back in her seat to avoid the scalding mess. "I'm sorry!" she insisted. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I…"

Nezu was laughing. "It's fine!" He waved his paw, and a robot came through to clean it up.

Tamaki had gone completely white. "You…what…?" he croaked. "Us…the leaders? Of the operation? But…"

"Why not? You are two of the Big Three. Your top-notch UA education is fresh in your mind. Who better? You both have displayed your adeptness at working in our apocalyptic environment, both there and at the Annaka Hospital." His eyes twinkled mischievously.

Nejire's head spun. She could hardly believe her ears.

"I can't," Tamaki muttered.

"Of course you can, Suneater. Have some faith in yourself. If there's something you don't know how to do, simply order someone else to do it. I have just granted you that privilege."

"But…"

"No buts! This is what I want for the two of you. This is what I think is best, and I'm boss." Nezu's eyes shifted across to Nejire. "Wouldn't you agree, dear girl?"

"Err…yes!" Nejire jumped on the thought hastily, her brain still catching up to the situation. "Yes, I…I can't thank you enough for this opportunity, Principal. I won't let you down!"

She felt Tamaki's eyes on her. He was furious. She didn't understand why.

Tamaki Amajiki stormed through the UA hallway, his head slightly down, his brain a whirlwind. Every footfall he took was like a stomp that shook the earth. The weight on his shoulders had never felt heavier.

"...aki? Tamaki, hey! Hey, wait up! Stop!"

It was Mirio. Tamaki had no choice; he stopped. His friend's hand had halted him from the front. He met eyes with the other boy, lifting his head.

"What's the matter?" Mirio asked, concerned. "Where's Nejire?"

Tamaki shrugged. "Flew off, I guess. To her new job."

"New job? What are you talking about?" Widened eyes. "Did she get reassigned somewhere far away? Because of what happened?"

"No. We're staying in Kijimi. Nezu just…promoted us. To commanders. She and I are the commanders. Of Kijimi."

Mirio's jaw dropped. "You…Tamaki…that's your new job too! That's unbelievable! That's GREAT news! What are you still doing here? I mean, I wanted to talk to you both, I admit it, but…"

"You don't get it. Nezu didn't know. He didn't know what we did. He knew the plan, but he assumed we threw it out. He punished Mandalay and Gang Orca for it even though we ended up doing it anyway."

"The…plan?"

"Hado and Midoriya posed as escorts to get into the casino. Mandalay pretended to sell them. That's how they got close enough to…to blind her." Tamaki swallowed. "That's another thing. Hado's different now, Mirio. She wanted to do the plan. She's the reason we did it. Everyone else was at least on the fence. And then she…I don't think she even feels anything about having blinded someone."

Mirio was quiet for a long moment. "Do you want me to keep this a secret?" he finally mumbled.

"I don't care what you do-"

"Tamaki. What did you do during all this?"

"I…I spoke against it. It was originally going to be me instead of Midoriya and I refused…it felt like I was the only one not taking crazy pills down there, man. It's not Midoriya's fault, he's…I know what he's got on his mind. But the way everyone else just…"

"What was your role in the plan, then?"

"I saved all the real escorts from the lower floors. Mirko and I did that."

Mirio clapped him on the shoulder. "Then you, at least, absolutely do deserve the commanding position. Don't try to deny it, I know that's what's bothering you. I know you too well. You're terrified of accepting when a good thing comes along. Believe me when I say it, man. You can lead, and what's more, you should."

"It should be you," Tamaki grumbled.

"There's room for more than one leader."

"But what about Hado? She…"

"What's today's date?"

"Huh? It's…the eighth? I think?"

"Do you remember when Nejire told us about her period?"

Tamaki deadpanned. "You can't be serious."

"I'm…half-serious. It's just part of a larger point. She's got many, many things to concern herself with. Maybe even more than you." Mirio's face softened. "I don't think she has it easy at all, Tamaki. She's just very, very good at hiding it."

Nejire Hado stood in front of the makeshift jail cell. On the other side, captive, Renata Mitoma sat flat on her butt, her hands cuffed behind her back, her eyes sunken, dark, scarred, and greyed over.

"You two can leave," Nejire told the police-guards that were next to the cell.

"But, ma'am…"

"I'm the commander now. That's an order."

The policemen exchanged a glance and then obeyed, leaving Nejire alone with the villain.

The Skindancer laughed, her eyes staring at nothing. "Commander, huh? Whores do move up in the world."

"So you recognize my voice."

"I'll not soon forget it." She shifted on her thighs, the hard floor clearly uncomfortable. Good. "What are you, then? A pro from another country?"

"I'm from UA. I just graduated."

Those blinded eyes widened. "I thought you looked young. The boy too, then, I assume? Wow." Another evil, bitter laugh. "Not only are the heroes desperate enough to use you like that, they'll even promote you afterward. The wonders never cease."

"There were explosives being stored in your casino. They're gone. What happened to them?"

"I had a lot of explosives in my casino. You're going to have to be more specific."

"I know you were going to be involved in some kind of arms deal on May fourteenth," Nejire snarled. "What does the name Mustard mean to you?"

"It means a shitty French sauce that I don't bother to import anymore. What are you talking about, girl? Do you think you can question me?"

"I'm the queen of questions. What do you know about Shigaraki and All For One?"

The Skindancer barked at that. "Even less than you."

"Did you give orders to your right hand to move the explosives?"

"My right hand? Do you mean Akira?" Her lip curled. "If he escaped, you're in for future trouble, my dear."

"Don't call me that," Nejire hissed. "You will never get to play games with people again."

"I have a question for you. How does it feel to become what you hate?"

"I don't understand what you mean."

"You've crippled me. I'll carry these scars for the rest of my life…which will likely be short, but nevertheless." The Skindancer held her hands up in front of her face. "Now that I know you're a hero, I can be certain of it. A villain is what burned you. Scarred you. Just as you did me. So, how does it feel?"

She can't see me. Nejire did not deign to answer. She left.