Mirio's blows landed heavily against the punching bag, one after another in rapid succession. The chain shook as its payload was assaulted without mercy, providing a staccato jingling to the otherwise mostly silent exercise. Bar the occasional grunt of effort or the sound of fists and feet hitting leather, the training room located somewhere deep underground had been devoid of noise for the better part of an hour. The lonely atmosphere suited Mirio just as well- he was in no mood to talk to anyone, especially after the short, tense exchange he had experienced with Nejire before he left the U.A. campus. It was a conversation that had been on repeat in his head since he left the dorm, and no amount of training seemed to chase it away.

"I'm just saying… we're here for you," she had said, her pale blue eyes full of sorrow. "We know you're hurting, a-"

"I know," Mirio interrupted as he slung his duffel bag up and over a shoulder. "But… talking about it and faking a smile for the first-year students isn't what I need right now."

"What do you need?"

"Nejire…" Tamaki had warned.

"I won't press the issue," the girl said with a pleading look at her friend. "I just… want to understand how to help you, even if we can't right now."

Mirio fell silent for the first of many times that morning. He knew the answer. He knew she wouldn't like it, and neither would Tamaki. He knew who could give him exactly what he wanted.

Mirio couldn't bring himself to meet Nejire's eyes as he headed for the door.

"…I don't know. I'll… be in touch."

The sound of the door to the training room opening behind him gave Mirio pause, his fist halfway to the punching bag and his breathing on hold.

"…Dabi?"

"No such luck," a muffled voice answered. "Though from what I've heard, you two have been getting along rather well."

Mirio turned to find Overhaul lingering just in front of the doorway. The young man's face was covered by his signature beak-like mask of red and gold, and he wore a black suit and tie. Something about the stark contrast between his headgear and outfit unsettled Mirio, though he didn't understand exactly why.

"…yeah," Mirio replied, somewhat breathless. "He's… we're on good terms. I think."

Overhaul narrowed his eyes, his brows knitting as he looked the other man over. After a brief pause, the man shook his head and looked off to one side, sounding more annoyed than concerned as he spoke.

"…you look unwell. Is there something I should be aware of?"

"No," Mirio answered without hesitation. He surprised himself with how quickly and easily the lie came, as though doing such a thing was becoming second nature. "I'm just… exhausted. The first-years are moving in to U.A. today, and I've been helping a few of them with scheduling, room setup… that sort of thing."

"That sounds… irritating," Overhaul offered as he looked back over at his colleague. "Irritating, and unnecessary. Would-be heroes cannot fend for themselves?"

Though Mirio's ability to lie so casually disturbed him, the pang of guilt he felt in his chest as he continued to spin a tale brought him an odd sort of comfort. There was a certain solace in knowing that he was still capable of such a thing.

"It's thankless, and they're all annoying," Mirio lied, his tone flat for reasons entirely different than the subject matter. "This next wave coming in now… I don't know what happened in the short timespan of two years, but these kids are hopeless, compared to my class. I'm glad I'm transitioning out of that world now more than ever."

"If such a thing is true, then that makes our path clear… and more difficult," Overhaul warned as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and began to approach.

"More difficult?" Mirio asked as he began to unwrap the boxing tape from around his knuckles. "Wouldn't having incapable heroes on the streets make our work easier? The Yakuza keep to the shadows because of heroes."

"…partially," Overhaul agreed, coming to a stop a good ten feet from Mirio. "But in case it has escaped your notice… we step into the light on occasion. Disaster relief of all sorts. Food and water for the homeless. Half of the entertainment industry via the Red Light District, pachinko parlors, and other assorted businesses. Jobs that many heroes see themselves above, apparently, because there is no glory in them. They would rather focus upon those pursuits that get their names printed or highlighted on billboards."

Mirio paused to consider the point. Though he had heard of the Yakuza helping the common people of Japan in times of crisis, he had thought it nothing more than a rumor. The idea of crime families becoming guardians of the poor seemed ludicrous to him, especially given what he had seen surrounding the Jiro family's music store. Even so, the dots slowly began to connect as he made an attempt to take Overhaul's words at face value.

"…and you're saying that if the heroes begin to fail… it won't just be crime that makes a resurgence- the Shie Hassaikai will step up as they always have to fill the needed roles. It would just be on a larger scale."

Though Mirio couldn't be certain, he thought that Overhaul's face twisted into a smirk beneath the mask based on the subtle movement of the material.

"Precisely. It seems you're remaining open-minded. After seeing Dabi in action, I was afraid you would abandon our cause."

"I told you before, I'm not going anywhere," Mirio replied a bit more aggressively than he had intended. With a grimace, he rolled his boxing tape and placed it into his pocket. "As for Dabi, he's… maybe a little extreme, sure, but I think he's got some good in him. Or at least… some conviction, or dedication to his ideals? That's not easy to come by, at the level he wears his thoughts on his sleeve."

"How delightfully uncertain," Overhaul observed. "It sounds as though you're not sure what to make of him. That is where most of us stand, though I lean more toward thinking that his position here is… questionable. He has his uses, but his continued loyalty is not a guarantee."

"…you could change that," Mirio said softly. "His loyalty to Saku seems unshakeable, and I've only seen the two together for a short time. Dabi has the capacity to be fiercely loyal... to the things he really cares about. If I'm reading him correctly, everything else is just a small distraction or annoyance. Maybe the problem is that the Shie Hassaikai haven't given him a reason to personally invest, yet. Maybe you could figure out how to make that happen."

Overhaul tilted his head slightly, seemingly intrigued by the suggestion. Again, he narrowed his eyes and looked away.

"…maybe. Speaking of Dreamgirl… our leader sent me to come and find you. She has a mission for you."

"A mission?" Mirio asked. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't as simple as 'shake down the Jiro family'?"

"It isn't," Overhaul confirmed as he folded his arms across his chest. "You're going to spearhead this one, on Arowana's orders. Dreamgirl and I are your backup… and your source of information. The boss is giving you an opportunity to do something significant, here. I would suggest you take it seriously."

A knot formed in Mirio's stomach. He was exhausted, and his training session had done him no favors in that regard. Lack of sleep, nausea, and disturbing thoughts were ever-present in his life, and he knew that taking on something serious could very well end in disaster in that state. Even keeping up the façade of working for the Shie Hassaikai in general was beginning to wear on him.

"Is it… time-sensitive?" Mirio tried.

Overhaul blinked, his expression unreadable beneath the mask. Despite the fact that his face didn't seem to shift at all, his tone certainly did. The forcefulness caught Mirio off guard, and he shivered slightly.

"…the boss wants it done," Overhaul said icily, "so yes, I would call that 'time-sensitive' in the most important of ways. He is not a man that anyone should keep waiting. As to whether or not we're on a timer… I do not know. I wasn't given the details."

"But Saku has them?" Mirio guessed.

"She does," Overhaul confirmed.

The temperature of the room seemed to drop several degrees in the span of seconds. It was only then that Mirio noticed Overhaul hadn't blinked since the initial mention of the mission to come.

"You… really don't like those two, do you?" Mirio said slowly.

Overhaul made a noise something like a growl and finally closed his eyes as he brought a hand up to his forehead.

"Dreamgirl is… more tolerable than Dabi, but I dislike her blasé approach to her work with us. She was born into a high-ranking family and cares about what that means about as much as an upper warehouse custodian. Meanwhile, many of the lower-ranking members of the Shie Hassaikai are barely spared a glance regardless of how valuable our contributions end up being. Dreamgirl is untouchable, and so, by extension, is Dabi. Neither of them have earned their status here."

"But she is going on the mission with us, isn't she?" Mirio dared to ask.

Another growl. Overhaul shook his head, growing increasingly frustrated.

"She is, but it isn't about that. It's about initiative. No one, not even her, would refuse a direct order. She contributes and plays along as needed, but her focus is her club. The Shie Hassaikai come second- a thorn in her side, more than anything. If she was able to run, she likely would."

Mirio bit his lip as sudden realization hit him.

"…all of those complaints also apply to me…"

Overhaul stiffened up, as though he had been caught in a rather unpleasant situation. With only a brief glance in Mirio's direction, he turned on his heel and headed toward the exit.

"…let's go…"

"Wait."

Overhaul's shoulders remained tense as he paused near to the door. Mirio slowly made his way over to the other man, though he kept a respectable distance between himself and Overhaul.

"Overhaul… if you did rise through the ranks and end up where you belong… what would you do differently, other than evaluate people here solely on merit?"

"You are asking dangerous questions," Overhaul warned. "Questions I'm not inclined to answer, especially for one so new and unproven. Do not presume that you understand me or my motivations. None here do. Not fully. All you need to know is that I respect loyalty to Shie Hassaikai, and asking such questions of a superior flies in the face of that."

"…are you my superior?" Mirio questioned. "Or is that why you're so annoyed right now?"

Overhaul whirled in place and reached a hand out for Mirio's neck. Suddenly thinking better of it, he stopped himself with his fingers a mere six inches from the other man. Mirio didn't move.

"Enough. Your place i-"

"Isn't here," Mirio interrupted. "Not yet. I know that… and I also know that you think I'm being subjected to favoritism like those two. I get why you're angry… but I'm also a former hero, Overhaul. I care that you're angry, and I'm going to try to find a way to fix it."

Overhaul made a noise of disgust as he dropped his hand and made a swift exit from the gym.

"I don't care. Do what you will. Talk is cheap."

"It is," Mirio agreed as he moved to follow Overhaul. "I make good on my promises. You'll see."

"Whatever. For now, focus on proving that sending you on this mission isn't a complete waste of time and resources."

"Is there anything you can tell me about it?" Mirio asked. "I know you don't have all of the details, but…"

"We're heading to a cannery owned and operated by the Nue clan," Overhaul replied. "Gathering intel and doing as much damage as we can on the way out."

Mirio sucked in a breath at the mention of the name and balled a fist down at his side.

"…in that case… we'll be doing a lot of damage…"

Author's Note:

Deeper down he goes…

-RD