Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 33: Rooftop Revelations

In all the excitement over the Ketsubutsu incident, Shine and Wally had almost forgotten they were supposed to meet Dabi on Friday, and then it was there.

That day, of course, the students had combat training. Wally still liked to go watch that while Shine had Eri, and sometimes he gave pointers. Today, though, he noted more that 1-B and 1-A exchanged less uncomfortable glances when the classes switched out.

Bakugo was trying harder than ever. Even All Might noticed. He was helping with that class today. 

He asked him if something was on his mind. Bakugo denied it vehemently, but when no one else was listening, he asked All might, "Hey, All Might... what do you think it means if someone tells you your strength is a weakness?"

"Your strength is a weakness?" All Might was puzzled. He looked up, thinking. "Well, that's true."

That wasn't what Bakugo expected him to say. "How the h---- does that make any sense?" he griped.

"Maybe it's just to me," All Might allowed, a little unsure of why he was so angry about this, "because I lost my power, since it had limits... I mean, while I was using it, it was making me weaker in the long run. Nothing I could do about it... so I could see why someone might call it a weakness, even if it was also my power."

Irrefutable, Bakugo knew that. Though it wasn't a nice thing to hear.

"Who told you that, Young Bakugo? Was it a part of training that I missed?" All Might asked.

"Uh... no, someone else..." Bakugo said vaguely. He walked away.

Of course he hadn't been able to forget about it, though it had been a while since he and Shine had had that argument... if you could call it that... but, Bakugo was convinced she'd remember it as well as him, because the idea that some things don't stick with people as much as they do with you was utterly foreign to him.

So, when he saw Shine later that day, he didn't even bother to establish what he was talking about when he said, "So, I've thought about what you said."

Shine looked at him, completely confused. "Yesterday?" 

"No, you moron, the other day," Bakugo said, "About strengths and weaknesses."

"Okay..." Shine said uncertainly. 

"Even if it was true," Bakugo said very ungraciously, "it's the same for everyone. So, why bother talking about it? And all that other crap you said?"

"If it's really crap, there's no point talking about it," Shine replied.

She picked up a book and flapped it at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I have things I could do other than listening to you talk down everything I say." 

Bakugo frowned. 

Shine smiled. "Then again, if you actually want to have a conversation, how about you use a more respectful tone? What's your problem with that anyway?"

Bakugo scoffed. "I'm not going to talk differently for you."

"Then go away." Shine put the book over her face.

 Bakugo just stood there uncomfortably, too stubborn to either speak or leave.

Shine finally looked up. "Okay, fine... Let's talk. What is it?"

"I've been giving it some thought," Bakugo said, "What you said about armies, and sh--stuff." resentfully, "and that connects to what you said about strength. You're trying to recruit people for stuff, or train them, or something... What are you doing it for? Then I thought, it's got something to do with this Religion stuff you keep going off about."