Mystery from Another World

Part 52: Secrets and Promises

[OP: "Secrets"-- One Republic]

A couple days passed of nothing going on because things were so strained. Momo avoided the issue, and Bakugo wanted more time to think about it. Hopefully, this time his decision wouldn't be to fight someone as his method. Todoroki couldn't understand why both of them were also avoiding him. He was still upset from the incident.

Shine herself thought she should take a break. She went off to visit Miss Joke again, and they went out on the town. Wally really wished he had friends here to hang with... but he also could just make them. He already was acquainted with the owner of every restaurant they'd eaten at so far.

On the third day, Momo's thoughts finally had settled a little. Perhaps, she concluded, Bakugo was right. If she asked them about it, she'd have to be prepared for the consequences. Not ready to just turn them in... and if she didn't ask she would never really know... and so she wasn't obligated to turn them in.

She thought at first that might be best. Why make herself choose?

Maybe she didn't need to play this game. She was just a student. It wasn't her place to do so.

"We tend to come to people who are at a turning point in history..." Shine had said.

But that could be anyone in the class.

"I mean, I'm not obligated to help them," she said to herself, "I've tried to be very considerate of them, but, if they're going to do things like fraternize with villains... I don't need to feel any responsibility to help with that."

She had an uneasy feeling about it, though.

Shoto finally had had enough.

He wasn't tactful, so he just found Momo outside while she was trying to study, and stated:

"I don't know if it's about the incident with the villain, but something seems off."

Momo tensed. "Oh..."

She tucked her hair behind her ear nervously.

She knew she should probably fill him in. Bakugo had no right to say he just shouldn't know.

"It's... the way the attack played out. Didn't it seem strange to you?" she asked.

"It did," Shoto had been wondering. "Didn't it seem as if Shine wasn't that surprised?"

"Sh seemed surprised by that tack, but, she and Dabi spoke as if they knew each other, and I mean, better than just form the other attacks."

"Do you think she knew him before?" Shoto felt sick at the idea.

"If we believe that they are...aliens, then it makes no sense that they could know him before," Momo said. "So, I concluded, it must have been after. All those times they leave campus, I Thought it was for dates or to visit friends, but maybe it wasn't."

"They could have gone after the LOV," Shoto said. "Do you think they would be reckless enough to confront them themselves to try to stop them? Because two unlicensed people doing that would probably just get them in trouble, I don't even know if they could stop the villains themselves. Shine said herself she can't fill out a police report."

"You mean you think they just want to stop them?" Momo didn't know why she had dismissed that idea so quickly.

"Why else would they look for them?" Shoto said, blankly.

"I... they... I don't know, sometimes, they sound like they sympathize with the villains," Momo folded her hands to her chest.

"They might think they ahead a few points, but they've never done anything villainous," Shoto pointed out. "Sometimes, I agree with them. I don't think heroes are perfect. But they have their own definition of heroism. That doesn't make them villains. I think as long as they are still trying to help people and do the right thing, it's okay if they don't always see eye to eye with UA. Not all hero schools see eye to eye with UA either."