Mystery from Another World

Part 74: Lending a Hand

[OP: "Verge"--Owl City ft. Aloe Blacc]

The DJs told the students about the visit early the next morning. All of them were tired, but they forgot about that after they heard the story.

"Poor Ouboro," Momo said. "I can't believe that happened to him. But it's good that you were able to change it... How do you do those things?"

"How do you think?" Shine pointed upward.

"You didn't learn how to do it somewhere?" Bakugo still didn't understand.

"Only way to learn is from God Himself. Even other people with the same gifts don't always do it the same way." Shine shrugged. "For example, I'm the only one I know who stabs people with a sword, but it works for me."

"That's baller," Camie said. "You totally ate with that, too. So is he, like...fine now?"

"I don't know, no updates yet," Shine said. "But we'll have to go inform the LOV."

"I don't see why they need to know." Shoto frowned.

"They okayed doing this," Shine said sternly. "And they gave us a clue about how to go about it. It worked, too. Maybe we could have done it without them, but it always helps when the natives give you guidance. Makes the flow a lot smoother."

"I think I get it," Camie said. "They gotta match your energy, right? Aura farm."

"I don't know what that means." Wally rubbed his head.

"I can't believe they wanted you to do it. Didn't they make him that way to begin with?" Momo put a hand to her chin.

"You all really need to get straight that the LOV we know isn't the same as the one AFO wanted to make." Shine looked exasperated.

"Let's say you're right, and the LOV we know isn't as horrible--" Shoto was making a big concession in his mind. "--but won't they still work for AFO or his second in command who was never caught?"

"They are hoping Kurogiri can lead them to him," Shine reflected. "But they don't know how good his memory will be, and I think they probably move locations too often for them to be positive he'd be correct. Surely that would have been expected. But you never know."

"That could turn the entire conflict in our favor," Shoto realized.

"We were just trying to help the guy, but it would be nice if that worked," Wally said.

"Maybe you shouldn't tell the LOV then," Momo said. "Because they might want to steal him back before he can help the heroes."

"They didn't seem to care about that possibility before." Shine wondered now why they weren't more worried about it.

* * *

The LOV core was actually supposed to be doing something with the Metas that morning and were not at all ready for the DJs to pop in.

"Can you stop doing that without warning?!" Dabi cried.

"What do you expect us to do? Call you?" Wally asked.

"That would be nice." Spinner had nearly had a heart attack.

"You must be here to tell us about Kurogiri." Shigaraki came out of a side room.

He no longer seemed that surprised. Maybe he was used to this; he'd lived with warping quirks for a long time.

"Make it quick," he added. "We have things to do, whether you acknowledge it or not."

"Fine. To put it briefly, it appears we had success," Shine said. "No one has told us yet just how much he remembers, but, he came back to his own mind. What I picked up on while we're doing it was that it was tortured into submission. It seems like the nomu process shocks people constantly till they simply give up tying, while stripping them of anything that enables them to fight back. My guess is whatever steroids and enhancements that doctor uses decimate your mental ability. Steroids can also poison you, basically, over time. I'm told that multiple quirks also are too much for one body to handle. Kurogiri must have retained some of his mind because he still only has one quirk, but it was still twisted into a different form. Dying can also cause brain damage if it's reversed too late."