Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 98: Fair Trade

The flight was longer because they had to circle around and turn a few times.

But still not long enough, really, for them all to recover.

The girls used the plane's bathroom to try to get the dirt, and in some cases blood, off of their faces and arms, with some success.

Shine helped Eri wash off too. Eri seemed to have reached the state of exhaustion where she wasn't scared anymore so much as tired and wrung out. She fell asleep after 5 minutes of sitting in a row of seats.

The plane was huge for a private one, though much smaller than a commercial one.

"I almost envy you this kind of flying space," Shine told Momo, "It beats coach. Though as long as I have a window seat, I'm fine. I love the view."

"You hate heights though," Momo said.

"It's feeling out of control that makes me dislike heights," Shine said, "In a plane, I feel secure. It's a bit of a rush still but an enjoyable one. Turbulence doesn't even bother me.... I guess I feel like I'm in the palm of God's hand up here."

"That's a nice way to see it," Momo admitted.

The adrenaline rush wore off pretty fast once they all had time to sit down.

Even the villains were half asleep.

"What a day though..." Dabi muttered.

"I'm still pissed we didn't get Kurogiri back," Shigaraki grumbled.

"Maybe he escaped and he'll come back on his own," Dabi suggested.

"Probably." Shigaraki perked up a little. "There's no reason he wouldn't...but breaking out at all..."

"It's almost like it was your plan for him to get arrested..." Hawks was listening.

They glared at him.

"Mind your own business, spy," Dabi said.

Hawks frowned at them. Sure, the remark could be taken as just an insult because he was eavesdropping, but it was too close for comfort. He moved away.

"Still don't know why you chickened out," Mirko remarked to him, "but I guess in the end you came through, so I'm going to forget about it."

"Really? That's generous for you," Hawks said.

"Don't push it," she warned. She seemed kind of somber.

"What's wrong with you? Normally you'd be jubilant about winning," Hawks said.

"That was a draw." Mirko clenched a fist. "We didn't capture any of those quirkless people, and we didn't destroy the lower level. All of that could be confiscated or found by someone else.... We didn't win."

"But we can't go back there..." Hawks said, "Maybe it's better to just be glad we at least got the kid.... That'll stop them from doing more."

"For how long?" Mirko said, "I'm getting right back on this case...after I hibernate for a few days, maybe..." She rubbed her head.

"How does that work. Do you actually hibernate?" Hawks asked.

"It's a joke, Hawks..." Mirko said irritably.

"Right, right..." Hawks had been kind of serious though, but he didn't want to get punched.

Shoto kept glancing at Dabi whenever he thought he wasn't looking and frowning.

Momo noticed but didn't know what to say about it.

"Are you going to talk to him?" she asked faintly, in a hushed voice.