Mystery from Another World--MHA

Part 30: 1-B gets a wake-up call

After meeting Dabi again, Shine and Wally laid low for the next couple days... at least, when it came to investigating. No one seemed to have caught them sneaking out, but they wanted to wait and be sure.

Class 1-A and 1-B were training together again off and on and being less hostile than before. At least most of them were-- it couldn't be said that Monoma was really any nicer, just more cautious. The others began talking to each other more, though, and discussing how things had been when joint training first started.

"I kind of felt like you held back," Kendo admitted to Momo at one point.

"Oh...uh... yeah..." Momo thought back, "Maybe I was just trying to help my classmates more."

"Yeah, but... I kind of wondered why you didn't just make a taser or something," Kendo said.

"Isn't that kind of violent?" Momo said with a straight face.

"I knocked you out!" Kendo cried.

"Oh, well that was just for training," Momo said, "and after all you said about us being grouped together, I didn't take it personally."

"Yeah..." Kendo said.

"Anyway, your plan was good," Momo added.

"Eh, we only won because of Komori's sneak attack," Kendo said.

Shine came up to their table at that juncture, carrying her tray. She looked kind of stressed.

"Is something up, Miss Likstar?" Kendo asked.

"Oh, just the usual," Shine said, "Eri had a bit of a freak out again-- A door slammed... Anyway, Wally got her to calm down finally, but I had to help. She still responds better to women..."

"I don't know how you can handle that all the time," Kendo said.

"It's a gift," Shine said offhandedly, "So, what are you girls talking about?"

Kendo repeated what they were just saying to her. 

"This is the first I've heard of her sneak attack," Shine said, "but, I do remember someone went to Recovery Girl, didn't they? A few people, even. That's why I thought things were going too far."

"Well, I admit that sneak attack was probably uncomfortable," Kendo admitted, "A mushroom in your windpipe would probably hurt."

Shine was just taking a sip of tea when she nearly choked. "I'm sorry, did you just say a mushroom was in a windpipe...?"

"It was how Komori took down Tokoyami at the last minute," Kendo said.

Momo saw Shine's face harden.

Uh oh, she thought, I know that look by now. She's angry.

"Can you describe exactly how that works for me?" Shine said in a deceptively calm tone. Shine could sound completely relaxed when she was angry, up until she actually blew up. It was what made it frightening to anger her. Momo wanted to warn Kendo not to explain... though she wasn't sure why it was so upsetting, but she couldn't catch her eye.

"She grew a surprise mushroom inside him. She's so crazy powerful, right?" Kendo said, "He started choking. He had to stop fighting."

Shine stared at her in amazement.

"What did Vlad say about that?" she asked. 

"Nothing. He was proud of us," Kendo said, "Though I felt it was a hollow victory. Momo could have beaten us if it hadn't been for that mushroom."

"Oh... well. I completely sympathize with you there," Shine said, in what was beginning to be a sarcastic tone. 

Kendo caught on that something was wrong.