Serena walked out of her classroom at UA carrying a briefcase with the number 3 on it. She had decided it would be best to do battle with Darwin at her very best. Her hero outfit had tools and technology to help her fight, and protective gear to defend her, which would be useful since she couldn't fully rely on her quirk against him.

Making her way to the changing room, she stripped down and opened the briefcase. Inside was a shiny set of silver leather armor made from overlapping plates of hardened leather with black trim. She put on each piece of the set, completing it with a pure white face mask. As she put it on a display lit up in front of her eyes. It had many bits of information, and had software for a variety of features, including multiple types of sensors and a targeting reticule. On the exterior a pattern of black lines and led-lights lit up to form a face with two glowing eyes. It had multiple settings, some were meant for a more intimidating look, some were meant to seem friendly and cheerful to help calm people down in a crisis. Serena set the mask to a setting that simply made the mask display nothing at all, opting for a faceless look.

Beneath the armor was a longbow she needed to assemble, and a high tech quiver full of numerous arrow types ranging from deadly kinds like explosives, to utility types like smoke arrows or grappling hook arrows. The bow was linked up to the targeting program in the mask to assist in aiming, and Serena had spent a good amount of time practicing her archery. By infusing her stored energy into her arrows, she was able to make a bow fire with enough force to rival any gun, and the variety of arrows were designed to maximize her options in the field.

She'd spent a long time designing every aspect of this outfit meticulously to mesh with what she wanted her image to be as a pro-hero. The masked ranger striking down crime as the faceless hand of justice. A silver streak in the night that delivered karmic punishment to those deserving of retribution. "To think the first time I'd use it would be for this…" Serena sighed as she finished putting on the harness and attached her quiver and bow to it on her back. She was as ready as she'd ever be now, it was time to go.

Serena made her way out to the main hall of the building. It was a large open area, plenty of room to move around in if a fight broke out. She had to wonder if it was that way by design, for in case a villain attacked and needed to be fought off. Her train of thought was cut short, however, by the sight of the girl standing between her and the exit doors.

"Ayane…" Serena said as she began walking towards the doors "step aside, I have a villain to hunt down."

Ayane stood still, crossing her arms and not budging from her spot in front of the doors. "I'm not going to let you do that Serena. You're being consumed by your hatred and lust for vengeance." She said firmly "if you leave now and kill him, it will take you completely… I won't let that happen."

Serena paused, standing in front of Ayane and staring her down, her featureless face mask unreadable. "You can't stop me, you know that. Why pretend like you can?" She said bluntly

"I signed a contract with Law" Ayane said "so long as I'm conscious and willing to fight you, you will be unable to open that door or leave this building. I will stop you here. I will save you from yourself Serena, I promise."

Serena clenched her fists. She didn't need saving! She needed her mother back. She needed payback. She needed to go make the men who'd torn apart her world suffer for what they'd done. Yet here Ayane was self-righteously proclaiming that she'd save her. "I warned you didn't I?" She said, her voice low "that I wouldn't let anyone stand in my way, even you… I love you Ayane, so I'm going to give you one more chance. Step. Aside. Now."

Ayane smiled sadly "it's because I love you that I absolutely cannot do that."

Serena sighed "so be it then…" she said, stepping forward. She threw a punch and struck Ayane across the face, knocking her to the ground in an instant "all I need to do is knock you out, that's easy enough."

Ayane got back to her feet slowly "not likely, another contract will keep me conscious until my will to fight gives out of my body can't take anymore. If you want through here, you'll need to break me." She said, wiping blood from her face.

"That can be done too" Serena said coldly as she kicked Ayane in the stomach, then kneed her in the face.

Ayane collapsed again, but soon got up for more, wiping more blood from her face as she stood resolutely between Serena and her goal. "Not like that it can't, what's wrong Serena, you're not using your stored energy on me. Could it be you're holding back hoping if you knocked around I'll give up?" Ayane said angrily "you think light taps like that will make me give up on saving you? Get real! If you want past me you need to be all in. If you're ready to throw your life away for vengeance, do it now, take me out, stop hesitating and DO IT!"

Serena hesitated, looking at Ayane's bloody face for the slightest hint of hesitation or wavering resolve. She didn't want to do this, she didn't want to hurt Ayane and lose her too. "Stop it…" Serena said quietly "just step aside…"

"I won't!" Ayane replied, planting her feet and bracing herself "if you're set on this, you need to take me down first. I know I can't beat you, not when you can absorb electricity now. But I still won't let you through. I'll get back up as many times as it takes."
Serena grit her teeth in frustration "fine!" she snapped, stepping in and kicking Ayane in the chest, unleashing a large burst of energy as she did so. Ayane flew backwards, crashing into a wall and falling to the ground. Serena stepped back for a moment, her breath catching in her throat. "Oh god… I didn't mean to" she said, fear creeping into her voice, she'd hit Ayane with far more force than she intended "A-Ayane…? Are you ok?"

Ayane struggled back to her hands and knees, coughing as she struggled to get air back in her lungs. Serena sighed with relief, then caught herself and tried her best to regain her composure. "Good… now stay down Ayane. Your body can't take another hit like that… it'll break…" she said

Ayane looked up, looking Serena in the face as she slowly got back to her feet again. Serena flinched, her eyes weren't visible through her mask, but it still felt like Ayane was locking eyes with her and staring her down anyway. Her hands began to shake "s-stop… please…" she said, her voice wavering "just… just stay down! Don't make me do this!"

"You don't… have to…" Ayane wheezed, then coughed up a splatter of blood and stopped to wipe her mouth. Her body was trembling, struggling to stand up from the last hit it had endured, but she didn't move, standing resolutely in front of the doorway. "You… can stop… too…" she panted "this… this isn't you Serena… this hatred… this violence… it's not… and I'm going to stop it from taking you… No matter the cost."

"Stop it… Just STOP IT!" Serena screamed, ripping off her mask and tossing it aside to look at Ayane directly. Tears streamed down her face as she abandoned any semblance of composure, backing away several steps as she recoiled from Ayane's determined glare. "Stay down! Get out of my way! I don't want you to get hurt too!" she cried "I have to… I have to do this! Why won't you let me do this! Stop! PLEASE!"

"I WON'T" Ayane shouted back "If… if I step aside and let this hatred take you… you won't be you anymore. It'll be like letting you die. If I have to choose between living knowing I let the person I love destroy themselves, or dying trying to save them… I'd rather die."

Ayane held out her arms to either side, presenting herself as a wall between Serena and the exit. She was breathing heavily, her vision swimming as she stood on her feet through sheer force of will alone, but she didn't budge or waver in the slightest.

Serena was trembling, taking a few more steps back. "No… don't do this… I'll… I'll do it you know! If you don't stand down now I'll…!" she began

"Do it then." Ayane said quietly "just get it over with."

"Stop it…. Stop it stop it stop it!" Serena screamed as she planted her feet and prepared to charge. She could barely see straight through the tears, but she could see Ayane wasn't moving. Serena sprang forward, launching herself at Ayane like a human torpedo, her fist raised to deliver the final blow.

"STOOOOOOOOOP!" Serena screamed as she hurtled towards Ayane, praying with all her might that Ayane would just dodge and yield to her now.

Ayane didn't budge, she simply closed her eyes in acceptance of her fate, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. Slowly she opened her eyes to see Serena's fist stopped in front of her, inches away from impact, but stationary. Serena was looking to the ground, tears falling from her face as she trembled.

"I can't… I can't do it" Serena sobbed "I can't do this to you… why… why won't you just let me go?"

Ayane smiled sadly "because I love you Serena" she said softly as she stepped forward, moving her head around Serena's outstretched fist as she wrapped her arms around the girl's armored body and embraced her.

Serena's strength gave out, the gentle embrace of the one she loved finally breaking her fighting spirit entirely. She collapsed into Ayane's embrace and was gently lowered to her knees by the girl as she began to sob uncontrollably. All the grief and fear she'd been pushing down with rage and determination surged back to the surface as Ayane held her tightly. The two sat there for what seemed like ages, with Serena crying into Ayane's shoulder, unable to stop herself any longer.

"Shhh, it's ok now" Ayane whispered "everything's going to be ok now, I promise."

"H-how… c-can you know that?" Serena sobbed "Mom m-might… might never wake up… and he's still out there… even if she does wake up he'll just hurt her again…"

"Headmaster Shin is going to wake her up… and as for Darwin…" Ayane said, producing a thin needle from her sleeve, then positioning it through a gap in Serena's armor. "Onaka, Freya, and I are going to take him down now."

Serena stiffened, her heart nearly stopping from the surge of fear she felt. "What? No! If you fight him he'll!" she began to cry out, then felt a prick from the needle as Ayane slid it into her. "No… I can't… lose you too…" she said weakly as her body began to fall limp.

"You won't… we're going to win… for your sake" Ayane said as she held Serena tighter, making sure she didn't try to escape before the sedative fully kicked in.

Serena rested her head against Ayane's chest, she couldn't move anymore, and she felt her consciousness slipping. "Promise… promise me I won't lose anyone else…" she whispered "if you don't… or break your promise… I'll never forgive you… not ever…"

Ayane nodded as she gently stroked Serena's head "I promise, sleep now… and when you wake up, Darwin will be behind bars, and everything will be ok again… I swear it."

Serena slowly closed her eyes "Ok… I believe you… thank… you…" she murmured as she drifted off into unconsciousness.

Ayane gently laid Serena on the ground and stood up as Onaka, Freya, and Law entered through the door behind her. Ayane's injuries began to heal, courtesy of one of Law's contracts that stipulated she would recover from the injuries she received from Serena, provided she successfully stopped Serena from leaving.

"You had us worried there for a bit, almost thought Serena was actually gonna finish you there" Onaka said, looking down at Serena's sleeping form.

"I never doubted her, deep down I knew she'd pull through" Ayane said "now come on, let's get into our hero uniforms, Serena had the right idea gearing up before going into this fight. We need to be in top shape for this."

The others nodded, and the four of them went to retrieve their costumes and get changed, they had a villain to catch now.