Hello! I've returned with another chapter! I apologize for the delay. This is a slightly longer chapter, so I certainly hope that makes up for it. Just a fair warning, the limitations of Hitoshi's quirk will be stretched a tad…although we don't know too much about it…so I guess this is technically possible? Maybe? Well…let's get on with the story!

I do not own My Hero Academia.

Midoriya Izuku

"You two need to tell me what's going on right now," Nemuri demanded.

He glanced at Hitoshi and bit his lip. He wouldn't know where to begin. Much to his luck, the other student didn't hesitate for a second.

"Kayo gathered with the other villains inside the bank. I don't know what they were talking about, but one of his men picked up Aizawa and carried him out. They never came back."

He didn't like the way the somnambulist visibly paled at the news.

"Did anyone follow you?" she asked next.

Hitoshi shook his head.

"We didn't hear anyone behind us in the tunnels, but they could've sent someone down there and they just never found us."

Nemuri nodded. Suddenly, she touched her ear piece.

"Hawks, what—you can't get into the bank?"

Izuku's heart stopped in his chest.

They've definitely noticed we're gone now. Whoever's creating the force field must've moved the opening. This can't be good….

"Mic's already called the bomb squad." The words jolted him out of his thoughts. "He'll send them down. Search the rest of the tunnels. More of them might be down there. Knowing Shusaku, that's not the only one. I'll take care of the kids."

She stalked over to the lone door in the alley and opened it.

"Deku?"

Izuku froze, as did Nemuri and Hitoshi. The three turned to the mouth of the alley to find Ochako, Shouto, and Tenya standing there. Ochako ran straight toward them.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" A relieved smile shone on her face. "We saw the news and—wait…Shinsou?"

The smile quickly disappeared, and her eyes widened. Tenya and Shouta stopped right behind her. All of their gazes locked onto the purple-haired teen, and Izuku couldn't blame them. The remnants of dry blood on his face and massive red stains on his shirt still weren't easy for him to look at.

"What are you three doing here?"

All eyes turned to Nemuri, and he could practically feel the newcomers tense when they processed who it was. If they were any other situation, he might've laughed.

I suppose it is a bit strange to see Midnight-sensei out of her hero costume.

"M-Midnight-sensei, we apologize for—" Tenya started, but the heroine put a hand up.

Much to his surprise, she wasn't angry. There was a slight crease in her brow, and her mouth quirked in a thin line, like a thousand thoughts were racing through her mind. She motioned to the door.

"Follow me," she ordered.

There was no room for debate. Nemuri entered through the door, Hitoshi right on her heels. The door slammed shut while Izuku approached it, but he suddenly stopped and held his arms out, causing the three to come to an instant halt.

"Be careful," he warned, glancing over his shoulder.

Before any of his friends could question him, he opened the door and stepped inside the building. They were met with a staircase and another door swinging shut just in front of them. Izuku followed, seeing Nemuri, Hitoshi, and their captured villain a few meters ahead. A hand gripped his shoulder, and he turned his head to meet Tenya's wide eyes.

"Midoriya, is that…."

He trailed off, but he could practically feel the apprehension radiating from his classmates.

"It's all right," he assured. "Shinsou's got him under his quirk. He's the only one of them we ran into in the tunnel, so he's the only one who can tell us how to get the heroes into the bank and where the villains have taken Aizawa-sensei."

He heard the questions erupting behind him, but he kept walking further into the building and picking up the pace to catch up with Nemuri and Hitoshi. The latter brought his hands up to his head and massaged his temples. Nemuri turned around, muttering something to the boy that he couldn't catch at this distance. His eyebrows rose.

I don't know much about Shinsou's quirk, but I know he didn't have me brainwashed this long. He's had to focus on keeping control of this guy for a while now. Does he get some sort of headache if he uses his quirk too long?

Based on the look on Nemuri's face, he could only assume as much. She put a hand on Hitoshi's shoulder only for him to shrug it off. The four caught up to them when they reached the lobby of the office building. Nemuri was already scouring through the front desk.

"There has to be one somewhere…." She muttered under her breath.

The villain stood frozen by the desk, eyes glazed over. Izuku did his best to suppress a shudder, remembering exactly what it was like being brainwashed at the Sports Festival.

Shinsou's quirk is absolutely incredible, but how long can he keep—

Nemuri slammed a piece of paper on the desk and quickly unfolded it. She looked to Hitoshi.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, Shinsou?" she asked.

The purple-haired teen nodded. The rest of the students converged on the desk. A map of Musutafu was spread out on it.

"Come here," he ordered. The villain had no other option than to obey. Hitoshi winced but, continued on. "Show us where the man creating the shield is hiding on the map."

Izuku's mouth dropped open when the man turned his gaze down to the map in front of him.

I didn't know he could extract information like that from someone else….

The villain traced his finger from the bottom of the map all through the city, coming to a stop just shy of Shoko Chukin bank. Nemuri leaned in.

"Looks like they're directly across from the bank." Her eyebrows furrowed. "We searched and evacuated all of the buildings in the area."

"Maybe they snuck in when the crowd started growing," Izuku suggested. "If they saw you searching the buildings, I don't see it being too unreasonable for them—Shinsou!"

Blood started dribbling out of Hitoshi's nose, a couple drops hitting the map. His eyes were screwed shut, and he leaned heavily on the desk in front of him. Tenya grabbed some tissues and steadied the boy so he could staunch the blood flow. Nemuri grabbed his shoulder again.

"Kid, you really shouldn't—"

Hitoshi's eyes flew open. More blood soaked through the thin tissues and continued streaming down his face.

"Show us where they're taking Eraserhead!" he managed to grit out between clenched teeth.

The group watched in awe while the man traced his finger directly east across the map and outside of the city limits. He stopped. Only a few buildings occupied the area. Izuku leaned in closer.

"It looks like some industrial area just outside of Musutafu," he observed.

As soon as Nemuri got a good look at the area, she rolled up her sleeve. Seeing Hitoshi struggling to remain upright, Izuku grabbed him and yanked him away from the mist emanating from the somnambulist. The five students backed away while the villain crumpled to the floor. Hitoshi let out an audible sigh of relief when he released his quirk. Nemuri pulled out a pair of handcuffs from her back pocket and restrained him. She then walked around the desk and faced the students, ensuring they all looked her in the eye.

"I don't have a lot of time to explain, so I'm going to make this quick, but you will follow my instructions exactly, am I understood?" She was met with a nod from each student instantly. "The villain that called himself Kayo is actually a man named Shusaku Akihiro. He manufactures explosives and has eluded both the police and heroes for quite some time. I don't know why he would show himself to the public now, and we don't have time to question it. He's set up a bomb under the bank that's set to detonate in just over an hour, according to Hawks.

"In light of this discovery, the heroes and police have to prioritize the civilians still trapped inside, but someone needs to trail Shusaku and see where he's taking Eraser. I'm hoping they're still heading east, but I'm concerned that could change considering the circumstances. I know Detective Tsukauchi has some officers to spare and are searching the area, but they don't have quirks like yours, so here's what I'm going to do." Her eyes were ablaze with a fire Izuku had never seen from the hero. With a quick glance to his friends, he could see the tension within them. Hitoshi, who'd just managed to right himself, didn't seem phased in the slightest. "I, as Pro Hero Midnight, give you all permission to use your quirks to track down Eraserhead and to defend yourselves if the need arises. However, you are not to engage with Shusaku. If you find him, you are to keep your distance, trail him, and nothing more." She fished her phone out of her pocket and tossed it toward Izuku and Hitoshi, the latter actually catching it. "You're to call Present Mic the second you spot him. Keep eyes on him until the pros arrive."

Hitoshi put the phone in his pocket. Tenya handed him some extra tissues, and he wiped off the remaining blood on his face.

"Are you going after the guy creating the shield?" he asked.

Nemuri nodded.

"It doesn't matter how, but he evaded our search the first time. If I can sneak in alone, I might be able to take him down. That should bring the shield down and give us access to the bank." She walked back around the desk, hauling the villain up and over her shoulder. She looked to the students one last time. "Please, all of you, be careful."

Izuku didn't need anything else. One for All stirred within him and crackled to life. He looked to his friends, all of them nodding. He turned to Hitoshi and held out his hand. The boy blinked, but took a deep breath, clasped his hand, and took a step closer. He pulled Hitoshi behind him.

I have to go. The heroes are going to get mom out. Besides, it's not like they'd let me help if I stayed here…I have to at least try to find Aizawa-sensei.

"Hold on," he said.

Once he felt Hitoshi's arms secure around his neck, he bolted out of the building and back into the alley.

Aizawa Shouta

"Have you decided what you're going to do with him?"

He tensed at the voice coming from the driver's seat, his injuries flaring up at the slight movement. None of the men in the vehicle had said a word since they'd taken off. Shusaku mindlessly stroked his hair, his other hand tightening his grip on the hero's shoulder when he tried to avoid the contact.

"I think so," the villain answered. "You should really be thanking me, Eraser. You'll be staying with us for the next couple days. I really didn't have to be so kind to you, especially since my men inside the bank are letting those two boys go. They'll be all right. Although, I guess that's not necessarily a guarantee, but I can't possibly imagine they'll be forced to return to classes on Monday after this ordeal."

Alarm bells rang in his head. He slumped back against Shusaku.

There's no way…he's not going to…this whole thing was just a distraction….

A chuckle rumbled in the chest he was leaning against.

"I'm actually glad you were at the bank today. I'm not a huge fan of heroes, and neither are most of my associates. I used to love them as a kid, but a friend of mine helped me see the true fault of our society. Well, maybe friend isn't quite the right word. You might have known him. I was fortunate enough to call him Chizome, but most simply knew him as Stain." Shouta's blood froze. "He taught me a lot. He helped me see that so many heroes aren't genuine. Most of them are just in it for the fame and don't actually care for the civilians they're supposed to protect. Sure, there are some exceptions, you being one of them. I probably believed there were more exceptions to that claim than he did. While you might be a favorite of mine, I still couldn't help but wonder why our society puts you and your colleagues up on such a high pedestal. I know you try your best to save all of the civilians you can, but when faced with true evil, your quirks can only help you so much.

"You can face a few attention-seeking villains with some flashy quirks without a problem, but no hero is immune from a bullet through the heart. Very few could survive and protect others from an explosion. Society as a whole doesn't think too much about that, though. No one wants to think that there are people willing to kill them and will go to extreme matters to do so. They'd rather go about their lives believing heroes can protect them from anything. You can't completely disagree with me. After all, you were there in the bank, and how many civilians died? Two before the police and heroes showed up, I believe."

Shouta's heart dropped into his stomach, and he winced at the villain's words. Shusaku wrapped his arms around the hero and rested his chin on top of his head.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Eraser. A lone hero wasn't meant to take on an attack like that, but that's my point. Even when All Might showed up, more civilians died. Being an underground hero, I'm sure you understand that more than most. I wish more of society would get on board with that idea, though. It's quite unfortunate that it's come to this, but I'm afraid it's necessary. If it makes you feel any better, Yuuei isn't the only school I've targeted. The citizens of Musutafu really need to be taught a lesson and realize they can't rely on heroes. I know it's harsh, but maybe they'll finally understand after they see what happens to their children. Maybe the rest of the world will see what happens here and understand they can't keep putting their faith in people that can't always protect them when it comes down to it. Once I set you free, you can even spread my message yourself—"

Shusaku cut off with a pained grunt when Shouta mustered up enough strength to fling his head back into his captor's. Stars danced across his vision, and the back of his head ached. Something dripped into his hair.

"Are you—" the driver started, but was interrupted in an instant.

"I'm fine!" Shusaku snapped. He moved one arm to wrap it around Shouta's throat. "It was my fault, really. I thought you'd be a bit kinder to me considering the fact I'm sparing your life. Although, I shouldn't be too surprised." He tightened his arm, completely cutting off the hero's air. "It must be hard to hear that your colleagues and students are going to wind up dead, no matter how necessary the cause might be, but you need to get one thing straight, Eraserhead." A black fuzziness crept around the edges of his vision, and consciousness slowly started to fade with each second he lacked oxygen. "I can just as easily change my mind and end your life. I'd recommend being cooperative just a little longer."

Kayama Nemuri

She found the house without any problems. Shouta's directions couldn't have been any clearer. Not a single light was on, which wasn't surprising considering it was nearly midnight. She stopped once she was at the lamppost. Her stomach churned as she stared at the house.

It looked so normal.

Her chest tightened when she saw the window just a couple inches above the ground. It was practically hidden behind the bushes in front of the house.

"They can't seriously make him live down there," she muttered to herself.

She left the illumination of the streetlight and crept over to the bushes, knowing she practically blended in with the night. She was careful to avoid most of the thorns while she pinned herself against the wall and made her way to the window. She planted herself on the ground once she was close enough. Taking a deep breath, she gently tapped the glass, the tiny sound slicing through the silence. She held her breath when she heard footsteps approaching the window. Within seconds, she could see Hitoshi. His eyes widened at the sight of her. She grimly smiled at him. Putting her finger back on the glass, she started quietly tapping.

'Aizawa asked me to keep watch for you.' She paused. Once she didn't hear any commotion inside the house, she continued. 'He said he was sorry he could not be here tonight.'

Hitoshi put his own hand to the glass.

'Thank you, sensei.'

It was impossible to miss the disappointment on his face, but her smile only widened.

'He will be here in the morning to get you out of here.'

The boy's shoulders slumped. He blinked at her. Her brow furrowed, assuming he'd misunderstood the message. She gently tapped it out again.

'He will be here in the morning to get you out of here.'

'Really?'

Hitoshi's reply was immediate. Leaning in closer to the window, she could've sworn she saw a droplet trailing down the kid's cheek. For his sake, she'll ignore it.

'Really. He will be here first thing tomorrow. Try to get some sleep.'

She watched as Izuku's quirk crackled in bright, green flashes. Hitoshi hesitantly wrapped his arms around Izuku's neck, and the duo dashed out of the building and into the alley. Tenya grabbed Ochako and Shouto and followed without any hesitation. She closed her eyes and ran a hand down her face.

Shouta's going to kill me if he finds out about this...but we might not ever see him again…but I promised him I'd look out for Shinsou….

She shook herself out of her thoughts, knowing she couldn't dwell on them any longer. She walked back over to the desk, crouching down and hefting the unconscious villain over her shoulder. She slowly rose and steadied him before sprinting out of the lobby and down the hall. Kicking the door open, she nearly ran into an officer climbing back out of the tunnel. She instantly dropped the villain and abandoned them both, running further into the alley.

"I caught him trying to hide in that office building!" She shouted over her shoulder. "Take him to Tsukauchi. He should be waking up any second and needs to be questioned immediately!"

She heard a vague response while she sprinted faster toward a four meter wall at the end of the alley. She jumped to her left, pushing off the side of the building and grabbing the top of the wall. It took her no effort to pull herself up to the top. She dropped down on the other side, the roar of the crowd suddenly erupting to a volume at which she almost had to cover her ears.

The officers must be trying to evacuate the entire block. It's not going to be easy, especially with those damn reporters….

She flattened herself against the wall of the building next to her, keeping out of sight of the civilians and officers and creeping along until she reached a dumpster. She peeked around it. The seemingly infinite number of civilians were bumping into each other and tripping over their own feet as they were forced further down the street. She could barely make out the stern voices of the officers barking orders while they herded the civilians away from the waited until no one else walked by the mouth of the alley before emerging and running straight toward the barricades.

Hizashi and Naomasa were approaching the bank yet again. No one paid her any mind while she weaved through the cars and remaining officers toward them. She yanked Hizashi aside before they fully emerged from the cars.

"Nemuri, what the hell—" Hizashi hissed.

"Shusaku's gone." The voice hero paled at the words. "He left the bank and he took Shouta with him."

Hizashi swallowed.

"How…nevermind, do you know where they're heading?"

"I think they're heading east to an industrial park just outside of the city. When you get the chance, you need to send as many heroes and officers as you can that direction. Shinsou and Midoriya escaped and are trying to track them now." The blond's eyebrows rose up into his hairline. "He'll call you if they find him."

Before Hizashi could utter another word, Nemuri was already making her way across the street.

She slowed as she approached the building directly across from the bank, remembering how All Might had jumped down from there just a couple hours ago even though it seemed like an eternity. She stopped next to the van. The door was cracked open, and she could hear the frantic taps of the officers in there typing and clicking away.

They still haven't hacked into the security cameras. We only know that Shusaku's gone. There are still several villains inside. If they realize Shinsou and Midoriya are gone….

She cast the thoughts from her mind.

We haven't heard anymore gunshots. As far as we know, the rest of the hostages are all right.

She climbed up the steps just to her right and quietly slipped through the door. Carefully shutting it behind her, she glanced out the window, grateful that no one followed her or noticed she was missing. Her view was limited, but she caught a glimpse of Naomasa and Hizashi standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the bank.

Taking a deep breath and trying to calm her pounding heart, she backed away from the door. She managed to stop herself before she ran into a podium. She blinked trying to get a better look around the room with the limited sunlight filtering in through the windows. Several tables and chairs were set up around the room. Black table cloths were draped on top of the tables. There was a wide window between the dining room and kitchen along the back wall, and a staircase spiraled up from the ground to the next floor. She crouched and tip-toed through the tables, dashing under one when footsteps thundered over her head. They stopped, and she lifted one of the table cloths just enough for her to see, only to drop it when they descended down the staircase.

"There's no one down here."

The voice made nearly made her jump. She rolled up her sleeve as the footsteps got closer.

"I could've sworn I heard—"

"Check the kitchen then."

One pair of footsteps ascended the staircase, but the other pair faded toward the kitchen. She heard a door swing open.

I imagine the one creating that shield is upstairs, so there's at least three of them.

She took a deep breath before dashing under the next table, and then the next. She released her mist as the door swung back open. The footsteps came closer and stopped.

"What the hell?"

She could see the barrel of a gun appear under the table cloth and start to lift it, but she grabbed it and yanked it down. The strap around the rifle forced the villain to crash to the ground with a grunt. She instantly emerged from under the table and flipped him over on his back and sat on top of him, pinning his arms behind him. He opened his mouth, but his eyes began to droop. She didn't move until she felt the man completely relax beneath her.

She crept over to the staircase and carefully ascended. A metallic clang rang through the silent restaurant when she was a few steps from the top. A gray blur came straight for her. She barely managed to deflect the barstool that was aimed directly at her head. She heard a click, eyes widening when she realized what was coming next. Grabbing the railing, she hoisted herself up and swung her legs. They connected with the barrel when the shot went off. Ignoring the ringing in her ears, she lunged at the man at the top of the staircase and knocked him into the barstools behind him. The two grappled for control of the weapon. She delivered a swift punch to the man's solar plexus, grabbed the rifle in the brief second he was stunned, and bashed the butt of it against his head. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth, and three of his teeth were missing, but he was unconscious.

Nemuri grabbed the edge of the bar and brought herself back up to her feet while she caught her breath. For the first time, she actually got a look at the second floor. It was rather small, just a bar with only five barstools and a couple tables. The shelves were lined with glass bottles. She froze when she saw the door. Quietly leaping over the bar, she cracked it open.

It was a storage room. The green glow coming from the bank illuminated the tiny space. She spotted a couple extra tables and a broken chair leaning against the wall. A lone man with short, black hair stood in front of the window. He showed no sign he'd heard the commotion going on in the bar.

His quirk probably requires a lot of concentration.

Taking the opportunity, she undid the top buttons of her sweater and pushed her sleeves back up. She cracked the door open a little wider and released her quirk. It only took a minute for the mist to completely fill the room and the villain to collapse.

The glow faded in an instant.

Midoriya Inko

"Is it fixed?"

"I told you I already took care of it. They won't be getting in."

"We have to call him—"

"We can't."

"But—"

"We can't risk him turning back. He has to make it out."

Her hands clenched as the villains quarreled amongst themselves. Much to her relief, it had taken a while for them to realize Izuku and Hitoshi were gone.

Kayo must've been the only observant one of the bunch.

She nearly grinned at the thought. A slight uproar erupted from the crowd. Several officers were ushering the crowd further down the street, and the noise slowly began to dull.

What's going on? Are the heroes going to try to break into the bank? I don't see how….

She stiffened when Hizashi and Naomasa approached the bank. Within seconds, the phone rang. She slightly jumped at the noise, as did the other hostages around her. The arguing ceased for only a brief moment.

"Should we answer it?"

The phone rang again.

"They'll know something's wrong."

"How much time—"

"Less than an hour. Just answer the damn phone."

Less than an hour until what?

"But what do we do?"

After the third ring, one of the villains finally answered.

"I hope you've made some more progress."

Hizashi and Naomasa looked to each other, unable to completely hide their surprise.

"Chief Tsuragamae just called to inform us that the meeting with the consulate will take place within the hour," Naomasa's voice came through the speaker. "He's trying to arrange some transportation and a pilot for you as we speak."

"It's about time. I'm sure everyone here is quite relieved to hear that. Give me another update in half an hour."

The villain didn't give the voice hero or detective a chance to respond before hanging up the phone.

Bang!

Inko's eyes widened. It was faint, but a gunshot nonetheless.

Every remaining officer and hero turned their heads to the building across the street. Hizashi sprinted through the cars and raced inside before anyone else dared to move. Dark green cracks flashed across the windows in front of her. Looking around the lobby, they sparked up across the walls and ceiling.

The shield coating the bank disappeared a heartbeat later.

"B-back away from the windows!"

Cold metal pressed into her back, and a hand grasped her shoulder. A slight tremble plagued the man's hand when he started to pull her back further into the lobby.

They didn't expect this.

She glanced around. Her fellow hostages seemed to have come to the same understanding.

There's only six of them left. There's at least thirty of us. We have a way out now. If we can catch them off guard….

The woman next to her lunged for the man's weapon, knocking both him and Inko to the ground. She kicked the pistol away the second it clattered to the ground.

Bang!

She heard a grunt across the lobby. She pushed herself up and saw two men across the lobby wrestling one of their captors for his gun.

Bang!

Another shot rang out, but no accompanying thud as the bullet went straight through the ceiling. The woman pulled Inko to her feet. Four of the villains were on the ground and grappling for control of their weapons. The only two still standing ran for the door next to the bank teller windows.

They never expected us to fight back.

"Run!"

She couldn't begin to guess where the voice came from, but no one hesitated. A man pushed his son toward the door and tackled one of the villains around the waist when he managed to get back to his feet, forcing another gunshot to miss its target. Inko grabbed the boy's hand and rushed him out the door.

"Run to those officers," she whispered.

She held the door open as the remaining hostages quickly filed out of the building. A boy that couldn't be any older than Izuku grabbed her arm when he exited.

"There's no one else," he said, his voice cracking.

He pulled her down the steps, wiping his eyes while they ran.

"This way!" A gruff voice got her attention. She looked up to see Toshinori and Enji directing the hostages further down the street with some officers. "Hurry!"

While the number one hero's trademark smile remained, she could see it was forced. None of the hostages objected and allowed themselves to be ushered away from the bank. She glanced over her shoulder to see a few officers approaching the bank with their guns drawn. She must've slowed down because the hero put a hand on her back to guide her along with the quickly fleeting hostages.

"It's okay," he assured. "You're going to be all right. We've got it handled—"

He was cut off when an explosion shook the ground beneath them. The ground rushed to meet her face, but a pair of strong arms prevented her from completely hitting the concrete. Debris rained around them, but Toshinori took the brunt of it.

She barely got to peek out from under her shield in time to see the bank collapse.

Well…there it is! Inko's okay! I guess that's nice. Anyways, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm not making any promises, but it shouldn't take me a month to update again. Until then!