Mask off, I'm really sick and tired of people spamming these lengthy reviews on early chapters, with the only actual piece of criticism boiling down to "why don't all the characters have author-level knowledge of the story's events and make 1000 IQ moves at all times."

I acknowledge those early chapter's flaws and have worked to improve over time. I might even go back and rewrite some of them if I ever get the chance. But based on the consistent tone of these reviews, I can only assume that some of you are either trolls or not yet mature enough to engage in criticism properly. Blocked.

Maybe I'm being a hypocrite or just a dick or whatever, but I don't owe you some perfect Gary Stu nonsense where everything goes absolutely correct at all times. If you want something that boring, you have plenty of options.

Chapter 78: Last Train to Iwate, Part 1

"I'll be straight with you," said Hawks. "The heroes know about your little convoy transport."

Stunned silence across the panel of PLF commanders. Re-Destro opened and closed his mouth in indignation. Dabi narrowed his eyes. Toga and Twice both gasped.

"You!" Spinner accused, standing up and pointing his sword at Hawks. "How did YOU find out about-"

"From them!" Hawks interrupted him sharply. "All they had to do was catch Kaminari, learn from conjecture that his father is being kept in Jakku hospital, and find a mysterious private train journey planned for next week!"

What he failed to mention to them was that he'd eavesdropped on many of their conversations about it, and had helped the heroes reach that conjecture in the first place.

Hawks had no delusions about his precarious place among these villains. Dabi and Yamishiwa certainly suspected him. Would they openly accuse him like Spinner, though…

"Well," said Yamishiwa, standing up from his seat that was slightly separated from the main PLF panel. "This is certainly an issue. Ujiko and myself have been hard at work, and we can't afford to cancel or reschedule now. Perhaps if we had managed to keep our train journey off the hospital schedule…?" He looked pointedly, accusedly at Re-Destro.

"You should know very well how your own hospital works, scientist," Re-Destro snapped angrily. "Going off-schedule increases your risk of clashing with another train, being spotted in general, or losing critical personnel that help you with your equipment. There's a chance it would make things even worse."

"Oh, that's smart! How dare you!" Twice babbled.

"With the giant guarding the train anyway, how secret can we really be?" Compress commented.

Hawks was secretly elated. They were panicked now, and fighting amongst each other. But, in order to keep their trust, he had to reassure them now.

"There's a spot of good news," he spoke over their increasing voices. "The heroes have put me in charge of mounting an assault on your train. They, luckily for you, think that a small, quick force will be preferable for this assignment. They don't fully understand the value of what you've got on board."

Twice sighed in relief. "Well, at least it's you, Hawks."

"So…what?" Dabi asked. "Are you just gonna ignore their orders and not attack us? Make a fake report or something?"

"No. That would be way too suspicious. You do understand my position, don't you?" Hawks made a show of sighing in exasperation and rubbing his eyes under his goggles. "I'm going to bring four or five others with me at most. The heroes want me to bring another of the top ten along. I'm thinking I'll ask Mirko. She should be badly countered by your giant, and any other guards you put on."

"Ujiko and I will be aboard as well," said Yamishiwa. Black goo danced across his palms. "I can fight if necessary, and if we absolutely have to, we can activate some of the Nomu."

Hawks knew Yamishiwa would be aboard. He'd been counting on it. He needed to accelerate a confrontation between father and son. It was the only way to find out what the deal with Doko Katayama really was. Was he unaware of his father's position? Working with him in secret? Some kind of triple agent, working entirely separately of Hawks' own triple-agent-mission? Or something else, even?

"Mind if I accompany you?" Mr. Compress asked. "Gigantomachia has his uses, but I think if we're fighting heroes on the train itself, it may be more prudent to have some fighters that can get closer in."

"That sounds good to me," said Yamishiwa.

"I'll come along as well," Dabi announced. That, Hawks thought, was a little bit more problematic. Obviously the fire user didn't trust him…but then again, he wasn't that skilled of a combatant, either.

Dabi looked directly at Hawks. "So what's the situation with you, then? Do you want us to attack you? Are you going to attack us? Are we allowed to kill the other heroes you bring?"

Hawks met his gaze. "Do whatever you want," he answered. "I'll focus my energy on the giant and keep myself alive. If all goes well, all witnesses but me will be defeated and we can continue to get some use out of each other afterward."

…

Nighttime over rural Japan.

The five heroes stood on a cliff overlooking an open farm valley. In the distance, forested mountains looked darker and darker in the twilight. It was far away from any city, yet one could see the railroad tracks slicing across the plain like a knife, lit periodically by lamp towers.

Doko Katayama cracked his neck both ways. The train would be here in minutes.

"Here's the plan," Hawks said. "Tsukuyomi and I will carry you three to the roof of the train. Queen Pinky, you'll melt a hole in the roof for Everywhere and Mirko to jump down into. They'll be our main thrust into the train. Get in, destroy the equipment as fast as possible, and get out."

"There's going to be Nomu, though," Doko said, feeling a little sick. "Is it really going to be just us?"

Mirko smirked. "Relax, kid. I ain't gonna let anything happen to you on my watch. Besides, you're untouchable now, right? We can crush the Nomu easy-peezy." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm more worried about any League goons that they might have aboard. People who can actually use their Quirks with intention."

"That's why I'm going to stay in the air," Hawks said. "I'll be our eyes around the entire train area. My feathers are sharp enough to pierce glass. If necessary, I can flank our enemies through the windows, if you need my help."

Mina raised her hand. "What am I going to do? Am I not going with Doko and Mirko?"

Hawks shook his head. "I did some research into the type of train they're using based on the hospital schedule report. It has a magnetic emergency brake in the back car. I need you two to go back there and activate it. When that happens, the train's magnetic fins will disengage and it will be dragged to a stop, from back to front."

Tokoyami glanced at Mina. "It only takes one person to pull a lever. Would Ashido's skills not be better served with Mirko and Katayama, destroying equipment? She has a good Quirk for such a job."

Hawks shook his head. "I can't allow you to be by yourself on this train, Tsukuyomi. You need to stay partnered up. Besides, I haven't told you your whole job yet."

Both students raised their eyebrows at him.

"After you stop the train, head up to where they're keeping the equipment. We need Mirko and Everywhere to engage them from the front because they have the most capability to overwhelm. While all our enemies are focused on them, you two come in from behind…and finish the destroying job if necessary. A pincer movement. Maybe we'll even get an arrest or two out of the whole shebang if we're lucky." Hawks put his hands on his hips and turned to look at all four of them. "Capiche? Anyone have any major objections?"

Mirko shook her head. "It's a decent plan, Feathers." She slammed her fist into an open palm. "Just let me at 'em already."

Mina gave Doko a long look. Her pretty golden eyes glowed in the dusk. She looks so beautiful, so vulnerable. His breath caught in his throat. For a moment, he was filled with an incredible sense of foreboding.

"We're gonna be separated," she muttered.

"And that's okay," he reminded her. "We are each our own person. And I have every confidence in you. Take care of Tokoyami, alright?"

"Hey," the bird boy protested.

Mina managed a weak smile, then leaned forward and kissed Doko on the cheek. Just the cheek. "Good luck."

"He doesn't need luck," Mirko scoffed. "He's got me with him."

A bright light appeared on the horizon. A beam, catching against the railroad tracks and then traveling across the valley, from right to left. Headed south. Toward an unknown hospital, away from their previous one.

"There!" Tokoyami declared, pointing obviously.

It seemed to Doko that the wind had picked up a little, his hair flapping a bit in the breeze. "They're going fast," he commented. What are you thinking, League of Villains? What kind of plan is this? What is waiting for us aboard?

"Let's go!" Hawks said, and Doko felt a feather poke at his shoulder, and another at his armpit. Suddenly, he was lifted off the ground, the feathers pulling him along off the cliff, and up over the valley, hurtling for the train.

Hawks flew above him, red wings flapping frantically. More feathers danced down to support Doko's back. Being lifted and flown next to him was Mina, a similar amount of feathers dragging her along. "This is terrifying!" she yelped, her eyes darting toward the distant valley floor below.

Hawks laughed. "Just hang in there a little longer!"

Nearby, Tokoyami was using Dark Shadow Fallen Angel to carry Mirko, like he'd done with Aoyama during the battles with Class B. Mirko was pouting. "It's embarrassing to be carried by a student!" she screamed over the rushing wind.

Hawks laughed again. "Relax! I'm sure Tsukuyomi won't brag about it to anyone!"

"That is true," Tokoyami commented.

"I MIGHT BRAG, THOUGH!" Dark Shadow roared gleefully. "YOU GOT SOME NICE MUSCLES, LADY! ARE YOU SINGLE OR WHAT?"

"Shut up, Dark Shadow," Tokoyami hissed.

The train grew closer and closer. Doko could now hear it whistling along the tracks, the power of the magnetic fins emitting a strange hum. It was audible even over the rushing wind. Hawks banked left, and descended. They remained out of the light, rushing shadows overhead.

The rushing roof of the train appeared beneath Doko's feet. "Gonna drop you two now!" Hawks reported to them. "Ready?"

"Ready!" they both shouted back, though Mina's voice shook, and Doko didn't feel much better on the inside.

"Three! Two! One! DROP!"

The feathers pulled away, and Doko plummeted. He used his air-current boots that Mei Hatsume had made for him to slow down, but as he got close to the surface of the train, the air rushed away from him awkwardly. Oh, shit! He thought, windmilling his arms in the air. The train creates its own air current!

He crashed awkwardly onto the roof, rolling backwards in a somersault. The wind blowback caused by the train's speed pulled at him, but he dug his heels into the grooved metal surface, and slowed to a stop. He'd hit his head a little. "Ow," he said weakly, as Mina landed far more gracefully next to him.

Tokoyami and Mirko landed nearby. The bird boy pulled Dark Shadow back into himself, and flung his cloak over his shoulder to pull it out of the wind.

Hawks circled them overhead. "Go!" he urged.

Acid swam in Mina's palms. "This is my strongest stuff," she said, as Mirko and Tokoyami walked closer. Then, she shot it down in two arcs, meeting them to create a circle.

Smoke rose up from the metal, and then the material broke away, falling into the train in a mess of acrid-smelling goop. A hole had been created.

Mirko looked up at Doko. "You're with me, Everywhere."

"Come along, Ashido," Tokoyami said, and the two of them took off running, toward the back of the train.

Doko watched his girlfriend go, swallowed, and then looked down into the hole again. Below was darkness. "After you," he told Mirko in a small voice.

The rabbit heroine sighed and hopped down. "Ooh, yikes!" she hissed. "Watch out for your girlfriend's melty stuff on the floor! I think she took it a little too far!"

Doko jumped down, and warped sideways to ensure he stayed clear of that. When he landed, Mirko was tapping her tall ear. "Don't forget we're in communication," she said.

Doko nodded, and tapped his own device. "Hawks, do you read?"

"Loud and clear. All's quiet up top so far. Hurry."

"Understood."

The car they were currently in was dark, but there seemed to be a glow up ahead, seen through a small window in the door to the next car.

"Come on, kid," Mirko said. "Let's get this done."

…

Doctor Ujiko watched them approach via a security cam setup in the middle of the lab car. Lining both walls of this car were tanks containing High-End Nomu. Shigaraki was hidden away two cars back.

"Drat!" he snapped, seeing Doko Katayama on the screen, following behind the rabbit heroine. "Hawks didn't tell us that the warping boy would show up!"

Dabi shrugged. "That's what you get for relying on the birdbrain's information, anyway." He was standing guard, a few feet away. He cracked his knuckles, preparing for battle. "You got those low end Nomu ready? We're gonna need them. Mirko's gonna make a beeline for these tanks, and her kicks hit hard."

"With the warping boy here, things got a lot more difficult…" Ujiko muttered. "We need to back off! Or something!"

"Relax, doc. We knew Mirko would have UA students with her. It's gonna be fine." Dabi let a bit of blue flame dance across his hand. "Just keep a cool head."

Ujiko wasn't listening. Should I tell Yamishiwa? His younger assistant was guarding Shigaraki at the back. Should I tell him that his son is aboard? No, he couldn't abandon his precious High-Ends. Mirko and the boy were already too close. Dabi's right! We'll just have to think on the fly!

Besides, Hawks was going to ensure that they didn't lose to the heroes, right?

…

Mina and Tokoyami ran together along the top of the train, the wind fighting against them.

"This is strange, don't you think?" Tokoyami commented. "Every other time we've engaged the League has been against our will. The USJ, the forest camp…now, we're actively attacking them. And by ourselves, no less."

"The heroes have begun to put their trust in us," Mina said, after a small pause. "They respect how much we've gone through. We can't afford to waste that trust and respect by messing up."

"You really have matured a lot, Ashido."

"I'm glad you think so," she muttered. "I think I can see the end."

Sure enough, they skidded to a stop at the edge of the train. The tracks rushed away beneath them. There was a small balcony to jump down onto, with a lamp illuminating the door into the back car.

Tokoyami released Dark Shadow, who grabbed onto the edge of the train and swung the bird boy down. Then, the creature picked up Mina and set her down, a bit more gently. Mina patted Dark Shadow on the head, and then stepped forward, trying the door handle.

"Locked?" Tokoyami guessed.

"Obviously. It's no big deal for me, though." Mina was starting to realize why Hawks had sent her on this job specifically. Maybe he's smarter than he looks.

She reached forward and melted through the lock with acid. The door slid open, and they went inside a dimly lit, spacious, industrial sort of space.

Mina and Tokoyami both stopped short. The emergency brake was on the other end of the car, next to the door that led to the rest of the train. Standing between them and it was none other than the masked villain, Mr. Compress.

He made a show of bowing, twirling his hand in a theatrical gesture. "My dear UA students," he boomed. "It has been a while. So good to see you again…young Tokoyami."

…

The blue glow was extremely bright in the next car. Doko swallowed, preparing for battle. Mirko dashed forward and kicked the door in, sliding into the lab…

Blue fire burst out toward her in a narrow line, which she hopped over in an instant, planting herself atop one of the glowing Nomu tanks.

"Tsk," Dabi hissed. "I guess I should expect fast reflexes from the number five hero."

Mirko was grinning. "The fire prick! I missed the chance to kick your ass in Kyushu, AND you've got your precious Nomu here? This is the jackpot!"

Doko noticed past the flickering flames on the ground, behind Dabi, an old man in a lab coat. He was frantically typing on a computer, sweating. The Nomu creator?! We've GOT to take him out!

He warped in a zigzag, first to the left of the flames, then to the right, just past Dabi. The fire user tried to whirl and catch Doko in an arc with fire, but he zapped right over to the doctor, punched him in the stomach, and slammed him into the floor. The doctor screamed helplessly. "COME, MY NOMU!" he squealed.

Doko looked up in fear. Did he mean the crazy powerful-looking Nomu in these tanks? No, the door to the other side of the car was opening. And smaller Nomu were coming through it. At least a half dozen. Wait, no, that's not a relief! It's still a ton of Nomu!

He sensed rather than felt the heat from another Dabi fire blast coming up behind him. Doko teleported into the air, then back down, kicked Dabi in the head to use as a platform, and then warped up onto the top of the tank next to Mirko.

"We've got to destroy these fast!" he said, pointing down to them.

Mirko nodded. "And we've got a whole lotta company!"

The Nomu were crawling over themselves to get to the two heroes, while the doctor scrambled back out of the car, the way they had come. Doko didn't want to let him escape, but they had to destroy these tanks, too.

"Careful there!" Dabi shouted, sending more fire their way, causing them to split. "If you destroy those, you don't know for sure if the Nomu inside will attack you!"

Doko narrowed his eyes at the scarred man. "You're such an irritation. I'm calling your bluff." He slammed both fists into the tank beneath him, activating Void Shred.

WA-POW!

Purple slices of metal and glass burst out. The frontmost Nomu created an organic shield from its body mass, protecting Dabi and the others, but life-fluid still flooded the floor of the car, and the High-End Nomu slumped out of the tank lifelessly.

Dabi laughed. "Well, I guess that didn't work after all!" His eyes seemed crazed. "Tell me, where's Hawks? He's not helping you right now? Don't you think that's kinda weird?!"

Mirko's eyes narrowed, as she kicked in another High-End tank. Two down, four to go. "How did you know who'd be on this mission?"

Dabi wiggled his fingers. "A little birdie told me, of course. Attack them!"

The smaller Nomu scrambled forward. Mirko kicked another tank, but only managed to make a web of cracks in the glass before one of the Nomu grabbed her with an extended arm and yanked her backward. She flipped and spun, slamming an axe kick into its head. Doko warped and bobbed and weaved, ducking low to avoid a Nomu's swiping arm. Another arm came for him, this one sharpened in the shape of a blade. He almost panicked and warped away…but then stood his ground. Warp Shield, now!

He glowed purple, and the arm blasted back, the Nomu recoiling with a squawk. Dabi was slowly backing away in the direction the doctor had gone. Doko warped in to the Nomu Mirko was grappling with, and zapped upward, slamming his fist down onto its exposed brain…shredding it to mushy pieces. The Nomu collapsed.

Dabi cackled even as he backed up away from them. "Brutal, kid! You know that was a person once?!"

"And now it isn't, thanks to the likes of you. Don't think you can guilt me." Doko warped low to dodge another Nomu attack, then got himself the tank Mirko had already damaged a bit. "I only have one objective, and that's your defeat. I'll see that smug expression wiped off your stupid face for good!" And then…I can retire, and never unleash this void upon the Earth.

Mirko beamed. "That's it, kid!" Another Nomu came for her, but Doko swiped his hand upward almost lazily, and warped it backward. He made a mess of it, and accidentally took the thing's arm off…but it regenerated it. With Mirko now free, she finished her attack on the tank, and they both jumped away from the destruction and broken glass. More fluid sloshed about their feet as the train continued to move.

"You're awfully liberal with those powers of yours." Dabi was backed up to the door to the next car, flames dancing in his palms. "Are you going to shred me, too? Like you tried to do to little Shoto?"

Doko stopped short for a moment, confused. Shoto? Why is he talking about…Todoroki's first name? What?

In that moment, the blue fire came at him.

Instinctively, Doko activated Warp Field, but time seemed to slow. The fire was coming. And the heat was nearly upon him.

I can't warp plasma. That's going to pass right through my shield. I'm going to die if I don't move.

He rolled, the heat catching the side of his cheek like the memory of a slap. Then…a Nomu's foot pressed down onto his back, slamming him into the ground.

"GAAAAH!" Doko screamed. Dabi didn't waste an instant. He was running forward now with glee, his face seeming to warp terribly, pulling his scarred arm back to deliver the finishing blow…

"LUNAR ARC!" Mirko slammed herself down upon the Nomu's brain, causing it to fall away from Doko.

Dabi skidded to a stop, but Doko warped behind him, and swept his legs. The man began to fall, but reached out behind him as he fell and swept fire across the width of the train in an arc. Doko warped back with a hiss, sucking in his belly. His back hit the other door at the end of the train car.

I have a free path to the doctor, but…he looked past the short wall of blue flames, where Mirko still stood with three living Nomu and three undestroyed tanks. The train car had turned into an absolute mess. We have to finish this first!

Dabi was standing up in the midst of his blue flames, smoke rising from his body. "My own flames hurt me, you know," he said, still grinning like a madman. "I'll have to throw away everything, including my own body, to get what I want."

"I can't remember…" Doko warped past him, and slammed his fists into another tank. "...WHO ASKED!" Another purple blast. BOOOOOOOM!

The instant he'd freed the space between Dabi and the open door to the next to the car, the fire user fled, taking off in the direction the doctor had gone.

"We CAN'T let them get away!" Mirko roared, kicking another Nomu in the head. "We have to hurry up and finish this!"

Doko looked around wildly at their remaining targets. Two tanks, two living Nomu. He could just use Warp Field right now to scatter everything in the train car out to the outside valley, but that would mean farmers having to deal with live Nomu at night. He couldn't do that!

Dabi was crossing to the next car, nearly out of sight. "Ah, fuck it," Doko muttered, and pulled with his Quirk with both hands.

The fire user was forcibly warped back into the car with them, sliding along the ground with a shocked gasp. He whirled and looked around at Doko. Meanwhile, Mirko destroyed another tank. A Nomu came up behind Doko, but he warped sideways to dodge its attack, then punched it in the stomach, using Void Shred to tear it into a thousand pieces. He'd released his Quirk's hold on Dabi. The last Nomu was now attacking him, pulling all of his focus…

Instead of running again, Dabi blasted fire up toward Mirko as she hopped to the last tank. He led the shot, and blue fire caught against her leg, causing her to scream in pain. Doko's concentration broke…and the Nomu backhanded him across the floor of the train.

Dabi stepped forward. "If you're gonna pull me back in, best prepare yourself," he said. "I'm gonna…"

Doko gripped the thousands of glass shards all over the floor with his Quirk, and warped them into the last Nomu, shredding it. Mirko finished it off with a kick, and then they both made an instant beeline for Dabi, him being their very last target left in the car…

Three feathers came flanking in from the side window, stabbing Dabi in the sides and slamming his body into the wall. Then…the body melted into goop.

"A Twice clone!" Doko gasped. "But…"

Mirko tapped her earpiece, looking out the now-open window the feathers had burst through. "Thanks, Hawks, but we didn't need that shit! We've got to keep moving forward! The brains of the operation is back there somewhere…and probably more equipment!"

"I know!" Hawks screamed back, and in the background of his mic, Doko heard a deep, deep growl. "I've got…

…

"...Serious problems here!" He told them, flying in zigzags to avoid Gigantomachia's swinging fists.

The giant had come lumbering out of the dark of the woods as the train passed. Hawks had expected his arrival, of course, but that didn't make his massive, dark form any less imposing. He seemed perfectly capable of keeping up with the train. "Stupid little buzzing fly…" he mumbled as he tried to catch Hawks in his huge stoney grasp.

Hawks sent out another feather, probing for weaknesses. Even though this Giga is just a Twice clone, it's still a hundred times more durable than any average person!

Each step of his seemed to cause the ground to shake. Hawks had to keep him distracted. The instant that he decided he was more interested in the other heroes on the train…was the instant that Hawks' delicate balance here fell apart.

The heroes MUST win here. I've committed now, so I have to commit all the way. Once we destroy Shigaraki, there is no longer any value in me playing double agent. They'll know me for a traitor, but they will have lost their leader. From there, the rest will only be cleanup.

Then again, Hawks had not told the other heroes that Shigaraki would be aboard. That would have been too suspicious. They would have to find him and make the choice to take him out. Mirko will take care of that. He wished he could help, but it would take everything in him just to keep this giant occupied.

He dodged another fist, and sent a stabbing feather up into the giant's armpit. Giga made an annoyed sound, as if he'd just received a vaccine needle or something of a similar caliber. Why was the Dabi they ran into a Twice clone? I know the real Dabi is on the train somewhere. Does he have something planned?

And where was Mr. Compress?

…

"Ashido, get to the lever!" Tokoyami told her, as Dark Shadow reared out and grabbed onto Compress, slamming him into the side wall of the back car.

Mina took off running across the now-cleared space.

"Oh, dear," Compress said mildly, even as the shadow creature pinned him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

With his barely-free arm, he rolled an orb out toward Ashido's feet, and snapped his fingers.

A huge, sharp piece of debris burst up beneath her, causing her to hop nimbly upwards. In mid-air, she blasted down, melting.

Compress suddenly vanished, Dark Shadow's claws closing around nothing but air. Another orb rolled across the ground. Then, he reappeared in front of Ashido. "Did you forget I can compress myself?" he asked…and reached out to touch her.

Mina slid backward on her acid shoes. She knew that with a brush of his fingertips, he could put her into one of those orbs. And that was something Tokoyami had experienced firsthand.

Dark Shadow dashed forward to attack again, but Compress threw more orbs, and snapped them into huge bits of debris. The first one hit the creature hard, causing it to shrink back, but it rebounded and punched the next one, cracking it into two pieces. "This act won't be fun at all if you kids have no tricks up your sleeve," he commented in a pouting tone.

Mina clicked her teeth in annoyance and looked up at the roof. "Keep him distracted, Tokoyami! I've got an idea!"

She blasted her acid up to the ceiling, creating another hole. Compress looked up in surprise.

"Dark Shadow, give me a lift!"

The creature whirled around and made a beeline for Mina, preparing to pick her up…and Compress dashed straight for Tokoyami himself.

Mina gasped as time seemed to slow. Shit! I forgot how agile this guy is! Jumping from tree to tree to escape us, Bakugo and Tokoyami in the palm of his hand…

She underhanded acid below Dark Shadow, grazing the edge of Compress's leg. The man yelped in surprise and sidestepped, looking down at his smoking, tattered section of pants. "And these were so nice, too!" he commented.

Dark Shadow finished the job, lifting Mina up onto the roof.

Tokoyami pulled the creature back toward him, but Compress was still coming, and his fingers would reach.

Fumikage blinked. Katayama…that control training we did wasn't just for you. It was for me, too. It's the reason I can fight at night like this and not go crazy. And for too long have I relied on Dark Shadow to fight all my battles for me!

He dodged Compress's fingers, and punched him in the stomach with his own fist. The man hissed in pain and shock. Tokoyami kicked him in the shins, spun, and swept Dark Shadow across the car to land the finishing blow.

Compress just managed to duck the creature's swipe. He chuckled weakly, grasping his stomach with one hand while the other danced around his pocket. "You have improved, Tokoyami. I really do love to see it."

"Your theatricality is strong," Fumikage said, "but you misuse it for these villainous ends."

Compress threw out another orb, snapped, and manifested more debris. Dark Shadow pulverized it.

The magician continued to back up. "Are you going to lock me up yourself? Is this my last night as a free man?"

Fumikage smirked. "You were never our objective."

Just then, Mina melted another hole in the ceiling, this one directly above the emergency brake…and she dropped down to push it.

Compress whirled and reached out to use his Quirk on her. Dark Shadow dashed forward to stop him. Mina reached for the lever. Time slowed to a crawl.

If I can just push it, it won't matter if he gets me, she thought. If I can just do my job…be useful for once…feel like I've accomplished something…

And STOP THIS TRAIN!

She pulled the lever, and heard a squealing sound. The attack from Compress never came. The magician had dissolved into goop, causing Dark Shadow to shrink back in surprise. "GAH! DID YOU DO THAT, ALIEN ACID GIRL?"

Mina shook her head, eyes wide. "No. I think that's the double guy's Quirk. Of course they wouldn't risk their real bodies on a job like this."

The two students turned to exit the back car and head up to complete the pincer movement…when a huge roar shook the Earth.

Mina froze.

A MASSIVE impact slammed down in front of them, causing both of them to be uprooted into the air, the whole train car vibrating. POW!

Mina and Tokoyami slammed into the floor hard. She rolled, her vision blurry. Everything was spinning. She blinked…trying to make sense of what had just happened…

The entire front of the back car had been ripped off. She was seeing out into open air, seeing the rest of the train before them…

…Seeing it, speed away?

Huh? She thought, a cold curtain falling over her. But…I pressed the brake…

She remembered Hawks' words. The magnetic fins will disengage from front to back.

Something had disconnected the back car from the rest of the train as she'd braked it. Something had prevented the rest of the fins on the train from disengaging. And now…all their objectives were speeding away from them.

Mina took a terrified, lost step forward, toward the edge of the ripped-open car, slowing down on the tracks by the second. A huge, dark foot had slammed onto the connector, and was still planted across the width of the tracks.

Mina tilted her head up. The giant's dark gaze was fixed down upon her, its stoney body wreathed with muscle, its every movement seeming to creak.

The giant, she thought, every instinct in her body shutting down completely, as her brain threw itself back into middle school, back to that moment in the street of absolute horror. The cloaked giant.

We're…we're going to die.

…

Doko and Mirko ran into the next car, which was filled with something that wasn't Nomu or Nomu tanks. Instead, there were strange storage shelves filled with packets of something. Doko was reminded of bloodbags, though they all emitted that strange blue glow. And all the packets had writing on them. There had to be thousands.

"Quirks," Mirko whispered. "We have to destroy these, before they put them into more of those monsters. Come on!"

Then, two men emerged from the shadows at the other end of the car.

One of them was the old doctor Doko had punched earlier, slightly trembling, wringing his hands. Standing to the left and in front of him was a younger man, a taller man. Also in a labcoat. His straight dark hair was slicked back from his angular face. And his eyes…glowed a piercing violet.

Doko's Quirk stirred deep in his stomach. Something primal was happening. Something he had no power to stop. He looked at the man before him...

…and he knew.

Kasumi Yamishiwa lifted his hand, and the black goo that All For One had told Doko about a million years ago swam around in his palm. "Welcome, Mirko," he told the rabbit heroine. "And of course, how could I forget my pride and joy." His eyes turned toward Doko.

So he's a villain after all. Doko felt sick to his stomach, but he folded into a combat stance nevertheless. "Hello, Father," he said, causing Mirko to gasp.

Yamishiwa chuckled. "Oh, good. You catch on quickly."