Sorry for the two week disappearance. I have two reviews to reply to before we begin. Once again, I don't want to make this a habit.

LostBastille: An important thing to remember is that at this point in the story, the League is living in poverty. They probably used up all of their funds to get Compress his cybernetic arm, and likely wouldn't have much left over they'd be willing to put toward a costume for Denki. His hero costume is still at UA, since the students didn't take them to the training camp. He's probably still in a lot of the same clothes as the training camp. And Denki is smart. He knows he can't go back to his old living space because the heroes will likely catch him, and he can't access his old funds through the company under All For One's thumb, as the account is on record and can be digitally tracked. I suppose he could have just made some kind of cheap mask, but that wouldn't have been great for appearances in front of Overhaul. As for the yakuza plague masks, Toga and Twice don't wear them in canon (probably because they choose not to) but I highly doubt Chisaki would let them anyway. The masks seem like they're reserved for the inner circle, as most of the minor yakuza guys don't wear them. He wouldn't hand out the masks to League members he still barely trusts. Lastly, it's a weak defense, but I don't think Denki REALLY thought he was going to run into heroes that would recognize him as well as Aizawa and Deku do. The fact is, even if he was wearing a mask, they'd probably still recognize him or at least think he looks/sounds familiar.

TheKwertyOne: Doko's growth has been slow and steady. I wouldn't say it's been any slower than say, Deku's in canon, but if I'm wrong feel free to disagree. And…yes, of course Doko trains his Quirk? He does that every day in class with the rest of the students? I just don't bother showing it unless it's a major development, because that's not very exciting. If he didn't have his work study and his relationship to balance already, he probably WOULD be spending more time in the facilities outside of class, but he doesn't really have the time. Consistent Quirk training is what allowed him to focus enough to be able to warp a bullet in the first place. He just had to get over the drunk Quirk because yes, Doko has hangups, counters, and shortcomings, and he will continue to have them. He has had overpowered moments, but they will not become the norm until much later. I think an OP character is a lot more satisfying when it comes closer to the end of the story and feels like the result of a long buildup. If you want a fic where the main character is incredibly OP from the start, you have plenty of options already. I do however think your criticism of Doko being an "extra" and not affecting the events of canon enough is valid. That's mainly due to my own fear of diverging from canon. When I did so during the internship arc, people said they didn't find it as interesting, and the influx of chapter views, favorites, and follows decreased. I don't know if I have the writing skill to back up a major non-canon event. That said, I'm going to start trying soon. Doko caused a major canon divergence just last chapter, directly, with his own actions. He saved Mirio from turning Quirkless. And to answer your last question, the next arc will go into the nature of Doko's (and Kurogiri's!) Quirk.

Anyway, let's get into the chapter. The big five-o.

Chapter 50: The Great Rewind

Tsuyu's heart raced as the battle raged on. She kept thinking about what Doko had said to her. Be who you are. Be who you are…what does that mean?

"Don't let him touch you!" Ryukyu roared as she grappled with the massive yakuza man, circling and swiping each other, trying to hold each other in place. In her dragon form, she was just a bit bigger than him, but only just.

"His Quirk takes your life force to make himself bigger!"

The man gave Ryukyu a rough kick, whirled, and slammed his fist down toward Ochaco. Tsuyu whipped her tongue out and grabbed her friend, leaping away, pulling her to safety.

He growled and swiped with his fist, chasing them with it, but Nejire pulled up short and underhanded an energy surge into his face, knocking him back into Ryukyu, who clotheslined him with her wing, slamming him into the ground.

Ochaco and Tsuyu slid to a stop on the opposite side of the street. "Thanks, Froppy!" the brunette exclaimed, eyebrows arched down toward their enemy.

Tsuyu eyed him more warily as he struggled beneath Ryukyu. "Rikiya Katsukame. One of the members of Chisaki's inner circle."

"Good to know I'm famous," the man growled in a very low, reverberating voice, beneath his black-and-red plague mask. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

He kicked up with both legs, knocking the wind out of Ryukyu. The heroine gasped as she went flying back, and opened her wings to steady herself in mid-air. "FORMATION!" she yelled to her sidekicks.

Ochaco and Tsuyu looked at each other, and nodded. They split, running down the street toward the battle.

Ryukyu folded her wings and dived like an arrow straight at Katsukame, who raised his fists to counterattack. At the last second, she opened her wings again, blinding him, and leapt over his head, revealing Nejire behind her.

The Big Three member sent yellow spirals out of both hands, straight for the man's chest. Rikiya had lifted his hands to protect his face when Ryukyu had jumped him, leaving his torso open, and the energy slammed into him, causing him to roar in pain, doubling over.

Ochaco lifted up the street debris with her Quirk, and Tsuyu spun with her tongue outstretched, throwing it toward him. "RELEASE!" Ochaco roared, returning the weight to the boulders as they struck against Rikiya at full speed. His knees buckled from the final impact.

Behind, Tsuyu heard someone cry out. She turned. It was a young woman, watching the ensuing scene from the sidewalk.

An annoyed croak escaped her throat. Hadn't they completely evacuated this area prior to the raid? What was this woman still doing here?

Ochaco opened her mouth to say something, but Tsuyu stopped her. "I'll take care of it, ribbit. Continue the battle!"

She leapt toward the woman, who was staring toward the fight with wide, scared eyes. Her gaze re-focused on Tsuyu as she arrived in front of her. "Ma'am, this area was evacuated," Tsuyu told her calmly. "You need to leave."

"Oh, I…" the woman blinked. "I was just going for my morning walk…I don't live in this area…I was wondering why no one was around…what's going on?"

"A villain attack," Tsuyu said quickly, lying effortlessly. She wasn't sure what she was and wasn't allowed to say to bystanders, because there weren't supposed to be any! "Now, if you could please get as far as you can in the opposite direction of here?" Behind them, Ryukyu slammed the yakuza member into a wall, and the ground shuddered, causing Tsuyu to wince.

The woman looked annoyed, and began to turn around. "Alright, alright! The attitude isn't necessar…" She stopped and looked back at Tsuyu. "Hey, I know you! I saw you in the news!"

Tsuyu's mouth twitched.

"You're the little brat who doesn't care about anything! What kind of hero gives off such an attitude? I thought it might not be true, but now that I've run into you, I know it is!"

Tsuyu felt her lip tremble. Tears were threatening to pool in her eyes. Be who you are.

"What makes you think I don't care about anything? My expression?" Tsuyu muttered quietly. "Please leave, ma'am. I care about you, and this place is dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt."

The woman blinked at that, and then turned around, walking off. "Alright, whatever."

Sniffling, Tsuyu turned back toward the battle. She didn't feel great about that interaction at all. But the fight was more important.

Apparently, she'd missed quite a bit. Rikiya had been somewhat halted in the middle of the street, Nejire's wave paralyzing him in place.

"Now!" Ryukyu roared to the police, and they swarmed him, throwing the restraint around his chest and arms, and tightening it. He roared and tried to knock a few of them away, but Ryukyu caught one, and Tsuyu caught another with her tongue, catching up next to Ochaco.

The brunette nodded. "There you are! Did you get that woman clear?"

Tsuyu put the policeman down with a nod. "Taken care of." She didn't reveal anything else.

Be who you are…

…

"Hehehe…I'll leave you three to catch up…" Himiko giggled, standing up next to Kaminari. As she backed up, she whispered in his ear, "Thanks for the save, dear. Don't forget: plus chaos. I'm gonna go meet up with Twice."

Denki could barely process what she was saying as she backed out of sight. A hole in the wall opened up: Mimic, letting Toga escape. She disappeared on the other side.

Plus chaos? So I guess Toga and Twice are betraying the yakuza now? Denki didn't know if he could do that. Was this his moment to decide his loyalty?

First priority was getting away from Aizawa and Midoriya, though…as fast as possible.

"K-Kaminari…" Midoriya sputtered. The lightning that powered his strange Quirk had died out. "You…you're with th-them? YOU'RE THE TRAITOR?!"

"Hehe…" Denki took a step backward. Aizawa was watching him. Denki knew his Quirk was probably erased, and even so, he didn't stand a chance against Midoriya anyway. "Well, the thing is…"

"Deku," Aizawa said, very calmly. "Get back to the others. I'm dismissing you from this mission."

Midoriya's eyes bugged out. "What?!"

"I said you kids would be out if we ran into a situation like this."

Denki looked back and forth between them. Midoriya suddenly crackled with lightning again, and his eyebrows arched down toward Aizawa. "Did you already know about this? Did you know he was a traitor?"

Eraser Head took pause. He still didn't tear his gaze away from Denki, frustratingly. "I knew, yes," he said quietly. "We had to hide the truth from the world. UA was already in hot water to start with."

"And you'll be in even hotter water!" Denki warned. He wondered what Toga and Twice were up to. Why wouldn't Mimic let him out, too? He needed an escape route. "Mimic!" he whispered through the corner of his mouth, at the wall behind him. "Irinaka, are you there? Let me out of here!"

Midoriya seemed angry. "What about the rest of the class? They thought his parents simply pulled him out of school!"

"My parents are gone," Denki called. "I serve one master now. All For One. He gave me my Quirk, and my life. I would never expect the likes of you to understand."

Something flashed across Midoriya's face. For a moment, Denki's heart skipped a beat, and the two boys met eyes…it was almost like…yes. Midoriya DID understand.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Deku," Aizawa said. "Find Kirishima and the other members of Class A, and get out of this facility. You are no longer permitted to operate as a hero here."

Midoriya seemed aghast. "Find…do you know what you're saying right now, sir? Finding the other members of Class A includes Katayama, who, according to that warp-voice message we all just heard, is already at Chisaki and is fighting him with Lemillion! Fighting for the girl! And every second we waste here is another second for Chisaki to escape! They need our help up ahead!"

"Sure," Aizawa agreed, "but not your help."

"It's a tough world, isn't it Midoriya?" Denki called across the room. "Almost makes you wonder if answering to the authority is really worth it."

"Shut up!" Eraser Head growled, his scarf flaring up. "I can't believe I let the likes of you sit in my classroom, right under my nose. Deku, don't listen to him. Run back."

"Oh, I'll run alright," said Midoriya. "I'll run to Eri, and Togata-senpai, and Katayama. I'll help them, because that's what we came here for."

"Mimic!" Denki hissed toward the wall. What the hell were the rest of them doing? What was taking so long? "Any day now!"

Eraser Head finally whirled to look at Midoriya. "Deku, if you do that, I will be forced to…"

Denki didn't waste any time. Sure that his Quirk had returned, he dashed forward across the room. Midoriya gasped and lit up again, causing Aizawa to whirl back, realizing what he'd done. But it was too late; Denki shoved his hands into his old teacher, and electrocuted him.

Eraser Head roared in pain, crumbling, and Denki felt the shadow of a fist fall over his face. He leapt out of the way, causing Midoriya's blow to slam into the ground instead, shuddering the room and kicking up dust and debris.

Deku's face and limbs crackled with green light. "You really are a villain after all," the boy snarled. "Taking advantage of our argument…I can't believe I thought of you as a friend."

"Were we friends?" Denki asked, genuinely confused. "I don't seem to remember that."

Midoriya zoomed at him again, with unfathomable speed. Denki slid sideways, pushing himself against the wall. He couldn't avoid the other boy's attacks for very long.

He held his lips to the wall. "MIMIC!" he roared. "LET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Suddenly, the room began to rumble.

Both Denki and Midoriya stopped, looking around in confusion. Dust was shaking from the ceiling.

And then, the room began to flip and warp.

"GAAAAAAAAH!" Irinaka roared from inside the wall. "YOU LEAGUE BASTARDS! YOU FUCKING BASTARDS! BETRAYING US!"

A pillar of stone shot out between Denki and Midoriya, aiming at the former's feet. Denki gasped and tried to move, but it was coming too fast, ready to puncture him. At the last moment…Midoriya swept in, and grabbed him, pulling him to safety.

The two boys tumbled down together to the floor, gasping.

"You didn't have to do that," Denki coughed at him. Midoriya still had him in his arms.

"My legs just moved on their own," Deku mumbled back.

"Man, you really are a hero. Such a shame." Denki released his Quirk again, electrocuting Midoriya hard, causing him to faint there on the floor.

Aizawa, unfortunately, was starting to stir across the room, which was now moving like rippling water, while Mimic screamed in fury.

Denki looked around at the ceiling in panic. "HEY! WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"YOU LEAGUE FUCKS ARE SCUM, THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON!" Another pillar shot out at him, and he realized he had just electrocuted the only person that could save him. At the last second, Denki managed to dodge. But he was running out of breath fast, and he felt a little woozy from the two full-power electric attacks.

Toga, Twice, what the hell did you two do? Did you betray them somehow? Plus chaos, Toga had said…but if the two of them had a plan of some kind, they certainly hadn't told him about it!

"MIMIC!" Denki roared. "PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!" Another pillar shot at him, but the flipping of the room made it easy to tumble out of the way. Aizawa groaned nearby; he was starting to fully wake up.

"WHY SHOULD I?" Irinaka roared back.

"LISTEN, please." Denki held himself against the wall, trying to stabilize. It slipped and rippled beneath his fingertips. "I'm not with the League, not really. Ever since I met Chisaki, I thought he was the better candidate to succeed my master, All For One. Better than Shigaraki…"

"WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU?!"

"Irinaka, just…I want to help you guys. The yakuza. I believe in your plan. Toga and Twice would have been happy to let these heroes capture you, but look! I just electrocuted both of them! I just need to stay with the League a little longer so I can get the intel I need…but I want to join you guys…really…" He'd made up his mind. It was the yakuza life for him, at least until All For One broke out of prison. And if his master was unhappy with what he'd done, and decided to kill him, then…well, that was the master's choice.

"Please, Mimic. I have no pride, only a desire to help. Let me through the wall and back to my former allies. I'll ensure that they get what they deserve."

Mimic said nothing. The walls continued to move, but he said nothing in response.

For a moment, Denki wilted, fearing that it was all over; that he'd failed. But then, a hole in the wall opened up beneath him, and suddenly he was sliding. Sliding away from Aizawa and Midoriya as they stirred. Sliding down a tunnel, toward Toga and Twice.

A clean escape.

…

Nighteye watched as the two members of the League made their escape, cackling as they went. Twice and Himiko Toga. Known criminals. They'd enraged Irinaka enough to cause him to unleash his full power, and now they were backing out.

He steadied himself in the flipping, warping hallway, as the police around him crashed into each other. The chief looked around wildly at the ceiling. "Where is he?!" he demanded.

"I'm not…I'm not sure…" Nighteye adjusted his glasses. Maybe if he'd gotten to touch Bubaigawara before he'd retreated, he could have used his Quirk to figure something out…

"Where are Rock Lock and Eraser Head? We need them in order to take Irinaka out…"

Without them, they couldn't move forward.

They couldn't help Lemillion and Everywhere…

Mirio…

…

How long had it been? Ten minutes? Twenty?

More spikes from the floor. He warped them to pieces. Again, from the left wall. Destroyed them too. Purple flash after purple flash. Holding Overhaul back, at any cost.

Doko felt his limbs strain against the continued effort of battle. But he couldn't stop now. Eri was still behind him.

In a brief window in-between his spike attacks, Mirio rushed in, phasing through the wall, and swinging out a hard kick to Chisaki's face. His foot passed through the man's outstretched palm, and partially crushed his purple mask. As Mirio landed, Chisaki whirled, and slammed his other palm into the ground, sending spikes his way.

Mirio hissed and activated his Quirk in his foot, a second too late. The spike partially punctured him, causing a spray of blood. Mirio winced and sank into the floor, retreating.

Blood and bruises dripped down Chisaki's face…but he lifted his own hand to it, and repaired it with his Quirk. "You're getting tired, heroes," he snarled. "But every blow you land on me, I will heal. And I WILL get to Eri."

We need more people, Doko thought drowsily, overuse of his Quirk exhausting him. Where is our backup? Did they not hear my message?

He switched places with Mirio, going on the offensive. He slammed his foot into another round of spikes, scattering them to the walls. As he closed the distance to Chisaki, he spun his glowing hands, pulling the debris he'd just created with him, and rained it down on the yakuza leader's head.

Chisaki backed off, shaking himself free, as Doko arrived, punching him in the chest, warping sideways to avoid his fingertips, and punching him again in the back.

Chronostasis's hair bobbed and weaved in toward him, and Doko warped low, steering clear of it. Chisaki jabbed a fist toward his head, and he warped upward, kicking off the ceiling and delivering another blow to the man's face. Chisaki backed off, forming a concrete wall up between them with his Quirk, and healed himself again.

Doko charged toward the wall, ready to burst it to pieces, but Chrono's hair came in from behind him, and he had to duck.

Mirio arrived again, appearing out from the floor and knocking Chronostasis aside. Overhaul immediately shifted his palms to the floor again, aiming for Eri further down the hall, but Doko warped himself between them, removing the spikes again.

He and Mirio had been switching out, one going on attack while the other defended Eri. But how much longer could they hold up, if Chisaki kept healing himself and his aide?

If Doko was getting tired, then Mirio was feeling it even more so…he'd been fighting for at least a few minutes longer, and his Quirk required even more concentration than Doko's did.

Mirio reached forward to land another fist on Chisaki's face. It was a straight-on attack, simple, almost lazy.

Like usual, his fist passed effortlessly through Overhaul's outstretched palm…but then, millimeters from making solid contact, Chronostasis's hair stabbed right through the fist.

Mirio shrieked, suddenly slowing down and falling back. Chrono pulled his hair back into his hood. "Those hit with the clock hands have to slooooow down," he said. "Only the minute hand was long enough to reach you, and I had to get the timing just right…but I'm all about time, aren't I."

Chisaki loomed over the now-slowed Mirio, who was clutching his fist in pain. "Now die, hero." He reached down toward Mirio's face with his hands.

Doko pulled with his Quirk, knowing that this was probably all that was left in him. To save Mirio. The blonde's body glowed purple as Chisaki's hands came down…

And Doko heaved, warping Mirio back to him with one great cry of effort. Chisaki's hands swiped through open air.

Mirio, now in Doko's arms, looked up at him, confused. "Everywhere? You…"

"I had to…" Doko gasped, doubling over. He was tired, so tired. They'd been fighting for too bloody long. "Couldn't let you die…"

"Chronostasis's minute hand only slows me for a minute," said Mirio. "I reckon I've still got about forty seconds left. You have to hold them off until then!"

Doko stepped in front of his senpai, in front of Eri.

"No…" the girl muttered. "Please, stop…this is the end…you won't be able to go on…"

Although his limbs were resisting, full of lead and lactic acid, he let his Quirk flow. He had to try, even if he passed out from the effort.

"Everywhere," Eri gasped, as if just realizing what she should call him. "Please give up. Please let me go to him…that's the only chance you have of living…"

There was nothing he could to reassure her. Nothing. He was worthless, unable to save someone who was in such a horrible situation.

He just had to convince her not to go back to him, at whatever cost.

"He's gonna kill me no matter what you do," Doko told her flatly, getting into his combat position, staring Chisaki down.

Overhaul chuckled. "That's the spirit."

…

Shota Aizawa crawled his way toward the boy in green, laying on the floor just a few feet away. The floor kept slipping and sliding beneath him, making it impossible…his whole body ached. And Denki Kaminari was long gone.

He'd failed. He'd so unequivocally failed.

Just like he'd failed Shirakumo…

"Deku…" Shota gasped, gripping the floor with his fingers, trying to reach his student. "Midoriya, get up…"

Izuku stirred, blinking his eyes groggily.

"Midoriya…I'm sorry. You're right, we never should have kept it a secret…"

Izuku's ears pricked. Even if he couldn't get up yet, he was listening. He was listening to Aizawa.

"And I know you're angry. You have every right to be…"

Midoriya's gloved fist closed.

"So now I need you to focus that anger on the objective ahead. Let's take out this Mimic bastard, and blast a path to the others. Let's save this little girl. Are you with me, Midoriya?"

Green lightning sprayed out over the room.

…

"He turned out to be more bark than bite, huh?" Ochaco commented nervously as the police restrained Katsukame.

"He inhales the life force of those around him to make himself bigger," Ryukyu said. "A troublesome opponent. Good that we got him out of the way…"

Nejire pointed toward the house. "The commotion outside has died down! The fighting must be the worst on the inside!"

"We've got to try and catch up to Nighteye," Ryukyu told them. "We've been out here for far too long."

"Right!" Ochaco and Tsuyu followed her toward the destroyed gate, ready to join the real battle at last…

And suddenly, Ochaco felt woozy, her feet losing their balance.

"Huh?" Ryukyu turned.

Ochaco, Tsuyu, and most of the police collapsed to the ground, all within range, as Rikiya took a deep, deep breath.

Nejire backed off, her nostrils flaring. "I thought he had to touch someone to use his Quirk!"

"I took a little boost…" Katsukame chuckled, straining at his restraints, and then destroying them with bursting, muscled arms. "I FEEL GREAT!"

Ryukyu immediately returned to dragon form, and held him in place. They were now about the same size, due to the life force he'd inhaled.

"NEJIRE!" she roared.

"SPIRALING WAVE SURGE!" Nejire shouted, blasting herself into the sky, and throwing everything she had at Katsukame.

Ochaco struggled to her feet. She had to get up. What kind of hero was she if she got taken out so easily? It was embarrassing. It was infuriating.

"Froppy!" she coughed out, seeing Tsuyu stand as well.

She reached in, and touched Rikiya, making him float. Ryukyu gave him a push, as Nejire continued to blast him with her surges.

"Froppy, pull him down the street!"

Tsuyu obeyed, flipping her tongue out to restrain him, and running along, carrying the massive bulked-out villain like some kind of gruesome balloon. Nejire and Ryukyu flew behind, pushing him along, and Ochaco ran alongside Tsuyu, her heart racing.

"How are you broads still standing?" Rikiya roared, aghast.

"Because every day, we're told…"

"Go beyond!"

"PLUS ULTRA!"

Ochaco suddenly pulled up short. Deku was standing in the middle of the street, pointing.

"Deku? I thought you were below!"

"The tunnels have another exit!" he said frantically. "Our objective is directly beneath that intersection! If you guys open it up, you can help save the girl! Hurry!"

Slightly confused, Ochaco turned back to look at Ryukyu for approval.

She was still pushing the villain along, but through her effort she grunted, "Let's do it! If it's a shortcut, that saves us the time of running through all those tunnels!"

Nodding, Ochaco and Tsuyu followed Deku toward the intersection.

"Release your Quirk, Uravity! We'll use this guy to slam the road open!"

Ochaco backed off, her heart pounding…and she pressed her fingers together. "Release…"

Katsukame and Ryukyu slammed into the ground as Tsuyu pulled her tongue out to safety. The road cracked and crumbled beneath them, and Nejire pushed her waves even further, breaking it apart.

A great hole formed up below them, and suddenly, they were falling. Ryukyu and the villain. The hole was spreading, like a massive sink. The road cracked and fell into itself, revealing a deep, deep pit.

Nejire gasped and righted herself in mid-air, balancing her feet on her waves. Tsuyu leapt into the hole after them. "Our objective is below, ribbit!"

Ochaco blinked, about to float herself down into the chasm, to follow her boss and the direction of the action…but wait. Where had Deku gone?

She looked up and around. She could see Nejire, still floating on the edge of the pit…and then, just barely around the corner of a building, she saw something that made her heart stop.

Kaminari?

It was Kaminari and Deku. Did Kaminari live in this area or something, and had randomly showed up to help? Perhaps against the will of his parents?

And then, she saw two more people with them. Twice, and Mr. Compress. Two League members.

Suddenly, Deku melted away, revealing a naked Himiko Toga, smiling a fanged, ear-to-ear grin. Her yellow eyes glowed, unmistakable.

They'd been tricked.

And Kaminari was…with them?

Tsuyu's words briefly flashed through her mind. If it comes down to stopping the League or saving the girl…

But Tsuyu hadn't known about this. This…betrayal. And Ochaco's blood was boiling too much to think of anything else.

She took off running. There was no time to waste.

Nejire saw her. "URAVITY, WAIT!"

She could hear what they were saying now. "You're a clone!" Twice was telling Compress. "Go down there and get the girl! The asset that the yakuza needs!"

"I thought this was revenge for my arm, too!"

"Not your arm," Kaminari said. "The arm for the real Compress."

He was talking with them! Strategizing with them like they were friends!

The traitor. The traitor. The traitor…

Toga saw her first, and her eyes lit up. "OH, LOOK WHO'S COMING!" a blush spread across her cheeks.

"You bastard," Ochaco spat at Kaminari, closing the distance. "Were you with them the whole time? I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!"

…

Right as Chisaki came in to deliver the final blow, right as the light in Doko's body began to die out, right as he accepted that this was his last stand…

…the ceiling exploded.

Raining down on them was debris and boulders and underground water, all manner of things. Doko backed away, his vision rapidly becoming clouded with dust and crashing objects. Where had Overhaul gone? Where was Mirio? Eri? What had just happened?

A huge BODY crashed to the ground next to him, causing him to jump. The dust cleared somewhat, and he saw that it was Ryukyu in her dragon form, on top of the villain guy that they'd been fighting at the front gate.

"DOKKUN!" a voice ribbited from behind him.

Doko turned. Tsuyu landed lightly on a crashed boulder.

"You f-forget yourself…" he breathed, trying to smile through his pain and exhaustion. "I'm Everywhere while we're w-working, remember?"

He could barely stand and keep his eyes open.

Tsuyu's tongue wrapped around his torso. "You need to get out of here! You're hurt bad!"

"Lemillion…Lemillion and Eri…they're somewhere here…" He let his body go limp, having Tsuyu take over. Where were Deku and Eraser Head and Nighteye? How had the girls overtaken them, after being halted at the front gate?

"RYUKYU!" Tsuyu was shouting. "THE GIRL IS SOMEWHERE HERE!"

"I have eyes on Chisaki!" the dragon roared back. "Where's Uravity?"

Tsuyu looked around wildly. "I…I don't know…"

Doko looked up groggily. Several people had been tossed up in midair, almost as if they were floating. He saw Eri! There she was, white hair and everything!

He pointed up weakly, with a trembling finger. "E…Eri…there…"

Tsuyu looked up. Another person was up there, sliding down the pit. Doko vaguely recognized them. A masked guy in a top hat? Mr….Mr. Compress?

The League…

But before Mr. Compress could reach Eri, a huge wave of spikes came hurtling up from the corner of the pit. Gasping, Ryukyu pushed herself off of Katsukame. "FROPPY! TO SAFETY!"

Pulling Doko along, Tsuyu leapt up onto the dragon's back, as spikes continued to fill the room. Doko felt a vague sense of panic, through all the fatigue. No, where's Lemillion. We can't leave him behind. Don't take me out of here!

The spikes sliced right through Compress, and he dissolved to mud. That confused Doko even as it looked vaguely familiar. More League trickery…or am I just losing my mind?

Eri was falling, and Ryukyu was rushing to catch her. "Find Lemillion…" Doko croaked. "You have to find him…"

A stone platform was raised out of the ground, Chisaki standing on top of it. He reached Eri first.

…

As Ochaco closed the distance, Toga shoved Compress down the pit, a smile still on her face. "Bye, Mister! We'll take care of this!"

She turned back, brandishing her knife. Kaminari raised his fists, electricity coursing through them.

Ochaco didn't care. She kicked up some debris off the ground with a spin, floating it, and then rained it down on Kaminari, hitting him in the head hard, making him stagger back into Twice.

Toga came leaping out to meet her, laughing gleefully, but the blonde girl was naked and vulnerable. Ochaco ducked the first knife swing and punched the other girl in the chest, hard. Toga staggered, teetering on the edge of the chasm on her toes. She windmilled her arms frantically, her knife nearly escaping her hands.

Ochaco rushed forward to give her a final shove down the hole, but Kaminari came up behind her, and shocked her in the back.

Ochaco screeched in pain, backing away. Her costume was made of some kind of elastic material that absorbed the shock somewhat, but it still hurt.

"I should have known," she gasped, turning and making eye contact with him. "Your Quirk was never meant for a hero."

Infuriatingly, Kaminari only gave her a sad smile. "It was never meant for me at all."

Twice rushed forward to finish Ochaco off…and then Nejire swept in from the sky, blasting a huge wave that knocked all three villains away, down the alley.

The blue-haired girl landed next to Ochaco, panic in her eyes. "I told you not to rush in!"

Ochaco blinked, annoyed. She felt a little woozy. "Why? What's the proble…" Something rushed through her head, and she swayed.

Nejire's eyes widened as she looked at Ochaco's torso. "You're bleeding!"

"Huh?" Ochaco looked down. Sure enough, blood was leaking from a stab wound in her chest. Had Toga gotten her without her realizing? Stupid bitch.

Oh, suddenly it was all just too tiring. Far too tiring…

The last thing Ochaco saw was Nejire's worried face looming over her.

…

Chisaki had reached Eri. He had reached her first.

Doko felt a familiar rage coursing through him. The last vestiges of his Quirk, the last push of adrenaline that he could muster before passing out completely. Ryukyu was still flying, closing the distance, but not fast enough. Only he was fast enough.

He had to. He had to do it.

"Tsuyu, get your fucking tongue off me."

The frog girl was so shocked, she obeyed, freeing him.

Doko pulled himself to his feet, unsteady on the dragon's back, and took off at a run up her spine. "SORRY ABOUT THIS!" he yelled to Ryukyu, as he bounced his feet off her head…and warped to Chisaki's platform.

Several things happened at once.

Rikiya Katsukame roared from below, leaping up to join the battle.

Green lightning sprayed from the nearby wall, bursting it to pieces, revealing the arriving Deku, fury smote upon his face.

And light burst from Eri's horn, a bright white-yellow, sparking out wildly, all over Chisaki and the platform and…

A stray fork of the energy from her horn passed over Doko as he tried to land on the platform, blasting him back, away from the platform, far away toward the bottom of the pit…

He thought one last thing: Eri just hit me with her Quirk.

He lost consciousness.