Ember Sunblaze:Hello! The story is starting to really heat up! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter. Please note that there will be an author's note at the end of the chapter. As always, please let me know how you all liked (or disliked) the chapter ^_^

Chapter 14: The Confrontations

Uravity, Pinky, and Earphone Jack repeated their routine of signaling, disarming and capturing. Managing to bound up, not only Kaminari, but Mineta, and Tokoyami as well. Happy as they were about their success so far, they also found the intermissions between each boy appearing along their tunnel growing shorter, signaling that suspicion may already be rising of where they were located. In fact, Uravity and Pinky were still struggling with securing a weighted net over Dark Shadow when Earphone Jack was already giving the warning of another boy approaching.

"Already?!" Pinky complained, tying an extra layer of duct tape to Dark Shadow's thrashing beak as Uravity shone a bright light over his head.

"I'm not going to have time to take them back." Uravity said, quickly shutting off the light.

"We'll just have to leave them here for now." Pinky stood, wiping her brow as she admired her work. Both Tokoyami and Dark Shadow were bound together with thick, metal chains. Dark Shadow's beak was duct taped to the extreme, with a sack covering his head. "If we're lucky, whoever discovers them might get enough of a shock for us to get a good hit in!"

Uravity nodded, noting a nervous edge in her tone. The next targets that appeared would most likely be some hard hitters, meaning both girls would need all the advantages they could get to subdue them. "If it's Bakugo, I'll run and grab the fire extinguisher and metal chains. If Kirishima, the shields and rods and then if Deku comes…" She grimaced, not looking forward to that encounter. Suddenly, Pinky's hand squeezed her shoulder. Uravity glanced up questioningly, and saw her attention was directed at Earphone Jack. Turning quickly, her own face paled as she realized Earphone Jack had vanished from her spot.

"Where did she go?" Uravity whispered, fighting back panic. "She was just there!" Pinky shook her head, equally confused. They locked eyes, both wondering the same thing…what now? Knowing that they didn't have much time till their next target arrived, Uravity dashed towards the tunnel entrance. "I have to know who we're dealing with!" Kneeling down, she peered into the darkness, straining to get a glimpse of their next opponent.

Uravity shrieked, heart almost bursting from her chest as a rock hard fist pummeled right through the stone wall above her. Reeling backwards, she saw the arm retreat, a red eye peeping in and glaring down at her. There was no mistake who they belonged to.

Kirishima roared, pounding away at the rest of the rock wall. Uravity held up her arms, trying to shield herself from the debris. "Acid Veil!" Pinky shouted, sliding over quickly, throwing a wall of acid up that completely dissolved any rocks that came in contact. "Take Tokoyami and warn Creati about what's going on!" She ordered, watching as Kirishima stomped his way towards them through the crumbled wall. "I'll deal with Kirishima."

Uravity hesitated, feeling uneasy about leaving her friend to fight alone. Especially against someone she knew she had feelings for. "Mina…let me…"

"It's Pinky." Pinky reminded her, golden eyes hardening as she spoke. "Don't forget we're heroes right now. Nothing comes before that."

Uravity nodded, letting those words sink it. "I'll be back soon to back you up!" She promised, hurrying over to grab their captives. As Uravity's footsteps quickly faded away into the dark tunnel, Pinky and her opponent circled each other. Each trying to plan out their next move.

Kirishima stood poised with his body completely hardened, muscles swelling to twice their normal size and sharpened to dangerous points. To Pinky, the resemblance was more of a monster rather than to a boy. The passionate, manly warmth he had once illuminated had vanished completely. Leaving only a fragmented, cold beast in its wake. Somehow, the image felt like a slap in the face to her.

As if sensing her thoughts, he gave a loud snarl, lunging forward with fist raised to attack. Pinky calmly moved to the side, foot coming out and tripping him. He tumbled down with a crash, with Piny glowering down at his fallen form with cold, penetrating eyes. "You missed, Kirishima."

Growling furiously, he jumped up and began throwing out a whirlwind of punches. Pinky continued to easily dodge, moving only ever so slightly to keep out of harm's way. As he tired, she ducked under his arm, giving him a kick to the back that once again sent him to the ground.

"You know, didn't you once promise me that you would say goodbye to that pathetic side of yourself?" She asked, as memories of their first day at U.A. drifted back at her. When he had confronted her with his new look and outlook on life, promising her he would fight to reach her level someday. Back then, he had just a classmate she wanted to cheer for and support from the side. But things had changed. Now, she wanted to be there with him along the way. Both of them to move up in the hero world together as a team. Or even something more than that.

Pinky jerked back as he rose, coming at her with a surprise uppercut. She jumped back, tossing balls of acid in the space between them. Kirishima paused his pursuit, seething at her between the steam that rose from the spray. She glared back, fists shaking as the memories only fueled her despair of what her friend had become. "What happened to that?!" She yelled, letting angry tears she had been holding back finally escape. "Cause right now, seeing you attacking your friends over some new woman…" She shook her head in disgust. "Well, that seems pretty pathetic to me!"

He gave a feral roar, lashing out at her with nails sharpened to lethal points. Pinky moved to the side and grabbed his arm as she cried out, "Not to mention… SUPER UNMANLY!" Using his own weight as leverage, she flipped him over her shoulders. He landed with a loud crash, the ground beneath him cracking.

Now positively fuming, the red head reached his arm out and grabbed the base of the nearest stalagmite. With bulging his muscles he tore it from the ground, swinging his new weapon towards Pinky. The pink hero bit her lip, pushing down the wave of sadness, fury and disappointment and replacing them with a crooked grin of indifference. "You want to play rough, eh?" Pinky replied, cracking her knuckles. "Let's play rough then!"

As Pinky and Kirishima fought, a silent, more subdued battle was going on not far from them

"Damn it!" Earphone Jack cursed, cold sweat trailing down her face. "How did I get myself into this mess?!"

Kai had her entangled in his tentacles, not too far from the tunnel where she had been stationed. One tentacle had wrapped itself around her body, binding her arms against her body and twisting tightly around her neck. Two other tentacles had pulled on each of her ear jacks to their full length and plastered them to the wall, their strong suckers keeping the jacks from moving even an inch. Kai hovered over her, studying her with a cold, unfeeling gaze that gave her chills.

"How…did…I…not...hear…you?" She managed to ask, the grip on her throat making it difficult to speak.

Kai snorted at the question. "Cause I've known where you've all been hiding this whole time." He extended a tentacle towards the sounds of Pinky and Kirishima's battle down the tunnel. "All I had to do was keep sending your little classmates to you one by one. Each time you all were distracted, I just got closer and closer."

Earphone Jack was speechless. "All that planning…was for nothing." She shut her eyes, feeling like an idiot. "How…did he figure it out?!" Her answer came when she felt a slimy, wet tentacle crawl up her leg. "What's that!?" She was ashamed of how scared her voice sounded.

To her surprise, Kai grinned, obviously amused at her reaction. "For a hero, you sure get startled pretty easily. He reached down and pulled a small octopus off her leg, holding it up for her to see. "Meet my little spy. At least one of them."

"That was the thing that tipped him off?!" Her surprise made way for frustration that they didn't realize this key point. "Of course! We should have realized he could communicate with octopuses. How else would he be able to have them camouflage the entrance!"

"If you knew where we were, why didn't you just charge in?" Earphone Jack lashed out, annoyed and disgusted with their blunder.

"So you could pull a stunt like before? No, thank you." Kai answered, studying her with cold hostility. "I know you girls. You strive together as a group, building off each other to make yourselves look tougher than you exactly are." His tentacle wrapped around her chin, forcing her to lock eyes with him. "But when separated, that's when you girls fall apart and show how weak you truly are.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with!" Earphone Jack snapped, twisting away from him. "Besides, it's not just us you're dealing with. Pretty soon, a whole team of heroes will be here to stop you and Siren!" Of course, this was what she was at least hoping to happen.

"You mean the 'heroes' that your little frog friend went to grab?" Kai asked dismissively. "I wouldn't count on it. She's probably shark chow by now."

Earphone Jack felt her stomach knot uncomfortably at these words. "Asuyu has faced villains before," she tried reassuring herself. "Surely, she could fight her way around some sharks?"

"Besides if you truly felt help was on the way," Kai continued with a sneer. "I highly doubt you would be wasting energy trying to capture your stupid boyfriends."

"They're not our boyfriends! They're our friends!" She retorted indignantly. "And what do you expect us to do? Leave them for old hag to use as she pleases? AS IF!" She hissed as Kai's tentacle suddenly squeezed at her throat, making it difficult to breathe. Kai's face appeared closed to hers, mouth set in a deadly scowl.

"Don't talk about Siren." He ordered, tone low and threatening. "Anyway," he explained, loosening his grip on her. "She's not old. She's only thirty."

"And you're our age." Earphone Jack pointed out sharply. "You should be in school. Not working for some underground villainess!"

"I don't think you're in any position to worry about me." Kai retorted, grip tightening once again.

But Earphone Jack ignored his threat, straining to get her voice out. "I don't understand. She's not controlling you, so why are you even working for her? She takes control of boys just like you and makes them into her toy soldiers. Don't you think that's just a little bit messed up?"

"Why would I care about them?" Kai answered dismissively. "Don't assume that I feel sympathy for any of those fools just because we share the same age and gender. I'm not that weak-minded."

"You didn't answer my question." Earphone Jack pushed. It was a long shot, but she needed to figure out what was going on in this guy's head. If she could, perhaps there was a way to change his mind set. They locked eyes and she could see the suspicion and hatred towards her.

"I've given my life to Siren," Kai answered, his tone low and solemn. "Because without her I wouldn't have any life at all."

Flashback:

"As long as I can remember, I've always had a rocky relationship with my quirk. It was large and bothersome, making me stand out even if all I wanted was to be left alone. Stares would follow me wherever I went. School was torture, where students didn't even try to cover up their snide comments. At first it was manageable. Just keep my head down and earbuds in and the world and its pests would just disappear. But that all changed during my last year of middle school."

"ACK!" A pigtailed student cried, hands clamped over the skirt of her school uniform. "Something touched me under my skirt!" She turned a tear-stained face behind her and with a trembling finger pointed at a bewildered young Kai. "It was him! His tentacle flipped my skirt!"

"What many people don't realize is that the tentacles of an octopus are made up of neurons that act as its nervous system. Pretty much meaning each of my tentacles have a tiny brain of its own, letting them move around independently when my focus is elsewhere. Often if my tentacles are curious about something, they'll reach out and grab whatever is close by, leading to me having to apologize to various store clerks for accidental shoplifting. Unfortunately, this time my tentacle wasn't attracted to some colorful chip bag but something a little more bothersome."

A crowd soon gathered around the hysterical girl, with many accusing stares being shot towards the octopus-quirked teen. Kai held both his hands and tentacles up in defense, trying to stammer out an explanation. "I'm…so…so..sorry! My tentacles sometimes…"

"Pervert!"

"Skirt flipper!"

"Freak!"

"No one wants those slimy things touching them!"

"It was no use. After that incident, my school life became an absolute hell. Girls openly spat at me, giving me dirty looks whenever I came near. I would find my textbooks and workbooks splattered in ink. My locker filled with stinky, dead octopus carcasses. Rumors followed me even as I moved to a highschool in a different area. There, the bullying got worse, with boys often beating me up if I so much as glanced at a girl. The girls would often watch, smirking behind a facade of innocence as their whispered snides dominated my everyday life."

"See that boy? I heard in middle school he assaulted a girl. His tentacles made it all the way up her panties."

"Eww! Def gross! Who would want to be touched by one of those?!"

"Bet he's into that kind of thing! Bet he likes watching girls squirm!"

"Pervs like him should just go rot away somewhere, isn't that right?"

"Go jump off a bridge!"

"Swim with the fishes!"

"It never seemed to stop. The girls' voices filled my head, driving home what a disgusting creature I was. Their taunts escalated to where they would follow me with their teasing, knowing that if I so much as made a move towards them I would be preyed upon by the boys in the class. Life became truly unbearable. So much so, that when passing by a takoyaki shop, I envied the creatures that consistently got their appendages whacked off again and again, freeing them from a world that looked down on lowly creatures like us. It was a moment of clarity for me.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" A young Kai screamed, blood soaking his shirt as his severed tentacle violently wiggled at his feet. The red streaked butcher knife clattered to the ground, as his body convulsed, the bloodied stub where his tentacle once inhabited throbbing painfully. His shaking hand reached out, trying to grasp the slick handle of the knife, fighting back the impulse to curl up into a ball and whimper at what he had just done.

"It's my body." He repeated, like a mantra, giving him strength. "It's my quirk. I decide what I do with it!" He lifted the blade over the next tentacle, gathering the will to continue another sequence of pain and agony. His body once again convulsed. As he heaved forward, a new, perfectly intact tentacle grew from the empty stub. He stared, once again losing his grip on his knife. It fell, the blade breaking away from the wooden handle. The new tentacle, oblivious to the gory procedure it had just gone through, curiously reached over to examine the sharp item.

"It was at that moment that I realized that my quirk, like every other aspect of my life, was out of my control. So I decided to be done with it."

Kai stared down at the school's pool, from his perch from the rooftop. "It's a long way down," He thought bitterly, "But I guess that's the point." He closed his eyes, setting his shoes down on the ground as his tentacles lifted him over the wire fencing that lined the parapet. The wind whistled through his long dark hair, the scent of the sea lingering in its wake. And with it, the sound of distant melody. Kai frowned, glancing down at the school courtyard. On a day where school was out and the grounds should have been deserted, a lone figure stood and stared up at him. Then everything went black.

"That was the day I met Siren."

The next thing Kai knew, he was staring up at the ceiling of the nurses office with a strange lady sitting across from him. The woman was like no girl he had ever seen, at least not in the flesh. The way she was dressed, with a turquoise sequin top that glistened like scales off a fish and tight, designer jeans that hugged her waist, made her look more an overseas actress than some common Okinawa resident. Expensive looking rhinestone sunglasses sat atop wavy pink hair that fell to her lower back. She sat in the nurses chair, playing on her phone with cheeks puffed out in annoyance.

"Um…who are–" Kai began to ask before shrinking back in fear as the woman suddenly exploded in an angry outburst.

"THAT TWO TIMING ***** JERK! That was my ***** car and now he's ***** some slutty ***** in it! Well he can **********!" She fumed, throwing her phone.

Instinctively Kai's tentacle reached out and caught it. The woman stared, before giving him a bright smile. "Woah, that's some nice arm action…well tentacle action to be more precise."

"Uh, thanks." Kai muttered, handing the phone to her. "You should probably not do that."

"I know, I know," She sighed, tossing the phone into a handbag. "But you know how it is with exes."

"No, I don't." Kai answered, still feeling confused on why both she and he were here. "Last thing I remember was being on the roof and then….wanting to jump." His hands closed around the white sheets, suddenly feeling nauseous. "What did I do?"

"I'm Siren, by the way." He was torn out of his inner turmoil as the woman leaned over him, extending her manicured hand his way. "And you are?"

Kai inched away from her, pulse racing as he struggled to keep his tentacles as close to him as possible. "Kai." He mumbled simply, trying to mask his discomfort. "Do you know…why we're here?"

"Why are we here?" Siren repeated, bearing a philosophical tone. "Kind of a deep question for a teenage boy to be asking now isn't it?" She tilted her head, finger tapping her chin teasingly at him. "OH! You must mean, here alone in a deserted nurses office with the most stunning woman alive?" She flung herself at the wheeled chair, skidding towards the window. "Well let's see…I just happened to be passing by when I noticed a tall, dark and handsome specimen trying to tragically end his life." She flipped her hair dramatically, giving him a playful wink. "Naturally, I felt I should be a good samaritan and step in." She paused, expression falling. "At least that was the plan, anyway."

Kai blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well you may have wanted to hack yourself off, but your little buddies there had other plans." Siren explained, pointing at his tentacles. "As soon as you jumped, all four of them stuck themselves to the wall. So instead of falling, you kind of went WHAM against the wall. It was actually pretty hilarious to watch." She added with a laugh. "After that, I just used my quirk to get you back down and in here. So….you're welcome!" She blinked, realizing he had become too mortified to listen further as he hid his face in his hands.

"I can't believe it." He mumbled miserably, his face the color of his tentacles. "First, these things destroy my life and now they won't even let me end it!"

"You can't exactly blame them." Siren laughed, sitting on the edge of the bed and studying the moping teen. "Hey, chin up! If you fail the first time, there are plenty of other ways to kick the bucket."

He glared at her from over the sheet. "Aren't you supposed to discourage me from doing that?"

Siren shrugged, examining her nails. "Despite me helping you, I'm no hero. Quite the opposite actually." She flipped her hair, nonchalantly adding. "The only reason I was here when I was is because I already had an interest in you."

He pulled the sheets down, surprised at her answer. "An interest in me? Why?"

"I have my reasons." She answered, giving him a pleasant smile. "For now, let's just say I was merely curious about the rumors of a teen boy with an unusual quirk." She reached over and grabbed the nearest tentacle. "I can't say I'm disappointed."

"Don't touch them!" Kai spoke sharply, quickly recoiling it away. Her blue eyes flashed in surprise at the reaction. He blushed, unable to look at her as he explained. "I don't know what you've heard about me and my quirk but whatever it is can't be good. These things are disgusting and hideous. The worst part is I can't get rid of them, no matter what I do!"

"Then don't." Kai faced her, finding all the teasing light gone as she spoke. "I get it. You have a quirk that you're not always on the same page with." Her blue gaze flashed, with something similar to contempt before vanishing. "But it's yours, so you might as well have fun with it."

"That's easy for you to say!" Kai snapped, years of abuse flowing out. "You don't have girls that look at you like scum and think I'm some sort of weird ass pervert who likes to wiggle my tentacles under high school skirts in my spare time!" His fist thumped the bed angrily. "I swear if Hokusai was still alive I would strangle him!" *See Author's Note*

"Really? I personally think he and I have similar tastes." Siren commented with a teasing smirk. She glided across the room, opening up the nurse's storage closet and began rummaging through it as she asked, "So your little friends there aren't really popular with the ladies, hmm?"

"Of course not!" Kai snapped. "I mean, what girl in their right mind would find these things attractive." He trailed off, watching her search. "What are you doing?"

"BINGO!" Siren squealed, holding up a white lab coat. "Look what I've found!"

"The nurse's uniform?" Kai replied, not understanding the fuss.

"Exactly!" Siren exclaimed, slipping the lab coat over her clothes and striking a sexy pose. "Well…how do I look?!"

"Like…a nurse?"

"Come on!" She complained, stomping her foot like a child. "No turn on at all? I swear young people today have no consideration for the classic seductions!" She threw it to the floor, flopping back onto the computer chair. She swerved to face Kai, fingertips touching pensively. "Look, here's the deal. Girls at your age are delicate, fake little pansies who only care about fitting in with the clique, being part of the norm and pretty much lying to themselves."

Siren got up, tossing her hair as she strutted over to his bed. "As girls get older, our tastes in men change. What once was normal becomes stale bread and that's when most decide they want something a little bit more….exotic." She flashed him a playful grin, draping one of his tentacles over her shoulders like a feathered boa. "Despite what those girls have said, I'm willing to bet they have their own little fantasies about you."

Kai gulped, unable to pull away from her touch. Her hands on his skin were softer than anything he had ever felt before and as she turned to face him, her blue eyes sparkled in a way that sent tendrils of warmth flowing throughout body. Unconsciously, as if sensing the attraction this female held on him, his tentacles started reaching out for her, their tips trying to squeeze beneath her clothes. Panicking, he tried to reach out but felt Siren's hand grabbing his and pushing him back against the bed.

"Let them be, Kai." Siren whispered softly.

The way she said his name sent shivers down his spine. His tentacles reacted, beginning to circle her legs as she moved towards him on the small bed. "You know, I've been watching you for a while Kai. And I think there's a lot more to your quirk that meets the eye." She crawled up on his chest, her pink hair flowing down over his body and enveloping his senses with the sweet scent of hibiscus. "I think your little friends here are just extensions of your own desires. They do these things because they understand your curiosity. Just like they knew that you secretly didn't want to die back there."

Kai gasped as she sat down over his abdomen, her whole body bearing over him to where he could make out every curve of her perfect figure. Her sapphire eyes shined down on him in a way that sent excited shivers running through his body, making him feel more alive than he had ever felt. His tentacles were now beyond his control, completely circling her small body. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, the expression on her face was one of lustful, exhilaration as her hands made their way up his chest.

"Take my advice, Kai." Siren purred, her voice entrapping Kai in a haze of lustful symphony. "Leave this world of petty highschool trifles and join up with me. I'll show you all the pleasures that come with living. Together we'll bring out the true nature of your quirk."

Her lips locked on to his and the deal was forever sealed.

Present:

"After that day, I left school and never looked back." Kai concluded his tale, his tentacles circling around Earphone Jack's bound body. "Siren revealed her plans of building up a future gang, one that would surpass her old crew. In return for my service, she helped me advance my quirk. Pushing my abilities and showing me just how powerful I could be. It's because of her I was able to take back my life and seek revenge on those fools who made my life a living hell."

"What did you do to them?" Earphone Jack questioned, not sure if she should feel anger or pity towards the young villain after hearing his odd backstory.

Kai grinned, eyes gleaming at the memory. "Nothing that they didn't deserve. Those girls openly laughed and ridiculed my quirk for their perverted pleasure. So I just did to them what they always asked for."

Jack's eyes narrowed in disgust. "So you became the monster they always said you were?"

Kai scowled, his tentacle painfully yanking her head back. "Who do you think is worse…the monster or the people who create the monster?"

Earphone Jack twisted away, shaken deeply by the question. "I think both sides hold responsibility." She answered honestly. "But in your case, those kids had no right to torment you like they did. That was immature and wrong of them and they should be aware of how their actions do have consequences!" She took a deep breath, adding bitterly. "I also think you wouldn't have turned out this way if it wasn't for Siren's prodding. She took advantage of you when you were at your lowest, turning you against the world!"

"Turning me against the world?" Kai scoffed, "It's because of Siren that I know just what the world has to offer." His extra tentacles began to creep towards Earphone Jack, trailing up her bare legs, much to the girl's discomfort. "She's the one who made me finally feel at one with my quirk and how with it I can get anything I desire." Earphone Jack bit her lip, blushing as his tentacles wiggled along her thigh, getting way too close to her shorts. He bought his face close to hers, whispering. "Tell me hero, are you scared?"

Trying to keep her voice steady she replied tersely. "I've seen a lot worse than you."

Kai smirked. "You're lying. You see, the suckers on these tentacles are quite sensitive. For instance, right now, they can feel your heart racing against your chest." She stiffened, his mouth breathing into her ear as he continued. "We can also feel you shaking. I wonder just what sort of reaction a hero would make if we continued?" Slowly, the tip of his tentacle played with the waistband of her shorts, trying to ease its way in. Feeling both humiliated and revolted, she shut her eyes, trying to steel herself for what was to come.

But to her surprise, the tentacle retracted itself, with Kai moving away from her. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not really into young girls." The tentacles binding her were also suddenly retracted. She fell to the ground, not understanding what was going on. Then without warning, she felt a searing jolt of electrifying pain engulf her whole body.

Kai watched her scream in pain, his smirk widening. "My goal was just to distract you from…him."

She slumped over, her body feeling completely paralyzed. She managed to turn her head just enough to see a grinning Kaminari standing behind her, his hand still sizzling with electricity from his attack. Her eyes widened in horror and she tried and failed to rise from the ground.

"No…" Earphone Jack whimpered, feeling herself slipping away from consciousness. "If Kaminari is here…that means the others…."

"This…isn't good."

A stinging pain coursed through Invisible Girl as her hand pushed, applying pressure to the wound on her leg. The blood flowed waned, but the mess it had left behind had done its trick. Leaving her vulnerable to her Bakugo, who was approaching her with palms sparking in deadly anticipation.

"It just had to be Bakugo." Invisible Girl cursed, testing her leg as she inched it back. It hurt like hell, but it could still support her weight. "I just have to lose him somehow, but how?" Now that he had her in sight, she doubted escaping him would be easy. "But that doesn't mean it's not possible, right?" The tunnels were big and dimly lit. If she could just move quickly enough perhaps she would have a chance of him losing her trail. But just as she was preparing to go for a sprint, a voice called out from the battered entrance of the cavern holding the abducted teens.

"Hey! Is everything okay out there?" Daisuke's worried voice carried through, causing Bakugo to turn towards the cavern angrily. "We heard an explosion…"

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE!" Invisible Girl ordered, throwing away caution in her haste to keep them out of harm's way. "DON'T COME OUT! IT'S DANGEROUS—-"

She gave a startled yelp as Bakugo blasted his way at her. She managed to dodge to the side, the heat from his flames stifling. He reared to a stopped, instantly changing course, his gaze focused on the direction of the blood she had smeared along the ground as she moved.

"Shoot!" She did a little hop skip and moved to the side as Bakugo again blasted past trying to keep within his peripheral vision. "He may be able to see me, but only just barely." In such a dimly lit tunnel, surely it would be difficult to find her even with the blood marks?

But it seemed like even Bakugo had an answer to that question. "Stun Grenade!" He yelled, hands coming together to form a blinding flash throughout the tunnel. Invisible girl shielded her eyes, turning away from the attack. With her head turned, she felt a sinking dread as she noticed her own looming shadow from the light revealing her whereabouts. Before she could react, Bakugo was behind her, palms glowing.

"EEEEEEPPPP!" Invisible Girl frantically jumped to the side at the last second, coming to a roll and just managing to root herself back to her feet before Bakugo was on her again, roaring as he burst through the dark smoke left from his attack. Completely unwilling to lose sight of his prey now that he had her so close.

"He's so fast!" Desperately she weaved from side to side, consciously avoiding taking any steps backwards as Bakugo's voice seemed to ring in her ears.

"If the ball is in a position where you have to run backwards, don't even go for it! You'll just wind up on your ass, like an idiot!"

Though it wasn't volleyball, she knew the concept was still the same even in a fight. "And with this fight, I can't afford to make mistakes." She could sense Bakugo's frustration rising. His movements were intensifying, becoming wilder and less predictable. Like a starved wolf sensing blood nearby, he gave up on physical hits and instead held up his burning palms for a range attack.

"AP Shot!" He shouted, multiple red bursts of energy blasting through the air.

Knowing full well she could not escape unscathed, Invisible Girl's arms shot up, shielding her vital points as several of the burning spheres collided with her. "Arggghh!" She screamed, the force of the attack sending her petite body skidding against the cold, hard ground. She heard him yell again and despite her aching body protesting, she scrambled back up and threw her body against the tunnel wall, barely escaping another barrage of tiny explosions. There she stood, unable to silence her ragged breathing as her tired body fought for breath.

She wasn't used to this. This constant state of running and dodging. Stealth was how she worked. Taking her time to approach her target, finding the precise moment to take them by surprise and then coming in hard and fast for an attack. Just as quickly, she would retreat, not giving her opponent time to get their bearings. Right now, she felt like she was on the opposite end, feeling harassed and hunted down without any reprise.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up." Her injured leg was shaking, strained by all the constant movement. The bleeding had increased, with trails of blood dripping down her leg. Her forearms stung and her whole body felt worn down and beaten. Overall, she felt ready to collapse.

In despair, all she could think about were her and Bakugo's last interaction before all this happened. Of their arguments and fights, which all seemed so silly now. How he had consistently surprised her with useful bits of advice, even saving her from a ball to the face. Most of all, she thought of all his jabs at her invisibility quirk.

"Face it. Your quirk is useless here."

"A hero who relies too much on their quirk to get things done are doomed to fail!"

"I don't just rely on my quirk in battles! Any good hero knows it's important to have an ace up your sleeve!"

"You were right." Invisible Girl quietly realized, "I'm not like you. I rely on my quirk. It's my sanctuary that keeps me from harm. I depend on it to win and when that fails, I fall apart."

"But you're different." She mused, coming to terms that despite her feelings for the boy, he was truly incredible. How he had forcefully never used his quirk during the volleyball games, only using his own speed and endurance to keep up with his opponent's quirk. How he had used his intellect to locate her, despite not being able to see her. How even now with limited visibility, his keen eyes seemed to pick up every moment. Any puddle she splashed, every pebble she overturned, every drop of blood she left behind. "You're strong with or without your quirk."

Her thoughts turned to her friends fighting in their own battles right now. Then to the promise she had made to return and save the abducted boys. Slowly, the pain she had felt just mere moments ago seemed to evaporate, replaced with a burning determination to move forward.

"If I'm going to fulfill my promises…If I'm to become a hero….I have to be stronger." She pushed herself off the wall, bringing her hands over her mouth as she screamed. "I HAVE TO BE LIKE YOU, BAKUGO!"

Her voice echoed loudly through the tunnel, momentarily shocking Bakugo as his head swiveled in her direction. Then without warning, he doubled over as Invisible Girl's fist connected to his gut. "Plus…Ultra!" She cried, tormenting the boy she both hated and admired with a whirlwind of punches to his face and upper body all the while trying to get through to him. "Snap out of this Bakugo! You may be rude and loud and THE BIGGEST JERK IN THE HISTORY OF JERKS! But this…." She raised her fist, aiming it straight at his head. "This isn't you!"

Bakugo caught her arm, his fist coming down and slamming into the side of her face. The force was enough to send the small girl crashing to the ground. She heard a crack as she landed, along with a sharp pain in her chest. Blinking back stars, she lifted her head to see Bakugo already upon her, palm raised to attack. She kicked out her leg, catching his leg off guard. He hit the ground, his blast going off in the space above her and causing the roof to shake and several rocks to overhead.

In the confusion Invisible Girl scrambled up, hoping to get away. A strong grip grabbed at the ankle of her injured leg, dragging her back to the ground. "Let me go!" She snarled, lunging at Bakugo and, in desperation, raking her nails across his face. He gave off a frustrated snarl as his hand flew up to the thin red lines that now appeared across his cheek. She took that moment to leapt out of his reach. But before she could take a few steps Bakugo's palm came up, shooting out a fiery blast that blocked her route of escape and threw her backwards.

Invisible Girl screamed, colliding with the stony wall of the tunnel. In an instant, Bakugo was on her, his hand coming up and grabbing her small neck. She gasped, struggling to breath against his tight hold.

"Bakugo…please…" She begged, hoping upon hope that somewhere in those hostile red eyes the boy she knew was listening. "Don't do this…" But her words only seemed to fuel the fire. He squeezed harder, a malicious grin spreading upon his face as he savored finally having her in his grasp. He lifted her higher, her feet completely leaving the ground. She felt a slick wetness along her back and knew it was bleeding, the rough edges of the stone wall, digging into her delicate skin. She saw his eyes twinkling with a manic light as if he was enjoying the power he had over her. Her life literally slipping away through his fingers.

"You may be stronger than me." Invisible Girl thought, feeling her last bits of strength draining. "The power difference between us may be more immense than I even imagined." She felt her focus waning, the edges of her vision becoming blurred.

"But even so, I still can't give up." Her hand, which had been balled up at her side to hide its contents, slowly opened up to reveal the second of Bakugo's mini hand grenades. She had stealthily snuck it out during her close combat attack against him. It was to be a last resort. Her ace up her sleeve, as Bakugo would say.

"I'm…sorry…Bakugo." Invisible Girl found herself murmuring, fighting to stay conscious as silent tears slipped from her eyes. In her delusional state, images of those dear to her began to form in her mind. Of what would happen if she would fail.

Of her friends, their agonized expressions a mixture of sorrow and disbelief.

"I'm sorry Bakugo, but even if it hurts, I can't let you win."

Of Daisuke and the other captives, their pale, sick bodies hunched over in fits of despair at never being rescued.

"Because the reality is that if I lose…."

The last vision was of a shocked and disoriented Bakugo, staring down in anguish at his blood soaked hands. Evidence of an irreversible sin that would forever leave the hero-to-be scarred.

"I'm not the one who suffers…"

Slowly, Invisible Girl slipped her finger through the lock of the grenade. And before Bakugo realized what was happening, with the last bit of her strength she tossed the weapon into the air above them.

It exploded with a force that sent both of them straight to the ground. Hot flames ignited the air, sending out shock waves that shook the whole tunnel. Within seconds the world around them turned dark as rocks and debris cascading down and completely buried the two young heroes.

Uravity froze, turning back the way she had come as the earth seemed to tremble beneath her. "What….was that?" She could have sworn she had heard an explosion of some kind, which would explain the tremors. "I wonder if Pinky and Kirishima are okay?" She shook her head, not having time to worry.

"I have to hurry and get these guys to Creati before anything else happens." Uravity resumed pushing along Tokoyami and Dark Shadow as they levitated ahead of her, worry for friends weighing on her mind. With Earphone Jack missing and Pinky fighting alone, it felt like their plan was starting to slowly break apart. She only hoped Creati and the other captives were still hidden and okay. She quickly entered the cavern and felt her heart sinking as she discovered it completely absent of both the captives and of Creati.

"Where…." Uravity gasped, taking a nervous step back. "...did they go?"

"BLACK WHIP!"

Greenish-black whips shot out of the shadows wrapping around Uravity's body. She fell to the ground, unable to move her arms or legs. Lifting her head, she found herself looking up at a glaring Midoriya. "De…ku?" Uravity stammered, fear gripping her. "But how…."

She whipped her head around and saw Kai and the rest of the boys entering the room. To her horror, she saw Kaminari holding an unconscious Earphone Jack over his shoulder. Kirishima entered next, holding a furious Mina tightly against his body. Both her arms were twisted behind her back, while Kirishima had his upper forearm wrapped tightly around the pink girl's neck, constricting her movements.

"Let go of me and fight me like a man!" Mina snarled, attempting to twist around but found it impossible with Kirishima's strong hold on her.

Kai released Tokoyami and Dark Shadow from their chains and they too, joined the group of mind-controlled boys. Dark Shadow reached behind some of the weapons and picked up a hidden Creati, who was passed out with her hands and feet bound by Mineta's pop offs.

"No…." Uravity uttered quietly, unable to come to grasps with the reality of what was happening. That all their planning and hard work had failed. That they had failed. "I'm sorry Deku…." Uravity apologized, shutting her eyes against frustrated tears. "We tried…"

"Sorry," Kai said, as if reading her miserable thoughts. "But you lost.

Author's Note: Hokusai is one of the most famous ukiyo-e artist of Edo Period of Japan. Many Westerners are familiar with his wood block painting, "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" (depicting three small boats trying to move pass a giant wave with Mount Fuji in the background). One of his less familiar works is called, "The Dream of Fisherman's Wife" which is a wood block painting that features a young woman entwined sexually with a pair of octopuses. Many have sited this work as being the stepping stone to "tentacle erotica" in anime and literature.