A/N: Content warning for this chapter, guys!

C/W: Near drowning, hallucinations, out of character moments.

His world became clouded in white as thousands of tiny bubbles obscured Tamaki's vision. The water was cold and sent a wave of goose bumps across his partly paralysed body. He managed to keep his mouth clamped shut as the cinder brick slowly dragged him down to the bottom of the tank. He could almost hear his body instinctively yelling at his arms and leg to move, to kick and flail – to do something to get them out of the water.

But they stayed limp.

The bubbles quickly thinned out, allowing him to get his first glimpse of the tank around him. what he saw instead was a bright, blurring mess of blues, greens, and greys.
The sudden feeling of weightlessness came upon him when he finally stopped sinking, the cinder brick just managing to hold him to the ground. The feeling was only interrupted by the slight tug of the rope around his waist. His arms floated uselessly beside him and brush against his cloak as it billowed out in the empty tank.

Tamaki let the rest of his body go limp. Closing his eyes, he told himself to say calm.

Over the years, he had taken the time to plan out multiple combos and ideas for the many "worst case scenarios" his mind would come up with late at night. When Fatgum had found out about his little list, he had simply told the manifest hero, "while it's great to plan for these things, you never know what truly works until you try it out in the field."

Well, the situation wasn't exactly ideal, but it was time to put his fore planning into action.

With that day's meal plan still fresh in his mind, Tamaki carefully manifested crocodile nictitating membrane (courtesy of a large bag of crocodile jerky Fatgum had brought online and insist he try at least once). Slowly, he opened his eyes and let his newly acquired third eyelids slip into place. The world around him became somewhat clearer, letting him get a good look at where he was. The tank was he in was a large cylinder, empty of any fake rocks or decorations. He theorised the tank was at least three meters tall, as well as wide enough that if he were to stretch his arms out they wouldn't touch the sides.

That is, if he could move them.

The glass itself was scuffed and large portions were covered in green algae, obscuring most of his view of the outside world. Not that there was much to view to begin with. Due to its cylindrical shape, the outside world from Tamaki's perspective appeared mostly warped and stretched. The back light from the spotlight above and the crocodile eyelids much didn't help either.

There was an uncomfortable pressure beginning to grow in Tamaki's chest as his body started its demand for air.

Unfortunately, that was something he couldn't get at that moment. He had a role to play, and a plan to follow. The sound of his heartbeat was starting to pound in his head, slowly growing in volume and speed. Doing his best to ignore it, he looked up to see three silhouettes peering into the tank where he was thrown.

"Good, they're still up there," he thought to himself, before carefully flexing what he could of his upper back. Four small, thin tentacles manifested themselves from his spine, along side the first, buzzer pressing, one. They were all, thankfully, hidden from the view of the three villains above by his cloak. Two of the new tentacles slid down and out his shirt, before carefully pushing the back of his white tunic down, having been dragged up by the water (the rope around his waist had held down the front part just fine). The least he could do was look respectable.

Meanwhile, the other two slid up the opposite way, coming out from his collar and carefully adjusted his cowl loosely back into place, before adjusting the loose folds of his cloak so that his mouth and neck were hidden from view.

By this point, black spots had begun to enter Tamaki's vision, and his chest had grown tight. The pounding in his head had also grown louder and faster. It was now or never. He drew back all but the buzzer tentacle and dismissed them.

Time for the unpleasant part.

He did his best not to shudder as three slits on either side of his throat began to manifest, leaving him with an uneasy feeling of "openness" in his neck. He slowly opened his mouth as to not disturb the loosely floating fabric of his cloak and took in a mouth full of water, pushing it through his newly made gills. Salmon gills to be more precise.

The effect is immediate.

The black spots retreated from his vision and the pounding in his head quietened slightly. The tightness in his chest however, remained. He gulped again, sending another mouthful of water through his gills. From what he could see, the movement was pretty well hidden by his cloak. So long as he kept the urge to breathe under control, it seemed as though he would be alright.

A tingle against his left arm caused him to pause and glance down. The device on his wrist had come to life, sending out two short bursts, followed by a longer third burst. Are you okay; Can you hold on?

Tamaki looked up at the dark outside world and squinted. He could just make out the back wall of the room and an entryway. There, he saw Creati, or at least a blurry shape covered in mostly in red that he assumed was Creati. The figure waved to him and he felt the same message buzz again.

Concentrating on the tentacle hidden down his sleeve, he carefully copied the pattern in response. For good measure, he nodded his head slightly, causing his long hair to brush lightly against his fluttering gills. This time, he couldn't suppress the shudder that ran through his body.

His chest tightened further as his lungs still demand air.

In front of him, Creati appeared to hesitate as another red figure came into view beside her. They seemed to be discussing something when suddenly they both press themselves up against the wall.

Looking over to his right, Tamaki could see what he could only assume to be a staff entrance to the room open and the three villains walk in. He glanced back at the hallway.

Creati and Red Riot are gone. Off to complete their side of the plan.

The pain in his chest was steadily growing, while the pounding in his head was had begun to grow in volume and speed again.

"Focus", he told himself, turning his attention back to the approaching villains. All he had to do was keep their attention on him while the others found and disconnected the relay point.

Easier said than done.

Paralay and Spearhead walk up to the glass, the closer they got the less warped and blurry their faces became. The white haired woman appeared to be talking to him, a crazed smile on her face.

"Did she know he couldn't hear her?" he pondered to himself.

Spearhead just stared up at him, his eyes seemingly examining every part of Tamaki's body, leaving an unsettling feeling in the manifest hero's stomach. Could he see the gills or his mouth moving? Was the cloak moving too much?

Behind them, Ingrain sat down on a public bench and watched as well. He appeared to shove something into his mouth.

Tamaki stared back at them, doing his best to look wide eyed and fearful. Spearhead's eyes narrowed, causing Tamaki's stomach to twisted almost as painfully as his chest, and he felt the familiar presences of doubt and paranoia began to claw their way into his mind. His mouth stayed open, mid gulp, as his mind began to race.

They don't believe you. This was a waste of effort; they'll figure out what you are doing.

Black spots once again began to enter his vision.

The pounding had begun to make his whole head throb.

Did you really think you could pull this off?

Paralay glanced over to Spearhead as the larger man steps forward to get a closer look.

You left Creati and Red Riot alone. You can't do it. Just breathe in-

Tamaki gulped, pushing water over his gills. Once again, the black spots retreated, but not all the way this time. The pounding in his head stayed. He had to focus; he had a role to play. He weakly moved his head as though struggling.

"They want to see you drown, that's why they're confused," he explained to himself. The knot in his stomach loosened slightly.

The dark haired hero had realised sometime after graduating and becoming a full-time sidekick, that there was no point fighting with himself over his pessimistic side. When working with such bright heroes such as Fatgum, Red Riot, and sometimes Lemillion (as much as he wanted to be around Mirio all the time, it was rare for their patrols to line up in the same area at the same time), it rarely became a problem thanks to said heroes being able to snap him out of his spirals.

However, when left on his own, that was a whole different story. So, to combat his self-sabotage, he had taught himself to reason with the thoughts instead of letting them swarm and overwhelm him. Finding flaws within the negative voice's reasoning and pointing out the facts. It took a little longer to take effect, and of course, it didn't always work, but it was at least something.

"If they could see what you were doing, they would have done something to stop it by now. So, let's give them what they want before they suspect something might be up."

He attempted to "struggle" again, moving his head and upper body slightly before slowly letting himself go limp once more. Paralay pressed her face against the glass.

He only had one shot at this. He had to make it look convincing.

Taking a few more rapid gulps of water, Tamaki let out the air he had trapped in his lungs, his last breath leaving him in a column of bubbles that quickly rose to the surface and dissipated. Instantly, he was hit by the overwhelming urge to inhale that made his chest burn. Doing his best to fight off his urges, as well as keep a calm expression, he slowly lowered his head, ensuring his mouth and gills were hidden behind the flowing folds of his cloak. He stared blankly out at the three villains, his third eyelids no doubt making his eyes seem dull. Spearhead's eyes raked over him once more.

After what felt like eternity, the grey armed man nodded and turned away, seemingly satisfied. Tamaki could practically feel the vibrations in the water as Paralay squealed and jumped back from the glass, her mouth moving rapidly as she babbled to the other two, occasionally glancing back at him.

He had done his part, now he had to wait.

That wouldn't be too hard, if it weren't for: the pounding in his head, the burning in his chest, the cold that was beginning to creep into his flesh and bones, and the overwhelming urge to breathe in he had to fight down every time he gulped water through his gills.

Apart from those four things, he was just peachy.

Attempting to take his mind of his current predicament, Tamaki focused on the tentacle that was still wrapped around the buzzer. He sent out two short bursts, You good?

The response is delayed by at least ten seconds. When it does come, instead of relaying the same message back, there was only three short bursts. Delayed; villain, stuck but okay.

Tamaki frowns, internally, slowly deciphering the message. "Why would they be having problems, all three villains were still there with him," he absently thought to himself, glancing blankly over the three now warped shapes in front of him. His focus stopped on Spearhead.

His eyes widened a fraction.

"The phone call."

Sure, there were other members of the Rebuilder gang out there, actively trying to stop the heroes from dismantling the devices and evacuating the civilians, but it hadn't occurred to him that there may have been more inside the base. More people that Yaoyorozu… and Red… Red… something… had to deal with.

The pounding in his head had grown louder and faster, and was now causing his head to throb. The blue-green haze of the algae was enveloping him, seemingly seeping into his mind and slowing his thoughts down.

"When did everything get so bright?" he wondered to himself. Tamaki felt himself sway in the water, as though someone had lifted the tank up and started rocking it, but his body didn't actually move. Or did it.

It was hard for the dark haired man to focus when his head was full of blue-green haze.

He didn't realise he had zoned out, his gulping having slowed in the process, until a flicker of movement towards the back of the room caught his unfocused gaze. The villains near his tank also seem to notice, stopping what they were doing (arguing over snacks, maybe) and turning to face the back of the room. There was a figure- no, two figures walking out of the hallway and into the open. They were so blurry, yet so colourful! Pretty.

Red, white, green, yellow-

Tamaki lost focus again, the pounding in his head was becoming louder and faster, and more painful. He was sure his eyeballs were being rattled with each thump. He tried to see out through the blue-green haze that surrounded him.

The figures had begun to approach the villains.

"They must be talking?" his brain chimes. "Oh? Friends? More people to stop… Red…. And…" His thoughts trailed off into his fuzzy mind.

One of the figures appeared to look at him. Then the other, before taking a few steps towards him. Their faces were still warped and muddled, but they were so colourful. They were too bright.

There is a sound, but he couldn't hear it over his own heartbeat. Oh, and over the water too.

(TAMAKI!)

Do they not know he can't hear them?

Idiots.

The figures were moving now, and so were the villains. Tamaki let his gaze go unfocused. Was it time to get out yet? He couldn't remember. "He just had to wait," he thought as the green-blue haze closed in once more. It was kind of nice, just floating there. But his head and chest hurt.

How could he fix that?

"Suneater, kid, what have you gotten yourself into?" The voice of a man spoke up next to him. Tamaki's eyebrow twitched. Since when were there other people in his tank? He wanted to tell the mysterious voice to "bug off and find your own tank", but, that took effort and he was tired.

Tired? Huh? When did that happen?

"I trusted you with my interns," the voice continued with a sigh. "Clearly, you weren't ready. Just let go and we'll talk about this later, kid."

Tamaki felt like he should have known that voice, but thinking…

It felt as though the blue-green haze had grown in his head, darkening his vision and muddling his thoughts. He was vaguely aware of the feeling of pins and needles that spread across his limbs as the Paralay's little glowing marks vanished.

The crocodile eyelids slipped back and disappeared. The small tentacle that was protruding from his back also slipped back and dismissed itself. His gills fluttered weakly as his gulping continued to slow.

Another, younger voice spoke from somewhere around Tamaki.

Who was letting these people into his tank?

"I can't believe you left us on our own, bro. You left us! Did you really thing you could do this? You only just took down those three Bullets, so why the hell did you think this would be different? Just give up."

Another voice he should have probably known, yet the dark haired man didn't care. Maybe they were right.

The pounding in his head continued to grow faster and louder. The pain in his chest burned so sharply, it was as if someone was running a live wire along it. His limbs, despite being weightless, somehow felt heavy and numb. Not to mention how cold and tired he was.

"Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he just breathed in," he managed to think to himself through the haze.

Yes, yes, yes¸ chanted his lungs and brain in response.

It would be fine; everything was going to stop hurting. He just had to wait-

A new voice cut through the noise and the haze of Tamaki's mind.

"Amajiki."

Tamaki felt his eyes widen.

That voice, that one he knew.

"It's okay. I know you're scared, but we're gonna grow up into really strong heroes and save everyone!" the child's voice cheered excitedly.

"Not if they keep putting people in my tank," Tamaki thought in response. "Who keeps doing that anyway?"

"You're so strong! You should do a hero pose, like this!" The image of a blonde boy in a bright red shirt flickered through his head. The boy's face is blurred. His had one fist clenched against his side, and his other arm is extended above his head.

"No, I'm tired, go away."

The voice giggled and spoke again. "That's not how you do it, silly. Here, let me."

Suddenly, Tamaki felt the sensation of two small hands holding his left hand-

His left hand twitched-

as small fingers push against his, forcing him to make a fist-

Tamaki's hand clenched-

the small hands held his hand closed-

Tamaki's ring finger held down the buzzer (Emergency; Abort, Help me).

And then, the sensation was gone, and he was alone once more with the throbbing pain in his head and the overwhelming urge to breathe in. He stared blankly into the blue-green haze.

A tingling sensation danced across his left arm as the buzzer came to life; a continuous vibration that he was sure he could feel traveling down to his bones (Messaged received; On our way; Help called).

Why was his arm vibrating?

There had to be a reason, but trying to think of it was exhausting.

As suddenly as the buzzer had started vibrating, it stopped, much to Tamaki's relief. Now he could rest peacefully.

Yet something didn't sit right with him. Underneath the pain of his lungs clawing at his insides for air, there was an unsettling knot forming. Questions began to appear in his head, gnawing at his throbbing brain, begging to be answered.

Why was he wearing such a device in the first place? Why did it stop? Why was he here anyway?

He had to focus, but he couldn't.

A single word popped up in his head.

Oxygen.

Tamaki's eyes widened, and for the first time since he began playing dead, he realised what was happening. In desperation, he gulped mouthfuls of water, pushing them over his fluttering gills. Almost instantaneously his head started to clear, but it wasn't enough. It never was going to be enough.

Villain's be damned, he needed to get out. Now.

However, before he could plan his escape, his attention was captured by a sudden blur of movement in the room before him. He saw something large be thrown from one side to the other, landing with an almighty crash into Ingrain's bulky form, knocking him to the ground. At the back of the room there were two figures dressed in red.

Time to move.

Taking several more gulps to try and compensate for what he was about to do, Tamaki slowly flexed his limbs, unsure it they were still paralysed. They felt cold and heavy, but they move, sending a spike of confidence through him. "Okay, lets do this."

With a newfound determination, he focused on manifesting a large tentacle from the center of his back, letting it rip through his shirt and stretch out to the glass behind him. Using it to push himself over to the front of the tank, he braced himself with his left hand, while turning his right hand and arm into a large muscular crab claw.

With the tentacle keeping him steady, he raised the altered appendage and brought the point down as hard as he could against the glass. There is an audible thunk that vibrated through both him and the water, causing the figures before him to pause. The manifesting and movements alone had left Tamaki feeling light headed, and his world had begun to spin. His muscles burned due to the lack of oxygen, but he couldn't stop. He raises the claw and tried again, this time cracks begin to appear in the glass, spreading out like spiderwebs.

He paused and gulped a few more mouthfuls of water, before lifting the claw for a third time and bringing the point down on the same spot again. This time the glass broke, and Tamaki felt himself be yanked out the tank with the surging water. The rope around his waist slipped under his shirt and cut into his skin. He felt his cloak get dragged out beside him and his visor be ripped from his face.

He caught a brief glimpse of white hair before something large and mostly red slams into it. Miraculously, Tamaki managed to catch himself as the wall of water rapidly dissipates around him, leaving the manifest hero standing on shaky legs in the middle of the room. There are people all around.

Before he could process what he had just done or where he was, he doubled over coughing and gasping violently. Spots entered his vision as the world around him seemingly rocks back and forth, causing his stomach to churn. In an instant his gills had closed up, while his lungs practically sung as they finally got the air they had been so desperate for.

"This isn't over" a voice warned him, only just louder than the pounding in his head. Against his body's protest, he slowly managed to straighten up only for the air to be knocked out of him by something colliding with his left shoulder. Instinctively, he tried to jerk back away from the source, only to find he couldn't move. In fact, his efforts send a blinding wave of pain throughout his body.

In his disorientated state, Tamaki couldn't actually tell if it was a sharp or a dull pain, only that it was pain, and he couldn't get away from it. Attempting to look up, his eyes felt loose in his skull, unable to focus as his head throbbed.

Squinting, he could see someone standing at least two or so meters away, the distance was difficult to gauge, with a long, grey arm raised. It was long. So long in fact, it was touching his sore shoulder. Tamaki frowned, his breathing was coming out as ragged pants. Had they hurt his shoulder?

The figure in front of him raised their other arm to strike, their grey fingers turning into a point and-

Tamaki acted on instinct.

He couldn't remember what happened, only that he hit the ground hard, landing awkwardly on his back, the large tentacle quickly retracting itself, his right hand- crab claw on his chest.

Oh, and that his right foot was a chicken foot and was holding something.

"Weird" he tried to say, though it came out more as a breathless wheeze. Somehow, he managed to dismiss the other manifestations. He was sure he was laying still, yet the world rolled violently around him.

People were talking, but he couldn't recognise them. Their voices were all being drowned out by the throbbing in his head. The world started to darken around him. Something hammered painfully in his chest.

Someone appeared above him and he tried to focus on them.

Big blue eyes on a face framed by yellow hair. Their mouth was moving, but Tamaki couldn't understand what they were saying.

His eyes felt heavy.

"It would be okay if he just closed his eyes for a bit, right?" his mind mumbled to itself amidst the throbbing. He felt himself be jostled as someone scoops him up into their arms, but by this point he didn't care.

His eyes slowly close as he slipped into unconsciousness.