At the Ruins Zone…

Both of them whirled around, taken aback. Up the street, another villain had appeared, so quiet that they hadn't noticed him at all. And, though they couldn't have known it, both of them were thinking the same thing.

This one is not like the others.

His frame was wide and angular, almost comically so – he resembled a walking square more than anything else. He'd donned a black one-piece suit with a strange symbol printed all over it (which all of Class 1-A save for Shoto would have recognized immediately as a hashtag). The symbol also adorned the goggles over his eyes and the black brass knuckles on his hands. The man waved and grinned.

Shoto attacked without a moment of hesitation. Since it seemed that Yaoyorozu was the only other classmate in the zone and he thus wouldn't have to worry about injuring bystanders, he started off with his most powerful ice attack. A giant wall – a small mountain, really – of jagged spikes and rough edges, easily surpassing twenty meters in height, came crushing forward at lightning speed.

Then Shoto's eyes narrowed.

The villain didn't run. Neither did he stand there and accept his fate. Instead he raised a fist – and punched the incoming ice. A moment later he was engulfed. And a moment later still…

"#warming!"

… the whole iceberg just melted down into water and came splashing through the street. Shoto stared. How did he… no. It doesn't matter. Heating Quirk or not, melting this much ice at once has to take a toll on him.

Two more ice walls. Two more #warmings. Before he could unleash another one Yaoyorozu put a hand on his shoulder. "Todoroki-san. I don't believe this strategy is viable." She pointed down at the ground.

Shoto paused and frowned. The meltwater had frozen over again. "I didn't…"

Yaoyorozu shook her head without taking her eyes off their opponent. "In SEQuEsTeR terms, I would put him as a Twister of B-Rank or higher. We're unlikely to win an attrition battle."

Todoroki clenched his fists… but had to acknowledge she was right. The villain looked none the worse for wear, brass knuckles at the ready and a grin on his face. "Aight u rly take too long. Gonna jump in now!" With that, he brought his left fist down on his thigh, exclaimed, "#invisible!"

And vanished.

Shoto cursed under his breath. "A-Rank, then," he said. Yaoyorozu nodded. How long did his Twister-state influence my ice? Seconds at most. Five? Eight? In that case… Ice spread around the two, freezing everything around them in a six meter radius. It'd reveal the villain if he'd tried to sneak up on them. Or so Shoto had thought, but the frozen over area was smooth and devoid of any telltale footprints. Had he circled them? Or-

"Close 1, huh? Kidding."

Shoto's reflexes saved him. He jumped back as the villain leapt down at them and shattered the ice with a mighty punch that made the ground tremble. Had he climbed up the walls? This fast?

Yaoyorozu had been equally swift in her reaction and threw a pair of bolas at the villain. He laughed, hit the flying objects in the air and proclaimed, "#lightemup!" The bolas flared up and burned to ashes in barely two seconds.

The two of them fled in opposite directions moments before the villain charged them. Shoto launched himself up over a wall in hopes of buying himself a few seconds, but the man simply punched through the wall and shattered it, barely slowing down.

That was just his raw physical power, Shoto realized. "Yaoyorozu! Don't engage in close quarters! He is-"

"#liquefy!"

Crack. Crash. Splash.

Shoto had been gaining ground by sliding across the frozen ground, but suddenly something gave. He stumbled, tried to regain his footing, but – the ice under his feet cracked and he broke in. In liquid asphalt.

It wasn't burning him. It wasn't even warm. But it was asphalt – black, thick and viscous, closing over his head and reduced his movements down to zero. Shoto's battle instincts went into overdrive. He recalled the other's Quirk's time limit and only barely managed to keep calm – he had to get out. Immediately. He was certain, absolutely certain, that he wouldn't survive being too slow.

Shoto had never been afraid of drowning. He had barely ever considered it a possibility, honestly. When everything was said and done he could always freeze his way back upwards, after all. But right now he didn't even know where "upwards" was – the asphalt had retained all its other properties save for its state of matter, and that meant it was dark. Pitch-black, in fact. He couldn't orientate himself by searching for the brighter surface or catch light in his ice crystals; all he could do was creating small platforms of ice under his feet and repel himself towards where he thought the surface might be. Again and again he drew upon his power and prayed he was going in the right direction… but he was slow. The asphalt wasn't like water at all. It was gooey and made swimming an arduous, nigh-impossible task. It weighed him down, constrained him, clung to his body like honey and put pressure on his lungs. He felt like he gained ground only by centimeters, and there still was no indication that he'd – his head breached the surface.

Shoto coughed and hacked for precious milliseconds before his mind caught up with the situation. Get out. Now. His body dutifully complied and tried to climb out… but found itself unable to do so. The ice around him cracked and sunk as soon as he latched onto it; there was no handhold to be found for him. To make matters worse he'd started to sink back in. He was already submerged to his shoulders, but he knew he had to act now before the effect expired, lest he be left as a sitting duck. Pedaling up didn't work, nor did freezing the asphalt, but then he found that ice floes would float on the asphalt pit if he made them big enough. Hurriedly he created a number of them and started pulling himself out of the trap. He was nearly done too… but then a sizzling sound came from the ground and suddenly his left foot was encased in something rigid.

"Oh sry for that!" The villain didn't sound sorry at all. Shoto assessed the damage. His foot was stuck in the street, but he was relieved to see Yaoyorozu had managed to create a small rubber dinghy before the street had resolidified. At least one of them was free to move. "See thats the problem with Hashtags. Dont last that long. Its usually round 10 secs."

Hashtags? Is he talking about his attacks?

"Well its ok I suppose. 1 trapped 1 left. Aight. Lets get this over with!"

The villain sauntered over to Yaoyorozu's boat while Shoto struggled against the asphalt, but to no avail. It won't crack. This is… hm. Wait a moment. He inspected his boots and was pleasantly surprised for once, because barely any of the liquid had actually gotten into his costume. Which in turn meant he might free himself easily as soon as-

A bang resounded through the zone, loud enough to split eardrums and to momentarily shatter Shoto's concentration. His eyes flew over to Yaoyorozu, who was taking aim with the miniature rocket launcher she'd created. The villain had been caught off-guard by the sudden shelling and had slowed down a bit. But only a bit, so Shoto had no time to waste. He slipped out of his shoe and cut off the lower part of his trouser leg, which had fused to the ground. After that he created a replacement shoe out of ice and sneaked up on the villain from behind. Yaoyorozu's miniature rockets weren't causing a lot of damage – she was probably afraid of accidentally killing somebody – and the hulking man had started dodging them. She started retreating from the dinghy and created a tranquilizer gun, but before she had the time to take aim the villain sighed.

"Right-o. Sry but were gonna cut it here. Time to say bye!"

He punched the floor again and roared, "#shock!"

And Yaoyorozu jerked before collapsing without a sound of surprise.

Shoto halted for a moment. What? Then he drew back. Ten seconds. Ten seconds of… His mind was reeling. Yaoyorozu was still jerking on the ground. She was looking at him and blinked a few times.

Simulating. She created a blanket insulator. But still, does that mean he's able to alter all physical states of an object? Temperature, refraction, aggregate phase, electrical current… damn it. We have to end this fast.

He proceeded more careful this time. When the villain turned around and saw that he'd broken free he nodded at him in appreciation. "Aight youre cool. Rly." He punched the ground again, but this time Shoto was prepared. A pillar of ice rose underneath him, four meters tall, and separated him from whatever effect the villain had imbued the ground with.

The man sighed in annoyance. "So u figured it out? Props." Then punched the pillar.

Todoroki had time to think something along the lines of crap before he heard him exclaim, "#breakdown!"

The pillar burst. Or, more accurately, it disintegrated, ruptured into a myriad of ice shards that shattered against the ground. He knew I could refreeze it if he'd melted it, he realized. He doesn't just have good instincts. This is experience. How many years has he-

Those might have been Shoto's last thoughts because this time he wasn't high enough to create a slide in time. That they weren't was mostly due to the intervening of one Yaoyorozu Momo. Something hit the ground and inflated into a giant white thing that cushioned his fall. Yaoyorozu smiled at him, a little unstable on her feet. She'd created an airbag.

Shoto drew his head up and grit his teeth. Something was boiling in his stomach. Guilt. Anger, mainly at himself. Fear. Other emotions he couldn't have named. But, above all others, a glaring feeling of weakness. Weakness. He had lost against Midoriya. He had lost against Tokoyami. He was about to lose against this villain.

He got up on his feet, his expression betraying nothing. It was something he'd learned from living with his father. Don't show your enemy anything of you. Don't give them anything to use against you.

"Use your glacier attack again," Yaoyorozu murmured. "I can flank him."

Shoto looked at her and shook his head. "You're emaciated," he said. "Pushing your Quirk any further would be-"

She smiled and held up the tranquilizer gun. "I have what I need."

Shoto hesitated – he hesitated? – before nodding. "Six seconds," he said. "Maybe seven. He's too good."

She nodded and dashed left as Shoto unleashed his glacier. The backlash made his fingers spasm with cold before he caught himself.

The mass of ice came down as water as quickly as he'd raised it. "Cmon make this interesting!" The villain punched the ground and grinned. "#goodvibrations!"

The ground shook so violently that Shoto doubled over even though he'd braced himself. He threw up an ice shield only moments before a fist broke through it and a hashtag-themed brass knuckle missed him by two centimeters. He brought distance between himself and the villain before readying another attack. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, going in for the kill this time. The villain smashed them effortlessly.

Shoto saw Yaoyorozu peeking from behind a faux ruin and steadying her gun at the villain. All he had to do was keep him in one place, contain him only for a moment. Shoto prepared to unleash a multitude of non-connected ice pillars that would hopefully take one activation of the villain's Quirk each to melt… when the man suddenly smiled at him.

It was a smile to make Shoto's stomach drop. His attack faltered. He stumbled back.

There was no uncertainty on the villain's face. No playfulness, no unnecessary boasting or laxity. He smiled at him. And Shoto knew they'd lost.

He didn't have time to scream at Yaoyorozu, or to put up a defense. One second, the villain had stood before him. The next, he'd vanished, with speed someone of his stature should not have possessed, and reappeared in front of Yaoyorozu. He saw her widening her eyes, pointing the gun at the villain…

And he punched her in the gut.

He didn't use his Quirk. He didn't even put his back into it. He just delivered a sloppy punch to her stomach. And it didn't take anything more.

Yaoyorozu made a sound that Shoto hadn't ever wanted to hear as the punch took her off her feet and slammed her into a wall. A deep gash split open across her stomach, her eyes unfocused. She slumped down.

The villain turned around and Shoto saw death. He killed her, one part of his mind whispered. We don't know for sure if he did, another one replied. But both of those voices where meaningless in the face of certainty.

I'm going to die.

Then the villain was in front of him and Shoto didn't think about whether Yaoyorozu was alive or not. He didn't think about anything at all. He just reacted. An orb of ice rose around him, half a meter thick, but from outside a voice proclaimed, "#unbreakable!", and he found his shielding sphere had become hard as steel, trapping him inside like an arctic bunker.

"Aight fights over. #liquefy. Sry for being repetitive."

The ice dome reverted to normal, but Todoroki was already trapped in the liquid asphalt.

No. It can't end like this. I won't allow it. Not like this. This is… I can't…

It's just… too pathetic.

Ice encased his body like a husk, growing thicker and thicker around him until he'd encased himself in a boulder of frozen water. He floated on top of the asphalt, held his breath and waited for the villain's Quirk to wear off. The freezing backlash was agonizing by now. But Shoto was not going to be killed by his own Quirk. He would stay awake. Just a little longer.

The ground solidified again. The villain sighed. "Boring. Ah well. Finished my share. Time to tell Foggy Boy to bring me back." Todoroki melted the ice husk as quietly as he could and climbed out of it, ignoring the way his waterlogged clothing clung to his skin. Then, equally quietly, he melted a spyhole in the ice dome. The villain was facing away from him and spoke into an earpiece.

"Hey Giri-Giri. Yeah lmao. 2 students down. Can I leave now?"

Now.

In one fluid motion, Todoroki broke through the ice barrier that'd nearly been his grave, ran up to the villain who was spinning round too slowly for once, grabbed him by the collar and froze his whole body solid except for the backs of his hands.

"Dang. Ok u got me there." The villain sighed. "So what do u wanna know?"

Dreamscapes…

When Shoji Mezo saw where the portal had brought him and his classmate, he paused and then smiled. It appeared that the portal villain had only a very limited range, as all of them had simply been ported to the central plaza. The air smelled of smoke, probably courtesy of one of the downed villains that were sprawled all over the plaza. Aizawa was even swifter than I thought. That's a Pro Hero for you. Mezo breathed a sigh of relief as he turned to face the others … and hesitated.

Their expressions had hardened. Where he'd found cheerfulness and open hearts before was now disgust. And it wasn't directed at the villains.

He looked around. "I-Is something wro-"

Hagakure screamed and pointed at him. He fell silent in shock. "A monster!"

"So that's what you've been hiding all this time?" Kaminari said and shuddered. "How can you even think about becoming a hero? I-I sat next to you!"

"Truly," Tokoyami said, his composure slipping and revealing disdain. "The mere conception of something like thou chancing Fate in this unbecoming way… begone, menace."

No… wait… you are wrong! Mezo desperately thought, but no words would leave his mouth. What are you saying? Why would you…

Then he looked down and saw it. Lying quietly on the ground was a piece of bright blue fabric. Tattered, frayed on the edges and smudged with grime it lay in front of him.

His reassurance, his safety, his shield from the world, torn away and laying bare what was underneath.

No… oh, please no…

Horror coursed through his veins as he stared at his classmates, eyes wild, and please, no, please, don't look at me like that, no, please, no, at least one of you, please, at least one…

"What's with your face?"

"No wonder that you always wear that thing! How could you play the goody-two-shoes otherwise!"

"How dare you betray us like that?"

"Go away! Don't touch me!"

"This is totally fucked up! Someone like you shouldn't have been allowed to try out here in the first place!"

"Just die already!"

And into the chorus bled other voices, mixing into those of his classmates as he tried to block them out…

A hero?

Yes, it's always been my dream. To inspire others and to be a pillar that upholds justice! Wouldn't that be such a wonderful thing?

That's… great, I guess. Not sure if you're cut out for it though.

Huh? B-but you don't know me that long! H-how do you know I'm not?

("Scram!" "How are you still around?" "You look just like those villains!")

Heroism? I-I mean… are you sure? Sorry! It's just, I mean, you look kinda, er, unsettling, you know? Evil, really. As in… every time I look at you, I feel like I have to force myself not to scream. I like you, Shoji-san, I really do, but… I'm not sure if I can stand you.

What? B-but what did I do… what did I do to you?

("You're a freak!" "Just watching you try to play at being a good guy makes me sick!" "Buzz off! Don't you get nobody wants you here?")

A hero? Don't make me laugh! Everyone would just run away and scream as soon as they see you – as if they'd ever accept you as a 'pillar of society'! Do the world a service and hide at home, will you?

But… why do you say… that to me?

("How can something like you even survive? Your parents should've just trashed you right away!" "Yuck! That looks so gross!" "Don't get any closer!")

Stay away from my child, thug!

But I'm in his class!

What are you, a pedophile? Get lost or I'll call the police!

But… I just wanted to help him! Why won't you… why won't you look at me?

Mezo screamed, screamed and screamed away while taunts and comments and insults speared through him and made his soul crack.

At the Conflagration Zone…

"What's so funny?" the spy asked angrily.

The other one composed himself with difficulty, still chuckling.

"Tell me! What do you want, Dreamcatcher? We had a deal! A deal!"

He enjoyed their desperation. His expression was that of a connoisseur savoring a rare vintage, only that instead of a drink he relished their emotion. "It's Dreamcatcher-san to you," he corrected lazily. "Though to be honest, Beto-chan… I'm gobsmacked by your naivety. Really. I assumed you were smarter than that." He chuckled again. The feeling in the spy's stomach got colder and colder as understanding dawned on them. "I mean, you really…" He breathed in and out, trying to contain his laughter, "you really thought we'd just give up such a useful chess piece?"

No. No. He couldn't be serious. Please not. Not… no. No…

His voice burned in her eardrums as he went on. "But you know what's really funny? Your past… it… pfft… it wouldn't have meant anything for your career at all!"

No… no… no… no… no

"You were ten years old! No one would've held anything against you for it; if anything, the victim was you, right? If you'd refused us, we wouldn't have been able to do anything. Isn't that funny?"

No… no… no… no… no… no… no… no

"But you know what?" Dreamcatcher nearly lost his grip on Shoji in laughter. "Now that you really did go and betrayed them… haha… you'll be kicked out for sure if you tell 'em, and probably get yourself arrested! You… hahaha… you dug your own grave!"

No… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no

"Now then," he said, conversationally all of a sudden. "You will, of course, remain in our employment of the foreseeable future. And just to give you a little incentive…"

He unsheathed his épée and looked at Shoji with mock sympathy. "Sad story with him, really. Since the day he was born life's spat in his face, and still he retained values. Resolve, even. A brave man… he would've made a fine hero, I'm sure." He raised his weapon, letting it hover just over his heart. "What a waste. He might have reached greatness – but that's ruined now. Because he had to be chivalrous and try to shield you from Kurogiri. Remember this. It's your fault."

No… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… no… NO!

Stab. Splatter. Coughing.

Dreamcatcher gave them a surprised look. "Oh my. How… noble." He withdrew his blade from their arm, which it had pierced down to the bone. His expression as he studied the blood on it was one of detached interest. But then he smiled and sheathed his blade. "Well, seeing as he seems to be important to you, he'll live. I think I've made my point clear anyway." He smiled and the spy wanted him dead, wanted him to stop breathing so badly that they nearly believed the power of their wish should've stopped his heart. "You've barely known your classmates for more than four days. Tell me, is it only this one…" When they stayed quiet his expression changed to one of glee. "So there are others? Oh, tell me that this isn't true… you… pfft… you… you really are pitiful… hahaha… so dumb… well then, each time you don't obey, one of your precious 'friends' kicks the bucket."

He took a step forward. The spy tried to back up but their feet seemed to be rooted to the ground. His hand cupped their cheek, caressing it, almost, but they weren't fooled for a second. Hadn't been by his laugh, weren't by his gentleness. Because they knew what lay under Dreamcatcher's plumed hat. A shiver ran through their body. Dreamcatcher's shadowed smile showed too many teeth.

A sharp crack resounded through the zone. Their breath hitched. It's not real. It's not real.

"We don't have all day, kiddo. Come on."

Stop it. Please. I don't want to hear it.

It was only a hint of the past, nothing like the full-blown terror Shoji was experiencing. Sound and nothing else. Figments. Like glass breaking, or a thunderous roar, or the flames around them crackling just a tiny bit louder. And still it made them feel like they were being shattered.

To pieces.

Their vision was blurry. But Dreamcatcher's smile was there, pearly white, almost surreal amidst the fire. His hand didn't move. The sounds didn't stop.

"Get in here, kiddo. It won't take too long, promise."

A dull thump. Their heart beat wildly against their chest. Panic bubbled up in them. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Someone whispering in their ear, oh-so-fondly. Their throat constricted. They couldn't breathe. Cloth rustling. Someone screaming. Heavy crashing. A child's wail.

And it ceased again. Dreamcatcher took his hand away. And perhaps for the only time he looked genuinely happy.

The spy didn't notice the portal that'd spirited him away, nor the one that brought them out of the zone.

Their tears just didn't seem to want to stop falling.

A/N: Aand that's it for today! If you have feedback about Hashtag and Dreamcatcher, be sure to leave a review! I'd appreciate your opinions!

Next time: Bakugo and Kirishima face off agains BONES! Also, some Mineta POV (don't shoot me pls)! And, naturally, Foreshadowing. If you know where to look for it.

As usual, constructive criticism is welcome while flames most certainly aren't.

Remember to go beyond…

PLUS ULTRA!

Ramses, over and out.