Entropy

by Imperium42

Midoriya Izuku didn't change overnight. The process was slow and gradual, the end result of a life filled with rejections and roadblocks- but everyone has a breaking point. Destruction brings renewal, and with the death of his old dream, Izuku has found a new one- one he intends to share. All orderly systems descend into chaos. No one is immune to entropy, heroes least of all.

34. Tacking into the Wind

Chapter 34: Tacking into the Wind

---

3:00

"You see, my friends, their feeble, transparent attempts to disrupt this assembly? To deny you of your constitutional rights through this pathetic fearmongering? Sadly, though, this is typical- typical behavior from this so-called 'Public Safety Commission!'"

Hanabata Koku made sure to infuse a high degree of bitter sarcasm into his last three words as he shouted them into his megaphone, then spared a quick glance down at his watch as the crowd replied with a chorus of shouts and cheers. It should be starting shortly now, as long as Seraph wasn't lying to us. A brief, quiet chuckle escaped Trumpet's lips, and he ran a hand down his lightly stubbled chin, his eyes roving out across the sea of people in search of any suspicious activity. Midoriya Izuku, lying? Oh, perish the thought.

A majority of the thousand-odd protestors who had gathered outside the Commission's headquarters were rapidly dispersing now that word of a new Syndicate livestream had begun to spread, some in a more orderly fashion than others. Cries of panic had largely replaced those of defiance, as the righteous anger the mob had been so proudly displaying quickly melted away in the face of actual danger. A small team of heroes had descended from the Safety Commission's tower to help prevent a stampede amid the growing panic, but most of them suddenly departed the area shortly afterward, leaving the outnumbered police to shoulder most of the evacuation.

I suppose that's a sign that our dear President Kengen has taken the Syndicate's bait once again, Hanabata noted, a bemused smirk briefly crossing his face as he lifted the megaphone back to his lips. How unsurprising. Despite any qualms we may have with Seraph, credit where credit is due- he's quite skilled at predicting the Commission's moves before they make them. He and his lieutenants will be a wonderfully valuable asset once they've been absorbed into our ranks.

"You'll note, my friends, that we still have several hours until the municipal curfew, making this police and hero action a clear violation of Tokyo law, not to mention your basic civil rights!"

Hanabata swept one hand out toward the line of helmeted and gas mask-clad riot police slowly advancing towards his campaign van's position at one edge of the plaza; most of the protestors were leaving voluntarily before the police could reach them, but a few of the more dedicated anti-establishment variety had begun to clash with the officers, throwing bottles and other refuse at the row of shields to slow their forward march. "Look for yourselves, and you'll see the violence inherent in this administration's backwards system! Rest assured that the Hearts and Minds party will be filing a criminal lawsuit against the Commission in response to this outrageous abuse of power!"

While most of the mob continued to either turn tail or hurl projectiles at the police, the core contingent of a hundred-odd supporters surrounding Hanabata's van were holding their ground for the time being- many of them were Liberation Army soldiers in plainclothes, after all, patiently awaiting his coded orders as they played the part of ordinary, concerned citizens. Aside from the plants, though, it was clear that a good number of actual civilians had been won over by Trumpet's stump speeches over the course of the afternoon- dozens of new faces were visible in the group ringing his van, each one of them looking up to him for guidance amid the growing hysteria. It was always an exhilarating feeling, watching his words mold the hearts of those around him- and knowing that in time, many of them might be selected for formal recruitment into the MLA's ranks, all thanks to his efforts.

"Mister Hanabata!" One of the civilians had pushed his way forward until he was just beneath the van; with dark blue hair drawn into a ponytail and a homemade sign depicting both Hawks and President Kengen with devil horns slung over his shoulder, the young man had ditched work to attend the protest, if his loosened tie and sweat-stained white button-down were any indication. "It's the Syndicate, they're releasing another video! W-What should we do, sir?!"

"Stay calm, my friend- nothing's certain until this matter is verified by independent sources. I, for one, won't let the Safety Commission use fear of the Syndicate to disrupt this demonstration!"

On cue, the undercover MLA soldiers let out a round of cheers and applause, a gesture that was quickly echoed by most of the civilians that had joined their group. Trumpet himself was still diligently feigning outward ignorance about the video in order to milk the situation for all the propaganda value it was worth, but in truth, he and the rest of the Meta Liberation Army's inner circle had been briefed on the planned attack several hours ago, and sent a copy of the pre-recorded video being staged as a supposed livestream.

It had been presented to them as part of a so-called 'courtesy notice' from Midoriya Izuku, in accordance with the terms of the written agreement they'd drafted with his double. During the two-day window between the finalization of the treaty with the double and the deadline for the real Seraph's signature, the Syndicate was permitted to carry on with their business as usual, but they were required to give Re-Destro advance notice of any operations outside their organization's day-to-day functioning, on pain of the agreement being voided if they failed to comply.

'After all,' Re-Destro had explained to them in private, seeking to assuage Skeptic's concerns, 'how much trouble could they possibly get up to in forty-eight hours?'

Well, the answer to that question now seems to be apparent, Hanabata mused, one eyebrow twitching faintly in annoyance as he continued to smile and wave to the crowd. Seraph seems to be milking this window for all it's worth. The sheer audacity of dropping his plan for this particular mission in our lap a day before he's due to join our cause and step down from his post! It's a miracle that Skeptic didn't suffer a stroke then and there! If they weren't so good at what they do, I'd have joined him in calling for their destruction, but the propaganda value of having the Syndicate on our side is simply too wonderful to resist.

"Any further updates, sir?" Turning away from the crowd for a moment, Hanabata lowered the megaphone and dropped his voice down to a murmur, holding the communicator embedded in his wristwatch up to his mouth. "Do we have an ETA on their strike team? I've stalled for as long as I can, but they'll be forcing us to evacuate soon- I might not be able to observe the attack at this rate."

2:30

"Now that the heroes have acted as Seraph predicted and divided their forces, I don't imagine it'll be much longer, Trumpet." Re-Destro's voice crackled to life in Hanabata's earpiece, a familiar and comforting presence; Trumpet's heart was instantly set at ease, the tightness in his chest swiftly loosening. "See if you and your group can hold out a bit longer- the larger the in-person audience, the worse the fallout for the Commission, after all."

"Yes, sir. Of course, sir. All the same, though…" Hanabata paused and glanced back up at the tower's upper floors- at the rooms where Kengen Hokori, the Syndicate's primary target, was likely still sheltering. "…Is there a recommended safe distance I should withdraw to? I don't imagine our new friend gave you specifics on the size and yield of their initial barrage."

"As if he'd ever be so forthright," Skeptic growled, his white-hot anger and resentment practically radiating through the earpiece. "He knows you're there, of course, and he knows that causing any harm to you or your men, even as collateral damage, would nullify our agreement. So as long as he's not a complete and utter imbecile, he'll give you a wide berth."

"And yet something tells me you think he's exactly that," Trumpet sighed, dabbing at his forehead with a handkerchief. "Reassuring as always, Mr. Skeptic."

"Skeptic's got a real talent for motivational speeches, doesn't he?"

Curious' teasing voice chimed in as well, and Trumpet felt a bemused smirk cross his lips. Before he could follow up with his next question, though, the van and surrounding crowd were enveloped in shadow; suddenly, Hanabata felt a looming presence over his shoulder, accompanied by a low, rumbling sound. For a brief instant, his eyes widened in panic, his mouth falling agape.

No, they wouldn't dare to-

"Representative Hanabata, please- we know you heard the warning notice."

When Trumpet pivoted towards the shadow's source, he found himself facing Mount Lady rather than a Syndicate attack squad. Even crouched down, her colossal figure still blocked out the setting sun, submerging half the plaza in relative darkness, and her voice boomed out like a natural loudspeaker- the expression on her massive face was one of rapidly thinning patience. She, Lemillion, and Mudslide were the only three heroes still assisting with the evacuation after the others left the area- Togata Mirio and Honenuki Juzo were visible by their distinctly colored costumes at the other end of the plaza, doing their best to defuse a standoff between a squad of riot police and a stubborn group of protestors.

"We need you and your supporters to leave the area," Mount Lady continued, gesturing towards the crowd that had gathered around Hanabata. "Do you think you could use that megaphone of yours to help calm people down instead of riling them up? There's a legitimate security threat here, and I'm sure you don't wanna put this fan club of yours in any danger."

2:00

You're one to talk, Hanabata mused, concealing his contempt behind a friendly smile as he improvised a reply. You dare to put on this pretense of concern for my constituents, Takeyama Yuu? Such brazen hypocrisy from one who lives the life of a celebrity while claiming the mantle of heroism. What service have you ever done these people with your magazine photoshoots and name-brand merchandising?

"Danger?" Trumpet lifted the megaphone back to his mouth and let out a loud, incredulous scoff. "The only danger facing these fine men and women is the danger of police and hero brutality, committed against innocent citizens exercising their right to assembly!" The crowd ringing the van let out another round of cheers and shouts at that, applauding Hanabata and booing Mount Lady. "Use all the flimsy excuses you wish, but we can all see what's happening here- government fearmongering, plain and simple! I, for one, will not be frightened into submission- arrest me if you must!"

Please do, in fact. It took a great deal of effort to for Trumpet to keep from breaking out into a gleeful, taunting smirk as he stared up into Mount Lady's meter-wide eyes. My loyal soldiers would be happy to catch it all on camera, and a few hours in a holding cell always makes for a wonderful PR boost. 'Hearts and Minds Party Leader jailed for speaking out against HPSC!'- the headlines practically write themselves.

Unfortunately, though, Mount Lady seemed to be savvy enough to come to the same conclusion; her eyes narrowed in skepticism and annoyance, and she let out an exasperated sigh before rising back to her full height.

"Yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen, Representative." Takeyama planted her hands on her hips and began to drum one foot against the ground, sending out a rumbling vibration with each tap. "Try all you want to make this into a viral campaign ad, but at the end of the day, the longer you and your supporters stay here, the more danger you're all in- it's my job to keep you safe, no matter how much you complain about it. So, you've got two options: either you leave voluntarily, or I pick up that van and carry you outta here. I'm gonna give you about five seconds to decide."

As the ground continued to vibrate under the tapping of Mount Lady's foot, Hanabata straightened his gold-rimmed glasses and ran a hand down his chin, weighing his options. It seems she's called my bluff- we could find a way to turn it into a David vs. Goliath scenario, but being physically carried away by Takeyama Yuu like some child's doll would be a rather undignified image regardless of the spin. Not to mention, the-

"Go ahead, Trumpet." Re-Destro's voice returned to Hanabata's ear, calm and confident. "Start to back away- let her think she's won. I suppose it would be wise for you to begin putting some distance between yourself and the heroes, knowing what comes next."

1:30

Obeying without hesitation, Hanabata leaned down and clapped his hand against the side of the van; the passenger-side window slid downward a moment later, and Trumpet met Amplivolt's disinterested gaze.

"As soon as the crowd gives us a clear path, have the driver start backing us up. And I know it goes without saying, but… stay alert."

"Yes, sir." Amplivolt breathed out a cloud of cigarette smoke, his eyes roving out across the plaza in search of Syndicate activity. "Very good, sir."

As the window rolled up again, Trumpet straightened up and turned out to face his supporters, taking on a pained and reluctant expression as he clutched his megaphone in hand.

"My friends, I'm very sorry to say it, but if there's even the smallest chance that this threat truly is genuine, it's best that we do as the heroes ask- I would never wish to see any of you harmed, after all!" Several scattered shouts of disappointment sounded out in reply to Hanabata's concession, and he raised both hands in a calming gesture before continuing. "Rest assured, I will get to the bottom of this matter, and charges will be brought against the Safety Commission as I promised- if you would be so kind as to clear a path, though, we'll move back and reconvene this assembly at a safe distance."

"There we go," Mount Lady muttered, watching with arms crossed as the mob of supporters slowly parted and the van jolted into reverse. "That wasn't too hard, was it, Representative? Now, I want you to keep going like that until you get to the other end of the block, then turn that van around and hit the road. The rest of you should all follow him."

"You've made your disdain for civil demonstrations quite clear," Hanabata countered, still doing his best to paint the retreat in a positive light. "But rest assured, Ms. Takeyama, you haven't seen the last of us! Mark my words- the people will have their due!"

Mount Lady let out an exasperated sigh and started back towards the advancing police line rather engage in any further verbal sparring, and the civilians in Trumpet's growing crowd let out a chorus of victorious cheers and taunting jeers as they followed his van in its slow procession back across the length of the plaza. Hanabata's own expression fell a bit as his eyes drifted down to the ground, though. Discarded signs, bottles of spray paint, crumpled cans of coffee and beer- the protestors had left a good deal of trash in their wake as they fled, and he let out a quiet sigh of exasperation as the van's tires rolled over the assorted refuse.

They are quite a rowdy mix, our own soldiers aside- but I suppose the time for lessons in operational discipline will come later, after our revolution has succeeded.

"That was amazing, Mr. Hanabata!" The young blue-haired man dashed up alongside the van with childlike glee on his face, dragging Trumpet from his thoughts. "The way you called her out- you exposed her bullshit in front of everyone! And I got the whole thing on camera, too!" He held up his cellphone, and Hanabata could make out the faint audio of a video playing on the screen. "Is it okay if I post it?! I guarantee it'll go viral, sir!"

"I got it too!" Another civilian shouted, a young woman with raccoon-like features and a bushy striped tail. "This is gonna tank that bimbo bitch's approval numbers!"

1:00

Ah, they're so much more passionate than I could've hoped. Trumpet broke into a satisfied grin, holding back tears of delight as he nodded in assent. A bit of litter is a small price to pay for such enthusiasm, in the grand scheme of things. This new wave of Syndicate-era malcontents truly is a miraculous asset, both for my party and for the MLA- Seraph has gifted us with a fresh supply of anti-establishment radicals, ripe for the picking! They don't even need instructions, and they're already doing our job for us!

"Why of course, my friends! It's our civic duty to record and expose the injustices committed by this corrupt regime- to bring their crimes and their thuggish tactics into the harsh light of day! And so, I ask you all- spread word of what happened here, and tell your representatives to demand a snap election, so we can vote out this incompetent regime and replace them with true voices of the people!"

As another round of raucous cheers rang out in response to Trumpet's latest exhortation, Amplivolt's voice sounded in his ear.

We're coming up on the other end of the square, sir. Think this'll be far enough from the fireworks?"

"It'll have to be."

Hanabata sighed, checking his watch once again as the van came to a halt alongside the entrance to the plaza's subway station- any further, and they'd be backing out into rush-hour traffic. The adjacent avenue and the two intersections at either corner of the square were already slowed to a near-total standstill by the throngs of fleeing protestors flooding out across the street, though; the harsh din of a hundred car horns had merged into a single, incessant wail, and the clamor was only worsened by the sirens of several police cars attempting to make their way to the HPSC building, no doubt in response to the broadcast.

In such a hurry, are we? Hanabata's mouth curled into a grin as he watched one officer lean out of his squad car's window, shouting through his bullhorn for the mob to clear a path. Like flies flocking to a spider's web.

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Another voice filtered through Trumpet's earpiece, harsh and rasping, and his brows hiked in surprise.

"Of course, my friend." Back to smiling and waving by now, Hanabata gazed out across the crowd; it only took him a moment to locate Phantasm, easily recognizable by his bone-white hair and piercing red eyes. "By all means, speak your mind."

0:30

Dressed in his usual pinstripe suit, Phantasm was one of the handful of high-ranking officers specifically charged with ensuring Trumpet's safety throughout the day's events, as opposed to the others soldiers' more general crowd-incitement duties. There were always multiple layers of security protocols and contingency plans in place whenever one of the Liberation Army's inner circle appeared in public- all carefully concealed, of course, so as not to draw attention to the protection detail's presence. Today, Phantasm and Amplivolt had the lead, with Lucaria and Deathblow assisting. Given the unpredictable nature of the Syndicate element, though, Re-Destro had ordered even more precautions than usual; should the situation escalate beyond the primary team's control, Geten and another squad were on standby a few blocks away. On paper, they were all legitimately employed as security contractors hired by his office, should any government authorities decide to pry- courtesy of Aegis Defense Solutions, another of the MLA's numerous front companies.

"Devout," Phantasm replied, urgency and anxiety seeping into his voice. "I know she was given advance notice like the rest of us, but there's no way she can ditch the other heroes without blowing her cover- she'll be just as vulnerable as the rest of them when the Syndicate hits the tower. I know it's not my place, sir, but if we don't find a way to pull her out of there before the attack, we could lose a valuable operative."

"I understand your concerns, Yurei. I assure you, I do." Hanabata had begun to pace back and forth atop the van, his face still locked in a cheery smile as the shouts and cheers of the crowd all blended together in the background. "It's only natural that you'd worry for her, both as her uncle and as one of her superior officers. But you know as well as I do that your niece walked into that meeting knowing exactly the risk she was taking. She refused to back down from her mission even after she was briefed on the Syndicate threat- we should all aspire to her level of dedication. And even if I could authorize such a high-risk extraction attempt, Devout would take it as an insult to her own competence. If you trust her, then trust her to handle herself."

0:10

"Eloquently put, Trumpet." Re-Destro clapped his hands together in satisfaction on the other end of the line- he and the other commanders had listening to the entire exchange, no doubt. "No matter the circumstances, I have no doubt that our dear Devout will find the means to survive. Now, tell me- from your current vantage point, are you able to-"

0:00

"Incursion! We've got a Warp Gate signature, two o'clock high!"

Before Hanabata could so much as process Amplivolt's urgent shout, Lucaria, the next-closest member of the protection detail to Trumpet's position, broke away from the crowd, scaled the side of the van at lightning speed, and practically tackled him down against the modified platform roof.

"The Representative is secure!" She bellowed, keeping one arm wrapped tight around Trumpet's side as she reached her other hand into her coat, pulled out a small, metallic black orb, and hurled it into the air. "Activating defensive measures!"

Though he could hardly see anything other than Lucaria's dark leather coat and the metal railings of his speaking platform at the moment, Trumpet could make an educated guess as to what was happening around him; the low, steady wail of a warning siren had filled the air, and his civilian supporters' defiant cheers had turned to cries of shock and horror. As he twisted back into a semi-upright position and craned his head in the direction Lucaria had indicated, the source of the panic swiftly became visible.

At first glance, it looked like a low, black storm cloud, floating up near the top of the tower- it was far smaller and darker than any natural thunderhead, though, perhaps only a few dozen meters in length. Swirls of purple energy were mixed in among the black mist that comprised it, an unmistakably familiar hue.

"Alert, Syndicate presence has been detected. All civilians, evacuate the area immediately." An automated message began to echo through hidden loudspeakers along with the siren, repeating every few seconds in an authoritative voice. "Alert, Syndicate presence has been detected. All civilians, evacuate the area immediately."

Much of the remaining crowd needed no further convincing, sprinting full-tilt out into the still-deadlocked street or down into the subway station. Others remained where they stood, transfixed- they could hardly tear their eyes away from the portal, expressions of fascination or even anticipation clear on their faces as they awaited the inevitable. Trumpet's contingent of undercover MLA soldiers, for their part, largely mimicked the latter group, still ready to take up defensive stances around his van if need be- from his vantage point, he could see Phantasm and Deathblow making their way back towards Trumpet's position, pushing against the flow of the crowd.

Now that the vast majority of the plaza had been cleared of civilians, the heroes and police seemed to be prioritizing defense as well; Mount Lady, Lemiillion and Mudslide had joined the line of riot officers in withdrawing back towards the fortified barricade around the base of the tower, though Takeyama paused for a moment to glance back and shout one last warning in Hanabata's direction.

"Get out of here, goddammit! All of you, GO!" Turning back towards the building, she reached a hand up to her earpiece, her voice still faintly audible over the sirens and screams. "They're all as far away as they can get without turning this into a stampede. Yes. Understood, ma'am."

Even if Hanabata wanted to run, though, leaving by vehicle was no longer an option for anyone in the vicinity- civilians across all lanes of the adjacent streets were beginning to abandon their cars in droves as the crush of people fleeing on foot continued to make driving almost impossible, a decidedly apocalyptic scene. The sounds of screams and sirens were significantly muffled an instant later, though, when the orb Lucaria had thrown into the air halted in place around five meters above them and emitted a booming electric pulse; a dome-shaped shield comprised of transparent, hexagonal panes of glowing golden energy rapidly descended into place over the van. One of Detnerat's latest support item inventions, the Mobile Bastion was designed to deflect any projectiles or debris traveling faster than 20kph and any gaseous substances heavier than air. Originally conceived as a defensive measure against Longshot and Mustard, it had successfully repelled a full bombardment of sniper fire, conventional artillery, and toxic gas shells during testing, though the power source only lasted around fifteen minutes.

"Bastion deployed," Lucaria declared, holding her communicator to her mouth as she finally loosened her grip enough for Hanabata to rise back to his knees. "Security team, report in."

"They certainly know how to create an air of dramatic suspense." Trumpet murmured into his wristband communicator, one brow hiked in anticipation as the detail sounded off one-by-one over the open channel. "Now, let's see what they have in store for the main act."

It began the next moment, practically on cue- a peal of thunder from the black cloud, echoing through the square. Then, the rain: a hail of bullets, carving a scar into the side of the tower, and a volley of missiles, streaking out from the warp gate and down towards the police and heroes below on trails of fire and smoke.

---

"GET DOWN!"

Honenuki Juzo was operating on pure instinct.

There was no time to process his own actions, no time to weigh his options and make a measured decision. His body began to move the instant the missiles emerged from the warp gate and peeled off toward their position- crouching low towards the ground, he swung his right hand downwards with as much speed as he could muster. Sharp, stinging pain lanced through his gloved fingers when they struck the bare concrete in the fleeting instant before it softened, but it was nothing more than a faint afterthought compared to the volley of death currently sailing towards him, towards Mount Lady and Lemillion and all the dozens of police officers manning the barricade.

Over the past three years, Juzo had trained and refined his quirk to a level of precision and scale that once seemed far beyond his reach. When he first arrived at U.A., courtesy of a recommendation from one of his father's wealthy associates in the hero business, he could turn a few square meters of earth to a viscous, slurry-like fluid if he strained himself. Doing the same to any large quantity of solid rock or metal was a tall order, and achieving a pure, water-like consistency took considerable time and effort.

In his final quirk assessment around eight days ago, he'd reduced a 1500-ton block of hardened tungsten alloy to a swimming pool of liquid metal in 0.48 seconds.

The effect radiated out from his hand like a ripple in a pond, traveling through the ground at blinding speed- by the time the pain in his fingers had even begun to register, Mudslide and everyone around him were already plunging down into a widening sea of liquid concrete and asphalt. Weighed down by their armor and gear, the officers sunk quickly, thrashing about in a panic in the translucent grey fluid; some of them were wearing gas masks with their helmets, but others were bare-faced, and Mudslide was the only one with a built-in rebreather and oxygen tank- there'd been no time to warn them, no chance to tell them to hold their breath and no Tsubaraba to make bubbles of hardened air around their heads like he'd done for Setsuna and Reiko at the Commencement. It wasn't an ideal solution by any means, but in the fleeting moment before the rockets struck home, it was their only feasible means of survival.

The largest splash by far came from Mount Lady, tumbling forward in the world's largest belly flop as her footing gave way beneath her. One massive, flailing arm nearly slammed into Mudslide when her colossal frame plunged down into the liquid concrete, and all he could do was pray that the force of her fall didn't crush any of the police on impact. There was nothing even resembling a guarantee of safety in the current plan, though, for her or anyone else- only a slim chance that they might be able to cheat certain death. Juzo saw no sign of Mirio in the grey-brown semi-darkness, but Lemillion's quirk was perfectly suited to survive this exact scenario; the others' safety had to be his priority.

Release.

Just as quickly as he'd activated his quirk, Juzo flipped his mental switch back in the opposite direction, and in the span of a heartbeat, he and everyone else who'd taken the plunge down into the liquefied street were entombed in a mix of asphalt, concrete, earth, and bedrock. It was a horrifying, intensely claustrophobic sensation, like something out of a nightmare- limbs locked in place, no light and no air, crushing pressure all around. Juzo had forced himself to experience it several times during his quirk endurance and survival training, but without a mask and air supply, suffocation symptoms would begin to set in almost immediately, with loss of consciousness after one to two minutes at best. Sometimes leftover bubbles created during the substance's liquid state left behind small air pockets, but their number, size, and location was a matter of pure chance, not something to be relied on. Death or severe injury by overpressure was a possibility as well if Mudslide wasn't careful, but as long as long as the reversal happened quickly enough, the newly-hardened sediment would form structurally stable 'cocoons' rather than collapsing and crushing everyone within it.

It's risky as hell, but there's no other way. No other way to protect us from-

The rockets struck home just a fraction of a second after the street hardened again, slamming into the empty stretch of concrete that their targets had occupied just a moment prior. Even from half a dozen meters down into the pitch-dark earth, Juzo could hear the drumbeat of explosions in deafening clarity, and winced in pain as the cascading shockwaves slammed into his body, one after the other. His armor's built-in shock absorbers helped spare him the worst of the tremors, but Juzo still had to remind himself not to grit his teeth- the force of the vibrations could shatter them if they were pressed together.

Then, all at once, the shockwaves stopped- the sound of the missile strikes faded away, leaving only distant, muffled thuds, and Juzo blinked open his eyes, panting breathlessly into his mask's respirator.

Holy shit. It-

Mudslide stopped himself short of the words 'it worked', his brows furrowing in concern and frustration; there was no telling whether anyone else was alive, not until he re-softened the ground and dragged them all back to the surface. No longer relying solely on instinct and reflex, Juzo's mind had begun to race, ticking through his options at lightning speed; he could feel a sheen of sweat forming on his brow, and his heart was pounding like a drum.

Best case scenario, they're all still alive with a few concussions and broken bones- worst case, everybody but me got turned into pulp. Either way, if anyone else is still kicking, I only have about ninety seconds before people start suffocating, and if some of them are unconscious, god knows how long it'll take me to drag 'em to the surface with that gear they're wearing. So I've gotta go ahead and soften it all again, right? But what if they just start shooting at us again the moment we come up? What if Seraph is watching this spot through a pair of goddamn binoculars, just waiting for me to poke my head up so he can hit us with more rockets? How long is long enough to be safe?

Juzo's hands twitched in his gloves in an attempt to flex into frustrated fists, but the casing of rock and earth surrounding his body refused to budge. The urge to scream out in anger and desperation was overwhelming, but he forced himself to remain calm, screwing his eyes shut in attempt to concentrate.

Alright, calm the fuck down. Let's just be optimistic and assume they're still alive. If we stay like this too long, it's guaranteed that that they'll all suffocate to death. If I soften the street again, we might all get blown up, but at least there's a chance I can save some of them. Even just saving one would be enough.

Mudslide opened his eyes and sucked in a deep breath, his brows furrowed in determination- just as before, the choice was clear.

Let's do this.

Once again, Juzo's quirk radiated outward almost instantly, liquefying hundreds of cubic meters of ground at the snap of a finger. Crushing darkness gave way to pale, dim sunlight filtering in from above; after a brief moment to allow his vision to adjust, Juzo righted himself, began to tread liquid, and glanced from side to side, searching for signs of the others.

He swiftly found one. Just a few meters ahead, the sea's grey-brown hue was stained by a curtain of red, slowly drifting out in all directions- even through his mask, Juzo could smell the faint scent of copper. Moments later, a meter-long index finger drifted past him, charred and bloodied; a jagged fragment of blackened bone followed, sinking towards the depths of Mudslide's artificial lake. As his gaze turned upwards, it took all the discipline Juzo could muster to hold back the urge to vomit in his mask.

Judging by her orientation, Mount Lady had twisted to one side in the moment after she fell, with her left arm still cresting above the surface when the ground hardened and the missiles struck. Little to nothing remained of her left hand and forearm; her shoulder was obscured amid the cloud of blood and gore, and the left side of her face was badly bruised and lacerated. For a brief instant, her massive eyes met Juzo's, wide with pain and fear, and he felt his heart freeze in place. They glazed over in unconsciousness the next moment, though, and Takeyama shrank back to her normal size, her body falling limp as she sank down through a cloud of her own blood and into Juzo's waiting arms.

---

"Keep it up until the windows give! Don't let up, not for one goddamn second!"

Kamakiri could scarcely hear his own voice over the thundering roar of the Furies' gatling guns and the intermittent thooms of their missile tubes, still sustaining a continuous barrage that had lasted nearly half a minute now. As the assault mechs continued to spray volleys of armor-piercing bullets and rocket-propelled warheads through Kurogiri's warp gate, Hatsume and a handful of her doubles were hard at work spraying coolant gas on the assault mechs' guns and maintaining their ammunition supply, ensuring that they were stocked with a continuous feed of bullet belts and missile racks from a neatly organized stockpile that Pandora and Chaudron had spent days preparing.

Huddled together a few meters behind the trio of mechs, well away from the cloud of smoke and haze their guns were kicking up, Scimitar, Mustard, and Dark Shadow were watching the fireworks unfold on the screen of a laptop- they had multiple live feeds of the tower and adjacent plaza from a dozen-odd nearby security cameras that La Brava had hacked into- stitched together, their footage provided a perfect panoramic view of every magnificent detail. The gatling guns were keeping up a constant stream of fire on one side of the Safety Commission's tower headquarters, raking rivers of lead along their reinforced safety glass windows while a steady supply of bright gold tracer rounds ensured that the spectacle remained visually pleasing for the audience; once the operation was complete, the video would be posted online alongside Scimitar's pre-recorded debut, a full record of the Commission's undoing.

Every few seconds, another volley of rockets streaked out from the hole in the sky and peeled off towards a different spot around the tower's base, burying the building's entrances in rubble and obliterating any nearby heroes or police with brilliant bursts of flame that cast the entire square aglow. By now, the formidable barricade surrounding the tower had been reduced to charred debris and fragments of bodies, faintly visible through the cloud of smoke and dust rising up from a ring of blackened craters. In the opening moments of the barrage, Kamakiri had caught sight of Mudslide, Mount Lady, and a few squads of riot police vanishing underground with help from Honenuki's quirk, but as far as Scimitar was concerned, Juzo had simply delayed the inevitable; the Furies had more than enough ammunition to outlast however long they could hold their breath under a layer of solid rock and concrete.

It was a nice try, Juzo. Togaru sighed, shaking his head in a mix of bemusement and exasperation. I guess it makes sense that you'd pull something that desperate, but it ain't gonna work. All those cops woulda died quick and easy from the rockets- painless, more or less. But thanks to you, they're gonna end up choking to death under a pile of concrete. In the end, all you did is make was make things worse for 'em.

Snipe had made an attempt at resistance at well, firing blindly through the warp gate from a perch up on the tower's roof a few seconds after the Furies' attack began. Despite his efforts, though, Snipe's quirk, Homing, was practically useless if he couldn't see what he was shooting at; his volley of bullets had only succeeded in killing one Hatsume double and putting a few minor scrapes on the mechs' armor plating, and a few missiles directed toward his position had swiftly persuaded him to abandon his counterattack.

"The windows are starting to give out," Mustard declared, tapping at the laptop's screen; like Kurogiri, Scimitar, and all of the Longshots, he was currently wearing a pair of earpieces that doubled as earplugs to communicate while preserving his hearing.

Just as he'd indicated, shards of shattered glass were raining down from the spots along the tower where the Furies' guns had been coordinating their fire, a telltale sign that the tower's safety glass was beginning to fail- the attack was ready to enter its next stage. During the planning phase, Pandora had advocated simply using Warp Gate to teleport the attack team directly inside the building, as close to the target as possible- a swift, surgical strike- but Seraph and Scimitar both pushed for a more dramatic, hands-on approach to making their entrance.

'The Safety Commission Tower is a universal symbol of their power and influence', Midoriya had explained, his words still ringing clear in Kamakiri's mind. 'It's not enough to merely slay the queen and leave her castle untouched- the tower itself must be assaulted and breached before the eyes of the public, a tangible demonstration that the Commission is just as vulnerable as U.A. and the Tokyo PD. The entire country will bear witness as we lay siege and smash down its gates, and you, Scimitar, will be leading the charge.'

"Took them long enough!" Dark Shadow crowed, its yellow eyes narrowed in excitement. "I was getting bored just watching these machines have all the fun- it's finally our turn!"

"Damn right!" Scimitar clapped his hands together in satisfaction, then turned and waved over towards Longshot with a widening grin. "C'mon, Hatsume, you heard him- it's showtime, let's move!"

"Take good care of the babies!" Mei shouted, tossing a canister of coolant back towards a double's waiting hands as she gave them a brisk, gleeful farewell salute. Dressed in a custom suit of grey and magenta-toned armor- a lighter and more flexible version of Midoriya's infamous black exo-suit, albeit without the faceless helmet- she was almost unrecognizable without her usual grease-coated, sweat-stained tanktop and cargo pants. Just a small, nondescript black circle to any outside observers, her chestplate also sported a built-in armor camera to record the battle- and hopefully, Kamakiri's assassination of the president. "I want 'em ready to deploy if we need 'em, so stay on your toes, girls!"

Once she'd grabbed hold of her own handheld gatling gun and let her set of metal servo-arms carry her back towards the others, Kamakiri glanced down and tapped one boot against the smooth, streamlined grey-black metal of his Longboard.

"Right, so I know we've been over this a hundred times, but remind me again what I need to do if this thing goes outta control?"

"Trust me, buddy,"Hatsume clapped one gloved hand on Kamakiri's shoulder, her bloodshot eyes gleaming with excitement. "I'll catch ya if you fall!"

"Me too!" Dark Shadow added, cackling; it didn't need one of the boards, given its natural ability to fly. "As long as I don't get too caught up in the bloodshed first, of course! Here's hoping you don't end up as paste, Master Scimitar!"

"Try your best not to fall if you can help it, though," Mustard added, pressing down one foot to activate his Longboard's engine. "It would be rather difficult for La Brava to edit out in post. Regardless, you did just fine during practice- I wouldn't worry."

"Yeah, you're right. I've got this."

Doing his best to draw from the others' confidence, Kamakiri let out a deep breath and reached down to activate his as well; his board's engine came to life with a low electric hum, and a sudden jerk of downward pressure indicated that the magnetic footholds had activated, locking his boots- or more accurately, the iron-cobalt implants in his soles- down against the board's surface. A pair of segmented metal straps extended up and over his feet as a backup, and Togaru let out a nervous chuckle as the board's ventral thrusters began to lift it into the air, a few centimeters at a time.

I've put in like six hours of practice on this thing, but this part still trips me out.

Hatsume had spent roughly an hour explaining how the Longboards worked in excruciating detail when she first introduced them to the team a few days ago, but most of the technical and engineering side of the presentation had flown clear over Kamakiri's head- as long as he knew how to operate one, he was satisfied. He'd been much more concerned with his input on the boards' design, ensuring that his own personal model came custom-painted with a black and green pattern that matched his new costume.

"Redirecting fire!" One of the Hatsume doubles shouted over the radio, shooting them a thumbs up from her perch atop Alecto. "Targeting parameters have been adjusted to avoid your signals- you're clear to move in!"

"Now, remember what I told you!" The real Hatsume interjected a moment later, glancing between the squad members as her Longboard lifted into the air alongside Scimitar's and Mustard's. "Lock your pitch angle at zero until we get inside, and make sure you stay balanced - the pedals control the speed, but steering's all in the legs and hips! Now, let's try and stick to schedule- you've got point, Scimmy!"

"Please, never call me that again."

Reaching down to where it was clipped to his belt, Kamakiri pulled on his gas mask and watched as Hatsume did the same. They were of a fairly clean and simple design compared to Mustard's, with digital HUDs and sleek, curved faceplates made of some transparent, bulletproof material whose name Togaru couldn't be bothered to remember. They gotta be able to see my face for the vid, after all.

"Boss, my team's ready- everything looking good from your end?"

"Everything's going more or less to plan so far," Midoriya Izuku replied, his voice calm and confident as it filtered in over the radio. Seraph and Pandora were watching the operation unfold from the Syndicate's headquarters in Nagoya, with a double of Kurogiri and a squad of reinforcements on standby in case things went south. "Re-Destro just sent me a very frustrated message about the barrage's proximity to Trumpet, but that's nothing you need to worry about. We have a double of Emperor at the filming site in Asakusa blocking all communications to and from Jeanist's team, so they won't be receiving any distress calls for the time being- it's only a matter of time before they're informed of the situation and reverse course, though. Move quickly, stay in contact, and complete your mission before Gale Force and Best Jeanist return to the tower." Midoriya paused for a beat- when he continued, his tone had grown softer and more reassuring, the voice of a friend rather than a superior. "I know you can do this, Scimitar. It's what you were always meant for. Seraph out."

"Copy, Boss. Thank you."

On cue, another warp gate from Kurogiri opened up in front of them; this time, Kamakiri felt no hesitation. His foot slammed down on the accelerator pedal before his mind even processed what was happening, and instant later, he was sailing out into the open air above the streets of downtown Tokyo, with the shattered windows of the Safety Commission Tower directly ahead. Kamakiri scarcely had any time to take in the carnage and chaos all around him, but made his best attempt to absorb it all- firing from a new warp gate at a different face of the tower now, the Furies were still bombarding the building and its perimeter with missiles and bullets, a constant drumbeat of explosions. A bright red-white beam from one of their laser cutters flashed down across the evening sky as Togaru watched from of the corner of his eye, slicing through two approaching police cars and leaving a line of charred, flaming asphalt in its wake.

And beyond that, smoking craters, wailing sirens, screaming civilians desperately fleeing the plaza- the noise was overwhelming, but it faded away just as quickly as the squad's Longboards smashed through the brittle, cracked remains of the safety glass and carried them into the bullet-torn conference room where two dozen heroes had been meeting just minutes prior. The massive, u-shaped table had been carved apart by lead, reduced to smoking splinters, the walls and doors were riddled with countless holes, and the floor was littered with shards of glass and the charred remnants of neat white placards. Off to the left, a shattered, sparking wall-mounted monitor was still transmitting distorted fragments of audio, its ruined screen flickering with bars of color, and overhead, a bright red strobe light was flashing in time with the shrill, rhythmic beeping of the alarm system.

Mustard peeled away from the others and glided to halt at the edge of the broken windows with both hands outstretched, conjuring a whirlwind of lavender gas that swiftly shrouded the room in darkness as it spread both without and within, racing along the side of the tower in all directions. Scimitar, Longshot, and a swiftly growing Dark Shadow tore ahead through the room without so much as a backward glance, though- the attack's success hinged on their ability to move quickly and maintain forward momentum, to blow through any obstacles and reach the objective before the heroes had time to correct their mistake and summon reinforcements. Opposite the windows, the two tall, dark wooden doors that marked the exit were already scarred and splintered by dozens of bullets- with the Longboard's momentum behind him, one slice was all it would take to clear away what remained.

Full speed. Kamakiri's grin widened, and his blades lengthened once more. No turning back.

The doors cleaved apart like cardboard with a sweeping, x-shaped slash, as did the skulls and chests of the two riot-armored guards who'd been lying in wait behind either corner, and the entryway burst open in a flurry of wood and blood, raining down on a spacious, marble-floored lobby full of heroes and building security.

Eight guards up front, spread out in a wedge. Ten, twelve heroes behind. Kamakiri's quirk-enhanced reflexes were firing at full speed, his eyes flitting out across the crowd in the fraction of a second before the room's occupants could even process their arrival. Moving from front to back, they swiftly zeroed in on his target, and his lips twitched upwards in anticipation, his heartrate quickening. Kengen and her lapdogs at the center. Found you, prez.

"CONTACT! OPEN FIRE!"

The roar of gunfire erupted all at once, pistols and rifles and shotguns, reverberating off the stone floors as shards of splintered marble and wood filled the air; just as they'd rehearsed, though, the trio had already split apart, dividing the enemy's attention in three separate directions. Scimitar peeled off to the right while Longshot veered left and opened fire with her minigun, both flanking around the edges of the room at blinding speed. Dark Shadow, already four meters in height thanks to the darkness supplied by Mustard's rapidly advancing cloud of gas, simply charged straight ahead, letting out an ear-rending shriek as he crashed down on the wedge of armored guards. Screams of pain and fear swiftly mixed in with the wail of the alarms and the thundering gunfire- out of the corner of his eye, Togaru saw riots shields rent in two and flung through the air like sheets of paper, gouts of crimson and severed limbs.

I can't believe I let that that goddamn bird steal first blood, Kamakiri mused, his brows furrowing in frustration as he banked left to evade Gang Orca's beam of paralyzing sonic energy. I better keep up the pace- if I don't move quick, he might get all the way to Kengen before me.

Scimitar had turned to face the heroes now, meeting their defiant stares head-on. Fatgum and Gang Orca were the first in his path, their faces marked with a mix of determination and contempt beneath the transparent visors of their gas masks. Behind their hulking frames, he spotted Hound Dog, Cementoss, and Yoroi Musha, all making no effort to hide their rage. And past them, closest to the president-

Despite all his mental preparations, all the hours he'd spent steeling himself for this moment, a bitter shard of something resembling guilt stabbed at Kamakiri's heart when he locked eyes with Tokage Setsuna and Yanagi Reiko, standing defiant alongside Cellophane and Glamourous. In his mind's eye, he'd always expected that they'd be frightened when the time finally came to reveal himself, recoiling from him in shock and fear. Maybe they'd be distraught, depressed- maybe they'd shed a few tears, plead with him to come back to them.

He'd never imagined them like this, though. Never anticipated the expressions of raw fury on their faces as they stared him down through furrowed brows, as if they were glaring at some loathsome, repulsive creature rather than their friend. Just like Tsubaraba and Komori and all the others had, ever since the day he sliced Yosetsu's arm in two.

Like an animal at the fucking zoo.

It was almost enough to make him hesitate- almost.

So what if they hate me? Thoughts of Seraph and Carmilla and Chaudron and Pandora flooded through Scimitar's mind, driving away his memories with Class 3-B and steadying his frantic heartbeat as his blades lengthened out of instinct. So what if they don't understand? I don't need 'em anymore.

His excitement now supplanted by rage, Scimitar slammed his foot down into the board's pedal and surged towards the ranks of heroes, extending his right-arm blade out to a meter and a half in length as he swooped low under the path of Gang Orca's sonic beam and towards his legs.

Him first, then Hound Dog, Cementoss, and Cellophane, then over top of the others and down onto the prez. No one else is quick enough or strong enough to stop me. Except maybe… For an instant, his eyes darted back to Poltergeist- they returned to his current target within the span of a heartbeat, though. One problem at a time.

"Little shit!"

Gang Orca stumbled back and tried to redirect his attack downwards, but he was a beat too slow; by then, Kamakiri's blade was already carving through-

…Nothing?

Togaru blinked in confusion, unsure what exactly he was seeing. His blade had sliced right through Gang Orca's knees- he was absolutely sure of that- but he hadn't felt it connect, hadn't felt it cut through flesh and tendon and bone. The cetacean hero hadn't jumped or dodged, but all the same, he was still standing, his legs very much intact. Despite every neuron in his brain shouting at him to forget it and keep moving towards the target, Kamakiri felt his left foot slam down on the brake, and he drew to a sudden halt, hovering half a meter off the ground in the midst of a crowd of heroes.

"It's over!" Gang Orca bellowed, his voice booming out through the lobby. "Give it up, Jack Mantis, or we'll take you down!"

All around Scimitar, the other pros and sidekicks quickly joined Gang Orca in shouting out their demands of surrender, readying themselves to fight as they moved to encircle him. In spite of the display, though, Togaru's blades were retracting back into his arms out of reflex, and his heartbeat had begun to slow; his primal, gut instinct had already concluded that there was no danger here, and his mind caught up a moment later.

"Aww, where'd the beam go, big guy? Afraid to use it?"

Scimitar shook his head in exasperation, then reached out and swiped a scythe across Gang Orca's chest, watching as it produced a faint, wispy disturbance along the path of the blade, barely noticeable unless he watched closely. As Mustard's gas rolled to across the room and began to envelop the crowd of heroes, the tell became much easier to spot- the gas flowed straight through them, and they swiftly lost their convincing realism, now resembling nothing more than a dozen-odd translucent projections. The illusionist seemed to realize that she'd been found out; the images turned in unison to face Kamakiri, all sticking out their tongues and pulling down on one eyelid in the same juvenile, mocking gesture.

"It's Glamourous!" Hatsume's voice sounded out from the far side of the room, her position obscured by the haze of gas. "Just one big goddamn mirage!"

"Trust me, I know!" Kamakiri reached up to turn on his gas mask's thermal vision- just as expected, there were no other heat signatures in the lobby aside from the attack team and the still-warm corpses of the guards. Now that their purpose was served, the glamours had begun to vanish, fading into faint wisps of colored mist and leaving the trio of attackers alone in the darkness. "They ran off and left behind a squad of guys as live bait- decoys, to sell us on their little magic trick. Fuckin' cowards."

I shoulda known it wouldn't be that easy, though. Togaru felt his mouth turn down in a scowl, one brow twitching in annoyance. They're not stupid enough to stand around waiting for the Furies to break through. They're probably hotfooting it into the tunnels by now- all according to plan.

"Hah!" Decapitating the last, wounded guard with a gleeful swipe of his claws as the man crawled desperately towards the exit, Dark Shadow let out a cawing cackle of delight; his body stretched up to the ceiling now, and his eyes were glowing red with bloodlust. "That means I'm the only one here who's actually killed anything so far- how sad for you, Master Scimitar!"

"Trust me, I'm not gonna let that bimbo bitch spoil my fun." Kamakiri swiveled on a dime and turned his board to face the entrance to the stairwell, his blades lengthening and his hands curling into fists. "Empress- what a fucking joke. I don't know what the hell Toga was thinking going after her, but if I see her, she dies, candidate or not. Now come on, let's move- we gotta make up for lost time. We can still get to the tunnels before they do."

"They won't be far," Longshot chimed in, moving her board up alongside Scimitar's. "Not with forty floors of stairs between them and their only exit- it's basic safety protocol not to take the elevator in emergencies, and I'm pretty sure the building getting hit by missiles would qualify. As for us, we need to take a second to regroup and nail down the target's location. I'll go ahead and ping Hierophant again, then-"

"Ping all you want," Scimitar interjected, shaking his head in frustration, "but I'm not waiting on him. I'll have Kengen's head on a platter by the time that smug fucker responds."

"Scimitar- wait."

Just as Kamakiri tensed his right leg and pressed his foot down into the pedal, Seraph's voice sounded in his earpiece, and he slammed the brake just as quickly.

"You'd do well to listen to Longshot." Though he remained as calm and collected as ever, a slight tinge of disappointment was audible in Midoriya's tone- enough to send a flush of bright red embarrassment across Kamakiri's face. "Not to disparage your abilities, but she's been doing this a bit longer than you."

"Of course, Boss." Togaru felt his brow twitch involuntarily in frustration at Seraph's reprimand, but he steadied himself and let out a deep breath. "My bad."

"Ah, you're fine." Still hovering alongside him, Hatsume adjusted her board's height enough to clap a hand onto Kamakiri's shoulder, a difficult feat under ordinary circumstances thanks to their roughly forty-centimeter height gap. "Don't let Izuku scare ya- he's always in a tense mood during these ops. But before you go charging off, I want you to take a look up at that."

Longshot wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pointed up towards one corner of the room, leading his gaze- sure enough, a pinprick of dim red light was faintly visible through the gas.

"Now, wherever they are in the building, the prez and her little posse of pros are watching us through those security cameras, or else Glamourous wouldn't have been able to give her illusions accurate responses in real-time. This whole song and dance was just a delaying tactic- they needed to slow us down and give themselves more time to dig in, and it worked." Mei shrugged her shoulders, not showing any outward sign of frustration at the admission. "They made one smart move on the chess board, now we need to come up with a counter. But let me tell ya, buddy, no matter what Midoriya said about keeping up our momentum…"

Longshot paused and leaned in towards him, close enough that the crosshair pattern on her irises eyes was clearly visible through the haze.

"…Charging down those stairs with no idea what you're getting into would not be a smart move."

She was still grinning, but something about her manic, wide-eyed expression had grown decidedly unnerving under the circumstances. Unbidden, memories of Toga flashed through his head- of her tight embrace in the moments after she first revealed herself, her hands clutching either side of his face as she pressed their foreheads together.

Christ, Mustard was right- they really do look like sisters sometimes.

"What would be a smart move," Longshot continued, breaking away from Scimitar and hovering up towards the camera in question, "is taking their pesky little security system off the board, so they can't track our movements when we go after 'em, and then cutting off all of their communication with the outside for good measure! Remember to say thank you to La Brava everyone!"

Just like Detnerat Tower in Deika City, the Safety Commission Headquarters' firewalls were too strong for La Brava to break into remotely- the newest version of her Shieldbreaker virus needed to be physically inserted into one of their internal systems to gain access. Thankfully, a security camera seemed to fit the bill; Hatsume produced a modified thumb drive from a pouch on her belt and slid it into one of the camera's access ports, then let out a whoop of triumph when its red recording light flickered out moments later.

"Alright, their internal cameras are down- all 192 of them." On the other end of their radio channel, La Brava let out a sigh of relief. "It's gonna take the virus another minute or so to break the encryption on the archived footage, but once it does, I'll be able to tell you exactly where the president and her group are- or at least, where they were as of five seconds ago. Knowing how good their cyber team is, though, we might not have long before they find a countermeasure and kick me back out of the system. My advice is to move fast."

"That's the plan!" Hatsume replied giddily, beaming with excitement as she plucked a blue marble from a pouch on her belt and cast it onto the floor. A familiar flash of light followed, and a double of Kaminari Denki blinked into existence in their group's midst, glancing back and forth in apprehension.

"Voila!" Mr. Compress cried over their earpieces, his dramatic flourish practically audible through the line. "Delivered as requested, your signal jammer!"

"H-Hey guys!" Chargebolt called, his voice somewhat muffled by his gas mask- he wasn't equipped with radio earpieces like the rest of them, but Hatsume remedied that a moment later, tossing him a pair.

"Put these on find a hiding spot out of camera range, and stay in contact. And only block the range of frequencies we gave you, just like the Commencement- I don't want our communications going down too!"

"You got it, boss!" Kamainari shot them a pair of fingerguns, then started towards one of the half-dozen other doorways dotted throughout the lobby. "Trust me, I was always my neighborhood champ at hide and seek- they'll never find me!"

"Mustard, we've hit a delay." Ignorning Chargebolt's antics, Scimitar let out a deep sigh of frustration as the urge to carve and slice continued to build up inside him. "How's is looking out there?"

"I've got the whole building shrouded by now, and the Furies are still tearing up anything that tries to get near us. They- goddamn, they just brought down a police chopper!" A loud, muffled boom sounded out behind the group, echoing both over the radio channel and through the lobby itself, and Mustard let out a peal of satisfied laughter. "Beautiful work, Longshot- I had my doubts, but I think these might just be your magnum opus. No hero reinforcements are showing up from the outside just yet- it's already crystal clear that it's a suicide mission to approach the place, after all, so they're probably waiting for the heavy hitters to get here. As for the inside, Snipe's passed out from a concussion a few floors above us, and and I can feel two squads of guards moving up towards us from the other direction, one in each of the stairwells- Hound Dog's with one, and I'm pretty sure that's Ms. Joke with the other. They've definitely got gas masks, or they'd be unconscious by now. I'd say we've got about forty, fifty seconds before they get here."

"Two small-timers and some more fodder, huh?" Kamakiri shook his head in exasperation, a bemused smirk on his face. "Kengen really is a stone-cold bitch. She's throwing those fuckers into a meat grinder to try and buy herself a few more seconds, and she knows it." Turning back towards Longshot and Dark Shadow, he cracked his knuckles and nodded back towards the elevator. "As much as I'd love to stick around and carve these guys to shreds, they're just small fry- let's bypass 'em, head down through the elevator shaft while we wait for La Brava's virus to do its thing. Every second we waste here is another-"

"All of you, wait." Mustard's voice crackled to life in Scimitar's earpiece again, suddenly hesitant and uncertain.

"Jesus fucking Christ, what is it this time?!"

"I'm picking up something strange at the base of the tower. I think it's Mudslide, he's-"

The warning was drowned out midsentence by a thunderous, reverberating metallic groan, rising up from the base of the building. All around them, the floor and walls had begun to vibrate in unison, and Kamakiri watched, wide-eyed as the slain guards' guns and riot shields began to slide across the floor, clattering noisily atop the tiled marble before slamming into the far wall in a growing pile. Suddenly, it seemed like he was drifting backwards, but a quick glance down confirmed that he was still hovering in place- it was the room that was moving, tilting steadily forward in unison with the vibrations and the ominous sounds of twisting metal and crumbling concrete.

"Mudslide?!" Kamakiri shouted back into his comm over the noise, throwing a panicked glance back at the conference room they'd entered through. "You sure it's not Epicenter?!"

As quickly as it had begun, though, the movement jerked to a sudden halt, and the vibrations ceased- Kamakiri let out a gasping sigh of relief, beads of sweat racing down his brow.

"Mustard is correct," Seraph replied, genuine frustration evident in his tone for the first time since the start of the mission. "In his effort to rescue Mount Lady and a few police officers from our barrage, it seems that your former classmate has destabilized the building's foundation. As you can see, he undid his quirk before it collapsed completely, but the damage is already done."

"That little fucker!" Lashing out with both arms, Kamakiri carved two deep scars into the marble floor, kicking up a cloud of grey-white dust along the blades' paths. "So, is it gonna collapse or not? Because unless you can give me a 100% guarantee that this place is coming down in the next minute, I am not going to give up this mission because of something Honenuki fucking Juzo did on accident!"

"Everything feels stable for the moment," Mustard replied, hovering away from his window vantage point and into the lobby alongside the others. "At the very least, he bought us more time until those guards get here- they've stopped for the moment, probably checking with command to see whether their orders have changed."

"I can't give you a solid answer either, but I can check the angle," Longshot chimed in, holding up her gauntlet's holographic display; a virtual inclinometer flashed onto the screen, and Kamakiri watched through furrowed brows as Hatsume adjusted her board's pitch until she was parallel with the floor again. "Holy shit, that's a tilt of 5.28 degrees- we just blew Pisa out of the water!"

"It's not something to be excited about!" Pandora's voice urged over the radio; unlike Midoriya, Yaoyorozu was making little effort to conceal her anxiety and frustration. "I have its height, but I would need to know the tower's weight to even begin calculating how long it can stand like this without falling, not to mention what percentage of the foundation was affected by Mudslide's quirk! There are too many unknowns- I'm sorry, Scimitar, but I'm formally recommending that we abort the mission."

"Abort?! Are you fucking joking?!"

"We could still complete the objective!" Pandora countered, raising her voice to match Scimitar's volume. "If the Furies begin targeting the structural supports around the area that was softened, I estimate that we could cause a total collapse, and President Kengen would almost certainly be killed by the-"

"No. No!" Kamakiri could feel his chest rising and falling with each furious breath, the tips of his blades lengthening and sharpening with every passing heartbeat. "I have to be the one who kills her- me! Not you, not Longshot, and definitely not a pile of fucking concrete and rebar!"

"If that's the case," Seraph replied, "then I'd recommend you stop talking and get it done."

Midoriya's tone had grown cold and clinical; it was a command, not a suggestion, and there would be no further disputes from either party.

"If a collapse begins, Kurogiri will extract you. Otherwise, you will accomplish your mission as quickly as possible by any means at your disposal. Seraph out."

The squad was already moving by the time the line went silent, streaking towards the elevator doors at full speed. Dark Shadow tore them off their hinges with ease, and a moment later, Scimitar, Mustard and Longshot were gliding down the side of the shaft, using the building's newfound tilt to their advantage; one of the walls now formed a steeply inclined ramp rather than a sheer drop, just enough of an angle for their boards to work with. Trailing along just behind them, Dark Shadow continued to swell in size with each passing moment, easily as wide as the shaft itself now.

They found the elevator halted around a dozen floors down; Scimitar cut its cables with a single, sweeping slash, and watched with a grin as it jerked downwards amid a shower of sparks. Its emergency brakes stopped its fall after a dozen-odd meters, but that was all they'd needed- Scimitar and Longshot swooped down through the open doorway it left behind, gliding to a halt in a hallway lined with office doors on one side and cubicles on the other. The area was already choked with Mustard's gas, and thermal vision revealed the unconscious bodies of a handful of employees, stragglers who hadn't evacuated in time- no sign of anyone still moving. Dark Shadow had grown so large by now that he couldn't properly fit through the entrance, letting out a low, rumbling chuckle as he tore apart portions of the wall to squeeze inside.

"Coordinates are coming in from La Brava," Longshot declared, her tone noticeably more businesslike than before. "When the cameras went offline, the target was holed up in a command center three floors beneath our current position, digging in for a fight with plenty of backup."

Hatsume tapped at her gauntlet and projected the image in question directly into Scimitar's HUD- just as she'd indicated, the black-and-white image showed Kengen at the head of a table in the center of a wide, high-ceilinged room, surrounded by a sea of bodyguards, staffers, and heroes as she pointed to a massive bank of screens and barked out orders. Just like the illusions, they were all wearing gas masks- a setback, but not a surprise, given the time Glamourous had bought them to fortify and prepare.

"A-fucking-plus." Scimitar's focus and composure had returned- his rage was still bubbling up just beneath the surface, but he had it in check again, leashed and bound as it waited for the proper moment to erupt. "We hear from Hierophant yet?"

"Why don't ya see for yourself?"

Longshot tapped again at her gauntlet, and the image of the bunker was overlaid with a chain of messages from the Recruit in question, with the most recent three all timestamped within the past ten seconds.

Hierophant: Command Center, Floor 31. Can't tqlk much.

Hierophant: Stikl here, but discusxing posaible evaeuation.

Hierophant: They are prwparing defenses. Hurry.

Longshot drew close to Scimitar once more, her grin returning.

"This is it- we hit 'em while they're all together. We could take the easy route and warp straight inside, or just turn things over to Dark Shadow if you wanna go in loud- that command center's lined with titanium and lead plating, but it won't last five seconds against those nice big claws of his."

Just as Togaru opened his mouth to reply, a flash of movement at the far edge of his vision caught his eye- nothing definite, just a brief, flickering shadow in the haze.

"Shit!" Pivoting on a dime, Scimitar extended both his blades and brought them together in an x-shaped guard, his eyes darting back and forth in search of the shadow's source. It had already vanished though; infrared still showed nothing but a pair of unconscious bodies lying motionless a few meters ahead. "Something just moved past us, but I lost it- anyone got a visual?!"

"I'm not picking up anything," Hatsume replied, holding up a motion tracker on her gauntlet display. "Not for a dozen meters in any direction."

"I have this entire floor covered from top to bottom," A dull metallic click echoed through the hallway as Mustard pulled back his revolver's hammer, but his voice remained relaxed. "There's nothing moving here other than us. Just the usual minor disturbances- air fluctuations, insects, rodents in the walls. Trust me, I'd be the first to notice if we had any real company."

Mustard turned towards the open elevator shaft and held out his arms, thick waves of gas pouring out from his body in all directions.

"Aside from those squads fumbling around upstairs by our entry point, the closest motion is three floors down, right outside that bunker the president's holed up in- there are a few guards still stationed by the entrance, but everyone else is beyond my reach. They've even sealed in the air vents- clever, very clever." Mustard let out a mirthful chuckle, shaking his helmeted head in bemusement. "At least, until their oxygen supply begins to run out. It won't last more than…"

Mustard halted midsentence, his body tensing abruptly; a beat later, his gaze jerked down towards the floor.

"BELOW!"

Two booming shots from Mustard's revolver lit up the darkened corridor, punching holes through the floor. Scimitar moved towards him from his left, Dark Shadow from his right, but they were both too slow; a blur of bright color surged up from the ground, and a familiar, red-gloved fist slammed into Mustard's chin in a brutal uppercut.

"LEMILLION!"

Though his teeth were grit in pain thanks to the brutal electric shock racing up his arm from Mustard's helmet, Togata Mirio still sported a defiant grin as he met Kamakiri's wide, rage-filled eyes and shot him a teasing wink. Creating a new blade from his palm, Scimitar aimed a lunging stab straight for the hero's head, but Lemillon had already phased again- though the blade passed straight through his neck, it connected with nothing but empty air. In spite of his confident and carefree demeanor, though, fighting without a respirator at the center of Mustard's vortex was clearly taking a toll on the number ten hero; even through the haze, Kamakiri could tell that his cheeks were flushed a dull red, his eyes watering.

He's been holding his breath, Togaru realized, watching as Mirio phased through a brutal sideswipe from Dark Shadow and slipped gracefully back into the floor. Fucker can't wear a gas mask and use his quirk at the same time, can he? How much longer are those iron lungs of yours gonna last, Wonderboy?

"GET BACK HERE!" Dark Shadow roared, tearing four gaping rends into the carpeted flooring and the piping and insulation beneath it. "LITTLE COWARD!"

"Hey, dude- stay with us!"

While the sentient quirk continued to shriek and snarl in rage, Scimitar pivoted back towards Mustard and grabbed him by the shoulders of his trenchcoat, pulling him upright as he swayed backward on his Longboard. Thankfully, his helmet was unbroken- its durability had been significantly upgraded over the years to ensure no single blow could shatter it- and Mustard himself still seemed to be conscious, judging by the loud groan of pain he let out a moment later. His gas is our best shot at taking out Togata. Plus, we gotta keep him conscious if we still wanna hit the command center- if he goes down, we'll probably have to call in backup.

We don't even need to fight Wonderboy, though, Kamakiri reminded himself, his eyes darting from side to side as he waited for Lemillion to resurface. Across the hallway, Hatsume was doing the same, spinning up her minigun and pivoting her board's thrusters rapidly from right to left. We just need to lose him. If we signal for a warp gate while he's still on our asses, he might be quick enough follow us through, and then the heroes'd have us in a goddamn pincer. Same thing goes double for Plan B.

"Grab him and go!" Shoving Mustard off towards Dark Shadow's waiting claws, Scimitar jerked his head to the side. "Time to play keepaway!"

As much as he wanted to claim the glory of killing the invincible Lemillion for himself, Kamakiri still had his eyes set on the larger prize; the mission had to come first, and every second spent fighting Mirio raised the odds that his time limit would expire- either by the building collapsing or by enough reinforcements arriving- before he could reach Kengen. Thankfully, Dark Shadow was still lucid enough to grasp the plan- moving with surprising speed, the sentient quirk wrapped Mustard in its massive arms and clutched him tight against its chest, then lowered its head and charged straight forward, smashing through cubicles, walls, and desks like a towering black battering ram.

Longshot and Scimitar slammed down on their accelerators in unison and followed close behind at high speed, riding 'downhill' along the building's new, slanted axis amid Dark Shadow's wake of destruction. After a moment, Kamakiri spared a backwards glance; at first, nothing was visible behind them but settling dust, sparking wires, and crumbling plaster. Then, the shadow returned- Lemillion's unmistakable silhouette, sailing up in an arcing parabola before slipping back into the floor, just a few meters short of his targets. Despite their breakneck pace, despite the lack of air flowing into his lungs and the lack of light flowing into his eyes, he was gaining on them.

"Fuck, he's on still our six!" Scimitar glanced back ahead at the others, his teeth grit again in anger. "This asshole's way too persistent!"

"I'm fine, by the way!" Mustard shouted, struggling in vain against Dark Shadow's grip- his words were slightly slurred, but he was still conscious, and his maelstrom of gas hadn't faltered. "I bit a fucking hole through my tongue, but I'm fine- you can put me down now!"

"God, I forgot how fucking annoying this guy is to counter!"

Longshot roundly ignored Mustard's protests, bitter frustration audible in her voice; as she spoke, she pivoted her board in a 180-degree arc and began to fly backwards with effortless grace, firing her minigun down into the floor behind them with a gleeful peal of laughter.

"He doesn't show up on thermals or motion trackers while he's permeated," Mei continued, shouting into their earpieces over the roar of her gun, "and he doesn't even displace any goddamn air! But there's a split second where he has to rematerialize to shoot himself back up at us! I'll adjust my tracker's sensitivity to watch for that, and we should be able to-"

A loud, flashing ping suddenly lit up the screen projected on Mei's gauntlet, and she realigned her arc of fire accordingly, tracing smoking lines of bullet holes across carpet and tile. The ping vanished an instant later, then reappeared just as quickly in a different spot- Hatsume slammed her board's brakes and pulled her finger off the trigger, swinging her aim up towards Kamakiri. Squinting through the haze, he realized with a start that her eyes had widened in panic.

"BEHIND YOU!"

Scimitar felt the shadow rising up over his shoulder before he'd even processed Longshot's warning, a primal sense of dread racing up his spine. His body responded out of pure survival instinct- a jagged row of blades erupted all along his right side, from his head and neck down along his arm and torso to his leg.

Lemillion's blow still connected- a sharp right hook, delivered straight to Scimitar's jaw- but so did one of Togaru's blades, piercing cleanly through Mirio's bicep in the fleeting instant before he could dematerialize his arm. Blood filled Togaru's mouth and spurted out across his field of vision all at once, and as his body swayed sideways from the force of the punch, his eyes finally swung around to meet Mirio's- the hero's face was twisted in pain, but his brows were still furrowed in determination. His arm had already phased again, passing through Kamakiri's blade without tearing open the wound any further, but as he fell back towards the floor, Lemillion grabbed hold of the board with both hands and jerked his wounded right arm downwards with savage force, dragging the board's nose down with him.

Motherfucker.

A loud clang of metal and shattering tile rang out, and Togaru's body slammed headlong into the floor, rolling for a brief moment before his blades sunk in and rooted him in place. The Longboards' safeties automatically ejected the user from its footholds in the event of a crash, so he'd narrowly avoided shattering both his ankles, but there was no time for any feelings of gratitude or relief. Scimitar scrambled back to his feet in record time, his breath escaping in ragged pants as blood dripped from his mouth; he turned to spit out a gob of crimson, and watched with grim amusement as shards of broken teeth clattered to the floor. Purple haze was closing in all around him, obscuring everything, and the room was spinning- even his squadmates' voices were nothing more than faint echoes compared to the sharp ringing in his ears. A few meters to his left, his board was a sparking wreck, embedded halfway into the black and white tiled floor of the restroom he'd crash-landed in- cracks had spread across the faceplate of his gas mask, partially obscuring his vision, but he could see Dark Shadow's silhouette to his right, Longshot's directly ahead. Both were steadily approaching him, but he swept an arm out in refusal, shaking his head in frustration.

"Stay back! He's mine, goddammit!"

The ringing in Togaru's ears had finally begun to subside, and the echoes in his earpiece finally resolved into words.

"YOUR LEFT!" Mustard's voice bellowed, in unison with another shrill ping from Longshot's tracker.

By then, though, the shadow was already rising up alongside him. A red-gloved fist streaked towards Scimitar's stomach, but it stopped short before it struck, and Lemillion twisted in midair, aiming a brutal kick at Kamakiri's head. Once more, Togaru's body instinctively attempted to parry the attack, but Mirio's feint had succeeding in confusing his response- the new row of blades emerged mainly from his torso, where the punch would have landed, not his neck and face. There was only one way to defend himself; Togaru tilted his head back and to the side, and let Mirio's boot swing straight into the blade-edge of his left mandible.

More blood filled Scimitar's mouth- this time, though, it wasn't his own.

---

Three Floors Down

Several Minutes Prior

"What just happened? Where'd the video feeds go?"

Her mouth fixed in a frustrated scowl, Kengen Hokori gestured up towards the rows of monitors built into the command center's wall, where a dozen live security feeds- including the one displaying the Syndicate's strike team nearly twenty floors above them- had just gone dead all at once, now showing a 'connection failure' message in flashing white text.

"Our internal security network just experienced a cascade failure, ma'am, courtesy of a boot sector virus. It's La Brava- she's in the system. We're rerouting our resources to try and keep her presence isolated, but she's clearly been preparing for our countermeasures. Her methods are much more efficient and aggressive than on the Black Day."

The head of the Safety Commission's Cybersecurity Division paused to adjust her gas mask as her glasses began to fog up beneath her faceplate- a sheen of sweat was visible on her brow. The datapad clutched in her hands was flashing with a constant stream of messages, and even from several meters away, Reptilia could hear the frantic chatter of a dozen faint voices emanating from the woman's earpiece.

"At the moment, it seems that she's attempting to break into the archived security footage, likely with the goal of determining your location."

"Of course that's her goal- they're making no attempt to conceal their objective, which makes our job somewhat easier." Kengen let out a heavy sigh and squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, pinching at the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Continue your efforts, and block her progress in any way you can."

There was a fire in the president's eyes visible even through her gas mask; her voice remained and clear and focused as ever, and although her tone was forceful, but it betrayed no hint of panic or anxiety. Dozens of different conversations were audible throughout the room, both from the hero and security teams stationed around the perimeter and the groups of staffers working desperately to coordinate the HPSC's response on phones and laptops, but despite the constant hum of chatter, Kengen still held the rapt attention of the crowd whenever she spoke.

She's definitely got mine- or half of it, at least. Tokage Setsuna reached up and adjusted the fit of her gas mask, struggling to hold back a throbbing headache as she divided her focus between the president and the room's air vents. One of her eyes and one of her ears were hovering up near the ceiling, keeping watch for any unusual activity near the vents in question; she'd be their first warning if Mustard's gas breached the emergency seals.

Not like any of this prep will be worth a damn thing if they just warp a bomb straight into the center of the room, of course. We'd all be dead before we even knew it. Hell, maybe we already are.

"Oh, no, no- goddamit!" Mera cried out in a mix of panic and anger, tapping frantically at his laptop's keyboard. "All of our communications just went down- wi-fi, cell signal, it's all gone!"

"Our radio is down too," the Cyber Division head added, her brows knit in frustration as she ran a hand through her shoulder length hair. "From what I can tell, an interference field just went up over the entire building, identical to the one that cut off our contact with Jeanist's team a few minutes ago- and the one they used at the Commencement."

"Then we're truly flying blind now," Kengen declared solemnly, her mouth fixed in a determined line. "But we've already managed to blunt the Syndicate's advance, thanks to Glamourous and ten brave men and women from my security detail. I intend to make full use of the time they've bought us with their sacrifice."

Kengen turned and gave Camie a nod of acknowledgement before continuing; the Shiketsu graduate's cheeks had flushed red in embarrassment, a shaky smile visible behind her faceplate. Reptilia had watched along with all the others through the cameras as Kamakiri and Hatsume charged straight for her illusions with lethal intent, leaving no question as to the Syndicate attackers' objective- they were here for an assassination.

"While Ms. Joke and Hound Dog's teams move to locate and intercept Scimitar's squad, and Cyber attempts to counteract the jamming field and regain control of our security systems, the rest of us will continue to reinforce this position, and await the air support necessary to halt the Syndicate's artillery barrage. The Ministry of Defence has declared a no-fly zone in a five-kilometer radius surrounding this building, and it's my understanding that they're currently scrambling a response team of fighter jets and attack helicopters. Battle Fist and Endeavor are both en route as well, but all of our reinforcements are at least ten minutes out, and there's no one else with enough firepower to break this siege in the meantime."

Kengen's expression grew conflicted, her hands clasped together behind her back. Silence had fallen over the crowd, broken only by the intermittent thuds of explosions outside; even through the command center's reinforced metal walls, the sounds of the Syndicate's assault were still faintly audible, rumbling like thunder.

Where the hell did they even get so many goddamn rockets?! Setsuna found herself wondering, though she realized the answer to her own question rather quickly. Pandora. Jesus, it's always fucking Pandora, isn't it?

"Our safety protocols dictate that I evacuate the building in an emergency like this," The president finally continued, her hawklike eyes narrowed, "but I believe that's exactly what Seraph is counting on. By controlling the skies and bombarding the perimeter around the ground-level entryways, he's left us only one exit route: the underground tunnel system that connects this building with several concealed access points throughout the surrounding neighborhood. It's a confined space that would almost completely negate our numbers advantage- perfect for an ambush. And with Mustard's gas filling most of the building, they'd be able to track our exact position and heading the moment we'd left this room."

Kengen's air of calm certainty was steadily supplanted by anger, her voice rising in volume.

"Too many times, we've allowed Midoriya Izuku to choose the field of battle for us- too many times, we've played into his game. This time, I'm the one who decides. We'll make our stand here, and when they come, we'll be ready."

Against all odds, Setsuna felt a small spark of hope in her chest, pushing back against the coiled mass of terror and despair that threatened to overwhelm her if she gave it the chance. No applause sounded out, no raucous cheers- it wasn't that type of speech. But all the same, a quick glance around the room showed some of the hopelessness and despair that had been hanging heavy in the air beginning to fade away.

Then, the deafening groan of creaking metal echoed through the room, the lights overhead began to flicker, and the entire chamber suddenly jerked to one side. The movement halted just as abruptly, sending dozens of people stumbling to the floor as chairs, laptops, and mugs of coffee crashed to the ground or slid along the room's new slight, diagonal incline; cries of panic and fear swiftly filled the air, and even Setsuna couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise. Operating on pure instinct, Reptilia managed to keep her balance by detaching her feet from the rest of her body and levitating a few centimeters in the air; to her left, Rodin nearly plummeted face-first into the floor, but Tokage managed to lunge forward and catch the Shiketsu alum by the arm, pulling him back upright. Likewise, Glamourous and Yoroi Musha both reached out to keep Kengen on her feet, and Fatgum wrapped several suited staffers against his stomach to break their falls. Hovering above the crowd on a panel of metal, Poltergeist used her telekinesis to steady half a dozen people at once, and even managed to keep a heavy wooden chair from crashing headlong into Mera Yokumiru.

"Sound off!" Ryukyu bellowed, stepping back into her role as the de facto leader of the present heroes in Best Jeanist's absence. "Does anyone have eyes on the enemy?!"

"Negative!" Reptilia shouted in reply, swiveling her levitating right eye in around the room in a frantic search for any sign that the Syndicate had broken through. "I've got nothing, no sign of breaches!"

"She's right- there is no breach!" Gang Orca called, his red-white eyes narrowed in concentration as he held one hand against his head. "I just used sonar to probe the whole room- whatever that was, the Syndicate haven't broken through yet."

"Oh god, the missiles." His bloodshot eyes widening in alarm, Mera Yokumiru glanced over at the president. "Ma'am, they must have hit a support column- they're trying to collapse the building!"

"Why the hell would they do that with four of their own members inside?!" Fatgum countered, easing his grip on the staffers caught in his bear-hug. "It doesn't make any sense- that's basically friendly fire!"

"I need answers, not speculation!" Kengen's voice cracked out like a whip, bringing the room to silence in an instant; once the noise had subsided, she stepped away from Yoroi Musha and Glamourous and aimed a finger across the table at Cementoss. "Ken, take a team downstairs and find out exactly what the hell just happened. If there's damage to the support columns or the foundation, fix it- use your quirk to reinforce the building however you can. This tower would kill hundreds of people if it fell, both the workers still trapped inside and anyone in the area who hasn't been evacuated. You're going to stop that from happening."

"Consider it done." Wasting no time, Cementoss pointed towards a group of guards and started for the exit. "You three, on me. Let's move."

As the command center's metal doors parted to let them through, Kengen turned back to face the others, holding onto the table for stability. After a brief outburst of frustration, the president had regained her focus, projecting clarity and calm in spite of the circumstances.

"Magnify, Cellophane- check for any injuries and triage as needed. The rest of you, as you were. If Cementoss determines that the tower's structural integrity is beyond repair, we'll evacuate. Otherwise, we'll remain here and continue our preparations. Is that understood?"

A chorus of nods and affirmations rippled through the room, and the command center swiftly returned to its normal functioning; the frenzy of activity and dozens of conversations started up again, Reptilia turned her levitating eye's focus back to the air vents, and Power Loader and Forgemaster resumed their work around the edges of the ceiling. Some had clearly been rattled worse than others, though- off to her left, Setsuna could see Shemage and Fatgum comforting one young staffer who looked to be having a panic attack, and to her right, Rodin was pacing back and forth with an air of growing anxiety. Though he was clearly making an effort to project an image of discipline and composure, his face had grown pale, and sweat was dripping down his brow; she watched out of the corner of her eye as Shishikura pulled out his cellphone and tapped urgently at the screen.

"You okay, dude? It's okay if you need to sit down and take a breather."

"Yes, I'm fine." Seiji shook his head dismissively, wiping the sweat from his brow with one hand as he shoved his phone back into his pocket with the other. "I… I wanted to text my father, in case I don't make it out of here. It won't even deliver with this signal jammer they've put in place, but still, I..." He paused, and shook his head in rising frustration. "That was selfish and insipid of me. I'm a hero, and I need to stay focused. I need to set an example."

"Nah, that's not selfish or 'insipid'." Setsuna cracked a soft, sad smile, and laid a tentative hand on his shoulder. "It just means you're human."

"I don't have the luxury of being human." Rodin pulled out of her grasp, scowling. "Not when I'm on duty. Heroes must be held to a higher standard than the general population, something many seem to have forgotten in recent years. If nothing else, Stain was certainly correct in that regard."

Setsuna's eyes narrowed in skepticism, but she stopped herself short of speaking her mind on the matter. Yeesh, dude's got issues. I don't feel like starting an argument in the middle of all this shit, though.

"…Huh. So, your dad- he works at Tartarus, right? Must be a tough job."

I feel like I remember Kamakiri mentioning that when he introduced me to Shishikura- best to just change the subject to something he can relate to.

"That it most certainly is." Shishikura removed his cap and held it in hand, gazing at it with a nostalgic gleam in his eye. "A worthy challenge, one might say."

Reptilia's brows hiked in surprise.

"Hang on- that new job you mentioned. Are you…?"

"Senpaiii, over here!" Camie's voice interrupted Setsuna mid-question- she was waving in Seiji's direction, beckoning him over towards Gang Orca, Mera Yokumiru and a few other heroes at one end of the table, "Gang Orca and Mera want to talk to us about the defense plan!"

"Certainly, I'll be right there!"

Rodin swiftly brushed past Reptilia on his his way across the room, and within a matter of moments, his voice and Camie's had blended into the background chatter. Now more than ever, it felt as if there was far too much to keep track of in the command center, happening all at once: Glamourous, Gang Orca, and Rodin discussing battle plans, Power Loader, Poltergeist, and Forgemaster lining the room's perimeter with metal stakes, Fatgum and Shemage trying their best to calm a growing group of panicked employees, Cellophane and Magnify bandaging the breaks and sprains of the unlucky few who'd suffered serious falls when the tower tilted. And at the center of it all, President Kengen, Yoroi Musha, and Ryukyu- the room's de facto command council- huddling together over a holographic map of the area, projected from an emitter built into the central table. It was enough to make Reptilia's head spin, especially given that she was watching it all unfold from two separate perspectives.

Finally, though, it was Kengen's piercing tone that cut through the clamor and drew Setsuna's gaze.

"Power Loader- tell me that interference field is ready by now!"

"I have to remind you, ma'am, the way we're using these things is the definition of 'jury-rigged' and 'prototype'." Power Loader glanced down from his perch atop a chair being levitated by Poltergeist, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow as Forgemaster, floating on another chair alongside him, welded another metal stake into one of the room's upper corners. "I brought these to demonstrate how they can detect Kurogiri's warp gates- my team was at least another few days from actually being able to block them."

"Is that so? Because as it happens, your assistant on Project Shirogiri sent us a message right before communications went down, and she seemed quite convinced of the opposite."

Kengen held out her phone, and a familiar voice rang out from the speaker.

"...we're much closer than Power Loader is telling you, I can promise you that! His estimates are always conservative!"

The face of U.A. Support Course alumna Kenranzaki Bibimi was visible on the screen; without most of the garish makeup she'd worn for the school's pageants, she more or less resembled an ordinary young woman rather than an antique porcelain doll, though her curls of golden blonde hair, abnormally long eyelashes, and bright red lipstick were still quite distinctive.

Who the hell leaves a video voicemail?! A two-time U.A. Beauty Paegeant champ, I guess.

"I've been working on identifying the proper counter-signal for the past three days," Kenranzaki continued, her typically haughty tone now anxious and urgent. "And I think I've found a promising candidate! I assure you, President Kengen, if you have him alter the detection stakes to emit a signal at the frequency and amplitude I've specified in my message, they will disrupt any warp gates Kurogiri attempts to create within the perimeter, if not halt them outright!"

"Do you have confidence in her assessment?" Kengen glanced back up at Power Loader, her arms crossed in impatience. "Give me an answer, Maijima- quickly."

"Theoretically, yes, the concept is sound." Power Loader gestured for Poltergeist to move him and Forgemaster to the next spot along the walls, pulling another metal stake from the bag slung around his shoulder. "It's destructive interference, basic physics- Kurogiri's warp gates all vibrate at a very specific frequency, one that's taken us months of work to isolate. If we think of them like waves, then we-"

"I'll take that as a yes," The president replied, cutting him off with a curt nod. "Continue placing them, then activate the field the moment they're ready. Now, Ms. Joke, and Hound Dog's scouting teams have orders to fall back to this position if they're cut off from contact with us, so they should be returning soon, assuming they haven't engaged the enemy. When they return, we-"

As the president spoke, something red, yellow, and white flashed past Reptilia's floating eye, and her mouth flapped open in alarm- an enemy had made it into the room, made it past their defenses.

"Intruder!" Reptilia shouted, shifting into a combat stance as the blur streaked down into the table and slammed straight into the middle of the projected map.

A series of panicked shouts rang out, along with the metallic clicks of a dozen pistols' safeties being pulled back. Setsuna's defensive instincts swiftly gave way to shock and horror, though, as Togata Mirio rolled onto his back let out a groan of pain, blood pooling out across the table beneath him. Lemillion's body was covered in in grisly wounds, his costume streaked with blood- a gruesome laceration on one arm, three smoking bullet holes punched through the other. His right foot had nearly been cut in two, blood pouring from a gaping rend in his boot, and a vertical slash ran down his chest, slicing his bloodstained '1000000' logo cleanly in two. Its emitters damaged by his fall, the flickering hologram of the plaza and surrounding neighorhood cast an eerie blue glow across his wound-ridden body and tattered cape, still attempting to project images of city blocks over Mirio even as he writhed in pain.

No, that's… that's impossible. Setsuna stumbled backwards in a daze, shaking her head in denial. This can't be happening. Mirio would never lose.

"They're coming," Lemillion gasped, his bloodshot eyes screwed shut in pain. "Tried to take out Mustard and Scimitar… wasn't strong enough." Mirio squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Too much gas… my lungs gave out. You have to run, all of you." His eyes shot open again, shifting from Kengen out across the crowd until they landed on Setsuna; she felt her heart freeze in her chest when their gazes met. "Please... just get out while you still can." Then he let out a ragged, agonized series of coughs, and his eyes flickered shut, slipping into unconsciousness.

"Defensive positions!" Kengen barked, sending the room into a frenzy of motion with two shouted words; her gaze had hardened once more, her concern for Mirio supplanted by a commander's cold discipline. "Glamourous, Power Loader, Poltergeist- you all know what to do! Rodin, Fatgum, take Lemillion, stabilize him if you can!"

"I've got him!" Reaching up and over her thanks to his towering height, Fatgum scooped Lemillion up with one arm and held the wounded hero tight against his chest. "We'll make sure gets patched up!"

Pushing her doubts and fears back into the far corners of her mind, Reptilia joined the other heroes in rushing to her assigned position; along with the president's remaining contingent of security personnel, they were all closing ranks around Kengen, Mera, and the staffers, taking up a loose, circular formation that stretched around the length of the room- the attack could come from any direction, and they needed to be able to adjust their focus at a moment's notice.

Just as Reptilia moved to fill gap in their line, a familiar, purple-black shadow flickered to life just a meter away from her floating left eye, and her heart froze in her chest.

In the same instant, the dozen-odd stakes Power Loader and Forgemaster had planted around the walls lit up all at once, their built-in proximity detectors flashing bright yellow, and a shrill, wailing electronic alarm began to echo through the room as all eyes lifted in unison towards the ceiling.

"Incursion, 12 o'clock high!"

Setsuna wasn't sure who shouted out the warning, but regardless, the result was the same: twenty pistols and rifles rang out in a deafening crescendo, emptying their magazines into the warp gate practically the moment it appeared. Gang Orca, one of the only heroes in the room with any ranged attack capability, joined in the volley with his sonic beam, but within a matter of moments, it was clear that something about the warp gate was off, for lack of a better word- unlike the others Reptilia had seen, it was still flickering in and out of existence, its form incomplete- patches of it had already begun to dissolve away, revealing the bullet-streaked ceiling above.

"The interference field is working!" Power Loader let out a whoop of triumph from his place in the circle between Ryukyu and Epicenter, punching a fist in the air. "It's breaking up, nothing's getting through!"

A few moments later, the warp gate vanished entirely, and a handful of guards and staffers let out cheers of their own.

"Don't let your guard down!" Ryukyu countered, holding up one hand. "They won't give up that easily!"

"She's quite right, I'm afraid." A soft, bemused chuckle echoed through the room's speaker system. "Scimitar is nothing if not persistent, after all."

Setsuna felt a chill race up her spine, her eyes growing wide; her shock was replaced almost instantly by rage, though, and her hands balled into furious fists, even as Mirio's blood continued to drip from her fingers to the floor.

You again, huh?

"M-Ma'am, it's the virus!" The Cyber director's voice was wavering in panic, her knuckles white around the edges of her datapad. "La Brava just broke into our A/V system!"

Her warning came far too late, though. All across the wall above them, the rows of monitors were already displaying Seraph's smug, smiling face, gazing down on the room's occupants with his typical expression of gleeful, sadistic superiority.

"You've put up a rather spirited defense, however futile it may be, and I see that you've even managed to thwart our dear Kurogiri!" Midoriya let out an exasperated sigh, shrugging his shoulders in ambivalence. "I suppose that might be impressive, Power Loader, if your student Hatsume hadn't beaten you to that particular milestone months ago. No matter, though!" Seraph clapped his hands together in delight, his smile widening once more. "The day's festivities will be concluding shortly, but all the same, I thought your efforts were worthy of one final congratulations."

"Couldn't bother to deliver your message in person, Seraph?" The president stepped forward past her bodyguards, spitting out Midoriya's name with a particular degree of contempt as she stared up at the screens. "Don't worry, though. I'll be visiting your cell in Tartarus before long."

Seraph responded with another chuckle of amusement, followed by a blank, emotionless stare.

"Goodbye, President Kengen."

Midoriya's image vanished just as abruptly as it had appeared, and the monitors returned to black, empty screens in his wake; not a moment later, a thunderous boom reverberated through the room, shaking the entire chamber. For a brief instant, Setsuna grit her teeth and steeled herself for the room to start tilting again- for the tower to collapse entirely- but a quick glance towards the exit disproved her theory. Four deep, diagonal indents had just appeared in the command center's sealed titanium doorway- marks left by claws, not by explosives. A piercing roar followed, muffled by the metal but still loud enough to force Setsuna and everyone around her to reach up and clutch at their ears in pain. Then, another set of indents, deeper this time; the door was beginning to buckle, and they all knew what was waiting for them on the other side.

"Take cover!" Ryukyu bellowed, her voice ringing in Reptilia's ears along with the echoes of Dark Shadow's roar; her heart was pounding in her chest, her brow heavy with sweat, but her body was still obeying her commands, still moving instead of freezing up. To her left, Yoroi Musha and Gang Orca had just turned the massive central conference table onto its side with a shared grunt of effort, and Reptilia wasted no time joining Cellophane, Shemage, Rodin, and dozens of others in ducking down behind it. "Brace yourselves!"

At the center of the cirlce a few meters behind her, Fatfum slid Lemillion down to the ground as gently as possible under the circumstances, pressed a gas mask onto the unconscious hero's face, then vaulted back to the other end of the table and took up a defensive stance alongside Yoroi Musha, his mouth upturned in a defiant smile.

"Bring it on!"

Fatgum's challenge was answered almost instantly. With one final, reverberating boom, the door tore off its frame and flew inwards like a freight train, followed close behind by a surging wall of Mustard's lavender gas. They'd prepared for this much, though- Yoroi Musha and Fatgum lunged forward and caught the jagged metal projectile head-on, taking the full brunt of the blow as it slammed into their defenses. One half of the door simply bounced off of Fatgum's absorptive stomach, shooting backwards like a ball off a tennis racket, while the other half crumpled like tinfoil against Yoroi Musha's vambraces. His quirk, Armorsmith, allowed him to harden any material he was wearing to nigh-unbreakable levels of strength and durability; in some of the old videos from his heyday, Setsuna had watched him block blows from knives, swords, and claws wearing nothing but a t-shirt and jeans, but the harder the material originally was, the stronger he could make it, a trait that lent itself to his formidable, samurai-themed attire.

As the mangled ruin that remained of the door had ricocheted back down into the floor, Poltergeist shot to her feet and held up both hands, her grey eyes wide with exertion; all at once, the advancing tide of Mustard's gas simply halted, frozen just beyond the threshold of the doorway as if held in place by an invisible wall.

"I've got it!" Yanagi let out a loud, nervous peal of laughter, her expression a mix of jubilance and disbelief. "I can hold it!"

There was no time for congratulations, though- any response from Reiko's classmates or colleagues was drowned out by the volley of gunfire that followed, another thundering chorus of lead. With their immediate task done, Yoroi Musha and Fatgum had both dodged to either side of the room in unison, retreating back around the edges of the table and leaving a clear line of fire for Gang Orca and the guards- one that they wasted no time seizing. As waves of bullets streaked out into the dark cloud of gas, though, soon joined by Gang Orca's sonic beam, there was no definite sign that they were hitting their marks, no cries of pain or shouts of frustration. Straining her ears to listen for any sign of the enemy, Reptilia could only make out a series of metallic plinks amid the gunfire, and her eyes narrowed in confusion.

Are they wearing armor or something? I'd take my eye out there to check it out, but I doubt I'd be able to see anything through this gas…

The plinks were swiftly growing louder, though, enough that the others had noticed them- Kengen held up one hand, and the guards stopped firing all at once, smoke wafting up from their barrels as they reloaded their magazines. Gang Orca halted his sonic attack, letting out a grunt of exertion as he watched the doorway through narrowed eyes, his hands curled into fists.

"You done?" Kamakiri's voice called out from the darkness, amplified by some sort of loudspeaker. "Good. Our turn."

The thundering roar of gunfire that followed was unlike anything that Setsuna had ever witnessed; two streams of white-hot bullets raked out across the room in swaths of lead and death, shredding anything and anyone in their path. Wood reduced to smoking splinters, riot-armored guards cleaved apart in crimson sprays of blood; Reptilia could hardly keep track of how many lives she watched extinguished in the brief instant before a disembodied force yanked her body down against the floor- Poltergeist's voice was echoing in her ears, but her words were hopelessly drowned out by the relentless barrage of bullets. Dark liquid was dripping down the faceplate of her gask mask, but Setsuna hardly had time to process whose blood she'd been coated in; the sharp, lancing stab of pain in her shoulder demanded her attention first. A quick downward glance revealed a three-centimeter hole just beneath the left end of her collarbone, already spilling red down across her scaled jumpsuit and wafting smoke up into her face.

Did I… get shot?

"REPTILIA! Come on, we've gotta move!"

An arm wrapped around Setsuna from behind, and suddenly Sero and Kodai were kneeling down alongside her, shaking her out of her shock; while Cellophane pulled her back along the floor, crouching low beneath the arcs of bullets still tearing across the room just above them, Magnify laid one hand against the table and increased its size tenfold, turning it into a wall of solid wood that divided the entire room neatly in two, leaving only a small gap between the edge of the table and the ceiling. The deafening roar of bullets faded somewhat in volume behind the massive barrier, and Reptilia took the chance to scramble back to her feet, glancing back and forth with both her eyes in a frantic attempt to take stock of the situation.

In the shadow of the room's new central wall, a half-dozen other heroes were visible all around her in various states of injury and shellshock. To her left, Poltergeist had used her telekinesis to tear several metal panels off the ceiling and fold them into a dome-shaped floating shield for herself and Ryukyu and a few guards, in addition to her quick thinking in pulling Reptilia and several others to floor. And she's still holding back the gas, too, Reptilia realized with a start- floating on the opposite end of the table, she could see though her left eye that the gas had advanced almost several meters when Yanagi divided her focus in the midst of the assault, but it had halted again, still just short of the dividing wall. The heavy usage of her quirk was clearly beginning to take a toll on her, though- Reiko's bangs were soaked with sweat, sticking down against her forehead and eyes as her breath escaped in heaving pants.

Farther down, Forgemaster had shielded Shemage and Rodin from the streams of bullets with his welded armor, earning a number of brutal craters and gashes across his breastplate and vambraces- the sheer force of impact of the rounds had laid Awase out on his back, and Shishikura and Komori were both attempting to drag him back up to his feet as he struggled to regain his breath. To Setsuna's right, Epicenter and Gang Orca had both taken bullets, the former to the arm and the latter to the shoulder and side; Gang Orca had two jagged shards of wood from the table embedded in his bicep as well, but his hulking frame helped negate the severity of the wounds, and his face betrayed little outward sign of discomfort, even as Shindo let out a string of muffled profanities alongside him.

The guards hadn't been as lucky, though- still standing when the attack came, most of them hadn't been swift enough to duck down behind the table for cover. Bodies sawn in two by bullets, heads popped like melons- the ground was painted with their blood and viscera, and it took a concerted effort for Setsuna to keep herself from retching on the spot as she reached up to wipe the spatter of crimson from her mask's visor. To make matters worse, her own left arm was still hanging limp at her side, unable to move thanks to the gaping hole in her rotator cuff; gritting her teeth, Setsuna detached the entire shoulder from her body and let it fall down to the floor, instantly forcing a new one to regenerate in its place. Even with the replacement, though, an aching phantom pain still lingered on, residual echoes of the trauma in her nervous system.

"Everyone, fall back!" Suddenly Gang Orca was looming at her side, his deep, commanding voice booming out across the room even as blood dripped from his wounds and stained his white suit jacket red. Though his oversized gas mask was fogged up with panting breaths, she could still see the spark of determination in his eyes. "Get into cover!"

As the survivors rushed to obey his command, many of them stumbling over corpses as they struggled not to trip and fall along the slant of the room, a shaking footstep vibrated through the floor, then another. Two massive, dark silhouettes had become visible through the haze, swiftly drawing nearer to the wall.

"Sir, there's something out there!"

Reptilia whipped her head around towards Gang Orca, her right eye wide in alarm. Through her left, she watched with a mixture of terror and grim resolve as three glowing red lights shone out through the gas- the first distinctly cold and inhuman, circular in shape, and the other pair jagged and animalistic, the eyes of a beast. Other, smaller shadows were now visible too, moving rapidly in the darkness- before they drew any closer, though, a loud crack rang out, and half of Setsuna's field of vision was plunged into darkness; she staggered backward with a yelp of pain, one hand shooting up reflexively to the empty space on the left side of head. Her floating eye was gone, torn apart by a bullet, and though she quickly regenerated a new one, an intense, throbbing headache lingered on beneath her brow. Beside her, Shemage reached a hand out in concern, but Reptilia shook her head in defiance, her jagged teeth grit in rising fury.

"I'm fine!"

Detaching her left arm, she wrapped it around the shorter girl's stomach and hoisted her up and backwards, carrying Kinoko into cover behind Yoroi Musha's hulking frame while Setsuna herself dove down beneath the shadow of Poltergeist's floating shield. Forgemaster was already behind it as well, using his quirk to weld the individual pieces of the shield together and ease the burden on Poltergeist; working in concert, the pair anchored the shield down against the floor and gave it a sturdy base. Fatgum, for his part, had moved back along with Power Loader and Glamourous to guard the staffers and the president herself. The crowd of heroes and surviving guards were still rushing to retreat back behind the room's three bastions of protection when the tip of a metallic, swordlike blade plunged through the oversized table, carving a massive vertical rend down the face of the wall in a shower of splinters. Gunshots rang out in reply from the handful of remaining security personnel, but it was a futile gesture- none of them could hope to pierce the meter-thick wood.

But he can, Setsuna knew, her heart pounding in her chest. To him, this table might as well be made of fucking tissue paper.

A second blade-tip plunged through the wood a moment later, slightly higher up than the first one- rather than slice downward, though, it remained rooted in place. The first two blades retracted followed by a third and a fourth a few meters up; the process began to repeat itself at a breakneck pace, and Setsuna's eyes widened in dismay as Scimitar's plan of attack became clear.

"He's climbing!" Yoroi Musha bellowed, gesturing up towards the trail of blades. "Guards, train your guns on the top of the wall!"

Just as Kamakiri's trail drew close to cresting over the edge of the makeshift fortification, though, a beam of red-white energy tore through the oversized table with a deafening electric hum, leaving a swath of charred, smoking wood in its wake as it sliced down diagonally from upper left to lower right. With a chorus of splintering wood and crackling embers, the wall cleaved in two, the severed top half falling inwards.

More gunfire rang out, but to no avail; as the massive chunk of wood plummeted to the floor, a blur of green and black leapt out and away from it, twisting through the air with acrobatic grace. Setsuna could do nothing but watch as Scimitar streaked down towards them with blades outstretched and a smile on his face.

---

As he pushed himself away from the falling piece of wood and lengthened his curved forearm blades into gleaming one-meter scythes, Kamakiri felt his eyes flitting frantically between the heroes and staffers sheltering below, searching the sea of upturned faces for his target. He found her exactly where he expected to find her- sheltering towards the rear center of the crowd, surrounded by the handful of her bodyguards who weren't crimson paste and well-defended behind rows of heroes. Just as Hatsume had predicted, the volley of gunfire from her and Alecto had forced the room's occupants into cover, grouping most of them together behind Yoroi Musha and Fatgum's hulking frames and a massive shield held together by Poltergeist and Forgemaster- the remaining staffers were further towards the back, pressed up against the wall.

Like fish in a goddamn barrel. A wide, gleeful grin spread across Togaru's face; he'd still need to carve a path to reach Kengen, but that would be a much simpler task with the heroes packed so tightly together. I might not even need any backup at this rate.

Right on schedule, the overhead lights flickered out the instant after he jumped, plunging the room into darkness for a few brief seconds before the emergency backups kicked in- a few brief seconds were all Scimitar needed, though. He could hear Longshot's voice in his earpiece as the thermal filters in his mask painted the room in shades of red, blue, and orange- probably congratulating herself on successfully cutting the command center's power- but she might as well have been a buzzing gnat for all Togaru cared. All that mattered was right in front of him, and everything else had faded into the background. Time had slowed down to a crawl, and his predatory instincts swiftly took control; his eyes flit back and forth in a frenzy, searching for the most vulnerable prey in the herd to kick off the slaughter. The initial momentum from Scimitar's jump had successfully propelled him over the top of Yoroi Musha and Poltergeist's barricade, and his downward trajectory had him on a collision course with a trio of heroes huddled in the former's shadow- Epicenter, Gang Orca, Magnify.

Earthquake boy's useless in here unless they wanna shake the building apart, and Kodai's no threat, just a nuisance. Let's start with the big guy, then. Togaru's eyes narrowed as he chose his mark, his heart racing in anticipation. The Number Five hero was bleeding from half a dozen wounds, breathing hard and struggling to stand- he was the perfect target. Take out a heavy hitter like him for my opening move, and they'll all panic.

Kamakiri's blades lengthened even further, his arms stretching out for a brutal downward slash aimed directly at Gang Orca's head. Flashes of gunfire lit up the pitch darkness beneath him, guards firing blindly up at him, but none struck their target. Gang Orca came closer; his sonic beam tore a screeching path through the air just half a meter to Kamakiri's left, but there was no time for the cetacean hero to adjust his aim; Scimitar was practically on top of him now, blades descending like guillotines.

"Say goodnight, Number Five!"

Togaru's voice rang out triumphantly in the darkness, but mere centimeters short of carving through Gang Orca's cetacean skull, something yanked him to the side with a sudden burst of strength, dragging him off course.

Reiko?! Was his first thought, but this was different from her telekinesis- rather than a disembodied force, there was something very corporeal wrapped around his stomach, squeezing the breath from his lungs. When he jerked his head to the side, he found Cellophane staring up at him, reeling Scimitar down towards him like a fish snagged on a line. It only took a heartbeat for Scimitar to create a new blade from his torso to sever the strand of tape, but his momentum had already been redirected; he slammed down against the floor a moment later, though he managed the fall into a somewhat graceful forward combat roll.

"Don't tell me you thought you were the only one with night vision!" Sero shouted, his voice full of rage and contempt as he knocked one hand against his helmet. "What's wrong, no good without your sneak attacks?!"

Despite his bluster, though, Sero seemed to realize how unfavorable of a matchup he'd just stumbled into; with the same motion, he aimed his arm upward, firing a strand of tape at the ceiling to pull himself out of harm's way. Kamakiri was already practically on top of him, though- using the forward momentum from his roll, he'd shifted into a headlong sprint, closing the four-meter distance between them in a matter of moments. It was a test of pure speed now, with each of the pair down to their most primal instincts- fight against flight, a housecat lunging towards a sparrow. Cellophane shot off the ground in a flash of black and yellow, rising rapidly skyward, but Scimitar was nearly within striking distance; crafting a new blade from his wrist, he leapt into the air and swung it up towards Sero's torso in an arcing slash.

It's not enough. Kamakiri's teeth grit in anger and exertion, his muscles straining as he struggled to extend the blade even further, past his normal limit; he was almost at the height of his jump, but Sero's ceenter of mass was still outside his reach. Not enough for a killing blow- but I can settle if I have to.

Adjusting his target, Scimitar curved his slash towards Cellophane's legs; his eyes still fixed on his pursuer, Sero swore aloud and swung his body to the side in a desperate attempt to dodge.

This time, Togaru's prey was no illusion.

His blade met the familiar sensation of human flesh, and his eyes widened in awe as Sero's right leg split apart in a shower of blood, bisected at the knee. In the same moment, the emergency lights flickered to life, casting the room in a dim red glow just as blood rained down on Scimitar's face and chest.

"MONSTROUS FIEND!" Yoroi Musha bellowed, charging towards Scimitar with Gang Orca at his side.

Then Dark Shadow surged over what remained of the wall a roar that shook the entire room to its rafters, and crashed down on the heroes like a writhing, jagged black wave.

Before they could could so much as pivot to face their new foe, a single swipe of its massive talons swatted aside Yoroi Musha and Gang Orca like children's dolls, and sent them hurtling across the chamber into the wall of monitors in a shower of glass and blood. A chorus of terrified screams from the staffers filled the air before for a few brief moments before a hail of gunfire drowned it out, a desperate attempt from the guards to slow the raging beast- they might as well have been firing pellet guns at an elephant, though, and the flashes of light from their barrels only served to enrage Dark Shadow even further.

As for the heroes, Poltergeist was the first to launch into a counterattack, bombarding the sentient quirk with a maelstrom of jagged metal and broken glass, but it swiftly became clear that this enemy was far beyond even her capabilities; Dark Shadow tore her makeshift shield to ribbons with another savage slash, and with no feasible way to fight back, the heroes and guards sheltering behind it broke into a full retreat, dashing back out of the beast's reach before it could turn them into mincemeat. They found no safety in their withdrawal, though- a new stream of bullets strafed them as they fled, fired from the barrels of Longshot's minigun. Still atop her Longboard, Mei was hovering in midair just beyond the crest of the broken wall, raining lead down on the room's defenders with a peal of gleeful laughter.

"Get back!" A woman's voice bellowed amid the uproar; Ryukyu's dragon form rose up from the crowd moments later, tackling Dark Shadow head on just moments before its talons would've shredded a group of heroes and guards to ribbons. Roughly equal in size, the two giants hurled themselves against each other in a maelstrom and teeth and claws, forcing everyone around them to back away or risk being trampled underfoot.

Scimitar had no time to stand by and spectate the havoc wrought by his squadmates, though- while the command center had descended into chaos and bloodshed, there were still a dozen heroes and bodyguards standing between him and Kengen, and if the buzzing voices in his earpiece were any indication, he only had around two minutes left before Battle Fist showed up to ruin the fun.

Two minutes? Yeah, I can do two minutes.

Kamakiri cracked his neck and swung his massive right-arm blade to the side, painting a crimson arc across the floor with Sero's blood as he sized up the group of heroes moving to surround him amid the frantic melee. Judging by the cries of pain and the trail of crimson he'd left in his wake, Cellophane himself had spent the past few seconds retreating towards the back of the room behind Fatgum and Kengen, likely trying his best to tie off his amputated leg before he bled out.

Expressions of shock, horror, and disgust surrounded Kamakiri on all sides, worn on familiar faces- Komori Kinoko and Shishikura Seiji were the ones standing ahead of him now, moving to block his path to Kengen while Kodai Yui and Shindo Yo approached slowly and cautiously from behind. The gazes staring back at him now were the same as they were the day of his training accident with Awase- spectators at a circus act, watching a feral animal in its cage. Rather than shame and resentment, though, this time he felt nothing but exhilaration, surging through his veins like fire.

"It's a real class reunion, huh?" Scimitar called out with a smirk, throwing a leering glance at Shemage; he couldn't help but chuckle when she flinched visibly in reply. "Just like old times!"

"It's over, Scimitar. Give it up."

His mouth turned down in a scowl, Rodin activated his quirk and turned his arms to balls of fleshy paste; Shemage was already spraying a mist of water and spores into the air from the nozzles built into her costume's gauntlets, muttering the names of half a dozen different species of fungus under her breath. Behind him, Magnify's hand darted into her costume's front pocket, likely to retrieve some of her usual ammunition, and Epicenter was crouching down, his fingers inching towards the floor to send out one of his vibrations. As he glanced between them, mushrooms of all shapes and sizes had begun to sprout across Scimitar's skin; his throat was beginning to feel scratchy and swollen as well, but it was nothing he hadn't planned for.

God, you're all so fucking predictable.

"Gonna have to pass on that one." Kamakiri shrugged his shoulders and let out a wheezing laugh interrupted by a hacking cough, grinning as he used his tongue to dislodge the capsule of fungicide that Pandora had stashed behind his left bottom molar. The mushrooms were even spreading to his blades now, steadily weighing them down, but he only had to endure them for a few more seconds. "Hey, Mei- I'm gonna need you to put some holes in Earthquake Boy!"

At that, he bit down on the capsule, grimaced for a fleeting moment at the bitter taste, and tore a gas grenade from his belt, pulling the pin and slamming it down against the floor in a single fluid motion. A thick grey cloud of aerosolized fungicide burst outwards, concealing Scimitar's position just in time for him to dive down and dodge the volley of attacks rushing towards him. Shishikura's fleshy projectiles sailed harmlessly over his head, followed a few moments later by a volley of screws and nails that suddenly grew into massive, half-meter metal spikes mid-flight; one of them came uncomfortably close to striking its target, whistling by just a few centimeters above his mohawk. Right on cue, though, Longshot opened fire from on high just in time to interrupt Shindo's attack, tearing two new bullet holes in the Ketsubutsu alum's side as he swore aloud and dove for cover.

Scimitar didn't spare so much as a backwards glance towards Epicenter, though- by then, he'd already launched into a headlong sprint, sliding deftly through the gap between Shemage and Rodin as the gas cloud surged past them and obscured their vision. His dual scythes lashed out at their stomachs as he passed them; Shishikura was able to split himself in two in time to avoid the blow, but Komori found no such luck, letting out a sharp gasp of pain as blood spilled from her torso. Shallow or deep, a minor cut or a fatal laceration- Togaru had no time to look back and determine the extent of the wound, the entirety of his focus now dedicated to reaching his target and finishing his mission.

Chaos and bloodshed reigned all around him as he dashed toward's Kengen's position- most of the president's defenders were busy dodging bullets or fleeing from Ryukyu's clash, and the few who did notice his rapid approach proved to be easy pickings. Bullets pinged shrilly off Scimitar's blades and ballistic-fiber costume as he carved through one, two, three, four suited bodyguards in a chain of blood and gore, slicing limbs and necks and chests, never slowing his breakneck pace for a moment. His arms ran red from fingertip to shoulder, his eyes stung with sweat, but his target was drawing ever closer; Kengen was just ten-odd meters away now, glimpses of her grey-blonde hair and black blazer visible between Fatgum and Power Loader. A rush of air and a massive black shadow drew his attention upwards, though- Kamakiri swore under his breath and pivoted on a dime, diving to the left just as Ryukyu's colossal reptilian foot drove a crater into the spot he'd occupied a moment prior. A quick glance indicated that she hadn't even been trying to crush him- Dark Shadow was steadily driving her back across the length of the room, driving its talons into her side and trying its best to sink its beak into her neck, and both her arms were occupied keeping it pried open. One fleeing guard didn't prove as agile as Scimitar- Togaru allowed himself a brief smirk as Ryukyu's other foot crushed the man like an insect, cutting short his brief scream of terror.

Collateral damage, huh? That'll be a nice propo piece for La Brava.

Just as he turned back to continue pushing towards Kengen, though, a shadow burst out from the cloud of fungicide gas he'd been using for cover and slammed into Kamakiri like a charging bull, driving the breath from his lungs and slamming him down against the floor before he could react. Blades sprouted instinctively from his side and chest in an attempt to skewer the attacker, but they were only met with the sound of screeching metal; Kamakiri's next reflex was to try and roll away, but his back and arms were suddenly unwilling to budge, rooted to the ground.

…Ah, shit.

"I trusted you, Togaru!" Awase Yosetsu bellowed, his voice shaking with anguish and rage as he drove a metal-armored fist into Togaru's face. Already cracked, Scimitar's gas mask shattered instantly, and his remaining earpiece was knocked loose, clattering to the floor- the other had already been damaged in the fight with Lemillion. Kamakiri could feel his nose and cheekbone break under the weight Forgemaster's knuckleplate, cold metal tearing through his skin and chipping away another sizable fragment of his damaged left mandible; it took all the willpower he had left not to black out from the pain. New blades were lashing out from all across Togaru's body, slamming into Awase's armor at a half dozen different spots, but it was clear by now that a great deal had changed since the day Kamakiri sliced through the plating with a single stroke- the metal refused to yield, denting but not breaking under the onslaught.

"They said you were crazy, and I defended you!" Awase drew back his fist, blood dripping from his gauntlet. Togaru's vision was fading in and out, but behind the narrow visor of Forgemaster's knight-like metal helmet, he could see tears streaming down his classmate's face. "All those people talking behind your back, saying you were dangerous! And I told 'em they were wrong!"

A second punch swung downward like a hammer, but this time, Scimitar was ready- two blades sprang from his face out in an x-shape, one from either of his cheeks. Awase's fist was caught between them, locked in place, but the strength of his armor still held firm.

"'No, that's not true,' I said! 'Togaru's a good guy! You can trust him!'"

Grunting in frustration, Awase used his free hand to slam a metal strut into Togaru's side and ground it to the floor, adding yet another connection to keep him welded down. Though his head had slumped back in a daze, Kamakiri's eyes were still searching Forgemaster's armor for a weakness- a well-placed joint as all he needed, ideally somewhere on Awase's lower body. I could try for his visor or his neck, but they're both high up enough that he'd probably see the blade coming, have time to dodge.

Ah. Togaru's eyes narrowed, zeroing in on a thin seam running along Yosetsu's torso. There you are. From the front, the joint was well hidden beneath the lip of another plate, but it was visible from below, and Scimitar was positioned at just the right angle.

"So just tell me one thing." Awase shifted his weight, driving his armored knee into Kamakiri's stomach as he struggled to free his right hand. "Were you always like this?! Was I just a fucking sucker to you, believing all your bullshit?!"

Kamakiri paused on the verge of striking; his eyes widened for a moment, then narrowed- a range of emotions were rushing through his chest all at once, guilt and regret and shame. He'd been snapped from his bloodlust, stripped of his primal rage- as much as he wanted to complete the mission, he couldn't muster any anger towards Awase. No desire to carve or kill him welled up in his chest- only a solemn sense of duty.

"No," Togaru grunted, blinking through drops of blood as crimson continued to leak down his face and neck. His mouth was full of coppery blood, muffling his voice. "No, you weren't." He tried to shake his head, but it wouldn't budge, still welded down- a groan of resignation had to suffice. "…I was different then."

It was over quickly- Togaru made sure of that.

Blood spilled down in two crimson waterfalls from the joint in Forgemaster's armor, running along the twin blades that had surged out from Scimitar's torso; as narrow and hard to reach as it was, they'd plunged through the gap in the span of an instant, carving through Awase's stomach and ribcage and lungs and heart in a single swift blow. Behind his visor, his eyes had grown wide in shock and pain; a ragged cough sent a rain of blood droplets down onto Kamakiri's face and chest, followed by a muffled gurgle.

Then the light left Awase's eyes, and his suit of armor fell apart all at once- the bonds that had welded it together were forever broken. Stripped down to his white-blue headband and a bloodstained black bodysuit as his metal plates clattered to the floor, he slumped forward, impaling himself even further on the two blades that had pierced his torso and chest. Scimitar retracted them a moment later, a grimace on his face; a light shove was all it took to send his classmate's body tumbling to the floor with a dull, resounding thud.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, the words spilling from his mouth unbidden as he rose shakily back to his feet. "Fuck. Fuck." Togaru's hands had curled into white-knuckled fists, his fingers still slick with blood. He knew he was speaking to a corpse, but the urge was still there, gnawing at him from within. "I'm-"

"NO!"

Scimitar whipped around on a dime towards the source of the cry, adrenaline surging back into his veins as his scythes swung outward in a flash. In an instant, he'd reverted to his killer instincts, fully intent on butchering whoever had managed to sneak up behind him. By the time his mind recognized the voice, he was already carving through Setsuna's left arm in two different places- she let out a brief, muffled yelp of pain in reply, and Togaru felt his blades retract out of reflex, his eyes widening in shock.

He'd known she would be here from the start, of course- along with Awase and the others- but of all his former classmates, Reptilia was by far the one he'd been hoping to encounter the least. The memories she brought to the front of his mind were particularly raw and painful, and though he'd spent the last few days attempting to steel himself for this moment, it was perfectly clear now that no amount of time could have prepared him for the sound of her voice crying out in pain and fear, the expression of pure shock and horror on her face as her arm fell to pieces in a spray of blood- she'd been reaching out towards him before he sliced it apart, palm open, no weapon in her hand. The rest of Setsuna's body was largely separated, hovering around Togaru in a dozen different parts- half her head, her shoulders, and her upper chest remained together, though, hanging three meters in the air just ahead of him. Her left arm regenerated in a flash of dull blue light just moments later, but he knew from her grit teeth and furrowed brows that she could still feel the pain from his blades.

"W-Wait!" Kamakiri's mouth began to move before his mind could catch up, stammering out a few desperate words just as Reptilia began to back away. Against all odds and likely against her better judgement, she paused her retreat to meet his gaze, and he reached out his hands to show that his blades had all retracted.

"Just… just listen." Togaru's heart was pounding in his chest, sweat dripping down his face and stinging furiously as it met the bloody gash on his cheek. "Listen to me for two seconds, Setsuna! It doesn't have to go down like this, okay? You… you could join us!"

What the fuck am I saying?

Togaru was no longer simply deviating from the plan- he'd taken a u-turn and begun driving in the wrong direction at full speed. The more reasonable part of his mind was painfully aware of how terrible an idea this was, but all the same, he couldn't help but continue now that he'd begun. The memory of their first kiss was playing in his head on repeat- of the understanding look in her eyes, how she'd embraced him and reassured him when he was at his lowest point.

"Listen, I know how it's gotta sound, but trust me, once you meet everyone, you'll…"

Togaru trailed off, his manic fervor slowly fading. Over the course of his brief, impulsive recruitment pitch, he'd watched Setsuna's face shift from sheer terror to wary confusion, and now finally to an expression of complete and utter disgust. It wasn't the contempt he'd grown used to seeing from people like Tsubaraba and Komori, the mixture of fear and disdain one held for a rabid animal. This was something far colder, a look reserved for pests and parasites and vermin- for a cockroach after it had been crushed underfoot, for a rat scampering between garbage bins. Blinking in shock, Togaru's eyes suddenly focused on his hands, still reaching out in front of him- he hadn't processed until now that they were still coated in Forgemaster's blood, dripping crimson trails across the floor as he made his frantic and nonsensical appeal. Following the path of her gaze, he glanced down at Awase's corpse where it lied motionless in a pool of red- just beyond it, the butchered remains of four guards, interspersed with viscera and gore. And though she was still hidden behind the fading cloud of fungicide, Komori Kinoko's cries of pain were faintly audible amid the chaos, her bright and cheery voice twisted by agony.

"Setsuna… Setsuna, please." Togaru, lowered his hands, shaking them towards the floor to try and clear away some of the blood. "Just say something, goddammit!" His brows furrowed in anger, his momentary spell of nostalgic delusion thoroughly broken. "Yell at me! Tell me what a hideous fucking monster I am! Come on, go ahead!"

Reptilia's lips remained sealed, though, her expression of revulsion only intensifying as she continued to stare down at him in silence.

"Fine, have it your way!"

Scimitar glanced back towards the rest of the battle; Ryukyu was bleeding from a dozen grisly wounds inflicted by Dark Shadow's talons and beak, but Gang Orca and Yoroi Musha had recovered enough to rejoin the fight, and the titans' clash was grinding to a stalemate- it would only be a matter of time before they turned their attention towards stopping Scimitar as well, not to mention the imminent arrival of hero reinforcements. Kengen's immediate circle of protection, still preoccupied with Longshot, was just four or five meters past Setsuna, easily within reach.

"At least you're smart enough to know you can't-"

The sharp crack of a pistol from behind him interrupted Scimitar midsentence; he swore aloud and whirled towards the sound with blades extended, certain it was one of the surviving guards. It was only when he toppled to the floor instead of gracefully pivoting, warm blood flowing down his calf, that he realized that he hadn't heard the sound of the bullet ricocheting off his costume's ballistic armor. As he slammed down against the ground for the second time in as many minutes, Togaru gaze drifted to his legs- and to the mangled red ruin that remained of his right knee.

And then, finally, came the pain. White-hot, blinding. Kamakiri let out a resounding yell of agony that quickly fell down to an animalistic growl, clutching vainly at his shattered kneecap as his eyes continued to search for the culprit. He found her a moment later, floating just above him- nothing but an eye and a green-clad forearm, a fallen guard's bloodstained pistol gripped in her hand.

I never saw where her right arm was, Kamakiri realized, gritting his teeth in fury at his own carelessness. Or her right eye. She snuck them up behind me while I was ranting like fucking moron.

"I've got him," Reptilia declared, holding her left hand to her earpiece while her right kept the pistol aimed at Kamakiri's remaining knee. Her tone was cold and clinical, though he could still make out a slight waver in her voice. "Scimitar is down, at my coordinates."

"Keep him there!" Fatgum shouted, his voice carrying across the room even over the sound of Longshot's minigun and Dark Shadow's roars. "Don't let him get any closer!"

"He's not going anywhere," Setsuna replied, her voice more resigned than triumphant.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Togaru shot back through a widening, bloody grin; then he turned his head skywards, and raised his voice to a bellow. "MEI! I COULD USE A LIFT DOWN HERE!"

As timely as ever with her reply, Longshot changed course and swooped down towards him in an instant, firing a stream of lead at Reptilia. Forced to split apart to avoid being turned to mincemeat, Setsuna's main body divided into a dozen pieces and scattered in every direction, though a few splatters of red mist indicated that some of Mei's bullets still hit their marks. Reptilia's right hand and eye remained unscathed, though, still hovering low above Scimitar with a pistol aimed at his left knee; with her position compromised, she wasted no time making good on her threat. The gun barked three times in rapid succession before clicking empty, but the bullets bounced harmlessly away, deflected by a shield of interlocking blades that had sprung into place over the joint.

"You of all people should know," Togaru growled, leering up at Setsuna's eye, "you can only pull that trick on me once."

Hatsume reached him a moment later; while she resumed her task of spraying suppressing fire towards Fatgum and Power Loader, her metal servo-arms grabbed hold of Scimitar and hoisted him onto the board alongside her.

"That can't feel good," Mei remarked in her usual, flippant tone, nodding down towards his shattered knee as they lifted back into the air and began to circle the battlefield. "Looks like you took a real slugger to the face, too- you sure you don't wanna call it a day? Dark Shadow's been destroying some of those signal generators that were blocking Kurogiri, and the rest of them fell off the wall when you killed Forgemaster- we could retreat anytime."

"Is that a fucking joke?" Togaru snapped, his gaze fixed on Kengen's position. "We're almost at the finish line. Just get me over the target, and I'll do the rest. You can have Kurogiri pull me out when it's done."

"Whatever you say, bigshot." Hatsume shook her head in amusement, faint voices audible on the other side of her earpiece. "Man, Pandora's losing her shit right now. Just try and wrap this up in the next thirty seconds, okay?" Kendo Itsuka is about two kilos away, and I'm not planning on going to prison."

Mei slammed her foot on the accelerator before he could reply, sending them hurtling forward at breakneck speed. Within mere moments, they were sailing over the heroes' defensive line- Fatgum swiped a hand up towards them, his teeth grit in determination, but they were just outside his reach. And then, at last, she was in his sights: Kengen Hokori, gazing up at him with narrowed eyes from the midst of a circle of guards. A single leap was all that separated them.

"NOW!"

Surprisingly deft, Hatsume's servo-arms flung him downward and released their grip in one fluid motion, sending Togaru sailing towards his target like an arrow loosed from a bow. His scythes extended once more, winding back for a guillotine strike; blades began to emerge from his legs and forearms too, ready to butcher anyone and everyone around him. With his shot-out knee, the landing was bound to be pure agony, but that was a distant second concern, far at the back of his mind.

Kengen's guards make an admirable attempt to defend her, all things considered. While two of them continued to fire their pistols up towards Scimitar and Longshot, another two shielded their charge with their bodies, pressing her down towards the floor beneath them.

It still wasn't enough.

With the momentum of the fall behind him, Scimitar's blades sliced through Kevlar, flesh, and bone like butter, carving through both guards in an instant. Then, just beneath, he watched with widened eyes as they found his prey at last, crouched down with her arms held up in a futile protective gesture- while one scythe separated Kengen's left arm at the elbow and bit deep into her shoulder and chest, the other sliced her head in two from above in a burst of blood and gore. Death came instantly for the president, and Scimitar felt a burst of pure exhilaration swell up inside him- but only for a moment.

Togaru realized that something was wrong almost instantly, even as he slammed down atop the president's limp corpse and grit his teeth in pain. He had killed a real human, that much was certain- the butchered corpse beneath him was certainly that of a woman, but she was much younger than Kengen, brunette hair drawn into a ponytail, a flak jacket draped over her chest and a service weapon strapped to her side. 'Kengen' had collapsed as well, but on closer inspection, she was nothing more than a silhouette, her fading visage overlaid atop the corpse of the woman like some sort of costume.

…No. Confusion rapidly shifted to realization as Scimitar pushed himself back up to one knee, his eyes widening in disbelief. NO.

Kamakiri pushed himself back upward with a cry of fury and pain, shifting all his weight to his left leg as he glanced frantically back and forth in search of the real Kengen. Another volley of bullets from Hatsume had already cut down the other two guards defending the decoy's position, leaving a terrified crowd of staffers to his right and the Fatgum's defensive line to his left. Longshot had already circled back around to the other end of the battle, though, doing her best to keep the rest of the heroes distracted while Ryukyu continued to hold her own in spite of her wounds. On closer inspection, though, there were three guards sticking unusually close to Power Loader- they were all watching Kamakiri intently, but showed no signs of raising the guns in their hands.

"Alright buddy, just stay right there!" Fatgum bellowed, advancing on Kamakiri with his arms outstretched. "You aren't going anywhere on that leg!"

While he moved forward though, Power Loader and the trio of guards stayed behind, and began to back cautiously away from Scimitar's position.

So that's how it is, huh?

Kamakiri's eyes narrowed, and he met one guard's gaze head-on- the man lowered his gun and made a peace sign with one hand, sticking out his tongue in a juvenile, mocking gesture.

"Camie!" Scimitar roared, his rage erupting all at once; his body operating purely on instinct, he tried to dash forward, only to fall back down to his left knee in agony, blood spilling to the floor from his right.

Her cover blown, Utsushimi let her disguise fade away to reveal her black bodysuit and blonde hair, a triumphant smirk on her face; with a wave of her hand, she surrounded Kamakiri with a crowd of dozens of Kengen illusions, each one of them laughing hysterically.

"Go, now!" Fatgum threw a brief glance back towards Power Loader, stepping to the side so that he was firmly between Scimitar and his disguised targets. "Get them out of here!"

"Roger that!"

Turning on a dime, Power Loader knelt down and began to tunnel a hole through the floor with his Iron Claws; Kamakiri was only barely able to keep track of him past Fatgum and the swarm of Kengen duplicate.

Over the next few seconds, though, fate finally began to align in Togaru's favor.

The first and largest boon came from the other side of the command center. Dark Shadow, pummeled and pinned by a combined assault from a half dozen heroes, finally broke free from Ryukyu's grasp with a shriek of defiance. The sentient quirk surged upward and slammed the Dragon Hero into the ceiling, then grabbed hold of Yoroi Musha and hurled him across the room. Far from a random attack, though, Dark Shadow seemed to know exactly where it was aiming- Yoroi Musha slammed into Fatgum's back like an armored bowling ball, sending them both careening into the nearest wall and opening a direct line of sight between Scimitar and Kengen Hokori.

The second stroke of luck came as an indirect result of the heroes' own plan to evacuate the president; as he dug an escape tunnel through the reinforced floor, Power Loader ducked down out of sight for a few vital moments, leaving his charges briefly alone and exposed.

She's there. Togaru's eyes widened once more, his scythes lengthening. She's right there.

With Camie's Glamour gone, it was down to a one-in-two guess which one of the remaining pair of 'guards' was Kengen- they were only five meters away, a distance he could close in an instant under normal circumstances.

But how do I get to her if I can't walk?! His eyes flit back and forth, searching desperately for his allies. Dark Shadow was bulldozing his way towards Scimitar's end of the room, but not fast enough- against all odds, Ryukyu was still holding him back, wrenching one of his arms in a half-nelson. Longshot, meanwhile, was facing off against Poltergeist in an aerial duel; Yanagi had used her telekinesis to halt Hatsume's Longboard in its tracks and crush its engines, along with the barrels of her minigun, forcing Mei to eject and switch to the rocket boosters in her boots to stay airborne. Mustard's current status was the biggest unknown, but he was likely still busy holding the rear at the room's entrance.

No one's gonna help me do this. Kamakiri's eyes narrowed, his world slowing to a standstill. Not Hatsume, not Midoriya, not Toga or Monoma. Right now, it's all on me.

So I gotta reach her. Gotta reach her. Gotta reach her.

The same three words began to pound through Togaru's skull like a drum, in time with his racing heart; once more, his body began to move of its own accord, obeying a reflex that welled up from deep in his subconscious. Scimitar's right arm wound back, then snapped to halt and swung forward, like a pitcher throwing a fastball- as it hurtled back in the president's direction, something deep within it twitched in discomfort, like a long-atrophied muscle finally coming back to life. Throbbing pain followed an instant later, racing up from his wrist to his elbow like a trail of fire; it was an almost identical sensation to spraining a muscle, but the result was vastly different. A blade emerged from along the line of pain, half a meter long and double-bladed, tapering to a deadly sharp tip. But rather than simply extending further outwards, the blade detached just as Togaru's arm completed its arc, spinning end-over-end through the crowd of illusions and straight towards Glamourous and Kengen.

Togaru paused for a beat to stare at his own forearm in disbelief.

…I can throw blades.

He glanced back up just in time to watch it slice through his targets in a spray of blood.

---

Not again. Not again, not again, not again.

From the moment she lifted off the ground in Yokohama and began her roughly fifteen-minute flight to HPSC headquarters, Kendo Itsuka had been nagged by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu- the feeling that she'd been through this all before, that she was reliving the Black Day.

Reliving my failure.

A Syndicate video, a traitor classmate, an imminent assassination attempt a city's distance away.

An assassination I can stop, a life I can save- if I'm fast enough.

But am I? A dozen conflicting answers to that question raced through Itsuka's head as she glanced down at the cityscape whipping past beneath her, most of them pessimistic. Or am I going to have to watch President Kengen die because I was too slow, just like…

Kendo screwed her eyes shut and slapped her palm against her forehead.

No. None of that bullshit. I'll save her because I have to- because I know things can be different this time. This is the second chance I've been waiting for.

"That's right," a faint voice whispered, echoing at the back of her mind. "You're ready now."

Itsuka's eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth fell open for a brief instant.

All Might? Was her first thought, but the voice didn't sound like him, though it was still damningly familiar- almost certainly one of the other Vestiges she'd heard in her dreams. They love picking the worst possible times to get talkative, don't they? I just hope they speak up if One For All decides to go crazy again.

At the moment, Kendo was in clear violation of her promise to Sir not to use One For All's full power until they determined the cause of her sudden affliction the other day, but given the circumstances, she was fairly sure he'd understand. Before she could voice any of the dozen questions she had for the Vestiges, though, the HPSC Tower appeared on the horizon, and Battle Fist forced herself to turn her focus back to the task at hand. Easily recognizable by the shroud of purple gas covering the tower and the plumes of acrid black smoke twisting up into the sky all around it, the building seemed to have gained a slight but noticeable lean. It became horrifyingly clear the nearer Kendo drew that the area surrounding the Commission's headquarters was already a graveyard for dozens- the flaming metal wreckage of police helicopters was strewn in a multi-block radius around the tower, and panicked civilians were still fleeing the neighborhood in droves, their screams faintly audible even over the roar of the wind rushing past Itsuka's ears.

Battle Fist had been warned in advance about the way the Syndicate began their assault- about the barrages of missiles and bullets raining down from a warp gate in the sky- but it was only when she came within a kilometer of the tower that she was truly able to grasp the horrifying ingenuity of the bombardment.

It first came into view as a flash of purple and black, hanging in the air just to the right of the tower's roof. For a brief moment, Kendo's brain mistook it for a low cloud- until a barrage of missiles sailed out from it on trails of fire, streaking downward and slamming into the ground around the tower like a dozen claps of thunder. She couldn't quite make out who or what the Syndicate was aiming at, but the moment they began to shoot back, the warp gate blinked out of existence, only to reappear moments later at a different location and immediately launch another barrage.

God, how many missiles have they been firing? Itsuka's heart sank in her chest as the landscape rapidly shifted beneath her, swiftly changing from ordinary city streets to a charred wasteland dotted with countless smoking craters and smoldering ruins of police cars. It's been less than fifteen minutes since the attack started, but this place looks like it's been a warzone for months.

Frustration and anger welled up briefly in Kendo's chest, but there was no time to dwell on the tragedy of the assault- she was practically on top of the tower now, and the Syndicate had noticed. The next barrage of missiles to streak out from the warp gate made a beeline straight for her, leaving her barely a second's time to react and defend herself- thankfully, she'd had plenty of time on the flight over to work on a counter-strategy.

Reaching her hands out towards the approaching projectiles, Kendo enlarged them to the size of two minivans, then swung them together in a massive clap; the result was a concussive shockwave of air pressure, much larger and stronger than any of the blasts she'd once made by flicking her fingers. Knocked haywire by the shockwave, the missiles spiraled briefly backwards before detonating all at once- the warp gate vanished just before the resulting blast and the wave of pressure could reach it, though, just as she'd known in her gut it would.

As she held out her arms to slow herself down for a landing on the tower's battle-scarred roof, Kendo glanced frantically back and forth across the sky, searching for gate's the new location.

They've gotta have a camera somewhere around here, keeping track of targets and potential threats- multiple, probably. Otherwise Kurogiri wouldn't be able to keep responding so quickly to every counterattack.

Combing the entire plaza for the enemy's eyes would take ages, though- much more time than Kendo had. For the moment, the most pressing question was what to do with the enemy's artillery- deal with it now, or blow past it and leave it for the military to deal with.

But who was shooting back at it just now?

Itsuka spared a quick glance over the edge of the roof; it didn't take long to find them, a small group of heroes and policemen sheltering amid what looked to be a circular grey wall a few dozen meters from the base of the tower. From this distance, she could hardly make out individuals, but judging by the series of massive concrete pillars that had risen up from the ground to at strategic angles to keep the tower standing, it was safe to guess that Cementoss was among them- in confirmation of her theory, their wall reformed into a dome-shaped concrete bunker moments later, shielding the group against further bombardments.

He's probably been making and remaking that same bunker over and over, Itsuka surmised, watching as a dozen scorched black craters in the concrete smoothed over and vanished. Every time those missiles make a dent, he just fixes it in an instant. Plus, he can make a temporary opening in the dome for them to shoot back.

For now, though, there was still no sign of the warp gate- valuable seconds were ticking away, and Battle Fist glanced towards the door leading down into the building- it was already torn off its hinges, just a few meters away.

Alright, let's do this. Cementoss looks like he's got the situation down there under control, and the mission comes-

Before Itsuka could so much as complete her own thought, though, a wave of electricity surged through her veins, goosebumps raced across the back of her neck, and a single, basic instinct filled her her mind.

JUMP.

Kendo's body instantly obeyed the reflex, leaping upwards from the roof just as a white-red beam of energy half a meter in diameter tore through the space her chest had occupied milliseconds prior. Even from high above it, though, she could feel heat radiating off the beam in sweltering rays- when it dissipated moments later, it had left a scorched, flaming trail behind it along the gravel, melting holes through the doorframe and a massive AC unit on the far side of the entryway.

Jesus, they opened the warp gate right behind me. How the hell did I…

DODGE.

Acting once more on the instinct's command, Battle Fist swung her body around in midair, just in time to evade another beam streaking past, centimeters from her body. Her cape wasn't as lucky, though- the beam cut a semicircular swathe out of the dark blue fabric, and left a quarter of it charred and blackened. And though her costume had built-in resistance to both extreme heat and cold, it still felt for a few brief moments as if she'd been tossed onto the surface of the sun; Kendo screwed her eyes shut against the blinding light, her teeth grit in pain as the inferno lashed against her skin.

By the time she opened them again, blinking through a sheen of sweat, she understood what was happening- this was no mere reflex.

"It's you, isn't it?" Itsuka was still sailing in an upward arc thanks to the strength of her leap from before; she enlarged one hand and waved it to the right to redirect herself, creating a blast of air pressure that shot her back towards the tower. "Shinomori, the Fourth. All Might wrote about you- this is your Danger Sense."

"Yes," the voice in her mind whispered, louder and clearer than before. "You were in need of it. With each of our powers you acquire, though, the danger to your body grows."

"Could you please just explain that part a little bit more clear- shit!"

Cut off midsentence by another jolt of electricity, Kendo waved her hand upwards, propelling herself down moments before another volley of missiles surged out from the warp gate. Just as she brought her hands together to deflect them with another shockwave, though, Danger Sense fired off again, this time warning of an imminent threat directly behind her; in the span of a heartbeat, Kurogiri had already closed the first warp gate and opened a second beneath Kendo, a one-man pincer move. As the first group of missiles detonated from her air pressure blast, Battle Fist braced herself for a wave of brutal impacts from below, struggling to pivot in time to blunt the explosions with her hands.

As it happened, there was no need, though; Kendo turned her head just in time to watch a hammer-like blast of wind slam into the missiles from the side, sending them all crashing down into a nearby office building in a blinding orange fireball. Debris rained down on the plaza, glass and concrete and twisted iron- Cementoss' bunker was able to deflect the few chunks of shrapnel that came close to striking his group, but Battle Fist felt shock and outrage rising up inside her all the same.

"HEY!"

Kendo whipped her head towards the source of the blast, but her frustration faltered momentarily when she locked eyes with Yoarashi Inasa, hovering atop a funnel of wind with his cape billowing behind him and his gloved hand curled into a massive fist. Scarcely visible beneath the shadow of his cap, his eyes were narrowed in naked fury.

"Gale Force, you've gotta watch out for collateral damage! There could still be civilians in that building! Plus, you almost-"

"I doubt it." Yoarashi shook his head dismissively, turning his gaze towards the tower. "They've had plenty of time to evacuate. Either way, what the hell are you still doing wasting time out here?! Come on, we have to move!"

Gale Force shot off towards the tower, leaving Battle Fist struggling to keep up with him; just as they neared the side of the building, though, another jolt from Danger Sense surged through her body- this time, from both their 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock. Two warp gates at once?! Now that's just cheating.

Rather than bother with trying to warn Yoarashi in the few milliseconds she had to react, Kendo enlarged one hand and grabbed his shoulder from behind, yanking Gale Force downwards just as she used her other hand to propel herself in the same direction.

"They've been making a hell of an effort trying to keep me from getting in there!" Battle Fist shouted over the roar of two perpendicular energy beams, squinting against the glare. "I think it goes without saying they'll do the same for you!"

"Alright, point taken!" Gale Force shouted back, bitter frustration clear in his voice. "Let's make this quick, okay?!"

As if to underscore Itsuka's warning, two more warp gates opened to their eight and two not a moment later, each firing a volley of missiles; while Kendo handled the barrage from the left with another shockwave, Yoarashi took the right, using a concentrated blast of air pressure to send the missiles hurtling back the way they came. Kurogiri only barely managed to close the warp gate in time to avoid the resulting explosion; as she watched the blast illuminate the evening sky, a lightbulb fired off in Kendo's head.

"I've got a plan!" She craned her head back towards Yoarashi, floating in midair alongside him thanks to another of his wind funnels. "I don't have time to explain, but I know where the portals are coming from before they appear. First, you've gotta hide us both in a tornado- then, I'm gonna throw something, and I need you to make it go really fucking fast, okay?! DODGE, LEFT!"

"Yeah, I can do that." Gale Force grunted, angling his currents of wind to carry them both out of the path of a hail of bullets. While Kendo used one of her hands to shield them from the remainder, Yoarashi began to whip up a cyclone all around them, powerful enough to obscure an outside observer's view of the pair. Just as she'd hoped, the tornado had a wide diameter, easily encompassing half the plaza; once she'd ensured that Cementoss' group was safe inside their bunker, Kendo lashed downward with her Blackwhip, using the quirk to grab hold of one of the destroyed police cars in the section of plaza directly beneath them. Right on cue, Danger Sense crackled across her left side with a warning of an incoming warp gate, and a grin spread across Itsuka's face.

"NOW!" Kendo bellowed, as she hurled the ruined car in the direction her new quirk was sensing a threat from. Commendably swift in his reply, Yoarashi swung a blast of wind pressure at the squad car like a cudgel, driving a two-meter crater into the makeshift projectile and rapidly accelerating its flight path.

By the time Kurogiri's warp gate appeared a moment later, the car was already hurtling through it like a boulder from a trebuchet. A series of booms sounded out from the other side, accompanied by a wave of heat and smoke- then the portal flickered shut, leaving Battle Fist and Gale Force alone in the sky.

"Alright- let's do this."

Kendo tore the gas mask from her belt and slid it onto her face, then shot off towards the tower with a blast of air pressure from her hands; Yoarashi followed close behind. They punched through the side of the building in unison, shattering the glass and metal with a hardened cone of wind.

"Thirty-first floor!" Gale Force bellowed- according to the signs on the doors and walls around them, they'd entered at twenty-seven.

With both of their quirks operating in tandem, it only took a matter of seconds for Battle Fist and Gale Force to punch their way upward through four stories. When they finally emerged onto thirty-one, cloaked in a cloud of dust, they were surrounded on all sides by walls of Mustard's gas; Yoarashi crafted a miniature whirlwind and cleared the haze away with a single swipe of his hand, revealing a lobby scarred by gunfire and streaked with blood. As their surroundings came into view, Battle Fist tried her best to take in the situation at a glance.

Just a few meters to their left, Ms. Joke and a handful of riot-armored guards were sheltering behind a corner leading to a separate hallway, the marble wall and floor around their position pulverized by bullets and charred by energy beams; the open center of the lobby itself was dotted with corpses, painted with blood and core. A half dozen guards had died trying to charge the entrance of the bunker, turned to ash by the energy beam or shredded by bullets and missiles- Hound Dog was among their number, his smoking corpse sliced in half at the torso.

Kendo's eyes widened briefly in shock and horror at the sight of another dead U.A. teacher, then narrowed again in anger as she turned her gaze to the culprits. The perpetrator of the vast majority of the slaughter was readily apparent- the whir of servomotors and thud of metal footsteps filled the air as the four-meter, armor-plated mech currently blocking the command center doorway turned to face them, its one red eye shining eerily in the semi-darkness. And though he had crouched down for cover behind an upturned couch, Mustard was still visible by his mask and coat; his voice rose up in fear as he stumbled to his feet and took aim with his revolver.

"Alecto, kill them! Kurogiri, I need an extraction, now!"

As he spoke, the minigun mounted to the mech's right arm began to spin, the beam weapon on its left rapidly charging with a low electric hum; Danger Sense had already told her everything she needed to know to evade the attack, though.

"Go right." Kendo exchanged a swift glance with Gale Force, her legs tensing in preparation for a forward leap. "I've got Mustard."

The glimmer of determination in Inasa's eyes was all she needed to know that he understood; they both surged into action in the same moment, moving at blinding speed. As advanced as the mech's targeting systems were, they were each fast enough to outpace its assault on their own- working together, it stood no chance. A stream of bullets carved uselessly across the floor behind Kendo as she bounced off the wall and shot towards the mech at a diagonal, and its energy beam, likewise, didn't come within a meter of striking Yoarashi. Though they'd had no time to coordinate their strategy beyond the bare basics, Kendo was pleasantly surprised by how well their attacks synchronized; while she used an oversized hand to crush the mech's minigun and rip its right arm from its socket in a shower of sparks and oil, Gale Force aimed a Hurricane Punch at its left shoulder, crushing the joint with a massive blast of concentrated air pressure and rendering the limb inoperable.

Kendo hadn't forgotten her other target, though- as she tossed the mech's crumpled arm to the floor, she aimed her free hand towards Mustard and lashed out with Blackwhip, her brows knit in determination. Her aim with Lariat's quirk had improved since the Black Day- just as a warp gate opened on the floor beneath Mustard, the shadowy tendril wrapped itself tight around his torso, squeezing the breath from his lungs. For a brief instant, he slipped partway into the portal, but in the contest between gravity and Blackwhip, the winner was already certain.

"You're not getting away again!"

Pulling back with all her strength, Kendo yanked Mustard from Kurogiri's grasp and sent him sailing towards her like a ragdoll; a cry of fury and defiance echoed from inside his helmet, but it was swiftly silenced when his head collided with her waiting fist, shattering his mask just as she'd watched Tetsutetsu shatter it nearly three years before.

Before Mustard's body could fall unconscious to the floor, Battle Fist extended Blackwhip even further, coiling it around the villain's arms and legs before finally wrapping the tendrils around her own chest and stomach- now Mustard was quite literally tied to her, slumped against her back like a drunken friend after a night of partying. Thanks to One For All, though, her new passenger felt as light as a feather- there was no risk of him weighing her down.

I'm not gonna make the same mistake I did that night. Itsuka stamped her foot down on Mustard's revolver where it had clattered to the ground, reducing the gun to a twisted hunk of metal. Now there's no way they can rescue him while I'm distracted.

To her right, Gale Force had destroyed the mech's legs and shattered its eye with a lightning-fast series of air-cannon blows; after a final, boulder-sized finisher punch from Kendo, it collapsed to the floor with a resounding crash of metal, leaving the way to the command center clear.

"Battle Fist, Gale Force!" Behind them, Ms. Joke and the surviving guards had emerged from cover; clutching at one grievously burned arm, the Ketsubutsu teacher rushed towards them, her voice muffled by her smile-adorned gas mask. "Thank god you're here! What's the status on-"

"Sorry, no time!"

Three clipped words were all Kendo could spare before she and Gale Force launched themselves through the doorway with a boom of air pressure, sailing up towards the top of the high-ceilinged room to avoid a massive, partially destroyed wall of wood that divided the chamber neatly in half. On the far side of the wall, though, they found themselves sailing above a scene that could only be described as pure chaos. In the center of it all, Dark Shadow dominated the battlefield, rampaging at full strength in the dim red emergency lighting as Ryukyu and a half dozen other heroes struggled in unison to bring him down. Just beneath them, in the wall's shadow, Longshot was locked in a midair duel with Poltergeist, Hatsume hovering nimbly on rocket boots as she evaded a barrage of levitating debris hurled towards her by Yanagi. Neither of these fights mattered to Kendo and Yoarashi, though- amid all the carnage, their sole priority was locating Kengen Hokori.

Kendo was the first to spot her, at the far end of the room.

Oh, fuck.

By the time her mind caught up to her body, Itsuka was already slamming down into the floor amid a two-meter impact crater, hands outstretched as she placed herself directly between Scimitar and the president. The moment she landed, a half-meter blade slammed into her oversized palm in a spray of blood, sharp enough to bite through her skin even with One For All's added durability.

"NO!" Kamakiri roared, his battered and bloodied face twisted in abject rage; just a few meters ahead of her, he was struggling to stay on his feet, one knee shattered and bleeding. "That's NOT FAIR!"

Around the same distance behind Battle Fist, President Kengen was cradled in Glamourous' arms, blood pouring down her face from the blade buried at a vertical angle in her left eye socket. Yokumiru Mera's body lied beside them, still and lifeless- his head had been split open, grey matter splattered across the floor. At the edge of her vision, she could see Gale Force flying towards them, but a swipe of Dark Shadow's claws sent him crashing to the ground in a cloud of dust before he could reach Kengen's position.

"I've got her!" Rising up from a hole in the floor, Power Loader scooped Kengen into his arms and promptly leapt back through, carrying the wounded president to relative safety. "He's all yours, Battle Fist!"

"Not all hers!"

Though he was battered and bruised from the battle, parts of his costume shredded by bullets and shrapnel, Fatgum still managed to put on a wide grin as he approached Scimitar from the rear, flanked by Yoroi Musha.

"Surrender yourself, devil!" The older hero bellowed, steadily advancing on Kamakiri with armored hands outstretched. "There is no escape- your mission has failed!"

Thanks to their quirks, he and Fatgum were two of the best possible choices to try and capture Scimitar in close quarters, but there was still a degree of risk involved. There was no telling whether Kamakiri's blades might find a gap in Yoroi Musha's armor plating, or prove sharp enough to cut through Fatgum's defenses.

"He's right, Kamakiri." A torrent of emotions welled up in Kendo's chest as she stared down her former classmate; it had been just over a week since their final practical exam together, but Togaru was scarcely recognizable as the same person, panting and seething with rage as blood continued to drip to the floor from half a dozen gruesome wounds. "It's over. I don't want to hurt you."

Itsuka took another cautious step forward, then pulled the blade from her palm with a wince of pain and let her hands shrink back towards their normal size; Danger Sense would warn her if Togaru intended to attack again.

"Listen, I don't know what he told you to make you do this, but you can't trust Midoriya Izuku- he's using you! It's not too late to-"

"Make me do this? Oh, that's fucking rich." Kamakiri let out a bitter cackle, his face twisted in a grin as he took a pained step towards her, dragging his wounded right leg behind him. "I guess it's not my fault I killed Awase and Komori, then, if Izuku made me."

Itsuka's eyes widened, the color draining from her face; her heart had slowed to a crawl.

"You… what?"

She shook her head, unwilling to accept Scimitar's claim as the truth. He's… just trying to get a rise out of me. Throw me off.

"No, that's not…"

Danger Sense jolted Kendo back to reality an instant later, restoring some of her adrenaline, and she raised hands to guard against another blade attack. The threat wasn't coming from Kamakiri himself, though, but from a spot in midair about two meters above him.

…Oh, shit.

"Everyone, get down!"

Rather than the barrage of missiles and energy beams that Kendo had feared, though, only a lone figure emerged from the warp gate that blinked into existence over Scimitar's head; dressed in dapper black clothes, he dropped nimbly to the floor. With his face still turned downwards, she couldn't quite make out who the newcomer was in the dim emergency lighting, but she surged forward and swung out her Blackwhip regardless, lassoing his arms and chest the instant he landed. When Monoma Neito looked up to meet her eyes, though, a sad smile on his face, Itsuka realized with a sinking feeling that it wouldn't be enough to hold him.

"Good evening, Itsuka."

Towering walls of ice erupted from Monoma in every direction just as Kendo tried to pull him towards her, severing Blackwhip and forming a translucent dome two meters thick around Chaudron and Scimitar.

"NO!"

Kendo swung a boulder-sized fist at the ice, smashing a massive crater into the wall, but it was already too late. She could only watch in desperation as another warp gate opened up alongside the pair- Kamakiri stumbled through first, followed close behind by Monoma. Before he vanished completely, though, Neito glanced back towards her and gave a brief, almost imperceptible wink.

Then he turned away, and was gone.

"T-The others!" Making her best effort to stay focused on her duties, Kendo pivoted on a dime, searching for the remaining two members of the Syndicate assault team. "Dark Shadow and Longshot, we can't let them-"

By the time she turned around, though, the battle was already over. Two more domes of ice now occupied the room- one had formed against the wall near the spot where Kendo saw Longshot fighting Poltergeist, while the other, much larger one surrounded Dark Shadow's last position. Ryukyu, Epicenter, and Gale Force were all partially frozen into its walls, the latter still splayed against the floor and struggling to regain consciousness. A thin haze of dust and smoke still obscured much of the command center, but Kendo tore her gas mask off all the same, hurling it against the floor as a wave of anger threatened to overwhelm her. Fatgum and Yoroi Musha both rushed past her, offering aid to the wounded, but Battle Fist's feet remained rooted to the floor, her muscles refusing to respond.

They got away. Of course they got away.

Itsuka's emotions swiftly turned to concern and dismay, though, at the sound of a nearly inaudible whisper to her right, and her gaze shifted down towards Utsushimi Camie, still kneeling on the floor in a pool of Yokumiru Mera's blood. It was spattered across her face and chest as well, dripping down the black leather of her bodysuit.

"He jumped in front of her," Camie repeated, her voice quiet and hollow; she was frozen in place, staring blankly into the distance. "He didn't hesitate. But I…" After a moment's pause, Glamourous finally turned to meet Kendo's eyes. "…I ducked."

Itsuka opened her mouth to reply, to reassure the girl, but no words would come to her- perhaps there were none. Instead, she reached down and wrapped her arms around Camie's torso, lifting her back to her feet and wrapping her into a tight hug in the same motion. The gesture was made slightly awkward by the fact that Itsuka still had Mustard slumped across her back, preventing Camie from fully returning the gesture, but she kept up the embrace all the same. Another voice caught Kendo's attention just moments later, though, crying out in pain from behind the veil of dust- a familiar one.

"K-Kinoko?!"

Breaking away from Glamourous with a hurried apology, Kendo dashed towards the source of Komori's cry; as the haze cleared from the room, though, more shouts of anguish steadily followed from every direction. Every direction Itsuka turned, she found more horror and death, more bullet-riddled corpses and severed limbs- her boots were swiftly soaked with blood, and she slowed her pace, struggling not to vomit amid the overwhelming smell of copper, so thick in the air she could practically taste it on her tongue.

As she faced off against Scimitar moments prior, Battle Fist had managed to convince herself that Togaru was lying- that there was no possible way he was capable of murdering his own classmates.

Awase Yosetsu's body, lying still and lifeless on the floor beneath her, indicated otherwise, though. His beloved armor was scattered all around him a pool of crimson, his face fixed in an expression of permanent shock. Tears welled in Itsuka's eyes, a lump swelled in her throat- but she couldn't afford to mourn the dead now, not when there were still other lives in danger.

"Kinoko!"

Battle Fist finally spotted Scimitar's other apparent victim a few meters ahead, cradled between Rodin and Reptilia. Komori's face was pale from blood loss thanks to the brutal slash wound on her torso, but her chest was still rising and falling, weak gasps of breath escaping her mouth; she cracked a weak smile as Kendo rushed toward her, one of her cross-pupiled red eyes visible through her sweat-soaked brown bangs.

"Prez… you're here." Kinoko let out a ragged cough- Kamakiri's blade had bit into her stomach, if the blood dripping down her chin was any indication. "I knew you'd come."

"That's right," Kendo replied, struggling to return Komori's smile in kind as she knelt down and took the girl's sweat-soaked hand in her own. "It's the class president's job to look out for everyone."

"I'm sure this is all very touching for you both," Shishikura Seiji interjected, his lavender brows furrowed in frustration beneath his gas mask, "but with all due respect, please step back, Battle Fist. I'm using my quirk to repair her wound internally, but any speech or movement on Shemage's part could risk the procedure."

Rodin's hands were indeed laid across Komori's stomach, but Kendo had assumed that Shishikura was simply putting pressure on the wound- after a closer look, though, she could see that Kinoko's flesh was slowly joining back together.

"Holy shit, I didn't know you could-"

"Do this?" Seiji interjected, his gaze never flinching from his work. "It's quite a simple principle, and one that I can explain to you at another time. Now, if you'd be so kind?"

Nodding apologetically, Kendo rose back to her feet; Setsuna detached her head and floated it up to eye level, her body occupied holding Komori still while Seiji worked. The right half of Reptilia's face was missing, presumably detached and floating elsewhere in the room, and her expression was shellshocked and somber, green eyes hollow with despair.

"What's the situation, Reptilia?" Itsuka was hesitant to lean on Setsuna any more than necessary given the horrors the girl had likely witnessed over the past few minutes- her first instinct was to wrap her in a hug. But there were still procedures that had to be followed- rescue and triage took priority.

"We've got… a lot of casualties." Setsuna murmured, her voice close to breaking. "Awase's dead, Sero's missing a leg, Lemillion's unconscious, and I honestly don't know who's in command anymore. Ryukyu passed out right after Dark Shadow retreated, so…" Suddenly Reptilia trailed off, her left eye widening in horror; her breath hitched in her throat. "Oh, god."

"What is it?!" Kendo glanced back and forth- the smoke and dust was swiftly fading, but visibility was still low beyond a few meters. I could use my hands to clear it, but I wouldn't want to hurt anyone with the shockwaves.

As she searched for the cause of Reptilia's dismay, though, a steady whirlwind began to carry the remaining haze upwards, clearing the air, and Fatgum's voice carried out across the command center.

"Goddammit, Sakamata, stay with us! The paramedics are coming!"

"Please, you can't!" Another voice cried out, and Kendo's eyes widened in panic.

Yui?!

By the time she started towards the source of the shouting, the dust had finally lifted, leaving the scene in full view. Slumped back against a jagged metal panel buried in the floor, Gang Orca was struggling to remain conscious, blood pouring down his chest and torso from three massive, grisly wounds. A dozen smaller ones were scattered across the length of his body as well, bullet holes and shards of wood and glass- though Magnify and Fatgum were doing their best to stem the bleeding with bandages and gauze, it was horrifying obvious that the scale of the Number Five hero's injuries were far beyond their ability to mend. Epicenter and Ms. Joke were standing over him as well; both were bleeding from wounds of their own, but they were still doing their best to assist all the same, tying off a tourniquet around Gang Orca's mangled and lacerated right arm.

"Shishikura!" Battle First whipped her head back towards Rodin. "I need you to get over here as soon as Kinoko's stable!"

"Alright, just give me a minute here!" He shouted back. "I have to finish sealing her stomach, or she'll die from internal bleeding!"

"H-How did this…?"

The words spilled unbidden from Itsuka's mouth as she came to a halt alongside Yui, her eyes wide with horror and confusion. Even after the incident in Yokohama, Gang Orca had always seemed invincible to her, a force of nature in combat. She'd been watching him fight villains on TV as long as she could remember, and he'd always dominated his opponents with ease.

"He saved us," Kodai choked, glancing back to meet Kendo's eyes.

Yui's hands and forearms were soaked with Gang Orca's blood, tears streaming down her face; in three years of friendship, Itsuka had only seen her cry once before, after her grandfather's funeral. Even at the Commencement, after watching Vlad King and Eraserhead and Uravity murdered before her eyes, she'd remained somlemn and stoic.

"We were running, and I tripped and fell," Kodai continued shakily, her tears dripping down into the growing pool of blood spreading across the floor. "Shindo stopped to help me up. D-Dark Shadow was about to kill us both, but Gang Orca jumped over us, shielded us, and…"

"Oh god, Yui…" This time, Itsuka's instincts won out- she pulled her roommate into a tight embrace, one hand against the back of Yui's head as the girl continued to sob into her shoulder. "It's not your fault." Kendo's voice had dropped down to a whisper- she knew from personal experience what Kodai was most likely thinking, and what she needed to hear in response. "It's not your fault. I promise, it's not your fault."

Moments later, Shishikura arrived, bloodied hands at the ready; his eyes widened in shock as he realized the full extent of his new patient's wounds, though.

"I… with this much blood loss and this much organ damage, I don't know if I could reverse all of it. I can try, but I can't-"

"You have to try!" Fatgum interjected, frantic. "You can do this, Rodin!"

"It's alright," Gang Orca replied, his voice reduced from its usual deep and booming tone to a faint wheeze. "It's alright, Taishiro." Despite everything, a faint smile had spread across his bruised and bloodied face- there was a sense of acceptance in his eyes. With his one remaining good hand, he reached up and pulled off his gas mask, sucking in a weak breath of air. "I did what I couldn't before. I fulfilled my duty."

Images of the disaster at Yokohama flashed through Itsuka's mind's eye- of Uraraka and Todoroki.

"Stop talking, man." Fatgum removed his own gas mask as well, tears welling in his eyes as locks of his sweat-soaked blond hair spilled out from beneath his costume's hood. "You've gotta save your strength!"

"Severe trauma to the lungs and major aorta, extensive damage to the liver and kidneys…" His hands laid on Gang Orca's torso, Shishikura continued to murmur under his breath as he struggled to close the three massive puncture wounds left by Dark Shadow's talons. "Christ, his intestines are torn to pieces. His body's going into septic shock- I can't stop it."

"Please," Sakamata wheezed, his breaths growing weaker by the second. His eyes drifted wearily between them, from Fatgum to Rodin and finally to Battle Fist. "Please, find Nemuri... and Shoto."

Then Gang Orca went limp, and the light faded from his eyes.

Deafening silence followed, broken only by the sound of quiet sobbing.

"FUCK!"

Epicenter was the first to disrupt the solemn mood, driving his boot into the screen of a monitor that had fallen from the wall with a bellow of rage. While Ms. Joke turned to console him, Fatgum reached a hand out toward Kendo, grabbing her by the shoulder. Tears were still welling in his eyes, but he was doing his best to fight them off, putting on an authoritative tone.

"I've gotta go check on Yoroi Musha and Ryukyu- I want you, Rodin, and Magnify to sweep the room for any more wounded, then report back to me. The cavalry should be here any second now, so just do your best until then, okay?"

"Okay," Kendo replied, still rubbing Kodai's back as she nodded in affirmation- like Fatgum, she was making her best effort to hold back her emotions, with mixed success. "Understood." She reached down and held Magnify by either side of her face, staring into Yui's teary eyes. "Do you think you can do that, Yui? It's okay if you can't."

"I-I can." Kodai nodded shakily; slowly but surely, her usual calm demeanor was returning. "Yes, I can do that. I… I'm sorry about this."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, okay?" Itsuka gave her one final squeeze of reassurance, then stepped away and gazed out towards the far wall. "Alright let's do this. Give me a shout if you need any help- same goes for you, Rodin."

Once they'd both nodded in agreement, Kendo started off towards the dome of ice left behind at Longshot's last location. She was fighting Rei, right? I haven't seen her since I got here…

Aside from Kodai, Yanagi was one of her closest friends, serving as her designated outfit and makeup assistant for all three of her runs at the Cultural Festival's beauty pageant. They'd spent the past three years bonding over horror movies and rock music playlists and obscure inside jokes- Itsuka quickened her pace as the memories rushed through her mind, her chest heavy with worry. For a while, she found nothing but more guards' corpses, but finally, she spotted Yanagi just beneath the wall, lying eagle-splayed on the floor with blood leaking from a wound on her side.

"REI!"

Itsuka broke into a dash towards Reiko, but by the time she reached her, the girl was already stirring, blinking through a sheen of sweat on her face as she tore off her gas mask.

"Ah, god, my head… Ituska? That you?"

"Yeah, it is." Kendo wrapped an arm around Yanagi's side and pulled her to her feet, breathing out a sigh of relief. "You had me scared there for a minute. What happened with Longshot?"

"She shot a rocket at me after I crushed her gun," Reiko replied, wincing as she clutched at the wound on her side. "Launcher was hidden in that goddamn armor. I deflected it- the shrapnel still got me, though. I had her on the ropes after that, but she hit me with some type of taser dart right before Chaudron showed up to rescue her."

Suddenly, a ringtone sounded from one of the pockets stitched into Reiko's costume- her cellphone, buzzing and trilling. Moments later, another ringtone sounded out from behind them, then a second, and a third- within a few seconds, half the room was reverberating with a chorus of cellphones. Itsuka's heart sank, though, when she realized that many of the ringtones were coming from the pockets of slaughtered guards- calls that would never be answered.

"They must've taken out the signal jammer," Kendo murmured, glancing down at her own phone- she had it set on silent, but a half-dozen messages from Jiro, Tetsutetsu, Mirko, and Nighteye that had been sent after she entered the plaza were flashing across her screen. "Guess that means the reinforcements are finally here, huh?"

When Itsuka glanced back towards Reiko, though, she'd already picked up a call, holding the phone against her ear.

"Yeah, I'm doing okay… I'm a little hurt, but nothing serious. Okay. Yeah. Sorry to worry you. I've gotta go, but tell everyone I said hi, alright? Talk soon!"

"Parents checking in on you?"

"It was my uncle, actually." Reiko reached up and pulled down the black mask that hid her mouth, a soft grin on her face and happy tears welling briefly in her eyes. "We're pretty close- he's with some old family friends right now. I'm just glad I could tell 'em I'm safe."

"Me too," Kendo replied, returning the grin as best as she could.

Along with the ringing cellphones, though, new voices were audible from the far end of the room- riding atop his magic rings, Majestic sped through the doorway towards the group congregated around Fatgum and Yoroi Musha, followed close behind by Best Jeanist, Endeavor, Ectoplasm, Nejire, and a half-dozen others.

"Ah, they finally made it." Itsuka's racing heart had finally begun to slow again, her accumulated stress and adrenaline subsiding. "We should probably go check in with them."

"Before we do, though, there's something you should see," Reiko countered, still grinning. "Just before I passed out from Longshot's taser, I really nailed her." Poltergeist started towards the wall, then reached out one arm and pulled a jagged, half-meter piece of metal plating into her hand- it was still dripping blood from one end. "Right, it should be somewhere around… ah, there it is."

Reiko held out her other hand, and a severed human arm jumped from beneath an overturned chair up into her palm, garbed in the Syndicate's trademark armor plating; Itsuka felt her mouth fall open in shock.

"So," Yanagi quipped, her eyes shining mischievously, "guess what Hatsume Mei has one less of now?"

---

"GET OVERHAUL IN HERE! NOW, GODDAMMIT!"

A string of vicious profanities spilled relentlessly from Shinso Hitoshi's mouth as he lifted Hatsume into his arms and swung around towards Seraph and Kurogiri, blood still spilling and spurting from the open wound where Mei's right arm had been severed at the shoulder. The Syndicate's post-op rendezvous site- the top floor of an abandoned, overgrown hospital in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone- was already a frenzied rush of personnel. To Shinso's right, two Monoma doubles were helping lay a gravely wounded Scimitar onto an operating table, and to his left, a Synapse double and the original Chaudron were restraining and sedating a bloodsoaked Tokoyami Fumikage before Dark Shadow could reemerge and resume its rampage.

Seraph, Kurogiri, La Brava, and Pandora were seated behind a table towards the back of the room, monitoring the situation at the HPSC tower through a series of laptops; spread out around the chamber's perimeter, Mr. Compress, Twice, and Dabi were on guard duty in case any heroes managed to slip through Kurogiri's warp gates. When another purple-black portal deposited Kaminari Denki's double onto the moss-covered floor moments later, they all visibly tensed at the sight, but relented when Chargebolt let out a panicked yelp and held both of his hands in the air.

"J-Jesus, guys, it's just me!"

"Yanagi fucking Reiko," Hitoshi growled through grit teeth, his brows knit with fury as another Monoma double rushed forward to help him ease Hatsume down onto one of the half-dozen operating tables created earlier in the day by Pandora, in anticipation of any injuries among the assault team. "I swear to god, I'll-"

"Calm down, babe- just calm down, it's alright." In spite of her severe and ongoing blood loss, Hatsume chuckled and flashed him a winning smile. "I don't have anything to worry about! She put up a good fight, and I got careless towards the end, that's all. No reason to get all bent out of shape about it!"

"She's not wrong," Midoriya chimed in, shaking his head in mild bemusement. "Hanged Man was simply fulfilling her duties, and Mei could hardly kill the girl without depriving us of a potential asset. If anything, it's good luck that Longshot was the one who faced off against her- I doubt Dark Shadow would've had enough restraint to take her down non-lethally."

As Seraph approached the pair, Overhaul emerged from a warp gate alongside him, pulling off his gloves with a look of pure disdain.

"So, this is what I've got to work with, huh? God, this place is filthy." Chisaki glanced from Hatsume over to Kamakiri, and let out a deep, exasperated sigh. "And you kids are getting sloppy. Him, I can fix up like new, but you…" Overhaul reached down and reluctantly touched two fingers to the exposed skin above Mei's shoulder, pure revulsion in his eyes- the wound sealed itself almost instantly, and Shinso felt a long breath of relief escape his chest. "That's all I can do for now, unless you brought the arm back with you. If you want me to make a new one, I'm gonna need some material to work with, preferably a corpse."

"Nah, I think I'll just leave it like that for now." Mei quipped with a dismissive shrug, to Hitoshi's immediate dismay. "It's a legit battle scar, earned in the fires of combat!" Her manic smile widened, and she glanced over towards Midoriya. "Plus, I've been jealous of that arm I made for Izuku for ages- and now I finally get to make my own! We're gonna be matching!"

Shinso's mouth fell briefly open in disbelief, but he regained his composure a moment later, running one hand down his face.

No, no, I can't really be surprised by this. After everything I've seen over the past two years, I should've known by now that even dismemberment is something she can find a silver lining in.

"I'm very glad to see you're taking it so well," Midoriya replied, dragging Shinso's focus back to the present; Hitoshi watched a genuine expression of warmth and happiness spread across his face as he reached down to lay his artificial hand on her shoulder. "You did have us both worried, though- things were a bit touch and go for a while there."

"That's putting it lightly," Hitoshi murmured, squeezing Mei's remaining hand. "It's a miracle any of you made it back, as far as I'm concerned. We nearly pulled the plug on the op at least three or four times, but you kept pushing forward."

"Ah, we had it all under control. Ain't that right, Kamakiri?"

Scimitar only grunted in reply, though, writhing in discomfort on his steel operating table as Overhaul closed his numerous wounds. Midoriya's face reverted to its usual cold and emotionless mask the moment he looked away from Hatsume; he started towards Kamakiri, and once he'd slipped an IV into Hatsume's wrist, Shinso followed tentatively behind him.

"Are you feeling dissatisfied with the operation's outcome, Scimitar?" The question was worded innocently enough- Seraph's tone was relaxed and curious rather than accusatory.

"Of course I am!" Togaru shot back, clutching with both hands at his newly healed knee. "I didn't get to confirm the kill on Kengen, and before that, I had to…" Scimitar trailed off, frowning.

"Had to… what?" Midoriya stepped up to the side of Kamakiri's table, smiling. "Do tell, what was it you had to do?"

"I…"

So forceful and certain just moments prior, Kamakiri's voice faltered, and Shinso watched with one cocked brow as he reached up and clutched at his face with both hands; even after Overhaul's healing, his left mandible was permanently shortened now, half the length of the right. Togaru let his hands drop back to his sides with a frustrated sigh; when he continued, his tone was hesitant, his brows furrowed in a decidedly conflicted expression.

"Listen, most of the people who died in that tower had it coming- Komori, Sero, Kengen, they deserved what they got. And plenty of the ones who lived shoulda died. But…" He paused again, his hands clenching into fists; the conviction returned to his voice. "But Awase was never one of the ones I wanted to kill. He didn't deserve that."

A tense, suffocating, silence fell across the room, and all eyes shifted to Seraph, awaiting his reply.

"Uh… sorry, but could someone fill me in? W-What happened to Sero and Awase?"

In the end, the one to break the tension was Kaminari, not Midoriya- Chargebolt's cheeks swiftly flushed red when he realized that he'd spoken out of turn, and he began to stammer a series of hurried apologies. Shinso, for his part, let out a prolonged groan.

"Can someone please get rid of this double?"

Overhaul complied eagerly, reducing Chargebolt to a splatter of brown-grey sludge with a vicious swipe of his open hand.

"I still don't know what the hell you're thinking, letting that little moron serve as one of your top undercovers." Chisaki glanced back towards Midoriya as he spoke, contempt and derision dripping from his voice. "He's gonna get himself caught inside a month at this rate, and when he does, he'll flip on us like that." Overhaul snapped his fingers for effect, his eyes narrowing. "You ask me, we should cut our losses now. Give me Kurogiri and half an hour, and I'll do the same thing to the real one."

"Such a forceful solution," Seraph replied, chuckling. "You're not wrong, Overhaul- Chargebolt is close to being discovered. Much closer than he realizes." Midoriya perched a hand on his chin, both brows raised. "But why simply discard such a valuable asset, when there are so many more creative ways to handle him? I can give you a full rundown after we return to Nagoya, but suffice to say that the problem is solving itself."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it is." Chisaki waved one hand dismissively in Midoriya's direction, then nodded towards Kurogiri. "Hey, warp me back to the base. I left a pot of hojicha steeping when you brought me here, probably tastes like shit by now."

Once Overhaul had departed in a flash of black and purple, Midoriya turned back towards Kamakiri; his smile swiftly vanished, fading back to a neutral expression, and he laid his artificial hand on Togaru's shoulder, a gesture that managed to be both nonchalant and menacing all at once.

"Apologies for that distraction, Scimitar. To return to those feelings of doubt you're experiencing, let me say this.: I'm afraid it it's no longer relevant what you think Awase- or anyone else, for that matter- deserves. When you joined our cause, we told you what it would mean- we are engaged in a war to reshape this society, to overthrow and replace the current order. Soldiers in a war rarely have the luxury of questioning whether each one of their opponents deserves his fate, least of all in the heat of battle.

"The simple fact of the matter is that Awase gave you no choice- he stood not just between you and your objective, but between you and your freedom, your very life. He opposed you with force and violence- he would have killed you if he deemed it necessary. In such circumstances, what other option did you have?"

Seraph withdrew his hand and shrugged his shoulders, then glanced towards Synapse and Longshot in turn.

"Did Himiko ever tell you the story of how I began my partnership with Hitoshi and Mei?"

"Y-Yeah, she did. That break-in at your apartment, right?" Kamakiri shifted in place and swung his legs out over the floor, moving to stand; Seraph placed his hand across Scimitar's chest midway through the movement, though, a silent gesture with a perfectly clear meaning: 'Stay seated.'

"That's right," Izuku continued, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "Quite a terrifying incident at the time. In spite of what they did to us, we didn't want to kill those men- they might be criminals, but they didn't deserve to be executed. But alas, just like you today, we had no choice- it was either their lives or our freedom."

That's a lie, Shinso realized, studying Midoriya's face. He did want to kill them- they threatened his mother, threatened me and Mei. I didn't see it then, but it's so clear now. He knew they deserved to die. Hell, maybe I did too, deep down. But I guess the details of the story don't really matter, as long as Scimitar gets the message.

After a few lengthy moments of silence, Kamakiri nodded in acknowledgement.

"I get it. Thank you, Boss."

"Wonderful. I'm happy you understand, Scimitar- and allow me to formally congratulate you on a successful operation." At that, Seraph pivoted towards Pandora, Kurogiri, and La Brava and clapped his hands together; his tone shifted almost instantly from bemused to commanding. "Alright, let's pack things up here- you all know the drill. We'll debrief and monitor the heroes' response back in Nagoya."

The entire room snapped to their respective tasks, swiftly destroying or removing any possible evidence of the Syndicate's presence; within ninety seconds, they were all departing through series of warp gates. Shinso and the other Founders lingered toward the rear of group, the last to leave.

"Perhaps you have an explanation prepared for us at the debrief," Shinso remarked quietly, leaning in towards Midoriya once Dabi and most of the others had left. "But I am a bit concerned by your apparent lack of concern regarding this operation's outcome, Izuku. Mustard was captured, but you've hardly expressed any alarm- and we still aren't sure whether Kengen Hokori is actually dead."

Midoriya gestured for Kurogiri to close the remaining warp gates, leaving the Founders and Pandora alone in the abandoned room, then turned to face Shinso with a beaming smile.

"Oh, I can assure you, Hitoshi- the operation was very much a success. Even if Kengen lives, we've already killed her in the only way that matters: We completely and thoroughly humiliated her for the entire nation to see. As for Mustard, his capture only poses a temporary setback- would you care to explain why, Pandora?"

"Gladly, Seraph." A brief grin crossed Yaoyorozu's face, though it was swiftly replaced by her usual stoic mask. "Given the extreme risk posed to prison personnel by his quirk, there are only so many facilities in the region that can house him- the likeliest two choices in the near term are either Site 113, where Carmilla is currently being held, or Tartarus." Glancing down at the datapad clutched in her arms, Pandora began to scroll across its screen with one finger, flashing through a variety of images and blueprints. "Temperance has already thoroughly mapped the former's security measures, we'll have full access to the latter's systems as soon as Hierophant assumes his new role."

"Speaking of Hierophant," Monoma cut in, stroking his chin in contemplation, "how do you assess his performance during the operation today, Mei? He came in close contact with you and Scimitar quite a few times, not to mention sending us messages while he was in a room full of heroes. If there's any chance his cover's at risk…"

"Ah, you don't have to worry about Hierophant," Hatsume replied, shaking her head dismissively. "His messages were sent on one of our encrypted comms channels, and they self-deleted on both ends after sixty seconds. And he put on a great show, always does! Here, I think my armor cam caught a few good shots of him…"

Longshot held out her left-arm gauntlet and blinked in surprise; then, to Synapse's confusion, she burst out laughing, tears of amusement welling in her eyes.

"God, this is so weird- remind to get that replacement arm made ASAP, babe, because I'm starting to realize that I use my right hand a lot." Turning to face Hitoshi, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his mouth. "Babe, can you pretty please pull up the armor cam footage on my gauntlet there? Believe it or not, it's a bit difficult to do with one arm."

"Here, allow me." Pandora stepped forward and held her datapad close to the gauntlet's display- moments later, the two devices synced, and a video file popped up on the pad's screen.

"There we go," Longshot murmured, scrubbing through dozens of minutes of footage before finally arriving at the chaotic command center battle. High-definition and motion-stabilized, the camera was programmed to track and prioritize certain individuals once it recognized them, Hierophant and the potential Recruit candidates among them. Their footage wouldn't be included in the final product, of course, which would mainly feature Kamakiri's part in the onslaught.

"Ah, see- there he is!" Mei paused the video and pointed at the screen, her smile widening. "Now just tell me he doesn't look convincing."

"He looks pissed off," Shinso interjected with a smirk, "which is more or less his default emotion. But as long as he was careful with the texts, I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Hitoshi took the pad in hand and narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Hierophant's stance and expression. Satisfied, he shrugged his shoulders and held the pad towards Neito.

"Shishikura's made it seven months without a single slip-up- he can make it a few more days."

---

Another long wait, another long chapter! This one was a particularly hefty undertaking, tackling the Battle for HPSC Tower from start to finish to aftermath. Let me know what you think of the outcome in the reviews below! Were there any particular MVPs or good individual fights? Also, let me know if you guessed Hierophant's identity- I've been dropping hints for years, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone mention him as a suspect. He basically drops a 'here's why heroes are bad' speech every time he's onscreen!

Anyway, happy fourth anniversary to this story, and thanks to everyone who's stuck around this long. I wouldn't be able to keep writing if it wasn't for everyone's feedback and support. As usual, no promises, but here's to (hopefully) some shorter waits for shorter chapters going forward!

Fun fact, Epicenter and Cellophane were both originally supposed to die in the final confrontation, while Gang Orca and Mera would've lived. RIP to our local sleepy boy and cetecean badass.

And a final note, I recently started a Twitter to post updates on my writing, with particular focus on Entropy! Follow me at ImperiumScribe for progress updates on my stories.