Ember Sunblaze: Hello Everyone! I'm so glad to present this chapter to you all. Sorry for the delay. I've had family sicknesses/visits and work taking up a lot of my time. But it's finally done and I'm so happy. So this chapter is quite large, 18 pages to be exact, so I hope you all get a good bit of enjoyment from it. I had a blast writing it, mostly because I love fight scenes. But I'm also glad I'm able to break down Siren's quirk in this chapter as well.

So without further ado, please enjoy the new chapter and leave a review! ^_^

The in the chapter is an old one from the earlier 2000's, "Bad Boy" by Cascada.

Disclaimer: I do not own Cascada or My Hero Academia.

Chapter 12: The Show

The girls instinctively huddled close, bumping shoulders as they solemnly faced off against the boys that surrounded them. Before Ochako stood Midoriya, his green eyes tinged with red lighting up as his quirk activated. "Deku, are you really going to fight us?"

But as her gaze circled the rest of her classmates, the answer to that question became obvious. Their shirtless bodies were hunched over, muscles tensed and faces set in angry scowls that resembled wild dogs ready to pounce upon their prey. Both Bakugo and Kaminari were warming up their quirks in anticipation, sparks and tiny explosive pops flaring from their palms. Kirishima's skin was already hardened as he eyed Tsuyu, who stood nearest to him. Dark Shadow hovered ominously over the group, with Tokoyami standing near Momo. Both Mineta's hands held pop offs poised and ready to be thrown.

"They're just waiting for Siren's signal." Ochako glanced at the villainess, who stood posing at her throne, microphone in hand. "Question is, what happens after that?" She turned back to Midoriya, heart sinking. "Can I really hurt Deku?" By the worried looks on the other's faces, it seemed like she wasn't the only one who felt concerned.

"Is this chick really planning on putting on a show?" Ochako heard Kyoka mutter over the music.

"It's how she controls them." Momo murmured back, not taking her eyes off of Tokoyami.

"They're already under her spell." Mina joined in, her comment full of bitterness. "At this point she's just showing off."

"No." Ochako could feel the heavy weight behind Momo's words. "There's a lot more she can do." The rest of the group grew silent, the growing noise making further conversation almost impossible.

Intense pop music echoed in the hollow cavern, almost shaking the girls with its volume and made it difficult even to concentrate. But to Siren, it was a beckoning call. She smirked, her voice rising above the music as she sang.

"Remember the feelings, remember the day"

"My stone heart was breaking, my love ran away"

The reaction was immediate, each boy taking a threatening step towards the girls. Ochako raised her arms, steeling herself as Midoriya drew near. "Don't listen, Deku! Fight it!"

"This moment I knew I would be someone else,

My love turned around and I felt…."

The notes of her song lingered, a visible ripple running through the boys. Siren's icy gaze swept over the girls, taking pleasure in their discomfort. She pointed a finger at the group, ruby lips parting as the music suddenly intensified, her voice blaring out the chorus.

"Be my bad boy! Be my man!

It was the cue they were waiting for. In unison the boys pounced forward as if being pushed by Siren's lyrics. At the same time, the girls scattered, separating off as they each faced down their own opponent. Ochako stumbled, her head rearing back as she just barely dodged an upper cut from Deku. The fight had begun.

"Be my weekend lover but don't be my friend"

Ochako continued to dodge, her arms raised as she tried to soften the blow of one of Deku's kicks aimed towards her head. Once again she had to thank her lucky stars for her experience with training with Gunhead in hand to hand combat. But would that even be enough? This was Deku she was up against. Someone who had battled villains much more powerful than she. "Not only that," Ochako skidded to the side, expertly moving away from a punch to the gut. "But were Deku's movements…getting faster?"

"You can be my bad boy, but understand"

Instinctively her hand came down upon Deku's back, knocking him downwards. He recovered quickly, only losing his momentum slightly from the blow. But it was enough time for Ochako to grab his arm, twisting it behind his back. Her other arm came around his neck, forcing him into a tight hold as she desperately tried to get through to him.

"Deku! Stop!" Ochako yelled in his ear, trying to drown out the music. "You're under the spell of a quirk! You have to fight it!" She felt herself losing her grip, Midoriya's muscles seeming to bulge unnaturally under her. She glanced to the side and saw Siren dancing like an idol as she sang, her lithe body twirling gracefully amongst the battle like an angel of death.

"That I don't need you in my life again"

As the tempo increased, Ochako was thrown backwards as Midoriya broke through her hold. He turned to her with an almost feral growl, before charging. She had no time to dodge as he slammed into her, forcing her to ground. She gasped, the back of her head painfully colliding into the stone floor. Using her one free hand, she quickly slapped Midoriya across the face. Instantly, the weight on her body disappeared as her attacker was forced upwards by her zero gravity quirk.

"Would you be my bad boy, be my man

Be my weekend lover, but don't be my friend

You can be my bad boy, but understand

That I don't need you again

No, I don't need you again

Ochako watched as Midoriya flailed above her, like an angry cat being held by the scruff of its neck. Taking advantage of this brief moment of rest, she achely sat up to scan the room. Worry for her comrades growing. She saw that Siren had paused from her singing, letting the music continue to blare out as she also surveyed the ongoing battles.

From what Ochako could see, the girls were mostly doing a defensive battle that consisted of a lot of evasion. It was plainly obvious that they were hesitant to afflict any attacks on their classmates, despite the aggressive nature of their opponents. Something Siren seemed fairly amused about.

Closest to Ochako stood Tsuyu fighting against Kirishima. The red headed boy was hardened full-body, bellowing as he charged at the frog-like girl. Tsuyu stayed on the move, leaping from one stalagmite to the next to avoid his attacks.

"Bad Boy!"

As she leapt away from his latest attack, Tsuyu's tongue shot out. It zoomed forward, swiping spit against Kirishima's ear. It retreated before getting nicked by a ravaged swipe. "Let's see if that helps any."

In theory, his ear would be deadened slightly and possibly lessen the effects of Siren's quirk. Tsuyu frowned as Kirishima just gave off an annoyed growl, his sharpened fingers coming up and furiously clawing at the affected ear. Some much so, that she could see bloody dents appearing in his own skin where he scraped. Her tongue shot back out, catching his arm and pulling it away before he could inflict more damage on himself. "Stop it! You're going to hurt yourself!"

It was a bad move. Kirishima grabbed her tongue with his other hand, tugging. Wincing in pain, Tsuyu had no choice but to let herself be dragged off the wall. She hit the floor, managing to land on all fours, her tongue still in Kirishima's possession. But before he could do further damage, her tongue wiggled in his hand, coming up and wiping drool along his eyes. He released her, both hands trying to wipe off the irritable substance.

Tsuyu retracted her throbbing tongue, retreating back to the walls where they would continue their game of tag.

"You once made this promise, to stay by my side"

Next to them, Kyoka and Kaminari played their own game of attack and dodge. Kaminari's palms sparked with wild electricity as he tried to get close enough to Kyoka to release an attack. Kyoka, on her part, was doing her best to keep her distance. Even getting a few feet in range of him could mean she would get a full blast of his electricity quirk. As he released a wave of sparks, she hid herself behind a broad stalagmite

"But after some time, you just pushed me aside"

"Snap out of it you idiot!" She called out, trying to talk sense into him. "Can't you see you're being used by some two-rate idol wannabe!"

In answer she heard the sizzle of electricity behind her. She rolled, just as electricity enveloped the stalagmite and made it crack into pieces. The force knocked her to her side, small rock shards cutting into her skin. She glanced up and paled as Kaminari stood over her. Normal flirtatious grin was replaced with a menacing sneer as deadly sparks lit his palm.

Plugging her ear jacks into the cavern floor, she quickly emitted a shock wave that left Kaminari unbalanced. Kyoka swept her leg under him, knocking him to the ground. She dashed off, heart pounding and her body feeling cold with sweat. She had teased Kaminari. She had been angry at Kaminari. But never before had she been scared of him. Then there was another, deeper feeling that was so shook up she couldn't even contemplate what it was.

"That idiot!" Kyoka cursed, as they continued this dangerous game.

While Kyoka faced Kaminari, Momo was faced with her own challenges against her duo team opponents: Tokoyami and Dark Shadow.

"Argh!" Momo screamed, swinging her newly made metal staff to her side as Dark Shadow's claws attempted to stab at her. A second later she jumped back, avoiding a side punch from Tokoyami. Twisting away to the side, she barriered herself behind a tall stalagmite. Before she could take a breath, both Dark Shadow's claws came around from each side. Gasping, she ducked forward before its arms came together, crushing the stone work.

"You never thought at a girl could be strong"

Momo grimaced, her situation looking bleak. "This isn't good. Even on an even playing field Tokoyami is a worthy appointment. Just fighting defensively isn't working. Not only that, but with my eyes on both opponents, I can't keep an eye out for the others!" She wished she had the time to create something that could be used to halt Tokoyami's movement such as a net or rope. But those things took a few seconds at best to create. Seconds that Dark Shadow was not willing to surrender.

The situation darkened further as Dark Shadow and Tokoyami merged, with Dark Shadow covering his host like a dark cloak. Tokoyami roared, his new deadly shadow claws coming down over Momo. She quickly swung her staff up, blocking it. She held it at bay, struggling against this new immense power Tokoyami possessed.

"Now I'll show you how to go on"

"You're grown quite strong since we last faced each other at the sports festival." Momo suddenly opened her mouth, a strong light beaming right into Tokoyami's face. Dark Shadow screeched, separating from a startled Tokoyami. Free of Dark Shadow's extra boost of strength, Momo pushed her staff forward, knocking her opponent backwards. As he fell, she spit out a small, but high powered flashlight from her mouth. "But so have I!"

A loud explosion from behind made Momo turn, eyes widening at the battle going on between Mina and Bakugou. Unlike the rest, Mina was doing less dodging of Bakugo's explosions but more trying to minimize the damage of his attacks.

"This…dude…" Mina growled, her body enveloped in full body acid armor in an attempt to protect herself. "...is just TOO MUCH!"

"By my bad boy, be my man

Be my weekend lover, but don't be my friend"

Bakugo's non-stop barrage of explosions hit her from all sides. Though the acid that surrounded her absorbed the heat to some degree, the force of his attacks felt like repeated punches to the gut. She felt like a bruised up punching bag. "But what else can I do?" Using her full on acid attacks on him was something she wanted to avoid. "Even at its lowest solubility, my acid could still scar him up pretty bad." These concerns seemed not to register with Bakugo, who suddenly shot his hands back to rocket straight towards her.

"Eeek!" Mina had the acid disperse just in time before the blonde knocked into her. They rolled to the ground, with Bakugo trying to pin her down. Mina's hand came up, knocking into his chin. He gave a painful grunt before Mina wrapped her legs around him, pulling him down and forward. He flipped completely over her, allowing Mina to quickly roll onto all fours. Resembling a pink cockroach, she used her acid to slide across the stone floor. She heard Bakugo give a frustrated yell and felt the air heat up as explosive shots were fired her way.

"Sorry Bakugo, but if this keeps up…" A well aimed explosion sent her flying a few feet. She managed to land safely and continued her zig zag pattern across the cavern, but the smell of burnt cloth filled her nose and she felt a stabbing pain on her upper arm. She winced, golden eyes troubled as the image of a certain red haired boy filled her mind. "...I don't know if we can stop ourselves from hurting you all."

There was only one girl amongst the group that did seem pretty okay adding a bit of brute force to the fight….

SLAP "Stop." SLAP "Acting!" SLAP "Like!" SLAP "A!" SLAP "Total!" SLAP "Freak!" SLAP

With each word, Toru made sure to put a little bit more vigor into her slap as she held Mineta down. The small boy struggled beneath her, red eyes narrowed and teeth grinding together like an angry chipmunk. Toru sighed, wondering what she was doing wrong. After all, didn't pain usually break someone of mind control?

"I'm pretty sure that's what happened to Ojiro and Midoriya during the sports festival last year." Toru pondered aloud, ignoring Mineta's thrashing limbs beneath her. "Oh, well! Guess I just need to hit a little bit harder! Sorry Mineta, but this hurts me a lot more than it hurts you!" Toru apologized cheerfully, hand raised for another round of smack downs. Unfortunately for her, her other hand was resting a little too close to Mineta's mouth….

"AHHHHH!" Toru screamed, falling backwards and off Mineta. She cradled her hand, howling in disgust. "Ewwww! He bit me! Now I have Mineta cooties!" Before furth complaints could be made, her eyes widened and she quickly half crawled, half ran as she fled from a barrage of purple pop offs being flung at her. Mineta chuckled, grinning in an almost clown-like way as he chased after her.

"Knock it off, Mineta!" Toru yelled, pausing to face him. "This isn't…" Two expertly thrown pop offs found themselves thrown straight at her chest, imitating a pair of large purple breasts. Toru felt herself flush angrily as she looked down at the display. "You…You….YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE YOU PERVE!"

"You can by my bad boy, but understand

That I don't need you in my life again"

Mineta's answer was an evil snicker, as he prepared to fire more pop offs at her. He didn't get a chance. An enraged Toru had pounced like a lioness, landing on top of him and once again pinning him face down. He gave a high pitched wail, little fists thumping the ground as Toru painfully pulled his leg back.

She hmphed, not feeling the least bit sympathetic. With her free hand, she began to unzip her light blue jacket. "Guess this will have to go for now…" She paused, staring at the pop offs. She then gazed around at the battles that were still in progress. "That's…it! I have an idea!" She announced, giving Mineta's leg an extra excited pull that made him howl even louder. "Come with me!" Leaving her jacket on, she grabbed Mineta in a headlock and pulled him along with her as tried to get the other girl's attention.

"HEY! HEY! LOOK OVER HERE!" Toru said, waving her chest to show off her new purple breasts. "LOOK! LOOK!"

Despite the music and noise of the battle, all of the girls still managed to steal a quick glance at the bouncing Toru. They instantly wished they hadn't. Identical looks of deadpan expressions flinted across each of their faces as they watched the distasteful display.

"Really Toru?" Momo murmured, deflecting another blow from Dark Shadow. "This really isn't a time for jokes!"

Noticing the mix of irritation and annoyance, Toru decided to try a different tactic. Releasing Mineta, she held him up high. Shaking him like a rag doll as he flailed. "MINETA! REMEMBER MINETA!"

A light bulb seemed to click simultaneously within the group and an understanding dawned on them.

"That's it!" Ochako muttered, remembering Mineta's ploy from earlier. "If we can just pull it off, it might give us the break we need…ARRGH!" She had let her guard down for too long. Bringing forth his Blackwhip quirk, Midoriya twirled in midair, twisting it downwards straight at Ochako. She moved quickly, but still felt the sharp sting as the whip slashed across her cheek.

She fell and hit the ground. Rolling to her back, her eyes widened as Midoriya used his black whip to maneuver himself, their dark tendrils wrapping around hanging stalactites and pulling himself forward. Once he was hovering over her, his hands came down, shooting the deadly whips straight at her.

Desperately, she crawled backwards, trying to escape the attack. Her body felt slick with anxious sweat, her knuckles and back throbbing as they scraped across the stone floor in her haste. She gulped nervously, watching as those menacing tendrils sliced open the ground with the force of Midoriya's thrust. "Deku…is really trying to kill me!"

Her hand slipped behind her, toppling her whole body down. Knowing she had no time to move, she quickly covered her face and neck, bracing herself. But before it came, she felt a strong tug on her arm that pulled her out of harm's way just in time.

"Toru!?" Ochako gasped, seeing nothing but a blue jacket hanging in the air.

"Yes! It's me!" Toru said in a rush, pushing Ochako roughly along. "No time! Just get Midoriya's attention and meet me over there!" Toru quickly pointed towards the center of the cavern. Then without missing a beat she darted away, playfully calling out over her shoulder. "Oh Mineta! Guess who I am!" She strutted along, imitating Siren's idol-like dance moves.

"Oh, bad boys! Bad boys!" She sang in playful fashion as a red-eyed Mineta fumed at the display. "What cha going do? What cha going do when I come for you? BAD BOY!" Toru expertly dodged the wave of furiously thrown pop offs. She heard Midoriya give an irritated grunt as several lodged on his back. Satisfied with her work, she led Mineta to the next victim.

Stripping off her jacket, she used it like a matador reining in a bull. "Toro! Toro!" She waved her jacket behind Kirishima. The brainwashed Kirishima turned, momentarily confused by the clothing hanging in mid air, before a series of Mineta's pop offs struck him in the face and chest. He let out a feral growl at Mineta, who quickly backed off like a Chihuahua facing a doberman. Toru used that time to wave her jacket at Tsuyu, who gave a thumbs up in response. Even if she was the only one in the group not quite aware of the plan, she clearly understood Toru wanted Kirishima to be lured away.

Toru continued this trend, darting between battles in her half visible state, luring Mineta and his pop offs on the unsuspecting boys. As she did her part, the rest of the girls did theirs. The girls felt a renewed sense of energy now that they had a plan in place. Slowly, but surely they started leading the boys to the designated meeting spot in the center of the cavern. To an outside observer, it would seem like the girls were still playing their game of hide and dodge. But it was clear by their steely looks of determination they had a goal in mind.

Luckily for them, Siren was too caught up in her own performance to worry about any possible escape plan. She had seen enough to know that the between the boy's devotion to her and the girls' hesitance to cause any damage to them was proof enough on how the battle would end. She simply had to enjoy her performance. She winked at Kai. He acknowledged it with a resigned sigh before shooting several of his tentacles forward to surround her.

She grabbed the nearest one, spinning around it like a pole as she belted out the final chorus.

"Won't you be my bad boy, be my man!"

She let go, as another tentacle met her hand, gracefully spinning her around.

"Be my weekend lover, but don't be my friend!"

Once her spin ended, Siren was met by another tentacle. She did a play curtsey as the tentacle curled into what looked like a gentlemen's bow. She came up and held it as it pulled her in for an embrace before swinging her out again.

"You can be my bad boy, but understand,"

She let go of Kai's tentacles, pointing out towards the battlers.

"That I don't need you again

No, I don't need you again!"

As she finished the last haunting note, she grinned at the carnage before her as she let the music continue to play. The girls already looked like they were on their last legs, tired and beat up from the brawl. It was only a matter of time before they were completely worn down. That's when her boys would finish them off for good.

"Nice performance." Kai said, taking his ear buds out as he came to stand next to her. "As usual."

"Singing is a skill that, unfortunately, can diminish with age." Siren replied with a cat-like grin. "Got to get my practice in every so often." She fingered her pink hair, her bejeweled nails glistening. "Plus it doesn't hurt to get the boys revved up a bit, just to be on the safe side."

"Should I cut in and help out?" Kai asked, watching the battle. "It's dragging out a bit."

"Only because those girls are playing hard to get." Siren answered with a dismiss wave. "No worries, I'd rather you enjoy the show next to me." She grabbed one of his tentacles, squishing it against her face with a seductive purr. "Besides, it's been a while since we had this much entertainment."

Kai frowned, his sullen cheeks reddening slightly. "I'll just feel better when those girls are out of our hair."

"Don't worry," Siren replied, reaching up and patting his dark hair affectionately. "I promise I won't let those mean girls bother you, my darling Kai-chan!" He rolled his eyes, brushing her away as she snickered playfully at his side. "Relax! The show isn't over yet!"

"Trust me, I know." Kai muttered, dark eyes narrowing at the melee. Siren may not have noticed, but to him something felt off about the battle. Their movements seemed a little too coordinated. And why was that invisible girl running all over the place? He glanced down at the happy Siren and bit his lip, swallowing his concerns. "If something does happen, I'll just PERSONALLY take care of it." He vowed, fists clenching.

Kai had a right to feel concerned as the girls each narrowed in on their meeting spot. Ochako felt her legs shaking from running in a zig zag pattern to escape Midoriya's Blackwhip quirk as he continued to chase her from above.

"I have to keep him up till the last moment!" Ochako repeated her mantra, willing herself to not to falter under the strain of keeping him adrift while trying to dodge his attacks. She knew she had a better chance of dealing with him in the air than on the ground, where his speed far exceeded her own.

To her side she could see Kyoka leading Kaminari in and Tsuyu doing the same with Kirishima. Next, Mina was continuing to swat at an explosive Bakugo, while Momo somehow was managing to lead Tokoyami and Dark Shadow to the meeting point. "Just a little closer!" Ochako urged, glancing back at Midoriya above her. It was right when the boys were just close enough to each other, that the girls moved in for the kill.

"Momo!" Ochako called out. Momo nodded, using all her strength to push Tokoyami backwards. At the same time, Ochako brought her fingers together, releasing Midoriya from her zero gravity quirk. He tumbled down, landing on top of Tokoyami. The two boys instantly tried to separate but found that it was impossible due to the Mineta's pop offs that had been embedded on them earlier. They were soon joined by Kirishima, who was suddenly roughly kicked by Tsuyu's strong legs into Midoriya's other side. Kyoka sent a shock wave that had Kirishima falling on top of Kirishima. As Bakugo blasted towards Mina, palms raised for an explosive attack, Mina simply sidestepped and whacked him into the pile of flailing and stuck together boys.

"And now for the final touch!" Toru exclaimed, grabbing a rather beat up Mineta. "Okay Mineta, time to pop and lock you into place!" She swung him in a wide circle and threw him straight into Kaminari. The blonde gave a painful growl, eyes narrowing as he let out a furious charge of electricity that shocked the whole crew.

"Oops." Toru muttered, before being quickly pulled away by Momo.

"No time! Run!" She ordered, as the whole group of girls fled towards the nearest exit. They could hear the angry scream of Siren and Kai cursing behind them. They all knew it would be a matter of seconds before they would begin to be pursued.

"My boys!" Siren shrieked, rushing up to the struggling group. "What in the world happened?!" She asked, eyes narrowing at the pathetic display. "Get up now! This is an order!"

"It's no use!" Kai growled, tentacles trying to separate them with no luck. "They're stuck together by the small one's quirk." But just as the words left his lips, Bakugo stood up, his face distorted into a ferocious snarl. In his palm, he held up the burned remains of what was one of Mineta's pop offs.

Siren instantly pointed to the tunnel where the girls had escaped to. "You! Find those girls now! Hurry!" Without hesitation, he blasted off, exploding palms shooting him forward at incredible speeds. She nodded at Kai. "You too!"

Kai followed behind, fuming with murderous intent.

"Okay! We're free from the guys, but now what?" Mina asked, huffing as they ran down the tunnel.

"Find a spot where we can get our bearings and then think of a plan!" Momo answered, turning over her shoulder to address Tsuyu. "Tsuyu, keep a lookout for your markings! We need you now more than ever to escape and retrieve help!"

"On it, kero!"

"Uh, do you guys hear something?" Kyoka asked from her place near the rear. Glancing over their shoulders, their eyes widened in fright as they saw the bright lights of Bakugo's explosions lighting the dark tunnels behind them.

"Oh great! Our favorite peer." Kyoka grumbled, increasing their speed. Ahead they could see a fork of different tunnels. Tsuyu suddenly called out, pointing a finger to the middle one.

"That one leads to the exit!" She croaked.

"Then we'll lead them down one of these other tunnels!" Ochako said, veering down a tunnel to the right. With no time for farewells, they quickly split up. With Tsuyu making her way down the central tunnel alone.

Bakugo skidded to a halt, staring at the opposite tunnels. Growling, he lit his palms up, about to pursue the larger group.

"Wait."

Bakugo gave Kai a dirty look, hands falling to his side. Kai pointed down the tunnel Tsuyu went into. "Follow the frog girl. Make sure she doesn't get to the pool. Siren will be in danger if she does." Nodding, Bakugo once again lit his palms, zooming down the tunnel Tsuyu had disappeared down. Kai turned his attention to the other tunnel, moving with swift movements to investigate it.

"Another mark, kero!"

Tsuyu made a sharp turn down another tunnel, sniffing the air as she ran. The mucus she had left along the walls as a marker left off a slight scent that was simple enough to pick up. It did become more difficult when one was in a hurry. Even though she hadn't sensed any pursuers yet, she knew it would happen. Protecting the escape route would be top priority for any villain with enemies on their tails.

She paused, tongue hanging out of her mouth as she sensed the air. "The temperature's getting warmer. Which means…" She leapt to the side wall, barely dodging Bakugo as he rocketed out of a side tunnel. Without losing momentum, he propped his feet against the tunnel wall to propel himself at Tsuyu.

The frog girl leapt forward in an attempt to go over thim, but Bakugo was expecting it. His arm shot up, grabbing her leg in midair and launching her down against the ground. She landed hard, blood dripping from a gash in the back of her head. Before she could get her senses back, she saw Bakugo jump forward, fist raised to thrash down on her skull.

To both of their surprise, his attack was suddenly interrupted in mid jump as something tackled him from the side….something invisible.

Tsuyu got up, blinking in confusion as she witnessed Bakugo struggling on the ground with a completely invisible Toru. Toru had her light blue jacket wrapped around Bakugo's head, trying to wrestle enraged boy down.

"Hurry, Tsuyu!" Toru yelled, her arms wrapped around Bakugo's neck from behind. "I'll keep him busy! Just go!"

Tsuyu nodded, running around the last bend in the tunnel. To her relief, she was met by the sight of the dark pool they had arrived in. Without delaying any further, she dived in and propelled herself quickly through its dark depths.

Toru heard the splash and gave a sigh of relief. The sigh soon turned into a scream as Bakugo's strong arms found her own and completely threw her small frame over his shoulders like a rag doll. She landed in an awkward roll that left her flat on her back. She scrambled to her feet, just as Bakugo ripped apart the jacket that covered head. Toru's hands flew to her mouth, trying to silence her breathing as he began to viciously prowl the area.

He reminded her of a salvage wolf, teeth bared and all senses alert for his prey. Toru tried to slow her breathing, an impossible task due to the sprint she had to do to catch up with him once she saw that he was going after Tsuyu. She clenched her teeth, determined to keep them from chattering as the chill of the cavern seeped into her flesh now that all her clothing had been abandoned. She felt her heart throb against her chest. It all felt too loud to her. She was sure he could hear everything. After all, nothing ever got past Bakugo. A boy who excelled at everything, even mundane things like beach volleyball.

It was hard to think that not that long ago, they had been playing together as a team. Well…more like arguing. "But it was still fun." Toru admitted, thinking of Bakugo's stupid cocky grin he bore whenever they did earn a point. It was annoying and so, so smug, but it definitely beat the face he was making now. The face of someone willing to kill.

"Don't worry, Bakugo," Toru thought solemnly. "You may not realize it now, but I'm going to save you and all our friends!"

Suddenly, Bakugo's palms send out small explosions that lit the tunnel up. Toru had to bite her lip to keep from shrieking as several came close to hitting her. "You dummy! Do you want this tunnel to cave in on us!" Luckily she managed to keep silent during Bakugo's surprise attack. The blond boy gave the tunnel one last look of annoyance before heading back the way he had come.

Toru stayed still, waiting for the sound of his footsteps to die out. Even then, she waited, not daring to move until she was absolutely sure no one was near. Once she felt safe enough to move, she silently back tracked to the fork in the tunnels where she had separated from the group. Sidestepping any puddles she came across, she moved along the tunnel the other girls had disappeared down, hoping to reunite with them. Luckily she got her wish.

"Toru?" Kyoka's voice called in the quiet tunnel. "Is that you?" Toru glanced up, surprised to hear the voice coming from above. Kyoka's head suddenly appeared in what she thought was just empty space on the roof of the tunnel.

"Kyoka! It's me!" Toru called out in an excited whisper. "Are the others up there too?"

"Yeah, just hanging out and licking our wounds." Kyoka joked dryly. "Hold on, I'll get a rope from Momo." A few moments later, Toru found a rope hanging down next to her. Climbing up, she realized the girls had found themselves a little stone overhang just big enough for the small group to huddle together in secrecy. From this position, they could see straight down below at the tunnel that ran under it. Momo broke into a relieved smile as Toru squeezed in next to Mina.

"Thank goodness you're alright. We were so worried when we noticed you weren't with us!" Momo said, anxiously putting her arms around the invisible girl.

"Sorry!" Toru rubbed her head, embarrassed by the commotion her disappearance had caused. "I just had to make sure Tsuyu made it. Especially when I saw Bakugo go after her!"

"She did escape though, right?" Mina pressed.

"Yep! We're good!" Toru chirped happily. She glanced around the small area curiously. " So how did you all find this place? Seems sort of…hard to find."

The group turned to Kyoka, who explained. "Before Kai got onto our trail, I used my ear jacks to search for any hollow space in the area. That's when I noticed this little overhang over the path. Ochako used her quirk to float us all up before Kai ran past. It's neat cause unless you know about it, it just looks like a dark ceiling when you look up. I've been listening for you ever since hoping you would walk by. Lucky for me, you have a pretty distinct stepping pattern."

"I do?"

"Yeah…I doubt that Kai dude is tip-toeing around like some James Bond wannabe."

The group shared a laugh before falling into a solemn silence as they pondered about their next move. All in all, they were a rather sorry sight to behold. They sat slumped over in exhaustion, silently nursing their various cuts and bruises while also contemplating what exactly they were dealing with.

"So what now?" Toru asked tentatively, watching as Mina grimaced next to her. A singed hole on her jacket's sleeve showed signs of bad burn, the exposed pink skin looking shiny and raw.

"We could wait it out here until help arrives." Momo suggested, casting a concerned look at the worn out group.

"But what if it doesn't?" Mina questioned, melting the burnt jacket sleeve and ripping it off. "Tsuyu may have escaped but that doesn't mean she's home clear. Don't you think they'll have extra protection in case someone did try to escape out in the water?" She began to wrap the sleeve over the burned skin, wincing painfully as she tied it in a tight knot. "We should probably have a back up plan."

"Mina's right." Kyoka agreed, wiping at the dried blood that caked her face from her busted nose. "I have a feeling they'll be sending out the guys to search for us pretty soon. If they find us now we're dead. We need to think of some sort of strategy or plan or something!"

"Then there's the missing teens we have to deal with too." Mina added. "They have to be hidden away somewhere in these tunnels."

"Aww too much to think about!" Toru groaned, falling onto her back. "Why couldn't we just have a normal high school trip like everyone else!"

Momo turned to Ochako, who had been abnormally quiet during their discussion. She sat to the side, looking troubled as her fingers absently touched a long scratch along her cheek. "Ochako? We would love to hear your input as well, if you don't mind?"

The brunette blinked, surprised to find all the girls waiting for her. "Oh! Well…I…" She flailed, trying to think. Trying to wonder what exactly they should do. But it was hard. She knew hiding here, waiting for help that may not even come was not an option. There were too many risks. Risks of being taken by surprise and overwhelmed again. There was even a chance the villains could decide to escape with both the boys and missing teens now that their lair had been compromised. "If that happens, we're back at square one." She thought miserably. No, they had to make the first move. But how?

It was hard to think. Once again her hand grazed her cheek, feeling the gash. Even if the bleeding had stopped, the wound still throbbed painfully. A constant reminder of her battle with Deku. She felt her hand quiver in her lap, as fresh memories of what Midoriya had become sprung to her mind: Red eyed, feral faced, battle hungry…nothing like the boy she knew. She shut eyes tightly, wishing it would all disappear.

"I…don't know if I can face him again." Ochako whispered. Her eyes shot open, alarmed that her fears had leaked out loud. She lifted her head and found all the girls staring at her, their gazes full of sympathy and understanding. Momo moved to sit next to her, resting a hand on her shoulder. Ochako tried to force a smile, trying to ease back the sudden tension. "I'm sorry, everyone! I didn't mean that! It was just…you know…hard…seeing…them like that." She finished awkwardly, glancing away.

"Yeah it was." Kyoka admitted, hugging her knees to her chest. "I actually felt scared of Kaminari. Can you imagine, his stupid face actually being scary?"

"From what I could see, Kirishima looked pretty intense fighting Tsuyu." Mina added. "Almost like some sort of caged animal."

"Can I just say," Toru joked. "Not much has changed for Bakugo. He always acts like a caged animal." A few of the girls gave feeble smiles, but most still looked downcast at the situation.

Momo cleared her throat, gaining their attention. "I just want you all to keep in mind, what's happening to the boys is completely out of their control. We have to force ourselves not to judge their current actions too harshly."

"Is it really, though?" Mina questioned, addressing Momo directly. "What was all the jumbo you were sprouting out to Siren about her quirk earlier? How her quirk really wasn't Mind Control?"

"Yeah, that was a pretty confusing conversation to follow." Toru admitted, scratching her head.

Mina narrowed her eyes, voice growing more bitter as she continued to prod. "If that isn't her quirk then why are all the guys listening to her like a bunch of deranged fanboys?" Her hands balled into fists at her side. "And if their minds really aren't being controlled, then shouldn't they have some control over their actions?"

"Yes and no." Momo answered carefully, meeting Mina's anxious gaze. She took a long breath, diverging into her explanation. "From what we know about mind control quirks, there are usually two common techniques used." She explained, holding up a finger. "The most familiar technique involves the quirk overpowering the brain of the victim. With full control of the brain, the user of quirk can then give off a chain of commands which the victim must follow. The quirk acts like a blanket, covering the brain. Because this leaves the brain somewhat "blind", it has no choice but to comply with the directions given to it by the user of the quirk. This technique is the one used by Hitoshi Shinso."

The girls nodded, understanding this much. She held up a second finger. "In our case, Siren's quirk uses another technique to control her victims. By controlling hormones in the victim's bodies and creating chemical reactions that send signals to the brain informing the victim they must listen to her." Sensing her audience's confusion, Momo continued forward with an example. "Though this technique is less well known, we actually see it a fair amount in the animal kingdom. Take the naked mole rat for example."

"Naked mole rat?" Kyoka repeated dubiously.

"Yes, a rodent native to Africa that dwells in large underground colonies. These colonies are ruled by one female. One of the unique ways the alpha female retains command of such a large group of subjects is by using urinating around the tunnels. Pheromones released by her urine's scent help control the horde and signal to them that she is in charge, obey me! Other animals such as bees display similar techniques."

"Siren's quirk is using the technique demonstrated by these animals. Though in our case, it's her voice and not her scent triggering a chemical reaction in the boys. This hormonal reaction is signaling to them she is the one in charge."

"As for your question about whether they have control over their actions." Momo said, turning back to Mina. "With the type of mind control Shinso uses, the brain is completely inactive so the victim loses control of their bodies. But Siren's quirk is different. The boy's brains are fully functional, thus they do have a lot more leeway on what they can or can't do."

"So they should be able to fight back!" Mina argued. Momo shook her head.

"No, because her quirk is still forcing them to acknowledge her as their leader. By leeway I mean that Siren can give out orders, but how they are followed is completely up to each individual boy. For example, let's say she asked both Midoriya and Bakugo to woo her. To Midoriya, that might mean giving her his favorite All Might figurine. For Bakugo, that might mean…." Momo paused, not quite sure how the explosive teen would react romantically with the opposite sex.

"Oh! He would definitely go find the biggest, toughest villain, beat them to a pulp and then give her their head on a stick as a gift!" Toru suggested brightly.

"Um, let's go with that…" Momo replied, moving on. "Either way, both examples are probably not what she's looking for. But like I said before, this flexibility doesn't really help us much as long as they view her as their boss. Does this all make sense?"

"I…guess." Mina replied, still not sounding convinced. "I mean it all makes sense in theory. But we're not dealing with rats or insects here. We're dealing with sixteen year old boys! It's just hard to believe that she can take full control of them by just messing with their hormones a bit."

"I don't." Kyoka grumbled. "I've seen Mineta fall into a full out seizure over a dirty mag left outside the gym."

Momo shook her head, tone grim as she said. "It may seem small, but controlling the hormones in a teen's body is serious and not something to be taken lightly. Aggression, decision making, muscle mass…Testosterone is a key hormone in all of these functions." She explained, listing them off. "With Siren's quirk, she controls it all. I'm sure you all were aware of how much stronger and faster the boys seemed to be during the fight?"

Ochako nodded, along with the other girls. "It's just a hunch, but I'm sure Siren's whole stage performance was a way not only to increase their obedience to her, but to also give them a boost of testosterone to increase their physical abilities. In theory, the faster her singing tempo, the more her quirk is activated."

Momo's hand rested on her chin thoughtfully, her brow furrowed in concern. "Another thing we need to worry about is the repercussions her quirk might have if the boys are exposed to it for too long."

"What do you mean?" Ochako asked, not liking the sound of that.

"Because hormones play such a key role in the functions of the body, messing with those levels for too long a period could cause some internal damage. Headaches, muscle pain, increased heart rates are all possible symptoms. Similar to the side effects of taking any sort of enhancement drug." She tapped her finger against her knee, her thoughts spilling out as she contemplated this new problem. "I imagine that's why Siren's been recruiting as many boys as she has. Not to increase her numbers but to create a rotation system so not one group of boys are under her influence for too long."

"You know," Ochako added, "I'm sure there's probably a certain amount of boys she can control at one time. Otherwise, she would send all of them at once to search for us."

With an air of impatience, Kyoka broke in. "Look, this is all fascinating and all but we're kind of being hunted down at the moment. Is all of this really important right now?"

"It's important…" Momo answered sternly. "Because knowing how the mind control works will help us determine how we can break it. For Shinso's mind control it's a simple fix. If we go back to the blanket over the brain analogy, the quirk is broken when the blanket is torn off. Which happens when the victim experiences any type of shock. But for Siren, her control is caused by hormones creating chemical reactions from within the body. So breaking it isn't going to be as simple as a knock to the head."

"They think she's their boss, right?" Toru suggested. "Take out the naked mole rat and then we become the new queens of the hive or whatever animal we're comparing Siren to!"

"Taking out the host might work." Momo agreed.

"That's easier said than done." Kyoka pointed out. "She's not going to put herself out in the open. To get to her we'll have to go through the guys and that octopus bodyguard she keeps around."

"There has to be some way to break them from her spell without taking down Siren." Mina argued, turning to Momo. "Right?"

Unfortunately, Momo didn't have an answer. "I'm sorry. As of now, I can't think of anything we can do. A chemical reaction can usually only change course by another chemical reaction of some sort."

"Then what do we do?" Toru asked. "Fight them?"

"I…don't know." Momo admitted, shoulders sagging dejectedly. "Like you all, I dread the notion of facing our comrades once again in combat. With our current condition, I doubt we would even be able to stand our ground without resorting to violence. As heroes, we shouldn't hurt those who are innocent and to me, they are just as innocent as we are."

A depressed silence followed this statement, no one knowing exactly what to say. Ochako sighed inwardly, wishing more than ever that Midoriya was here. He never hesitated on what to do. Always taking the path that led to saving lives of innocent people. "Would Midoriya fight me, if I stood in his way?" Ochako wondered, trying to put him in her shoes.

Ochako blinked, the answer coming to her almost instantly. "No…" She realized, smiling. "He would find a way to save everyone. Just like we should!"

"That's it!" Ochako exclaimed, standing up and startling the rest of the girls. "I know what we need to do!"

"Uhhh, care to share with us?" Kyoka asked, brow quirked as she stared at the jubilant brunette. "Because you're kind of freaking us out a little."

"Isn't it obvious girls?" Ochako asked, fists pumped in the air as she gazed at the group. "It's just like Momo said. We're heroes! Thus our number one priority should be to find those missing teens and help them escape."

"Yeah but aren't you forgetting about the mind…I mean…hormone controlled boys we have to go through first?" Mina remarked.

"Then we just face them head on!" Ochako replied determinedly. Mina stared.

"I'm sorry but did Midoriya hit you on the head during your fight?"

Ochako shook her head, tone growing serious as she explained. "Look, I'm not saying we have to go all out and treat them like villains. But we can't let them stop us from doing our jobs either. We use our quirks against them but in a way that subdues them rather than harm them. Just like with beach volleyball!"

At this suggestion, Momo perked up. "You're right! We know each of their quirks and their weaknesses. With a little planning and creativity we can use this knowledge to our advantage!"

"Then once the boys are out, Siren is ours for the taking." Mina added, shooting Kyoka and Toru a toothy grin.

"Let's get back on the court and show them boys who's boss!" Toru cheered.

"Since this is technically a mission, shouldn't we start using our hero names?" Kyoka suggested.

"Let's!" Momo agreed, beaming at the determined group of girls before her. She held out her fist, starting."Creati!"

"Pinky!" Mina went next, fist resting alongside hers.

"Earphone Jack!" Kyoka added, putting her own fist in.

"Invisible Girl!" Toru excitedly jumped in beside them.

"And Uravity!" Ochako finished, completing the circle as all five girls bumped their fists together. Momo was the first to break away, clapping her hands together, her dark eyes lighting up with renewed hope as she gazed upon the group of young heroines.

"Alright girls, here's the plan…"

Ember Sunblaze: So what did ya'll think? For those wondering why Kirishima and Mina weren't matched up for a fight, well there is a reason. One, they'll have their fight moment later. Two, when trying to brain storm the match ups, I had to think of a girl that would have a decent enough chance of going one on one with Bakugo. Because, let's face it, he's a pretty tough guy who has a pretty powerful quirk. Mina, who also has a pretty unique quirk, would have the best shot of standing up against him in a full on brawl. Does that make sense? Agree or disagree with me, just make sure to leave a review :)