Ochaco stared at the servant as he shuffled around cleaning her cell while she remained tightly chained to the wall by her wrists and feet. She couldn't entirely remember how she ended up in her current predicament, or where she even was, but she had no doubt it was Paranoias who'd captured her. One minute she was in the dorms and the next on the cold, hard floor of a cell wearing the same sweatshirt, shorts and leggings though now torn up and stained with blood. She assumed it was her own but couldn't recall, that was the unsettling part. The servant swept the broom closer to her feet even though she couldn't move to get out of the way for him. She didn't hold it against someone who could be forced against their will under a powerful villain. The broom grazed against her feet a few times before slowing to a stop against her bare toes.

"I'd move my feet if I could, but I can't with these chains attached. If you unlock them then you can continue your chores. I won't try to run away or attack. Don't you have a family somewhere? Friends? Loved ones you care about? If he's holding you captive, then I can help you. That's what heroes are for, to help those in need." After a minute the servant sighed in annoyance and in a flash slammed the top end of the broom into her stomach sharply. The teen instantly doubled over in pain as what little contents in her stomach emptied onto the floor creating more of a mess. Ochaco rasped and looked up at the servant whose eyes had turned cold.

"You're in no position to talk, brat, seeing as you're the one chained up like an animal waiting to be tortured and experimented on. My personal reasons are mine and mine alone, so keep your nose out of my business or I'm going to make sure you don't eat for the next three days. Now lift your damn feet before I stab those too." The servant hissed. Begrudgingly, the brunette pulled herself up as much as she could to allow the servant to finish his job, wincing with every breath in. Damnit. She wasn't going to get through them that easily and fighting back just earned her more bruises. The other servants weren't as rough as this one so maybe they had a reason for lashing out so violently. Maybe a softer approach was the best choice.

"They have someone close to you, don't they?" The servant jerked to a stop, standing still as a statue with the broom mid-sweep. Ochaco guessed correctly as he aimed narrowed eyes to her. "Paranoias must have someone you love under threat otherwise you wouldn't be working for him. When the heroes get here—"

"Don't you get it?" The man said lowly with his bangs covering his eyes. "They don't let you leave, you're stuck in servitude until they decide you're useless then they throw you to the villains who usually end up killing people like us for fun. But at least I'm not you, hero, because they've already decided to kill you in front of your friends as a message. But you didn't hear that from me. Hope you enjoyed the short years of your life because they're about to come to an end. What a pity."

Uraraka flinched at the chilling look he sent her before he continued on with his chores, swapping the broom for a mop and bucket near the cell entrance. Kill her in front of her friends? What kind of monster did that? She wouldn't go down without a fight if that's the way they wanted to handle things. Deku fluttered across her mind and she sagged against her chains. He must be so frantic right now. The memory was still fuzzy but the last thing she remembered was seeing Deku kneeling on the ground in defeat with the most tormented expression. Things went dark after that and then she woke up here. Tears welled up causing her vision to blur. She was causing an immeasurable amount of suffering for her friend. If she'd been stronger, none of this would be happening right now.

"Finish cleaning the cells later, I need a word with our guest." A voice ordered and Ochaco looked up to see Paranoias himself shooing the servant away as he stepped over the cell threshold. She clenched her jaw as he approached, hypnotic cape swinging with each step and cane tapping every other. Here he was in person. Those eyes dancing with mirth and wickedness nearly made the hero heave. "Good morning, Ochaco Uraraka. How are you feeling this fine day?"

"The first time we meet face to face and that's what you ask? We both know the answer won't be the one you're expecting, Paranoias. I suggest you cut out the casual talks and get down to what you want." Ochaco spoke as evenly as she could to not give in to his whims, much to his unbridled amusement. A chuckle escaped from behind his mask. Perhaps he should've started with a different question. The hero wasn't too happy with such casual conversation.

"A feisty one today aren't we? No matter, you are entitled to your feelings and opinions like everyone else. Speaking of, some of your classmates whom I had the pleasure of dealing with recently, they certainly were vocal about you. That blond one is a real hothead, very destructive, and certainly rude. He nearly blasted your face off once I took control of your body. That would've been a shame seeing as you have such an adorable one. And then there's that passionate one, Izuku Midoriya—"

"You better have left Deku alone!" The chains rattled loudly as Uraraka yanked hard against them to get into Paranoias' face angrily, going as far as to push off against the wall with her feet to get closer to him. The villain didn't seem the least bit phased as he tilted his head up cockily. "Don't you dare lay a single hand on him! He isn't a part of your sick plans so leave him out of this! Whatever you did at U.A.—"

"My, my, you certainly are very defensive of your lover. Physically he was fine though I'm sure he became a bit traumatized when your lovely body began unraveling into a pile of crimson thread. Quite traumatizing, if I do say so myself," Paranoias chuckled to his own inside joke before turning his masked face to his captive. She was glaring dangerous at him while straining against the chains, eyes searching for any way to overpower him. Not likely since he could just take control of her body with a single glance, but he appreciated the gesture, nonetheless. That's how heroes were supposed to be and she fit the bill nicely. It was a nice change of pace from the grumbling and bumbling fools roaming the grounds as security.

"Whatever you did to Deku, I'll throw back at you tenfold. I won't let you get away with hurting him." Ochaco warned while sliding back against the wall with wary eyes. The hero tried to control her breathing. It would just waste energy getting all worked up. Deku could handle himself. The image of him on his knees in the dorm kitchen had her shutting her eyes to lock it away before turning a calmer gaze to the villain. At least he had the decency to wait until she was finished before resuming his big speech. How kind.

"Since you're so energetic, I think it's time for a little experiment of mine. No need to worry, I won't strip you of your quirk or anything. For now at least. No, my dear Ochaco, I want you to use your quirk to its fullest potential in an arena against some of my own whom have…let's use the word, enhanced abilities that need tested. You'll be returned to your cell afterwards with a full meal as a reward if you win."

"And if I don't win?" Paranoias merely shrugged and Ochaco grit her teeth. He was counting on her to potentially die in that arena. Not here, not today would she spend her last hours on earth when the outside world was still in danger and people counted on heroes like herself to defend them. Plus her friends were waiting. "I doubt you're giving me a choice in the matter. Fine, we'll play your game, but I can guarantee I'm not doing this for your satisfaction. Just keep a mental note somewhere behind that mask of yours that the pro heroes and my friends will find you. You can't run forever, Paranoias."

"That's the spirit! Oh, we'll have plenty of time seeing as your hero friends will probably never find this place or on the off chance that they do…well, it might not be in the manner you expect. Serena, will you please bring our guest along for the game? I'm getting so excited just thinking about it! If you win, you'll really enjoy today's meal of pasta carbonara. I might even throw in a glass of vintage wine—oh, forgive me. You're not of age yet. We wouldn't want an underage hero getting caught with alcohol in her system! It looks bad against the school and in the newspapers." Paranoias trilled as a young servant girl hurried over to the chain shackle release on the opposite wall. They were taking every precaution to avoid a breakout but Ochaco wasn't worried. She'd find her chance to escape and reach the pros, all she had to do was be patient and use her hero training to keep strong.

The chains loosened enough for Ochaco to drop to the ground before another set was clamped on and the others removed. They made sure her hands didn't touch in the slightest as the shackles had a bar separating the digits by a foot. The servant yanked on the chain and the brunette stumbled forward before regaining her footing. Wherever they were taking her was bound to have windows on the way. Paranoias didn't seem the type to lurk in the darkness but would rather sit and enjoy the view. Talking about Italian food and wine suggested he was the finicky type who enjoyed the finer things in life. Said villain was blabbing on about one thing or another as Serena tugged her along silently, the girl keeping her head down. Ochaco chewed the inside of her lip as they wound their way up a spiral stone staircase with old, half melted candles illuminating the way. She hadn't realized how underground she'd been placed after minutes of walking higher and higher without a door in sight. The stones were frigid and rough on her bare feet.

"Now I remember why I don't use the dungeons anymore, these stairs are ridiculous!" Paranoias' complaint echoed down the stairwell and Ochaco pursed her lips. Well, at least she wasn't the only one miserable right now so that was some solace. "Ah, here we go! I just love that early morning sun rising over the city! Come look, Ochaco, isn't it breathtaking?"

Her foot hit the top step and the brunette raised her shackled wrists to block the bright sunlight smacking her square in the face. It was nearly blinding as it rose over the distant city skyline just after dawn, the shadowy buildings stretching high in the sky. A few blinks cleared away the sunspots so Ochaco intensely searched outside for any identifying landmarks, yet after a minute disappointment filled her chest. They were surrounded by thick forest so even if she did manage to escape, there was a high chance of getting lost. The city was too far away to clearly make out and it seemed where she was imprisoned wasn't exactly walking distance. Serena silently tugged her along as Paranoias began moving again after his dosage of sunlight and bragging. So much for this window. Maybe there would be others she could find and mentally form a map of the grounds.

"Ah, nothing better than waking up to such a beautiful sunrise. Today is going to be a great day, Ochaco. I can feel it in my bones!" The villain chirped happily with his hands latched behind his back, cane swirling slowly between his fingers. Auburn eyes locked onto the glass orb adorning the top. What powers did it hold? Did his powers manifest within the orb or did they amplify the effects of them? She needed to get a closer look at that cane without him noticing but it seemed to be attached at the hip. It was the same one he'd used in the video back at U.A. so it had to have some effect of his quirk held within.

"I prefer the stars personally," Ochaco replied casually. The man liked to talk so why not pry him open a bit before her potentially fatal battle? Perhaps she could get some more information out of him regarding her location, though highly unlikely. Paranoias hummed curiously as he pondered her answer, staff twirling back and forth between gloved hands.

"A young astronomer? Kids these days generally prefer to keep their noses glued to the earth and not the stars, but you aren't like other children. Constellations, stars, planets, all so visible yet from just a handful to millions of lightyears away! I never would have taken you for a lover of the stars, Ochaco, it's nice to see there are people who still appreciate the celestial heavens. Perhaps I can scrounge up some nice readings for you as your reward, too." Paranoias turned back to her excitedly, a skip now gracing his steps. The way his eyes lit up meant it was a way to connect to him beyond the façade so Ochaco kept it noted in the back of her mind. He honestly acted more like a child than a villain, which was odd. There were times when he'd be serious then do a one-eighty back to childish. Previous trauma was an option she kept on her mental list.

Serena suddenly stopped and the brunette stumbled to a halt moments before the two would've collided, a soft apology slipping from her mouth. Paranoias straightened up as they reached a set of double doors, the villain resting his cane at his front. Two servants bowed before grabbing the handles and pulling open the doors to a room literally vibrating with excitement and shouting. Ochaco swallowed heavily as she was forced forward into the deafening room with little care. Dozens upon dozens of villains lined the walls as two faced off in the center arena with their quirks explosively reacting against one another. The hero could feel the hatred towards her even just barely stepping into the room. Paranoias ascended a staircase that led to a balcony while Serena led Ochaco down a side staircase towards the arena floor. Villains jeered and cursed as they passed, thankfully separated by heavy chain fences for the protection of the staff and contenders, though it just made the teen that much more uneasy about the whole situation. Her gear was still at U.A. so she had to be more careful about landing and maneuvering across the floor.

"Gentlemen and what few ladies that are here, I implore you to heed my words for just a few moments!" The head honcho boomed over the audience and within minutes everyone had calmed down to look up at him. "Thank you. Forgive me for interrupting such a glorious battle between two strong opponents, though I have a better match that will suit your tastes quite well. If you would undo the shackles, Serena. No need to worry, she's as harmless as a kitten right now."

Serena swiftly undid the shackles before shoving Ochaco into the arena and slamming the door behind her shut, locking it audibly before running back upstairs. She rubbed at her wrists before glancing around at the spectators warily. Villains of every quirk ability jeered down at her with mocking expressions, some going as far as to swipe their thumbs across their necks threateningly. The brunette swallowed the fear rising into her throat. At least she could use her quirk to get away, but it seemed the room was one solid prison with windows multiple stories above. They would strike her down before she could even reach them and trying to survive a fall like that without her gear…it wouldn't end well. With a deep breath in then out, Ochaco calmed her racing heart. If they wanted a fight, then she'd give them a fight.

"Now, for a special guest whom I've specifically requested for this match. Please give a warm welcome to U.A.'s own Uravity!" The room filled with insults, booing, and even some death threats that slipped out in between the noise. Ochaco did her best to tune them out while keeping a steeled gaze on Paranoias. He was treating it like some big show, the exhibitionist soaking in the spotlight. "I've asked her here as a guest since she wants to be a big hero someday and what better way to introduce her to the world than a battle royale with some of you frustrated villains? I know most of you have felt downtrodden and ignored in today's society, so I'm giving you the opportunity to vent. If she does well this round, then we'll move up the chain to the strongest of you here with the winner receiving a special gift of my own creation. Please remember to not throw weapons into the arena. We care about our fighters safety. So, let's skip all of the useless chatter to introduce our first contestant tonight!"

The crowd cheered as a metal door opposite of Ochaco groaned open revealing a dark hallway. With her heart in her throat Ochaco slid into a defensive stance, fingertips tapped and quirk ready to use. After a few tense moments a villain emerged. He was tall, bulky, covered in scars and dark fur. A muzzle covered his mouth which glinted with razor sharp teeth. Long, sharp talons adorned his fingertips and Ochaco began racking her mind for a few options of what his quirk could be. The villain reminded her of Hound Dog so maybe it was an animal based ability? Super strength, enhanced speed, superior reflexes; just a few of the traits that animal quirks users often carried. Never was she more grateful to have looked through Deku's hero notebook than in this moment. The gate slammed shut, jolting Uraraka from her thoughts. She had to focus and learn everything she could about her opponent in just a few seconds. Twenty feet away the villain stopped with a loud thud of his boots, heavy puffs slipping through the bars on his muzzle. Piercing yellow eyes stared her down but she wouldn't break, instead narrowing her own in challenge.

"Tonight is Uravity versus Master Beast! Hero versus villain! We don't discriminate on gender and neither does our soon to be undefeated champion! The rules go as such: full use of quirks is allowed, anything goes as long as it stays in the arena, absolutely no killing of your opponents. We'd run out of fighters if everyone died," Laughter filled the room but Paranoias held up a hand to silence them. Ochaco grit her jaw. Was that all they thought of this as? A joke? Paranoias was more deranged than she originally thought. "There is no time limit, whoever falls first will call the round. Best of luck, Uravity, you're going to need it. Don't forget what you have waiting on the line."

A buzzer sounded and Ochaco braced herself as the wolfman came charging directly at her with deadly claws at the ready.


"You three will be under my charge again since Shoto specifically asked for you two to come along," Endeavor informed the three fledglings standing before him suited up for battle. He kept trying to make eye contact with his son who kept his gaze averted and towards his classmates instead. "While the rest of your classmates are going to be locating the paralytic bombs and evacuating citizens, we'll be heading straight for a city on the opposite side of Japan where we suspect Paranoias is hiding out. This mission isn't to be taken lightly."

"Has there been any information on Uraraka? It's been almost a full day since her disappearance." Todoroki asked his father.

"No sightings or new information regarding your classmate have been sent to the agency or myself. There's a good chance that if she's been taken by the villain then they're together in his hideout. I won't rest until she's been returned safely, Shoto, you have my word."

"Don't worry, Midoriya, we're going to find Uraraka no matter what." Todoroki ignored the pro heroes attempt at fatherly reassurance to instead turn to his disturbed friend. Izuku had been extremely restless since suiting up shortly after the dorm alarms had been triggered earlier in the morning. The teen merely nodded his head with tight lips. All hell had broken loose once the teachers realized what'd happened and the entire campus went on immediate lockdown. All of the hero course students were woken and told to prepare for battle while the support course began firing up their labs for domestic assistance. It was all hands on deck at U.A..

"So, how the hell are we going to get to the other side of the island? You're the only one who can use your quirk to go that far and even that's a stretch," Bakugo asked the number one hero while adjusting one of his gauntlets to fit better. He was ready for some clown payback and he was going to go full Howitzer Impact on his stupid face. Mock him, huh? That bastard didn't realize he'd signed his own death wish.

"I have a jet waiting to take us there and Hawks is already securing the area in which we are going to search. One of the villains we captured gave us rough coordinates to the main base, so you three are going to reconnaissance around the perimeter. Stealth is required in order to remain undetected until we can confirm Ochaco Uraraka is safe to prevent unnecessary risk or harm. We don't know what Paranoias is capable of and if threatened, he may turn to taking her hostage."

"What about Paranoias? What's going to happen to him?" Deku asked lowly and all three turned to him with questioning gazes. "He can't get away with this, I won't allow him to run again after what he's done to Uraraka. He needs to pay for his crimes."

"We have orders from U.A., the police, government and the U.N. to keep him alive for questioning then tried as an international terrorist. They've given strict orders to avoid direct contact with him, hence the reason this is a stealth mission. He'll get his trial, trust me. I'll personally make sure of it, Deku. "

"We can't let him get away when he's destroying thousands of lives right now and is potentially torturing or experimenting on Uraraka. He needs to be brought down the second we have eyes on him. Paranoias is too dangerous to keep alive."

"Midoriya has a point…" Todoroki trailed off but there were always two sides to a coin, especially when it came to fighting a powerful villain. "On one hand, Paranoias is listed as a high threat level villain on the verge of eliminating millions of heroes and should be handled with caution. But on the other, if he were to escape then he could continue to disrupt millions more if he had an addition arsenal of paralytic. I understand his frustrations completely. We should consider the option of taking him out directly."

"Bastards gonna get a full face blast from me for that shit he pulled in the dorms!" Bakugo sneered with a knuckle cracking.

"Don't get your britches twisted, kids. Now's not the time to be losing your composure. It's not your place to decide if an international terrorist gets to live or die. Your job is to secure Uraraka and nothing more. If you run into him, turn the other way and immediately report a pro to the area." Eraser Head walked up with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets. The golden goggles were concealing his eyes though the teens could clearly see the red activation of his quirk shining through. Deku let out a frustrated sigh but agreed. He was trying to get in over his head with taking down Paranoias when other factors had to be counted.

"What a funny thing coming from you, Eraser Head," Endeavor remarked casually. His hellfire fizzled out and the number one hero glared at the quirk eraser who merely ignored the gaze. The teacher was really starting to push his buttons. After a minute his fire returned and he cranked it up a notch. "Remember what I warned you about."

"I'm well aware of what you said last time. Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugo. You three are going to be diving straight into enemy territory where there could be countless villains surrounding Paranoias, so you need to stay focused on stealth and making sure you stay in the shadows. Alerting the entire compound that you're there could cause him to slip away or move Uraraka to another location and we can't afford that. On the chance that Uraraka is there then your mission switches to rescue only. Don't try to play hero when you're outmatched."

"Are you going as support then?" Todoroki asked his teacher as he lifted up his goggles to convey the seriousness of his words.

"Principal Nezu instructed me to come so I can deactivate Paranoias' quirk if he tries to use what we assume is mind linking again. Endeavor, let's get this show on the road, it's already going to be dark soon and it's a few hours to the location." Eraser Head promptly pushed through the heroes to head to the awaiting jet. The teens nodded before following after their teacher with purposeful strides, leaving Endeavor behind. The pro hero swiped his thumb down his cheek as he turned to follow as well, eyes narrowed in on the teacher and his problem child. Both of them would be trouble if they were to lose control emotionally and keeping an eye on both at the same time would prove challenging. Shoto could watch Midoriya while he himself could watch Eraser Head, but that just complicated the mission even more. The pro knew what his job was yet that didn't mean something wouldn't trigger him to lose control, like his student being critically injured again. Or worse.

A text came through on his phone so Endeavor quickly glanced at it. A message from Hawks appeared on the screen and he opened up the app to read the full message. Plenty of security, couple dozen villains lurking throughout. Definitely the place. I'll wait for your arrival. Bring some snacks, I'm kind of hungry.

Endeavor shoved his phone back into his pocket before striding a little faster towards the waiting jet on the end of the tarmac. This was going to be one hell of a battle they were walking into. From what his researched indicated, Paranoias formerly staged an uprising of the Quantum Council fifteen years ago. They were pulling a similar stunt to what was currently happening though that was foiled by local forces and All Might before any bombs went off. Even Principal Nezu had gotten involved on that mission which entirely ensured victory. The problem was people change after that long, their quirks begin evolving and growing stronger as they hid in the darkness. If he was able to brainwash a student through a one way broadcast signal, who knew what other abilities he had up his sleeve.

Apart from some slight turbulence the flight was fairly uneventful. Everyone remained silent and to themselves, even Bakugo to his slight surprise, and only Midoriya made any noise at all as he adjusted in his seat a few times fairly restless. His gaze never left the floor and for a brief moment, the number one hero could've sworn he saw something fall from his face. As long as he got it out beforehand, he didn't care. A red light flashed and buzzed loudly as it turned on by the door, alerting the passengers they were near the jump zone. Endeavor stood as did the others, their stealth gear illuminating under the colored light. Each wore a black outfit over their regular costume to conceal them better in the darkness with defining reflective markings to identify who was who. It offered stealth and ally identification in the midst of battle to prevent friendly fire.

"Midoriya, you're with me. Bakugo and Todoroki stick together. I suggest you stay here for now, Endeavor, since all you'll do is give away our positioning. I'll meet up with Hawks to see what he knows about the compound. Keep it silent, we don't want any guards to be alerted that there are heroes on the grounds." Eraser Head ordered as he yanked the airplane door open, black locks flying around wildly from the high winds. Endeavor felt a sneer curling his lips but nodded at the orders. Eraser was a pro when it came to stealth missions, quite the opposite of himself, so it made sense for him to take the lead on the mission but that didn't mean he had to like it. Surely this was a snub for his earlier remarks.

"We'll take the west side for now and link up around the back once Hawks is located. Good luck." Todoroki tossed Deku a thumbs up before falling forward through the doorway, Bakugo right behind him. Deku made to step through when Aizawa stopped him with a hand to the shoulder.

"I meant it when I said keep your emotions under control, Midoriya. If Uraraka is indeed here then we need to remain level and calm throughout the mission." The pro waited for a nod of understanding before releasing his student. Deku fell forward through the doorway and the pro readied himself next. He could feel the burning gaze in the back of his head yet ignored it in favor of launching himself from the aircraft. Endeavor didn't need to remind him of the warning, he already knew this was a delicate mission to begin with and that there was no room for error this time around. The wind whipped at his face as he fell towards the ground. Midoriya wasn't too far ahead and it seemed they were headed for some trees to make the landing softer if needed. The compound was massive, though that was putting it lightly. U.A. had an impressive plot of land within the city and this about topped it regarding land space. The mansion centered dead ahead seemed more like a palace than anything with its high pitched roof, large, windowed sections of ceiling, and even a sprawling garden located all around the property. The whole place reeked of money and not too many people in Japan could afford places such as this, especially away from the city in the countryside. It was probably estimated to be worth tens of millions of yen, at the very least.

A whizzing reached his ears and the pro glanced back to see a single red feather propelling towards him at a high rate of speed. The tip pierced through his shirt and immediately diverted him towards the building. Midoriya was struggling a little from the sudden diversion of course but upon seeing the familiar feather calmed down. Eraser Head glanced down below at the villains patrolling the grounds. None of them he immediately recognized, yet they seemed to be above the average gutter trash most villains undertook for security. Who knows how many more were waiting inside for the heroes' arrival. They had estimated at least five to six dozen just counting on the fact of so many followers. Fifteen years was a long time to accumulate a larger defense force.

"Lucky me, I get to work with Eraser Head and the trouble child today. Welcome to my mansion, gentlemen." Hawks greeted with a grin as his feathers deposited the two heroes onto the roof beside him. The feathers twirled around before reconnecting to his wings seamlessly. "So, how was the flight? I know Endeavor's jets aren't the most comfortable things—oh, did he bring my snacks? I told him I was starting to get a bit hungry up here."

"Get to the point, Hawks, how many are we looking at right now?" Eraser hastily cut him off as he shifted to a crouch, hand ready with his scarf.

"More than I can see for sure. I've got some feathers in there and there's quite a bit of buzz going on. This place is massive and I can't cover every room, but I think I've got them planted along the main areas. They're definitely doing some sketchy things down there, I heard them fighting a couple of times over the past few hours." Hawks cut the crap and pointed over to the illuminated glass ceiling panels just over the next roof ridge. "There have been a few times where I've heard them mention a hero so it's possible Uraraka is in there somewhere. We're going to need serious back up for this, Eraser, we're far outnumbered here. These aren't your run of the mill villains, they're next level."

"Even if we're outnumbered we don't need to fight them head-on," Deku pointed out to the pros as the gears began turning in his head. There was always a way to avoid visual detection and even if they ran into a few villains, it'd be easy to take them out and hide. "We just need to outsmart them long enough to find Uraraka then escape. Hawks, if you can position your feathers in more deserted areas then we can sneak in while you keep us informed of any villains nearby. Clear a path so we can move through the building faster and cover more space. My best guess is that a place like this would have a separated wing or basement area judging by the older architecture of the building. I don't think Paranoias would keep Uraraka somewhere close to an escape, like windows or exterior doors."

"I think I've got a few extra feathers to spare. Tune your comms to link with mine so I can direct you along the way. Does that work for you, Eraser Head?" Hawks shook a few extra feathers out and commanded them to spread out in a deserted area of the building, the tiny red missiles entering through any crack they could.

"I don't see any other option at this point. I can get us in through one of glass panels. Try to link up with Bakugo and Todoroki while you're at it and have them find a way inside. The faster we can get in and out the better." Eraser agreed before shifting towards the lights. "Midoriya, let's go."

"Right!"


Ochaco numbly stared at the tray of food before her with no appetite. Her body was filled with jarring aches and pains, bruises and lacerations. She got lucky during the first round of fighting, her opponent not knowing what her quirk was until he was already halfway to the ceiling before being dropped back to the arena floor. But the second round proved she was entirely outmatched in more than one way. Not even ten seconds in and she was pinned to the ground before being tossed around like a ragdoll by a power type holder. Paranoias called the winner after she could no longer push herself up from the ground covered in her own blood. He was gracious enough to hand her a moist toilette to cleanse the blood from her face so she took it then threw it right back at him. That caused an amused chuckle from the villain before his departure. Since she'd lost, that resulted in no food and no special prize. Not that she cared either way, she was just glad to still be moving. The brunette finally shoved the empty tray away and it clattered across the stone floor loudly.

How many minutes had passed? Hours? Days? The concept of time was lost to her in the dimly lit dungeon that had no visitors. Cold, hard chains around her wrists had become dulled to overwhelmed and frayed senses. Without the keys to the shackles Ochaco was stuck against the wall without much freedom. A sigh escaped bloodied lips. Did anyone even know where she was right now? From the window there was no telling what city she was in or even how far from civilization the prison she resided in was located. How would U.A. find her? No doubt they were working hard to locate the kidnapped hero, but there was that tiny speck of a thought that they never would. All she had to do was keep the faith that the pros and her friends would arrive to save her.

"Not hungry? Pity. I was hoping for a round three this evening yet you seem to be pretty beaten up, if I do say so myself. What happened to that confident attitude, Ochaco? Where did that high and mighty hero confidence go? Surely you can't be giving up just yet." Paranoias rapped his knuckles against the cell bars, his body leaned casually against the wall as he looked at the captive hero. He was treating her like an animal in the zoo and it kicked up the smoldering flame burning within. Ochaco spit a glob of bloody saliva towards him and the villain merely chuckled before pulling out a ring of keys to unlock the cell. A glimmer lit up auburn orbs. If she could get those keys…no, she would get those keys one way or another.

"What do you want now? You've had your entertainment so let me be. It's humiliating enough to be treated like a caged animal, now you want to rub it in? I already gave my word that fight wouldn't be for your amusement and I didn't."

"As much as I want to Ochaco, dear, it seems there are a few more things I need to test before unleashing them into the world and for that, I require the use of your body. They'll be minor, fairly painful procedures for the greater good of the Quantum Council." Paranoias' heels clicked across the stone floor before stopping just shy of the brunette's reach, ring of keys swirling around his finger. If she could just get those keys. "But…perhaps I can make you a deal. I'll give you a five minute head start, free of shackles, to try and escape from the mansion before I give chase. Mind you there are dozens of villains patrolling the grounds so you'll have to avoid their detection. If you're detected then it's game over as they've been instructed to drag you directly to my lab to proceed with the testing. Do we have a deal?"

Ochaco narrowed her eyes at the masked villain. What game was he playing at? Did he think she wouldn't make it out of the building undetected? Or was this a trap to try and get her to think there was an option to escape? Paranoias was playing at something, giving her false hope of escape only to drag her back into the lab for experiments. "There's a catch."

"No, no, this is merely to ignite the excitement of the game. Plus, you'll have your last glance of freedom though it is rather dark outside now. I just need a simple yes or no Ochaco, and then I'll let you have your five minute start. Do we have a deal or not?" Paranoias held out a gloved hand invitingly. Ochaco bit the inside of her cheek. All she had to do was get outside then activate her quirk to escape the property, though that was always easier said than done. It was either that or go straight to the torturing for whatever experiments he had planned. A feeling in her gut gave off the sensation that there was no escaping his plans no matter what was chosen. It was better than sitting in a dungeon waiting to be rescued.

"I'll accept."

Paranoias clapped his hands together excitedly before raising the key to the shackles and clicking them open. They fell against the wall loudly as Ochaco rubbed her raw wrists lightly. She briefly thought of activating her quirk against him, but in her weakened state it would take away from escaping. A pocket watch was procured from the villains pocket and he held it up to show the time, pointing to when she could move. Fifteen seconds until the hands aligned. Ten. Five. One. As soon as the arms aligned to eleven-thirty sharp, Ochaco was sprinting from the cell with glowing fingers. She needed to go up the stairs and then immediately to the left where a set of doors were, an escape path she had already planned out earlier. Her body protested as she took the stairs two at a time, pushing as hard as possible to climb the monstrous steps. The lightened gravity over her body helped but it wasn't fast enough.

The door finally came into sight and Ochaco slowly cracked it open to check for villains. There was one looking out towards the windows while smoking a cigarette, completely off in his own world. She pushed the door open just barely enough for her to slip through while keeping an eye on the guard. Of course it wouldn't be easy to escape. With another touch of her fingers Ochaco began floating towards the ceiling silently. If she could stay above their heads then maybe she could avoid detection. Maybe. Would they look up towards the ceiling or keep their eyes downward? It all depended on how much they cared about their bosses orders.

"Why does Paranoias want us to play guard dog for that damn hero? Wouldn't it be easier just to kill her and get it over with?" Another villain walked up to the smoking one with his hands shoved into his pockets, posture slouched as he accepted a puff of nicotine. Damn. Now there was no taking out that one to open a path. One she could take out with her injuries, just not two.

"He wants to play some damn game with her or something. There's dozens of us patrolling the house right now so there's no way she could escape without one of us noticing. I doubt she'd even make it out of the dungeon in time with how bad those injuries are, I'm surprised she even tried to walk out of the arena. I say we just pretend to look so we get a break from his nagging." The first one chuckled and the other one soon joined in. Ochaco clamped a hand over her mouth just in case they heard her before pushing herself towards the closest exit door. As she neared she noticed it had two more guards on the outside blocking it from opening. Maybe there was another one nearby, further around the corner.

Each door she found was actively being blocked by villains, the clock quickly ticking down as she pushed herself along the ceiling with growing urgency. Paranoias had to be starting the search for her now so she needed to find an exit and fast. Just as she rounded another corner, something red caught her attention from behind a large picture frame. Latching onto the wall for a better look, the brunette's eyes widened when she realized it was a red feather. Hawks' feather! Ensuring there were no villains around, Ochaco stuck her arm behind the top of the painting to grab for it with desperate fingers. She wasn't entirely sure how it got there or how it worked, but she was going to try and speak to it. If his feathers were here then it meant the heroes would be on their way soon, if not already storming the mansion."

"Hawks, this is Ochaco. I've found one of your feathers behind a painting. I don't have much time but Paranoias is hunting me down right now and I need a fast exit—"

"Start searching every room for the escaped hero! She couldn't have gone far! Check behind every piece of furniture and even the ceilings in case she activated her quirk!" Paranoias' voice echoed down the vast hallways through an intercom system and the feather slipped from the teens fingers in surprise. It whirled around before flying off in another direction. She was tempted to follow it but the villains would be on their way soon and she couldn't risk it. An old, worn door caught her eye so she launched herself towards it after checking for villains nearby. The door creaked lowly, causing the teen to flinch at the noise, before swinging open with little trouble. She slowly closed the door behind her. Pads tapped together and Ochaco stumbled when she hit the floor, the frigidness shooting up through her legs in an instant. It was fairly dark save for a single, small window located towards the top of the wall.

Using the thin beam of light from the door to guide her way, Ochaco stepped further into the room curiously. Dusted drapes covered furniture in a heavy sheen, even the bed was covered in an untouched layer of the grime. Slender fingers traced over the intricately carved wood posts supporting a torn canopy hanging over the mattress. A lot of time was spent carving each post so why was all of the furniture abandoned in such good condition? A half covered painting resting in the corner drew her in as the eye of a child stared intently at her. With a quick slip of the cover the entire portrait came to life. A man and a woman dressed in lavish apparel stood behind a young boy posing on a stool, his wide smile nearly infectious with the happiness it radiated. Auburn eyes trailed up towards the woman standing behind the young boy, delicate hands resting on his suited shoulders. It was almost eerie looking at her as it seemed like Ochaco was looking at an older, slightly different version of herself. There were stark changes of course but the hair color and eyes were very similar to her own.

"Is this…Paranoias? What happened to his parents?"

The sound of a nearby doorknob clicking open jolted Uraraka from her gazing and she quickly looked around for a place to hide. The window above didn't appear to have a latch to open and the only door was the one she'd entered. If she tried to disrupt the dust anymore it would give away her positioning in an instant but she'd already slipped up by walking around and touching stuff. If the villain was weak enough, there was the chance of taking it down. If.

Heavy footsteps caused the worn floorboards to creak as the door swung open, light from the hallway filtering in before being smothered by the door as it was closed. Ochaco held her breath as the steps neared her hiding spot, both hands slapped over her mouth to muffle the panicked breaths. Ever so slowly the feet moved around the room, stopping at every piece of furniture to investigate any shifted dirt or protective sheets. The dust kicking up tickled her nose yet she endured it to avoid detection despite her badly watering eyes. The person let out an annoyed grumble after a while before making their way back to the door to leave, disappointed that there wasn't anything of value in the room. Ochaco watched the feet go through the door before it shut and she let out a small, shaky sigh from underneath the bed. That was close, too close.

She released her quirk and dropped to the floor. Either she got lucky they'd hadn't noticed the shifted dirt or they were playing innocent until she moved. Waiting until any noise was far enough away, Ochaco finally slid out from underneath the bed and made to push herself up. Something heavy slammed down on her back causing a strangled cry of pain to ring out as she hit the floor. Both arms were quickly pinned behind her back and tied tightly, leaving only her legs to kick at the assailant. From her peripheral, Ochaco watched as a chameleon quirk holder deactivated his power to sneer down at her, ropes in hand. She lashed out a kick that landed directly on his face, sending him stumbling back a few steps as she scrambled to escape. A total of two feet were crossed before she was sent back to the floor with a heavy side kick.

"Got you now, hero!"


Deku flattened himself against the wall behind a suit of armor as a few villains sprinted by. All of a sudden they were running around like an angry swarm of bees and he had no clue why. He'd gotten himself separated from Eraser Head when the chaos began so he was now solo and lost. Hawks had even gone quiet meaning a villain had most likely compromised his position on the roof. Something must've tripped an alarm and sent the compound on high alert. The hero peeked his head around the corner to check for anyone else, the tension raging in his body. They hadn't found Uraraka yet in the labyrinth of a house and he was becoming more and more on edge with each passing minute.

"Midoriya, something's wrong. Every villain in this place is on high alert right now. What's your status?" Eraser's voice spoke lowly into his ear and he flinched in surprise, momentarily forgetting that they all had earpieces. He let out a breath of air to recompose.

"Hiding behind a suit of armor. A group of villains just went running by."

"Follow them to an exit but stay out of sight. They may lead us to Paranoias who would have Uraraka's location. I'll try to get them to spit up any information they have. Keep it quiet until we know what's going on."

Deku grit his jaw before slipping from behind the suit of armor and heading down the hallway in the direction of the villains. Their voices were distant yet he could tell there were more than a handful of them gathered in one area. Using black whip, he kept higher up on the walls to avoid detection, swinging from corner to corner as he trailed the source of the noise. Did they catch a hero breaking in? Or was it someone else?

"Well, what do we do with her now? Paranoias said to bring her to his lab, but the wannabe hero here got a good kick in against my jaw. I say we rough her up a bit more, not like he'll be able to tell the difference from her fight wounds." A deep, rumbling voice caught Deku's attention as he stopped just shy of a corner. He peered around the wall to see a group of villains gathered around someone curled up on the floor, pained coughs filling the air. With a quick shift of his body, Deku stuck himself against the ceiling with two black whips positioned as braces against opposite walls. A flash of brown caught his eye and his gaze twisted up with anger as Uraraka rolled onto her back in pain, a hand clenching tightly against her collar. She was covered in bruises and dried blood, lacerations painfully split her skin open on exposed arms. The clothes she had on at U.A. were shredded and had patches of fresh blood seeping through the material. Even her feet were bruised and bloodied up, the soles darkened and soiled.

"Any more injuries and the poor thing won't survive. I say we leave the rest of the torture to Paranoias since he can do a lot worse than we can. Besides, he'll know if we messed with her any more than what's been done. I don't want to deal with that guy's creepy quirk. One time he about had me walk off of the roof for knocking over a hallway painting. Dude's crazy but you didn't hear that from me. Just leave it alone, Kanto." Another voice piped up and a few villains murmured their agreements. The largest of the group sneered before bending down to grab Uraraka by the hair. She let out a pained grunt and tried to latch onto the hand pulling her upwards but the ropes on her wrists prevented full usage of her quirk. Another villain pinned down both arms as precaution.

"I want payback for my face! Bitch is gonna learn not to mess with villains—what the hell? Where did she go?" Kanto slowly realized the girl was no longer in his grasp or even in the area, the villain looking around to see who took his prize. The others were just as confused, looking around and scratching their heads. "Hey, give her back! Which one of you bastards took my trophy—?"

"St. Louis Smash!"

The chameleon villain that'd beaten Uraraka barely had the chance to look up before Deku's boot was imbedding itself into his face, sending the brawny villain flying down the hallway and into the far wall with a sickening thud. Shockwave from the impact sent the other villains tumbling backwards in panic as the hero stood dead center in his stealth gear. Uraraka had been plucked out of the danger zone with lightning speed before the main assault even began. More villains heard the commotion and began charging towards the motionless hero with quirks activating. Deku slightly adjusted his stance to face down the hallway, the brunette safely in his arms. Power surged through his body and he tilted his hood back to stare down the attackers with brewing fury.

An explosion erupted around him that shot the villains flying in every direction, debris shooting through nearby glass and shattering it violently. Deku's expression never changed as the incoming villains began scrambling away in fear, some assuming he had a quirk that could manifest without moving. The air took a sudden sharp turn in the opposite direction and the teen felt a cold chill roll down his spine as everything froze over. The villains didn't even have a chance to comprehend what was happening between the explosions and ultimate freezing, their faces set in silent surprise. After the chaos died down, Deku turned around to see his friends. Todoroki lowered his arm with a puff of cold air, eyeing his handiwork to ensure every villain was frozen solid.

"I'd say she did your face justice, you nasty looking bastard." Bakugo stood over the large knocked out villain imprinted into the wall with a sneer before kicking him squarely in the jaw.

"Midoriya, we got word from Hawks that Uraraka contacted him through one of his feathers so we came to the coordinates as instructed. Did you not hear the order?" Todoroki asked while shaking off some of the ice forming on his coat. He noticed the ties on Uraraka's wrist and easily had them removed with a bit of fire, the rope slitting apart from the high heat with ease. Deku shook his head no as he surveyed the destruction. Now every villain in the building was surely on their way towards the group. So much for stealth. They'd have to go full contact just to make their way through the mansion. "Well it's lucky you were here, Midoriya. She could've easily been taken further into the mansion without us knowing. We'll have to get her wounds checked out soon."

"Yeah. It seems like they'd just found her when I rounded the corner. That bigger villain stuck in the wall over there was going to keep attacking if I hadn't intervened. Eraser Head told me to follow a group of villains so that's what I was doing until you two showed up. Communications were lost after that."

Ochaco grunted as she blinked heavily a few times with a hand pressed lightly against her throbbing head. One minute she was being dragged from under the bed and the next she was surrounded by a group of villains beating on her. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them to look around. The area had been completely demolished with charred walls, thick layers of ice coating the floors, glass shattered all over and countless pieces of debris. It took her a moment to realize there were villains trapped within the ice, their faces forever frozen in surprised and pain. Something clicked in her mind and she looked around until she found the sources of the damage, standing just to the left of her and a few feet away. "Todoroki, Bakugo…"

"Uraraka, you're safe now."

Ochaco realized she was no longer on the floor, instead held against a warm body, and looked up to see Deku staring at her with palpable concern mixed with relief. With the best of her ability, the brunette flung her arms around his neck and held on tightly with a trembling body. She was still trying to process what had happened the past few minutes, but she knew she was safe in his arms now. Deku returned the embrace carefully, trying to mind her open wounds. "Deku…how did you guys find me? Are the pros here?"

"Hawks got intel from some of the drug runners and they let it slip that this mansion was here. There aren't too many people in Japan who own properties this large so it narrowed down the search. The name on the house belongs to a Nakada Isoruko along with Natsumi Isoruko and a child named Yoshizawa." Todoroki informed his disoriented classmate while Bakugo strolled away to search the area for more villains. That and to get away from the ick currently happening between Deku and Uraraka. Nerds in love was grosser than the sludge monster that nearly ate him. He'd rather go through that again in place of the gross scene before him.

"Paranoias will be after me, we need to find him. He was talking about some sort of experiments he needed to test on me. This is all nothing more than a game to him." Ochaco motioned to be let down and Deku begrudgingly set her down on a section of tiling that was free of ice, keeping a steady hold on her arms until she was balanced. He yanked his jacket off before helping her into it, leaving the zipper open to avoid rustling her wounds even further. It wasn't proper medical treatment but it would help with the chill for the moment. "I think I know where we can find him but it's back the way I came. I'm sure by now he's either roaming the halls or watching from somewhere. There's something I need to know about him, to ask him. I can't leave until I talk with him."

"Some of your wounds are freshly bleeding, Uraraka. You shouldn't be walking in your condition right now. You could bleed out or get severe infections." Todoroki pointed out and the brunette glanced down with a grimace. Warm, sticky blood slowly blossomed from a laceration she received on her abdomen so she placed a hand carefully against it. It burned as sweat and dirt integrated into the wound but she'd worry about it later. She had a higher priority to deal with. "Our mission is to ensure your safety first, Paranoias will be handled by the pros. Endeavor is waiting outside for the signal to attack with other pro heroes from his agency and the surrounding area. Though with all of the noise we just made, they're going to have to launch into battle now."

"I'll be fine Todoroki but I can't leave, not yet," Ochaco hardened her resolve at the understanding look shared between the boys. She needed to get to the bottom of this before she lost the chance forever. There was something about his behavior that didn't make sense, not for the type of villain he was. "I want to know why he chose me specifically and what he needs me for. I don't think he's inherently a bad person, maybe just a highly misunderstood one. If he wanted to he could've killed me already and moved on yet he hasn't. There are also dozens of villains in this building that may have drug prototypes in their systems that Paranoias is testing out. I found that out the hard way in a fighting ring. They're not weak ones either."

"He's fighting villains against each other? Why would he do that? Did he put you in the ring, Uraraka? Is that how you got those injuries?" Deku asked with a rustling of his hair, messy green locks springing back into shape as he tried to comprehend the troubling situation. The horrors she must've gone through…Ochaco picked up on the distress and lightly grabbed his hand with a squeeze. He tightened his grasp. He wasn't going to let go of her again.

"We've got company," Bakugo called out from around the corner and everyone went on high alert. Ochaco bit the inside of her lip as she glanced back towards the hallway. Either Paranoias was going to be on his podium preaching or sitting somewhere and watching them run around the mansion like rats in a maze. The best bet was to head back the direction she ran from then continue on towards the fighting arena. It was reckless but the gravity manipulator was positive she could find a way to save him.

"What do we do, Midoriya?" Deku glanced between Uraraka and Todoroki before eyeing the hallway behind them, a plan already forming in his mind. It would go against the teachers' orders but he had ultimate faith in Uraraka, the brunette willing to throw herself back into danger to help someone in need.

"We protect Uraraka while hunting down Paranoias. Take down any villains we encounter because I have no doubt every single one heard the explosions. Eraser Head has gone silent so it's safe to assume we're on our own for the time being. If things get too dangerous, then we leave immediately and search for a pro."

"I'll lead the way, let's go." Ochaco nodded before taking off at an easy run back in the direction she came from, the three quickly flanking around and behind her. She pulled Deku's jacket around her tightly as unease filled her gut. They would be going straight into a trap, one most likely set up ahead of time by Paranoias. He let her go so easily just a short time ago and he had no intentions of letting her leave so casually now. The heroes rounded a corner only to come face-to-face with a small grouping of villains. Todoroki shot his ice out while Bakugo leapt over Uraraka and Deku to blast them out of the way. One managed to slip past the two and sprinted towards Ochaco with elongated nails at the ready. Black binds instantly ensnared his body and before he could even process what was happening, was thrown violently down the empty hallway at a high rate of speed. Deku didn't spare a second glance back as he made sure Uraraka was his top priority.

"I think our communication systems are fully down, all I'm getting is static right now," Todoroki called out before blasting another villain with his flames then following up with a flash freeze, pinning the man tightly against the wall. "It's entirely possible Paranoias is jamming any signal in the vicinity. We should look for the source and take it out otherwise the heroes can't coordinate an attack."

"Hawks hasn't responded either. Whatever's causing the interference must be pretty strong." Deku replied as he locked his finger against his thumb before unleashing a blast of air down the hallway. It knocked a good amount of fighters down and Bakugo blasted the rest out through the windows as a follow-up. If it weren't such a life or death situation, he'd commend the pyro for his impeccable reaction time and teamwork.

"Where the hell are we going, Cheeks?" Bakugo barked out as he bounced from wall to wall to reach the ceiling, facing his palms down for an overhead assault against another villain wave. Intense heat washed throughout the hallway causing some paintings to catch fire while priceless vases melted into colorful puddles. Paranoias certainly didn't hold back on the artistic decorum in the mansion, choosing valuable masterpieces that had been reduced to cinders and shattered ceramics in seconds.

"Turn right up there and then straight until you reach a set of double doors! It's where the fighting arena is but I don't know if he's there or somewhere else. This place is one giant maze," Ochaco panted out as she rolled the sleeves of Deku's jacket up to free her hands. Despite her beaten and bruised body she had to fight. Her friends came all this way to save her and she wouldn't stop fighting until her body was completely broken down. There was a nagging in her mind that the surface of the villain wasn't his true self. The picture of the happy family flashed in her eyes. What caused a sweet looking child to turn into a dangerous villain bent on taking down heroes?

"We'll just fight our way out of here then!" The pyro screeched as he skidded around the corner, hand ready on his gauntlet pin. As soon as the others rounded the bend they slowed to a jog before coming to a full stop. Ochaco walked just ahead of Deku with a confused expression as she looked around. The hallway had become a complete dead-end. She was absolutely sure this was where the dungeon was. A quick glance towards the windows didn't offer much external assistance, but everything looked exactly the same both times she exited the dungeon.

"No…this isn't right. There should be double doors just down there. I came out of a door from along this wall but it's not there. Where did it all go? It cant just disappear like that, can it?" Ochaco breathed out as she raised a hand to touch the sudden new addition. Deku felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up in warning and he jumped forward to grab Uraraka away from the wall. Just as he yanked her back a sword emerged from through the barrier to narrowly miss her face, a few locks taking the hit instead. The blade absorbed back into the wall with a smooth movement.

"Looks like clown boy wants to play some games now!" Bakugo exclaimed while scooting closer to the barrier, hand extended out with palms popping. It wouldn't take more than one solid blast to obliterate the mirage and half of the mansion.

"Wait, Bakugo," Todoroki put a hand up to stop his friend, only to have it roughly smacked away. "Just wait for a minute! Don't you think its odd that the area has been altered since Uraraka last saw it? Obviously it's a trap."

"Who the fuck cares?! I'll blow this bastard to pieces!"

"Can you two stop arguing? We need to find a way through this wall." Deku tried but failed to intervene in their argument, just quietly sighing before returning to the task at hand. Uraraka slowly walked around examining everything from the walls to the remaining statues and vases. It was clear as day that she was struggling to function, the wounded hero moving slower, constantly wincing in pain, and struggling to catch her breath. He would've run for the hills with her for a medic, but she knew something about Paranoias that was driving her forward. He wasn't going to hold her back simply because he'd do the exact same thing. "Uraraka, how are you holding up?"

"I'd be lying if I said fine, Deku, but I can keep moving. I just need to catch my breath for a minute or two." Ochaco panted lightly before wincing and placing a hand against the large abdominal laceration. Heat burned against her palm and she pulled away to see crimson. It had reopened, most likely from the strong villain kick. In reality, she was running on rapidly evaporating fumes. The pain was far beyond the threshold of tolerance and the exhaustion dragging at her mind kept trying to pull her under. If Deku could keep fighting with broken bones and a smile in his face, then so would she. She had to. Not just for herself, but also the lonely, crying child she knew was within Yoshizawa Isoruko.

"Uraraka, you're bleeding everywhere," Deku pointed out with a bit of panic before digging around in one of his costume pouches. Ocacho pulled her eyes from the bloodied palm to see a good amount of splatters painted across the marble flooring. She hadn't even noticed it. Either from adrenaline or the lack of energy flowing through her body. Was it from the abdominal wound or the other ones?

"I hadn't noticed that. I'm not surprised with how beat up I am. I guess all the adrenaline covered up how bad the injuries are."

"Here, at least tie off the one on your abdomen. It'll bleed faster than the others." Deku pulled some bandages from his pouch and handed it to her, digging around for anything else useful like medicine. Ochaco opened it then started wrapping it around the wound. It stung like hell but it would slow the bleeding just a little bit. She tightened as hard as she could tolerate at the front and let out a slow breath.

"I see the final contestants are here! Ochaco, deary, thanks so much for bringing them to join the game!" Paranoias' voice rang out from all around them, guards shooting up from the four teens. There wasn't a visible speaker to locate so either they were embedded in the walls or hidden around in various objects. "I was afraid they would never show up, what a relief to know I was mistaken. Fantastic to see you boys again, did you sleep well? I hope there wasn't too much damage in your kitchen. Feel free to have U.A. send a bill for the broken glasses, I'll own up to those."

"Come out here and fight, bastard! I'll blow that stupid mask right off your face!" Bakugo barked with popping palms, his head practically swiveling all the way around in search of the villain. Paranoias merely chuckled through the speakers, infuriating the pyro further.

"Guys, the hallway has been blocked off from behind us," Todoroki pointed out. Ochaco clenched her fists against her chest with worry. Paranoias wasn't going to make this easy but that didn't mean she couldn't play dirty either. Her idea was a gamble, but it was all she had at the moment. She just prayed it didn't come back to bite her in the face.

"What game are you trying to get at, Yoshizawa Isoruko?"

The air became still as Paranoias went dead silent. The teens waited in anticipation, quirks at the ready for any sudden attacks. A minute passed with no movement and their guards dropped the slightest bit but remained up. Ochaco let out a small, shaky sigh. The gamble caught. Paranoias wasn't answering because the question had thrown him off, maybe even pulled up some previous trauma. She eyed the walls and corners for any sort of lens that stood out, any possible piece of furniture or decorum that could hide a camera. She had no doubt he was watching from the safety of a room far away from them seeing as he was diligently tracking their progress.

"Game?" Came his voice softly, unlike the confident, boisterous tone he was carrying just minutes ago. It sounded more like a child, lost and confused. Ochaco felt her expression slip into one of surprise that soon transitioned into understanding and compassion. He sounded so hurt.

"You…must be very lonely, right?" Ochaco started slowly as she stepped towards a slightly angled bust of an unknown man. Its left eye appeared to have been altered, so with slow movements the teen crouched down to be eye level with it. A brief glint confirmed her suspicions as a lens adjusted slightly to her presence. "Your parents…did something happen to them?"

"What the fuck is she going on about?" Bakugo balked as he stared at the brunette talking to a statue with an irritated sneer tugging at his face. Had she gone insane from blood loss? This wasn't a fucking therapist session to talk about their feelings, it was the middle of a damn battle. Both heroes shushed him immediately.

"There is no game, just experiments to pass the time. Time continues to pass while games are a thing of the past. The future holds infinite possibilities for experiments. Experiments are the only thing needed, there is no need for games anymore."

"No games just experiments. No games just experiments…" Ochaco felt a wave of sadness and horror wash over her as the reality of the statement settled in her mind. It would explain a drastic shift in personality, switching back and forth depending on the situation and how he coped. But to torment a child…it was unspeakable. "He…he was experimented on as a child, probably by his own parents. How can someone be so cruel to their children? Yoshizawa—"

"Yoshizawa Isoruko is dead!" Paranoias boomed and the teens clamped their hands over their ears at the deafening noise. Ochaco felt her whole body vibrating from the force, instinctively curling inward to try and ease the sensation. The villain was starting to lose control of himself. Prying had the opposite effect she'd hoped for and now he was acting unhinged. "Who he was is no longer who I am now. Now I spread the word and teachings of All for One, his guidance spreading across the world starting with Japan. You who serves and sacrifices for the sake of the citizens, you are the plague purifying the sacred word of Him. Heroes are the downfall of society!"

"Did he just say All for One?!" Deku grit out as the floor beneath them began trembling. This was bad, if he was working for All for One then this mission just became a lot more dangerous. Communications were still being jammed and with no way to contact the pros, they'd have to either turn back or force their way forward. But right now, Paranoias wasn't giving either of them that option.

"This isn't who you are," Ochaco yelled at the statue as she used its pedestal to steady herself. Maybe she could reason with him, get him to calm down. "What happened to the happy child you used to be? What about the parents that loved you?"

The marbled floor beneath them cracked violently, jagged tiles rising to become deadly palisades. Ochaco stumbled backwards as the tile beneath her bare feet shot upwards faster than she could process. Deku swiftly caught the brunette and began dodging the broken tiles, kicking out at the larger pieces that would cause severe injury. It became a fast game of dodge the deadly shards as the four heroes tried to survive.

"The bastard plans to crush us between the walls!" Bakugo alerted as he began blasting at the slowly but surely moving walls. Todoroki slammed an ice barrier in between them to hinder their movements yet small chunks of ice began popping off as the wall continued to trudge forward uninterrupted. With the rate it was going they were going to be crushed to death in less than a minute.

"From above!" Deku called out as he dodged falling debris while maneuvering the jagged floors. "There's no way out of here except down! We need to blast a hole in the floor!"

"Bakugo!" Todoroki called out as he sent a small glacier towards the ceiling as well. Despite the ice's strength, it couldn't hold up to the overwhelming pressure. Deku rushed over to him to carefully hand Uraraka off. He'd need full mobility to damage the floors and her injuries were too severe to try it.

"Let's go, Kaachan!"

"Don't fucking tell me what to do!"

Bakugo jumped into the air with his gauntlet pointed downward, finger looped around the released pin. Deku leapt as high as possible, leg bent back as power surged throughout his body. On a silent cue both heroes unleashed their powers at the cracked and damaged floor. A massive explosion filled the shrinking room before a thunderous rumbling reverberated in the air. The floor collapsed in on itself with ease, debris shooting down to the dark depths from the clash of powerful quirks. There were no lights in the tunnel yet the heroes dove down into the darkness without a second thought.

Where are you forcing us to go, Yoshizawa? Ochaco thought just as they descended into the pit of unknown.


Paranoias gripped the edge of his desk tightly as he attempted to control the surge of memories threatening to drown him while agonized screams of the past rang throughout his skull. He wasn't sure how Ochaco Uraraka knew his full name, but somehow it triggered memories of his late mother, Natsumi. They were nearly identical, he would admit, perhaps that was why he was so hellbent on torturing her and watching the blood pour from her body as the repressed anger dwelled within him like a beast trapped behind iron bars. His sweet, loving, caring mother who failed to protect him against his ruthless father and his endless torturous experiments time after time. She would always tend to his wounds without a word, sans a single describable expression adorning her face whenever he asked why his father treated him so cruelly. She'd failed as a mother. A protector. During one of his father's rages, the woman would just cower away in the kitchen as he went on a destructive rampage.

A quivering hand ripped the mask from his face, carelessly tossing it aside as he ran a hot palm down his damp skin. Widened eyes locked onto the screens as his hidden cameras picked up on motion the next level down, where the heroes had fallen to. It was, of course, the plan all along yet he hadn't accounted for his captive hero to somehow turn the tide with a personal blow. How did she know his name? Why would she mention his parents so casually? There was no way she would have known them as he had dispatched of his father after he so brutally murdered his mother for threatening to leave and report to the police. Damnit, he was beginning to get sloppy. All for One would be most displeased if he were to receive news of his sloppy work. He needed to redeem himself and fast.

"Paranoias, sir, there are reports of a man knocking down our rankings faster than we can send them to intercept." Ronaldo informed his master quietly from the corner, a finger slipping from the earpiece residing in his ear. "It seems to be a hero though we aren't sure who. I'm afraid there's been a breakage in our line of defenses, sir, what course of action should we take next?"

If three students of U.A. managed to infiltrate his mansion then more heroes were soon to be inbound if they weren't already on the property taking down villains. One by one his playing cards were slipping through his fingertips yet his trump card still held its place securely. There was still time to correct things albeit not the way he wanted them to be done. Plans would have to be rearranged to realign his goal. And that started with those pesky students. "We've already been infiltrated, Ronaldo, those three are excellent students of U.A. High School. I have no doubt there are also pro heroes on the property as well. Our lines are most likely broken so we can expect a surge of skirmishes momentarily."

"Should I send out the experimental test subjects?"

"Not yet, I want you to verify that there are indeed more heroes on the property before unleashing my greatest gifts to the heroes yet. Keep a close eye on things and alert me when the pros make their move. I'm going to continue observing my guinea pig as she weaves through the intricate maze I created for her and her friends. At least she landed where she needed to go so that brings a shining sliver of solace."

"Of course, sir."

Yoshizawa waited until his right hand left the room before releasing an unsteady sigh. His chair creaked as he settled heavily into it. With a press of his keyboard the camera monitors refreshed with a flash, revealing the next layer of his personalized maze. The darkness seemed to have disoriented the group of heroes as they were separated into two groups now. The explosion quirk holder with the one rumored to succeed All Might and the double quirk user with his little guinea pig. Interesting. He never expected the two most opposite heroes to unite for a joint cause. "Let's see how you make it out of this, little guinea pig."


"Evacuation is your top priority! Ensure every citizen gets to the designated area safely! We don't have much time left so do another full sweep before reporting back! Report anything suspicious immediately!" Midnight instructed the crowd of students standing below her, all geared up in their hero outfits as they finished securing off a two mile radius within the city center. More and more reports were filtering in from other countries as paralytic bombs were either blown or found pre-detonation. All Might was relaying the latest information via the security office at U.A. along with the help of Detective Tsukauchi and Principal Nezu. So far nothing had happened in Japan, but Paranoias could be saving the best for last. Word was large groups of villains were rampaging through the city now that it had been evacuated, taking advantage of the chaos to pillage some goods.

"Midnight, how are things on your end?" All Might's voice crackled in her ear once the students began dispersing into the neighborhoods. Even the somnambulist could hear the strain filtering through. Ever since last night, any activity had become a flurry of chaos that they had to reel the reins in.

"The students are focusing on final evacuation right now, we've got a two mile radius blocked off from the city center currently since Paranoias seems to start his attacks there. Do you have any updates on Eraser and his students?"

"Negative. We've lost contact with them so I'm guessing they've found Paranoias' headquarters and he shut down their communications. I can't even reach Hawks right now." All Might replied solemnly as he watched the monitors lining the wall carefully, the room abuzz with instructions being sent to every part of Japan. Thankfully Detective Tsukauchi was a pro at handling all of the chaos as he kept the lines running smoothly."There's a large group of pros headed in that direction so I'm not too worried about them being outmatched, but it's concerning that even Endeavor isn't responding to anyone's messages or calls."

"All we can do now is hope they've found Uraraka safe and sound. Putting our faith into the heroes of the future is the best we can do for now, All Might. Keep me updated on anything you hear, I'm going to secure the area."

"Midnight, there's something over here you need to see!" Real Steel shouted out to the teacher, both arms waving above his head in urgency. Midnight jumped down from atop the truck she was using as a platform and hurried over, a few other students from 1-B hanging around as well. "We noticed this weird container sitting right behind this truck—"

Midnight took one look at it before yanking the student back violently as it made a soft clicking noise. Sensor activated? "Get back from it! It's a paralytic container! Don't breathe in the toxin that gets released!"

"I'll toss it far enough away so the toxin won't release at ground level!" Battle Fist snatched the container in her large fist before winding back her arm. With a mighty heave the container was sent flying high into the sky, far enough away from the gathered heroes before Long Weizi shot a volley of reversed scales to eviscerate the device. A scale punctured through the hard exterior and sparked a fire within. The container went up in flames then imploded loudly which caused debris to rain down from the bright sky. No purple smoke escaped the device meaning it was a dud all along. Midnight tsked lowly. Paranoias was just playing with them all. There could be dozens if not hundreds more of the devices littered around the city right now and there was no way of telling a dud from a live one.

"Well, that seemed a little too easy," Real Steel remarked dully as Midnight released his arm.

"Because that was a decoy," All students turned to look at the teacher in alarm. "There was no paralytic residing in there otherwise purple fumes would have shot out at the moment of impact. Don't tell me he put them all over the city to take us on a wild goose chase."

"So we just need to destroy them all? That doesn't sound too hard, right?" Long Weizi asked as he shook his arm out, reverting the scales back to skin. Midnight bit the tip of her nail as she thought. The whole city could be overflowing with decoys yet some could be the real deal. There was no way of checking without destroying every single container, but that could take hours to hunt them down within the maze-like neighborhood structuring. And with a good amount of heroes on the other side of the island, it wasn't possible to achieve.

"All Might, we have a problem here. He's placed decoy containers throughout the city, there could be hundreds of them just lying around. We were lucky the one destroyed didn't have any paralytic in it." Midnight pressed the button on the earpiece with urgency. Command would have to start tracking the locations of duds in order to narrow down the real ones. But if there were hundreds, filtering them was pointless.

"It's not just your section, Midnight, we're getting reports of more decoys littered throughout city centers from other sections. Evacuations haven't finished…" The signal cut out and the pro hero felt the tension building within. Something wasn't right, their line of communication should be secured and inaccessible from any outside source. It took a minute before the line reconnected, All Might's voice now strained. "Villains have begun attacking the other squadrons, Midnight, you need to stay on your guard! Avoid the containers at all cost! Do not destroy them, I repeat—"

"What a lovely surprise seeing you here, Midnight. I don't believe we ever finished our conversation last time. It seems the tide has turned now, hasn't it? Such a shame for you heroes." Yu Hojo stopped short of the pro hero and her underlings, villains flanking to either side of him ready and eager to fight. A smug grin twitched at his lips beneath his crystal face covering as the pro pushed herself in front of the teens, arm out in a protective manner. She wouldn't let him get to a single student, even if it cost her life.

"Yu Hojo, I'm flattered you remembered me! You must be back for more punishment this time, maybe I'll have to whip you even harder to get the message across that villains can never win as long as heroes are here. The naughtiest boys always come crawling back for more whippings." Midnight sneered as she cracked her whip forcefully against the ground. The students of class 1-B armed themselves as some of the villains began inching forward, the taste of battle tingling their nerves. Now was the time to put all of their training to the test in the fields.

"Things won't be going your way this time, hero, I've got plenty of backup and you only have a few hero wannabes standing behind you. I'd say this is pretty much a one-sided fight, love." Yu raised his hand to signal the villains eagerly waiting to pounce, his gaze never leaving the pro hero who had helped apprehend him last time. His quirk activated, covering his body in hardened crystals, and he let his hand fall forward to let the carnage begin.

_B_

Yaoyorozu created a long, steel pole just in time to reflect a villain's attack, the metal bar groaning from the heavy blow. The dirt like projectiles were sent flying back towards the attacker only to hit thin air. They'd been on the defensive for a while but it was wearing them down. Mistakes were starting to be made, stances becoming sloppy. "Stay on your guards, they're trying to outflank us!"

"Where did these guys even come from?" Sato shouted out in between defensive dodges against another villain's rapid punches, the hero finally getting an opening so he thrust his fist upwards into the man's jaw. A few seconds of breathing time was all he had before another one had latched onto his back, wrangling his arms around his neck in a suffocating attack. With a swift reaction, Sato yanked the villain's arms forward before rolling his body forward to slam him into the ground back first then following with an elbow to the gut as a finishing blow. The villain let out a miserable moan before passing out.

"Who cares! We're outnumbered here anyways!" Mineta screeched as he sloppily dodged a sword swipe before throwing a volley of sticky balls at the villain, succeeding in pinning his feet and left hand to the ground. "We don't have enough heroes here to push back and Thirteen is more search and rescue than a fighter! This isn't exactly a winning situation for us!"

"We'll have to make do with what we've got, Mineta! People's lives are at stake right now and we can't afford to lose focus!" Tokoyami snapped back as he sent Dark Shadow out to take out three villains together, the shadow latching onto them before flinging them to the opposite side of the battlefield. Just as he retracted back defensively, five more villains took their spot. It was a never ending struggle to gain the upper hand on the battlefield. "It's our job to protect the citizens at any cost, that's what it means to be a hero."

"This would be a lot easier if we had Midoriya or Bakugo or Todoroki here!" Grape Juice wailed as blood trickled down his forehead from the strain of removing his sticky balls. His scalp was screaming from the excessive removal of his hair and the blood loss was starting to disorient the hero.

"They have an even more dangerous mission than us right now. They've joined up with Endeavor and his agency to go directly to the villain's hideout to rescue Uraraka and bring down Paranoias. I got the information from All Might once they finished sorting us into groups. This is nothing compared to what they must be going through." Creati stumbled back as her staff finally broke, a shield immediately protruding from her body to block a follow up strike. She dodged the first fist aimed for her face then swiftly countered with a blow to the back of the head.

"Are they crazy? Running directly into that madman's place and with the number one hero too? That sounds like a serious battle!" Sugar Rush replied in surprise before punching a villain directly in the face then promptly flinging him towards oncoming attackers. He slapped his hands together to clear any dust before readying for the next target. "Though I'm not surprised, they are the three strongest in the class after all. I'm a bit worried Midoriya might be reckless considering Uraraka is involved. He tends to be a bit irrational when it comes to his friends being injured."

"Todoroki specifically requested Bakugo and Midoriya to assist, even Eraser Head went with them per Principal Nezu's orders. It's supposed to be a covert operation to get in and out. "

"One thing is for sure then," Tokoyami declared as Dark Shadow swept away the straggler villains attempting to now get away, the creature slamming them together before cleaning house. His classmates tossed curious glances to him in between their offensive and defensive movements. A smile adorned his face as he rolled his shoulders for the next round. "Uraraka will be returned home safely and Paranoias will be brought down by the three strongest students of class 1-A. So we should give our all to hold down the cities while they put an end to all of this. Our complete faith in them will give them the strength they need to have a successful mission to save the world."

"Three strongest, huh? Guess that means I need to put a little more effort into my training then! We can't fall behind if they're paving the way for the rest of us!" Sugar Rush decided as he grabbed a villain in a headlock, turning to confidently smile at his classmates while the man struggled to escape.

"Yes, I have the utmost faith that they will all return safely. We'll do our best to keep things under control here and ensure the safety of the citizens!" Yaoyorozu agreed as well, hands resting against her chest sincerely.

"We all have a long way to go if we're going to catch up to those three so we may as well start now." Tokoyami gave an encouraging nod before fully releasing Dark Shadow's potential as another wave of villains targeted them from down the street. He couldn't let those three outshine the rest of the class without a fight.

"Yes!"