"Sorry to make you carry me, Todoroki," Ochaco apologized sheepishly as her classmate supported her on his back while the two trekked down a narrowed stone hallway. Their fall from the upper level had somehow split them up so she ended up with Todoroki instead of Deku. She'd woken up to her classmate shaking her shoulder and calling her name, the brunette sitting straight up when she realized Deku was gone. Perhaps he'd gotten stuck with Bakugo though that seemed like a time-bomb waiting to happen. But that was better than wandering through a villains mansion solo.
"It's no problem, Uraraka, your injuries are severe so you shouldn't be moving around or they'll get worse." Shoto replied with a slight tilt of his head so she could hear better. "At least Midoriya had some bandages for your abdomen. I think he was trying to make sure he was more prepared if you were injured again. It's lucky we ran into you when we did since you seemed to be in trouble with those villains."
"That sounds like Deku being Deku." The brunette replied softly. He knew she was most likely injured so he'd tried to prepare himself for the worst outcome. She was grateful for his readiness during battle, as a hero should be, but what hurt was seeing his face. A knife dragged at her heart painfully. He was torturing himself over not rescuing her sooner, his eyes showing the pain within. Whatever happened last night in the dorms must've shook him to the core. It was all still a blur, but that image of him slumping in defeat always remained at the forefront of her mind. "I wonder where this tunnel is going. It seems to just keep going and going with no end in sight. I swear we've passed that same torch about ten times already. Feels like Deja vu."
Todoroki slowed his steps before stopping in front of said torch, staring at it with an even gaze. After a few moments of silence Ochaco tilted her face to look at the torch as well. Being stuck on another person's back gave her plenty of time to study the details of their surroundings. So with a quick once-over the teen realized it was the same torch, down to the ragged scratches where the holder clamped onto the metal shaft. They'd fallen straight into one of Paranoias' traps already. "I think this is the same torch, Uraraka. We've been continuing down a looping hallway for a while now. Paranoias must have set this up knowing we would have no other option than to fall through the floor down to the next level. He's trying to get us disoriented."
"Then we need to find a way to break the illusion. We could try going back—it's gone…he's blocked us off again, Todoroki." Ochaco gaped as the hallway behind them had become sealed off, a solid wall blocking their way backwards. Wasting energy on trying to break it was useless. If it was anything like the ones they'd just dealt with, damaging it wouldn't work and wasted quirks reserves. So much for that idea. No games, just experiments. But what on earth was he trying to experiment with keeping them in an endless hallway?
"He wants us to keep going which means there might be an end to this hallway after all. I'm not sure what's waiting up ahead, Todoroki, but let's keep going." Todoroki started pushing forward once more and the brunette watched from the corner of her eye as the wall behind them seemed to follow right on their heels. It was getting harder and harder to predict what Yoshizawa's final plan was. He'd gotten flustered when she'd mentioned his parents, the villain momentarily losing his composure and exposing a different side of him, yet it was soon replaced with repressed anger. The question was who was the anger aimed at? And why did he need her specifically?
_B_
"Is this all you've got ya damned villain?! Come on, throw something a little more exciting at me! I'll blow everything to pieces!" Bakugo screamed while obliterating every physical object in his path, maniacal laughter mixing with the sounds of explosions. Deku just watched on from a safe distance with slumped shoulders. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten split up from Uraraka and Todoroki in the darkness, but as long as the two were together he wouldn't worry as much. Before suiting up, Aizawa made sure they were equipped with emergency treatment materials for a worst case scenario. The ideal outcome was to grab Uraraka unharmed then evacuate. Paranoias had other plans for that. Deku wouldn't worry until they all got out of there, so he tried to focus on what to do next while Bakugo continued blowing shit up. Well, apart from being blown up by the crazed pyromaniac in front of him. That he would seriously worry about.
"Kaachan, maybe you should stop blowing stuff up for a minute so we can find an escape route…"
"Shut it, nerd! I'm going to bring that bastard straight to us!"
Deciding it was best to allow his childhood friend to potentially just collapse the whole house on top of them instead of sensibly talking it out, Deku set about scouring the area for an exit and signs of life. Surely there had to be some way out of here if Paranoias used it at all throughout his life. Minutes of exploring the abandoned hallways led the hero to a large metal door resting out of sight behind a pile of discarded desks and filing cabinets. A bright yellow hazard sign barely concealed behind one of the cabinets stopped him in his tracks, a warning for radioactive materials. The sign looked well-worn down but radioactive material could take anywhere from minutes to decades to reach a safe level for humans depending on the type. "What would be down here that's radioactive?"
A shiver ran up his spine, an indicator that dangerous was near, so Deku leapt backwards as the ceiling gave a mighty rumble before collapsing that whole section of hallway. He dangled from black whip as the dust settled slowly. The explosions behind him had died down so he assumed Kaachan heard the noise or felt the vibrations and was no doubt on his way to check out it out. He dropped back down to the floor with ease and slowly stepped towards the pile of debris. The floor, while damaged and just the slightest bit caved in, seemed to have hit dirt meaning they were at the deepest section of this wing or even the entire mansion. Cabinets and desks filled in some of the flooring gaps, clearing the doorway just enough for a body to squeeze through. With some shifting around, Deku cleared the doorway large enough for the door to swing open.
"Radioactive warning? What's that bastard hiding down here now?" Bakugo pushed past Deku and stomped over the debris with ease to stop in front of the door. "Locked? I'll take care of that problem! Bastard can't hide shit from me!"
"Kaachan, if you set off an explosion then whatever's back there could react and create a large fireball that'll wipe everyone in this mansion out!" Bakugo scowled at him before swiping a small drop of sweat in between the doorframe and handle then carefully positioned his finger at it. A small pop filled the air and the door jolted open slowly. Both teens hesitated for a minute to make sure nothing would blow up before breathing again. No toxic smells or fumes seemed to be leaking out though a sort of funky air filtered out.
"I know that dumbass, I'm not stupid like the rest of you. I'm well aware that explosions and radioactive material don't mix well which is why I only used a small fraction of my quirk's power to blow the lock. You should've figured that out being a damn nerd and all."
"Uh, right…"
Bakugo swung the door open without a care and begrudgingly Deku followed with a bit more caution. It was dark, which was to be expected, but after some scrambling around for their phones the room became more illuminated. Electronic test panels lined the walls covered in a thick layer of dust with some of the gauges having been broken long ago, their faceplates heavily coated with glass as well. Chairs were strewn throughout the room alongside burnt papers scattered across the broken floors with illegible hand writing. Broken glass crunched beneath their feet as they ventured further into the lab with guards raised. It was obvious the place was abandoned yet there could still be toxic chemicals lying around or even in the air they were breathing. Deku swung his light to his right and stiffened up at the sight.
"Kaachan,"
"What?"
"I think an explosion happened in here…"
"Yeah, probably whatever they were testing overheated or reacted wrong to something. Why?"
"…because there's still a skeleton in here."
Bakugo immediately swung his light to where Deku's was and began walking over to investigate. A half charred skeleton was resting against the wall with its jaw agape, head lolled to its shoulder in a slumped posture. Part of its lab coat remained yet the rest was long gone, burnt to a crisp. Deku recoiled in a mixture of disgust and shame as his friend began digging around in the lab coat pockets for anything useful. The bones rattled eerily with each shuffling hand and Deku placed a hand over his mouth while silencing praying to be forgiven. "There's gotta be something on him if he was a scientist working on whatever that was. Check around for any notes that survived the explosion."
The two searched the lab as thoroughly as possible for even a single scrap of information that could lead them to what happened. Burnt documents, damaged computers, empty file cabinets. The trail was looking pretty thin until Deku accidentally knocked a computer keyboard off a desk, the plastic clacking loudly against the floor. As he made to put it back a glint caught his eye on the underside of it. "There's a key attached here. No note or anything, just a key with the teeth broken off so it couldn't be used."
"I think I figured out what caused the explosion," Bakugo shone his light towards the shattered radiation shield, the beam settling just underneath to the control panel. Underneath the chunks of glass were two key ports, one key facing the override function and the other… "Someone sabotaged an experiment by breaking off the key in the control panel. By turning it to Emergency Shutdown then snapping off the top so no one could revert it back to the other commands. I'll bet bones over there tried to start it up and needed to override the system but couldn't because the commands were cancelling each other out. That's probably the key that did it then someone hid it before the reactor blew. But if this entire reactor blew why is the mansion still standing? This whole area would've been completely destroyed for years."
"Maybe…maybe something else happened in here. This seems like a reactor control room but if that were the case then everything would have melted from the high levels of radiation. I don't think this was a nuclear accident yet im positive there was an explosion in here." Deku mumbled against his hand as he studied over the clues they'd found so far. A full blown nuclear explosion would've leveled this house and everything within miles yet only a fraction of the room had burn marks, like a controlled fire happened in here. "The skeleton is the only one in here so the person was either working alone and confronted by someone or…"
"You think they tried to off themselves? Unless he really fucked up I doubt that's the case. I'm going to get in that room and see what's in there, this is all starting to get suspicious." Bakugo declared before marching over to a door nestled in the back corner labeled Reactor Entrance.
"W-wait, Kaachan, we still don't know what's in there!" Deku plead as he followed suit nervously, wringing his hands together. There could be radiated items, toxic fumes, villains, giant mutated rats—maybe not giant mutated rats, but you could never be too careful in situations like this. It could also be a trap though with the door being locked and blocked with debris, it wouldn't make much sense for that to be the case.
"Quit being such a baby, Deku, there's nothing in here…" Bakugo slowly trailed off as he shoved the door open dramatically, light sweeping across the room. The light stopped on something just out of sight for Deku and as he neared, the blond held out a hand to stop him in his tracks. He couldn't read the expression on his face but judging by the tense posture he held whatever was in that room wasn't good. The door was slowly pulled back until it clicked shut. Bakugo gripped the handle tightly to calm his nerves, but he was sure his face was contorted into a mix of disgust and horror as he stared heavily at the door. A hand quickly covered his mouth and nose as the smell permeated into the rest of the room. Deku caught wind of the stench and raised his sleeve to his face, face twisting in disgust.
"What's in there, Kaachan," Deku asked quietly as the phone in his quivered the slightest bit. He shouldn't have asked yet it slipped out. A quiet voice in the back of his mind whispered what it was but he adamantly denied it despite the smell floating in the air. He didn't want to know, he didn't want to know, he didn't want to…
"Bodies…and some of them aren't that old either."
Eraser Head released his captive from the confines of his scarf with a flick of his wrist, the villain smacking into the floor with an audible thud. After he lost contact with Hawks and Midoriya, the pro encountered wave after wave of villains as he raced through the mansion. It wasn't nearly as bad as other missions, but all of the fighting still left the pro a bit winded in his rather laxed profession as a teacher. He took a minute to catch his breath then lifted his goggles. This place was like a maze with its endless hallways, confusing twists and turns, dead ends. The only thing that'd been helpful was tracking which direction the villains came running in from. None of them had spilled any worthwhile information so that was a bust, but if he continued in that direction then surely he'd make it past all of the low-leveled grunts being sent his way. By now the other pros should be storming their way through after a loud explosion shook the building.
He took the moment of silence to check his phone. No signal still. Paranoias must be scrambling any outside signal to prevent his location from being revealed, which meant no contact with Hawks or Endeavor. Nonetheless, he still had a mission to complete so with a quick adjustment of his goggles the pro was off once more. The deeper into the mansion Eraser ventured the less villains there seemed to be. A few here, a few there, nothing like the security force there was when they first arrived. Had the other pros taken enough out to thin their numbers or did Paranoias have something else waiting for them? He needed to keep his guard up and prepare for anything.
"Era…head…copy…" The earpiece crackled so the pro pressed the talk button on the small device. At least there was brief connection left. He doubted it would last more than a few seconds…unless the jammer was going down.
"What's going on, Hawks?"
"…dents…attack…sending…in…now…" Hawks' garbled voice crackled into his ear before completely losing signal. Eraser rounded a corner with an audible tsk. This signal scrambling was really starting to get annoying. He couldn't fully comprehend what the reconnaissance pro was going about but he had a hunch it had to do with the pros finally making a move. That meant his students made themselves known even after he told them not to. Damn brats.
"They're all going to get a three hour lecture when this is over."
Endeavor pummeled his way through the villains with ease as he and his team broke through the security perimeter on the east side of the mansion, more pros filing in through other sections. Hawks' message had barely gotten through while Eraser Head and his students remained unresponsive so it was time to rush in. Things were not going as planned, the delicate mission now turning into an all-out hero versus villain battle that could jeopardize the safety of Ochaco Uraraka in the process. Damnit, he should've kept a closer eye on Eraser Head and Midoriya. Maybe it would've been best for those two to stay behind.
"Sir, Team Beta is moving in through the north and Team Charlie is sweeping up through the south with a backup squad filling in the west. Still no report on Eraser Head or the three U.A. students," Burnin informed her superior while keeping pace with the number one pro, Kido and Onima flanking both flame users. "We have no information regarding the location of Ochaco Uraraka so acting recklessly could compromise her safety. Paranoias' location is still unknown as well. This is going to be a blind battle."
"I'm entrusting the search and rescue of Ochaco Uraraka to Eraser Head and his students, our priority is to now find the villain Paranoias and bring him to justice. All teams switch to offense status. Take down any villain that gets in your way!" Endeavor ordered as more opponents appeared in his vision. Nothing more than low-level thugs with weak quirks. A scowl flickered his mouth downward as he blasted them with hellfire, knocking them all out within a second. This was fairly light security for such a powerful villain. Did that mean these were just the extras before the real security force came out?
"Sir!"
_B_
Paranoias bit down on the end of his thumb in spiraling frustration. The heroes were rushing into the mansion from all sides and his supply of villains was running dangerously low. There were some high leveled pros amongst the newbies as well. Endeavor, Eraser Head, Hawks, even Hound Dog and Ectoplasm from U.A. were sniffing around somewhere on the property, no doubt aiding in destroying his defensive lines and preventing any stragglers from escaping. The number one hero in all of Japan incinerated a group of villains on the monitors without a second thought, his mind set on finding the top villain himself. A twitch tugged at his mouth when his gaze dropped to the lower level cameras. Katsuki Bakugo had managed to destroy every camera in that area with his destructive quirk leaving the villain reeling with frustration. The cameras pointed down the illusioned hallway Ochaco Uraraka and Shoto Todoroki navigated were working intermittently as well. Every few seconds it would flicker out or freeze up. Damn.
The mansion itself was in an unstable state thanks to his modifications over the years, which he knew in itself was a possibility, but he hadn't realized it was to this extent. Time was running out as his desperation rose. Those kids were smart, they would find a way out sooner rather than later even though his little experiment had yet to be completed. Ochaco Uraraka was still needed for the grand finale. He wouldn't rest until he had his hands on her. "Ronaldo."
"Yes, sir?"
"Unleash the test subjects on all levels and bring me Ochaco Uraraka unharmed. I can still make this work but I need her. Make sure the pros and her classmates are kept preoccupied until she is in my lab. Do not fail me, Ronaldo."
"Of course, sir."
Paranoias waited until the door shut quietly behind his right-hand man before violently slamming his fist against the security console. No, no, no, no, no! Everything had been planned out meticulously for years yet it was all unraveling in less than an hour. He'd waited so long for his revenge against quirked society then those damn students got wrapped up in the first attack. Now there were pro heroes storming his compound and taking down the hired help that had taken so long to acquire after the first few hiccups. Enhanced strength, speed, amplified quirks all for nothing as they were taken down one by one with ease. Sloppy. So, so, sloppy and surely—
"Paranoias. I hear things have gotten a little loose on your end. You know I'm displeased with messy work."
The villain felt a shiver run up his spine as he slowly stood straight up. He wasn't alone in the room anymore. They must've gotten in when Ronaldo left, just sitting and waiting in the shadows for their chance. With a trembling frame he turned around towards the source of the noise. There, hiding within the confines of the darkness, stood a person holding up an illuminated phone screen connected to Boss. Dark hair, heavily scarred face, piercing blue eyes. The man who burned with flames rivaled to Endeavor himself. "D-Dabi…w-what a pleasure to see you."
"Cut the pointless chatter, Yoshizawa, you've got other concerns right now. This is a business meeting to go over your performance." Dabi drawled lazily as he shook the phone at him. Why did he always get sent on messenger duty? "Boss isn't happy with the progress you're making and frankly, it's laughable that you call yourself a reputable villain. Paranoias? What the hell kinda name is that anyways?"
"Now, now, Dabi, we shouldn't be too hard on the man. He did manage to launch paralytic bombs across the entire world, so I'll give you a hint of credit for that. Frankly, Yoshizawa, I'm disappointed with how things are progressing. Your sole job in all of this was to get closer to Izuku Midoriya, not his classmate Ochaco Uraraka. I've given you plenty of options to choose from yet you created one that inadvertently did the opposite of what you thought it would. Now you have the entire pro hero force descending upon your doorstep with the sole goal of taking you down and charging you as an international terrorist. So tell me, Paranoias, what exactly is your goal now?"
"F-forgive me, sir, I-I never intended to be a disgrace to you!" Yoshizawa nearly bent himself in half bowing at the phone much to Dabi's amusement. All of his nightmares were coming true as All for One waited patiently on the other end of the line. He was dead, so dead, if he failed any more with the Quantum Council. He'd rather relive the experiments he experienced as a child than deal with the mega villain's wrath. "I-I have just released the experiments into the building with the g-goal of recapturing Ochaco Uraraka to complete my plans. They should be fast enough to swoop in before those U.A. students realize what is happening. I assure you, sir, I won't fail again."
"You don't even sound reassured yourself, Yoshizawa, so it's safe to assume that you'll most likely fail just like all of the others before you. Dabi has brought along a parting gift of sorts to end this disgrace of a partnership. Use it wisely in what little time you have left before the heroes catch and imprison you." The line went dead and Dabi shoved the device back into his pocket while strolling towards Paranoias with a bored look on his face. Yoshizawa stumbled backwards, hitting his chair before falling to the ground in fear. Was he going to be killed? Maimed? Tortured? Torn limb from limb?
"Get up, we have work to do now, Paranoias. Boss is already displeased with your performance and has been kind enough to send you with a parting gift. Hold out your arm." Dabi ordered as he crouched over the frightened man. Was he seriously about to waste a quality product on this weak clown imposter? When he couldn't lift his arm the villain yanked it forward roughly before plunging a needle deep into the flesh. A thumb pushed down on the plunger to inject an off orange liquid into his bloodstream.
"O-ouch! What in the world did you just do?" Yoshizawa screeched after the needle was removed and carelessly tossed across the room. He slapped a hand over the tender spot as he watched the villain stand with his hands in his pocket.
"Gave you something to man up a bit. Don't let it go to waste now," Dabi's voice warbled as his body began to melt away, a sinister grin etched across his face. It wasn't his real body, just a copy. "And tell Shoto I say hello, will you?"
Yoshizawa panted heavily as fire began racing up his arm, tracing through every vein and artery as his heart pumped the tainted blood throughout his body. His airway became constricted and he grabbed at his throat with clawing hands, rolling around on his floor in pure agony. A blinding pain blanketed his mind and a bloodcurdling scream left his mouth. Arched back, spasming limbs, no control of the sack of flesh he'd occupied for decades. He was dying. The villain had no doubt All for One was intending on wiping him out for his uselessness. A thought faintly flashed through his mind and he choked out a laugh. Years of experiments by his father's hand and this was how he went out? A bit of poison? He would be so ashamed that his guinea pig fell like this.
Paranoias' quirk activated subconsciously and the room was filled with high intensity strobing lights. His eyes were blinking faster than he could comprehend as the cap on his quirks ability jumped drastically, power overflowing through cells like a broken dam. If he had to compare strengths, it felt like he could take on All Might himself. Eternity passed before he was able to lie motionless on the ground, catching his breath after the horrendous experience. Alive…he was still alive. Yoshizawa twitched his fingers experimentally against the cold tile. Oddly he felt more energized and livelier than ever, even when he sat up to take a deep breath in. Flashing screens dragged his attention upwards and he practically leapt to his feet in a flash. Interesting. Even weight didn't hinder his movements. He scanned over the monitors with rejuvenated hope. The creations he'd ordered released were tearing their way through the building knocking back less powerful combatants left and right, even his own hired help were defenseless in their wake. His body tingled with excitement. He could do this, there was still a chance thanks to All for One. Now all he needed to do was wait for them to bring back the hero Uravity…
Yoshizawa frowned at the idea. Why was he just going to sit here and wait for them when he could now easily go and find her? Their minds were still linked and thanks to whatever Dabi gave him, the villain knew exactly where she was at the moment as if he were looking through her very eyes. The hastily discarded mask was picked up gingerly with both hands. A crack had begun to form down the center, a thin hairline fracture hidden well beneath the swirling pattern that had created his identity so many years ago. A glove delicately brushed some dirt off. It fit snugly against his flesh and Paranoias took in a deep breath while grabbing his cane. Electricity zipped throughout his body as his quirk toiled powerfully within him. Yes, this would do nicely.
"Come now, heroes, the nights only just beginning," With a sharp snap of his cape the villain vanished from the control room.
The walk deeper through the mansion was silent as Bakugo and Deku tried to get the gruesome scene removed from their minds. After Bakugo closed the door then composed himself, he promptly dragged the stunned hero out of the room and continued for a few good minutes before they made it to a different section of the basement. Neither spoke as they ventured on, turmoil digging deep to their very cores.
Deku tried to distract his mind from what Kaachan said was behind the door yet it seemed to keep submerging into his conscious. Why were there bodies there? How long had they been lying in the room? How…how fresh were they according to what Kaachan said? He shook his head to clear away the thoughts. Dwelling on it now would do nothing but hinder their mission to recover Uraraka and take down Paranoias though the former seemed to have been sidetracked for the time being. He could only hope she ended up with Todoroki after they split up but worry began gnawing at him. What if she hadn't found him and was either wandering alone or back in the clutches of Paranoias? Her injuries were nothing to sneeze about so there was always the chance they had gotten worse and she could've—
"Wait," Bakugo suddenly spoke lowly, a hand thrown out to stop Deku. The teen blinked owlishly before snapping his guard back up. They were stopped at a section of hallway that branched off into a few different directions but he knew right away he wasn't talking about that problem. The air had turned sour, a heavy stench fogging over the entire area. Deku pressed the back of his glove to his mouth to ease it. The smell was starting to make him nauseous.
"What's that smell? It's awful," Deku breathed out with a scrunch of his nose. It smelled worse than the control room with the pile of bodies in it and that was only a brief whiff. Bakugo tilted his head the slightest bit to better gauge the type of gas that filled the air. "Chemicals? No, it smells more like something burning. but what would be burning down here?"
"It's an ammonia leak!" Bakugo shouted as he jumped backwards with hands shifting upwards to his face in an attempt to block out some of the gas.
The hair on Deku's neck stood straight up as he too jumped out of the way. Explosions racked the basement before a massive plume of fire filled the pathways with high intensity heat, increasing the putrid stench by a hundred fold. The teens clamped their hands over their faces in a futile attempt to stave off the horrendous odor burning up their senses. Deku tried to open his eyes but tears streaming down his face blurred his vision until he clamped them shut while the air cleared a bit. A hand shoved his body to the ground and he blearily peeked over to see Bakugo motioning for him to stay low as the flames began shooting towards them with such ferocity the teen thought it was alive. If he could clear it out then maybe they could get away with only minor injuries.
Straightening out his left arm Deku prepped his fingers for a blast as he blindly aimed about forty-five degrees upwards. He took a muffled breath in then unleashed a blast at five percent to lower the level of destruction. The blast tore through the flames then into a wall supporting one of the smaller side tunnels, effectively collapsing it in and opening up the floor above it. Fresh air whooshed in, snuffing the flames out within seconds and clearing the stale air. The teens slowly shifted to sitting positions to cough up any remnant ammonia residing in their lungs.
"What the fuck is that guy doing with that much ammonia? He could kill off an entire city with that high of a level," Bakugo growled with a spit, wiping his mouth off with the back of his glove. "Idiot should've learned long ago that ammonia and fire don't mix that well, especially in that high of concentrations."
"Wait," Deku spoke up as he dusted himself off with both hands before turning to look at his partner with realization. "If ammonia is flammable in a high enough concentration then exposed to flames it could create an explosion that would dissipate after no more than a few seconds, leaving no evidence of an attack aside from burn marks. If he has this high of a concentration stored down here, then I have no doubt that man in the radioactive room could've been attacked with ignited ammonia. Considering it was long ago enough when it happened then the gas would've dissipated therefore leaving no evidence. Whoever was in there was most likely attacked with the chemical but the question remains why. It also doesn't explain the shattered glass but anything could've been thrown into the window or through it, maybe the force of the explosion caused the glass to—"
"We've got other problems now, Deku, so quit your damn ramblings." Bakugo snapped out before stomping down the hallway, looking left and right before heading towards the source of the flames. Deku quickly followed suit with wary eyes searching down every side passage they walked by. The air still stank so he pulled the mask onto his face to limit how much he inhaled.
"I wonder if Uraraka is with Todoroki. Her injuries were pretty severe to begin with and I'm sure they were exacerbated from the fall, too."
Bakugo remained silent as he trudged down the hallway in search of the source of the chemical. Cheeks could take care of herself, despite how painful it was to admit, she was pretty strong and reliable when needed. Though the nerd was right; her injuries were severe and actively bleeding, not to mention if Paranoias had thrown her into a fighting ring then her stamina and quirk had probably been overused, wearing her down into nothing more than dead weight. Another rumbling shook the ground and he stopped to listen for any other shifting before moving on. This whole place was about to collapse on top of them. Being on the lowest level meant hundreds of tons of material could flatten them like pancakes if they didn't hurry up. Another rumble caught his attention and the pyro stopped to stare at the wall to his right. It was a more localized one that seemed to be growing in both speed and intensity, meaning it wasn't a foundation problem. Whatever was coming, it was coming in fast.
"Incoming,"
The stone wall to his right turned into projectile missiles that had both heroes jumping back to avoid being hit. It was a heavy amount of debris that slammed into the opposite wall, inevitably damaging the stone and causing it to crumble. In the midst of debris flashed red and white and Todoroki slammed up against the pile of rocks before scrambling to his feet. He didn't even bother casting a glance at them while preparing to launch another attack.
"Todoroki!" Deku shouted as his classmate sent flames back through the hole he'd just emerged from, his right side steaming wildly as he regulated his temperature.
"Midoriya, Bakugo, it's Paranoias. Something's different about him now," The dual quirk holder shouted as he rolled out of the way of more projectiles. He increased the heat of his flames in an attempt to overpower their enemy lurking behind the damaged wall. Nothing he threw at the villain was working. Somehow in the duration since Uraraka escaped and now, he'd gotten a major power upgrade. If All for One were involved, then it's possible he was given a booster. "But we've got bigger problems. I'm almost drawing even with him, but something isn't right, he's nearly pro level with his strength and quirk power when he was listed to be non-combatant by Endeavor's agency. Something happened between the time Uraraka left him and now, most likely All for One offering a hand in the form of a booster. I can't break his guard."
"Move it, icy hot! Time for some ass kicking!" Bakugo snarled before launching himself off the damaged wall and straight into the hole with his gauntlet pin in the other hand. "AP Shot!"
"Are you hurt at all, Todoroki?" Deku hurried over to his classmate. Todoroki shook his head while explosions rang out in the background. Something about his friends uneasy expression that settled heavily in the pits of his stomach. Uraraka wasn't with him. Or anywhere to be seen. Did Paranoias get her? "Weren't you with Uraraka? What happened to her?"
"We got separated by a sudden blast I'm sorry, Midoriya. Paranoias showed up out of nowhere and sent us both flying in different directions. I've been trying to get back over there to search for her, yet I can't find an opening to get past this guy. He's been reflecting attacks and using illusion tricks to conceal where they're coming from. We've been sparring for a while now and he's intentionally blocking the path to the other side."
"I'm going to find Uraraka, try to hold Paranoias down." Deku shouted over the noise as he unleashed Full Cowl throughout his body, fists clenched in front of him determinedly. Shoto nodded after a moment before reigniting his flames to continue the battle. They weren't going to let Paranoias keep them pinned down for long.
"Go, we'll handle things here."
Deku didn't waste a second more as he leapt into the freshly created tunnel at full speed. Bakugo had pushed the villain further back, leaving a path of destruction for the two teens to pass through as they followed the sounds of battle. The air in front him suddenly became sluggish and twisted and before he could fully process what was happening, a projectile emerged from thin air missing his face by just a few centimeters as he snapped it out of the way in time. More and more air warps forced the hero to dodge, slide, even blast them out of the way as he pushed himself to go faster. Paranoias was trying to keep them out so he could corner Uraraka and take her somewhere out of their reach. Deku wouldn't allow that even up until his dying breath. Not again. Not ever again.
Wait for me, Uraraka!
_B_
Ochaco pushed herself forward using the wall, bloodied hand scraping roughly over the worn stones. An explosion out of nowhere had sent both her and Todoroki flying in different directions faster than she could blink, so now she was alone and running out of energy to even move. The wound on her abdomen had started bleeding even heavier after the attack sending pain radiating throughout her beaten and broken body with every breath. The bandages were saturated and unable to contain all of the blood as it soaked what remained of her shirt. She'd torn her sweatshirt off and tied it tight but it was only a matter of time before that soaked through too. Trying to lift her feet one by one was exhausting and all she wanted to do was sleep despite the warnings from her brain. Falling asleep in this condition could prove fatal. Wherever she'd ended up at least had better lighting and appeared to be a more frequently used passageway. Her free hand tugged Deku's jacket tighter around her body as a cold chill nipped at her.
"You don't look well, deary, why not come with me for a cup of tea?" Paranoias materialized in Ochaco's path with a gloved hand extended out invitingly. The hero glared weakly at him before shifting around him to lean against the opposite wall with a stumble. He instantly reappeared in her path, forcing her to stop once more and she pursed her lips in annoyance. Toying with her was his favorite pastime.
"You've had your fun, your little experiments on me. What's your reasoning for keeping me here? In this state it would only take one hit to take me down, so why not get it over with?"
"Feisty as ever, Ochaco Uraraka, but alas the fun isn't over quite yet. Your friends on the other hand appear to be more energetic than ever. Bakugo has destroyed every camera on the south side of the building, Todoroki is putting up quite the fight with a mirror image of myself right now, and last but not least…Izuku Midoriya. The soon to be successor of the infamous All Might. Sacrificing his body for the sake of the helpless citizens who constantly need rescuing from the big, bad villains." Paranoias whirled his cane before letting it come to a rest against her forehead lightly. Ochaco widened her eyes expecting something to happen, yet he pulled it away after a few moments with a low chuckle. Bastard. "Your little lover boy is tearing through my mansion in search of you. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd show up sooner rather than later. Such devotion that makes my heart flutter."
"Leave Deku out of this, Yoshizawa, I'm—"
"Serious? Why so serious? May as well enjoy the show before the final curtain falls, hero. As we speak, pro heroes are flooding my mansion while taking down my defenses and comrades. I believe even your teacher, Eraser Head, has joined the battle alongside Japan's number one. Endeavor. Endeavor, Endeavor, Endeavor. Such a big, brawny man with a surprisingly smart head in between those rippling muscles. You've certainly drawn a lot of unwanted attention to my humble abode deary, so I'd much rather lie low in the darkness from now on. There are still many things to do in such a miniscule duration of time."
Ochaco stared at him tiredly wishing he would just get it over with. Eraser Head she wasn't too surprised about, but if the number one pro was leading the assault then that meant they'd planned a full-scale mission to find her and bring her back. Tears stung her eyes as her legs gave out and she slid against the wall to rest on the floor weakly with a hand covering her face. First her friends, then her teacher, now countless pro heroes were risking their lives for her safety. All of that for just one person. They were all risking their lives for her and she didn't even have the strength to fight the villain standing before her. Pathetic. How could she call herself a hero?
Paranoias dropped to a crouch with a hand against his chin, eyes locked onto the broken and defeated child before him. In a way it reminded him of his sickly childhood self. Locked away in his room after countless hours of testing, poking, prodding, stabbing. The tears had dried up shortly after the initial beginning thanks to one of his father's experiments in human vitality trials. A failure nonetheless, but now it saved him from showing vulnerability to the rest of the world. His free hand tugged a handkerchief loose from his vest pouch and held it out to the child. The least he could do was offer the poor thing a handkerchief before the real suffering began. She needed to save some strength for that otherwise she'd join the others in the Father's old testing chamber. Ochaco lashed out for the fabric before grabbing it tightly and twisting it around his wrist, trapping their hands together.
"Your kind gestures won't help me, Paranoias," Ochaco stated lowly as her other hand shakily latched onto his immobile wrist. Burning auburn eyes looked up at the villain with a hardened resolve and he merely notched a brow up slightly. What a fascinating fire that burned within her eyes. How badly he yearned to snuff it out. "Surrender yourself now and maybe they'll lessen the charges. There's still time for you to stop now before you go too far, Yoshizawa. I may not know what happened to you when you were a child, but I know that in the very least your mother cared about you. I could see it in her eyes, on the family portrait you have hidden away. Even if you think she never cared, a mother like that would die for her child."
"You've found it then. The room that I crawled back to every evening after my father performed countless experiments on my small, fragile body in hopes of fixing his useless, broken child. You claim that mother was kind, caring, loving but what you can't see is the emotionless face she put on every time I cried out for her comforting embrace in the dead of night amidst a heavy cold sweat. That painting shows nothing more than an illusion of happiness and a loving family. What kind of father experiments on their own child? What about a mother who stood by and did nothing while her only spawn suffered greatly for years on end, never saying a word in the process?" Paranoias shot his hand out and grabbed Ochaco by the throat tightly before slamming her up against the wall, his towering frame leaned over her as she struggled uselessly against his immense strength. "You, child, who were born into a normal, happy, loving family know nothing of the horrors I've endured so greatly. Those experiments have created the powerful being standing before you alongside the help of a certain high profile villain. Now enough time has been wasted and the finale is quickly drawing to an end, Ochaco, so let us continue with the plan. Then I'll return your corpse to your friends and U.A. as a peace offering."
"Don't do this, Yoshizawa," The hero rasped out while clawing at the hand threatening to crush her throat. Ochaco didn't even have the strength to fight him off. Her fingers just slid off of his gloves despite digging her nails in for grip. "I can help you…please, let me at least try…"
"Try? I'm done trying, hero, now is the time for action to cease the persistent buzzing that you high and mighty pros and wannabes gallantly display with puffed chests to those vulnerable citizens!" Paranoias laughed hauntingly with an increase of pressure against her airways. Even through the mask she could see the derangement swirling in his eyes. His defenses were falling but so was Ochaco's hope of getting through to him in time. "The days of All Might are done and over with, child, now all that's left is a bunch of half-trained teenagers who know nothing about how reality truly works while even some of the pros recede into the shadowy depths of hiding. Face it, the world of heroes is crumbling beneath your very noses yet you still thrive to squash those who have been shunned from society!"
Ochaco's eyes began fluttering shut due to the restricted flow of oxygen entering her body. He'd finally snapped and there was nothing more she could do except weakly sit there as he sapped the life from her. Numbed fingers slipped from the constricting hands and came to a rest on the cold wall. A thought faintly traced across her mind and she manipulated enough energy to crack an eye at the swirling mask looking down condescendingly. So much pain and suffering overflowed from wild eyes that the hero felt it pierce through her chest sharply. It was engraved so deeply into his soul that even the kindest of words couldn't completely seal it whole again. Was he too lost to the grief to fully realize what he'd become?
"St. Louis SMASH!"
Paranoias had barely glanced to the left when a black boot collided directly with his mask that sent him flying backwards at breakneck speed. Walls crumbled from the force of the impact, kicking up a heavy cloud of dust that zeroed out visibility. Ochaco collapsed forward onto the ground with rasping breaths in between panicked coughing as her airway was loosened. That was too close to death for her liking, way too close. A shaky hand sloppily wiped the saliva residing around her lips before stabilizing the rest of her body against the ground. The dust burned her eyes something fierce while the hero tried to figure out Paranoias' next move.
"A splendid attack Izuku Midoriya, though I'm afraid it wasn't quite enough to deal permanent damage," Paranoias' voice echoed from within the depths of the dust cloud. Ochaco lifted her head to see Deku standing protectively in front of her, his body dancing with green electricity as he prepared to continue the fight. "That was quite the kick you gave me! Surely to leave a good bruise from the mask with that one. I was wondering when the knight in shining armor would show up to save the distressed princess. You've all done splendidly in finding my hillside home with limited resources. Not to mention you've navigated the lower level with ease."
"This has gone on for too long, Paranoias. I'm going to end this here and now before you hurt anyone else in your sick game!" Deku snarled as he released more of OFA's power residing within his core. The downed hero shielded her eyes as the wind picked up and sent debris swirling into the air. Such incredible power Deku held and it never failed to impress the brunette, even in dire situations such as now with how much drive and tenacity he held to protect those in need. He truly would be the one to take All Might's place, that she believed wholeheartedly.
"Hurt anyone else?" Yoshizawa asked curiously with a brush of his shoulder as he stepped from the remnants of the destroyed wall easily. The staff in his hand twirled back and forth as he studied the heroes before him. One barely clinging to consciousness and the other powered up and ready to fight. It wouldn't be much of a battle with his newfound power boost. "Are you talking about U.A. students, faculty, and pro heroes or the fact that tens of thousands of people, if not more, have already been affected by my worldwide release of a permanent quirk paralytic? You should really be more specific otherwise it makes you give off an air of typical good-guy, bad-guy scenarios. So cliché."
Deku shot forward with his fist cocked backwards, building power into his arm for a powerful smash while Paranoias twirled his staff in preparation of blocking it. The two collided in an explosion of power that rumbled the foundation of the mansion violently. Over and over they exchanged strikes recklessly, effectively destroying the already unstable grounds into piles of chunky debris. Ochaco could only shift her face away from the onslaught with her arms protecting her head while they fought. Even if she did manage to get away it would only be a short distance with how injured she was. It was a miracle to still be conscious despite the massive amount of blood loss. Something bounced off the wall above her head then landed next to her, the brunette peeking through her arms to see what it was. A jagged piece of wood rested against the ground that was just big enough to be classified as a stake. But could she…?
A grunt of pain was the only warning Ochaco had before Deku went flying through the wall mere feet above her head. Rocks pelted the weakened body as the battle seemed to have reached a quick respite. With a quick glance to see where the villain was, Ochaco snatched up the stake and nestled it against her hidden side. It wouldn't do much damage but it was better than nothing at this point. She just had to find it in her to stab someone to incapacitate them. Paranoias clapped the dust from his hands as he readjusted his mask to rest centered on his face once more. This certainly was an entertaining battle. The young hero was trying his best to take him down yet it was merely like swatting away an annoying fly.
"He certainly does put up a fight, truly the definition of a strong hero. Perhaps not quite at the pro level, but maybe one day he will make it farther than the revered All Might. Now, Ochaco, I'm growing rather impatient with this little game so why don't we get this plan in motion, hm?" Yoshizawa sighed as he bent down to reach for the teen once more. The time for games was over and he was losing his gentlemanly mannerisms.
"Don't you dare!" Deku roared as he shot out sideways from the hole with his fingers pulled back and ready to launch a blast of air at the villain. Paranoias tsked before aiming his staff at the wannabe hero. The orb began humming as light shone brilliantly from the center.
Ochaco didn't know what the full capabilities of the staff were, but she wasn't going to sit back and let Deku be injured because of her. A mighty heave up gave the hero just enough momentum to push her broken body forward, stake readied at her side for a surprise attack on the villain. With a rasped yell she used the last ounces of reserve energy to thrust the piece of wood towards Paranoias' arm that steadied the staff. Deku barely had any time to react at the sudden movement yet managed to shift his attack mid-air so the damage would blast away from Uraraka. The distance closed in on the trio, each in the process of launching a devastating attack.
Deku swung his fist while grabbing just below the orb on the staff to push its trajectory path off to the side when a sharp pain entered the side of his abdomen. His body jolted from the surprise and widened green eyes looked down to see the wooden stake Uraraka was holding just moments ago protruding from his body, her hand still attached to it. Said person stood there with a mirrored arrogant grin of triumph, watching with elation as the hero's attack lost momentum. Taking the open opportunity, Paranoias grabbed his staff like a bat and slammed the hero into the ceiling with a powerful thrust. Deku dropped to the floor like a sack of rocks, landing painfully with a strangled grunt.
"Two lovers struck by tragedy, such is the life of Romeo and Juliet. No poison this time, Midoriya, just complete and utter betrayal from your princess. Don't worry, she's completely aware of what she's doing right now even under my control. Poor thing is about to completely break down mentally! My favorite part of experimentation is a satisfactory ending. Of course, there's plenty more where that came from! " Yoshizawa chirped cheerily as he danced around happily, Ochaco mimicking his exact movements and expression with black and white swirling eyes.
"Did your failed experiments include those bodies you have dumped in a room labeled radioactive?" Deku coughed as he pushed himself up from the floor, a hand gripping the stake tightly in preparation to rip it out. It didn't seem to hit anything vital but keeping it in would only cause it to fester later on. "Kaachan and I found that hidden room, we know what happened in there wasn't an accident. You needed to get rid of someone standing in your way, right? That's why you broke the key off in the override slot before attacking with ignited ammonia to leave no trace of residue. Then when your experiments failed, you started piling the bodies in there because you'd already blocked the room off in an unused section of the basement where no one would find them. Since no one goes down there, it was the safest spot for you to hide them until we stumbled upon it."
"You are a smart one! But let's get one thing straight," Paranoias clapped before shifting to lean on his cane in a casual manner. He was colored impressed with the kid's intuition and critical thinking skills. "Getting rid of the one person who created the monster standing before you is more of a public service, you see, to have one less psycho scientist rampaging into society. Can't have too many of those otherwise the balance becomes very lopsided. Not good for such a competitive market. Father was outdated in his ways and age so when it came time to take over the villainy tradition, that was the best option I could think of for him. A suitable ending where he died a miserable death. I'd say it's poetic like Edgar Allen Poe and Lord Byron. Such inspirations."
"Then you're no different than heroes," Deku said as he stood. With a fast pull the stake came out along with a slosh of steaming blood. Ochaco's eyes flickered briefly towards the crimson substance splattering the ground yet returned to his face just as fast. A bit of auburn began bleeding through the swirls. Paranoias froze in place, baffled by the heroes words. No different? To the very pests who were jailing so many downed and unlucky? Preposterous! In what way would they be so similar? No, wait. The brat had a point. Taking down those that are a threat to the world and society, which he had done, but had he taken his father's place instead? It sounded completely ridiculous and outlandish! Or…was it?
"What are you—"
"What you did is similar to what we heroes do. We stop the dangerous villains from harming any citizens by removing the threat so people can continue to live their lives without fear. Yet we don't murder people for their crimes, we send them to prison to atone for their guilt and sins through the proper justice system. What you did was stop a crazed man from harming you any further, but instead of committing yourself to do better you've slipped right into your father's shoes, Yoshizawa. You've become the man you've always loathed. You are your father." Deku finished with a surge of his quirk, sliding his foot back to prepare for another strike despite the crimson stain blossoming on his costume. The pain was nothing compared to his usual fights, so he could handle it. Right now his focus was completely on getting Uraraka to safety.
Paranoias gaped his mouth open and closed beneath his mask unable to speak. He…had become his father? No. No, that wasn't possible. He was nothing like that monster! He loathed that man in every way, shape, and form so why would he want to become exactly like him? The hero was just trying to frazzle his nerves, that's all! Yet as his eyes darted between the heroes in alarm he felt a hot sensation trailing down his cheeks and he startled. A hand touched his mask but felt nothing but the coldness of the ceramic. There was no way he could cry, his father made sure of that from the very beginning so why was the heavy, stabbing ache residing in his chest as his eyes began stinging? Widened eyes slowly turned to Ochaco who stood there with an anguished expression and tears overpouring from her eyes. Were those tears her emotions bleeding through… or his own?
"We can end this now, Yoshizawa, let us help you." Deku offered quietly while switching his gaze between the two before him. Ochaco stood there silently sobbing as Paranoias stared unsurely at his own hands. He was suffering and it was all being clearly displayed through his classmate and the villains actions. The chance of his attempt succeeding was little to none, but Uraraka's life was at stake and he would do whatever he could to end it quickly. "Uraraka noticed how much pain you were in and said she wanted to help you, that's why she didn't leave right away after we rescued her. She went looking for you to try and help. I understand you've been through tremendous trauma in your past, but you can still change yourself and help better the world. I helped a villain named Gentle Criminal who was exposing those doing wrong to others, and despite being caught, he understood that his feelings of anger towards heroes did more harm than good. If he can change, so can you. Let us help you, Yoshizawa Isoruko."
"Help?" Paranoias croaked out. A hand ran down his mask, nails digging into the material deeply as his thoughts spiraled out of control. Everything was flashing in his mind in a frantic strobe, altering his perception of reality to the point of pain. He couldn't distinguish up from down as he tried to clear the horrific memories of the past. "There is no more time for help, Izuku Midoriya. Now is the time to complete my work in purging the rest of the world of their quirks so that we may all become equals on this earth. And it all starts with Ochaco Uraraka."
"Why do you need Uraraka?" He just needed the right opportunity to grab Uraraka with black whip and send him flying to give them enough time to escape. But the problem was she was still under his control. That seemed to be weakening as her eyes flashed between auburn and hypnotic swirl every few seconds. More blood had soaked through her clothing and he noticed her sweatshirt was now tied over her abdomen. The bandages must not have held. Time was running out because if they didn't leave soon, Uraraka was going to bleed to death. Once they were out of the mansion then the pro heroes could take care of the rest. It all came down to timing…
"I need her…to purge the memories from the darkest depths of my mind. Her happy, carefree memories will soon cleanse my mind and renew my life. A small sacrifice for the sake of sanity." The villain said while looking at the motionless brunette. With a snap of his fingers Ochaco's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed into his arms with ease. Deku lurched forward yet jumped into the air as the staff was aimed mere inches from his face, orb glowing dangerously bright. He grit his teeth as he hit the ceiling and braced to kick off from it. "I'm done playing games with you, Deku, so this is farewell for now. Your friends body will be returned once the process is complete."
"You're not taking her anywhere!"
Deku shot forward and yanked the staff from Paranoias' hand, smashing it on the ground loudly before lunging for Uraraka with black whip lashing out from his hand. With a swish of his cape, both of them disappeared into thin air as the hero slammed into the ground in a tangle of his whip. He scrambled to his feet, desperately searching for any sign of the two. He'd smashed the staff so shouldn't that have done something, anything? Frustration bubbled up within him and Deku let out an angry scream into the vacant hallway. Damnit, damnit, damnit!
"Midoriya, what happened? Did you find Uraraka?" Todoroki called out as he and Bakugo skidded around the corner at the sound of the distressed cry. The illusion had disappeared which opened up the pathway for them both. It was nothing more than a distraction to get Uraraka separated from them.
"Don't tell me you got your ass whooped by some fucking clown, Deku! You let him get away, didn't you?!" Bakugo barked in frustration while flapping his gauntlets at Deku.
"Paranoias wants to use Uraraka for her memories to renew himself, but that doesn't explain exactly why. I destroyed his staff yet it didn't seem to have any effect on him whatsoever then he disappeared with Uraraka. I promised to always protect her and I couldn't even do that again." Deku clenched his fists tightly in front of his body. Anger and grief surged through his veins and OFA reacted with a high spike in power. His classmates shielded their faces as green electricity started snapping out at them, twitching wildly because of the strong emotions pouring from his body. If he didn't calm down soon then the whole hallway would turn into nothing more than dust. But he couldn't. Not when he'd failed again. Not when Uraraka was right there before whisked away to who knows where in a crumbling mansion owned by an emotionally unstable villain.
"Then we better get going if we're going to reach the upper levels again to find Paranoias and get Uraraka back. She's strong, Midoriya, don't forget that she's been a pillar of strength and encouragement for not just you, but for the rest of the class as well. Uraraka can handle herself until we find her and bring down that villain, I'm sure of it." Todoroki carefully clasped a hand on his friends shoulder reassuringly, giving him a nod of confidence when Deku looked up at him distressed.
"That fake ran us around in circles so now I have to blow his face off for real this time." Bakugo tossed in with a crooked grin while slamming his fists together, sparks dancing from the impact. He'd make the bastard pay tenfold this time.
Glancing down at the broken shards of the staff Deku took a deep breath in before slowly releasing it. He'd always believed in Uraraka and the incredible strength and determination she held whenever they were up against a troublesome villain. But those injuries…they were severe, possibly even considered life threatening with all of the running around they've done chasing Paranoias. He was going to find her. Come hell or high water, Izuku Midoriya was going to get back the woman he cared about if it was the last thing he ever did.
They rampaged through the heroes as if they were scraps of paper, bodies flying left and right as useless quirks bounced off armored bodies. Electricity, ice, storms, restraints, explosives. None of it worked as the group of Nomu tore through the mansion on a rampage. A villain flew past the leading Nomu with a surprised cry before rolling to a stop against the war ravaged floors. A crunch silenced the man quickly. Their orders were simple: eliminate every person within the mansion grounds per the top villain himself. Easy enough. A lot of the time the heroes didn't even really fight back after being tossed around for a bit. But then there were a few who brought a new excitement to the fight. Those who were strong enough to elicit an enjoyable skirmish.
Endeavor slammed a Nomu against the floor before igniting it with Hellfire to ensure it stayed down. Just as they had reached what was assumed to be the center of the mansion, groups of Nomu began pouring out from every hallway, door, and even windows to diverge onto the heroes. Instantly he knew All for One was behind everything and it only fueled him on even further. A small time villain had to have had connections in order to be releasing a paralytic on a global scale. At the same time, it drastically shortened the window of their original objective to rescue Ochaco Uraraka before Paranoias completed his plan. While they couldn't obtain information as to why she was needed, he could only guess it was for a sinister reason.
"Endeavor have you seen the kids anywhere? We got separated and loss connection." Eraser Head's voice drifted into his left ear so the hero looked over after stomping a foot down on the creature. He was dirtied and out of breath so he could only assume the teacher had run into some villains along his path. With a final push of his quirk the Nomu shrieked a garbled noise before succumbing to the flames and turning to ash.
"No. Our lines of communication have been down since just before the mission began so we're going in dark. Did you lose sight of your own students, Eraser Head? Pitiful. Can't even keep track of three teenagers during a mission." Endeavor taunted smugly as he grabbed another Nomu by the neck to throw it over the nearest balcony. It scratched fruitlessly at his costume. "Seems your laxed career of teaching has dulled your senses over the yea—where are you going?"
"To find my students and save them while you're standing around giving lectures about bad parenting, though you're already an expert on that, aren't you?" Eraser shot back as he leapt over the groups of Nomu in his venture deeper into the core of the mansion. Endeavor growled and with a squeeze of his palm crushed the throat of the Nomu in his grasp. He didn't have time for this.
"Team Beta, follow Eraser Head and assist with clearing the path for him. Your objective is to help secure all students and evacuate them immediately. Do not engage with Paranoias if you find him."
"Sir!"
The pro scowled heavily at the waves of Nomu surging towards him and launched himself towards them. Endeavor roared as he cranked up his heat to toast All for One's creations with renewed vigor. Bad parenting, huh. What would Eraser Head know anything about that?
Ochaco watched as Paranoias darted around his lab frantically throwing things out of the way in his pursuit of the correct item. She'd woken back up to find herself shackled to a chair while the villain mumbled to himself in a panic. Everything was sore and aching and the teen wished she could just sleep to ease off the pain. A glass beaker smashed against the ground followed by muffled cursing. Paranoias slammed his hands against the desk to rest for a moment and Ochaco took that distraction to check the restraints. Definitely snug and not something she could easily break free from without two hands and a lot of strength she didn't have. The ones around her ankles seemed loose, maybe done in a hurry as he tried to complete his goal yet again not enough for her to break free.
"It's not here…where did it go…I know it was here so where…where the fuck did it go!?" Paranoias abruptly lost his cool resulting in a chair being flung across the room violently. It slammed into a tall vat of green substance and for a moment Uraraka feared the whole container would spill everywhere until it clattered loudly to the floor. A small breath of relief slipped past her lips. "Someone must've moved it but who? Why? When? Where? I don't have time for this, there are games to be had and experiments to be completed. Not that it all matters anyways since All for One has graciously decided I'm a useless, soggy sack of dung that has dishonored him so. Fifteen years of hiding and for what? A miserable ending to my career as a villain! I should've stuck to something more useful like performing mind control at damn circus shows!"
All for One? He's working directly with Paranoias? This isn't good, I need to get out of here and find the pros. What if he shows up and this is all one big trap? Defeating one villain is difficult enough in my current state but the evilest one of all? Ochaco chewed on the corner of her lip thoughtfully. Obviously getting out of the chair wasn't an option so she either had to take the chair with her or find a way out of it to escape. Seeing as it was a thick wooden chair with chains and clamps attached, carrying it was out of the question. With how many injuries she'd sustained it wasn't smart trying to activate her quirk so there went that idea. Maybe with how frazzled the villain was the hero could get him to spill a bit more information as to why she was needed. But that didn't work well earlier when he went off the rails and forced them to the lowest level of the mansion.
"Yoshizawa," Ochaco started yet he was oblivious to the sound of his own name amidst his trash throwing. Clearing her throat she tried again. It was worth a shot. "Yoshizawa, what are you looking for? Is it something important?"
"Not now, Mother, I'm trying to find my—what the hell was I trying to find again?" Paranoias faltered momentarily before shaking his head and continuing to tear the lab apart. "Forgive me, Mother, but dinner will have to wait until the games are done. What were you making again? Stew? I never used to like it until you started adding in those tiny potatoes. The red ones, remember? That was the only way I would ever eat it and not even the best chefs in the land could make one just as good."
Ochaco's mouth formed into an understanding O. Yoshizawa was correlating her to his mother right now. It could be both a good and bad scenario; the good being he would release her once realizing that he'd chained his 'mother' up and the bad being…well, she just hoped it wouldn't swing to that side of the fortune wheel. Right now she needed to pretend to be his mother yet that was easier said than done when she didn't know the first thing about what she was like. Yes they shared physical similarities but who's to say they matched personality wise as well? The chances of that were fifty-fifty but Ochaco wasn't going to back down from a challenge, not after coming this far. "…I remember. I remember your eyes lighting up in excitement of the new addition, the way you stared in awe at the potato as if it were the greatest thing on earth. I'd never seen you eat so heartily and I was afraid you were going to make yourself sick."
"Even if I were to be sick from eating too much I would never tire of such a delicious meal." Paranoias chuckled to himself before turning towards the source of the voice. Ochaco held her breath as he dropped to a knee in front of her, hands carefully grasping the tops of hers. So far so good. He was buying into her act. "Your food was the only thing in this world that made me happy to be alive. Yet there is something I must ask of you, Mother. Why didn't you stop father from tormenting me with his endless experiments? Why did you just stand there as the maids escorted me back to my quarters? Why didn't you console me in the middle of the night?"
"I…I was afraid…" Ochaco breathed out. The sheer amount of grief and hurt made the words tumble from her lips before she could even think, as if the words weren't her own. Either it was the catastrophic internal bleeding causing her to hallucinate, or a spirit was taking command of her body. "Your father…was a cruel and angry man, his greed and selfishness caused him to lose sight of what really mattered. He threatened me that if I intervened in any way you would be harmed far worse. Yoshizawa, forgive me for not being a good mother to you. My boy, my only boy. You've suffered so much yet there was nothing I could do to stop it. But there's something you can do now though. You can stop all of this Yoshizawa, surrender yourself to the heroes and finish the game once and for all before anyone else gets hurt. Please, I'm begging you. Please don't become the man your father was."
Yoshizawa hesitantly raised one hand to his mask and carefully dislodged it from his face with a soft sigh. His gaze lingered on the scratches, dents, and dirt that littered nearly every square inch of it. For nearly two decades he'd worn the mask to conceal his identity from the hero world while committing crimes under the guise of the Quantum Council yet now that he was here, so close to the finale of his master plan it all felt so…pointless. Maybe that brat was right, maybe he had become his father in a way, but at the time it felt like the right thing to do. Ridding the world of a monster only to become the same monster himself. Oh the sweet, tangy, irony of it.
"Perhaps…perhaps you are correct, Mother. I believe this game of experimentations has finally reached its climax and is ready for the decrescendo. All these years I've fought to discover myself, my journey in life a spinning top on the verge of wobbling over. Now I've been swayed by the mind of an upcoming hero trying to save the person he loves." Yoshizawa gazed at Ochaco with the look of a small, scared child lost in the darkness. Her fingers carefully touched his palm and he shifted to hold them gently. She swallowed hard to keep the roiling emotions at bay. He'd truly just lost his way and now he was going to be in prison for the rest of his days. "It's funny, isn't it? I have all of the heroes in Japan at my doorstep threatening to take me down because somewhere down the line I lost sight of my goal. I aligned myself with All for One in hopes of gaining that new bracket of power that would enhance myself high into the rankings but I messed that up when I decided to veer from his plans. What good has it done me? I've lost my following, the respect of quirk society, destroyed the life of a young hero to be, and now I'm trapped like a rat in corner awaiting the inevitable crumbling of my home around me. I've disgraced the Yoshizawa name, Mother. Forgive me."
"That's because you are such a weak villain who can't even strike down a mere child."
Ronaldo interjected and both occupants looked over to see the butler striding purposefully towards them. In his hands resided the remnants of Paranoias' cane, jagged glass jutting out menacingly as he twirled it casually. The villain shifted his body forward to protect Ochaco instinctively. "Ronaldo, what are you doing in here? I've told you not to—"
"Oh save it, Paranoias, you've fallen from your throne due to some sappy words and now you dare try to dictate what I do? I've had enough of your threats over the years, how you'll destroy my family, make them disappear. Even the other staff members are terrified of your empty threats but I know better than them. All for One was correct in predicting you would eventually cave in to your weak feelings and give up. Pity, if you had used that power for good then maybe we could've gotten somewhere yet here you are pretending your hero hostage is your deceased mother."
"Hostage?" Yoshizawa glanced backwards at Ochaco, studying her face intently for a minute before recognizing it wasn't his mother. A slurry of emotions flickered across his face before settling on neutral as he turned away. Ochaco felt the panic rising as her planned fizzled up. What would happen now? Would he continue the experiments after claiming to give in? "I see. Sharp as always, Ronaldo, that's why I've kept you around for so long. Now, if you'll just hand me cane back then we can end this amicably."
Ronaldo chortled loudly into the room as Paranoias stood there with an expecting hand out for his weapon and quirk amplifier. The butler swiped the tears from his eyes with an amused grin and Ochaco felt a shiver run up her spine. That man was dangerous and he wouldn't be giving back the staff without a fight. "I'm sorry, you want to end this amicably? I do believe we're far past that point, boss. You see, once I realized that you had gained a temporary boost from All for One, I decided it was time for me to enact my plan."
"And that would be?" Yoshizawa asked tightly while withdrawing his open palm to rest it in a fist at his side.
"Kill you of course! See," Ronaldo began slowly circling the two with wild, sharp eyes locked onto prey. "I've known this whole time that taking Ochaco Uraraka to lure Izuku Midoriya out was a massive error on your end, but I still let you play it out. What you thought would happen backfired because I altered the plans a bit. I knew everything would end with the heroes knocking down the doors for your head because I manipulated your ideas."
"You…you used your quirk on me? You rewrote my plans?" Paranoias leapt to his feet as the anger flushed through his veins. "How dare you! I warned you to never use your quirk on me and you did anyways? What were you thinking?!"
"What was I thinking? Hmm, maybe I was thinking that I could be free from your tyranny once and for all! Do you know how many times I had to go take my anger and frustration out on the servants just because your arrogance got out of hand? Or because you repeatedly ignored my advice on how to proceed with the plan? I've even had to bury a few bodies in the back gardens just so you wouldn't find the corpses. Good thing your mother died and you don't visit the wilted, neglected ruins any longer. It's starting to reek of decomposition." Ronaldo snarled as he jabbed the cane at his employer viciously. Paranoias dodged it with ease. Ochaco sunk as far back into the chair as she could to avoid any addition strikes.
"How dare you speak of mother that way! I will not tolerate this insolence for another moment, Ronaldo! Return my staff to me at once!"
Ochaco watched as they danced back and forth, Ronaldo trying to stab the villain who dodged before swiping out for his weapon. Bad vibes were radiating from the butler the longer she stayed close to him. Wild eyes, cockeyed grin, blatant declaration of war. He'd been behind everything the whole time? Did his quirk have the ability to alter memories? Or clairvoyance maybe? She watched as they danced around her and through the lab, Ronaldo cackling the entire time he swiped the sharp weapon at Paranoias. They neared the tall vat of green substance and while Ronaldo happily got close to it, Paranoias took a few steps back out of caution. Ochaco didn't know what was in it but her guess was something deadly.
"Do you know what will happen if that vat breaks? You'll kill us all! That's not just a highly concentrated dosage of paralytic, it's laced with heavy amounts of ammonia. One spark and this place goes sky-high."
"That's exactly what I want! Even if that vat breaks my future continues onward while both of yours are snuffed out like tiny flames. Why? Because I've got back-up plans all the way to Z! I know the locations of all the pro heroes storming the grounds and even those three annoying teens currently blasting their way upwards through the floors. I've had this planned from the very beginning yet you were none the wiser as you became infatuated playing puppeteer with two lovesick teenagers. Though now that we've gotten to this point exactly as predicted, it's time to reveal the ultimate plan." Ronaldo tapped against the vat with heavy blows causing the liquid to burble and swish from the force.
"Dare I even ask? If you've already planned your magnificent escape then why not leave already so the pros can apprehend me and rescue Ochaco Uraraka? You're drawing it out, Ronaldo, what else are you planning to do?" With stealthy steps backwards the villain approached Ochaco, shielding half of her body with his own before reaching down behind his back to release the closest wrist strap. Ochaco kept her gaze on Ronaldo to avoid suspicions yet the growing grin on his face made her realize he already knew it would happen. Was he a master tactician?
"Well, since you've asked so kindly I'll tell you. Just as you announced yourself to world with your paralytic poison, I'm going to reveal a new villain into society. No longer will I be Ronaldo the butler, chained dog of the failed leader of the Quantum Council. No longer will I bow to the society ruled by heroes. No longer will I sit back and watch as so many opportunities slip through my fingers because you were too infatuated playing Romeo and Juliet with useless wannabe heroes." Ronaldo placed his hands behind his back as he walked towards the massive, curtained windows overlooking the main floor of the mansion. He stepped onto a slightly raised tile on the floor and with a silent whirring the heavy fabric began to move aside. The muffled sounds of battle filtered through the glass and he looked down with a satisfied smirk. The Nomu were doing a fine job of taking down the heroes but a few pros were clearing the path rather fast. Regardless, there would still be enough time for him to escape.
"Ronaldo…please, we can end this without further bloodshed. The era of the council is done and over with. For nearly two decades I've tried to keep it thriving under the blanket of darkness but now there's nothing left. The Quantum Council has disbanded as of this moment. I won't run a villain organization under falsified memories. I ordered you to stand down. Now." Yoshizawa flung the latch open on Uraraka's restraint before shifting another few steps back and crouching down to release the ankle ones. He didn't even bother to hide it anymore knowing Ronaldo had seen him release the first one. "I say this not as your employer, not as your provider, not even as a fellow villain. I'm asking you as a friend—"
"Don't make me laugh with your pitiful excuses, Yoshizawa Isoruko. The council will not be disbanding because there will be a new leader taking over to operate it as it should be run. Ah, though first there is a matter to attend to. A ritual if you will, that signifies the end of one era transition into the next. I'm afraid you're going to have to be dethroned, Paranoias. Your reign is nigh." Ronaldo took a deep breath in before tilting his head to the ceiling, eyes closed in thought as he relished the moment. The last of the restraints snapped open and Yoshizawa lifted the hero up before pushing her towards the door without a second glance. He straightened himself up and snapped his cape out in preparation for the fight that was about to begin. His foot bumped against the damaged face mask resting on the floor so he reached down to carefully replace it upon his face, only for it to stop mere inches as he tilted his head back towards Ochaco.
"Go, this is something only I can do now. I sincerely apologize for my actions against you and your friends, Ochaco Uraraka, and I wish to thank you for making the last moments of my life a beautiful memory of my mother. I could feel her presence emanating from your form and at last I feel peace in my soul. Become a strong hero and always protect those in need."
"Yoshizawa…" Ochaco choked out as he strode forward to face certain death. Her vision blurred when she turned to stumble out through the doors to safety. There was no saving him now, that much she knew, yet the gentle tone in his voice spoke volumes about his emotions. It no longer sounded like the scared, lost little child she'd heard just moments ago, but that of a man who had a loving family always surrounding and protecting him. Ochaco took one last warbled glance at him from the doorway before forcing her body forward and into the hallway.
Paranoias waited until he heard the door click shut before walking over to the console that controlled the security system and pressed the door lock button. It beeped once, twice, then emitted a short tone indicating it was securely shut and locked. With a swing of his fist he shattered the console so it could no longer be opened. Electricity zapped all over the board as he casual flicked debris from his glove. Ronaldo merely huffed in amusement.
"So, you're really prepared to fight to the death for this? I must admit, very noble and regal of you such as the Isoruko royal lineage dictates. Generations of rich, royalty blood coming to a screeching halt because a traumatized little child loathed the cold, heartless world he grew up in. Has anyone ever told you that life isn't fair?"
"The Isoruko lineage has been dead a long time. Now all that's left is to erase the last living relative so no more monsters may roam the lands. Even a king knows when to step down from his throne and remove his crown, Ronaldo. Nothing good has come from the Isoruko name the last few generations. It's best for it to be removed from the world."
"Disappointing that it ends in such an anticlimactic manner but oh well. Beggars can't be choosers. At least with the fall of Paranoias there will be the rise of a new villain. Machiavelli the Puppet Master will command the faithful servants of the Quantum Council into a new era without pestering heroes and weak, feeble villains such as yourself. Now, let's not waste another minute having a heart to heart when there's business to finish, hm?" Machiavelli turned to his foe with a wide grin as he casually tossed the broken cane to his mentor. Paranoias caught it with ease and snapped the orb base off before tossing it aside. It wouldn't do him any good now. His fingers grabbed a protruding handle from the cane and slowly withdrew the sword from its sheath.
"Let us end this once and for all, Ronaldo. By the name of the Isoruko bloodline, I will strike thee down with the treasured blade passed down generations. Now," Yoshizawa tore his gaze from the pristine family heirloom residing in his hand up to the villain standing before him with a similar blade readied. "To the death we fight."
There have been adjustments made to the story so keep an eye out for them if you've read it before!
