"Sector twelve reporting in, we're being overrun—"

"Sector three falling back to regroup—"

"Sector eighteen requesting assistance—"

"All Might, we're getting overrun! I'm pulling my team back to Beta point. Things aren't looking that good right now so hurry up and give us a new strategy!"

Over and over frantic calls came into the command center with the raging sounds of battle in the background. All Might and Detective Tsukauchi listened to the calls with strained expressions while operators constantly relayed tactical strategies. Nearly every hero had been dispatched to the fields so no one else was about to assist, especially with at least twenty pros storming Paranoias' mansion on the other side of the island. Radio silence from their communication systems had the former pro on edge, every ticking second of silence fraying the nerves in his body. Even Hawks had failed to respond to their calls making All Might believe they were currently under siege.

"There's gotta be something we can do, All Might, it can't go down like this. We've stretched every resource thin except for calling in military backup and even that takes a strict set of protocols that have to be fulfilled before they even consider expending their soldiers. Still no contact from Endeavor or Eraser Head's teams so my guess is they're in active combat or that mission has gone completely awry." Tsukauchi growled out while taking out his cellphone to begin the process of requesting military support. It was a lengthy request that often took hours that they didn't have. A hand gently closed out of the call screen and he looked up to see All Might shaking his head.

"No. We can do this without their help. This is a battle between heroes and villains so there's no need to get civilians involved any more than they already are. Things may look bleak for the moment, but you have to trust that the students and pros risking their lives right now can bounce back to overwhelm the villains. Believe in them as I do." Toshinori folded his arms against his chest before turning back to the monitors with hard eyes. It wasn't easy to force the calm attitude given their current situation, but there was no other choice. Panicking would ensure their swift downfall. "I know the students out in the mountains will succeed in their mission as well. They've got a great teacher supporting them so I won't worry. We both know they're the three strongest in class 1-A, maybe even up there in the overall top students of the school. I have no doubt they'll rescue Uraraka safely and take down Paranoias."

"Guess I can't argue with that logic, can I? You know your students better than I do so I'll trust your judgement, though I'll still make a few calls to some old friends I know hanging around Japan these days. Shouldn't hurt to at least ask them." The detective quickly strolled away, leaving the former pro to study the screens before him.

His students were worn down, beaten up, and growing tired from the relentless onslaught of villains thrown their way. It was obvious on their faces that they were nearing the edge of exhaustion, even some of the teachers were starting to waver from their spent energy. All he could do was watch as they fiercely protected the citizens in need until the Quantum Council could be eradicated. He hadn't felt this powerless since his battle with All for One when the dying light of One for All finally extinguished out. Now he just stood behind his students to support as they became full-fledged heroes. All Might had no doubt in his mind that they would become the world's greatest heroes in his stead. This was just one hurtled that threw them closer to the finish line of becoming pros.

"I'm counting on all of you."


"How are you holding up, Tsu? Can you keep going?" Kirishima asked his fallen classmate as Ojiro and Shoji deflected heavier villain attacks. They'd been doing fine until a handful of stronger villains entered the scene forcing them into a defensive positioning. Now they could barely even find an opening to fight back. The problem was they couldn't find a break to overthrow the attacks and gain the upper hand once more which was wearing them down quickly. Gunhead was still somewhere in the fray fending off the main surge of villains.

"I'll be fine, if I give up now then I won't be able to face Ochaco and the others. I'm going to keep fighting for their sake." Tsu forced herself into an upright position with a grunt. She'd taken a nasty hit against the ground so even the slightest movement was painful but it wouldn't stop her. "We just have to find an opening then wipe out the stronger villains to gain the upper hand, but we're sitting ducks here. I'm not sure what happened to Gunhead but I think he's somewhere in the middle of the villains."

"It's faint but I can hear his voice amongst the other voices. He's taking them down from the inside out. We need to think of something quick, we can't hold up the defensive for much longer." Shoji twisted his mouth towards them from his position. Even while standing in the front to defend the others, he was constantly looking around and listening to what was happening on the battlefield. It made him a valuable asset in knowing the villains' tactical plans.

"What are we supposed to do? No matter what we've tried, there's no way to clear a path through the stronger villains and we're practically cornered against this shopping center. I doubt backup's an option seeing as the groupings were stretched thin as is. At least twenty pros went to the other side of the island to take down Paranoias and find Uraraka." Ojiro added in as his tail smacked a good sized rock back at the enemies.

"This would be a real good time for Bakugo to show up and blow everyone to bits!" Kirishima half-jokingly called out only to grunt as he deflected a long distance attack with his armored arm. "That'll never happen and besides, they've got the harder mission of facing Paranoias head-on to rescue Uraraka. I hope they're doing alright."

Tsu placed a finger to her mouth as she turned around to look at the stores blocking their escape path. The mall was laid out so that there was only one entrance in and out of the center making it easier to shop in one big loop with two levels. She'd been there a few times with her family so she remembered what stores were still there. A few clothing stores, restaurants, a barber shop and even a sports warehouse. If they couldn't outfight the villains then maybe they could outsmart them. It was risky but at this point it was all they had left before their energy ran dry. "Kirishima, will you trade places with Shoji? I have an idea but I need him to help me carry supplies and set things up. Give us about five minutes before regrouping in front of the sports store at the end of the main corridor. Close the shutters after you enter and make sure to block it well."

"Ya heard the lady! Readying the bulldozer!" Kirishima hardened his body as he swapped places with Tentacole on the front line with renewed vigor.

"I think it's about time we clear a path for Gunhead, don't you think?" Ojiro asked as he adjusted his posture for an offensive attack. Kirishima grinned as he leaned forward to bulldoze through the villains. Red Riot Unbreakable kicked in, his body creaking with each slight shift as his quirk went into overdrive. Forty-five seconds, that's all the time he had to plow through their biggest fighters to get to Gunhead. In this situation, it was more than enough time to find him and get back.

"Let's get this party started!"

Thankfully the sports warehouse was unlocked, most likely due to the fact that everyone in the major areas had been evacuated before closing times, so it made picking out the necessary items easy. Tsu pointed out things to Shoji who tucked them under his arms with ease, the two working quickly to grab needed supplies. If everything went to plan then they could quickly knock out a large number of the villains before taking down the stragglers. With the time crunch crucial to the success of the mission, Tsu got to work with some fishing line tripwires along the walls of each hallway while Shoji quickly rigged some traps that released various ammos like basketballs, baseballs, marbles, and even some fishing lures as caltrops scattered about the areas. The heavier traps were saved for the rear of the mall to fortify their line of defense.

"Is everything ready?" Tsu called over the safety rail of the second floor, perching with ease on the wall to avoid setting off her own traps. They only had a few minutes to prepare the traps before the surge of villains came storming in. Just as a precaution, the hero had made secretions over the ceiling windows and emergency doors to slow anyone down. It would paralyze them enough to be captured but the thinner she spread it the less effective it would be. And there was a certain amount she could create before drying out and becoming immobilized for a while.

"Almost! I don't see Kirishima or Ojiro yet so they must still be fighting. If this plan works, Asui, then we'll be able to turn the tide on these villains quickly. It was some creative thinking, you did well." Shoji called back to her as he finished loading some traps with baseball bats. Most of them were wooden but the few that were metal he'd placed higher up for a good knockout.

"Call me Tsu. I'm just hoping everything works out as planned because we don't have any second options here. It feels a bit dirty to fight like this," Tsu leapt to the center beam supports and crawled down to double check the trap stations. "Normally heroes face their opponents head-on but we're out of options in getting an advantage over them."

"We do what we have to, to survive. Countless citizens all over Japan are relying on us to stop the villains and the paralytic from wiping them out. Right now we're too short handed to handle the massive influx of villains, so I'd say this is fair for this fight. I know a lot of pros are assisting Endeavor and Eraser Head with Uraraka's rescue mission on the other side of the island."

"I hope Ochaco is okay. I can't stand the thought of her all alone with that villain possibly injured. She's been through so much already and it makes me sad that my friend is going through it alone. It's taken so long for her to be honest and open up to us about what happened with losing her quirk. I know she didn't want to put her burden on anyone else but that's what friends are for, right?" Shoji nodded his head in agreement after placing the final bat in the holder.

"I hear them headed this way now, are we ready?"

"Yes."

Kirishima, Ojiro, and Gunhead jogged through the door before quickly slicing through the shutter chains. They slowed it down then let it drop to the floor, latching the locks on all sides before heading to some vending machines to block the entrance. Gunhead looked pretty roughed up and tired but he was still standing.

"Watch where you step because we have traps all over the floors. You probably don't want to be hit with a bunch of bowling balls or bats." Tsu warned as she pointed out where they could step without triggering traps.

"This is freaking awesome! You guys did all this in a matter of minutes?" Kirishima gawked at the delicately placed softballs hanging by just a few threads above him. "Now this is what I call fighting dirty!"

"When you have to fall back, taking advantage of your surroundings can quickly turn a situation around in your favor. Good job, heroes." Gunhead stuck up a thumb before moving to examine the rest of the traps out of interest.

"I would hate to be standing under one of these traps," Ojiro laughed nervously as fishing lures glistened menacingly a few feet above his head. "Is this whole mall rigged? Even the doors and windows?"

"Emergency exits were coated with Tsu's paralytic mucus before I blocked them with heavy shelving. We didn't have time to do everything, but we should be pretty secure in here for the time being. Just tell us where to go, Tsu, since it's your plan to begin with." Ojiro gestured to the frog as she hung out on the wall closest to them.

"Alright, follow my lead. Ribbit."

_B_

"I can't believe…we actually did it…" Yaoyorozu panted while collapsing to her knees amidst the battle debris. Miraculously they'd managed to turn the tide on the swarming villains and send them running once the cannons came out. Thirteen eventually came stumbling back after ensuring all citizens were escorted from the area during the fighting, her quirk meant more for search and rescue rather than direct combat. Using her quirk could end any fight easily yet it would end the life of anyone who directly entered her blackholes.

"Is it truly over or is this just the calm before the second storm? I'm not sure my head can take any more." Mineta groaned as he flopped onto his back with blood streaming down his face. His scalp was bleeding rather heavily from overexertion of his quirk and he was drained.

"For now it seems we've driven off the villains but there's no guarantee that they'll stay away for long," Tokoyami sighed and Dark Shadow nodded slowly in agreement. They'd won the battle but the war had yet to be decided. That was up to Midoriya and the others on the other side of the island.

"Then we rest up for now and fight again if we have to. Here, I've brought more than enough snacks for everyone. Yaoyorozu, please take a few to replenish your lipids. You look like you're about to pass out." Sato quickly handed her three snack bars before moving onto the rest of his classmates and Thirteen.

"You've all done exceptionally well given the circumstances. Fighting while overwhelmed can be difficult, but if you work together then the chances of you succeeding raises exponentially." Thirteen praised as she put the protein bar into her side pouch for later. She was proud of the students for holding up so well, despite their obvious exhaustion. Some of the villains were more skilled yet they worked together to conquer the threat. "Rest while you can because—"

"Thirteen, do you copy?" A crackling filled the air as her earpiece surged to life.

"Go ahead, All Might." Everyone instantly gathered around the pro with anticipation for some good news. "I've got your students listening as well."

"What's your status? Have you evacuated the citizens in your area? What about any attacking villains?"

"We're all clear here, All Might, we've managed to push back the villains and I personally escorted any stragglers to designated safe areas. Your students are amazing, you've taught them well." Thirteen gave the teens a thumbs up as they glowed from the praise.

"That's the best news I've gotten all day," All Might released a breath over the mic but quickly cleared his throat to continue on. "Sector seven could use some backup since they're having to push back to point Beta. Think you could give them a hand?"

"Sector seven…that's Midnight's group, right? We're on our way. Keep us updated on any other areas that need help. Over and out." Thirteen released the talk button and turned to the heroes. "Seems like we've got some work to do, heroes. Sector seven is about five blocks down, by the newly built apartment complexes. Your priority is to assist the students under Midnight's jurisdiction while I help ensure all citizens are evacuated."

"Right!"

_B_

"Jiro, do you hear anything? Are they gone yet?" Kaminari whispered loudly as the teen tried to listen closely to her earjack plugged into a nearby wall. They were practically instantly overrun by powerful quirk holders and forced into hiding in nearby manufacturing warehouses. Occasionally they had to relocate as the villains began searching the entire yard in search of the weakling heroes. So much for facing the threats head on.

"If you would shut up then I would have a better chance of finding where they're at." Jiro hissed at him with a glare.

"Dude, you're seriously going to blow our cover again. Can't you just let Earphone Jack do her job?" Sero asked from the rafter above them all, his tape supporting his body as he hung down like a spider. Mina snapped a quick photo of the feat and he posed for more.

"Leave her be Kaminari, I'd like to survive this without you blowing our cover! Again!" Mina grumbled under her breath while clicking through the photos she took and saving the best ones. "Man, how'd we get stuck hiding? It should be easy to kick their butts and win the day. It's not like they're pro level heroes, we just don't have the right skillsets to take them on."

"That's where you're wrong, Ashido," Present Mic said lowly as he crouched on a beam with gaze averted down. True, they'd been overrun, but that didn't mean they still couldn't turn the tide and push them back. "Some of those villains have pretty powerful quirks that they save until the last minute to use as a trump card so you think they're weak. You have to look at it this way; even though the four of you have opposing quirks it doesn't mean you can't figure out a way to work together. Right now you have someone searching and mapping out enemy locations, Kaminari can use his power to immobilize his opponents or charge up equipment to use as a counterattack, Sero can stealthily move around the rafters and even use his tape as a trap, and your quirk allows you for rather fast movements that double as a weapon if you melt through strategic spots. All together you could really do some damage to those villains but you have to create a plan that maximizes the ability of your quirks."

"But how do we figure out how to correlate those things together? With your quirk it would be easy to knock out most of the villains with sound alone, yet it draws an enormous amount of attention to you while giving away your position immediately. Our quirks don't really relate to one another." Jiro piped up as she continued plugging her jacks into different parts of the walls and floor. She could faintly hear a large rumbling though it was hard to pinpoint exactly where it was. All of the concrete and metal dampened ability and range of her quirk.

"You'll have to figure that out on your own, kiddies, I'm just here to chaperone you all." Present Mic shrugged with a grin as they all groaned in frustration.

"I wonder how the super trio are doing on the other side of the island, I haven't heard of any updates since before they left. Do you think everyone is okay? I'm worried about Ochaco. When I lunged for her in the kitchen and she disintegrated…" Mina trailed off and buried her head into her knees tightly with a shake of her head.

"Yeah, it was pretty mortifying to watch her dissolve into nothing especially since she was with us just hours before. That Paranoias guy is one sneaky bastard," Kaminari tossed a rock against the wall sullenly. "We didn't even realize she was already in his possession until Bakugo destroyed the kitchen window and locked everything down so no one could get in or out. Poor Midoriya, I feel for the guy. Gets his first kiss and everything then she's taken—ow! What was that for?!"

"You're just upsetting Mina even more! And again, too loud!" Jiro snapped as she jabbed at his face with her jacks out of frustration. The two squabbled for a minute and Present Mic just shook his head. Hopefully the other teams were doing better than they were right now. The pro glanced at his phone screen again in anticipation of Eraser Head responding to his messages. Nothing from Endeavor, Hawks, or Eraser Head was a pretty strange occurrence even for this type of mission. They knew it was going to be far more dangerous with a student being held hostage yet it was unusual for zero contact between the heroes. He locked the screen and shoved it back into his pocket before shifting to crouch in front of Mina. Time to get moving.

"I understand you're worried about your friends and fellow classmates right now, but you have to remember the situation you're in. There are a few dozen villains scouring the area looking for us so we need to remain vigilant and ready for an attack. Just believe that they'll make it out alright and you'll make it through this no problem. I'll even show you how a pro does it announcer style!"

"Didn't you just say we're on our own?" Jiro pointed out and the teacher threw his hands up with a shrug.

"I'm still you're teacher so I have to show you things the proper way! Besides, I was just joking a minute ago! Have a little faith here!"

"We're doomed, aren't we." Kaminari sighed with a backwards head throw against a metal beam. It vibrated loudly as he rolled around on the floor in pain, head clutched between his hands.

"With you on this team, yes."

"H-hey, come on now!"

"I'm taking bets on those two, Ashido, you in?"

"Twenty bucks says by the end of the first year."

"Make mine thirty and you got a deal."

"I need a station vacation after this is over with…"

_B_

"All civilians have been accounted for, Fat Gum! The villains have been corralled into one general location with minimal exit routes and are ready to be taken into police custody. We await your next orders." Iida gave a sharp salute after coming to a stop beside the large pro after working with Aoyama and Hagakure to take down a large group of villains rather swiftly. Surprisingly, their quirks worked well together; Aoyama and Hagakure blinded the villains while Iida used the distraction to tie them together into one large bundle with some nearby cable. It was the perfect ending to a villain attack.

"Great job, kids! You've all done fantastically today and your cooperation with one another will certainly help later down the line when you become official pros." Fat Gum boasted with a handful of candies in his palm, the hero quickly offering them a treat for the hard work. "I think we've broken a record for the fastest villain takedown out of all the sectors. But just because we've finished our work here doesn't mean we're done for the day. There are other teams nearby that could use our assistance so we can't rest for too long."

"Of course! Koda, if you would please ensure the villains stay put with some of your crawling friends then we can be on our way to assist our fellow classmates and pros!"

"S-sure!" Koda nodded eagerly before crouching to the ground with a palm against the concrete. Everything was a bit fuzzy through the rock but once he heard them shuffling around in the dirt he connected their minds. "Please keep these villains in place until the authorities arrive, my friends. Thank you for your help!"

"The sight of bugs makes my skin crawl," Aoyama shivered with his arms around his stomach as the ground began vibrating from the sheer number of bugs. The blood drained from his face and he shifted closer to Hagakure. "Shall we perhaps move along now before any get into mon costume?"

"Such a baby Aoyama, they're harmless little bugs. Especially when Koda commands them to guard the villains. Look, there they go marching off!" Toru pointed and practically forced Aoyama to look at the creepy crawlies. He shrieked and tried to pull away but she grabbed his face and forced him to look at the insects.

"All Might, sector two has been cleared and is awaiting police presence to apprehend the villains." Fat Gum relayed into his headset while munching on a handful of snacks. Iida stuck nearby in case any important information was relayed. Ever the diligent class rep.

"Good work, go ahead and move to sector eleven to assist Vlad King with clearing his sector."

"Forgive me, Fat Gum, but if I might intrude on the intercom for just a moment." Iida abruptly cut in just as the pro pressed the talk button once more. With a nod he popped it from his ear and handed it to the class rep with a smile. "All Might, this is class 1-A representative Tenya Iida. I hate to bother you with something off topic, but it's my duty as class rep to ensure the safety off all my classmates."

"…you're asking about Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki right? Unfortunately, we're having communication problems with their team on the other side of the island, though that's coming from their end right now. I assure you that when I hear anything the entirety of your class will be alerted with the news." All Might lessened the strained edge of his voice. Reassuring his students was priority in this tense situation and any hint of emotional distress could jeopardize their missions. Though just like with his muscle form, the former pro could barely keep his own emotions under control in the dire situation. He'd become weak in more than the physical sense.

"It's not those three I'm worried about, it's Uraraka." Iida replied quietly and immediately the attention of his classmates were on him. The line remained silent until the former pro roughly cleared his voice to speak.

"I take it there's still no update on Ochaco Uraraka, All Might," Fat Gum added in before the man could speak.

"As of this moment, we have not received confirmation on Ochaco Uraraka's current location within Paranoias' mansion. All lines of communication have gone down since just after their arrival. I'm sorry, Iida, there's nothing more I can tell you at this time."

"Oh no," Toru clenched her hands together as Aoyama dropped his head solemnly. Koda remained silent beside the other two with a saddened expression.

"We're going to head to sector eleven now, over and out." Fat Gum grabbed the ear piece back and popped it back underneath his hood. "I understand your concern for your friends, but we have a mission to complete right now. People's lives depend on us so let's get our heads in the game now so we can celebrate the moment everyone returns safely."

"But Ochaco…we haven't known anything for over a day. She could be injured or locked up in a creepy dungeon with that villain, or…or…"

"Breathe, mon ami, breathe. Uraraka is one of the strongest people we know, so have faith that she will return to us safely. If Midoriya and the others are there to rescue her then I have no doubt that they will all return by morning." Aoyama clasped Toru's hands gently as the teen tried to stop hyperventilating. Koda eagerly nodded with teary eyes.

Iida popped the faceplate from his costume off as he watched the spirits of his classmates dampen drastically. They were all worried, obviously, but for some it hit harder than others. He'd been worried sick for hours on end and even skipped a meal or two because the thought of her injured within the grasps of that villain ate away at his appetite. Of course he was worried about the other three but he knew they could easily handle themselves in a fight. Uraraka though after everything she'd been through…

"We can save our worries for later," The class rep drew their attention to him once more and he kept his bravest face on. Right now he had a duty to keep his classmates fighting, regardless of his own dampened spirits. "Right now our mission is to secure the sectors one by one to push back and apprehend the villains threatening the lives of civilians within the city. We know they're all more than capable of handling themselves in a fight so we'll save our worries until after they return. Heroes have a duty to uphold and maintain the peace so that's what we're going to do. And as U.A. students, we have to show the world that we'll be the next pro heroes to protect and serve."

"That's the spirit! Believe in your friends that they'll come back by dawn's light safe and sound. Now come on, we've got some friends to help out!"


Ochaco rested against a corner wall she assumed was somewhat near the main foyer of the mansion, completely out of breath and energy to move another inch. All around her battles raged on from every angle and the line between hero and villain blurred into colorful blobs. She was lucky to have barely escaped from Paranoias, but now Ronaldo had turned the tables on them all by being the true mastermind behind everything. Her gut had been right the entire time yet it was too late to fix it as Yoshizawa had sealed himself within the lab after her escape. If she could get to a pro and alert them to the real enemy then maybe he could be saved and potentially even spared from the justice system. Ochaco glanced around the corner to see large, black outlines of figures rampaging through the halls on a mission. Nomu?

Fighting them was definitely out of the question since she was barely conscious to begin with yet being a sitting duck was just as bad. If she got lucky they'd stomp right on past but they were notorious for aggressively going after any hero they found. No cellphone to call the pros or even alert them to her location so that went out the window too. A weak cough spit up a glob of blood though she was too weak to wipe it away so it trailed down her chin onto Deku's already ruined jacket. Where was he? All she could remember was him swooping in to save the day then…

Realization washed over Ochaco and just as the image popped into her mind the teen leaned over to expel the contents of her stomach. The acid burned the back of her throat and after a few heaves slumped back against the wall. It had to have been a dream. There was no way she…it wasn't possible for her to ever do such a heinous thing, especially to Deku! Yet the memory was fresh on the forefront of her mind, replaying over and over as the stake meant for Paranoias suddenly diverted course to slam into his abdomen. She had no control over her body from that point on and instead watched on in silent horror as blood spilled from Deku even as he got up to continue fighting for her. The look of sheer surprise as his eyes trailed to the stake protruding back up to hers just before Paranoias slammed him into the ceiling gouged deep in her chest. She'd never forgive herself for it.

"Eraser Head, we've been instructed to assist you in recovering the students!"

"I don't need help finding my students, I can manage just fine."

"Please, sir, Endeavor gave us our orders—"

"Then go find them while I track down Paranoias. A gaggle of heroes just slows me down and draws attention. Being stealthy right now is what counts. If we're getting close to Paranoias then we have to be quiet." Eraser Head snapped back and Ochaco never felt more relieved than in that moment to hear a familiar voice but as she made to move into their line of sight, a large black hand grasped onto the edge of the wall and crushed it. The Nomu used it to push himself forward as it searched out the nearby heroes.

A large Nomu began chattering its teeth at the conversing heroes when it casually glanced down at some movement. Ochaco scrambled away from the wall as it turned its bulky body towards her while raising a fist. There was nowhere left to run and even if she did manage to make it a few feet away, the damage would still be more than enough to end her life. The heroes began launching attacks to redirect the Nomu towards them yet all noise faded out as Ochaco's tunnel vision focused on the massive fist rising into the air before slowly thrusting forward. Her rapid heartrate thumped loudly in her ears as all sensation in her body numbed. This was it, there was no escaping death this time. She'd been so close to being rescued…

"D-don't—!"

"OUT OF THE WAY, FATASS!"

Intense heat filled the area and within seconds the Nomu was writhing around as explosions radiated all across its body, the lumbering being stumbling backwards with its hands still reaching for her. As a last ditch effort it swung towards the offending attacker just to be shoved back and out of sight as someone launched a powerful strike. A third attack encased the Nomu in a thick block of ice, permanently halting its advance. A large chunk of the wall across from her crumbled and broke away, the debris heading straight for her and she braced her arms for impact. The sound told her it connected but as she opened her eyes, she saw that a support beam forged a little barrier over her with just enough room to move around. Ochaco gasped for breath as everything spun wildly, the hero squeezing her eyes shut to ease the nauseating sensation. She slumped sideways and hit the ground heavily with a hand clutched weakly at her chest. At least the wall gave her some cover and protection from any more Nomu or villains for the time being. The brunette let herself be absorbed into the darkness as the excitement finally died down.

"I didn't expect to see you three anytime soon. Where have you been?" Eraser Head gruffed as his three students surrounded him. At least they were still moving, definitely run through the wringer but alive. Midoriya had an abdomen wound but the other two seemed to be faring better. Sharp eyes noticed his stealth jacket was gone and Eraser Head briefly wondered if he'd discarded or lost it, though the more likely scenario was that it was destroyed.

"We got dropped into the lowest level of the mansion after running into Uraraka. She said Paranoias had released her from her cell and started a hunting game after giving her a head start to escape. Bastard knew she couldn't escape and we found her just as a group of villains swooped in." Todoroki informed his teacher with crossed arms. The sounds of fighting increased behind them and they all glanced back warily. They weren't safe in this location. Especially since they just defeated a rampaging Nomu. Who knew how many more there were lingering around.

"Kaachan and I found an old lab that had some…" Deku started but trailed off uneasily, a glove rubbing the back of his neck out of habit. He didn't even want to think about it let alone say it aloud. Revealing crucial information during a mission was top priority but just remembering the skeleton and the stench

"Dude's got a stack of dead test experiments building up in a lab where he offed some scientist or something years ago. Some of them weren't that old either." Bakugo finished the sentence with a hard gaze directed at his shoes. He was going to be having nightmares about what he'd seen for at least a few days. "He's also got enough ammonia to blow this place sky-high if ignited. There was already one explosion down in the basement so who's to say there won't be more scattered throughout the mansion."

"What happened to Uraraka? Why isn't she with you three now?" Eraser asked quietly and the teens shared an unreadable glance. The sounds behind them began growing louder and the squadron supporting the pro started bracing themselves for an attack. Shota clenched his jaw tighter when he took in his students' reluctant faces. Had Paranoias slipped her through their fingers again?

"After being dropped into the lower levels she ended up with me after the four of us go separated. We were doing fine until Paranoias set off an explosion that split us apart and I haven't seen her since." Todoroki said.

"I found her with Paranoias but he got away with her again. When I brought up that he was no different than heroes for removing his abusive father from society he began acting weird, as if he was starting to realize that he'd become the monster he hated. I think Uraraka was right, I think Yoshizawa really is just misunderstood." Deku waited with bated breath as his teacher scowled into his scarf as he mulled over the information piled onto him. He just hoped they were close enough to Paranoias to find Uraraka.

"Our mission is rescue only from this point on. Endeavor is handling the main attacking force so we get in and out. Communications are still a bit fuzzy so don't rely on—"

"The battle's headed this way, Eraser Head, what do you want us to do?" One of the heroes escorting the pro shouted out as the sounds of battle growing close became deafening, the ground beneath their feet trembling violently. With all of the fighting on top of a crumbling foundation it was a miracle the mansion was even still standing. That's why they needed to get out as soon as possible, before it all came crumbling down on top of them.

"Bakugo, Todoroki, support them and push back any Nomu that slip through. Midoriya, if you can still fight with that wound come with me. I think we're getting close to Paranoias' lab." Aizawa ordered his students just as a few Nomu came screeching down the far end of the hallway. He latched onto his scarf once more. "Once Uraraka is found immediately regroup and head outside for departure. I don't want anyone fighting Paranoias unless absolutely necessary, get Uraraka completely evacuated from the area first, understood?"

"Sir!"

Deku nodded and the two began sprinting down the long hallway past the frozen Nomu when something caught his attention after thirty seconds. Streaks of red intermittently traced along the wall with additional splatters zigzagging across the floor. It continued on deeper into the mansion and his heart thumped painfully. Blood. Someone with a severe injury traversed down the hallway, but it was difficult to tell which way they were headed since the wall smears couldn't be discerned. Eraser Head slowed when he noticed his student looking back towards the way they had just come. He was trying to decipher which way the bloody prints went. There was the possibility it was Uraraka, but the chances of her getting released from a maniac villain was slim right now. "We need to keep moving."

"There's blood all along the walls and floors. An injured person came through this hallway, but I can't tell which way they were heading since the tracks continue on into the mansion." Deku crouched down next a rather heavy blood spot to check for any other clues like footprints or fabric. A lump began forming in his throat as he touched the slightly damp spot with his finger, the crimson soaking into his glove instantly. It wasn't that old meaning whoever was bleeding wasn't too far off. Was it…?

Aizawa lifted his goggles to examine the markings on the walls, a gloved finger tracing over a wet looking spot. It wasn't that dried, maybe fifteen minutes or less at the most. He walked a short distance further down to check another smear to find it was slightly drier. Whoever traversed this path was going to die from the sheer amount of blood loss sooner rather than later. He glanced back the way they came. Had there been anyone hiding in the area? "These markings aren't that old and they're drier down here. It trails back the way we came, but if someone had gone that way they would've been noticed by either villains or heroes. Unless…"

"What are you thinking, Eraser Head?" Deku asked while trying to see how far back the blood trailed. It certainly trailed the way they had come yet there was no one injured in the area. There weren't too many hiding spots either, barely any doors that led off into rooms so they either slipped through somewhere or were still concealing themselves. Often, wounded animals would silently hide in order to avoid detection by predators so maybe that was the case. Uraraka had severe injuries and during the villain attack in the mountains she'd found a cave to hide in for protection. "Do you think…just like the mountain attack, do you think Uraraka is hiding somewhere nearby? Somewhere that we passed already?"

"Don't tell me she was hiding out here the entire time," Aizawa deduced with a sharp breath as his heart pounded fiercely. That would mean she either somehow escaped Paranoias or was set free. If this was Uraraka's blood then the trails would lead them straight to her. He glanced to his right, where they had yet to venture and momentarily debated. His gut was telling him Paranoias was most likely hiding somewhere further down the hallway, but his mind was telling him to follow the red trail. Deku understood what he was getting at and turned on his heel in a flash to sprint back down the hallway with the pro close behind. Villain be damned, he had a student to save. He'd have his time later with that bastard who'd caused so much damage.

The trail keeps going along the floor but it's tapering off along the wall so did they begin to shift to the center or the other side? I think there were a few blood spots where we came from but I wasn't fully paying attention. Uraraka…

As they neared the frozen Nomu, one of the assisting heroes noticed them and started flagging them down frantically, pointing just behind from where the creature stood. Eraser swiftly darted past Deku to regroup with the hero and the two disappeared behind the corner, just out of sight from Deku's view. He slowed and with bated breath came around the corner to see two heroes attempting to move heavy debris concealing a figure on the floor. Red was seeping from underneath the portion of wall and his heart stopped.

"We stayed back in case you guys needed help while your students went on ahead to push back the Nomu, and then my partner noticed something under the debris. This is the girl we've been looking for, right? Ochaco Uraraka? I don't think she's conscious anymore and there's quite a bit of blood on the floor. It doesn't look like the wall hit but instead shielded her after the Nomu was frozen. We never would've noticed except for some blood trailing over from the other corner." The hero said nervously as Eraser crouched beside her to check for injuries. His partner stopped attempting to move the wall and stood back to let the pro do his job.

"Uraraka!" Deku slumped against the wall in relief, a hand coming up to his throat as the emotions threatened to burst from his chest. His head dropped against his chest with tears welling heavily in his eyes, a few trails streaking his dirtied and scraped face. She was alive. Injured, yes, but the fact that they had already confirmed she was alive was at least a moment of relief before the real concern took over. Now the trouble was getting her out of there in one piece.

"I can't tell the extent of her injuries from beneath the debris so we'll need to carefully lift it away. Hawks, do you copy?" Aizawa pressed the talk button on his comm a little harder than necessary, impatient with the hit and miss signal on the device. Just as he was about to throw the damned device over the railing and into the battle below, the static eased up and the line clicked open.

"Eraser, little busy…what do you need?" Hawks grunted out as the clanging of swords filtered through the line. At least he was still alive. Villains must've figured out his location on top of the mansion once the pros began entering.

"I've got Uraraka, she's alive but critically injured and unconscious. Get word to medical that her state is code black. All four students are retreating with me but we've got multiple Nomu blocking our path. I have a hunch that Paranoias is not too far from our location and so far there's been no contact with the villain." Deku began throwing the rocks away to clear an evacuation point for his teacher and the moment his eyes fully laid on Uraraka's still form he froze. A small puddle of blood had formed around her slumped form, her brown locks greedily soaking it up. Her face was obscured from view as Eraser Head checked her over for actively bleeding injuries. She was worse than earlier, a lot worse.

"I'll be damned. Alright, I'll toss out the word and send reinforcements to your location, Eraser Head. Let's get our girl home safely!"

"Midoriya, hand over any extra medical supplies you have on you. We're going to have to keep her still during transport until we know the full extent of her injuries."

"H-here, I have some gauze rolls left but I used a decent amount of it earlier for her wounds. She has an abdominal laceration that was actively bleeding earlier though I don't know of any other major injuries. There were lacerations on her arms and legs as well, those were earned in a fighting ring that Paranoias put her in." Deku hurried out as his hands shakily dug around in his pockets for gauze. The pro watched his student begin to let the panic control his body and grabbed his arm to stop him for a moment. He was beginning to lose focus of the situation, a dangerous thing to do with so many enemies swarming around.

"I won't let her die, Midoriya, you have my word on that. Get yourself together because we're still in the middle of a warzone and you can break down later, but I need you on your guard until we're safe and out of here." Aizawa quickly unrolled the gauze handed to him before motioning for Midoriya to help shift the debris away. With his black whip securely on the heavy support beam, Deku and the two heroes began pulling it out of the way as carefully as possible before shoving it back to the other side of the hallway and out of the way. Eraser Head carefully shifted her onto her back and the amount of blood soaking through what remained of her shirt made Deku queasy. Even the jacket he'd given her was soaked through.

"What the hell…she was here the entire time?" Came Bakugo's outcry as he jumped backwards to avoid a Nomu swiping its elongated claws at him. Todoroki blasted the group back before slamming an ice wall up once the additional heroes shifted out of the way. They'd fallen back at the point of being overwhelmed and the Nomu followed without fail. "How the hell did no one notice she was right there?! Seriously!"

"She was underneath the large section wall debris and it concealed her pretty good. Don't worry, she's alive but injured. Hawks has been informed and is sending reinforcements down here to help create an escape route. Now we just have to hold off the Nomu for a bit." Another hero explained quickly but Bakugo merely just shook him by the front of his costume out of annoyance.

"I didn't ask for your stupid explanation!"

"It won't hold them for long but it will give us enough time to get Uraraka out of here. Eraser Head, do I need to cauterize any wounds?" Shoto asked as he shifted back the ice barrier another ten feet to give them all more room to work on the wounded brunette. The support heroes kept up a defensive perimeter in case they broke through the ice and Bakugo just stood off to the side watching the entire scene unfold.

"Damnit, her abdomen is bleeding uncontrollably. The wound appears to be deep and the bandages aren't controlling it. Looks like she even tried to use her sweatshirt to stop the bleeding. Todoroki."

"Right. Midoriya, brace her right side down in case she wakes up. Mr. Aizawa take her legs. This is going to really hurt, I'm sorry Uraraka." Todoroki positioned himself next to Uraraka with his right hand pinning her shoulder down and one knee holding her arm steady. He carefully peeled back the bloodied layers to find the wound. It was just barely above her belly button so he folded the fabric to just above the wound before igniting his hand. If he had to guess it was about two fingers-width wide and roughly four to six inches long. With a deep breath in and out he focused his flames onto his fingertips and placed three of them on the skin just before the wound started. Ensuring both heroes had a good grip on her, he pressed his fingers down before slowly dragging them over the wound to ensure a full seal. He'd never had training like this before so he was just going on what first aid techniques he knew. It was going to be a bad scar but it would save her life and that's all that mattered. He would be sure to apologize later.

Ochaco began flinching as her face contorted into a pained one. Deku made sure to keep a firm grip on her shoulder and arm as her body spasmed in reaction to the nerves and cells frying. He slid his right hand down to encase hers as Todoroki hit a particularly deep section of the wound. Instinctively she latched onto it as the stench of burning flesh filled the area. The heroes tried to breathe in a different direction, the odor barely tolerable as it hit them full force in the face. Muffled grunts left her mouth with each second until panicked auburn eyes shot open and a piercing scream slipped out.

"I'm sorry, Uraraka, but it needs to be done." Todoroki said over her agonized wails. His hand began trembling and he had to focus completely so he didn't accidentally scorch good skin. He himself was immune to fire burns so he couldn't imagine the pain his classmate was in. "Just a little bit longer, I'm almost done sealing the wound up."

"Uraraka, I'm right here, it's okay. Don't look down just look at me. Focus on the sound of my voice." Deku plead as she began trying to pull her arm away to stop the cauterization, Eraser Head easily keeping her lower body immobilized when she tried to kick out. "We're going to get you out of here, okay? I promise I won't leave anymore, Uraraka, I'll stay right by your side until we get back to U.A.."

"S-st…op…urts…" Ochaco wheezed out with a toss of her head back to the floor. One of the support heroes moved in to place her hands underneath the brunette's head so she wouldn't keep slamming it on the hard ground. Tears streamed out uncontrollably as she struggled to get away from the excruciating pain. Wild eyes darted around to the people surrounding her begging, pleading for someone to make it stop but no one moved an inch. Deku squeezed his eyes shut tightly to quell the tears on the verge of overflowing. He had to be strong for her right now despite his own feelings. It needed to be done despite him hating every ounce of pain it caused her.

"How's that wall holding up?" Eraser asked one of the other heroes standing guard, eyes never leaving the pained expression of his student.

"I don't think it will hold up for much longer, sir, there are more Nomu gathering to break through it. I'd say a few minutes tops unless someone take care of some of them." A sticky quirk holder called back as he tried reinforcing the spreading cracks in the ice only for it to slowly slide off. "My glue doesn't work on cold surfaces!"

"Bakugo."

"Yeah, yeah, destroy the Nomu. I don't need you to tell me that." Bakugo retorted with little bite as he adjusted his gauntlets for a high powered blast. With ease he propelled himself through the closest wall to attack them by surprise, the pyromaniac quickly emerging on the other side of the ice and wreaking havoc on the Nomu while screaming profanities at them.

"That should be…it. I'm done Uraraka so I'm going to ice the wound a bit to help with the swelling and pain. Bear with me for another minute or so. You've done really well." Todoroki slowly released her right shoulder before swapping hands to ice the wound. Deku let out a breath he hadn't realized was held in, his posture loosening up. The pro supporting Uraraka's head gave silent support to the turmoiled teen with a gentle hand on his arm.

"Para…" Ochaco croaked out in between gasping for breath, her chest rising and falling quickly as her nerves went haywire. The ice was beginning to ease the pain but her mind was having trouble relaying a calming signal to the rest of her body. Everything was still a blurry mess and her eyes had trouble focusing on things close by, people included.

"Getting you out of here is priority, Uraraka, you don't have to worry about him." Deku said soothingly as he swiped some of her hair from her face, lidded auburn eyes sluggishly drifting over to his face. "Endeavor and the others are going to take him down while we get you to safety. It's done, it's over with so you don't have to fight anymore."

"No…not…him…"

"What about him?" Eraser Head asked as he gently released her legs before crouching down on his heels by her head. She was pale, way paler than she should be. Time was of the essence so they needed to get her out of there as soon as possible. U.A. had prepared the evacuation helicopters with bags of each students blood in the event that something went wrong. He was thankful to have them prepare a few more bags for Uraraka even if it wasn't the ideal outcome. She may even need more with how much blood she'd lost.

"Not…Para…isn't…villain…"

"He's the villain we're going after so who else would it be?" Another of the supportive heroes asked in confusion, his hand scratching the side of his face as his eyes darted back and forth between them and the Nomu battle. "Are there…other villains? Ones like him?"

"What about Paranoias? Did something happen when you were with him?" Deku inquired but noticed the sluggish response of her eyes and mouth as she tried to stay conscious. He pressed two fingers against the side of her neck, noting the weakened pulse. "She's about to go out again. Can you tell us what you mean, Uraraka?"

"Ron…do…" Ochaco managed to mumble out before slipping into the darkness once more. Deku carefully shifted over so that her head and shoulders were propped up against his thighs, freeing the other hero to assist with the Nomu. Her expression was still twisted up with pain and he gently laid one hand on the top of her head to stroke the sullied locks. It was something his mother used to do when he was little and it seemed to help the slightest as the heavy crease between her brows softened. It was heart wrenching to see her in such a horrible state and the guilt flooded over him. He should've been there to protect her and instead he sat here watching the very lifeforce spill from her motionless body. He was a failure of a hero…and a friend. He wouldn't blame Uraraka if she never forgave him for this, for not saving her in time.

"Rondo? Is that supposed to be someone involved with Paranoias?" Todoroki asked while extinguishing his ice with a puff of steam from his mouth. Eraser Head motioned for him to move out of the way and the teacher swiftly wrapped the bandages over the wound to seal out further debris until the medics could properly treat it. He moved onto other visible injuries and patched them the best he could. Some of them began seeping right through although at a slower pace.

"It's possible Paranoias has a right-hand man but at this point we need to focus on evacuating. Hawks will be directing backup to our location so make sure we're fortified where we are. We're no longer going to search for Paranoias, instead Endeavor and his teams are going to sweep through the rest of the mansion to search for him and bring him to justice." Aizawa huffed out a sigh as he stood, brushing his hands off before slipping them into his pockets. There wasn't anything else he could do for Uraraka until the medics took over. All they had to do was weave through the mansion and get outside to a waiting chopper ready for her. "I don't want any of you kids running off to play hero when the situation is dangerous. Don't try anything funny with me or I'll put you through three solid days of lectures on how not to be an idiotic hero. I'm dead serious this time."

"H-Hey, is it just me or is there something coming from the other end of the hallway?" The female hero shakily pointed out in front of her and everyone went on edge. Eraser rushed to investigate while Todoroki stayed by Deku's side to provide some comfort to his distraught friend. Bakugo's explosions began ringing louder and heavier, the walls quivering from the shockwaves. Todoroki's ice began to slowly melt from the excessive heat, a puddle growing larger on the marble floors by the second.

"What the hell is that…it smells like ammonia? Is there a gas leak in this place?" Another hero asked as he started wafting the air in front of his nose. "That's getting pretty strong—"

"We need to evacuate now, this whole place is loaded with tons of ammonia! Kaachan and I barely dodged an explosion earlier in the basement. My guess is the instability of the mansion is causing it to leak into the rest of the property. Stop Kaachan from using his quirk before it ignites." Deku shouted as he quickly picked up Uraraka to transport her away from the toxic fumes. Her head lolled to rest against his shoulder as he started looking around for a quick exit. "If we can keep breaking through the walls then eventually it should lead us to another area of the mansion and avoid direct fighting with the Nomu."

"We can't go that way because of the Nomu yet we can't run the other way since there's ammonia filling the hallway. None of our quirks are meant to combat toxins or really even take Nomu head-on, we're more useful to citizens than pro heroes." The assisting heroes began panicking as they realized they were trapped with nowhere to go. Eraser Head tsked then ran into the hole Bakugo had created to begin searching for the best escape route all the while loudly pointing out the four tagalongs were supposed to be heroes not cowards. Todoroki erected a large ice wall to block out the thickening stench of gas before motioning after their teacher.

"Follow Eraser Head, he'll find us a way out of here. If a spark catches that gas then this whole mansion will go up with us in it. Use your quirks to seal the walls behind us in case the ammonia slips through, we may have to fight through some Nomu so protect Deku and Uraraka at all costs."

"Right! Come on, guys, let's fulfill our order and get these students to safety!"


"All Might, come in. Do you read?" All Might jerked awake from his very brief nap to scramble for his headset in a panic. They'd managed to push back against the villains throughout Japan and the morning sun was just beginning to rise when victory was announced. It'd been a very long, hard day of commandeering the control center and the former pro's age was starting to catch up to him.

"Hawks? Have communications been restored? What's going on there?" The former pro quickly sat upright rubbing his eyes tiredly. Detective Tsukauchi offered to stay in the command center until everything had been cleared up then practically pushed the man out to get some sleep.

"They've found her, alive," Hawks relayed and All Might slumped forward with his hands on his face. Thank the heavens above. "She's pretty injured though, Eraser wanted me to pass along that it was a code black. He has the three troublemakers as well so they'll rendezvous at the evacuation point. Endeavor has been informed to send reinforcements to their location because a large number of Nomu are running rampant."

"Nomu? Are you positive?" Toshinori nearly slipped from his chair in surprise, his hand gripping the edge of the desk just before he hit the floor. That wasn't good. That meant Paranoias was more deeply connected to All for One than originally thought. "Then that means All for One has a part in all of this. If he's involved then maybe it was his plan from the very beginning and he was using Paranoias as a puppet. Has Paranoias been found?"

"Negative. I've been getting reports of ammonia leaks throughout the mansion so all teams are to escort Eraser Head and his ducklings to safety before engaging in a full evacuation. It's too dangerous to try and find the villain somewhere in the mansion, we'll have to abort taking him in until the area has been cleared. Eraser believes they're close to his location but Uraraka has taken all priority." All Might sighed into his clasped hands. They'd been so close to finding and taking the villain down yet the safety of the students and heroes was top priority. So close yet just out of reach. But he wouldn't get far, that he swore on his life.

"Good job, Hawks, please keep me updated when everyone is accounted for. I have some news to go share."

"Just make sure those kids get some sleep before they turn into walking zombies."

All Might removed the headset and placed it gently on the desk behind him. He ran a hand down his worn face contemplating the news. It all seemed like a dream that they'd finally caught up to the villain behind tens of thousands of deaths and losses of quirks only for him to slip away right under their noses. They would have to do a news press about how they rescued Uraraka yet failed to take down the villain responsible for the attacks. It was a PR nightmare. He stood and headed back to the command center to relay the news to all teams with more energy.

Everyone was still feverishly instructing and monitoring the groups of heroes across Japan as villains were taken into custody and the decoy bombs were safely removed for disposal. Detective Tsukauchi stood directly in the center of the room with Principal Nezu on his right side, the two quietly talking over the hum of radio calls. The door shut causing both men to look at the newcomer.

"Weren't you supposed to be sleeping, Toshinori? You already look like you're about to pass out. I can get you some coffee or something if you're adamant on staying awake for a while longer." The detective offered casually but All Might merely waved it off with a shake of his head.

"Is something the matter, All Might? You appear to be more alert all of a sudden. If I had to guess it has something to do with our fellow heroes on the rescue mission." Nezu guessed correctly to no one's surprise. He was far more intelligent than most people and his animal instinct helped to pick up on subtle changes in the human posturing and expressions. It was almost creepy at times though…

"Yeah. If I could have everyone's attention for the moment, please. I want radio silence across all lines of communication for this announcement." All Might spoke with authority as he scanned over the room, waiting for every single line of communication to be closed off. He didn't want the news spreading to the rest of the pros just yet. "I've just received direct word from Hawks regarding the rescue mission of Ochaco Uraraka."

"Oh no…" Tomoko Shiretoko, formerly Ragdoll, placed her hands against her mouth in worry. Despite losing her quirk, the Wild, Wild, Pussycat member immediately offered her assistance to U.A. and the police force. It was the least she could do after the pros and police department helped recover her from the Nomu lab.

"Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions here," Gran Torino interjected quickly to quell the growing unease. Whispering started up between the operators and the old pro realized it wasn't going to die down so easily. Not that he blamed them, this was a very tense situation they'd gotten wrapped up in. "You should've just outright said it Toshinori, look what you've started. Be more direct instead of leaving on a cliffhanger."

"Gran Torino is right, let's just listen to what All Might has to say before thinking about the worst case scenario." Ryukyu added as she took a seat beside the operator from her agency, the dragon quirk holder casually folding one leg over the other. She'd immediately offered her support as soon as she learned her pupil had been taken. Since her quirk wasn't suitable for indoor use, she brought half of her agency to man the communication lines and instruct the pros in battle.

"All right, all right, if everyone would just keep it down for a minute until All Might can give us the news. This could be very important information regarding the lives of the U.A. students and the pros putting risking everything to take down a dangerous villain." Principal Nezu raised a paw and all fell silent instantaneously.

"Uh, thank you, Principal Nezu." All Might cleared his throat while looking over the room. So many scared, anxious, eyes were on him hoping for the best outcome. Everyone here was volunteering their time and skills to help save his students and he couldn't be more grateful for their assistance. "As mentioned a moment ago, I was contacted by Hawks regarding the mission to recover Ochaco Uraraka from the villain Paranoias. We managed to gather enough information to track down his residence deep in the mountains on the Eastern side of the island and Endeavor is leading the attack with local heroes and those from his agency. Communications between the command center and Hawks has been intermittent due to what we believe are signal scramblers residing within the mansion on the property, but it seems those lines are now fully operational. Most importantly, Ochaco Uraraka has been found alive and safe."

Cheers erupted in the room as some of the women hugged it out and the men high-fived joyously, even some of the pros sported relieved smiles. Detective Tsukauchi slouched his shoulders as if all the tension in the world had faded from them, the officer shaking his head in disbelief. Nezu observed the room with his hands behind his back in a calm manner, patiently waiting for everyone to settled a bit more. All Might held up a hand to clear the floor to continue speaking. This wasn't the part he wanted to say, but they needed to know the situation was still dangerous to everyone involved.

"Although Ochaco Uraraka was found safe and sound, she is in critical condition at the moment. Eraser Head is leading the four students out of the mansion as we speak but they're running into the creatures created by All for One, the Nomu. I have no doubt that he's the one pulling all of the strings behind this attack. I've also been given word that high levels of ammonia are flooding the building so orders have been relayed to Endeavor and his teams for a full evacuation of the property once the students have made it to the safe point outside."

"So, they're no longer searching for the villain who caused countless lives to be irreplaceably damaged? What's going to happen to Paranoias? He could escape and continue to wreak havoc on the world. There are all those heroes there, while we're restricted on resources here, and they couldn't find a way to dissipate the gasses safely?" One man stuck his arm up to ask his question, an indignant look adorning his face. There was always at least one who brought up the flaws of missions like this, most likely just looking to start a fight. "All these resources are being used up to hunt him down and you're just going to let him go?"

"As All Might stated, the safety of my students and the heroes involved in the delicate rescue mission are top priority. We are all fully aware what it means to leave Paranoias be, but we are putting a lot of manpower into getting Ochaco Uraraka back into the safety of U.A. first. His location is no longer a secret so once the area has been deemed safe the mission to bring Paranoias to justice will continue as planned. I will not risk the lives of my students, teachers, or alliancing heroes for a villain who has already had most of his operations shut down across the globe. Acting recklessly would only spook him further into hiding and it's taken weeks of strategizing just to enact the plans we have in place. And if All Might is correct in thinking that All for One is involved, then it's best to regroup to create new plans that factor in his involvement." Principal Nezu explained though the man didn't seem fully satisfied with the answer as he sat back down. Another person raised their hand and waited for the cue to speak before standing.

"All Might, you said All for One is most likely behind the Nomu attacks in the mansion but what use could Paranoias be to him?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe that Paranoias may have been nothing more than a pawn for him. Going over the police records that Detective Tsukauchi dug up on the Quantum Council event that transpired decades ago, it revealed that Yoshizawa Isoruko's quirk deals with possession of another person's mind and body. He can link his thoughts and projections onto that person and essentially have a mirror image of his movements and voice. If All for One wanted someone to do his dirty work then Paranoias fits within the criteria to do so. We believe his intentional target was Izuku Midoriya and not Ochaco Uraraka."

"The only thing I can think of is the fact that she's close with Midoriya, potentially turning into a hostage to lure him out to where All for One can keep track of him or deal with him in person." Ryukyu suggested and some of the operators began whispering amongst themselves about the possibility.

"I'll admit it was a good plan, but there's a big piece of the puzzle that doesn't make sense on All for One's part," Tsukauchi crossed his arms over his chest and glanced over to All Might, his voice lower to avoid spreading sensitive information. "If he was going after Midoriya then why dance around so much? All for One generally sticks to the shadows until he's already attacking, but with everything that's happened it just doesn't seem like he was intentionally pulling him away to corner him. I think it was more of an experiment gone awry."

"That's a possibility but we won't know more until we can confront Paranoias and interrogate him about everything. Sir, with your approval I'd like to announce to the remaining students of class 1-A that Uraraka is safe." All Might turned to his employer and bowed respectfully.

"Of course, of course! I know you'll handle it professionally, All Might, and I'm sure the students would appreciate their teacher telling them to ease their anxiety. If you'll both excuse me for a bit I have some fresh tea waiting in my room just down the hallway." Nezu waved farewell before strolling off to drink some of his morning tea. Everyone sat around waiting for the all clear to resume open communication so the former pro walked to the center podium and grabbed the main microphone. With a thumbs up from the lead operator he turned the master override switch on.

"Attention all sector leaders, this is All Might speaking. I need the heroes in charge of the class 1-A students to chime in with their current status."

"This is Thirteen radioing in. I have Creati, Grape Juice, Tsukuyomi, and Sugarman beside me. We are clear for communications."

"Fat Gum here. I've got Ingenium, Invisible Girl, Can't Stop Twinkling, and Anima standing by. All clear."

"Gunhead checking in. Sector is cleared. Froppy, Red Riot, Tailman, and Tentacole are on standby."

"Yo, yo, All Might! It's your boy Present Mic chiming in! I've got Pinky, Earphone Jack, Cellophane, and Chargebolt chillin' by me! All's clear in this sector, yo!"

"Are all of the class gathered in one location?" All Might waited with bated breath after releasing the talk button. It was easiest to deliver the news when they were all together but as the minutes ticked by he grew more antsy. Moving from sector to sector could take a little bit so he eased back of the microphone.

"Copy, All Might, class 1-A has been remerged together in sector three. Awaiting your orders." Thirteen's voice carried into the room and he took a deep breath in before slowly releasing it.

"Please turn all of your earpieces to speaker mode."


"I wonder why they want us all back together like this, shouldn't we still be out there helping the civilians?" Yaoyorozu pondered as they stood around waiting for orders to be relayed. The pros informed them they needed to be gathered in one place but gave no indication as to why, so everyone just looked around as their sector leaders messed with their earpieces. A few other sector leaders were mingling around to help clean up debris or to check the students for injuries, but it looked like most of the other U.A. students were still out in the fields. The other heroes helping out were from local agencies since the school wanted the bare minimum amount of students fighting outside of school premises.

"Maybe they're going to ship us off to another sector? Or they could send us back to the school so the pros can continue to clear up the bombs placed around the city. We may have our provisional licenses but we aren't full-fledged heroes who can do whatever we want in the field." Tsu threw out in the hopes of solving the case though her classmates didn't seem to entirely agree.

"Do you think it has something to do with Midoriya and the others who went to save Uraraka? From what I can tell it was only class 1-A that was gathered together because the other U.A. students are still scattered throughout the sectors." Sero suddenly had the attention of every one of his classmates and he quickly waved his hands in front of him. Whoops, wrong choice of words. "No, no, no, I don't mean it like it's bad news! It's just that from the way they're acting is a little off. If it was bad then wouldn't they have told us even when we were in our sectors?"

"That's most likely true. If it were bad news then the pros would be acting differently but they're seemingly calm for the moment. But if All Might is calling then hopefully it's good news." Tokoyami input with dark shadow nodding his agreement with clasped claws from underneath his masters cloak.

"Class representatives Iida and Yaoyorozu, can you hear me?" All Might's voice rang out and everyone snapped their eyes to the comms the heroes had pointed at the group.

"Yes! We can hear you perfectly loud and clear, All Might." Iida announced eagerly and everyone shifted closer.

"Everyone is accounted for?"

"Yes sir, all sixteen remaining students are accounted for at this moment." Yaoyorozu confirmed with a fast head count.

"Good. I want to assure you all that this is not a disheartening report regarding the remaining four students of your class. I reported to you earlier, Iida, that there were no updates regarding Ochaco Uraraka. Hawks has recently reached out to me as communications between Paranoias' mansion and the command center have opened up."

"Does this mean you know what happened to Midoriya and the others? Have they found Ochaco? Is she okay?" Mina pushed her way to the front with the other girls hot on her heels, stopping just a few steps in front of the speaker. They all latched onto one another in a nerve-racking manner. "All Might, tell me Ochaco is alive, please!"

"Ochaco Uraraka has been found alive and will be on her way home soon."

The class of 1-A burst into hooting and hollering, some students even hugging out of sheer relief. Mina crumpled to the ground in a hysterical heap with the girls clinging onto her sobbing. Yaomomo shed tears of happiness while Iida placed a hand against his heart, a smile adorning his tired face. The pros celebrated with some fist bumps yet the smiles faltered a bit on their faces. There was something All Might wasn't bringing up about Uraraka and Present Mic had a heavy hunch it had to do with some injuries. But bringing those up after giving them the long awaited news would only crush their spirits down again so for now it was best to avoid the sensitive topic any further.

"So…where is she? Is she coming home now with Eraser Head and the others? Did they find Paranoias?" Present Mic asked discreetly through his own mic as the other pros turned off the speaker function while the class celebrated.

"Eraser Head is currently escorting them out of the mansion at this time, but they've run into an All for One problem: he was collaborating with Paranoias this entire time and gave him some Nomu in the event his hideout was overrun. From what I can tell All for One was merely using Paranoias as his pawn to get closer to Midoriya but for some reason he ended up with Uraraka." All Might confided in his fellow teacher who let out a quiet hum.

"Explains why Eraser hasn't been answering his phone the entire time. So if he's escorting the students off the property then who's going to confront the villain? You can't just leave him there after everything he's done, the countless lives that have been taken because of his paralytic."

The line went silent for a few minutes and Mic could've sworn he'd heard someone grabbing All Might's attention from the background in an urgent manner. The other pros shared a knowing look before moving to speak with their designated students. He whipped out his phone as it spit out a rockin' tune to see a new message. It was from All Might so he immediately faced away to read it.

Massive ammonia leak. Building being evacuated for safety. Council will have to convene for a new plan of action with AFO being involved. Hawks reported newcomers to the scene, unknown if friend or foe. Update soon.

Damn. Rescue missions never seemed to go smoothly yet with AFO being involved, it just made things a hundred times more dangerous than normal. He shot back a quick acknowledgement before releasing a heavy breath. His lips turned upward into its usual cool smile and he strolled back over to the students with his hands clenched into fists inside the pant pockets. Keep it cool, Mic, gotta keep it cool for their sakes.


"Do you even know where the hell we're going? All these damn hallways look exactly alike." Bakugo droned as he trudged behind his classmates, teacher, and the useless wannabe heroes who were afraid of a toxic cloud of dust more than a freaking Nomu. He'd been yanked away from his fight by Todoroki who quickly sealed the hole he made in the wall before informing him of the ammonia. Not like he didn't already know that it was toxic, he was just tired of being told the obvious by an icy-hot bastard with daddy issues.

"Does it look like we know where we're going, kid? Wherever Eraser Head goes I'm going to follow because I don't want to be killed by a toxic cloud of dust." The glue quirk holder quipped back only to earn a heavy sneer accompanied by a middle finger. "Our orders from Endeavor were to assist your teacher in rescuing you. We found you and the girl, so now we're headed out of this crazy mansion to the evacuation point. You can complain about us all you want but we were the ones who found your classmate."

"Only because you stayed behind like a bunch of cowards! Staying behind to wait was just an excuse to get out of fighting. Not like your quirk is useful or anything since you couldn't even seal the cracks in the ice! Heroes my ass—"

"This isn't a pissing match and unless you want me to strangle all the air from your lungs I suggest you shut up." Eraser Head threatened with a yank of scarf and a deadly glare. The hero shut up instantly while Bakugo snickered. "That applies mainly to you, Bakugo."

"How are you holding up, Midoriya? Does your wound hurt?" Todoroki asked lowly as he looked over to his friend. Deku hadn't said much since they escaped the toxic hallway and seemed to be constantly looking around for signs of danger. Uraraka was still unconscious though she made little noises of pain here and there which instantly had his attention every time. He was nearly frantic on the inside but doing his best to conceal it externally for the sake of the mission.

"The pain's died down and the bleeding has slowed so I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Uraraka since her body is growing hotter. She's probably picked up a fever from the trauma and possible infection. If she'd been forced to battle in an arena than her wounds probably weren't cleaned afterwards." Deku replied quietly without taking his eyes from their surroundings. The teen couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, but his danger sense never got close to activating. Maybe his nerves were fried with everything going on and he was becoming hyperaware of his surroundings, creating paranoia and ghost sightings of enemies.

"Here, let me check her forehead for a second." They both stopped and Shoto carefully placed the back of his hand against Uraraka's forehead, pulling it away after a few seconds with a frown. "She's burning up. I'll try to keep her cool but we should keep moving so as to not get separated."

"Thank you, Todoroki."

"What's the holdup back there?" Aizawa called back as he turned to see why two of his students were dawdling. As soon as he noticed Todoroki using his ice quirk on Uraraka he turned right back around without another word. She was already in a critical condition and if she didn't get help soon then…

"That looks like a window down there, do you think we can use it escape?" The female hero pointed out and the pro moved in to examine it. He cupped his hands on the glass to see outside with the hopes of pinpointing their location. The sun was just barely peeking over the mountains so it was difficult to discern their exact location, but they could make it around the property easier outside than in at this point. Problem was navigating through the thicket of trees surrounding the reclusive house in the dark and with a time sensitive injury. They didn't have time to be getting lost and running into villains.

"That's last resort so let's follow these windows to see where they lead first. If we've ventured this deep into the mansion then most likely the front entrance will be at the end of this wall. If all else fails then we'll take that option." Eraser continued leading the gaggle of heroes through the mansion by following the wall of windows in what he presumed was the correct direction. A vibration in his pantleg pocket snapped him out of his trance so he pulled it out to see what was going on. If he was getting messages then that meant all lines of communication were suddenly opened up.

Watch yourself, bro, All Might mentioned new company that may not be nice. I'll see you back at U.A. in a few hours. Bring them home safely. Hizashi. New company on the premises? Friends of All for One and the League?

"Hawks, do you copy?" The line was silent for a few pauses before he pressed the button again. "Hawks, come in. Endeavor, do you copy. Is anyone on this channel?" Aizawa cursed under his breath as the line remained staticky, his fingers quickly punching in Hawk's personal number. It rang once, twice, three times and just as he was about to hang up the line clicked open.

"Hawks is a little busy right now, Eraser Head, but I'm here to assist you." A feminine voice came through the speaker and the pro slowed to a stop, the group behind him warily doing the same. Had an enemy taken the flight hero down? He needed some answers and now. There wasn't time for this bullshit game.

"Who is this and why do you have Hawks' phone in your possession?"

"This is Clair Voyance, I was asked by Detective Tsukauchi to assist in your mission to retrieve the student Ochaco Uraraka. I have your location within my sights currently. You're about two hundred and fifteen feet to the front of the mansion so just follow your current path before taking the third hallway on your right then the second left in order to line up directly with the entrance doors."

"You're from one of the overseas agencies, aren't you? The one who can see through buildings and such." Eraser motioned with his free hand for everyone to keep moving as he began heading towards the designated turn. They all shared an odd glance but followed his instructions, nonetheless.

"We were visiting Japan and we sent him a heads-up that we were in the area if he ever needed anything since he helped us out back in the day. A few of us are also helping to clear out the large, black creatures running rampant as well so you shouldn't have any trouble getting out."

"Fine. If you have any more instructions then do it over the designated private system and not an open line of communication." Eraser Head said before hitting the end call button and shoving it into his pocket without a care. Didn't matter if everything around them was crumbling, relaying sensitive information like that could fall into the wrong hands.

"Overseas agency? What's someone like that doing in Japan?" Bakugo asked while shoving his way to the front of the group, roughly brushing past the sticky quirk holder in the process. He matched strides with his teacher who barely spared a glance over.

"Who knows, but if Tsukauchi is the one who requested the assistance then there's no point in questioning it. Per her directions we should be able to reach the front entrance with little trouble."

Minutes passed as they trekked down the hallways in search of the exit, the only sound filling the tense air being Todoroki's quirk activated every so often. Just before they turned down the last hallway to take them to the front entrance, Eraser Head threw his arm out and stopped just short of the corner. Faint voices gradually grew louder so the pro peeked around cautiously.

"Let's just get out of here man, I ain't dying for some half-baked villain anymore! I got a family waiting at home. If it weren't for them I wouldn't be doing this job." A villain complained loudly with exasperation lacing every word. So there were still people in the mansion?

"You think I don't want to leave? We're completely surround by dozens of pro heroes including Endeavor. There's no way we're going to make it out without being caught by someone and I'd rather it not be the number one pro hero. Shit, I don't even know where we're at right now, do you? I've never been to this section of the mansion. I had to stand guard outside of the dungeon door to make sure that hero didn't get away but that worked well. No idea how she managed to slip past me." A second one said before silence fell over them both. They were still barely halfway down the hallway so there was plenty of time to come up with a plan but fighting them obviously seemed needless in their current situation.

"Let's just go back the way we came that way we can surrender right as we hit the front doors. This whole place is surrounded and even if we did escape there's tons of pros that would catch us easily. I'm really regretting taking this job, but Paranoias promised me he'd cover my daughter's medical bills once it was done and over with. Guess that's not happening anymore."

"Hasn't he been acting off lately? I know people say he's a ruthless villain whose sole purpose was to rejuvenate the Quantum Council but ever since he kidnapped that U.A. student he's gotten…off, to put it lightly. It's like something inside of him snapped and he's just gone on this spiraling tirade that don't make sense no more."

"Oh, that reminds me. Ronaldo? His right hand? When we were looking for that girl I passed by a room that just barely had the door cracked and I swear to god I heard All for One's voice! He was talking about how well the plan was going and that he was doing a good job keeping Paranoias in line. Before the voices even stopped I booked it out of there! I'm not getting wrapped up in something like that, they won't hesitate to kill you for overhearing conversations you weren't supposed to hear."

"Ronaldo? Is that what Uraraka was trying to say earlier?" Deku muttered to himself as he strained to hear every word. Uraraka stirred a bit at the name before easing into his shoulder again with a small sigh.

"It would seem so but how can we be fully sure that they're telling the truth?" Todoroki asked lowly, hand to his mouth in thought.

"Stay here." Eraser Head suddenly ordered before disappearing around the corner in a flash. Surprised shouts filled the room then silence fell over and Bakugo casually peeked around the corner before tsking and leaning against the wall with arms crossed.

"Great, now we've got hostages. Like this group wasn't fun enough already."

"They've witnessed something crucial so it's important All Might is informed as soon as possible. I'm sure we can wrangle some confessions from these two." Eraser replied before pressing the talk button on his earpiece. "Clair Voyance, do you copy?"

"Go ahead, Eraser Head."

"I've got two for interrogations, they've witnessed a conversation between Paranoias' right-hand and All for One. I'll be tying them up and leaving them here so get ready for a pickup as soon as possible."

"Roger. I can see you clear—hold on," Clair abruptly stopped as Aizawa was tightening his scarf around his two hostages, quirk activated. "I'm seeing two new targets that weren't visible before. It seems like they're fighting against one another near the main hall, high above where Endeavor is. They weren't visible before so why now? Hmm, I'll keep a close eye on those two but I've redirected some heroes to your location to handle the captured villains. You should be out of the building within two minutes."

"Two people fighting? Above us? You don't think…" Deku trailed off.

"More than likely it is but that's not our priority anymore. Uraraka is the only thing to focus on right now. If we don't get her to the medics then the chances of her surviving drop drastically. I want all three of you to forget about Paranoias completely, is that clear? Any disobedience will result in immediate failure from my class and possible suspension or even expulsion from U.A.."

"Eraser Head—"

"Midoriya, you know this better than anyone else right now so don't make me repeat myself. You're all smart enough to realize the situation we're in calls for strict measures especially since All for One is now heavily involved in this matter. Students' lives are priority and that's final. Glue Gun, bind these two together and go ahead to meet up with the other heroes with them in tow. Once that's done evacuate the building immediately."

"Glue Gun?" Bakugo guffawed while doubled over, his hands over his stomach as he pointed a finger at the glaring hero. "You're fucking name is Glue Gun?! That's the stupidest fucking thing I've EVER—"

"Shut up and keep moving Bakugo or he's going to glue your damn mouth shut." Eraser Head hissed as his scarf strangled the hero in training around the mouth.

"There are times when you should just keep your mouth shut, Bakugo. It would be in the best interest for everyone." Todoroki supplied as the pyromaniac rubbed at his face while grumbling.

"Bite me, Icy-hot!"

The sounds of battle quickly reached their ears as the group split at the end of the hallway, quirks flying left and right as heroes battled Nomu and what little villains were left. It was a complete warzone and with every powerful attack the mansion trembled beneath their feet. Todoroki and Bakugo flanked Deku to help protect Uraraka from the flying debris while Eraser Head flung any villain in their path out of the way. Three heroes flagged them down and the two groups merged together before heading for the entrance. A particularly loud explosion created a short pause in the battle which caused the hair on the back of Deku's neck stand up as he whipped his head around to see what it was. Glass began raining over them as large windows overlooking the main entrance shattered violently, a massive shockwave washing over them all.

"There's somebody falling out of the window!" A hero shouted out over the deafening clashing of quirks, all eyes darting to the figure falling at least two stories down. A flash of black and white was all Deku saw as time began to crawl to a slow, emerald eyes widening in surprise.

"Todoroki!" Shoto quickly snapped out of his stupor to take Uraraka moments before Deku launched himself towards the falling figure without a second thought. He wasn't going to let him go out like that, not when he was the one who let Uraraka go.

"Midoriya!" Eraser Head shouted out while preparing his scarf to yank his student back to him but Bakugo blocked his path with arms wide. "Bakugo—"

"Our priority is Uraraka but that doesn't mean Deku is going to ignore a person in need even if it is a villain. If you're done trying to let your teacher responsibilities get in the way of your mission, then let us be heroes and save someone. Cheeks needs a doctor before she bleeds out and dies. You can yell at Deku later. Hell, you can yell at all of us later or even expel us, but this is something he needs to do right now. He may very well have been the one to let Uraraka go. If he hadn't, she wouldn't have been found in time."

"Both of you get Uraraka to the helicopter and tell them not to wait for me." Eraser released his scarf with a rough sigh as the two nodded before sprinting alongside a group of heroes. These damn kids were going to be the end of him.

"We've been given evacuation orders so what are you going to do, Eraser?" Snipe asked as he and a few more heroes showed up to support the fellow teacher. The pro merely readjusted his goggles before grasping his scarf tightly. Time to work.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to save my student."