In the corner of the room was a small, naked young woman. She appeared to have stepped out of something like a pod, and was dripping with some sort of fluid. She had silvery blue hair, a pale face, dull almost blank eyes, and was raising one hand almost like a puppet on a string.

"Well done," said the voice of the Doctor.

I could see her and her associate out of the corner of my eye. Dr. Soken was covered in bandages, a pair of large goggles covering her face, two long trailing tendrils of black hair streaked with white dangling over her face, a long hive of hair on her forehead, and a white lab coat covering the rest of her. Her associate wore a red mask, had red hair, tight red clothing, and was smiling with very red lips.

My mind was racing, trying to figure out what was going on - what quirk did the pale girl have that was holding us still? It didn't feel anything like what my classmates had told me being frozen in place by Shinsou was. We weren't brainwashed. But we were something else. Unable to move at all. It was like my insides were being pulled around.

"Pro heroes, snooping and spying. Naughty, naughty," said Kokoro. "I wonder how much they know?"

"Doesn't matter. If they know anything, they need to die." Her goggles seemed to range over us, and I wondered what she would do. What was her quirk - how was she planning to kill - how could we get out of here?

Think, Momo. The girl is the key. What is she doing?

"Shall we have Rei drown them?" Kokoro asked.

Drown?

"Hm, no. I'd rather not waste Rei's energy on this. I'll leave it to you. Choose wisely."

Majestic tried to speak, but he didn't seem to be able to move his mouth. He couldn't, I knew; I had a guess as to what it was the girl was doing, and it was almost impossible to escape...Only the parts which...

Kokoro was pointing from one to the other of us. It looked like she was muttering some kind of childish rhyme. Finally her finger landed on Majestic himself.

"Guess you'll be disposing of your allies for us, Pro Hero," she grinned. She walked to him, and unexpectedly, slapped him across the face. She had closed her eyes then, as if she were reviewing something. Then she said,

"You'll never be worth anything, son."

Majestic froze. It looked as though his vision dulled, like he was in some kind of a trance. What she had said had done something to him, and he was stuck.

"S-sir?" Tokage was just able to spit out.

"Rei, release the pro," said Dr. Soken. The girl tapped a finger, and Majestic moved slightly, but not like he was back to his senses.

"Kill them all," said Kokoro calmly.

He turned and began firing his own rings straight at Officer Mifune and Tokage.

Brainwashing. Not like Shinsou's - something - dammit!

"Let's leave them to it," said Dr. Soken. "Best to clear out and avoid getting our robes dirty." She glanced at me as I struggled against Rei's quirk. "It's a shame, I really liked this lair."

I concentrated. Come on, Momo. You don't need to move - and fat cells have the least amount of water - it'll be gross, but it'll save them."

Officer Mifune had a ring through her side and was bleeding. Tokage had just managed to split herself around the ring. The next attack Majestic was raising for them would kill them.

From my side I produced a double dart gun, and commanded it to fire - one at Majestic, one at Rei.

BOOM.

Majestic crumbled to the ground, and I felt my arms regaining feeling as the other hit Rei. Knockout darts.

I was breathing hard. The two had turned around. Tokage was trying to save Mifune. I was facing them alone.

"Well, well. What have we here?" said Dr. Soken. She didn't sound upset, more politely interested, looking down at the knockout gun protruding from my side.

"Maybe I picked the wrong one," mused Kokoro.

I had fully produced the knockout gun now and had it aimed at her; she noticed just in time and moved before I could hit her.

"You make weapons, do you?" asked Dr. Soken, walking towards me - very much as if she was not concerned about my hitting her. I wasn't interested in enlightening her on my quirk. I took aim and prepared to fire in her face, but had to jump out of the way as Kokoro came at me from behind.

Can't let her touch me.

"Tokage, a little help!" I called. One of her detached fists came barrelling into Kokoro before she could swipe at me.

"But how could you do anything when Rei had you frozen, that's the real question."

"I have a few questions for you," I told her to buy time. "What is the League of Villains hiring you for?"

"Hm, seems you're quite the snoop - sorry, don't quite know your name."

"It's Creaty."

"Oh, I know her name!" volunteered Kokoro, dodging Tokage. "Seen her on TV, she's one of those Class 1A brats! Yaoyorozu something."

"Ah, I believe we've stolen from your family's bank," she said. Her tone was almost as if we were having a polite conversation over tea. I aimed the gun at her again, and she seemingly swooped through the bullet.She's fast.

"Creaty...interesting hero name. Implies you maybe makemorethan just weapons, doesn't it?"

"She's got more n that, boss!" Kokoro shouted. My mind when to Mifune. We needed to end this quickly. "Her quirk lets her makeanything.Great find for your dissecting table, that quirk would be!"

I was trying not to show that I was afraid. I needed something else. They were too fast to be shot.

"From your body, possibly from your fat cells? That might explain why you could create when Rei had you frozen."

"You've given her the power to control water," I snapped. "Including in human cells. That's why we couldn't move."

"Clever too, you're correct. Of course, with that information we can't possibly let you leave."

I could create another gun...but no. This was a drastic situation. We needed a quick solution.

"Tokage, get the others and get out of here!" I shouted at her.

"What? I'm not leaving you!"

"Go!" I screamed, dodging another attempt from Kokoro to slap me. "I have an idea!"

"Taking a heroic final last stand?" said Soken. "How foolish."

I reached behind my back as I continued to shoot at them. "I'm sorry. There's a chance you won't survive. And as a hero, that's against my code. But Ican'tlet you get away."

She tilted her head, and I brought the bomb I'd created out from behind my back, and tossed it in between us - as tungsten shielding spread up all around me, covering me.

Please, Tokage, get them out in time!