"Everyone okay?" I called out.
There were a few shaky breaths and wide eyes, but everyone nodded.
"Good," I said, locking eyes with Iida. "Iida, I need you to run back to the main building. The alarms didn't go off here, someone has to alert the rest of the school."
He hesitated, glancing back toward the battlefield. "Leaving my classmates behind feels wrong, but if that's the best way to help, then—"
"You're not abandoning us. We're relying on you right now, you're the fastest student here. Getting the teachers is the best thing you can do right now."
His jaw tightened before he straightened with resolve. "Understood. I'll make it back as fast as I can."
He adjusted his glasses, crouched slightly, ready to bolt, when a familiar mist formed right in front of him.
"You're not going anywhere," came the low, composed voice.
A sudden hiss sounded behind us.
Thirteen raised her gloved hand, and from the nozzle at her fingertips, a spiraling force erupted. The space in front of her twisted violently as the pull intensified. Kurogiri's misty form lurched toward her, tendrils stretched as they were drawn in. His yellow eyes flickered, shape warping as he struggled against the gravitational pull.
"I'll handle this one!" Thirteen called out. "You're doing well, I won't let this villain stop you!"
For a moment, it looked like she had him. But just before Kurogiri was fully consumed, two sets of warp gates spiraled open. One in front of him, and the other right behind Thirteen.
In one swift move, Kurogiri redirected her own attack.
The black hole's suction bent unnaturally as her Quirk was rerouted through the new portal, striking her from behind. Thirteen was yanked off her feet, the back of her suit crumpling as she collapsed onto the ground.
Amazing performance, Thirteen.
I turned to Mina. "Check on Thirteen. Carefully."
"On it!" She sprinted over without question.
"Shoji, Jiro." I continued. "You two focus on locating the rest of the class, we'll need intel on their whereabouts. Don't worry about the fog villain, leave him to us.
Without a word, Jiro crouched low and pressed her earphone jacks to the ground. Shoji's arms extended outward, multiple eyes opening across his limbs to scan the entire facility.
I turned to Sato and Sero. "You two are with me. Listen closely. I've noticed that the fog villain's body is protected by some kind of metal brace holding his form together. He's been hiding it with his fog, trying to make it seem like he's untouchable. I'm guessing that brace is his weak point. If we can lock onto it, we can move him."
Sero's fingers twitched as he flexed them, tension running through every joint. "You want me to pin him down?"
"Exactly, use your tape to stick him. After he does that, Sato—you grab the line and launch him as far as you can. Don't hold back"
Sato cracked his knuckles. "Got it."
"Iida," I called back over my shoulder. "When I give the signal, you move."
He nodded without a word, his legs tense and ready.
Sure enough, Kurogiri began drifting toward Iida again, preparing to intercept his escape.
I charged in first, drawing Kurogiri's attention with a hard sprint.
"A pointless effort," He remarked with a detached tone. "Another reckless—"
He didn't get to finish.
Sero's tape shot forward, quick and precise, latching onto the metal brace around Kurogiri's misty core.
"Gotcha!" he grinned.
Sato didn't waste a second. He grabbed the tape, spun in place like a hammer thrower, and hurled the villain across the plaza in a high arc. Kurogiri disappeared mid-flight, but the maneuver gave us the opening we needed.
"Go, Iida!"
He bolted forward. But the sliding doors refused to open.
"The door won't—"
"We don't have time to waste, move over!" I reshaped my arm into a giant metal fist and slammed it into the door with a crunching roar.
Iida dashed through the wreckage.
"Don't look back!" I called after him.
And just like that, he was gone.
I turned back toward the group. Sure enough, all eyes were on me—waiting, focused, and expectant.
Good.
The situation was dangerous, sure. But this was what I wanted. The influence. Leadership. In a crisis like this, they were looking to me for direction. As long as I handled it right, this moment would live forever in their minds. They won't forget the man who stepped up when things got bad.
"Jiro, Shoji," I kept my tone sharp but level. "Do you have an update on everyone's condition?"
Shoji lowered one of his arms, multiple eyes blinking shut along the membrane. "Everyone's been scattered across the USJ. Teleported into different zones."
Jiro pulled her earphone jack from the ground. "I've been listening in. Villains ambushed them in every zone; it had to be a planned ambush to pick us apart."
I met her eyes. "Tell me who's where."
"Midoriya, Asui, and Mineta were warped to the shipwreck zone. Todoroki's alone in the landslide zone. Kirishima and Ojiro landed in the conflagration zone. Bakugo and Kaminari are in the mountain zone. Uraraka and Hagakure got sent to the windstorm zone. And Tokoyami and Yaoyorozu ended up in the ruins." She answered quickly.
"We couldn't locate Aoyama," Shoji said, glancing over. "Nothing on his position."
I tilted my head. "Then that's probably a good thing. If we can't find him, neither can the villains. It means he's hidden well enough to avoid detection."
Sato shifted beside me. "Shouldn't we go help Aizawa-sensei first? He's fighting alone down there."
I shook my head. "No. He's a pro. If we jump in now, we're more likely to get captured and make his job harder. Hostages are liabilities. Let him hold the front; his biggest worry is the safety of his students."
I took a breath, running through the list in my head. There was no perfect plan, but there was one that made sense.
"We'll split into three groups and move now. I'll go to the windstorm zone. Uraraka and Hagakure are likely in the most danger—Uraraka's quirk can help her in combat a little, but that isn't her focus. Meanwhile Hagakure relies on stealth, but if they get overwhelmed, they'll go down fast."
I turned to the others as I pointed to each group. "Jiro and Sero, head to the conflagration zone to support Kirishima and Ojiro. Shoji and Sato, you two take the ruins zone and back up Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami."
They all nodded without hesitation, eyes burning with purpose.
"Once you've secured your groups, bring everyone back here immediately. Don't get separated again."
Sero raised a hand. "What about the others? Bakugo and Kaminari are still out there. And Todoroki's on his own. Not to mention Midoriya, Mineta, and Asui at the shipwreck zone. Shouldn't we go help them first?"
I shook my head. "We can't stretch ourselves too thin, not with this many threats around. Todoroki and Bakugo are both strong enough to fight their way out. Kaminari might need a little more support, but Bakugo won't let him fall."
"As for Midoriya, Mineta, and Asui," I continued, "The shipwreck zone would be a troublesome battlefield for any of us. I'll head there immediately after I help Uraraka and Hagakure. We have to trust our classmates to hold out."
"Wait," Mina cut in, stepping forward. "What about me? Where do you want me to go?"
I glanced at her, then pointed back toward the collapsed figure of Thirteen.
"I want you to stay here. Thirteen's completely out of it, and we can't leave her unguarded. If any more villains double back, someone needs to be here to protect her."
She paused, then gave a quick breath and straightened.
The others started moving out, breaking into their assigned directions. Before Shoji could follow Sato toward the ruins zone, I stepped toward him and placed a hand on his arm.
He glanced back at me, confused for only a second before realization settled in. "Are you copying my Quirk?"
"Yeah," I said. "I want to be able to keep an eye on the other battlefields. Extra eyes and ears might give us the edge."
He gave a short nod. "Use it well."
Once they were gone, I turned back to Mina. She was crouched beside Thirteen, keeping watch with her brows furrowed in concern.
I glanced around the entrance and frowned. It's too exposed. Villains could see that Mina was up here alone with Thirteen, and she wouldn't stand a chance if she had to also protect Thirteen.
"Mina, change of plans."
She blinked up at me. "Wait, seriously?"
I gave a brief tilt of my head. "I'm going to carry Thirteen outside, I don't think any villains would bother going out there."
With a little effort, I lifted Thirteen onto my back and made my way toward the hole I'd smashed through the wall earlier.
Outside, I gently laid her down and looked at Mina. "Stay with her."
She gave me a tight smile and rested her fist against my chest, just for a second. "You got it. But be careful, alright?"
"Don't worry, I'll never lose."