Katsuki didn't know how Izuku could still say he wasn't cut out to be a hero, considering that here they were in what basically amounted to a life or death situation and the dumbass was excited. He seemed conflicted over that fact, but Katsuki couldn't even be angry about it, because he knew how the nerd got about quirks. Even when they were in preschool and still almost friends, every time Izuku saw a new quirk, it was like he'd been let loose in the candy store, and he wouldn't stop buzzing until he'd learned everything he could and figured out how it worked. It used to annoy him to no end, but now he knew better.

That excitement saved lives.

Tsu: Yeah... it definitely does, ribbit...

"So, how do we do this?" Katsuki asked. "Do we just have Shinso order him to snap out of it or something?"

"That's a good start." Izuku hummed. "But I doubt it'll be that simple. How in depth is your connection, Shinso? Like, can you feel the influence of the other brainwashers?"

Shinso: I don't know... I haven't exactly met other brainwashers...

"I think you're forgetting that this is completely uncharted territory for me." Shinso responded. "I wouldn't even know where to begin. It's not like brainwashing is a team sport or anything."

"Oh, that makes sense." Izuku nodded. "But Kacchan makes a good point. Let's start by ordering him to break out of the villain factory's control. Can you do that, Shinso?"

"Sure." Eyebags shrugged. "Break out of any brainwashing except for mine."

The room was suddenly filled with beeping and alarms as the machines monitoring Ogawa's vitals and brain activity went crazy and Katsuki felt his stomach drop, "Stop! Make him stop!"

(everyone panicked)

Nezu(growling): Failsafe.

Shinso's eyes widened and he almost tripped over his words as he hurried to reverse the order, "S-nevermind, stop. Ignore the last order!"

The room went quiet again as the readings went back to normal and Izuku let out a slow breath, "Okay, well that's not gonna work."

Bakugo: Well obviously!

"Obviously, dumbass." Katsuki complained. "I'd prefer if you could find a way to break the brainwashing without killing him, thanks."

"It's difficult when that might be a failsafe..." Izuku muttered. "I wonder if... but maybe...? Does it work like that?"

Twice: Uh, Midoriya? Hurry up and tells us already!

"Just spit it out dumbass!" Katsuki snapped, wincing when Izuku flinched. "Ugh, sorry, I mean..."

"Don't apologize! You're anxious, it's fine!" Izuku assured frantically. "I was just thinking that if we knew what orders he was given, Shinso might be able to give an order directly opposing it so the two would cancel each other out!"

"I can't order him to respond verbally." Shinso reminded him. "I can really only control actions. So unless you have some other way of figuring it out..."

Joke: Order him to not kill himself!

"Well, then, just, like, order him not to kill himself!" Katsuki tugged at his hair. "That's the major problem right now, isn't it?"

Izuku frowned, "It's the most urgent, but not the root, so while we can start there, it's not really a good idea to leave it at that..."

Suddenly, Shinso hissed and grabbed at his head, collapsing to his knees. Katsuki and Izuku were at his side within a moment, but he didn't even seem to be aware of them as he breathed through whatever the fuck had just happened. Katsuki growled in frustration. He didn't know when the doctor had left, just that he was probably off getting more help, but there had to be a call button or something! It was bad enough that he was inches away from losing one friend, he couldn't stand the thought of losing Shinso too.

Uraraka: Shinso?!

"Shinso?" Izuku rubbed his back. "Are you okay? Did the vestiges start fighting back again?"

"Not... them." Shinso grit out. "I think I know what another brainwasher feels like now, $#*(&!"

Bondo: Oh yikes!

"Oh." Izuku's eyes widened. "I guess that confirms the difference in your two quirks..."

"Less theory, more action." Katsuki growled. "What's going on and how do we stop it?"

"The only ways are for Shinso to either overpower the other brainwasher or release Ogawa." Izuku said. "The other brainwasher can activate their quirk remotely and they're obviously aware enough of Ogawa's brain to tell that we're messing around with it. Uh... I guess it's up to you?"

Shinso(firmly): I'm not going to give up if I can help him.

"Can't... be a hero if I... give up." Shinso forced out. "Let's fight."

Izuku got a determined look in his eyes and nodded, "Alright. Our top priority is establishing you as the dominant force in his mind. Repeat after me: give priority..."

Shinso took another deep breath, "Give priority..."

"To my orders..."

"To my orders..."

"Over anyone else's."

"Over anyone else's."

Shinso was panting now and Katsuki looked over toward the machines monitoring Ogawa's vitals. His brain activity was spiking, obviously, and his heart was racing, but he wasn't setting off any alarms like he had earlier.

(everyone held their breath, hoping it was going to work)

"How does that feel?" Izuku asked. "Can you still feel the other brainwasher's influence?"

"Can I still feel the other brainwasher's influence?" Shinso gave a strained laugh. "Can I feel the other brainwasher's influence?! I am literally fighting a war in someone else's brain right now!"

"Stop being such a drama queen, Eyebags, this is hero $#&*!." Katsuki rolled his eyes. "Is it more or less?"

Mineta: I hope it's less...

Shinso shot him a sullen glare, "...Less. I think the vesti-whatevers are helping though."

(everyone felt a little bit more hopeful)

Izuku gave a quick nod, "Good, we need all the help we can get. The good news is that we've basically primed Ogawa to accept your orders, even if other orders are given. Kinda. Now we can move onto breaking the other connections. Order him to ignore any other voices in his brain. Oh! Except the vestiges! Don't forget that."

Katsuki watched in amazement as Izuku slowly coached Shinso through a battle that he couldn't even see. Izuku hadn't ever had a quirk. He'd never been in someone's brain like Shinso had been, but he'd worked and studied so hard that it was almost like he just instinctively knew the relative strengths and weaknesses of both quirks and was able to manipulate them in his favor.

Inko: You're amazing Izuku...

That didn't mean that it wasn't easy or that Shinso wasn't doing his fair share of the work. It was the weirdest fight Katsuki had ever seen, because even though Shinso had closed his eyes at some point and was curled up on the floor, he was sweating and obviously pushing his body, mind, and quirk to its limits, "The other guy's still there. How much more?"

"However much it takes to save him." Izuku said gently. "You can do this, Shinso, you can save him, I know you can, just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Shinso nodded, "At least this isn't fighting robots."

Shinso(snorting): Yeah, that was just embarrassing.

Katsuki snorted, "Yeah, that was just embarrassing."

Tsunotori: Wow, jinx!

Shinso flipped him off without opening his eyes, but the distraction seemed to help, because he was a little more relaxed as Izuku gave the next order, "Alright, our brains naturally prune away memories and things we don't need, so the villains probably used that to their advantage. It's easier to get someone to obey if they don't remember why they should be resisting in the first place. But you know how it's easier to learn a language if you've already studied it? Even if it's been years and you don't remember any of it, it's easier to learn the second time. Nothing is ever truly erased."

"So you want him to order Ogawa to remember everything he's forgotten?" Katsuki asked.

Dabi: No, that might be too painful.

"No." Izuku frowned. "That'd be too overwhelming. Maybe..."

"Remember anything your captors ordered you to forget." Shinso ordered.

Midoriya: Oh, that works.

"Oh!" Izuku smiled. "That's perfect! Good work!"

Shinso gave a small smirk, "I think I'm getting the hang of it. I can still feel the other guy, but it's like... I dunno how to describe it. It's like they're clumsy with their quirk or something."

Shigaraki: Probably because that's not his quirk.

"That would make sense." Izuku mused. "If it's All for One, he doesn't have time to master every quirk he steals, and even if he gave it to someone else, they weren't born with it. You've had years to master your quirk. It's hard to beat that. Keep going. We're almost there."

"I have an idea, but it's risky." Shinso said. "Their control is a lot weaker than before, though, so I think it'll work."

Hagakure: Is this a good idea...?

Mitsuki: He's got to try something.

Izuku and Katsuki shared a look and Katsuki nodded, "Go for it."

Shinso took a deep breath, "Without hurting yourself, break out of anyone's brainwashing except mine."

(everyone held their breath)

Hawks: Please work...

Katsuki could tell that the other guy was fighting back just from the way that Shinso's entire body tensed up and the way his eyes screwed up in concentration as he fought to maintain control, but even though Ogawa's brain activity spiked, he didn't enter any danger zones like he had before.

"Keep going, dumbass." Katsuki encouraged softly. "You can do this, just fight those (#@*$^ off. You can do it."

One moment, they were looking at the monitors and expecting to have to reverse the order, then next, it was as if something had snapped. All of Ogawa's vitals went back to normal and his brain activity went back to below normal levels, just like they'd expect from someone being brainwashed. Katsuki looked at his face. He even looked calmer.

Mina: Did it work...?

Bakugo: It had better did.

Shinso heaved a sigh of relief, "I did it. They're gone."

(everyone cheered)

Izuku grinned, "That was amazing, Shinso! You're going to make an amazing hero!"

Katsuki still felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop, "What now?"

Spinner: I really hope there isn't another shoe.

"Now you let go of your control as gently as possible." Izuku said. "He was fighting too, so he'll probably be tired... is someone coming?"

Katuski frowned, "Maybe the doctor. I can check."

He pushed open the door and his eyes widened as he saw the doctor leading Aizawa and Tsukauchi down the hall. Oh @$#&. Of course that's where the doctor had gone. Three kids show up in the middle of the night and start messing with a patient's brain, of course they're gonna call the heroes! Aizawa caught sight of him and started walking faster, but Katsuki slammed the door shut, "Why doesn't this stupid door have a lock?"

Recovery Girl: Because it's a hospital.

"Because it's a hospital, Kacchan. The doctors need to be able to get in." Izuku said. "It's not just the doctor, is it?"

"Nope." Katsuki said. "You still not ready to get caught?"

Midoriya(sadly): I don't think he is...

"I can't be a hero, Kacchan, you know that." Izuku patted Shinso's shoulder and stood, looking up. "Good thing this is a drop ceiling. I saw an empty room a few doors down. See you later, Kacchan."

Izuku didn't even hesitate as he pulled himself up and into the ceiling, moving the tile back into place right as the door opened, "Katsuki Bakugo, what in the world are you doing?"

Monoma: Long story.

"Saving someone." Katsuki growled, loud enough to hopefully cover any lingering noise of Izuku's escape. "And hey, it worked."

"Shut up." Shinso groaned. "Do you have to be so loud when I just gave myself a migraine trying to save your stupid friend?"

"Hey, I'm not stupid." Ogawa piped up. "And thank you, but I'm gonna sleep for a million years, thanks."

(everyone snorted)

Aizawa frowned, "Who's this?"

Katsuki smirked, "This is Shinso, general studies, but not for long, considering that he's who we have to thank for breaking the villain factory's control over this idiot. Shinso, this is Eraserhead."

Shinso's eyes shot open and he rushed to stand, only to start swaying as soon as he got to his feet, "Oh my god. I finally meet Eraserhead and I can't even... Bakugo, I am going to murder you."

Bakugo: Hah, get in line.

"Get in line." Katsuki said. "I already attract serial killers like flies, what's one more?"

Toga(giggling): Oh right, I forgot other me's into him.

The doctor looked around the room and frowned, "I thought there were three of you."

"There was." Ogawa confirmed. "Crazy awesome quirk analyst. It was kinda cool for how young he was."

Aizawa looked at him suspiciously, "Kacchan..."

Midnight: Welp, now he's mad.

Katsuki stared him dead in the eye, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I don't know why you didn't tell him it was Eraserhead coming." Shinso said. "I mean, he's a fan, so he probably would have loved to meet him."

Shoji: He's already met him.

"A fan?" Aizawa didn't let Katsuki say anything as he turned to Shinso. "Why would you say that?"

"He was wearing custom merch." Shinso let his eyes slide shut again. "Some hoodie that said 'if lost return to Eraserhead'."

(everyone quietly celebrated Ogawa being free from mind control again and Jana took the opportunity to go to the next chapter.)