Powerless - A My Hero Academia/ DC Crossover

Chapter 23 - Izuku Vs. Shinso

Izuku made his way back to the stadium. He estimated that the first round of matches must be halfway done by now, so he would soon have to prepare for his next battle. He had yet to learn who had advanced to the next round, and had spent a lot of time with Uraraka, so he hadn't had the chance to analyze the other opponents' quirks, leaving him at a disadvantage. But if he hurried, he could make it back in time to watch the tail-end of the first round of matches.

He stopped abruptly at the end of the hall connecting to the stadium entrance. Leaning against the wall, as if waiting for him, was the general education student Shinso. His face remained passive as his eyes met Izukus, but his gaze sent an odd chill down Izuku's spine.

"So you're back," he said simply. "I finished my first match as well. Looks like we're going to be paired against each other in the next one. Izuku Midoriya, that's you right?"

Izuku was about to answer when he felt something cover his mouth. Alarmed, he looked back to see Ojiro standing behind him, using the tip of his tail to silence him. "Not so fast," he said, glaring at Shinso, who simply smirked smugly and walked away.

"Midoriya," said Ojiro, releasing him. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Ojiro?" Said Izuku. "What was that about?"

"You didn't watch his match, did you?" Ojiro asked, concerned.

"No, I was with Uraraka," Izuku replied. "What's going on?"

"Come with me," said Ojiro. "We have to talk about that guy's quirk."

"Brainwashing?"

"Yes," said Ojiro. "His first match was against another general studies student, who simply walked out of the ring at the start of the match. This confirmed my suspicions about his quirk I had from the second event."

Izuku clasped his hands together in thought, his stomach churning. Izuku had read reports about villains and criminals with this quirk. It was extremely rare, and extremely dangerous. Izuku was reminded of his time in the Warehouse with Bruce, pouring over casefiles of criminals and supervillains he had faced, some of them with mind-altering abilities of their own. They varied in strength and effectivity, some using pheromones to influence the opposite gender, as was the case with Pamela Isley, the beautiful and deadly Poison Ivy; some used technology to control their victims, like Jervis Tetch, the Mad Hatter. No matter their methods, Bruce made sure Izuku knew in no uncertain terms never to underestimate them.

"Mind control," the words sounded even more frightening out loud. "Can I even defend against something like that?"

"One can't simply 'control the mind' like a pawn on a chessboard," said Bruce. "But the constitution can be manipulated, given the right circumstances. Just as there are many ways that this can be accomplished, there are ways to beat it."

"How?"

"Don't get brainwashed in the first place," Bruce replied. Izuku knew better than to think he was being facetious. "A preemptive strike usually yields the best results. If they do manage to get a hold of you, you need to be prepared. Though the effects vary in range, they all have one thing in common: attacking the frontal lobe, the center of cognitive thought and choice. In doing so, the mind becomes foggy and unclear, allowing your Lizard Brain, responsible for more primal instincts like "fight or flight", to take over. This part of the brain is much more susceptible to stimulus, positive or negative, allowing for the subject to be dominated.

"The best way to fight against these effects is to focus," Bruce continued. "We have to train your mind to combat these effects long enough for you to find the catalyst."