Breach

Everyone is in a panic because of what happened. Aya and Tomo are already looking to try and leave, meanwhile Light Show is filled shock, she too didn't expect this, just like me.
The only thing I could do now is ask Gaia.
"What's happening?!"
"I- I don't know...!"

Before she can continue, a strange feeling appears all around us, everyone previously panicking stop, also noticing it.
My vision starts to blur, I do nothing, almost mesmerized, that is until Gaia tackles me to the ground, quickly creating a shield of earth around us, making a thick tiny bunker.
In the darkness inside I feel myself getting back to normal.
"What... Why did you do that? What was that?"
She has no time to answer before a blast wave is felt emanating from somewhere, exploding outwardly.
Thanks to the bunker made by Gaia I remain unscathed.
"Sorry kid, I had to be fast."
"Do you know what that was?"
"Yes, another thing stolen from the vault... But that was a long time ago..."
Gaia stands still for a while, before finally speaking again.
"Ok, should be clear now."

As she says that the bunker starts crumbling, revealing the outside again, causing me to be surprised and shocked.
"Everyones... Are they...?"
"They're not dead, they've been knocked out."

Most of the people inside, including Aya, Tomo, and Light Show were asleep, caused by whatever that blast was. A few heroes however remain awake, still standing, including Thunder who was still taking care of the civilians.

"Sorry I couldn't help your friends too, come, I'll explain on the way.
Thunder get these people to safety."
"I will!"
She then turns to one of the cameras.
"To everyone watching live, STEER CLEER OF THE HQ! It is not safe, I repeat, it is NOT safe!"
Just like that, I follow her as she continues.
"That was another bomb, a different type though. It was one of the magical artefacts kept inside the vault a long time ago, it sends a wave that knocks out basically everyone not strong enough to endure it, that's why you still saw some of heroes still standing."
'A long time ago? How long was Neptune planning this...'

We continue down the hallways, but not towards where I expected.
Instead of following where most of the heroes that were still standing were going, which seems to be the prison, we are instead going towards the exit.
Soon we reach it, passing by Echo who was on his knees exhausted, surrounded by a lot of familiar and unfamiliar faces alike defeated on the ground.
'Are those...'
We don't have to go much further before seeing the cause of the fight scene we walked past, a flurry of villains were escaping through the roof.
Echo, likely somewhat affected by the blast, must have done his best to take down as many villains as he could, before becoming too tired to continue.

"That explosion... It must have been done to blast a hole right through the roof!"
"...And the following blast was to take down as many heroes as possible to allow the best chance of escape... So that's what he was doing this whole time...!"

Gaia had a furious look on her face, one I hadn't yet seen.

"Stay here. I will try to contain them."

Before I can say anything, she immediately summons a pillar beneath her to transport her up and onto the roof where she stands.
Suddenly she kneels touching the roof with both hands before yelling.
"IRON DOME!"
A burst of pillars springs forth from all over, ground and roof alike, twisting and turning around each other, slowly connecting on the roof and forming a wall, slowly curving inwards. Several villains upon seeing this turn back as fast as they can, likely not wanting to be caught outside with Gaia, or perhaps afraid of being smashed, while others try to quickly take her down.

"Oh no! GAIA LOOKOUT!"

But I don't even need to finish warning her before more pillars spring forth hitting against villains and wrapping around them, making them part of the wall. Slowly it finishes growing, but not before I notice one last villain leave through the roof, Neptune.
I quickly teleport next to Gaia.
"He's here! I see Neptune."
I point directly at him, and he turns back with a menacing smile on his face, before he continues his escape as Gaia glares at him.
Soon the 'Iron Dome' is complete, trapping the remaining villains inside, making sure other heroes can take them out without fear of them escaping again, as Gaia collapses.
"Gaia? GAIA!"
"...Sorry kid... This spell... takes a ton out of me..."

I teleport her back to the ground, next to Echo.
"Echo, Gaia has collapsed!"
"I heard... 'Iron Dome' right? She'll be out of it for a while."
"What now?"
"I'm also not at one hundred percent, that blast... It almost got me.
For now all we can do is try to bring all the villains back."
Just then someone calls out my name.
"Kazu? What happened?!"
"Tarou? I'm glad you're here! It's a mess."
"I heard an explosion and hurried over, I saw all the villains escaping and... Well, I just hurried here."
"It's Neptune, he broke them out and knocked out a lot of the heroes I think."
"Tarou... You're Snowball right? I know you're not a full hero, but we need all the help we can get."
"Echo... Gaia... Why are-"
"We're ok, just extremely tired, go inside and grab as many heroes as you can muster, at least those that aren't containing the prison, and get them here to help, some are already doing it but we need backup."
"Understood!"

As quick as he arrived, Tarou disappears inside to grab help, which is when an unexpected arrival appears.
"KAZU! ARE YOU OK?!"
I turn around at the sound of her voice.
"Mom? What are you-"
"ANSWER ME!"
"Y- Yes. But Gaia, and Echo, and many many others aren't."
She quickly approaches, kneeling next to Gaia.
"...Honestly, to tire herself out like this."
"She had to, otherwise they'd all escape!"
"No, she had other ways, that was just a show of force, she wanted to scare the villains into staying...
...Trying to do everything yourself...
Sometimes she really does go overboard."
"Could my ears be deceiving me, or is that-"
"Yes, yes, it's me, but having you two here on the floor isn't going to help anybody."
Upon saying that, she grabs the shoulders of both of them and speaks.
"Holy Command, Energize."
A bright light engulfs mom for a moment. I close my eyes at the brightness, and when I open them again Gaia is waking up, as Echo starts to stand.
"Wow, I haven't heard that in a while. Thank you, but now I'll have to hurry."
"...Yeah... No problem..."
'She seems tired.'
Echo quickly dashes away, off to grab as many villains as he can to put them back in prison.
"...Wha- What's going on?"
"What's going on, is that I'm about to smack the living-"
"Huh? Sis?! What are you... Wait, I feel... good again!
WAIT! DID YOU JUST-"
"I did what I had to, there's villains to bring to justice."
"Woah, what a blast from the past..."
"Gaia, Tarou went inside to grab more heroes to help us, what now?"
"What now is that it's your turn to help."
"Huh?"
"We're going to need your teleportation magic."