The Immortal Hero: Phoenix

Chapter 11: Darkness at USJ Part 2

A haunting silence filled the USJ. The students of Class 1-A, their three teachers and All-Might all stood frozen, their eyes fixed on the small pile of dust that had once been their friend and student; Izuka Midoriya. Tomura Shigaraki, the villain that had invaded the USJ had tortured her, destroying her legs, her eye and a part of her side and yet after all that, Izuka had smiled at them… even as she died, she smiled with pure joy and why? Because All-Might had arrived and that meant they were all safe.

But All-Might wasn't smiling… his body was vibrating with pure rage, his fists clenched so tightly that blood was beginning to seep from between his fingers. Everyone was frozen for only a second, but their grief-stricken minds made it feel like years, each lost in the thoughts of the friend they had just lost.

Aoyama always loved himself and his quirk, believing he was the pinnacle of sparkle. The only draw back had been the pain his laser caused his stomach, and Izuka had taken that away. The Evolution caused by the link had caused the beam that always leaked from his navel to crystallise into what resembled a finely cut jewel over his belly button and now he was able to shoot his beam without pain and could even fire more powerful lasers! And what had he done with it? He'd tried to show off; attacking Kurogiri only to end up sealing the door with the power of his new laser and to top it off, Aoyama had forgotten Izuka's warning about the stamina drain of the higher level powers they'd gained, so he had promptly passed out. He couldn't stop thinking that if he hadn't, maybe he could have gotten the doors open and allowed some people to escape! Then the villains would have had no hostages and perhaps Izuka wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself. But now, the girl whose eyes sparkled almost as much as Aoyama was gone. Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Aoyama could do.

Mina could only think of what had happened while Kurogiri was warping them. Even as terrified as Izuka was, she had rushed to try and push Mina out of the way of the gates and when that had failed, the smaller girl had cradled her and ensured they landed safely in the Landslide Zone. Despite being weakened by the links, Izuka had ignored her pain and pushed herself to ensure Mina and the others were safe and the moment that she learnt something was wrong with one of them, she had flown off without hesitation, a shout of Plus Ultra pushing her forward. Mina respected that, she loved that the smallest and frailest girl in class was the biggest hero, and yet she still looked up to the other girls with something like awe, as if Izuka felt she was unworthy of their attention. Mina had wanted to be her friend and big sister figure just like Momo! But now Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Mina could do.

Ojiro had had next to no real contact with Izuka, but he had respected her and her ability. The girl was skilled in martial arts, having created her own hybrid style based around kicks and acrobatics, proving how devoted she was. The Tailed Boy had been further impressed by how quick Izuka was to help others, as she'd fussed over him and the rest of Team B when they were injured after their fights in the Combat Trial. Ojiro had thought to ask her about her fighting style, wanting to give her some pointers on her form, but he wouldn't get the chance now. Because Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Ojiro could do.

Kaminari prided himself on being a pretty cool guy with a pretty cool quirk, but at that moment, he felt like the biggest loser on the face of the Earth. For the third time in just two days, Izuka had saved his ass and this time, it had cost her everything. The Lightning Boy had been grateful when she helped end the chaos that had nearly trampled him and Kirishima during the Security Alert, and he had been amazed when Izuka's Link Evolution was revealed and it had allowed him to fight for so much longer! He no longer got his brain fried after just a couple of attacks! Kaminari was certain that with that new power, he would finally be able to return the favour and protect Izuka! But in the end, she had surrendered herself and allowed herself to be tortured to stop the Villains from killing him and the others. Kaminari swore to himself that he'd be better, but it was too late for her… Because Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Kaminari could do.

Kirishima felt like a failure as a Hero. He spoke highly of manliness, but how manly could he be if he allowed a classmate to die!? Kirishima knew he could have done something; his quirk was made to be a shield for others, Izuka had said so herself! But that's what hurt even more… Izuka had been so impressed by his quirk, earnestly complimenting it, smiling that big shiny smile of hers. And she'd made it better! Thanks to the Evolution, he had been able to push his hardness to a whole new level, moving beyond the usual rocky appearance and strength level to shining diamond. His limbs would retain their sharp appearance, but turn into a diamond-like substance that was able to swat away bullets and even cannon balls from one of the villains. Plus, because the material was transparent, it exposed the blood beneath the skin, making his hardened form look pure red, which suited Kirishima just fine! The boy had promised to thank Izuka for that after the incident resolved… But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Kirishima could do.

Koda was quiet. He was shy and didn't like speaking and in the past, this combined with his unusual appearance had made life hard for him. Kids are quick to pick on those who are different, especially if they are soft-hearted. Class 1-A was different though; they all seemed to just take his appearance and silence as part of his character and leave him to his own devices, occasionally offering quiet companionship. Izuka had been like that; always smiling kindly at him and amazed whenever he used his quirk. After she had seen him briefly use sign language on their first day, she had arrived at school the next day and signed a hello to him. It was a bit sloppy, but Koda was touched someone had gone through the effort of learning just to say hello. Plus, the boy couldn't help but adore Izuka's occasional rabbit like mannerisms; the way she was quick to startle, highly affectionate and even had an adorable habit of wiggling her nose occasionally when concentrating. If Koda had been a braver man, he might have tried to pet her hair and see if it was soft like a rabbit. But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Koda could do.

Sato could do nothing but stare down at his own hand, a finger tracing the line of skin that had once been a scar. Sato had that scar for years and it had bothered him a bit; a pale line on his otherwise olive skin, a reminder of when he wasn't as skilled with his cooking. When Izuka had said she could only heal scars if they were re-damaged, Sato had jumped at the chance; he'd get to see her quirk AND would finally lose that damn scar. He was a strong guy and not afraid of pain, so he'd cut himself without flinching and then Izuka had promptly scolded him with more fire than he thought she possesses. She still healed him, but looked so upset that he hurt himself that Sato genuinely felt guilty, especially after learning that using her healing could cause Izuka to suffer blood loss. He had made the sweets he promised and given them to Izuka, whom had loved them and eagerly devoured them, but not before offering to share them. Because that, Sato realised, was what Izuka was; the kind of person to put everyone before herself. Sato had been eager for a break when he could take Izuka up on her offer of baking together… But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Sato could do.

Shoji honestly knew next to nothing about Izuka, with the exception of what he had observed. He was a man with few worldly desires and little interest in squabbles, gossip and frivolity, so combined with his appearance, he had been avoided a lot. It wasn't like he was bullied, like Koda was, but then again, who would bully the massive guy with six arms and the strength of a Gorilla? Even the others of Class 1-A had been a bit intimidated of him, though they accepted him as one of their own, Izuka included. He had only spoken to her once, asking if she was alright as they left school the previous day, following what happened with the Press. She had smiled, touched by his concern and assured him she was fine, thanking him for asking. He respected the girl and her ability to move between quiet and kind in social situations to fierce and powerful in combat. He had quietly applauded as she had stepped down to Vice-President, not believing she was ready but unwilling to give up for the sake of the people who voted for her. Shoji had wanted to keep an eye on her. But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Shoji could do.

Kyoka was a girl who prided herself on her ears. Her quirk and her musical ability were all reliant on her hearing, so when she'd lost some hearing following the Combat Trial between her team and Izuka's, she'd momentarily been heartbroken. Then Izuka had come along and made everything better. With some pretty pink flames and a cheery smile, she'd restored her hearing. By that time, Kyoka knew that Izuka had healed most of the class and noticed that she was looking pale and a bit shaky, though Izuka had shrugged it off. It struck Kyoka how casual it had been for Izuka; she had just waltzed in and a couple of seconds later, Kyoka's fears of deafness were gone. People charged premium rates for services like that, yet Izuka just did it. Because that was the kind of Hero she was. To Kyoka, that was something worthy of respect. She had been too shy and shocked to properly thank Izuka, but had resolved to thank her later. That chance wouldn't come now; because Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Kyoka could do.

Sero was a very normal guy. People had always assumed that with a face and quirk like his, he would just blend into the background, but he had worked his ass off and gotten into U.A' s Hero Program! He was a part of Class 1-A and his classmates respected that, each having worked just as hard to get there. He had pegged Izuka as a quiet, unassuming girl that had a lot more power than most expected. Sero liked her and would have admitted she was pretty cute, if it weren't for the fact Bakugou would likely murder his face. He was surprised when his two buddies, Denki and Eijiro and told him about how Izuka acted in the cafeteria after the crowd hurt Ochako. He had been kind of impressed too; the Class's Adorable Cinnamon Bunny had some fangs. Sero thought he might need to re-evaluate how he saw the timid girl… But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Sero could do.

Tokoyami always embraced the darkness; he was a child of the shadows and had never feared it. Dark Shadow stopped him from truly being one with the dark, but Tokoyami feared losing control of the volatile quirk. Izuka Midoriya on the other hand, was a child of light. Every damn thing about her screamed light; her quirk, her eyes, her smile, her personality! Even her Hero Costume was a dazzling white, decorated with red and gold. She was the opposite of Tokoyami and yet the boy couldn't help but be somewhat fond of her. He was no fool; Tokoyami knew a few of the guys in class had small crushes on the girl, but that was to be expected; she was cute with an agreeable personality, but Tokoyami didn't count himself among them. She was… an oddity to him; a Child of Light that did not shrink away from the dark. When healing him, Izuka had purposely kept her flames small and dull to make him comfortable and would verbally warn him when she was about to heal an area Dark Shadow was occupying, giving the shadow an opportunity to move. It was odd that Izuka recognised that Dark Shadow had it's own will and she would often greet Tokoyami and the quirk separately. Tokoyami didn't want to date her or have any sort of romantic relationship with her, but he did want to walk beside her. She was a safe piece of the world of light that would not scorn the darkness. But now Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Tokoyami could do.

Toru was easy to overlook; she was invisible after all. She had gone her whole life without really being seen and had developed a bubbly personality as a result, so people would pay attention to her. Over time, the act became reality, but Toru did still have one particular hang up… no one looked her in the eye. It wasn't anyone's fault; no one could see her eyes, but as a result, people just looked at her chest, because it was the highest part of her they could usually see with her clothes. That was where Izuka had been different; she had looked straight at her, always trying to look her in the eye when talking, even though she couldn't see them. Naturally, Izuka didn't always succeed, sometimes looking at her mouth or nose instead, but she tried and that was what Toru liked, and unlike a lot of others who tried, Toru didn't get the impression that Izuka was just looking through her. To top it off, Izuka had made a plan to let her shine during the combat trial, and the confidence boost had led to Toru securing them the win in their second match; the Invisible Girl really wanted to thank Izuka for that! But Izuka was dead, and there was nothing Toru could do.

Todoroki had, for the last several years despised half of himself. His left side, scarred by boiling water and housing the flames of his father was like an eternal reminder of the monster that created him. But now… now was the first time he could honestly say he hated his right side just as much. Izuka had been right there… surrounded only by villains with no one else in the way to be caught up in Todoroki's fire, and yet he still didn't use it. Izuka would have survived; she was immune to fire! She would have been freed and had the chance to heal while the villains were consumed by the inferno, or at least badly hurt. There was absolutely no downside to him using his fire, and it would have saved her life! But he didn't. Izuka's screams and Katsuki's furious eyes told him exactly what he already knew; Shoto Todoroki was despicable, worse than even his father; he had let a comrade die over his own pride. Todoroki wanted to cry, wanted to beg and plead, prostrate himself before Izuka and ask for forgiveness. But he couldn't… Izuka was dead… and it was all his fault.

Tenya cursed himself. He cursed his slowness, his weakness, his cowardice. He cursed that he couldn't be even close to the strength of his brother. Ingenium wouldn't have let Izuka die; he would have saved her somehow. Tenya knew in his heart that he could have done something; he knew he was fast enough! It might have cost him his career, or even his life, but Tenya knew he could have gotten Izuka free long enough for one of the others to grab her and escape. It was just like the Entrance Exam all over again; he had frozen and chosen his own safety over another's, leaving a girl in peril, and this time, no one was there to clean up his mistake and save the victim. Izuka had saved his spot at U.A! She'd spoken in his defence and even convinced the class to make him their representative! So Tenya cursed himself… Izuka was dead, and he had done nothing!

Ochako had no hope of stemming the flow of tears that cascaded down her face. Her stomach felt like she'd used her quirk non-stop since it manifested, but she'd already emptied the contents when that monster took Izuka's leg. Izuka was her friend! She saved Ochako from the Zero Pointer and healed her ankle! In the Combat Trial, she'd treated Ochako like a real opponent and not just some soft little girl that couldn't fight. Izuka had become enraged when she'd been knocked down in the cafeteria, scolding the whole school for hurting Ochako, despite her own shyness. Despite the pain in her heart, Ochako took a rough battle stance; one she'd copied from Izuka, and prepared to fight alongside All-Might and Katsuki! Izuka was dead… but Ochako could help her get justice!

Momo felt the cold flames of hatred roaring up inside her. She'd dealt with bullies that mocked her or ostracised her because she was from a wealthy family. She'd weathered their comments and defied their stereotypes and had come to U.A, seeking to help others! She'd made her first friend in Izuka Midoriya, and soon adopted the girl as a little sister, because the silly girl cared more for others than herself, even if she was in the most peril. Momo had wanted to protect her, the girl that had looked up to her… Izuka had convinced the class to make Momo the Class President and despite Momo knowing Izuka was more powerful, the younger girl followed her loyally. Momo had wanted to protect Izuka. She created a long Bo-staff and prepared for a fight; Izuka was dead, but Momo could still carry on her will and protect the class as President!

Mineta had gone silent, his eyes glassy. He had known that it was a long shot for him to become a Hero… he knew exactly what others thought of him, what he was. He was a pervert, a lecherous midget with a weird quirk. Izuka had known that, Mineta had made enough comments and spent enough time staring at her backside and thighs, but even so, Izuka had never looked at him like he was filth like the other girls did… like he felt he deserved. She'd been kind, supportive and never did more than squeak with embarrassment at his comments. She could have kicked his ass easily, or set Bakugou on him, but she didn't. Even in the Battle Trial, she'd treated him like a valued comrade and not a nuisance like he'd expected. Hell, she'd stood up to Aizawa for his sake and that was nothing short of insane when the guy was willing to expel his entire class. Izuka had been an angel in Mineta's eyes… and then she'd surrendered to the villains to save him. Powerful, adorable Izuka had surrendered for the sake of pitiful, perverted Mineta. And it cost her life… Mineta knew one thing; when this was over, if he survived, he was leaving the Hero Course. Someone like him never had the right to stand on the same level as Izuka, and he certainly didn't deserve to stay when she was gone. Izuka was dead… and with her, all of Mineta's dreams.

Tsuyu always said what was on her mind, but now, she didn't know what to say. Her mind was a war zone of anger and misery. She was bitterly miserable at the death of Izuka, furiously angry at the Villains for killing her, disappointed with herself and her classmates for not doing more and All-Might for not showing up sooner. She was angry with Izuka for sacrificing herself, for demanding Mineta to force all the pain on her instead of letting Tsuyu share the burden, and most of all, she felt utter hatred at the little voice inside that felt relief every time it wasn't her name that tumbled from Mineta's mouth. Tsuyu wanted to scream, scold herself and friends, defeat the villains and most importantly, bring Izuka back. The last one wasn't possible… Izuka was dead, but Tsuyu had every intention of doing everything else on her list; starting with the villains!

Centipeder and Thirteen knew. They had known for a long time, about Izuka's true quirk. Centipeder had learned from Sir Nighteye and Thirteen had been informed as a U.A Teacher. Both knew that soon, that pile of dust would glow and a completely healthy Izuka Midoriya would pop out. They knew it, but it didn't stop it from hurting. Thirteen had lectured the class on how important it was to use their quirks safely, and then bungled it so badly that the Space Hero was barely conscious, leaning on Centipeder to stay upright. Centipeder was even more upset to be virtually uninjured; it wasn't right that he, a Pro Hero, had gotten away unscathed while the young students were hurt. Izuka Midoriya was dead, but she'd soon come back and both Pros were determined to do whatever they could to protect her and all the students! They wouldn't fail again.

Shota was in agony. His arms were broken, his nose and jaw were cracked, his legs were bruised to the point of looking purple and his back felt like Noumu's foot was permanently lodged in his spine… and not a damn bit of it mattered to the Underground Hero. Freaking Izuka Midoriya had gone and sacrificed herself for him; throwing her life away for the sake of saving him. Aizawa was the teacher; he should be the one looking out for his students. When Izuka revived, Aizawa was going to put her ass in detention for the rest of her life… then he was going to give her the biggest damn scolding he had in him. And then he'd hug her… Carrot and Stick seemed to work well with the immortal girl. But first, he had to figure out how to move without his limbs, so he could tear Shigaraki apart with his god damn teeth. Izuka was dead, but Aizawa was determined to not let that happen again!

Katsuki was silent, his face a mask of cool neutrality. Anyone that really understood him knew that this was his most dangerous state. Raging, sneering and exploding was the norm, but a quiet Katsuki… that foretold a very explosive Armageddon for the fool that caused it. The fucking villains had killed Izuka. Tortured her and snuffed out her life, like it was some fucking game. Katsuki had a lot of people he wanted to kill; Half n Half for pussying out on using his fire, the muscly fuck with the exposed brain for holding her captive, the misty fuck that kidnapped her all those years ago, and most of all: he wanted to murder Tomura Shigaraki. Katsuki didn't use a nickname for the man any more, no, he wanted everyone to know exactly who was going to die for the unforgivable sin of laying a hand on his Izuka! When Izuka revived, Katsuki was wrapping her ass in bubble wrap and leaving her like that for at least a week… stupid Deku worrying him. Izuka was dead, but it was only about three and a half minutes until she revived, and Katsuki wanted to get some serious killing done before she came back.

All-Might, with his current expression, could easily be mistaken for someone else. Gone was his usual smile that shone even in the darkest times. Gone was the laugh that spat in the face of fear. Gone was the posing and joyful tone that eased the hearts of the people. Gone was the Symbol of Peace, and in his place, was a God of War. All-Might was like Ares, his rage so intense that it was palpable. Even the students and teachers he'd come to save looked up fearfully at the man, his teeth bared and a quiet growl rumbling in his chest as he walked down the stairs of the USJ, his eyes fixed on Tomura, the man that had DARED TO KILL HIS DAUGHTER! The lesser villains were ready to pass out from terror and even Kurogiri and Tomura took a step back at the intensity of the Hero's rage. All-Might was the Number One Hero, but at that moment, he put that side of himself away. Heroes were valiant and saved the day… Heroes didn't do the things that Toshinori Yagi was about to. Izuka was dead and would soon return, and Toshinori wanted to get most of the bone breaking done before then.

"I had a bad feeling, and came running back to U.A from the crime scene in Tatooin Ward. I happened to run across Recovery Girl, who warned me of Young Midoriya's message. Thanks to the two of them, I've got the gist of what happened." All-Might looked at the faces of the terrified and crying students. "You… you've made me angrier than I've ever felt; you've terrorised my students, you KILLED my student. They all gave it their all to fight against you, as a teacher, I'm proud of them. But… Young Midoriya was killed by you villains..." All-Might clenched his fist; "I'll give you no mercy."

In an instant, every single one of the small fry villains was unconscious and bleeding on the floor. All of them had at least two broken bones and five missing teeth; it wasn't a pretty sight, and All-Might just flicked the blood off his knuckles, his eyes fixed on Tomura. Another instant and All-Might was standing in front of the stairs again; every single student behind him, along with the three Pros.

"A-All-Might!" Ochako said, a watery smile on her face. "I'm sorry… Izuka… we couldn't do anything!"

"Be calm, Young Uraraka. Stay back; I will defeat those three." All-Might pointed at Kurogiri, Noumu and Shigaraki.

"Fuck that, All-Might." Katsuki said, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles; "The fucks killed Izuka… I'm going to murder them!"

"Ooh, that's a scary face. Do Heroes commit murder now?" Tomura taunted, "Wouldn't that make you a villain?"

All-Might didn't wait for another word to be said. He ran forward, putting his hands in front of him like an X. He was aiming for Shigaraki, but Noumu jumped in the way. "CAROLINA SMASH!" All-Might roared, delivering a cross chop to the villain's torso. Noumu was unfazed and swung his fists out in retaliation, forcing All-Might to duck backward. All-Might struck the creature a couple more times, only to come to the same conclusion.

"My blows aren't working!" he growled, punctuating his sentence with another punch to Noumu's gut.

"This Noumu was designed just to kill you, Hero Trash. His Shock Absorption Ability is the best in the world. If you want to hurt him, you'll need to slowly rip his guts out… not that he's going to just let you." Shigaraki smirked.

All-Might chuckled darkly, "Thanks for telling me. If that's what it takes..." the Hero darted around Noumu and grabbed him from the behind before leaning backward, smashing the villain into the ground with a massive backdrop slam.

"Hell yes! Beat 'em All-Might! Kick their asses for what they did to Izuka!" Kaminari yelled, most of the class screaming similar encouragement through their tears.

The dust cleared and the class was silenced. Kurogiri had opened a pair of warp gates, allowing Noumu's upper body to go through one and emerge from another beneath All-Might's back, where he'd reached up to sink his claws into the Hero's side. Shigaraki laughed; "You thought if you stuck Noumu in concrete, it would seal his movements? It wouldn't have worked; his power is the same level as yours, but now you've given Kurogiri the perfect opening!"

Kurogiri nodded; "This was the plan from the beginning. Noumu would stop you from moving, then I'd drag you down into the depths of my warp gates and close it, slicing you in half. It will be unpleasant to have your insides spilling out into my body, but I will endure for the sake of killing you."

"OUTTA THE FUCKING WAY, MISTY FUCK!" Katsuki suddenly roared, rocketing forward and slamming Kurogiri's head into the ground. The explosive boy pinned him down, his hand pressing down hard on the metal brace around the villain's neck. He was holding him down with such force, the ground beneath the villain was beginning to crack and the metal brace was making strained noises.

Just as Kurogiri was held down, a sheet of ice shot up Noumu's body, coating much of his right side in ice which penetrated right to the core of the creature's form. Todoroki stepped forward, walking over the ice with a dark look in his eyes; "I'd not normally freeze a living thing so deeply… but I'm not feeling very merciful right now."

Shigaraki snarled and moved to attack, only to be forced to narrowly avoid a trio of attacks as Momo, Ochako and Kirishima all launched blows at him, keeping him busy. To top it off, Tomura couldn't destroy them as Eraserhead's eyes were firmly locked on him.

Katsuki grinned cruelly, making his hand spark a bit against Kurogiri's neck brace; "You wouldn't need to wear this thing if you really were just mist. I bet what little guts you've got is stuck inside this, like a fucking soup can. Give me a reason, Misty Fuck, I'd LOVE to crack it open and see what's inside." he said menacingly.

Meanwhile, All-Might easily escaped the grip of the frozen Noumu, springing back to stand beside the young Heroes that had come to his rescue. Todoroki scowled at the villains; "We won't let you kill anyone else… not that scum like you could ever hope to kill the Symbol of Peace."

Katsuki and Tomura both noticed a light beginning to form in the dust a short distance away. Katsuki smirked; "Plus, it's not like you were able to actually kill anyone anyway!"

The class looked at the boy like he was mad, but their replies were cut off by a blinding light that quickly gave way to a massive inferno. A tornado of flame formed from the spot their classmate had been killed and a very familiar winged shadow appeared in it's depths.

"No way..."

"It's impossible?"

The flames exploded outwards, scorching the still frozen Noumu and burning much of Tomura's right arm. From within the flames, the shadowy figure emerged.

Izuka Midoriya, wings blazing, eyes sparkling descended to the floor of the USJ like an angel from heaven, the flames of determination burning within her. Her wounds were healed, her lost body parts restored and while her clothes were completely gone, Izuka was concealing her body in a dress made of fire that burned so hot, it appeared white. She truly looked like an angel, as if Izuka had been reborn as a celestial being.

"IZUKA!?" The class cried out as one, running to surround the miraculously revived girl. None of them could truly believe their eyes; most were crying tears of joy or screaming with happiness and relief. Their more stoic classmates were just smiling, happy and confused, but mostly just happy.

Izuka had returned from the dead! She'd literally been reborn from dust and ash… like a…

"Phoenix." Tsuyu muttered, eyes widening, "This explains everything… the fire, the wings, the healing and the strength. It's why the Mist Villain calls you Phoenix, why their leader killed you despite coming here to capture you… why you survived your year of kidnapping. Your quirk is like a Phoenix."

Izuka nodded "Everyone, I'm sorry I worried you. I promise, I'll explain everything, but first we need to defeat the enemy." Izuka said, a guilty smile on her face.

"Oh yes, we will definitely be getting that explanation!" Momo said sternly, before hugging the girl tightly, forcing Izuka to adjust her flames so they wouldn't burn her, "Thank you for coming back to us!"

"Momo, I'm so sorry… I wouldn't have done it unless I needed to. I had to protect Tsuyu and Minoru and that was the only way I could think of. I'll make it up to you… to all of you." she promised. "Before I get back in the fight, you should all know; no matter how I die, I revive after 200 seconds, which is roughly three and a half minutes. I can defend you, but if I go down, that's how long you'll need to wait before I come back."

"Whoa whoa, wait a minute!" Kirishima yelled, "You just got tortured and killed right in front of us, and you're saying you're going to just go and sacrifice yourself again!? Immortal or not, value your life a little, Izuka!" he scolded.

The Phoenix Girl smiled sadly; "I know… Believe me, I don't enjoy this. It hurts a lot, you can't imagine how bad having parts of you decayed feels. But I don't want any of you to feel that! All of you, all of Class 1-A are my friends and letting you get hurt would be more painful than taking the blows for you!"

"Then we'll need to have a plan." Todoroki stepped forward. Katsuki was still holding down Kurogiri and Todoroki's ice was holding Noumu, who was suffering from the burns Izuka's revival inflicted. Shigaraki was also occupied, his eyes fixed on Izuka as he submerged his burnt hand in the fountain. "Midoriya, you came up with a plan to defeat me and my team in the Combat Test; think you can do the same here?"

Izuka nodded and looked around, examining both her enemies and allies. Thirteen and Aizawa were out of commission, though Aizawa was valiantly pushing his stamina to the limits by continuously sealing Shigaraki's quirk. The rest of Class 1-A were mostly healthy; a few bumps and bruises but otherwise unharmed. Their main problem was exhaustion; many had likely used their empowered quirks too much and worn themselves out. Only Tsuyu, Minoru, Katsuki, Todoroki, Momo and Ochako were at full strength. All-Might was a bit wounded from Noumu's claws, but he could still be counted on as their main fighter. As for the villains, Noumu was weakened by burns and ice, Kurogiri was trapped and Tomura was hurt and effectively quirkless. It looked like an easy fight, but Izuka knew better; if Shigaraki was so calm, it meant he still had a chance.

"Okay guys, I have a plan. Firstly, everyone accept Tsuyu, Minoru, Kacchan, Todoroki, Momo and Ochako needs to get out of here. Head to the exit and get outside USJ. That Noumu was able to last this long and was likely designed to fight All-Might, so I need everyone not at 100% out of the fight." she instructed.

A few people grumbled, but none argued. If Izuka was going to get herself killed protecting them, then it was better they stayed out of the battle. Centipeder begrudgingly led the group away, leaving Izuka, All-Might and the six named students behind to fight. As they left, Izuka explained the plan, reopening links with the six students, as the old links were severed by her death. Six links was technically over her limit, but Izuka could handle it.

With Aizawa gone, Shigaraki felt his quirk returning and straightened up. "Ah, with the Little Bird back, the brats are going to be a problem. Noumu, kill the explosive brat and take back our warp gate." the man ordered.

To the shock of the heroes, Noumu began to struggle, his frozen body breaking apart as he pulled himself up. As soon as the frozen pieces of flesh fell away, they began to regrow, restoring Noumu's right side. With his restored arm, Noumu tore at his own burns, ripping away the damaged tissue and allowing it to regrow.

"Damn it, I thought his quirk was Shock Absorption!" All-Might cursed.

"I never said that was all he could do. This is his Hyper Regeneration. Noumu is our masterpiece; the trump card to kill you, All-Might!" Shigaraki roared as Noumu lunged towards Katsuki. All-Might leapt to intercept the attack and was punched by a nasty left hook, sending the Pro-Hero flying back. With All-Might momentarily out of the way, Noumu continued his attack, aiming to kill Katsuki with a mighty blow.

Thankfully for Katsuki, he had trained against All-Might alongside Izuka and was able to leap upward, putting his hands on Noumu's arm as he jumped over the creature's punch. The Explosive Boy continued his leap and with a small explosion to alter his trajectory, he shot himself downward with a vicious elbow drop into the beast's exposed brain. Noumu didn't react, so Katsuki continued his attack by slapping both palms against Noumu's eyes, then back flipping off of the creature, landing beside his classmates.

"Izuka, your damn resurrection takes too long! The class was freaking the fuck out! Give me the plan." he ordered. Izuka obeyed and the other five just gaped.

"You knew!?" Ochako said accusingly.

"Of course I fucking knew! Who do you think keeps this idiot from killing herself all the damn time! All the U.A Teachers know too." Katsuki smirked.

Ochako sulked; "Izuchan, we're definitely talking about this later!"

Since Katsuki was away from Kurogiri, the Warp Villain was able to straighten up, and since he was free, Noumu lost interest in attacking Katsuki. At least until Shigaraki spoke again.

"Noumu, crush the kids. Kill the Little Bird too, if she's down, she can't save the brats." he ordered.

Noumu silently obeyed, running at the group only to suddenly slam into All-Might. The two exchanged a few blows before Noumu was sent skidding back towards the villains.

"Tch, you took a few blows there, Hero. Using yourself to protect the brats… it infuriates me! That's the same garbage you taught the Little Bird! She actually got herself killed to protect those pathetic worms! Tell me, Hero, what justice is there in someone great dying for someone worthless!" Shigaraki declared.

Izuka narrowed her eyes as Tsuyu and Minoru looked down. "Ignore him, you two." she said, flashing them a smile; "You are not pathetic or worthless! Minoru, you saved Tsuyu just as much as I did by choosing me in Tomura's game, plus you were instrumental in winning our battles in the Combat Trial! Tsuyu, without you, Minoru would have died in the flood zone and I would have probably drowned too after zapping the villains. You're both heroes and my friends!"

All-Might grinned, the first smile he'd worn since arriving at USJ. "Young Izuka is correct! We all have our parts to play! My girl, I heard your plan; I'll give you the opening!" he declared, charging at Noumu. The Artificial Human ran forward too and the two met in the middle with a mighty shock wave.

The moment the two collided, Izuka flew at Tomura, flames surrounding her to protect her from Tomura's quirk. Even if he touched her, her flames would burn him, and with the damage done to his right, if he used it again, it would likely be reduced to ash, meaning he'd have to use his left! But truthfully, Shigaraki wasn't who she was aiming for.

As predicted, Kurogiri moved between them, opening a warp gate. The gate would likely lead to the Villain Base, since his goal was to catch Izuka, but at the last minute, Izuka swooped upwards. "Minoru, now!" she yelled.

Kurogiri's eyes widened as he suddenly found himself knocked to the floor again, this time by the small form of the grape boy slamming into his neck brace. He struggled, but found he was stuck to the ground by a mass of purple balls, rendering him unable to move. Izuka smiled as Phase 1 of her plan was successful; Ochako made Minoru float and then with a bit of thread created by Momo, he had been tied to Izuka so that when she flew at Kurogiri, Minoru was hidden behind her and her flames, completely out of sight of the villains. Then, when she swooped up, she'd swung the small boy at the villain's weak point, pausing long enough for him to trap Kurogiri with his Pop-off Balls before flying back to safety.

With their escape route cut off, it was time to take out the muscle of the Villain attack. Noumu was still engaged in a punch up with All-Might; each reflecting the other's blows with their own. All-Might was testing the creature's quirk; it was Shock Absorption, not Negation, so there had to be a limit at some point. It would be easy for All-Might to send the creature flying, but considering they'd already had one death today, they didn't want to risk Noumu rampaging wherever he landed. However, the group had already identified one weakness; Noumu couldn't use his regeneration on burnt areas; he had to manually tear those parts away to allow himself to heal, so if they could burn him deeply enough, they might be able to stop his healing altogether.

Noumu took a furious uppercut to the chin, All-Might launching him several feet into the air. From there, Katsuki smirked. "You know, those fancy moves earlier wasn't just to look cool. I worked up a real good sweat, and practically covered that ugly bastard in it."

With a snap of his fingers, all of his sweat on Noumu detonated, causing the upper layers of flesh to be burnt away. Katsuki grinned at his handiwork; with his quirk evolved by Izuka, he could remotely convert his sweat into Nitroglycerin, even if it didn't come from his palms. He could also detonate it remotely, draining a good chunk of his stamina, but blowing the shit out of his foes from a distance.

The crippled form of Noumu landed in front of the Heroes and Izuka immediately bathed it in fire, unleashing as much as she could to stop the slow regeneration of Noumu. As her fire was reaching it's zenith, Izuka felt herself growing stronger and turned her head, noticing that Todoroki had placed his hand against her back and was currently pumping his own flames into her, his entire left side ignited.

"Todoroki..." she whispered.

"I cost you your life once already because I refused to use this. I still hate this flame, but if it'll save lives, then I have no choice." Todoroki said.

The girl smiled at him. "Thank you."

The two kept up their fiery assault until finally, they let up and ended the attack, revealing what was left of Noumu; a metallic skeleton. The creature must have had a quirk that turned his bones into metal to support his strength, but with all it's flesh and internal organs burned away it was nothing but a giant metal sculpture now.

Shigaraki looked on with widening eyes; "No way… you brats cheated and killed my Noumu!"

Katsuki sneered at him; "Don't worry… you're next!" he yelled, running forward, All-Might running behind him. Tomura growled and raised his hands, ready to destroy both these bothersome blonds, only for All-Might to suddenly dodge to the side and Katsuki to be suddenly pulled back by a bungee cord produced by Momo.

"A feign!?" Shigaraki cursed, only to be blind sided by a sudden flurry of snow. He spun around to see All-Might had Todoroki stuck to his back with Minoru's quirk and he was currently blasting Tomura with snow. From his other side, the villain was sudden blasted with sand; Katsuki had touched down on the ground and used the bungee cord to swing Momo into the fray, and she was currently created sand at a remarkable rate.

Lastly, Izuka also joined the fray, using her Link with Todoroki to mimic his snow flurry while Tsuyu kept her tongue wrapped around a non-flaming part of Izuka's waist. The moment Tomura swung to try and decay one of them, All-Might would dodge away and Momo and Izuka would be pulled away by their partners, both of them weightless thanks to Ochako's quirk.

Izuka grinned; "I learnt three things from all those games you made me play, Tomura! First, you can only decay things that you can put all five fingers to, so powdery attacks like snow and sand are effective! Second, if I overstimulate you with physical sensations, swirling sights and targets that move out of range, you'll become easily confused. And Third, when you become confused, you're strategic mind fails and you become like a tantrum throwing kid!"

Tomura growled like an animal "Damn you! These fucking Heroes have corrupted you! But I won't lose!" he suddenly smirked, "That Noumu you killed was designed to take down All-Might! I have another for you..."

Izuka paused and suddenly, she couldn't breath. Gasping for air, Izuka's flames died out and she collapsed to the ground, no longer able to keep up her attack. Out of concern, the others stopped their attacks too.

"Look!" Mineta shouted, pointing to a spot a few feet from Izuka. A child-sized reptile was clinging to the floor, it's scales refracting light around it, but it's head was exposed as it used a strange hole on it's tongue to create a vacuum around Izuka, sucking away her air. The reptile had a strange, toothless mouth and an exposed brain, identifying it as another Noumu.

Tomura, with the attention off him, leapt away with a giddy grin. "That is the Anti-Phoenix Noumu! It is designed to perfectly counter you, Little Bird! It can create vacuum spaces to suffocate your flames, it can use a powerful suction to force you to fly towards it. It can swallow your body in any condition and is fireproof from the inside to keep you trapped! It's saliva even acts as a weak toxin that coagulates blood and alters it enough that your quirk can't use it for healing! Plus, it has a handy camouflage quirk built in!"

All-Might growled; "But can it take a punch!" he yelled, jumping and aiming a punch at the small Noumu. The creature squawked like a bird and jumped out of the way of the blow, releasing Izuka in the process. The girl immediately gasped for air and reapplied her flames to cover herself; thankfully the boys had been too concerned to notice her momentary nudity.

Just as the Lizard Noumu was about to pounce on Izuka, it was shot in the tongue, causing it to sprawl to the ground with a whine. The Heroes and Villains both looked up to the entrance, where they witnessed the arrival of a small army of Pro Heroes.

Nezu and Recovery Girl led the entire U.A staff into the USJ, accompanied by the Wild Wild Pussycats, Water Hose, Bubble Girl of the Sir Nighteye Agency and another Hero that Izuka recognised as Telecaster; a Pro-Hero that could convert himself and others into electromagnetic waves that could pass through phone connections, both physical and satellite. It was likely his quirk that allowed the non-U.A Heroes to arrive so soon.

"Sorry we're late y'all. We had to evacuate the other students along the way." Snipe greeted, lifting the rim of his hat with his pistol.

Tomura sighed; "I guess now it really is game over. Time to retreat." he whined. Kurogiri was free, Tomura having decayed his bindings while the Heroes were dealing with the new Noumu. Before anyone could stop them, the Lizard Noumu used it's light refraction to momentarily blind everyone and allow Kurogiri to warp it away. By the time everyone could see, the Noumu was gone and only Tomura's head was still visible in Kurogiri's warp gate.

"We may have lost this time, but next time, we'll kill you, All-Might! We'll take the Little Bird back too!" Tomura grinned and looked to Izuka, "You'll be home again soon… Sensei will ensure it."

Izuka froze; Sensei… impossible. He couldn't mean All for One!? She'd reduced him to ash! There was nothing left! There was no way he could have survived!

She gasped… there was also no way to prove he truly died.

"What in tarnation is going on?" Snipe asked aloud.

"They fled as soon as we showed up. It makes sense, since they were on their last legs, but after such a dramatic attack, it seems kind of anticlimactic." Midnight commented.

Nezu hopped off Blood King's shoulders, "They took us off guard… even after yesterday's attack and the threatening letter, we still weren't prepared. But let's concern ourselves with the student's well-being for now." he said, walking towards the group of seven students. "I hear you discovered Miss Midoriya's secret? I ask that you keep it a secret, even from friends and family. It is extremely important; I've already extended this warning to the group outside."

"We won't tell!" Ochako promised.

"With a quirk like that, if it got out, she'd be targeted. We'll protect her." Momo added.

"I owe her, so I'll keep quiet." Todoroki said simply, Mineta nodding along.

"Resurrection sounds amazing, but it's a scary thing to witness. Izuka, please don't die again." Tsuyu said.

Izuka sighed, leaning into Katsuki's arms as she released the links. "I can't make any promises, but I will try." she smiled, her body shaking from the slowly dissipating adrenaline. "Now were are Aizawa-Sensei and Thirteen-Sensei? I need to heal them."

"No." Nezu said firmly. "You've done very well, Miss Midoriya, but from this point, you follow my orders. You are going to go to the Nurse's Office and stay there until your parents pick you up. The rest of you will be checked out at the Medic Tent being set up outside. We Pros will round up the rest of the villains still here. School will likely be cancelled for the next day or so, so you are all to rest. Aizawa was already muttering about putting you in Life long Detention, Midoriya. I wouldn't push it."

Izuka gulped and bowed her head. There was no arguing with Nezu when he put his foot down, so she hugged her friends (Minoru didn't even make it pervy) and gave Kacchan a chaste kiss on the lips before allowing Recovery Girl to lead her away to the Nurse's office. The other six students were soon escorted out, allowing All-Might to leave his hero form with a sigh.

"That girl… every villain she encounters kills her! I'll be grey before she graduates." Toshinori complained.

"No doubt. That girl is going to put us all through a lot in the coming years, but we can't deny that without her, many students would have died today. It was only thanks to her that we knew something was happening." Nezu replied.

Toshinori stared up at the sky wistfully, "Everyone in Class 1-A watched the villain torture and kill her. Shigaraki probably thought it would crush their resolve, but I could see it in their eyes; he galvanised them. Each was so furiously determined and upon seeing Izuka resurrect, it was like watching children experience Christmas for the first time; the pure joy they felt. The League of Villains made a very powerful enemy today… or should I say 19 very powerful enemies." The Pro-Hero was also concerned with what Shigaraki had said… All for One was still alive? It was certainly possible; there was no body after Izuka's attack five years ago and with the number of quirks that man stole, it was possible he had found a way to escape. Toshinori would be staying on guard from now on.

Nezu smiled. A lot had happened; Class 1-A had experienced death and their first battle with Villains. Only time would tell what consequences these events would have, but the Principal was certain of one thing.

He'd be having to sign off on a new club: The Midoriya Protection Squad!