Izuku wouldn't be reluctant in the slightest to admit that he was scared. Fighting and violence weren't things that sat well with him, because they dragged him back to a time when he was alone, cold and hungry and desperate.

He had tried fighting then. He'd ended up sore, scarred and scared for his efforts.

He didn't even like accompanying Tenko on his missions, because he hated having to watch people bring out the worst of themselves, as they decided the only solution was to hurt others.

Still, he knew it was necessary. And he knew being there, helping and healing, was a thousand times better than waiting, staring at the clock and wondering if Tenko would make it home. If Tenko had been forced to kill again. If...

Yes, helping was definitely better. But it made him even more scared, because in the long, anxious days before the attack, he'd taken the time to talk to the new members of the League. He liked them, they were nice and they wanted to do the right thing. They wanted to help change the world for the better!

Or at least, it was easy to convince himself that they did. Maybe they weren't all clinging to the same ideas he was, but he'd heal them all the same, because that's what he was given the power to do, and that was what he'd chosen to do with it.

So if he wasn't fast enough and they got hurt...

But he was lucky, because Tenko had thought of a plan. There couldn't be loyalty if Tomura abandoned them, just like the heroes had. There couldn't be trust if Tomura let them take the fall for the League. There couldn't be another try if they lost their members.

In the long term, Sensei had told them once, it was worth keeping as many pieces as possible, even if they were pawns, because pawns could still capture a king, if used correctly.

Tenko's plan was simple. Izuku was backup, he would stay away from most of the fighting. Kurogiri would observe all of the fights, and he'd let Izuku know if he was needed to heal anyone.

Then, if it was too dangerous, he'd warp the injured back to the bar, where they'd wait in safety until they could be treated properly.

Izuku knew Tenko had done it to keep him safe, to keep him where he could get away. That was the thing with Sensei and Tenko and Kurogiri: they always gave him a way out if he needed it. It was their way of letting him know that they cared, that they wanted the best for him. He knew that they'd make sure he was okay, before themselves, because they were family and that was simply what family did for each other.

So he would put up with the fighting, he'd heal those who stood with them, because he believed in what they were fighting for, and in the people who were fighting for it. He believed it with so much hope that it hurt, and he was determined to play his part.

"Izuku," Kurogiri materialised next to him grimly. "the group fighting the teachers could use support."

Izuku merely nodded, pulled on his mask and stepped through the portal and into the chaos.

All for a brighter future and a happy ending.


Todoroki was lucky that Uraraka was with him. In the hellish heat of the Conflagration Zone, his eyes stung with tears from the heat and his ice melted quickly.

Villains smashed through glaciers with embarassing ease, and all the while, the fire laughed with his father's voice.

But Uraraka was smart. She'd watched the villains smash spikes of ice into shards that then were trampled into slush, and then evaporated. She used her quirk to lift the shards that hadn't quite melted high above the flames, where the ice had hung like crystalline angels, with arms spread wide and ready to save them.

She waited until there were countless shards of ice hovering above them, before releasing them to rain down on the villains and fire alike.

There was a pained hiss as the ice hit the fire, and reluctantly, the flames died down, and with them, the sweltering heat dwindled. Just like that, everything was more bearable, memories of the shrill whistle of a kettle, of his father and the slow way burns healed, it all of them dimmed a little.

Because memories weren't the threat at the moment, it was the villains.

The sudden snap of cold on the roaring flames was enough to produce steam, thick fog that shrouded the villians from sight. Shouto was uneasy, not liking not knowing where his enemies were, but at least it meant that they couldn't see him or Uraraka.

Naturally, Todoroki couldn't see Uraraka as she stumbled towards him, all he could see was a hazy figure darting towards him.

He nearly froze her solid.

"Todoroki, stop! It's me!" She hissed, and he nearly couldn't hear her over the alarmed cries of the villains, and the crashes as they no doubt attacked one another.

"Sorry, I couldn't tell." He whispered back, though his had already switched to scanning the billowing steam for any threats.

"We need a plan. The steam won't last forever." Uraraka told him grimly. Even as she spoke, the steam seemed to fade, and he could see her face clearly.

Her fear. Her desperation. The grim determination that shone in the unshed tears in her eyes. Her face was an open book, and Shouto couldn't help but feel guilty.

He'd allowed his grudge and his memories to cloud his mind in a critical moment. It certainly wasn't normally like him, he supposed he could attribute his poor performance to his recent 'training session' with his father, but the idea didn't sit well. He was better than this. He was better than what his father had made him into, and he'd prove it.

"I have an idea." Todoroki told her urgently, shoving ihs doubts to the back of his mind "Get behind me."

By that point, the steam had cleared enough for him to see the hazy figures striding in the distance. They looked imposing as they paced, clearly searching for them. They were featureless, like they weren't real, just villains and he and Uraraka were just heroes, and it was all that simple.

It made everything easier.

It only took a few seconds. His right side had been honed and trained for years. Careful practice and raw power made for a dangerous combination. At least, the villains now trapped in spires of glittering ice seemed to think it was dangerous.

Todoroki stared at the ice, glinting serenely, like it was calm and unbreakable, even as the villains struggled. For a tense moment he wondered if the'd be able to break it, but it held firmly despite their thrashing and agitated movements.

"With the fire gone from the area, it should hold them for a while." He informed Uraraka flatly, even as she beamed, relief flooding her features.

"That's great!" She cheered. "We're safe."

"It won't hold them for as long as I'd like, it's still far too hot here." He sighed. "We should leave before they figure out how to free themselves."

Uraraka's smile dimmed, and Todoroki couldn't help but feel guilty. In any other area, his ice wouldn't be at risk from mekting or being weakened by the heat, and he could have managed to scare information out of the villains, but with the fact that the ice wouldn't last for a long time, he didn't think they could risk it.

Then Uraraka brightened again. "We might be able to see if we can help some of the others!"

"Yeah." Todoroki nodded, and with that the two turned and left the villains struggling in their glacial prison without looking back.


Aizawa actually took a while to catch on, and that stung. He'd fought against impossible odds countless times, his instincts had been carefully crafted through years of experience, and he missed all of the warning signs.

In his defence, it was complete and utter chaos. The pros had quickly separated to avoid getting in the way, because in a situation like this one, mistakes would be fatal. In fact, Aizawa couldn't even see his colleauges through the sea of villains, because there was always someone there to take the place of whoever he'd just defeated.

The problem was this: he couldn't see his colleauges through the sea of villains because there was always someone there to replace the villain he'd just defeated. It was like he hadn't really defeated anyone.

He only realised what was going on when he turned to face a villain that he distinctly remembered flinging away with a deft strike from his scarf. For a fleeting moment, he was confused, because with the way Shouta fought, one strike was enough to have someone reeling, ready to be carted away by the police. Shota fought to end things quickly, and it was that simple.

But if the villains were recovering this quickly, then it could only mean one thing: they had someone with a healing quirk.

And that changed everything. This would quickly become a battle of endurance, and he doubted that they'd win. Unless reinforcements arrived, the villains would have the upper hand. There was a reason that heroes like Recovery Girl had been indispensible. On-field medical treatment could make all the difference, especially in situations where every second counted.

And every second did count. His students were out there, stranded in unfamiliar terrain, unused to fighting with their quirks. They could die. And it wasn't fair.

They hadn't asked for this. This wasn't their fight. It didn't involve them yet, but they'd be casualties all the same, if they lost. But his students all had potential, his students would fight until the end.

They might win. He had to believe they'd win.

He wanted to race out of there, find his students and know that they were safe, that they would live to see the end of all this. But he couldn't. Without finding the medic, there wasn't a way out. Not yet

Instead of carving a path to the edge of the crowd and racing away to protect the children he had been trusted to teach, he mentally steeled himself for a long fight and resolved to keep an eye out, just in case. If he saw the medic for even a second, it would change everything.


Izuku couldn't help but admire the raw strength of the pros. There was someone new to heal for every person he finished helping. The injuries themselves weren't too bad: mostly bruises and the occasional broken bone. But they'd still be enough to end a fight, had he not been there.

With all the practice Izuku had, it wasn't difficult, but it was incredibly draining. It helped that he knew what he was doing- the better his medical knowledge, the quicker it was for him to heal wounds, since he knew just how to manipulate his quirk to help the best.

But still, even as warmth flooded through his blood as he used his quirk to heal a broken arm, he decided that being tired was a small price to pay. In fact, he was fairly sure he could last a few more hours.

"Izuku," Kurogiri materialised behind him quietly. "I'm afraid that you may be needed at the Conflagration Zone."

Izuku glanced at the man he'd just healed in concern, but he just laughed and waved his newly healed arm around. "We'll be fine. Go help the others, kid."

So Izuku stepped through the protal to be faced with shining mountains of pure ice.

And once he stepped closer, he could see the people willing to fight for their cause struggling sluggishly within.

Kurogiri sighed. "They haven't been trapped for long, thankfully, but the ice is too thick for them to break through at the moment."

Izuku stared at the gleaming prison thoughtfully. "If you could warp some of the ice away, we could probably weaken it enough for them to break out... We're going to have to be very careful."

Kurogiri stared at the uneven structure and swore.


It was becoming very apparant very quickly that their plan of 'hit the villains until they give up' wasn't working.

For one, the villains that had been stationed in this area were clearly chosen for their quirks. Tsuyu had at least three villains chasing her easily as she leapt between the sheer cliffs, and Bakugo had to keep glancing there, because he was scared she'd get caught or fall.

The sightly more infurating issue was that both Bakugo and Aoyama couldn't use their quirks fully, because they couldn't damage any of the cliffs too badly without causing one of them to collapse.

So, to put it simply, they were losing. They were fighting their hardest. They were meant to be the best of the best. They were trying harder than their best. And still, despite everything, they were still losing.

Because heroes were the ones that always won, even if impossible odds. Heroes were the ones who were meant to defeat villains. Heroes were the ones meant to save people.

And he wasn't a hero yet.

They were in areas that simply didn't work to their advantage. They weren't used to combat or using their quirks on real people- because people didn't stop being people just because they made a few bad choices. They were up against impossible odds, and they weren't good enough.

It was getting worse. His arms were throbbing with a dull agony that rumbled in his muscles like thunder even as his palms roared with lightning. He was tired, he had to gasp for every breath and he was bleeding sluggishly from a dozen wounds.

He knew he wouldn't last much longer. He knew he was getting slower, that his explosions were getting weaker and he knew that they wouldn't win by a sudden miracle.

But he wasn't ready to die. He still had things he wanted- no, needed- to do. He wanted to become the greatest hero ever. He wanted to save people. He wanted to bring Izuku home.

He'd do anything to survive this. So he could live just a little more before he died, so the last thing he'd see wouldn't be a smirking villain. He'd do anything.

Anything.

And that was how he came up with the plan. The situation was awful; they were desperate and dying.

"We're being too careful." He bellowed, making Aoyama freeze in surprise. A moment later, Tsuyu landed beside them, frowning grimly.

"What do you propose we do?" She croaked, staring unblinkingly at the villains as she spoke.

"We've been trying not to cause the cliffs to collapse. What if we make one collapse? Between us and the villains." Bakugo already hated the plan. If the actually did it, there'd be no way to control it, and no way to tell who got hurt.

But the villains didn't care about killing them, so what else could they do?

"How would we do it?" Tsuyu's dark, unhappy tone suggested that she had similar misgivings, but the slump of her shoulders told Bakugo that she couldn't see any other way out either.

"I could just fire a ton of explosions at the cliff above us. It's already sustained a lot of damage." Bakugo suggested.

"I'd be able to pull you away at the last minute." Tsuyu sighed. "It'd be risky though."

"I'll do it." Aoyama told them with none of his usual flair.

Then, before any of them could protest, Aoyama decided for them.

Bakugo didn't think he'd ever forget the arc of dazzling light that collided with the cliff face. Or the roar of the rock as it shattered and collapsed and lunged towards them. He wouldn't forget the way Aoyama whimpered in pain and tried to clutch at his stomach, even as he and Tsuyu hauled the crying boy away.

It was their escape. It wouldn't do to get caught in the crossfire. But they'd done it. They'd walk out alive, and that would be enough for him.


The plan to break the ice prison was going pretty well until everything went wrong. They'd managed to free over half the people trapped, and Kurogiri had warped them back to safety. Izuku wasn't an expert but he was fairly sure they had been fast enough to avoid any serious issues from a long exposure to the ice.

He'd have to double check after everything was over, though.

But everything started spiralling out of control after Kurogiri returned from one of his trips to remove the ice.

"Izuku," he sounded troubled. "I just warped the ice to the Mountain Zone. There's been a landslide."

"A rather... severe injury."

Izuku's stomach flipped, but his hands didn't shake. He had to remain calm, if he wanted to be able to help people. It was why Sensei had trusted him with a quirk, and it wouldn't do to be useless when people were counting on him!

"How bad is it?" He asked instead, trying not to imagine blood-splattered rocks and scars stretching across smirking faces.

"Bad." Kurogiri said simply, and that time, Izuku's hands did start shaking.

"Will you be able to warp them out?" Izuku stared at the remains of the ice. It was starting to melt, now, and droplets of water were falling to the ground like tears.

"I'll need time. But the hero students are still there. We can't afford them getting in the way." Kurogiri sounded as stressed as Izuku felt.

Izuku hated fighting. He knew how to- Tenko and Sensei and Kurogiri wouldn't even let him be here at the attack if he didn't know how to defend himself at least a little. He wasn't the best, but he wasn't the worst.

He'd end up sore, scarred and scared for his efforts. But he was willing to fight for others, if it made a difference.

"I'll distract them. You get everyone out of there, okay?" Izuku decided.

Kurogiri's unhappy silence told Izuku all he needed to know about what the bartender thought of his plan, but the portal opened nonetheless.

"I'm sorry." Kurogiri's voice was soft. "I'll be as quick as possible."

The promise stayed with Izuku even as he stepped through the portal and into his childhood.


They'd barely made it ten steps, supporting Aoyama as they limped away, when the eerie silence was broken by the sound of a portal opening.

Bakugo whirled around to face the person who stepped through the portal, stepping between them and his friends.

They'd been so close to escaping. He wouldn't let them fail. Not after everything. He was still able to fight. Hell, he'd make whichever villains stepped out the portal regret even thinking about attacking UA and-

-and then he froze.

"You're the least amazing."

Because he knew this villain. Sure, he was wearing a simple surgical mask to hide the lower part of his face, but Bakugo knew the mop of messy hair and saw those wide green eyes in his nightmares sometimes.

"Your name can be read as Deku. It means useless."

It was as though his voice had abandoned him, in that moment. All he could do was stare and see. There was blood on Izuku's mask, and on his hands. Izuku was pale and his hands were shaking, and he was staring at Bakugo like he'd seen a ghost.

And then, when the villain spoke, even his timid fucking voice was familiar.

"Kacchan?"