Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 9:

Holy crap, Zach thought as he stared at his lot number. It really is, my lucky day.

He, that idiot… In the crowd, a student in Class B glared at Zach's back furiously.

Zach showed Midnight his lot with a big smile on his face, and she shouted how she loved his enthusiasm and put him up on the board for the first fight.

Turning Kuroiro against us.

Zach turned and looked out into the group right off the stage, at a boy who was walking away from them but glanced back when he heard what Midnight shouted. Zach made eye contact with Shinso as Midnight called out what would be the first match-up of the tournament.

Taking Kendo's points at the very end.

The boy on stage with short spiky black hair started walking back off it, and he went over to Kaminari, and to Monoma's own classmate.

Monoma was seething in anger. One Class B student. I, after all that talk… after my plans! Monoma was shaking, and a few of his friends backed up around him as they were getting freaked out by how creepy his expression looked. And it's all because of that guy. Zach Sazaki. I even, I ended with his points. And as if they're taunting us, the points they ended with, are the same points we started with! Monoma's hands stopped shaking and he narrowed his eyes at the right side of the boy. His eyes focused on Zach's right hand, "Don't copy my rider's power!" Why would Kuroiro say that, unless the power was really dangerous? Time to try again…

"Audience!" Present Mic shouted. "The finals that you've all been waiting for have finally started!"

The cheers were louder than Zach had ever heard before as he walked alone out of the tunnel. He tried to keep his focus straight on the stage ahead, but he was in awe of how many people were up on their feet shouting and cheering. "Match One! He hasn't stuck out much at all so far, low placing on the first event and barely getting in after the second, but he's got spirit! From the hero course, Zach Sazaki!"

What's with that introduction? Zach thought, losing his smile with an annoyed look replacing it while he looked towards Present Mic's commentator booth.

"Umm," Present Mic continued after seeing that dirty look. "Versus! Sorry, he hasn't done anything to stand out much yet either! From general studies, it's Hitoshi Shinso!"

Shinso was frowning deeper than Zach as they each walked towards the stage. They met eyes before they made it, and they both started glaring into each other's eyes. "The rules are simple!" Present Mic yelled. "Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilize them!" The two students walked up on stage and started crossing it to stand before each other near the center. "You can also win by making your opponent say, 'I give up!'"

The two of them stopped with a decent gap between them, then Zach stood there with his arms at his sides and keeping a straight expression on his face while glaring at his opponent. "Bring on the injuries!" Present Mic continued, while Shinso looked his opponent up and down. "Because we've got our very own Recovery Girl on standby! Put your ethics and morals aside for the moment! But of course, anything life-threatening is crap! It's not allowed!"

Bet he'd say that no matter who was up here, Zach told himself, keeping his focus on the match and not letting it get torn away by anything. His eyes narrowed at his opponent as it seemed like the match was about to start. Shinso scratched the back of his neck and kept a cool and relaxed disposition about him, but Zach noticed the sweat on the side of his face. He's seen me staring. I don't like him. Ojiro told me what you did. I'm not falling for it.

Cementoss walked into the middle of the outside of the stage and created a chair to referee from while Present Mic continued the introduction. Cementoss sat down and held up a hand before saying in his low voice, "I'll stop things if they go too far."

"'I give up,' huh?" Shinso began.

Zach closed his eyes and took a deep breath in, then let a deep breath out. I can't hear you. Not that I'll say, 'I can't hear you.' I don't hear what you just said.

"That monkey was going on about his pride…"

"Start!" Present Mic shouted.

Zach's eyes shot open and he sprinted forward.

"…But don't you think he was an idiot for throwing away his- whoa-"

Zach sprinted across the gap as fast as he could. He brought his right arm up. Cementoss started lifting a hand with a nervous look on his face. Shinso pulled his head to one side, his eyes both darting to Zach's right hand that was inside a glove. His eyes focused so hard on that glove, his head pulling the other way, that he had no idea what hit him when all of Zach's force went into his left fist in the hook he slammed into the side of Shinso's face. Shinso's feet left the ground, his body spinning to the side, his eyes rolling back as spit flew out of his mouth.

Every student in Class A's seating section dropped their bottom lips. All the kids in Class B too, along with most of the heroes in the crowd. Shinso hit the ground, and he lay there flat on his back without moving. Zach brought his left arm back down and snapped his head to the side with a frown on his face. He still did not speak though, did not say, 'Serves you right,' as he wanted to. Don't know if his Quirk would still work. Thanks Ojiro, I would have shouted something at him the second the match began if you didn't tell me the secret to his power.

"Um, Shinso, can you hear me?" Midnight walked over and asked. No response. His chest was heaving though and she relaxed a bit as she saw the punch only knocked him out. A small grin came to her face as she glanced at Zach, then she threw a hand up in the air and yelled, "Shinso is no longer able to fight. Sazaki advances to the next round!"

The cheers were thunderous. Zach's stern and serious expression after taking down Shinso replaced by one of shock and then anxiety as every person in the stadium was cheering his name or just yelling out at how amazing that was. Class A shot up to their feet and started cheering loudest, some of them pumping fists up in the air for their classmate. The whole crowd was yelling, most of them at least. A lot of the general studies kids were quiet, and one boy in Class B was sitting there and glaring down at the kid who did not use his right hand in that fight, or use a Quirk at all.

"That was cool!" Kirishima shouted from the Class A section one away from Class B. "Just, BAM! One hit knock out!"

Ojiro looked down towards the stage and smiled as Zach managed to listen to his advice and advance to the next round. Zach looked up towards the area as he was starting to head back for the tunnel, and he made eye contact with Ojiro even from the distance. This is your win too, he thought, then he threw his arms up to enjoy the last of the cheers before walking out into the tunnel.

Kaminari walked down to get in the waiting room for his match. He was up third, so with Jirou and Ashido's match already starting, he had to get his warm-up in fast. Sero's already getting ready. I didn't even notice he left the booth. He's got longer range than I do, but if he touches me with that tape, I'mma blast him. That tape, conducts electricity, right? If not, then Indiscriminate Shock it is!

A boy was leaning against a wall ahead of Kaminari, not far from the waiting rooms. He had his head bowed and a smug look on his face along with a small smile. He chuckled as Kaminari was walking past, and Kaminari smirked and opened his mouth to mention how few people from Class B made it in. The other boy beat him to it, "I know it was Zach Sazaki who killed the villain-"

Kaminari spun and his eyes opened huge. Then they narrowed and he stepped towards the Class B kid with neatly combed blond hair and a smug expression on his face. "Bastard," Kaminari growled. "Who told you?"

Monoma's eyes opened wide, his mouth growing into a big grin. "You, just now," Monoma replied. Kaminari tilted his head to the side and leaned backwards, then his eyes started opening even wider and he lifted his right hand up and covered his mouth. "Haha, I knew it. I had my predictions of course, but I was just going around to the dumber-looking members of Class 1-A to try and figure it out. I used the same technique on that Mineta kid asking about Midoriya, but I heard a very defensive response that the two of them were together and Mineta assured me it was just a rumor…"

"Oi, what do you," Kaminari stepped towards Monoma while glaring harshly at him. He clenched his fists, and then he heard a voice shouting for him and Sero to get out to the stage echoing through the halls. A door opened up just a little away from them, and Sero looked over to see his opponent in the hall. He opened his mouth, but Kaminari took another step towards Monoma and hissed, "Don't tell anyone."

"Oh, I won't," Monoma assured him, in the least believable tone possible.

Kaminari's fists clenched tighter, then he heard a voice right behind him, "Hey, Kaminari. Let's go." Kaminari looked over his shoulder and saw Sero looking at him with a hesitant look. "Come on, focus on our fight, yeah?"

Kaminari darted one more glare back at Monoma, while in his head he was screaming at himself. "You know, threatening me is not a very hero-like thing to do," Monoma said, and Kaminari spun and started marching away. He got to Sero's side and they started heading down together to the point where they would split and go to opposite tunnels. Before they got far though, Monoma cupped a hand to his mouth and called out, "Just like killing someone!"

The blond boy walking away clenched his fists even harder at his sides, then he reached up and grabbed his forehead while his face scrunched up in furious frustration. Sero looked next to him and then back at the boy who had tried to figure out who in their class had done it before. He was the one who told Zach it himself, and as he looked at Kaminari's guilty face, he realized what had just happened. "Dude, you didn't," Sero began, right as they reached the point they had to split up.

"He tricked me," Kaminari whispered, before turning and walking the other direction as Sero had to. How is that, hero-like? Kaminari thought, though he brought his other hand up and covered both his eyes as he walked off. I'm about to go on stage in front of thousands- millions including tv. This is my big debut! He dragged his hands down his face and then glared forward, his teeth grinding over each other. For now, just focus on anger. That kid. Monoma. He tricked me. He made me- I'm such an idiot! "DAMN IT!" Kaminari roared.

"Whoa, they look intense," Zach whispered, and the invisible girl on his right side nodded her head as did the boy with the thick tail on his left. He sat between Hagakure and Ojiro, and they all just enjoyed a really good fight against Ashido and Jirou which had looked pretty matched up for most of it. Jirou wound up coming through in the end, when Ashido got cornered and could not use her acid to slide out of the way quick enough to avoid Jirou's sound-waves.

Now everyone was staring down at Sero and Kaminari who were usually two of the most carefree guys in the class. Something's wrong, Zach thought, as he noticed Kaminari shoot a look up towards their box before refocusing. Even Present Mic shouted something about how thick the air was between those two. They were frowning at each other, and Uraraka whispered in the seat in front of Zach, "Do you think they got in a fight?"

"Maybe, they're just really into it," Hagakure whispered. "D-Do your best you guys!" She shouted, pumping a fist in the air for the two fighters facing each other.

Zach nodded his head. He did not really know what was up with them, but he cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Go for it Kaminari!"

It was one of the loudest times Zach had shouted in front of his classmates. Kaminari heard it too, and he got a pained look in his eyes right as the match started. Kaminari ran forward, trying to focus his feelings into anger. Sero jumped back and then shot the tape from his elbows, but right when it hit Kaminari, he pulled it back. Kaminari expected the tape to wrap around him and he covered himself in electricity in that moment. His eyes widened as Sero just started running around the outside of the ring, his electricity not reaching the other boy. Sero's tape not hitting him either meant that Kaminari still did not know if the tape conducted electricity.

Screw it then. "Here we go!" Kaminari yelled now that he was in the center of the stage. He rose both arms above his head, then he slammed them down while Sero crossed his arms and braced himself. The entire stage covered in lightning. Everyone staring down cheered as Kaminari blasted the place, and then a bunch of people started laughing at his expression after it was finished. Kaminari stood there in the center of the stage with a blank look on his face. He slowly turned himself around and then started walking in a funny way towards a corner of the ring.

"Look at him go!" Present Mic shouted. "Sero still hasn't fallen down, but that might just be the shock people!"

Kaminari walked up to Sero and he grabbed the boy with elbows that shot tape by the shoulders. Kaminari started pushing forward and continuing to walk, and then suddenly he found it hard to keep walking. He lifted his gaze up and saw Sero's darkened face from the electricity glaring down at him, his feet pressing hard into the ground. He was as close to the corner as he would get without worrying about falling out of bounds if he fell from the shock, and after that push his feet were almost touching the edge. Sero lifted his shaky arms and grabbed Kaminari under his armpits though, and then he pushed to the left side. The other boy looked down as a reaction to feeling arms on his sides, then he felt confused as he fell to the side before putting together what was happening.

He hit the ground and scooted back for the ring, but even though he got back in the lines, he had already fallen out of them. Sero dropped down to his knees panting in the corner of the stage, glancing out the corners of his eyes at Kaminari who stood back up and then sadly bowed his stupid-looking face to the floor. Did he hold some back to be able to push me out? He should have just gone for making me unconscious. If he still has, a mind to be depressed about that, Sero thought, glancing the other way again before pushing his twitching hands down hard at his sides and fighting the pain to get back on his feet.

"Kaminari was out of bounds, Hanta Sero advances to…"

Zach watched the following matches as closely as he could. Everyone is a potential opponent, he thought, but after watching the fourth match, he became convinced that only the next two people he was facing were his possible opponents. The fight between Midoriya and Todoroki was so intense that it threatened them up in their box. For a first round match, it was a lot more exciting than a single punch to the face, Zach had to admit. Midoriya wound up using his Quirk a lot at the festival though. I really didn't think he would go so far in that fight. He probably injured himself more than Recovery Girl can deal with.

The following fight was funnier but everyone in Class A tried not to laugh as Mei Hatsume messed around with their class representative for an inordinate amount of time. She tricked Iida into wearing gear she had created, just so she could show off to all the support companies watching her as she made a thirty minute self-promotional advertisement out of what should have been a fair fight. At one point during it Kaminari and Sero came back, and Zach turned to ask Kaminari about what happened that made him and Sero so serious, but they were smiling and acting like they did not know what the others were talking about. They took a while to get back too. Were they talking about something, or were the two just injured? Something's definitely up, Zach thought, as he had pretended to go back to watching the fight only to immediately see Kaminari's smile lower.

So I'll fight Jirou, then Todoroki… if I beat Jirou that is. She had an awesome fight, and I really don't know if I'll be able to get close enough. I'm not going to feint with my right arm at all either though, not with her. I'll keep it at my side the whole time or I feel like she'll be holding back. Even with it at my side, she might not be able to fight me to her fullest… but that's not my fault. I don't know why, she won't just say something to me. She hasn't spoken about it once. I don't even know what her problem is. That I killed someone? That I yelled at her? My Quirk in general? Zach furrowed his brow and put his chin on his hands, Girls are complicated.

They watched as Hatsume stepped out of bounds to give Iida the victory, though Iida was livid after it. The following match was Tokoyami versus Yaoyorozu, and it was almost as fast as Zach's match as Tokoyami forced her out of bounds before she was able to create anything to fight back against him with. That's gotta be rough, Zach thought as he saw Yaoyorozu's expression at the end of the match. She's always ranking so high in everything, but she got taken out in seconds.

Zach felt bad for Yaoyorozu, but he got really into it as the next fight started. Kirishima was fighting Kuroiro from Class B, and Zach started cheering for Kuroiro even among his own classmates. "Hey, come on, you gotta root for Kirishima here!" Mineta called over while waving a fist at Zach.

Zach looked over at him and shook his head, "Without Kuroiro, I wouldn't have made it into the finals. I've gotta back him up here." He spun back and called out the other class member's name again, while the others around him yelled for Kirishima. Zach looked back as his voice was drowned out, and he said, "Come on Kaminari. You agree with me, right?"

Kaminari looked down at Zach two rows ahead of him and he opened his mouth to respond, then just froze with it open. Half the class saw Zach ask it, and they all quieted down a little at Kaminari's reaction. "What?" Zach asked.

"Uh, sorry, I was just thinking-" Kaminari tried coming up with an excuse.

"You, thinking?" Jirou said skeptically, and the students around them started laughing. "I bet your mind's still fried from Sero kicking your butt."

Thank you Jirou! Kaminari thought while smiling towards the girl who leaned backwards at his reaction to her teases.

The match started and Zach spun away from Kaminari. As much as the blond boy's actions were confusing him, he wanted to get into the match and he started cheering for the two who got up close quickly to start fighting. The match looked hard fought, but Kirishima's blows were too much for Kuroiro to take, and the other boy's punches did not do enough against Kirishima's hard body. Present Mic called out Kirishima's name, but Zach still cheered for both of them after it was over.

"Wow Zach, you're really into this today," Hagakure said as the boy next to her finally sat back down between where her and Ojiro were already sitting. "You're never usually this loud."

"It's because it's the Sports Festival," Zach said. "This whole, everything," he looked around with a huge grin on his face. "The stage. The cameras. The stands full of people. Heroes coming to scout us. Every year I watched the festival I imagined when I would be up on that stage," he started shaking and he lifted his left fist in front of him again. "One more match, then the second round starts. I'm going to start getting ready," he shot right back out of his seat after only just sitting down. Talking about the situation he was in right now, the fulfilled dream from so long ago, he could not get any more excited for his next match.

Tokoyami walked past him as he was nearing the top of their stands, and the dark boy with the Dark Shadow Quirk nodded his head as Zach was walking by. "Good luck," Tokoyami told him.

"Thanks," Zach replied, grinning as he headed off to go stretch again. This will be my first intense fight today. So Uraraka and Bakugo will fight now. That's going to be better than some people think I bet. She could really do a number… but Bakugo's gonna take it. Alright, focus on mine. Jirou. I saw most of the fight when I got back up there. She used mostly the same techniques I saw at the rescue training, but I know because of that that she could be stronger than she fought Ashido with. Doubt she'd go that level with me, unless she is really afraid of my right hand. Alright, I won't just put it at my side. I'll start with my right arm behind my back. It might look like I'm holding back to the crowd, but hopefully it gets it through to her what I'm trying to do.

She's, probably going to have to look me in the eyes, at least for a few seconds when we get up there. I can figure out exactly how she's feeling when I see that look. I'll try and fight without freaking her out too much, show her that I won't use my Quirk- Zach started jumping in place, lifting his fists and punching fast in front of him in little combos. He lowered his smile a little and got a more serious look to his face. Jirou has a good Quirk. Shinso's is amazing too, but knowing his secret saved me. I think if I get close to Jirou, I can take her on even one-armed. Pushing her out of bounds will be tough, but I doubt she'll give up just by knocking her down, she'll plug her earphone-jacks into something and blast me. And I don't want to just take her out like Shinso- no, no I can't think about holding back. We're all trying our hardest here.

A huge explosion rocked the entire stadium, and Zach spun his head to look at the wall on his right in surprise. He never made it to the waiting room, as he wound up pacing back and forth while doing his combos. Damn, Bakugo needed something like that against Uraraka? The whole building shook as bad as that big explosion Todoroki and Midoriya made earlier.

He heard the winner get his name called out, and Zach made his way for the tunnel. I'll see her out there, he told himself, not going to wait to split off from her just to meet back up again. He tried not thinking about how she was probably waiting for him to get ahead anyway, which was why she did not go to the waiting room that he had been pacing in front of. Zach calmed his breathing and kept a steady smile on his face as he headed towards his entrance tunnel. This is it. The quarter-finals of the U.A. Sports Festival. If I could make it into the semis… I'd have to fight Todoroki. He shivered at the thought, but he grinned after it and shook his head. And I'll try as hard as I can in that. That's what it means, to be a hero!

Zach walked down the tunnel, heading for the light and the stadium ahead.

Up in the teacher's stands, All Might's phone started ringing. "A phone call is here! A phone call is here! A phone-" He picked up the phone to cut off the ringtone that a bunch of the other teachers sweatdropped at the sound of. He lifted it up to his head, "Ah, Tsukauchi, what are-" All Might stopped talking and the other teachers around him looked over at All Might wondering why sweat started forming all over his face.

On the arena floor, two students walked out of the gateways on either side of the stage. Present Mic started shouting introductions for them. "Not much to say about the previous rounds, but a one-hit K.O. in the first match! Everyone's looking to see what he'll do this time: Zach Sazaki!"

Cheers rang out, but Zach was focused on the girl across the stage he saw heading towards it. He figured he was drowning out the cheering, because it sounded like it was not as loud as it was in the previous round. Present Mic then called out about Kyoka Jirou and her previous match, and Jirou lifted her head while she walked up on the stage. She looked over at Zach, and her eyes widened as she stared at him. He was walking up on the stage with his right arm behind his back. It was not that noticeable, as he still had it down at his side until his elbow when his forearm pointed back diagonally. His hand was still close to his waist, but it was behind his body, and he gave Jirou a grin as he walked towards her on the stage.

Less people were cheering in the crowd as the two of them neared each other, and the murmuring and muttering of people talking to their neighbors started to get louder when everyone was doing it on top of each other.

In the general studies' student section, one of Shinso's friends ran up to his row of seats with huge eyes, and he ran down the row until he was right in front of Shinso with wide eyes. "Shinso, you're lucky to be alive man." The boy turned his phone around, and Shinso's eyes opened wide and sweat formed on the sides of his face. He then looked past his classmate who moved to the side to show the others in general studies, some of whom pulled out their phones and started searching the link online, though it was not hard to find the number one breaking news story.

"Guys," Mineta began in the middle of Class A. The other students who were starting to get confused at what was going on around the stadium glanced at Mineta, then a few of them looked towards Kaminari who put both hands up to his face and grabbed his head so hard it looked like it hurt.

"That, that bastard!" Kaminari slammed his hands down and he spun to the nearby wall, sprinting over to it and jumping up. Sero ran after him and grabbed Kaminari by his lower body, while Kaminari started yelling over the wall.

On Class B's side of the wall, the other students looked towards Kaminari, then over towards Monoma who the spikier blond boy was shouting at. Monoma's initial smirk had lowered down and vanished though. His head was looking both ways and around at the whole stadium that was starting to sound a lot different than a minute ago. This might have, gone too far, for some revenge, Monoma thought, easing back in his chair as even his own classmates around him realized what Kaminari was shouting to be true as Monoma slouched in his chair.

Itsuka Kendo looked down at Monoma as she had stood up between him and where Kaminari was looking over the wall. "Even for you, Monoma," she began, before turning her head and looking out towards the stage.

Class A had mostly looked back towards the stage after they saw what Mineta showed them on his phone. When the cheers had almost fully died down, when the muttering and chattering of spectators overtook it, their words piled up on top of each other and started reaching the stage down below. Each member of Class A was able to watch as the boy down on the stage slowly lowered his smile. They saw the look of determination, the competitive spirit on his face, fade away.

"…That's the same boy…"

"They even let him compete in…"

"…one who killed…"

"Murderer."

Zach's fists unclenched and his eyes opened huge. The word came out clearer than any of the others. It did not seem like it was necessarily shouted at him, but it was loud, and a lot of people heard it. Some heroes started shouting in that area demanding to know who said that. Murderer? No one's, ever… Zach bit down on his bottom lip and his right fist clenched so hard at his side. The black glove he wore, the slightly thicker one the school provided for him for the fights, and the one underneath, they did nothing to stop the pain as he clenched his right fist so hard and brought it down to his side. Then his eyes focused in front of him and his bottom lip started bleeding as his eyes opened even wider, because he met Jirou's gaze. It darted from his right fist that was shaking in rage, up to his eyes with the fear that she was about to go up against him while he had that loaded weapon shaking and his emotions out of check.

"I, give up," Zach said. He turned around and started walking away.

Jirou's eyes opened huge, and Midnight and Cementoss spun to each other before looking back towards Zach. Midnight started, "Um, Zach Sazaki- are you-"

"I give up," Zach repeated, his voice quieter, and he just kept walking. He walked straight back towards his tunnel, still hearing them all murmur and mutter around him. He heard some heroes shouting at others to be quiet, then he heard another shouting that he did not deserve to be in the tournament. The longer I'm here, the more damage to the Sports Festival I'll do. It's the only logical move. I just have to leave. Then the festival can continue. Hero society won't be hurt by my being here. I'll just leave. He neared the tunnel and tried so hard for a few more seconds until he was in the dark, and then his eyes filled with water and they spilled out over his face. He just bit down on his bottom lip though to prevent from letting out any sobs, because he could still be in range of people in the stadium.

They're going to come down, he thought, and he started sprinting forward. He ran to the end of the tunnel and cut right as hard as he could. He sprinted down a hallway and heard a voice call out behind him, but he just kept running. He sprinted down the hall all the way to one of the exits into a main area, then he cut outside and sprinted as fast as he could across that main area. Move too fast for anyone to see, he thought, while digging his heels in and pushing as hard as he could with every step.

Death Arms and Kamui Woods were standing at security but looking up towards a television on the side of the arena with wide eyes at what just happened. Both of them heard some commotion in front of them and lowered their heads, only for their eyes to open huge at the sight of the boy in a blue uniform sprinting their way. He had two trails of blood coming out of his bottom lip to his chin, and tears all over his face, but he was not making a sound as he sprinted by them and straight out on the street. "H-Hey," Death Arms began, lifting up an arm.

Kamui Woods lifted his arms to stretch wood out to catch the kid, but the teen cut around a corner and the two security guards had to run out on the sidewalk. "Do we, chase him?" Death Arms began, before thinking about the rumor that had reached his ears around the same time the kid on the screen said that he gave up.

"You stay here," Kamui Woods said, and then he started running after the boy himself. He reached the intersection that the boy turned down as soon as he ran out of the area, but the kid was nowhere to be seen. The pro hero frowned and clenched his fists at his sides. "Too slow," he muttered at himself.

What was I thinking?! Zach screamed in his head as he sprinted down a sidewalk. Inside the windows of buildings on his sides, he saw people in cafes, restaurants, looking at the tvs on the walls and talking about what they were seeing on their phones. Did I really forget? Did I really think people, would forget? He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, so he just bit down harder and felt the pain of his teeth digging into his lip. What are they all looking at? I left my phone at the arena! I don't need it, he thought, picking up his pace even more and just sprinting as hard as he could down the sidewalk. He did not turn on the road that would take him in the direction of his house. Where am I going?!

He kept on running. I can't go home. Everyone at the apartment complex would have been watching. They'll all be waiting for me. Jenny will have been watching, even if I've been ignoring her for two weeks now. She's going to find out. Everyone's going to find out. Everyone in Japan knows! Be a hero? Who in the world, would think of me as a hero now? I failed. I failed for real this time. Zach put his hands on the sides of his head and he kept running, then he put his right hand in front of his mouth and screamed into it. Some people he ran past looked at him in confusion as to why he looked so frantic and in pain, but before the man could ask him while reaching back, his girlfriend pointed and said, "That's the one-"

Zach screamed again into his hand. I hate this. They called me a murderer. A murderer. That's what I am to the world. That's what, I am! Zach cut down an alleyway and he ran to the end of it, then he grabbed a trashcan near him and he shoved his head down into it. He put the lid back over the top of his head, and then he screamed at the top of his lungs. "RAAAAAGHHHGAAAAAAA! AAAAAAHHHHH!" He took a few short breaths in, then screamed again, "AHH! Ah ah AHHHHH! AHHHGGH-ack ack ka- AHhhh," he was losing his voice, and he started coughing as he ran out of all breath.

He finally pulled his head out of the trashcan and he looked both ways. No one had come into the alley. He sniffled a few times, then he reached up and rubbed his eyes, his bloody lips dipping down at the corners into so dark a look he could no longer cry. He leaned against the wall next to the trash, and he slid down while pushing a different can to the side. He pulled up his knees, sitting between two trash cans where he would be impossible to see unless from directly in front of him. Zach took a few deep breaths, scrunching his face at the smell of the garbage around him. He stared at the wall across from him, and he just sat there. I can't go home, and everyone knows who I am everywhere else too. I'll just, wait here.

Late at night, Zach lifted his head from where it was bowed and pressed in between his knees. He walked down and out of the alley that only one couple had walked down that day, only to hurry away when he made a growling noise at them like he was a homeless person. Zach walked down the street and passed by a window with some televisions in it. The store was closed, and the tvs were off, and he had to keep walking. I'll just, check when I get home, he thought.

He started walking around the streets, and he cursed himself that he had no money on him. He stopped at a 24-hour ATM for his bank where he could use facial I.D. and a PIN code to get money instead of his ATM card, so he managed to pull out some money. Then he stopped at a small clothing store that was open late since the people who owned it lived just upstairs. He bought the clothes without saying a word to them, while the couple behind the counter had nervous looks as they sold the set to him. He got changed there in the store, and when he passed the next alleyway on his way home, he tossed his gym clothes at some garbage cans without looking to see if they made it in.

Zach stopped at a convenience store on his way home, while flattening out his hair that was still spiked up from that morning. I wanted to look like a hero, he thought, while pushing his hair down over and over to keep it that way. It wound up just getting messy instead of flat, but at least it was not spiky so Zach accepted it. He bought himself some food, the main reason he finally got up from sitting in the alley after around eight hours. He smelled, his hair was messy, and he wore a baggy white t-shirt and black pants, with a gray sweatshirt on over the tee. After buying the ramen, a solid twenty cups so he would not have to leave his house again for a while, he started on his way home.

He stopped when he was a good distance from his apartment. He had to scout it out first, after all. I should just stay home, for now on, Zach thought. But staying here, so many people know I live here. Jenny, her folks, Aunt Maye, All Might. The other teachers probably have this address too. What if someone's waiting for me inside? What if it's the cops, coming back because of popular demand now that everyone knows? Zach started towards his building, keeping to the shadows and then darting his way to the stairs up. As he walked down his hall, he stayed crouched and light on his feet so anyone looking out of their peepholes would not be able to see him.

Then he reached his door, and he remembered how he had left his house keys with his stuff at the stadium. He climbed up over the railing next to his door, as his was the last one on the hall. He climbed over the rail and then grabbed the corner of the building tightly with both hands. He swung his legs around and barely got them on the sill of his kitchen window. His right foot slipped as his hands were sliding down, but he readjusted his left foot to stay on better. He glanced down at the drop but did not really consider it, then he got both feet planted and shimmied around. He saw the gap between his outside windowsill and the little balcony outside his bathroom. It was small and not meant to be stood on, but he had climbed out there before and not broken through it. He had never leapt on it from this spot, but he was about to try.

Zach landed on it and he heard loud creaking, so he reached forward and opened his unlocked bathroom windows, as why would he ever need to lock them in such a position. He slid his legs in through them first, then the rest of his body and barely avoided slamming his head into the top of the opening. He turned and closed the window, and this time he locked the latch. His house was dark, and he slid the plastic bags from the crook of his right elbow down to his hand before dropping them on the floor as he walked towards his living room. He turned on his tv and pressed mute immediately. He turned down the volume as low as possible, then he fixed the brightness setting on his tv so it would be impossible to see for anyone not sitting right in front of it.

The house stayed pretty much dark as Zach started watching tv. He saw the Sports Festival, and he felt satisfied that it looked to have finished without him. Jirou tied for third with Tokoyami, Todoroki got second, and Bakugo got first place. Just like he said he would, Zach thought while getting up. He walked for his kitchen and silently made himself some ramen, then he headed back over to the tv. He paused before he reached it, then he walked over to his bedroom and pulled a blanket off his bed.

Zach sat cross-legged in front of his tv, his sweatshirt's hood up, a blanket draped over him, eating a cup of ramen that took two minutes to make. He watched the Sports Festival, then when he saw his own face appear on the screen, he tried hard to keep watching. His hand changed the channel despite his attempt though, and he switched to something funnier. He watched it for a few minutes, trying to find a moment to laugh, then he thought, Is this it?

Zach leaned back and put his half-empty ramen cup to his side. He stared at the ceiling, his eyes blank, the whole room dark. He glanced behind him at a recliner chair his dad once sat on in a room like this. A tv on low volume, late at night in the dark, the only light coming from the tv, though his was more dimly lit than that night. "You, who killed your mother." "Mom?" "Murderer." In his head he saw Jirou's eyes as his right hand shook at his side right in front of her. "It is a magnificent dream…" "I do regret it." "Someone else's life, or your own? Hahaha…" "We're sorry. He was once, a great hero."

"Mom, Dad," Zach kept staring at the ceiling as he whispered in the softest voice. "What am I, supposed to do?" I- I won't, kill myself. That was a one time lapse, and I'll never do that. People will care. People will blame themselves, like I blamed- blame, myself. Zach looked down at his right hand and the gloves over it. He reached to it with his left and he pulled off the thicker glove, tossing it to the side. He lay down on his side, staring at the dim tv with half-open eyes. But, I can't be a hero. I don't want to go to regular high school. I don't want a different job. All I wanted, was to be a hero. But I can't. Death. It's not a heroic Quirk. I believed in a stupid dream instead of facing reality, for way too long. Aunt Maye pays for this place for now, but when I'm 18 I'll get whatever money my parents left me that she's holding onto. Do I need a job? Will it be enough? Enough for what? This?

Zach stared at the tv with his half-open eyes, and he groaned in a low hum. Could I do this forever? This isn't living, is it? A guy on the gameshow got hit in the balls, and Zach winced before cracking a smile at the man's over-the-top reaction. "Haha, ha," he mumble laughed. No, this isn't living. This is, staying alive. Surviving? I, I could do that. No one to call me a murderer, or look at me in fear. If I stay in here, I won't be a monster. I'll just be, some random otaku, or something. As long as the doors and windows stay locked, I'll be fine.

"Kurogiri, did you see that?"

"He is the one who killed-" The portal-user standing behind the bar Shigaraki Tomura was sitting at began.

"I know," Shigaraki interrupted. "But did you see what just happened? How the society of heroes, turned against him?" A crazed smile spread over the villain's face.

A/N ;( Thanks for reading. Leave a review below telling me what you think. Hope you enjoyed.