Death

by tmb1112

Death is a Quirk that can only kill. A perfect Quirk for a villain, but what if the boy who manifested that power just wanted to be a hero? Enrolling in U.A. might not be enough when all your Quirk can do is kill people. Follow Zach Sazaki from his first day in Class A on a story that spans years, as he learns to be a hero, finds out more about his Quirk, and too much to summarize!

22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 22:

"Yooo! This is Mikey Mike and we're back with Wild Dogs EXTREEEEME Trick Stunts! We're bringing you all the action from right here in downtown Osaka. Alright alright, look here. Yo Ryan! Look at the camera!"

"WILD!"

"Hey Mikey! We set it up. We all good!"

"You hear that ladies and gentlemen? We got a brand new stunt ready for y'all today! Ryan's gonna do a triple-spinny mctwist back-heel, with a blindfold! On Fire!"

"Wait, what was that last part?!"

"Hahaha! Just messin' with you buddy! You all ready up there?!"

"It's uh, looking a little high, and wobbly… BUT LET'S DO IT YAAAWAAA!"

"YAAA!"

"HAAA!"

"You got this Ryan!"

"Oh man, here we go!"

"Coming to you live! Remember everyone, this is Wild Dogs tv, subscribe and tell your friends! Now here we go. Ryan's looking down. He's gettin' ready. Come on dude! You got- oh nice!"

"YEeaaAY-yahhh!"

"You got this dude!"

"Ryan's speeding down, he's got this! You got this man! Oh, oh shit, Oh Damn! YOO- oh FUCK! Ryan?!"

"Yooo…"

"Guys get over here!"

"Holy crap man. Oh man that does not look good."

"Hey Ryan, Ryan buddy can you hear me."

"Uhhhh…"

"Yo Mikey why are you still rolling?"

"We gotta show everybody the result of the trick. I mean, people like it when we fail just as much."

"We can't post this man- oh crap."

"Is his arm, supposed to look like that?"

"Ryan, you good?"

"WILD!"

"Alright he's good!"

"Um, I don't think he's good."

"Listen to him man."

"WILD!"

"…"

"Yo his arm is seriously fucked up."

"Dude, stop rolling."

"We can't monetize it if it's this graphic."

"We'll cut out parts later. Which means you folks watching on the live stream now, are the only ones getting to see this raw footage!"

"Not the time Mikey!"

"Let's get him in the van."

"WILD!"

"Guys, I think he probably hit his head."

"I don't see any blood… on his head that is."

"Geez, his arm is so fucked. I thought maybe it was just dislocated or-"

"WILD!"

"Yeah buddy, we get it. Just hold on. We'll get you to the hospital."

Four guys in their early twenties shoved their bloody friend into the far back seat as they piled into Richie's van. The van sped off with the screeching of tires leaving skid marks on the street. "Dude, which way!" Richie snapped at the Mikey who sat in the passenger seat next to him. "Put down the camera already! Get the directions-"

"I've got 'em, I got 'em," Mikey Mike said, holding up his phone with one hand while slyly passing the camera behind him to one of the guys who grabbed it and kept it low so Richie would not see. Jimmy pointed the camera back at himself and stuck his forked tongue out on the camera, then pointed it at Mark on the seat next to him.

"You doing alright back there buddy?" Mark called over his shoulder as the van sped down the road. Jimmy leaned back too and he pointed the camera behind him at Ryan.

Ryan held up his right hand, then turned his head to look at his left arm in confusion as to why it did not lift up. His eyes opened huge at the sight of it, then he stared back forward with those huge eyes straight into the camera. Mark and Jimmy both leaned back, worried that he was finally realizing what was happening, then Ryan just pumped his right hand all the way up into the ceiling and shook his head around, yelling, "WIIILLD!" As he shook around his hair, some of the blond spiky bangs sticking over his forehead moved off to the sides and showed a large red bump on the front left of his forehead.

"Oh shit dude," Mark said, though he was grinning after Ryan's enthusiastic 'Wild Boys Call.'

"What?" Richie snapped, looking into the rearview mirror, which Jimmy saw coming and quickly brought the camera down between the seats and out of sight. He had it pointed up at his face though and smirked into the lens as he wondered how many more people were watching this as it kept getting shared. He flipped around the side part to look into to see what he was recording, and his eyes opened wide at the number of viewers. He thought for a moment that maybe it would be bad to keep rolling while their friend was in such bad condition, but then he thought better of it and held up a hand with only his thumb and pinky up that he waved around for thousands to see, more than they had ever had on a live stream before.

"It's nothing dude," Mark assured Richie whose eyes went back to the road when he saw Ryan smiling.

"Left up here," Mikey said. Then he stopped and spun to the driver from his phone, and he said, "Don't you live here dude? How the fuck don't you know-"

"I don't normally do shit that gets me sent to the hospital!" Richie yelled. Jimmy lifted the camera and both he and Mark rolled their eyes like Richie was being a buzz-kill, and Ryan made a face in the background before wincing and looking down at his left arm.

"Oh, not good," Mark muttered as he glanced back. "Hey buddy, look up here," he said, getting Ryan to look forward again. "That trick was awesome dude! You actually landed it!"

Jimmy turned the camera to Mark with a confused look on his face, but Mark winked at the camera then turned back and nodded at a confused Ryan who had asked, "I did?"

"Yeah, 'course you did man," Jimmy said, spinning and saying it to his friend who he realized was actually in a bad situation here. He even lowered the camera down, pointing it at the floor and forgetting about the viewers, but only for a few seconds. What got him to bring the camera back up though, was what he saw over Mark's shoulders and out the window. "Yo, what's going on here?" He lifted the camera and pointed it outside, and Mark turned around to look out, Ryan looked left out the farther back windows, and even Richie had to take his eyes off the road to look out the driver's window at the line of five cop cars parked on the side of the road.

"Yo, it's right there," Mikey pointed.

"Shit, say something sooner," Richie said, slamming on the brakes, then turning the wheel and cutting towards an entrance. He headed towards a sign for the hospital, then more specifically the sign for the ER. "Yo, we're almost there Ryan-"

"Holy SHIT! MY ARM!" Ryan screamed.

Everyone in the car spun around to the guy whose face was full of panic. Ryan had looked left out the windows towards the cops, then his head lowered and he saw his messed up arm again, and everyone else was too distracted to distract him from staring at it in slow revelation. "AHHH!" Ryan screamed. He still was not feeling the pain, but the panic alone was making him freak out and start moving around, which was starting to cause him more pain too.

"Oh geez, buddy calm down-"

"What the-"

"They're stopping us."

"This is crazy! The police can't do this. I'm recording it!"

"I knew you were still fucking- whatever," Richie rolled down the window and he leaned out while still only slowing down. "We've gotta get-"

"AAGHHAAA!"

"You can't come this way. What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious?! Listen to the screams, and we're on the fucking path for the ER!"

"Why didn't you call an ambulance, we can't accept-"

"FUCCCKKKK! It HURTTSSS!"

"Come on Ryan, keep it strong for-"

"RAAA!"

"What do we do?"

"We can't just leave him in there. We'll just get him in fast."

"What about the-"

"Don't say a thing. We'll move them through before anything-"

"GFAAAFUCKCK! Help me! Why the fuck are you- AAHH!"

"You can't do this! He needs a doctor!"

"He hit his head too!"

"I DID?!"

"Oh shit Mark, why the fuck would you go and say that?"

"Alright, follow our car up to the entrance. And do exactly as we say. You came, at the worst possible time you kids."

"What the Hell is going on here?" Richie muttered, but he started driving after the cops down the road up towards the hospital ER doors, a road that was empty yet had so many cop cars on the intersection just off of it.

"Live, from Ooosaka General! It's Mikey Mike and the boys, and something is happenin' right now!"

"I bet it's secret government tests," Jimmy said, turning the camera back to himself again. His jaw dropped as he saw the number of viewers below, but he did not want to say anything about it as it would not be a very cool thing to do. So instead he just thought to show all the new viewers in case they missed it, and he spun the camera to Ryan who was gently touching his left shoulder with his right hand and then pulling it back, a scared look on his face that made Jimmy lower the camera a little again, realizing what he was doing.

"Alright, we're here," Mikey leaned over the chair and he held his hand out for the camera, getting it from Jimmy without any complaint from the spiky-black-haired twenty-two year old.

"You two, get him out of the car," Richie said as he threw the driver's side door open.

"You all can't come in here."

"He's not going to be able to move on his own."

"And he's our friend. We're not just handing him off when you cops are acting sketchy as fuck!"

Mikey had the camera hidden between his arm and his side, trying to keep the lens pointed forward without blocking it, yet still angling his body so the two cops who had parked in front of them would not be able to spot it. Jimmy and Mark climbed out of the back seat trying to help Ryan, but Ryan yelled out in pain and Mikey winced as it actually looked like Ryan was feeling it all now. Mikey lifted his left hand and pushed up his glasses, his red-skinned face grinning wide with all his sharp teeth. This is fucking gold!

"Alright, we'll take you in. But listen to me. Follow us and listen to what we say at all times."

"You said to listen to you already, but what's going on man? Why are-"

"No questions."

"I know we said we'd listen, or well, we didn't say that- dude! We need a doctor and you're playing fucking 'let's be mystery cops!' Can we please-"

"What are you two doing?"

"They didn't call an ambulance-"

"They can't be here."

"Listen to me! We are citizens of Japan! You cannot deny us entrance into a fucking hospital! Now call a doctor you asshat!"

"Holy shit Mark, you can't call a-"

"MY ARM IS FUCKING BACKWARDS!"

"God damn it, let's get him inside. We're moving fast!"

The young men and their injured friend sprinted into the hospital, Jimmy and Mark moving as fast as they could while also helping Ryan along who was starting to stagger about as he moved. Some nurses ran towards the door immediately after they entered, and the Wild Dogs were all confused as the waiting room of the ER looked perfectly normal. There were men and women sitting in chairs around the place, a line of four people standing behind a desk that had a woman sitting behind it. When the group came running into the room though, every one of them, including Ryan, froze stiff as the entire room turned at once in their directions.

"Oh no dude, I'm fucking out," Mark let go of Ryan and he turned, sprinting out of the hospital that he was already getting the creeps by the second he saw that.

Richie was nervous, but everyone quickly turned away from them other than the nurses who ran over, and he said to one of them, "Are there any doctors here? I don't know- I have no idea-"

"Yes. Yes the doctors are all back this way. Come with us quickly."

"He hit his head too," Jimmy said, as he held Richie's right arm over his shoulders and walked with him. "He's, he's really losing it here. He hasn't shouted 'Wild,' or even in pain."

"Why is he bleeding-"

"It's not out his head."

Mikey was not following after the others, but slowing down and watching as they headed through the doors. His red-skinned face was covering in sweat, but he grinned as he turned his head and looked back into the room behind him. The two cops and the strange man in a black suit who had run into the entranceway to shout at them were moving with his friends, but the man in the suit turned back and gave the boy in glasses a harsh glare at his grin. Mikey Mike could not help himself though, and he pulled the camera out of the crook of his arm. "What's happening in here!?" He called out, pointing the camera around the room, though only a few people spun to him in panic, while most just looked his way nervously.

"Hey, you have to stay with your friend. If you don't have an emergency-"

"Sir, we have to ask you to move along, this is a hospital-"

Mikey started to feel like he had just made a fool of himself in the middle of a hospital ER. Then, he stumbled backwards and fell onto his butt. The nurse in front of him who was trying to get him to move along, and the man in the suit behind him, both spun with intense looks on their faces towards the opposite side of the room as the doors. Mikey's jaw was on the floor, and his camera was shaking as he lifted it back up from pointing at the ground on his side, over to the portal that just appeared in midair over near the open doors separating this waiting room of the ER from an adjacent hallway.

A figure stepped out of the portal wearing a black mask over his face that had skin showing through the eye-holes, on his neck, and on his hands that stuck out of his black sleeves. He stepped out into the waiting room and saw everyone spinning towards him in shock. The line of people on his left turned with wide eyes, the lady behind the counter pushed back and her chair started rolling away. The portal closed behind the figure who was turning left, his eyes widening behind his mask.

"Freeze!"

Mikey pointed his camera to the right, while the man in the black suit whipped his arms up from his side where he just grabbed a gun that was hidden beneath his black jacket. "What the fuck is going on?" Mikey whispered, while every person in the waiting room was jumping up to their feet, pulling out guns and pointing them towards the short figure who just stepped out of a swirling portal.

That portal was gone now, and the room was full of police officers. "Put your hands up!"

"Don't move!"

"Freeze!"

"Hands behind your head!"

Mikey slid backwards on his butt, then his gaze darted down to the camera he had grabbed from Jimmy back in the van. He did not even check back then the inner view of what the camera was showing along with their live stream's viewers, but now that he looked, his jaw dropped several inches at the number of viewers. This will make the channel! Here we go! Mikey pushed back farther until he was behind the cop on his right, then snuck up on his feet and moved the camera to get a better angle past a cop who had gotten up and was in his way.

"Umm, hold on-" the masked figure wearing a black long-sleeved shirt said. He had on long black pants too, black shoes, and his dark mask only had openings on his eyes and over his mouth so his lips and a little light skin around them was showing too.

"No! Don't move!"

"Stop moving your hands!"

"You're surrounded by twenty four officers and two pro heroes!"

The man in the black suit on Mikey's right moved forward and he called out in a stern voice over everyone else's, including the pro hero in a red cape who just called those numbers out at the masked man. "Put your hands up in the air, slowly."

"Do you want me to freeze or put my hands up?! I'm getting mixed signals here-"

"Don't be smart with us," another voice said that made Mikey snap his camera up, only to spot the other hero who was crouched on the ceiling. Was he up there from the start? The cameraman thought in shock, wondering if he somehow missed that. "Just do what we say and don't move a muscle… Unless Officer Fullman tells you to."

"And that would be me," the man in the black suit said. He lowered his gun down a little as the boy turned towards him. "Just put your hands up, and slowly put them behind your head."

The figure in the black mask looked around. A lot of people were pointing weapons at him, but most of the guns were stun guns and tasers now that he looked closer. His gaze shifted to the pro heroes, and his expression looked so confused as he finally lost his wide-eyed look. "Can you tell me-"

"Put your hands in the air!" a female cop shouted, sweat all over her face as she yelled it, seeing the figure's right hand move at his side.

"Nobody panic," Officer Fullman said, lifting his left arm out with an open palm. "Just do as I say, Zach Sazaki, and you-"

"That's not my name," the figure in the mask said. Fullman froze with his mouth open, cops looked around at each other, and the pro heroes both narrowed their gazes though gaining confused looks on their faces.

"Then, who are you?" The hero in the red cape asked, taking a step towards the boy.

"Don't come near me," the kid said, taking a step back.

Immediately a dozen cops yelled at him to stop moving, and he froze again. "Just tell me this!" He shouted, his arms lifting his front of his body.

"Don't move!"

"He told me to put my hands up!"

"It's alright! Put them behind your head… and what is it?"

The short figure's arms kept lifting, and he held his hands straight up at the sides of his shoulders before he stopped moving them. "Thank you. I just, have one question. I'm still kind of confused…"

Mikey zoomed in the camera, focusing on the face of the masked boy standing there near the hallway jutting off of the ER. The boy's eyes darted towards that hallway, then back around at all the people in front of him. "Did no one die? Is- was the car crash, a lie? It was, right?" There was always the chance that the car crash had happened, but knowing what would come of it, this had been gathered up quickly to prepare for his arrival. Zach thought about that, but he was doubting it considering the expression of the woman he saw behind the counter on his right.

"Yes," Officer Fallman said, after hesitating for a few seconds. "No one is actually dead. Now put your hands behind your head."

"Oh," Zach's eyes lowered down to the floor. He stared at the ground at his feet, They were just, tricking me? Well, that sucks, he thought, even as his mouth curled into a small smile. "Okay, I'm putting them behind my head," Zach said. "But just saying, you asked me to do it." Zach's hands touched his head.

Mikey dropped his camera and fell backwards. Some of the cops had lowered their arms at the question the boy asked, and the relieved look that had formed on what they could see of his face afterwards. But when his hands touched his head all their arms snapped back up as their faces filled with fear. A black portal opened up in front of Zach, and gunshots fired. "Hold your fire!" Fallman shouted, darting his head back and glaring at the young man who was on his butt again, a camera on his side pointing forward though blocked by the guy's own leg. However that camera was rolling, and it caught the sounds of gunfire.

Zach let out a deep breath of relief after he touched his head. That was, actually really stupid. Why did I do that? I thought maybe, it could intimidate them all into running off, but I should have realized they'd just fire at me. I look like a monster after all, Zach stepped backwards into the portal that appeared behind him, while the pro hero on the ceiling leapt over the other portal between Zach and the cops. Zach stepped back faster, touching his head again quickly as he spotted that hero dropping towards him. Geez, idiot, Zach thought as he stepped into a lit-up white room, the portal in front of him closing fast. What would have happened if you had touched me? I'm sure you guys knew what you were doing, since you knew it was me in there. Oh man, I never told them my name was Lifebringer. I meant to bring that up somewhere in the conversation- didn't expect things to go that badly.

"Are you alright, Sazaki?" Kurogiri questioned the boy in front of him he walked up to.

"Yeah," Zach replied, then he lifted his left hand back up and pulled his mask up over his hair. He let out a deep breath through his nose, as the mask was a little suffocating. "Can't believe they really set a trap for me."

"The nurse must have given us up. We will-"

"Don't do anything to her," Zach said, glaring at Kurogiri harshly.

The portal-user frowned down at Zach and narrowed his glowing yellow eyes at the short fifteen year old. "If we do nothing, then the others-"

"Nobody else is going to set a trap," Zach said, lifting his voice at the end in a skeptical way, like he was surprised Kurogiri thought that.

"What do you mean?"

"They'll definitely hear about that one failing, and when they do, who else is going to want to risk their lives over this? I mean really, what is it they'd be risking their lives over, stopping me from saving lives? If they're working at a hospital, they must care at least a little about the people they're helping. I don't know why that nurse felt the need to call the cops, but you should try being less threatening next time you tell people to call you when there are accidents." Kurogiri's yellow eyes widened as he stared at the kid who grinned at his wide-eyed reaction. "I'm serious. Now that people kind of know what I'm doing, I'm sure if you just tell them straight out, or instead of going after people you think you can threaten well, pick out doctors or nurses who care more about their patients than anything… Really, I think we can change up the way we're doing this now. And you don't need to threaten a single other person."

"You really think that will work?" Kurogiri questioned him. "After what just happened, how can you be confident in that?"

"It's because of what just happened. I mean sure, I showed some people the Nightmare- the, um," he stopped and tried thinking of the other names his had spitballed, but nothing else came to his mind as quickly as 'Nightmare' did. "Well, I know that happened, but I didn't hurt any of them even though they came to capture me, and they even wound up shooting at me. All I've done so far is save people. I'm just hoping, people will start to see that. Isn't that what you're all hoping for too? What Shigaraki wants?"

Kurogiri hummed and he nodded once. "Very well. I will consider using those new tactics. The less villain-like your actions are after all, the more use you are to us."

That sounds ridiculous, while at the same time I get what you're trying to do by using me like that. Well, whatever. Win win for now, but I think you're thinking too much about your end goal. "Challenge what it means to be a hero?" That's good and all, I can even get with that, but your League of Villains took a hit, and what new villains are going to want to join an organization that's getting all its recent publicity because of good acts? Heh, if anything, I'm making the League of Villains seem… well, alright no need to go that far. No one's going to forget about Camino Ward, or the attacks on U.A., Stain, any of it. But I can at least look on the bright side. I have to! There are positives, about me saving people- I mean, other than the fact that these people get to go home to their families, enjoy the rest of their lives. Zach couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face again. "I totally agree," Zach said to Kurogiri, then he laughed and turned from the man with the Quirk: Warp Gate. "I'm going to go train," the boy with short black hair said, waving his right hand next to him.

Zach walked right out of the room, and he lowered his arm down to his side before smiling even wider. He didn't say a thing! No more box. Maybe it's because I added that I'm starting training, so it would have been a waste of time anyway. But still, seems like, they're really starting to trust me! Zach thought it excitedly, but the curled up corners of his lips lowered down after a few seconds. He did not notice though, and he just kept going towards his training room. His lips curled farther down as he thought on the training, Sorry little guys, but it needs to be done.

---

At the U.A. High School dorms, Momo Yaoyorozu sat at her desk with a large bowl of chocolates in front of her. She picked up and ate with one hand, while holding her other hand out behind her, alternating between creating pencils and pens, and doing so as fast as she could. The writing utensils were littering her floor already, but she just kept going with some sweat on her forehead, stuffing her face and staring at her computer screen that had the notes she had typed up on it.

"Hmm," she hummed, before moving her left hand over to scroll down a bit. "Ah!" She stopped Creating after another pencil popped out of her right palm, then she reached her hand forward and created a tissue which she brought to her mouse-pad that had a smear of chocolate on it. "Oh no," she said, as it was just getting rubbed around. "How much water will disrupt the pad, I'm sure it won't-" she hummed and started rubbing harder, not wanting to try getting the napkin wet and risk breaking the laptop. She rubbed for a few seconds, and then she slowed down and pulled it away to show the pad was clean. "That's, better," she whispered.

Yaoyorozu put the napkin down next to her keyboard, then she moved her left hand for the bowl of chocolates again. Before she reached into the bowl though, her right hand had gone to the mousepad. Have to make sure, it still works, she thought, while clicking down on an icon on the bar at the side of her screen. "Okay," she mumbled, as the internet button bounced showing that the mouse's click function still worked. "Great," she said, smiling as her computer was still fine. Then again, she never doubted it was, not really. She kept staring at the screen without reaching for more chocolates, looking at the search bar in the middle and the address bar at the top. I shouldn't. I still have, stuff to…

She could not help herself. Yaoyorozu typed fast into the search bar and then she scrolled down the results page quickly. As she was in the middle of reading one address of a link, she clicked up on the red 'x' at the corner of the screen and closed her eyes. "What am I doing?" She whispered to herself, shaking her head and then reaching for the bowl of chocolates again. Momo grabbed a small chocolate ball and popped it into her mouth, but she chewed slower this time while staring back at her notes now that the internet window had been closed. She could not focus on the classwork anymore though, not after the things she had just read.

Zach, Yaoyorozu thought, and she lifted her right hand and rubbed her forehead with it. I wish I had gone to the court… she stopped her own thoughts, but then she closed her eyes and continued thinking it. Why didn't I? Why didn't so many- I know Kaminari said it was his parents, but, but I- Yaoyorozu lowered her hand and stared at her computer screen, trying to refocus. She just let out a sigh instead though and leaned back in her chair, staring up at her ceiling.

"This is, a 'hall?' Is every room here this big?" The look when I told him that was not actually one of the bigger rooms, Yaoyorozu cracked a smile, thinking about the final exam study prep she had at her house with her classmates. That seems, so long ago now, she thought, losing her smile as the boy's wondrous look faded from her mind. "I have to change the answer…" Momo got up from her chair and she dropped onto her bed, grabbing her pillow and shoving her face into it. Why didn't I say anything? We were all there, at the hospital with him. It was the last time, his life was even close to normal. We had told him! We told him everything would be okay! We came to him and said- and we decided beforehand to act like we didn't hear- but, but I should have told him. I should have, talked to him… If I had the time, would I have? Without the others there, just me…

Two Weeks Ago…

"Kaminari, keep watching!"

"Oh, I am not going to look away," Kaminari said, his eyes huge as he stood farthest on one side of the group, staring out towards a battle that had his whole body shaking. His eyes shot open wide and he held his breath in fear, taking a step backwards, "What is… All Might?" Kaminari whispered.

"Ahhh AHH!"

"Are you sure you can do this?"

"Monoma, stop it-"

"It's okay, agh, this is, what happens- Ah! I can't believe, it hurts this much though, RRRGGhh-"

Yaoyorozu sat on her knees in front of Zach, glancing to her right as she heard Monoma's pained screams and groans, then to her left as she saw Kaminari taking another step back in fear. What is happening? Is All Might-

"I have to… Mount Lady, I need- I can save her. I have to-"

"Zach," Yaoyorozu said, reaching for the boy on his knees in front of her. "It's alright. You can pass back out now. Monoma's got-"

"Mount Lady, I need to save, my right hand…" Zach's eyes were darting around in front of him, not focused on anything, and Yaoyorozu's breathing was speeding up. Fear filled her at the look on the boy's face in front of her.

She looked down at his right hand, unmoving on the side of his body. Its fingers did not even twitch, though they were dripping blood. She wanted to make a large pot holder to slide over his hand, but Todoroki had told her not to even get close to it. She was afraid of what would happen if something she was touching was touching his hand too, so as much as she wanted to make it easier for them to carry him out of there, they had to let his right arm dangle as they moved him. Zach was not showing any pain on his face now though, and Yaoyorozu started shaking and she pursed her lips at the desperate, worried look on his face. "Zach," she whispered, leaning closer and scooting forward on her knees towards his left side.

Yaoyorozu put a hand on Zach's left shoulder, and she heard Kaminari behind her mutter, "You can do it, All Might."

"It's alright," she said, her voice soft. The boy in front of her was in the middle of saying the word, 'save,' but he froze and his eyes darted towards Yaoyorozu. The girl kneeling at his side leaned closer and she held his shoulder tighter. Then he looked in her eyes, and Yaoyorozu felt her chest ache at that look in his. He's, scared, she thought.

His eyes widened a little while he made eye contact with Yaoyorozu, as Monoma let out one last yell of pain behind him and off fifteen feet. "Did you, see it?" He whispered. Yaoyorozu nodded her head. The boy who had passed out after talking to them while in that dark form did not seem to remember their conversation, or what was going on around him. He just looked into Yaoyorozu's eyes with afraid ones of his own, and before she could open her mouth to speak, he asked, "Did you, hear everything, I said?"

The broken boy in front of her seemed so scared, but not just because of what Yaoyorozu thought he was nervous about. "It's okay," Yaoyorozu said. She reached her other hand forward and put it on his left arm, squeezing that along with his shoulder. She could barely look towards his messed up right arm, and she had no idea what other life-threatening injuries he might have on him, but his face was way paler than she felt safe with. "Don't be sad," she said, lifting her lips at the short boy whose eyes were shaking. She felt a little awkward doing this, but in the state he was in at the moment, she doubted he would remember any of this. He had been in a trance since they shook him out of unconsciousness, and before Monoma had suggested copying his powers, he had dropped back out cold on them twice.

She steadied her voice and continued, "None of us are scared by what we saw. It's okay-" she paused, and she pursed her lips while looking into the eyes of the boy right in front of her. The second thing he asked her, made her more hesitant to answer. She had to though at that look in his eyes, because she thought back to USJ as she thought about how to respond to him. In her mind she had seen him, standing up and turning towards the edge of the cliff, walking towards it before collapsing again and into tears. Was he thinking about… she thought, and her chest clenched up even more. "Zach," she began quieter. She thought about what he had yelled at the villains before touching his chest with his hand, about the first time he had tried it, about what he had hoped would happen when he touched it. "You don't, have to feel that way. You have friends, who care about you." The boy's shaking eyes widened as if he recognized what she was saying, but Yaoyorozu just got more afraid as his slightly open mouth started drooling a line of blood out the left corner of his mouth. She pursed her trembling lips again, We need to get him out of here! "All of us who came here, and the others too," Yaoyorozu continued. Tears came out of the boy's eyes, but they were not happy ones like he was listening to what she was telling him, and her heart fell at how bad she felt for the boy in front of her.

"Zach, you are not a monster," Yaoyorozu said, her voice more firm as she moved her right hand from his shoulder up under his chin. She was careful as she lifted it, afraid of doing anything that could possibly injure him more before they could get him emergency medical treatment. "You shouldn't feel that way. You should, never feel that way. Don't think, you're a bad person. You're not, and, and killing those two villains," she whispered softer, "it doesn't make you evil-"

"But, what about my mom?"

Yaoyorozu's soft and caring expression wiped from her face. It was pure reaction, her eyes opening huge, her bottom lip lowering. Then Todoroki called out, "Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, let's go." Yaoyorozu spun her head and saw Kuroiro and Todoroki each helping Mt. Lady up to her feet, while Monoma was keeping a distance from them. The blond boy from Class B had his hand held up close to his chest, shaking there, and then he pushed it away, deciding not to try out being that scary monster.

Kaminari walked backwards while staring the other way with wide eyes, then he spun to Yaoyorozu and said, "Let's get him up! We have to get out of here!"

Yaoyorozu did not know what had him in such a rush from what he was just watching, but when she turned back to Zach to say something, she saw the boy in front of her with his head bowed and both eyes closed. Yaoyorozu leaned away from him, her entire body slouching. Kaminari reached down and grabbed Zach by the left arm, apologizing as he lifted up and then started to drag while keeping a wide berth from Zach's body and his arm that could possibly come near him if he was not careful. "Sorry, my bad," Kaminari muttered over and over again, but he was moving fast without looking back, only glancing in front of him and then staring down at Zach where he kept his eyes on for the most part.

Yaoyorozu got up, and Kaminari turned back right as Todoroki did a little in front of him to call for her to pick up the pace. Both of them opened their eyes wide in confusion, as Yaoyorozu sprinted forward while rubbing her fists on the corners of her eyes, trying hard not to make it obvious that she was crying. That's, that's not fair. Why would- no, not why. It, it must have, been an accident. Is- That could have easily, been how his Quirk… how it first… I just assumed it was an animal. I had hoped- but no, I considered, as soon as, his Aunt showed up instead of his parents. It must have been then, that I- but I pretended like I didn't- Zach. I, I wish…

Present

Why did you have to, be born with such a Quirk? Yaoyorozu thought, opening her eyes while her face was shoved into her pillow. It was bad luck. That's really, all it was. It could have happened to anyone- Yaoyorozu flipped over to stare at her ceiling instead of her pillow. It could have happened to me. Creation, is such a perfect Quirk for me. I, but if I had Death. If I had accidentally killed, my mom, Yaoyorozu rose her right arm up and draped her forearm over her eyes. "Ahh," she sighed, then took in a deep breath as she pulled her arm back off of her face.

Yaoyorozu's eyes focused in on a spot on her ceiling. The teachers haven't talked about Zach since the day we moved in. We're supposed to tell them if he contacts any of us, but, I wonder if he's talking to Kaminari. Is he trying something? I wonder if anyone knows what he's doing, and if he told them to just keep it a secret. I don't believe, he would just stay with the League of Villains. Even if he could use his Quirk to help people, they're villains. Real villains.

Yaoyorozu looked back to her desk, and she steadied her expression and got back up off her bed. And I need to be better prepared to face them. Even if he's not talking to anyone. Even if he's all on his own. I know he's still a good person, and sooner or later he might need our help. We, we went to save him and Bakugo from the villains, but we couldn't get to him in time. We just stood there and watched, as he killed someone. Yaoyorozu sat at her seat, and she refocused on her notes, moving around her finger on the mouse pad to get her screen to lighten back up. I need to pass this Hero License Test, I need a provisional license, so that the next time the opportunity arises, I can use my Quirk. So that I can fight, instead of standing by helplessly. I need to become, a hero!

---

"So your limit is four," Dabi said, looking down at the kid on his knees to his right. Zach's legs were pointed out to different sides while he sat there on his knees, his hands down on the floor in front of him, trying to push up. He was exhausted though, and his arms became limp at his sides.

"For, now," Zach muttered, while leaning back and letting his arms just stay hanging limp in front of him.

"Hmm, yeah, for now," Dabi agreed, and Zach looked up over his shoulder. The taller man with a patched-up appearance and spiky black hair looked down into Zach's eyes. "Sooner or later, you think you'll be able to save everyone?"

"Hopefully," Zach replied, while struggling to bring his legs together under him. He pushed down with more effort, then he looked up to his left at the man who held down a hand for him to take. Zach's eyes widened, then narrowed down. He pushed harder for a second, then he grimaced and let out an exasperated grumble. Zach reached up with his left hand, clasped it in Dabi's right, and the taller man yanked him up to his feet in a rough pull. "Oof," Zach grunted as he planted his feet, instantly feeling more exhausted as he did.

"You can still only do one though, when I completely burn it up," Dabi said. "And none when I destroy the head. Think you'll be able to change that too?"

Zach shook his head in an unsure way while looking back in front of him towards the sheep that was walking around the square room full of barn animals. The sheep had a patch on both sides of its torso where there was no white wool, but its skin in those areas was completely healed up even though a jet of blue flames had blasted through it only ten minutes earlier. Zach winced and he lowered his left hand to his left side after Dabi let go, and Dabi watched as the boy rubbed an area he was never hit in like it was sore.

The teen stopped rubbing after a few seconds, frowning as he lowered his hand. With Dabi always watching my training sessions, it's hard to hide anything about my power from them. The more I learn about it, the more they're learning about it too. And they keep getting me to try out more with it, which is good, but they're learning all the extents of my ability at the same time that I do. It's frustrating. "We should stop now," Zach said, turning towards the exit and staring at the large white door.

"You can still stand," Dabi remarked.

"Yeah, but what if Kurogiri finds something after I go again?" Zach asked, turning back to the taller man. "If I can't move at all, I'd feel shitty that I just brought a sheep back when I could have saved someone's life."

"Makes sense," Dabi replied. He turned and nodded for the door, and Zach started walking with him on his left side. He noticed but never said anything about how Dabi constantly stood on his left. It was clear the man did not fully trust him, but at the same time Dabi never mentioned anything about how he was standing on Zach's left or that distrust Zach could feel coming from him. "So why is it, you feel the need to save all those people anyway?"

Zach's eyes darted to his side and up at the man who looked back and down towards him while they moved. The younger boy with short black hair close to his scalp, recently cut again to keep it short, looked at Dabi in confusion at first, then surprise. Is he just, curious? Why is he asking? None of them, have ever asked me before. "Why, wouldn't I-" Zach began.

"A lot of people have Quirks that can save people, but only a portion of the population try using them that way," Dabi replied, turning back forward and pushing the door open as they reached it. He let Zach go first, and Zach once again got the feeling the older man did not want him walking with a clear shot on Dabi's back. Zach walked through but looked over his shoulder as Dabi continued to the kid walking by, "Even most heroes, don't go this out of their way to save people. They stick close to their agencies, stick to fights or emergencies nearby."

"And?" Zach muttered, turning away and frowning as he looked forward down the hall. Any time he started to agree with what the villains were saying, he always made sure to clear his mind quickly. Those heroes are still doing hero work. There are enough heroes in our society that they don't all need to try and stop every crime. If the best heroes all went around stopping everything, all the other heroes wouldn't be able to keep their agencies running, and there would be a shortage of heroes. Then if those top heroes are killed, there would be no protection-

"And yet you came here, to the villains who have attacked you twice now, in order to save people," Dabi remarked. Zach came to a stop and he turned in the hallway that was darker than the training room he had just been in. They were in some large abandoned factory of some kind, though Zach had never seen its exterior. Whenever he wanted to leave, or they changed locations, it was through the use of Kurogiri's power. He figured the villains considered him kind of like their prisoner, as they had tried treating him as an equal before which had failed. As long as he had this much freedom though, he was satisfied. Zach looked into Dabi's eyes though and frowned, though with a semi-confused look on his face as to why Dabi was bringing this up. "No hero, would go that far to save people. But you're not really saving them either."

"What do you mean? I am-"

"No, you're waiting until they aren't saved," Dabi said. "You find people that other heroes couldn't save, and you bring them back to life, at a cost to your own health. Why go so far for them? Why use your power, when it hurts you?" Zach held his tongue, feeling like turning away yet also wanting to respond defiantly towards what Dabi was saying. "You went as far as to joining the League of Villains. You knew that their society would treat you like one too. Why go so far?"

8 Years Ago

"I'm not really a hero. That's just pretend." Zach sniffled again while his mother looked down at him with wide eyes. "Mom, can I-" he paused and started lifting his head. "Without a Quirk, can I become, a hero?"

Tears filled the seven year old boy's eyes, and he saw the water brimming in his mother's too. Even with the water in her eyes though, she was smiling wide down at him and his eyes started to grow huge. "Of course you can," she said. Zach's trembling lips curled up too, and his mom reached down her right hand in front of him. "After all, you're already my little hero. Quirk or no Quirk, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything." Zach looked at his mom's outstretched hand, then his eyes shifted to his right knee that still had a small scratch on it.

He wiped his face with his left arm, rubbing his eyes and his nose, then he lowered it and nodded. "Mm," he hummed, and he reached up with his right hand to grab his mother's outstretched one.

Zach's mother leaned forward while she grabbed his right hand, and off of her chin dripped a tear. The tear fell from her chin right as she started pulling her boy forward. Zach looked down at his right knee with a smile, as the teardrop hit and he felt a warmth fill that leg. He stood up to his feet, then he smiled even more as the warmth in his leg came from somewhere else. It did not feel like a warmth exactly, but the feeling was even better than his mom's healing Quirk gave him.

"Hehe," Zach looked towards his right hand, and his mother also lowered her gaze down to that hand that she was holding. Her fingers started pulling back from Zach's hand, but her legs were also coming out from beneath her. Zach turned his head with the huge smile on it towards his mother's face, while her eyes were staring down in absolute horror, yet those eyes were stuck in that position. Zach's smile wiped from his face as his mom fell, and he ran up to her side while yelling out in panic. Then, his eyes lowered to his right arm, his right hand that his mother had stared at in terror. His eyes shifted back to her face that was stuck in that position, and then to his arm that was losing its black color, and all the tingling feeling inside him vanished as well. "Mom?" He whispered, reaching back for her body to shake her around. He stopped though when his right hand was close, and he froze before grabbing her. "No, mom, no, no…" Zach fell backwards and he pushed himself away, lifting both hands and staring at them, but focusing in on his right after a few seconds. He kept scooting backwards, and his breath was coming out faster and faster, his eyes huge and his lips trembling. "No, I- I- did I, ah hah, ah hah- AHHHHH…"

Present

I was the last person, she ever healed, Zach thought, his eyes narrowing up at the villain before him. "My mother," Zach began, then he froze with his mouth open. He paused, wondering why he would respond to the man in front of him at all. I'm, supposed to be, earning their trust, Zach told himself, giving a good enough reason for him to continue. "She was so nice, the- just the best person," the start of Zach's explanation had Dabi looking at the kid in confusion with his right eyebrow lifted up. "Her Quirk though, it was a healing one that was reliant on her being sad. She could heal, but only with her tears… and yet!"

Zach stopped himself again, then he continued, "She still decided to be a nurse. And she, she was able to use her Quirk perfectly, because just seeing other people hurting made her cry. She was willing to get sad, to have to see people in pain- and I know she was able to save so many with that power." He paused, then he looked into Dabi's eyes in a more determined way, "So if she could do that, then I can do this. I can accept working with villains, and feeling the most- excruciating pains I have ever felt," Well, other than that night in Camino Ward. That, hurt more- "It's worth it. Because to me, it's not 'going this far' for them. If this is all I have to do," Zach grinned at Dabi whose eyes widened more at the response. "Then I can take it."

---

Shihai Kuroiro put his hands down on the counter in the kitchen he stood in. He stared at the heating-up water over the stove, and he let out an annoyed sigh before lifting his phone to check the time again. He glanced the other way and back out into the living room, then he grumbled and walked over to the fridge. Kuroiro checked the list on the fridge again, then he rubbed the left side of his head, putting his pitch black hand through his wavy white hair. "Why do I have to do this?" He muttered.

Kuroiro walked back into the living room. He walked towards the couch, wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of red shorts. "Grandma," he said, and the old woman sitting on the couch on his right turned to him. His Quirk was genetic, and though it did not hit every generation, his Grandma had the same Quirk that he did. She was watching a soap opera, and Kuroiro could not think of a program he would want to watch less. All the jokes were meant for people from a different age, and the drama was awkward and difficult to watch. The dark woman with curly white hair in her sixties turned to the teenager on her left, "Oh, Shihai! Have you seen this-"

"No Grandma," Kuroiro said, For the tenth time, he thought, rolling his eyes. He looked past her on the couch towards the side table next to it. He frowned at the sight of the closed pill bottle and the almost full cup of tea. "Have you taken your pills yet?" He asked.

"Oh, is it that time already?" She asked, looking back towards the tv and then the box below where the time was. "Oh my," she said, laughing a little and turning back to her grandson. "I should get on that. But you really should sit and join me. Jessica just- oh, you said you haven't seen this. Well Jessica is Amy's best friend, but she's also Richard's long lost sister-"

Kuroiro tried very hard not to rub his forehead, and he just smiled and interrupted, "I actually have to keep up making lunch. You said you take your pills on your own right, when my mom is here?"

"Oh yes," Grandma Kuroiro replied. She waved him off and reached over for her tea and the bottle. "Did you make me this tea? Thank you, Shihai."

He sighed and scratched the back of his head. "No problem. I'll have food out in ten. Then, I guess I'll watch this with you," he added, though he looked up at the screen reluctantly again. He figured he would just sit near her and stay on his phone for most of the time, but the longer he watched the more he hoped he would actually find interest. He sweatdropped as he turned around though, hearing a 'shocking' love confession come from the tv behind him that had his Grandma exclaiming in shock. He glanced back, but he was relieved to see she did not spill her tea.

Mom said it had been getting worse since last time I saw her, but it doesn't really seem that bad. It's just her short-term, not as bad as some things I've heard people her age can come down with. Kuroiro walked into the kitchen and he saw the water had just started to boil. He grabbed the pasta next to the stove, checked to see that it was really eight minutes he was supposed to cook for, then he set a timer on his phone and dropped the pasta in. He leaned back on the opposite counter, and he glanced left back towards the living room where he saw his grandmother's white hair over the top of the couch. I'm really supposed to be at school though. What if a villain found out I went home today? Would they come after me? Probably not.

Kuroiro put his hands up behind his head and stared forward. He frowned and walked up to the stove, grabbing a wooden spoon and stirring around for a few seconds before walking back and leaning on the opposite counter again. He heard another corny joke from the other room and sighed, imagining what the others in his class were doing right now. Not how I wanted to spend my Saturday. But, can't be helped. He relaxed and pushed down on the counter at his sides, popping himself up to sit on it while watching the stove. Mom deserves a vacation, if this really is this much work every day. I may have moved out, but it's almost like having another kid here… Kuroiro frowned at the way he just considered the situation. He imagined his grandma at his birthday parties, his Christmases, and he rubbed the side of his head while frowning deeper. She was still acting like his grandmother while they talked to each other, but the dynamic was changing ever so slowly. It must suck for her too. Getting old.

Kuroiro felt a buzzing in his pocket, and he reached down and slid his phone out. He turned off the timer and walked forward. He had to stir hard for a few seconds, as he had not stirred enough to keep the pasta from sticking together. "Damn," he muttered, as he could not keep stirring or risk overcooking since he had set the timer for the exact time on the box. He went through the motions of straining the pasta, then he got out some plates. He put some pre-made sauce on the stove and heated it up quick, pulling off the taped-note on the container and tossing it out, just rolling his eyes at the 'Thanks again' his mom wrote on it.

The pitch-black-skinned boy finished up and he started walking back towards the living room with both plates in his hand. "Hey Grandma, you want parmesan or-" he stopped as he got next to his couch, turning in towards the woman sitting up on his right. He turned to her and he could not finish his sentence, both plates falling out of his hands and shattering on the floor, hot tomato sauce getting on his legs. He ignored the burning sensation though and ran forward, reaching out and grabbing his grandmother by the shoulder. "Hey, Hey!" He shook her around, as she was sleeping in way too strange a position. His eyes darted over to the table, "Did she not take-" he saw the pill bottle on the table, but it was open indicating that she had in fact taken her pills. "Grandma!" Kuroiro called out, shaking her around more. "You're just asleep- right? Right?!" He yelled right in her face, but the woman's eyes were not lifting open even as her head tilted farther back from the shake. Then her head bowed as Kuroiro yanked forward, and he let go and stumbled back as her body slouched forward.

"What- wh- what's-" he spun towards the pill bottle. "I don't get-" He reached out and grabbed the open bottle, then his eyes opened huge as he pulled it in front of him and looked down. On the bottom of the small orange container were three small white pills. "Wasn't this, half full…" Kuroiro's eyes shifted back towards the old woman on the couch next to him. "Hey," he whispered. His fingers were shaking too much, and the pill bottle slipped through his fingers. "No, I, you said you take your own pills-" "Number 4- Make sure Grandma takes two pills at noon and again before she goes to bed." She said, she takes them on her own though. How should- how would I know… Kuroiro's entire body started shaking, and he took another step back and tripped on the footrest in front of the couch. He fell backwards over it and onto his back and the back of his head, his legs sticking up while he winced in pain.

Shihai's eyes opened back up and he stared up at the ceiling in shock. "What did I-" he could see the tv in the top of his vision, that stupid Jessica making another stupid joke on the stupid soap opera. Kuroiro's wide eyes narrowed in fury and he scrambled up, turning towards the tv and grabbing it, pulling it off the tv shelf and throwing it to the ground on his right. It shattered and he was panting while looking at it, and then he saw the unmoving woman out the corners of his eyes that made him turn his head back towards her. He was already panting as he looked at the tv, but now his panting got louder and he brought his hands up to the sides of his head. "No way. I- I have to call the ambulance-" he froze, then he sprinted towards the couch, almost tripping on the footrest again.

Kuroiro leapt on his couch and he moved his right hand for his Grandma's neck. He paused when his fingers were close, his hand shaking as he extended two to try and check for a pulse. He held his breath and he touched two fingers to her neck, and then his mouth opened and his expression fell into despair. His shaking fingers moved off of her neck and his arms fell flat to his sides. Did I- she, overdosed. But I! I was supposed to be watching her. I was supposed to, be taking care of her. He leaned away, and he whispered while staring at the old woman's bowed head. "Grandma," he whispered.

The boy's left hand moved down to his pocket and he pulled it out. He opened it and went to the phone app to call the ambulance, or to call the police on himself. He had the keypad out and reached forward a finger to press a button, and then his finger stopped when it was right over the screen. Kuroiro's panting started speeding up again, his finger trembling over the screen. No, he thought, lowering his finger and pressing a button. He froze while pressing that button down. But, how would I even, he lifted the finger up, but then he hesitated before going for the next one. It's been so long… but not that long- but long enough? Long enough that nothing I could do- nothing I could, do… Kuroiro stared at the phone in his hand, he stared at it and started panting harder, and harder. He brought up his right hand and scratched through his white hair violently, then he snapped up and jumped over his couch. If I'm considering it, then I can't waste time! I can't, hesitate!

Kuroiro got off his phone app, and he got on the main social media one that everyone he knew used. It was the most popular one in Japan, and there was a button on the bottom to press and start a live video feed. He pressed the button, and he started typing into the summary box on the top. He wrote in all capital letters, and he flipped the camera so the front-facing camera was the one recording. He had sweat all over his face, his hair was even messier than usual, and he had a desperate expression as he started shouting at the screen in front of him.

Fifteen miles away, in the U.A. High School dorms, a group of Class-A students were sitting around in the first floor of the dorm in the common room. Many of their classmates had gone out to use the training facilities that morning, but a lot of them had returned already or come back after lunch for a break. Kaminari Denki was exhausted from that morning, but his mind was starting to recover and he was planning on heading back on over to one of the training zones as soon as he could. He was sitting back on a chair, taking slow deep breaths in and letting them out, while thinking hard to get his mind working again faster which had been working for him recently.

He had his phone out in one hand as he did his breathing techniques though, and he saw a notification on the top of his screen while on a mindless gaming app that he was just trying to break his own high score on. He paused the game and read the notification, "Shihai Kuroiro, has started a, live stream." That's, weird, Kaminari thought. It came to him slowly, but he shook his head as he thought about the dark boy from Class-B. He doesn't seem like, the type to do live streams. Kaminari pressed on the notification before it went away, and his phone jumped over to the social media app.

Kaminari saw Kuroiro's scared, desperate face on the center of the screen and it made him sit up fast. He turned up the volume while staring down with wide eyes, and the voice coming out of his phone was in a rushed and loud voice. Sero and Kirishima stopped talking to each other where they were standing a few feet behind Kaminari's chair, and Jirou and Yaoyorozu froze on the nearby couch where they were discussing the recent Hero License Test. Kaminari read the top of the screen, his mind fully clearing and his attention alert as he sped-read the capital letters for the description of the video. The description read, "MY ADDRESS IS 657 UNDOMI STREET, MUSUTAFU CITY. SHARE THIS VIDEO. PLEASE COME!"

"Holy crap," Kaminari whispered, after hearing what Kuroiro just shouted at the screen. He hesitated, and then he looked at the bottom and saw the number of viewers. Five? Kaminari's eyes opened wide, Share this video? The realization kicked in and he reached forward and tapped a button on the bottom of the video without hesitation, while Kirishima and Sero both looked over his shoulders.

"Are you sure that's-" Sero began, but Kaminari pressed the 'Confirm' button that came up after the initial tap.

Kirishima stared in at Kaminari's head for a second, then his huge eyes narrowed down and he reached down into his pocket fast. He realized he did not have his phone on him, as he was just about to head out for more training. Kirishima spun around and he sprinted for his room, and Sero watched him run off for a few seconds. Then, the black-haired boy who could shoot tape from his elbows shrugged his shoulders and he reached into his own pocket where he did have his phone.

"Are you guys serious?" Jirou wondered, as she got a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. "This could be a-"

"I, I wasn't paying attention. She forgets things, but I still, I let her take her own pills…"

Jirou stopped talking and looked towards the phone in Kaminari's hand. Kaminari lifted it and pointed the screen at the couch that Yaoyorozu and Jirou were sitting on. Yaoyorozu took one look at Kuroiro's face, and she read the line above the video, and she shot out of her seat. Jirou got up afterwards, turning to Yaoyorozu to say something. The taller girl with the largest chest in the class was already sprinting off though, and she ran for her room as quickly as she could. Kuroiro-san, Yaoyorozu thought. She had seen very few emotions on the face of the boy from Class-B. She had even thought that it was difficult to make out what he was thinking without being able to see anything other than his eyes and mouth, but she could see them on the expression he was making in that video.

Kaminari turned the phone back towards himself, and he stared at it as the boy in the video paused, turning his head to look back towards his couch. He started turning the phone that way, then Kuroiro seemed to have second thoughts, but he kept turning anyway while saying, "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I- I messed up." He pulled it back quickly, and he said while staring at the screen with a more serious gaze. "I know, I know the cops might show up. I know- but please, please come."

The description did not say who he was calling for. He never said the name, but people knew who he was talking to. And more people started to share the video anyway. Kuroiro saw the number going up, but it still was not high enough. "Please," he pointed his camera towards the couch again. He pointed it at the woman sitting there slouched over, and he walked around the side of his couch, the dropped plates and the broken tv partially visible as he moved. "Just, come quick. It's been, ten, twelve minutes maybe. I don't know, maybe less- I, It's my fault." Kaminari lifted his head from the phone and looked towards Jirou, and the girl standing in front of him went wide-eyed at his look, and then she reached into her pocket. Sero grinned at her, feeling more relief with every person who shared it, as he was still unsure as to what the consequences for this would be.

Across the U.A. campus, All Might was watching over the training of his favorite student, (even if he would never admit he had favorites). The thin man with two scraggly blond bangs drooping to the sides of his face and the rest of hair pushed back over his head turned to the right. He spotted Midnight lifting up her phone and staring at the screen for a few seconds. Her eyes opened wide, and then she turned towards All Might. All Might started heading towards her, while Midoriya Izuku glanced over from the training area and wondered what was going on. He continued jumping around the rocky area using Full Cowling, kicking his legs instead of punching as was the new fighting style he was trying out.

Midnight saw All Might heading towards her, but she looked back at her screen before moving towards him. She lifted her other hand, but she stopped before touching a certain button, curling her extended finger back in. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyebrows in, a frustrated look on her face as she considered her position. "What is it, Midnight?" All Might asked, walking over towards the sexy teacher who turned the phone for All Might to see. All Might's eyes opened wide, and he stared at the screen in absolute shock that made Midnight turn the phone a bit so that she could see again too. She had a strong reaction herself, but All Might had dropped his jaw too far at the sight of it.

Midnight's bottom lip dropped this time too though, and she gawked at the boy with the Quirk Black as he spun around his head in as much shock as the teachers watching him. His phone dropped out of his hand, and the image pointed up at the ceiling, but Midnight and All Might both saw that black portal open up in the air behind Kuroiro. They saw the boy who had run out of it with a black mask on his face, the instant before Kuroiro dropped his phone.

"You came," Kuroiro whispered, spinning around in his house and staring at the boy behind him. The portal closed, but the masked boy who ran in moved fast towards the couch. He gave me a minute. I know they want this to get blown up so I made him let me go, but Kuroiro knows it, Kurogiri knows it, I know it! People are coming for me!

Zach got on the couch and he put his right hand up to the old woman's head. He pushed her head back and he held his breath as his right hand turned black. Kuroiro stared at Zach's hand for a moment, at the black glove on it that the black fingertips of had all slid down as his real fingers pushed out. The white fingers that pushed out of the fingers of the glove all turned dark, then his wrist did past the end of the glove. He dropped his camera, so it's still rolling. Do I talk to him? I want to talk to him. Kurogiri will hear everything though, as will everyone. I'm glad he didn't write "Zach," 'cause I was coming anyway- not that everyone doesn't already know who I am, but what would the point of the mask be? Zach started groaning, and then his voice came out as he could not longer distract himself from the pain. It doesn't hurt as much as physical injuries, but I can feel my heart pounding, my internal organs are- "AAhhhrrrg," Zach ground his teeth and he stopped his complaining as he pushed harder against the old woman's forehead.

"Please, Z-" Zach darted his gaze over, and Kuroiro stopped from where he stood right next to his friend. Kuroiro paused, and then he just said again, "Please." I don't know what you've been doing. I don't understand it at all. But please, just save her.

I've never brought back anyone this old. I don't want to bring people back from natural deaths, from old age or diseases or stuff like that. I mean, I do, but then I'd be making everyone immortal. That's crazy, and I can't do that- but, but he said she overdosed. That's not natural. Even if she is old. Even if she might die soon anyway. He was blaming himself! I know that feeling, the black color started to drain from Zach's arm, and he saw it slide out from beneath his sleeve and then down to his fingers. He let out a long breath of relief and then pulled his hand away from the old woman's head as her eyes blinked open. Zach pulled his hand off of the woman's head, and her eyes that opened back up closed again just as slowly.

"What happened-" Kuroiro began, leaning forward in worry.

Zach curled his fingers back in and forced the glove's fingers to close back up, and he darted Kuroiro a look from behind his mask like he was annoyed that the other boy was getting close to him. "It's exhausting for both of us," Zach said, using a lower voice than normal. His head snapped towards the windows, then he looked back towards Kuroiro, and he said in a quiet voice, "She's fine." His tone and voice were back to what they normally were, and Zach reached up and he pulled his black mask up over his chin and the rest of his face. He left it bunched up there and gave Kuroiro a big, slightly exhausted smile. I think healing older people might be more difficult. Good to know. "Just asleep."

Kuroiro stared in shock at Zach for a few moments, then glanced towards his Grandma whose chest he could see moving. His eyes looked back and he wiped his eyes with an arm, then said, "Thank you. Get out of here though, I saw a leaked video of-"

"Yeah I know," Zach replied. There was a live stream that caught me at that trap, but I haven't seen it. Apparently it gets taken down really fast, just like the Stain video did… Geez, why'd I have to make that comparison? Zach frowned, then he shook his head around at the reaction Kuroiro had. He kept his voice a whisper and he said, "I only have a few seconds." He spoke quieter than he knew a camera would be able to catch, and he stepped towards Kuroiro as he did.

Zach reached behind him and down into the back pocket of his pants, and he pulled out an envelope that was folded and scrunched up. Kuroiro's eyes opened wide, and he whispered back to Zach softly, "Information on the League-"

Zach sweatdropped and he lowered his hand a little. "Um, no," he muttered, and Kuroiro sweatdropped too, giving Zach an apologetic look as he could see Zach now felt awkward about handing off this letter. Zach shook his head again though as he spotted a portal opening up behind Kuroiro. He stepped another foot closer to his friend and started whispering while pushing the letter into his chest, "My neighbor Jenny Akers. Give this to her. Please."

"You got it," Kuroiro said. "Thanks-"

Zach walked up on Kuroiro's side to head for the portal behind him. He stopped though and he interrupted the boy who started turning to him. He interrupted in an even quieter whisper, his face a lot more serious while Kuroiro was pocketing that envelope. "One more thing…" Zach's eyes darted around, then he turned to Kuroiro with that serious look and leaned in towards the other boy's ear.

Kuroiro nodded his head, then his eyes shot open huge and darted to the side at the boy leaning in next to him. Zach pulled back and then sprinted into the portal, not waiting a second to see if Kuroiro heard what he said. Zach ran through the portal, it closed behind him, and then the front door to Kuroiro's house busted open. Kuroiro spun towards the door, his eyes huge as he saw two cops sprinting into the room, the first ones to arrive. "Where is he?!"

"Just missed him," Kuroiro said, lifting his hands up and putting them behind his head.

One of the officers ran through the house and he passed Kuroiro, heading for the back door. The other moved towards the boy who lifted his hands up, and he said, "Put your hands down kid. Did he use a portal?" The cop glanced around the floor, and he made sure to keep himself calm as he saw a phone he figured might still be recording everything he said. "How's your Grandma?" The cop asked as he stepped over a clump of spaghetti in red sauce, then looked at the woman on the couch.

"Alive," Kuroiro replied, lowering his hands down. He put them at his sides, and his right hand touched his pocket and felt the envelope inside it. Shihai sat down on the couch next to his Grandma, turning to the woman with pitch black skin and giving a small smile at the sight of her soft breathing. The officer lifted a hand and he scratched the top of his head that was covered in small stubby horns.

"Stay right there," the officer said, reaching down and grabbing a radio from his waist. The man turned and he rubbed his head while calling in that they were too late, even though they had claimed to be close enough to the address on the video that had been shared thousands of times in a short few minutes. They did not arrive in time like he thought they would, and as he started reporting that in, Kuroiro slid an envelope out of his pocket. He kept his gaze on his grandmother, while he slid the envelope down into a crack between the cushions and the back of the couch. They might make me come answer some questions. They probably will. I can't have this on me. As much as it might help the police with information, as much as Zach should- he should have written information on the villains instead of this, whatever this is... I owe him this much, and so much more.

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A/N Thanks for reading. Zach almost gets nabbed at a hospital. We get a flashback to the night of Camino Ward where a semi-conscious Zach lets slip to Yaoyorozu about his mom. A flashback to the very first flashback in this story from Chapter 1, right after his mom reached down her hand towards him. Now his mother's power his revealed too, as he had always thought about both of his parents when he was thinking about how he had stopped them from saving people. Zach tells Kurogiri he doesn't need to threaten people to get this to work, tells Dabi why he's fine with doing "only" this much to save people, and he saves Kuroiro's Grandma! A lot happens this chapter, and some time passes through it too. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed! Leave a review telling me what you think below!

zerom1v chapter 21 . Jul 3

It was a good call on Shigaraki Tomura's part. Cause people like Stain will probably see the good in Zachs' actions and consider the heros hypocrites.
Could there be a friendship between Dabi and Zach in the near future?

Shigaraki using that head of his to try and use Zach, while Zach is trying just as hard to keep ahead. Definitely more scenes of Zach talking more casually with the villains here, hope you liked the scene with him and Dabi this time! Thanks for the review!

Lunar Stag chapter 21 . Jul 3

Woah! Anti-hero coming out for the show! The story is looking great, but romance? And romance with a hero? Or a villain?

Anti-hero Zach making his rounds across Japan, and more people are seeing him that way as we see how quick Kuroiro's video gets shared towards the end. Romance... I have a few ideas, even if it hasn't been very prevalent so far. I have pairings in mind. I'd like to see what you guys think might be some good pairings in this story, they don't need to be same as canon (though I like a bunch of the canon ones so things...), well, no spoilers. But yeah, let me know what you guys think about how romance should go moving forward!

Last Shadowism chapter 21 . 3h ago

Can Zack use his Death Quirk as a bluff?
He has (2) gloves right? So he can attack with one, taking off it off, but still wouldn't kill anything because he hand another on. Did you intent for that to be apart of Zack's costume?
So how did he kill Mr. Compress? While in nightmare form, did his right hand slap him in the neck or something where there were no cloth protection?
Why was Ganeshi Knocked out when he got touched? (Coma? Awesome.)
Can you explain these nuances? Thanks and awesome work.

Alright I think you're a little (a lot) confused, so I gotta clear this up. Zach's Quirk is in his right hand. He wears two gloves sometimes, like in his hero costume same reason other people have two gloves on their costumes. He also sometimes wears two gloves over his right hand, the lower one that holds back his power and sometimes a thicker one over it too. But he can't just alternate between left and right hands. How did his kill Compress? Well, it was before he turned Nightmare form anyway. He turned Nightmare after that because they stopped trying to capture him and were only going to kill him. He also hit Compress over the clothes, just like he got the guy at USJ. Normal does not stop it, which is why Zach has the specially-made glove that he was supposed to keep on his right hand at all times. And for that last part, can you like, not spoil stuff for me? Not that I'm annoyed, but I really am just an anime-watcher and I don't want much spoiled in the future for me, though some big stuff has been already while I researched how to write these recent chapters before it diverges like crazy. Still, I'm not going to hit future arcs in this that are canon, and we're now technically past the show too, so from here on it's up in the air what happens. Hope you aren't as confused as much on his powers, left out some of the stuff you asked since it will be revealed as he uses/ trains his power more. And thanks! Glad you're liking it so far!

Reader 3 chapter 21 . 2h ago

Does Nightmare Augment Zack's physical abilities? Or is he just a skeleton demon with the quirk that kills all over?
What his mom and dad's quirks again? How did his translate from theirs?

Who knows? Can't say about those questions when we've barely seen Nightmare in action other than the first fight he used it with, when he still didn't know how. His Dad Titanium, could turn into Titanium which I think we saw in the flashback where he and All Might had their talk about Zach. His mom's Quirk was revealed in this one. How they translated to Death, who knows? How did Midoriya go Quirkless? Chance. Fate. The whim of the God (writer) who decides their lives. Pick any of the above lol. Thanks for the review! And thanks everyone else for your reviews too! Like I said, only going to do a few responses for here on, but I appreciate all of them! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!