Chapter 32:

The door of Class-A opened up and every person in the room spun towards it at the same time. Zach Sazaki stepped through the entrance, his lips flat and his expression hard to read. The door closed behind him, while the class stared with huge eyes at the boy who just entered. To him, it looked like most of them must have doubted he was actually going to show up until that very second.

Kaminari was already out of his seat standing not far from the door, but he took a few seconds to speak when he thought he was going to say something immediately. He had to stare at Zach's face just as the others all did. They all looked at the curved line underneath his right eye from close to his nose all the way to the edge of his face where the scar disappeared under his sideburns. It was thicker just beneath his eye and thinned before vanishing under his hairline. The outer part of the middle of his left ear was sliced too, split a centimeter or two in.

Zach's eyes gazed over most of the class who were standing around the room. Every single member of Class-A was already there except for him. They're all staring at me. Oh shit. I knew this was going to happen. Keep to the plan. No, I can't do it. I can't handle these looks. They're all getting more and more nervous. Don't do it. Zach lifted the corners of his lips the smallest amount. "Hey," he said. The fuck! I wasn't going to smile! Stay dark. Stay isolated. Don't get connected!

"Zach!"

"Welcome back-" Yaoyorozu looked around as she spoke the same time that a dozen of her classmates shouted at the same time, only none of them said what she thought they were all going to say when he walked into the room.

Half the room started running towards Zach at the same time, but they stopped as he lifted his left hand up. He held up his hand telling them to stop, and his lips flattened back out. He started walking forward, lowering his arm and just walking towards his empty seat over in the middle near the windows. It was an open seat in a row with five chairs instead of four like the other four rows had. Alright. Nice recovery. Stay dark, just enough to keep them from asking questions, not enough to make them all nervous.

Zach walked right up to his seat, he took his backpack off and put it down next to his chair, then he sat down. He turned his head right to look back at the rest of the class after he took his seat, and everyone was gawking at him after he just sat down as if he had never left. He was wearing a school uniform, a new one that was a larger size since he had grown a bit since the previous spring semester. He was told by the principal who he spoke to at the police station that the school was going to upgrade his costume to match his new size as well, and he asked for corrections he wanted added to the upgrade as well. Zach looked around at everyone, then Kaminari came walking fast after Zach who had stepped by him without so much as giving him a second glance.

"Yo," Kaminari said, running down the row and sitting in the seat right next to Zach's on his right. "'Hey?' That's it? That's your big entrance line?"

"Yeah!" Kirishima called out, looking over from where he stood another row past Kaminari, having never made it to the front of the room before Zach held up a hand for them to stop. "You gotta make a grand entrance at a time like this!"

Zach looked around the room, seeing every single person in there waiting for him to say something. They all looked like they had things they wanted to say too, but he did not let his eyes linger on a single one of them more than anyone else. He just shifted his gaze past them all, then back to Kirishima and shrugged at the boy with spiky red hair who lowered his smile at that uncaring shrug. "I'm back," Zach said, offering two words this time, before he looked down at his backpack and started unzipping it.

This is harder than I thought. I wanted to stop my gaze like three times. But anyone in here could be the spy. Anyone, could rat out who in the class I care for more than the others. So I have to just care for everyone in here the same amount. Zach pulled out a new notebook and put it down on the desk in front of him. A few of his things had been brought to him at the station, but the principal had told him that the rest of his things were brought to his new dorm room at Heights Alliance.

Kaminari leaned in off of his chair towards Zach who turned back to him with a steady gaze. "Are you okay?" Kaminari asked.

Zach got a confused look on his face. How do I answer? I'm clearly not acting normal. A few of them are looking at each other and murmuring, but everyone's just staring at me. I really cannot take this right now. "I'm fine," Zach said, smiling more and nodding at Kaminari. "Really," he looked around at the others who were all staring at him oddly, but a few started lightening those looks at his smile. Smiling puts everyone at ease. Just smile for now, then distance in a bit. As long as I smile at everyone, no one is singled out. "I'm just glad to be back. It's still kind of shocking. Guess I'm processing it, you know?"

"Yeah," Kaminari replied, leaning back and nodding like that was a totally reasonable answer. "Yeah, 'course you are. It's been what? Four months now? Five?"

"Feels like longer," Zach said, then he closed his mouth fast. Why did I say that? Why does it matter? Just because it's the truth, just because the last two months felt like twice that, thrice even… Zach realized what he was thinking, and what his face must have looked like, and he turned away and back down to his notebook that he opened up like he had something he needed to write in it at that moment.

"Well we're all glad you're back!" Ashido called out, and Zach had to turn from his book that he kept looking at to try and get them to stop talking to him. A few members of the class seemed to notice what he was trying to do: Todoroki, Shoji, Uraraka, Asui, Tokoyami. They started moving back to their seats if they were not in them already, though they kept looking back towards Zach as they did.

"Thanks," Zach said.

"Y-Yeah," Sero agreed, shaking his head around to get rid of the strange feeling he had since he saw Zach's face. He opened his mouth again to ask about it, but he stopped himself and felt another strange sensation in his stomach that told him not to. "Wasn't the same since you left."

Jirou came walking over from where she had been standing, and she stopped in between Kaminari and Zach. Her seat was behind Zach's, so he thought she was just going to walk by at first. She stopped though and leaned her head down towards him which made him pull back and look at her in confusion. "What?" Zach asked.

"How you been?" Jirou asked.

Zach's eyes widened at the question. Recently? No, no don't think about it. Just, think about the past couple of days. "Pretty good," Zach replied. "I got back into U.A. They even gave me a provisional license," he added.

"Really?!" Sero called out, running over towards Zach's seat that it now seemed alright to crowd around since Jirou was there.

Why did I say anything? I should have left it at a one word answer so she would have just sat down behind me.

"You didn't have to take an exam?" Sato asked in confusion, leaning forward on the desk behind Kaminari's from a row back. "Lucky-" the word came out of his mouth then he shut it fast, though a couple of others near him darted him looks.

Zach cracked a bit grin though as he heard that come out of Sato's mouth. It took everything he had not to start laughing. "Lucky?" You fucking serious Sato? "Ck, ch," Zach had to open his mouth and let out some short, cut-off laughs, then he shook his head and lowered it into a flat lip again. "No, I didn't," Zach said. They'd all just be confused by it if I didn't say anything. This works better. Less questions later, Zach convinced himself, and he looked past Jirou's right side towards Sato as he added, "Guess that does make me lucky." Why am I doing this? Why- why can't I just tell everyone everything? What?! Well, that's what I want to do. That's all I want to do. I didn't realize it until I saw all of them looking at me in worried ways like they want to know, like they want to help. Could they help? It doesn't matter. I'd put them all in danger if I open up.

The door to Class-A opened up and everyone spun towards it to see Aizawa walking inside. Zach turned straight forward and sat up in his chair. His flat lip dipped down a little at the corners though involuntarily. Everyone in the class wanted to ask Zach more, get him to say more, but Aizawa glared around at all the people out of their seats who rushed back over to their own. It may have been the first day of the semester, but they all knew their homeroom teacher's rules by now.

Aizawa walked into the middle of the room and he looked as tired as ever. He was disheveled and had bags under his eyes and stubble over the bottom of his face. He wore his black costume and white raggedy scarf, and his hair was as long and messy, looking like he just rolled out of bed, as when Zach had last seen him. At VTS, Zach thought, his eyes darkening another notch before returning to normal as Aizawa started speaking. "Well. I hope you enjoyed your winter breaks. Now, we're getting right back into it today. So," he reached up and scratched the back of his head. "We're doing Avalanche rescue-training today. It's going to take up all of the morning class periods, so head over to the locker rooms and meet outside of Ground Epsilon in fifteen minutes."

"Ground Epsilon?" Kaminari muttered, turning to his left and the black-haired boy next to him. "Never been there before."

"Is this a new training site?" Iida questioned with his hand lifted high in the air.

"No," Aizawa said in a droned-out way. "But it's only used in the third term. The cold weather conditions from January through March make it easier to upkeep as it's one of the larger training grounds. Now get moving. It's farther away so fifteen minutes isn't a lot of time to get out there." He turned back towards the door himself while all the students were getting up, then he stopped and looked back. "Oh yeah. Sazaki." Zach turned and looked across the room into the teacher's eyes. "Welcome back," Aizawa said.

Yaoyorozu nodded her head as that was how she thought everyone should have greeted him at first. When she looked back towards Zach though, the semi-satisfied look on her face faded fast. Zach's lips were flat and he barely reacted to what Aizawa said. He just stared blankly into the teacher's eyes for a second, then said, "Thank you, sensei."

Aizawa doesn't trust me. He's acting normal, but that hesitation I made before responding, I saw the look in his eyes. He was trying to see what I was thinking. I knew Aizawa would consider it. How much do the heroes know? If they find out that I escaped from the villains on my own, how many would doubt that I could really do it if they did not want me to… what if they're right? Don't do that to yourself. You're not a secret sleeper agent. Hunter wasn't just to throw you off from your real intentions for coming here. Zach started heading for the door after Aizawa had left. Calm down, he thought to himself, noticing a lot of people staring at him again. Acting too weird is a good way to draw attention to yourself. How, how do I act normal though? Acting normal is making them all think I'm acting weirder than ever! There is no right way to act in this situation unless I make a big deal out of being gone since August. And I don't want to make a big deal out of it. I don't want to start talking about everything.

"Hey Zach, wait up!"

Zach grimaced, then he turned with a flat lip towards the blond boy who ignored how unenthusiastic he was and stepped right up on his side. "You've gotta check out my new costume. I got a bunch of upgrades."

"You too?" Zach asked.

"You got yours upgraded?" Kaminari asked in surprise. "How long have you been back?"

"Oh, I mean," Zach muttered, lowering his voice and cursing in his head for his reaction right there. "I just put the request in a couple of days ago. My costume won't have changed yet."

Kaminari frowned as Zach dodged the second part of his question, though the answer made him think it was recently. "You should have seen it man," Kaminari started, and Zach turned his head wondering what Kaminari was talking about, without looking too interested. "We had this huge party a week ago."

"A party?" Zach asked in surprise, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, we had it on New Year's Eve. I was thinking about what you said back when we went to the mall, and I suggested we have this big thing to celebrate the new year. All of Class-A and Class-B were there. Would you believe it, Iida set the whole thing up?" Kaminari said, lifting his own eyebrows up as if he were still surprised by it. Zach's eyebrows lifted too, but Kaminari frowned at the reaction that did not seem very genuine, and he noticed Zach's look get farther away as soon as he mentioned 'New Year's.' "What did you do on New Year's?"

"Happy New Year's!" Zach heard the shout in his head coming from an apartment above him, while he was running for his life and covered in his own blood. "Oh, not much," he said, his lips lowering into a deep frown. "Sounds like I missed a good time though," he added in a softer voice.

"Yeah you did," Kaminari said, and Zach frowned in a more annoyed way that Kaminari was rubbing it in his face. "We had a snowball fight between the classes, and we even built these huge snowmen. Class-B must have knocked ours down on their way back from our dorm though, since when we went back out in the morning, theirs was the only one still standing. Monoma showed up when we started destroying theirs, and he said that they had nothing to do with it. 'Must have been the wind,' he said. Our's just wasn't built 'as superbly.'"

"Sounds like fun," Zach said, and his gaze lowered down to the floor before lifting as he saw the door to the locker room just ahead. "Hope we do it again next year," Zach said.

"Oh yeah, of course," Kaminari agreed. "And next time it will be better, since everyone will be there."

Zach turned towards Kaminari and his eyes grew wider again. Damn it, Kaminari, Zach thought, and he turned away from Kaminari just as fast as he looked towards him. Were we really that good of friends? Can't you tell I'm trying to avoid you? Am I though? I've been keeping this conversation up. I could have just not responded, like I'm doing now- but he said that in an end-of-the-conversation kind of way anyway. Why is this as hard- harder, than running for my life?

Zach and Kaminari headed into the locker room, and all the other guys in the class walked in too. Zach walked over to his locker and he spun in the combo, and he looked inside to see a new blue gym uniform in there, as well as his old white costume. White. When was the last time I wore all white? Or even light colors? This class uniform's the lightest thing… Zach shook his head and he started taking off the light gray uniform, then he unbuttoned the white shirt beneath it and took off his red tie.

He tossed his uniform into the locker on an empty shelf, then he reached down for his box that had his white costume inside. He popped it open and pulled out the suit, turning and laying it on the bench behind him. He took off his normal shoes and put them in the locker too, spending extra time taking them off. He slid out of his button down shirt, yet underneath that nice shirt he had on another long-sleeved white one. This one was more of an under-shirt that looked warm and comfortable, and the sleeves went all the way to his wrists just at the edge of his black gloves.

Sero looked behind him after he got in only his underwear and was starting to put on his hero costume. He smirked and he said to Zach's back, "What's wrong? Did you get out of shape since you've been gone?"

Zach turned over his shoulder and saw Sero smirking at him. A couple of others looked over too, seeing Zach standing there still with a shirt on and his black pants. Zach was hesitating, hoping everyone would finish changing so that he could get changed in private. What am I thinking? I'd never make it out in time, and I'd draw attention for being late, and I'm going to have to get changed in here every day. There's no point in trying to avoid it. Just use Deflection Two.

"A little," Zach remarked to Sero, while he reached down and grabbed the hem of his shirt. I did spend what was it, six weeks, seven weeks, barely allowed to move on my own. I'm sure I had some muscle atrophy. It's why I was so sore those first few days running from the warehouse. My legs weren't used to it. Running like that. I barely noticed since it was for my life, but I was aching all over every minute of it. Probably why I started panting so quickly all those times. It wasn't just the fear-

"Holy-

"Yo."

"Zach," Midoriya whispered, lowering the white glove he was about to slide his right hand into. He stared towards the boy who just took his shirt off and was reaching into his locker to put it with his other clothes.

Every guy in the locker room stared over towards Zach at those three reactions. Looking closely at a guy while he was changing was pretty weird, but they all started staring at the boy who froze after hearing those reactions and stopped thinking on a tangent. Oh yeah, Deflection Two. Just need someone to ask the question now.

"What happened?" Kaminari said, stepping towards Zach while still only half in his costume.

Zach turned to him, then he looked down at his torso. When he turned, the people who had only seen one side of his body got a glimpse at more of his torso only to see that it was all evenly dispersed around his back too. Zach stared down at his chest, at the three scars over his left pectoral, the thicker one on his right side next to his stomach. There was a long one going diagonally up from his waistband to his right side just under his ribs, then curving around his side. His skin was discolored on a few places as well- burn scars. Zach stared down at those old wounds and other smaller ones, then to his left arm that unlike his right also had a lot of scars on it. He also had a white bandage wrapped around his upper left arm over his bicep and tricep, and Zach glanced at that for a second and thought about straying off plan, but then he shook his head and reminded again, Deflection Two.

"You guys remember how I was going around, saving people?" Zach asked. He looked towards Kaminari, then at Midoriya who lifted his shaky gaze from Zach's body up to the other boy's face. Zach's eyes were steady and his mouth was almost flat with the corners lifted up the smallest amounts on either side. "Well one time, there was a car crash that I heard someone got crushed inside of. They were having a hard time getting the body out since there was a fire, but my time limit would have run out if I waited. I went into the car, tried getting him out, and well… the car exploded." Half of the guys looking towards him dropped their jaws, while the other half looked at him oddly and with confused looks at what he was telling them.

Todoroki, Ojiro, Kirishima, Bakugo, Midoriya, Iida, and Shoji look at least a bit skeptical. "I was teleported out of there by Kurogiri, but I got kind of fucked up." He looked down at his body again while frowning, his eyes focusing on each scar for a second. His eyes were starting to lose focus, and he blinked a few times while shifting his gaze to his pants. And to get everyone to look away, he thought, while grabbing the waistband of his pants. He started pulling his pants down, and even though he was wearing underwear, everyone looked away as their classmate undressed.

"Well if that was back then," Sero said, though he kept getting changed and spoke just to Zach so it was in a lower voice. Zach took out his white costume and started putting it on too, though he was finding it a tight squeeze to get his legs in the pants. He looked back as Sero spoke though, and Sero pointed at his left arm where the white bandage was. "What's that from? And on your leg," he added, as he saw the bandage sticking out the bottom of Zach's boxers around his right thigh.

Recent. What happened recently? It's obvious it's recent. What did I do recently that they all… I guess, the truth? Do I? I don't have a good deflection for this. "I," Zach started, and he turned away and started lifting the top half of his costume to slide over his head. "I got injured escaping," Zach said. He pushed his arms through the sleeves of his costume, and once again found it a hard fit. His head came through the collar easy enough, then he looked down to his right hand and curled his fingers a few times in his glove. I can see my entire wrist, and the sleeve feels tight. As much as my muscles might have shrunk a bit, my arms and legs definitely got longer. He pushed his left arm harder through his other sleeve, then he turned his head a bit to look at the amount of skin showing on his left arm still, only to grimace as a scar showed on the gap between his glove and sleeve.

As he lifted his head back up after looking at his left wrist, he saw Sato staring at him wide eyes from down a few lockers, and Mineta gawking at him from the other side of the bench between the two rows of lockers all the guys were between.

"You, escaped?" A voice asked behind Zach. He turned and stared at a bleached-blond boy with his hair spiked up who always looked angry, and looked skeptical and annoyed at what Zach just said. "What do you mean by that? Didn't the heroes-"

"No heroes came to get me," Zach said, frowning right back at Bakugo and glaring at the boy a couple inches taller than him. He did not flinch at Bakugo's glare after he said it, and Bakugo's eyebrows lifted up.

"You're serious?" Kirishima asked, leaning around Bakugo and asking in surprise.

"Everyone, we must hurry to Ground Epsilon," Iida reminded everyone, as he realized that he himself was just staring in as much surprise as everyone around him. "We do not want to leave Aizawa sensei waiting."

They all agreed on that point, and Zach nodded at Kirishima before turning back to his locker and closing it. He turned back to them again, and he saw Bakugo still frowning at him, his fists clenched at his sides like he had something else to say. Zach thought about the last time he saw Bakugo, flying up in the air after Kirishima, Iida, and Midoriya. He remembered smiling up as he saw him escaping, but the next time he saw him was in the classroom earlier and Bakugo did not say a thing. Just like everyone else, all of them who had last seen him at such strange times, they all just acted like they had not parted for five months on weird terms, because that's how he pushed it.

Zach started walking quickly back towards the door, as he had his costume on and wanted to head out before anyone else could come up to his side and start talking. Kirishima grabbed the last part of his costume and chased after Zach though while putting the headpiece on over his head. "Hey, so how'd you escape?" Kirishima asked before Zach left the locker room, a big grin on his face as he did not doubt what Zach just said and thought it was awesome.

The question made Zach freeze in place. Kirishima's grin dropped immediately. All the others behind them looked towards Zach's back, and then Zach said in a loud enough voice for them all to hear him, "I didn't kill anyone." A bunch of the people who looked towards him all had the same thought right before Zach spoke, and they eyes opened wide as it was almost like he read their minds. "I, I haven't killed anyone, again," he said.

"No one thought you did," Sero started.

"A few of you did," Zach muttered, then he opened the door and walked out.

Kirishima hesitated for a moment, then he ran out the door after him and said, "So how did you escape?" Zach grimaced again, as he was hoping that edgy answer would get them to leave him alone for a while. "Also, hey," Kirishima continued, and Zach slowed so the red-head could actually get on his side as it seemed like Kirishima wanted to say something quieter. "I didn't see you back at the courthouse, I acted stupid and got kicked out-" Zach smiled softly as he thought about that, and Kirishima grinned at the smile that actually looked genuine to him. "But at VTS, I didn't get to say anything either."

"We've gotta keep moving," Zach said, motioning forward since Kirishima had them slowing down.

"Just wait a second," Kirishima said, and Zach turned hearing the serious tone of the other boy's voice. Kirishima turned towards him, right in the middle of the hallway, and he bowed the top of his body making Zach lean back with the most uncomfortable look on his face. "Thank you, for bringing me back to life."

"Alright, you're welcome," Zach said, and he quickly started walking again, faster this time. Kirishima stood back up straight and he jogged after Zach to get to his side. A couple others who had come out of the locker room back behind them stared over in surprise at what Kirishima just did, then they watched as he ran up to Zach and started talking with a grin on his face even as the boy he was talking to was trying to move quicker away from him.

Ojiro looked to his left at Iida, then right at Kaminari who was frowning a little as he looked down the hall at Zach and Kirishima's backs. "Does Zach seem," Ojiro started, and the other two looked in at him. They had all come out of the locker room around the same time, but Kaminari was a little farther forward and he looked back too while slowing down a few steps. Ojiro hesitated, but then he continued in a quieter voice, "Like he's hiding something?"

"I am sure Zach has his reasons," Iida said. Ojiro glanced at him, but Iida kept staring through the dark slit of his helmet up towards Zach, until he and Kirishima turned to head outside into the cold. "And if he feels like telling us, he will," Iida said. "Be careful Iida." He did not involve himself in my affairs in Hosu City during the first internship. He told me he knew, but, he stayed out of my way. But was that the right thing? Afterwards, he also distanced himself from the situation. I was partly grateful that he did not say more, because I would have had to apologize to him more… but had he done so- He seemed to not want to pry though. And I understand why. When he had so many secrets himself, he must have thought it would be hypocritical to say anything more. Or perhaps he was just worried about us involving in his affairs? Iida sped up as they headed down the hall, as it felt like it must have been almost ten minutes already. "Let us move quickly. We must check the map outside to locate Ground Epsilon. I thought I had the school's map memorized."

"Sometimes the fields are just labeled with the actual Greek letters, and that messes me up," Kaminari admitted after Iida said it. He looked over towards Ojiro, then he frowned again as Ojiro still seemed to be on the Zach 'hiding something' subject.

Kaminari opened his mouth to say something to Ojiro about leaving it be, but Ojiro said as they sped-walked for the exit, "Zach, didn't have those scars, at VTS." Iida and Kaminari looked in at him with wide eyes, and Ojiro continued, "At least, the one under his right eye, and on his ear. But didn't those two, look as old as the others?" He asked the last part quietly. "I could see if they were just from another incident, but he didn't specify, and they're not recent enough that it would have been the same time as those ones that are still wrapped."

"Hey," Kaminari said, stopping Ojiro and giving him a harsh look. "If there're more incidents, then maybe he just doesn't want to list every time he's gotten scarred in the last five months, yeah? That doesn't mean he's hiding anything. We're short on time like Iida says. If you want to ask him about those ones on his face, then do it when we get back to the dorm later. We all live with him now. It's not like there's any shortage of opportunities to figure out what's wrong with him."

Iid and Ojiro both looked at Kaminari in surprise. They reached the doors and stepped out, and Kaminari looked straight out towards Zach and Kirishima who were up ahead of them. Kirishima looked over his shoulder and called out, "We checked the map! Follow us!"

Kaminari held a thumbs up, then he lowered his smile when Kirishima turned away again. Both of the others heard the way Kaminari worded his advice to Ojiro, and Kaminari was not trying to hide it from his face. Of course there's something wrong with him. Noticed as soon as he said 'Hey.' Doesn't mean I can just start asking him to tell me everything… Was that car crash thing a lie? Kaminari shook his head. Ojiro's just getting to me. I'll ask about the one under his eye later. If he says it was in the crash, then yeah he's lying about it. But I'd bet a hundred bucks he says what really happened.

"I definitely need a winter upgrade for my costume," Ashido said, rubbing her arms as she walked back towards their dormitory after the final class of the day had ended.

"You're telling me!" Hagakure exclaimed, and her teeth were still chattering.

Ashido and Jirou looked left towards the invisible girl who rubbed her hands on her arms a few times then rubbed them on her invisible cheeks as she let out more shivers. Even in her coat just heading back to the dorms, she still could not get the cold out of her mind. The other two sweatdropped, and Jirou said, "We told you you didn't need to get into your costume."

"Aizawa sensei told us to get our costumes on," Hagakure exclaimed exasperatedly, as she had been told this many times by now. "I thought he'd be mad if I showed up out there still in my uniform! I was so embarrassed when he told me to go back!"

"Well walking into an avalanche pretty much naked isn't a great idea," Ashido said, then she grinned and leaned back while laughing as Hagakure smacked her on the arm.

"I wear gloves and shoes!" Hagakure called out.

"That's why the 'pretty much' was there," Ashido said, then she leapt away this time to avoid the next hit Hagakure tried to smack her with.

Hagakure's legs started slipping as she missed it, then she wobbled around with her arms out for balance. She looked down at the path they were walking on where she almost just slipped on some ice. "That was close," she said, her voice nervous as she started walking more carefully.

"It was warmer this morning, but it's getting really cold all of a sudden. Wasn't it supposed to rain tonight? Finally melt all this snow?" Jirou said in annoyance.

"Feels too cold for that now," Ashido replied. "Probably going to snow again."

"Probably," Hagakure agreed.

The three girls talking about the weather stopped talking as there was not much else to say about it. They glanced around at each other, all of them wanting to talk about the same subject. "Sooo," Ashido started, looking right at Jirou, then left at Hagakure. "Zach looks kinda cute with that scar, doesn't he?" Ashido said, and she grinned at the blush on Jirou's face and the audible 'blush' noise that Hagakure made.

"That's really what you got from seeing him today?" Jirou remarked, rolling her eyes and turning to the pink girl next to her, only to see Ashido's grin lower at that question.

"No," Ashido said, shaking her head and slowing down as she looked towards their dorm they were approaching. "Not really."

"Did you guys," Hagakure started. The other two looked left towards the invisible girl whose expression they could read by the tone of her voice. Her head lowered and she whispered quieter, "Did you think, he looked sad?"

"Sad?" Ashido asked in surprise. "I didn't notice that. I thought he was actually doing good, like way too good!"

"Yeah, yeah you're right," Hagakure said, shaking her head as she thought about Zach's smiles she saw all day that for some reason looked sad to her.

Jirou nodded along with the two of them, but as she kept walking she thought about when she stepped up to him right at the start of the day. I looked into his eyes, and his reaction was so genuine. He leaned back in surprise, and confusion, and he looked like he was asking 'what are you doing?' It was the perfect reaction, for two people who barely know each other. For two classmates, on the first day of school. That's it! It was bugging me all day, but I saw him doing it to everyone! He was, treating it like the first day of school again. He missed a single semester. Does he think we've all changed a lot or somethi- or, or has he changed a lot, so he just assumes we all have?

The three girls turned in to walk up towards their dorm's front doors. Has he changed a lot? I didn't really notice, but, but shouldn't he have? Now that I think about it, he's, he's been through a ton in the last few months! Getting kidnapped by villains. Getting put on trial for, oh yeah, he killed two people! He, he had to go up there and try to defend himself, after people called him a monster, his own aunt for crying out loud! They were almost at the door, and Jirou was shocked by how low down on the list she was after thinking about it all the way up the walkway. Joining the villains. Going around saving everyone, starting that Lifebringer thing that spread everywhere, though Kaminari says he was the one who started writing that all over the internet and I don't doubt it. The Villain Training Simulator, and… Jirou stopped after she stepped inside and started wiping her feet off on the rug inside the door, then taking her shoes off before stepping farther inside. What else happened? Between the time Lifebringer stopped really saving people much at all, and when he came back? That's like, half the time he was gone. More! If all that other stuff happened in the first half, what else happened to him? I want to know, but at the same time, again Jirou saw the confused look in Zach's eyes as he leaned away from her back in the classroom, like she was a person he barely knew at all. I, I thought we were closer than that. I don't get that look. I don't get, what he's thinking at all.

On the fifth floor of Class-A's dorm, Yaoyorozu sat on her desk chair but was facing the opposite direction as her desk. She stared towards the door of her room, her breath fast and her hands held together over her lap. I didn't say a word to him, all day, she thought, staring harder at the door and urging herself to get out of her chair. I have the perfect opportunity. They gave him the empty room next to Sato. Just across the floor on the boys' side… Yaoyorozu shook her head and spun around to face her desk again.

She spun to the desk, then her chair kept spinning and she refaced the door while standing up. "Okay," she said, and she walked towards the door. She looked down after reaching it, staring at the comfortable clothes she changed into after coming back from class. She wore a white t-shirt with 'MOMO' written in bright red letters over the chest, and she had on a pair of dark blue sweat pants and white socks. Yaoyorozu hesitated at the door, then she pulled it open and stepped out before she could argue with herself any more.

Yaoyorozu stepped out, and she glanced down the hall to her left as if nervous that Asui would be standing in front of her door and see what she was doing. Yaoyorozu shook her head around again. I'm not doing anything wrong, she reminded herself. The tall girl with black hair tied back into a spiky ponytail and the largest bust size of any other girl in her class marched confidently down the hall and towards the boys' side.

As Yaoyorozu headed towards Zach's room, the boy she was trying to think of how to approach was finishing up unpacking. There was not much, but as he finished, he held up his cell phone and stared at the device with a dark look in his glowing red eyes. Zach stood there with a black aura around his body, and he had to focus hard in order to keep that black aura from spreading around his cell phone in his right hand. He put the phone into his left hand, then he hesitated and looked around the room. My voice would come out funny, Zach thought, and he brought his right hand to his chest and pressed it against his black t-shirt. His shirt was almost too small for him that the hem barely touched his pants' waistband, and he thought while his body turned back to its normal colors, I need to go shopping for clothes. I don't have much that fits me anymore.

Zach scrolled down his smartphone and his finger hovered over one of the contacts on it. This is stupid. They might have already hacked my- no, it doesn't matter. If they can hack mine, they can just as easily hack hers. No matter what phone I call on, there's always the chance they're listening. Zach kept his right hand in front of his chest, ready to press it into himself at a moment's notice. His eyes darted around again, then he tapped his finger down on the green cell phone symbol next to the name on his contact list.

The boy with messy short black hair lifted his phone to his left ear, and he winced as his thumb brushed up against the top of his ear's outside. He felt part of it move back while the other part stayed where it was, and he shivered as the split ear always gave him chills at the sensation. The phone buzzed in his left hand, and he heard it ring over, and over, and over again. If there's no response, I'll just throw it out anyway-

The ringing stopped, and Zach knew the call had been picked up. He heard breathing on the other side, and he said, "Aunt Maye?"

"Zach," she whispered after a few seconds. "I, I heard you came back," she started, her voice getting louder. "A-Are you alright?"

Zach smiled softly, and he looked down towards the floor with half-closed eyes and a sad expression on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm, happy you picked up."

"Zach," Maye started, then she stopped herself again. Zach heard a deep inhale on the other side of the line, then the woman began, "I am so, sorry." Zach's half-closed eyes closed more, and he smiled in an even softer way. "I was- I didn't expect the questions and… When they started making me out to be a bad guy, I panicked. I wasn't used to it. And you had just- I'm sorry."

"It's alright," Zach said.

"No, it's not," Maye countered. "I said terrible things to you. I, I heard you saved so many people-"

"Aunt Maye," Zach interrupted. "It's alright, really. I don't blame you for the things you said." Zach lifted his head and stared at the ceiling, and he said into his phone in a calm and understanding voice, "I'm not a monster. I know that. But I can see why you thought I was." He heard her opening her mouth to speak as the breath came in, so he spoke faster and louder to stop her, "We both know, it's my fault my dad did it." Maye's breath came out hitched at what Zach said. "The two of us never talked about it. Never once, since you first picked me up that day and I asked if I could stay living at home. But I knew you thought that way from the start. I knew, because I felt the same way."

"When you said that," Maye started. "When you said it at the trial, before they took you-"

"They didn't take me, Aunt Maye," Zach said. "I went with them." His aunt was silent over the other end of the line. "Don't blame yourself for that either. My dad, he fell into a deep depression after my mom died. And seeing me, every day of his life, it drove him mad. I know that's what happened now, as I think back on those years. But Aunt Maye, it was an accident, you know that right?"

"Of course I do," Maye responded right away. Zach was speaking so maturely to her, that she no longer felt like she was talking to a boy at all. She continued after a second, "But, that never made the difference to me. I knew it should. I always knew, but accidental or not, I could never get over it. I'm sorry."

"And I forgive you," Zach said. He heard a gasp on the other side of the phone, then there was silence for a few seconds.

"Zach," Maye said after ten seconds. "I have Tsura here. Would you like to talk to her?"

Zach's eyes opened huge for the first time since he started the call. Tsura? I, I haven't talked to her in years. How old is she now? Two years younger than me- she's so old! I don't know how to talk to my baby cousin like- "Yes. Thank you," Zach said. Gah! Why do I keep doing stuff like this?

"Um," Zach heard a voice over the line that was high-pitched, but he did not recognize it. "Hey, Zach," Tsura started.

A fourteen year old girl- or is she still thirteen? I think it was like two and a half years apart- stop hesitating! "Hey, Tsura," Zach said. "How, are things?"

"They're good, I guess," Tsura replied.

"That's good," Zach said. He hesitated, then he said, "Still want to be a master chef?"

"Huh? Ha, haha," there was some awkward laughter over the line after the initial confused 'huh.' "I haven't wanted that, in years now."

"Oh," Zach said. "Well, what are you trying to do now?"

"I don't know. Maybe become a hero?" she said, offering it up and sounding like she was asking for advice.

Zach hummed, then he said, "I don't know if your grades are good enough."

"How would you know that?!"

"Haha, ha, I just remember your mom scolding you even back in elementary school. Have they gotten better?"

There was a pause over the line, then an annoyed voice muttered, "It's not all about grades. Don't have to get into U.A. to be a hero."

"It'd be better you didn't come to U.A.," Zach agreed with another laugh.

"Don't want your cousin cramping your style?" Tsura asked with a hint of a teasing tone.

Where does she get off… Zach's smile lowered down, and his eyes closed a bit too. "Not really. It's just dangerous here. Hey Tsura," Zach started. "I'm, sorry if I caused you and your mom any problems this past year."

"I was pretty mad at my mom for a while," Tsura said. She paused like she was looking towards the woman who was still in the room with her or at least nearby, then she continued, "But she really was worried about you. She blamed herself a bit for what happened, more than I blamed her. You don't have to be sorry though. No charges ever went against her, since she'd been supporting you the whole time. You know, your parents didn't actually leave you a lot of money?" Tsura's voice was quieter, and Zach's eyes widened for a second before lowering to their half-open state again.

"I didn't," Zach said. "But, I should have realized. So your mom's been supporting me, the whole time." She did check up once in a while. Came to drive me home whenever I got injured. Called on my birthday and the occasional holiday. Guess maybe she loved me, even under all that hate. "Sorry again though, if you were getting any unwanted attention from what I was doing."

"At first, yeah you were really being annoying," Tsura said. She lightened her tone and continued, "But then, all my friends started talking about how cool you were. And other people at school started talking to me. I got more popular in a few months because of you. Not that we call ourselves it, but I'm one of the 'cool kids' now."

"Haha, hahaha," Zach laughed at how proud she sounded right there.

"So thanks for that, big 'cuz," Tsura said, calling him the same way they used to when they were younger.

Zach's laughter slowed down, and it came to a stop while he moved the phone away from his face. He stared at the screen, and then he closed his eyes shut hard while losing his smile completely. He put the phone up to his ear. He took a deep breath. "I'm glad I made up with the two of you," he started. "So we can end on good terms." Zach paused and he clenched his left hand tighter around his phone, while Tsura said something in confusion on the other end. I'm sorry. "Don't try to contact me again," Zach said, his voice more stern and serious. "Goodbye forever." He moved the phone from his ear, and he pressed the 'End Call' button.

Zach stared at the phone for a few seconds, then he turned to his wall over his bed. His lips twisted around, and he clenched his eyes shut. Before they call back. Just do it! Zach wound up, and he threw his phone at the wall. He walked over, reached down on top of his blanket and grabbed the broken phone, and he scooped up some glass around it too. If they had a tracker in the phone, it probably just gave the building location. They already know where this building is though. They must. The spy would have told them. Just like, the spy could tell them what room is mine. Which is why I have to be prepared at all times, even while I sleep. If they don't have my exact location though, I can't make it easier for them to hunt me down.

The boy walked for his door with his broken phone and pieces in hand. I'll go throw it out in the kitchen downstairs. Then tomorrow I'll try to get a pass off campus to go shopping for clothes, a new phone- Zach opened his door and froze at the sight of the girl on the other side with her hand lifted in a fist like she was about to knock. Zach stared at her in surprise. "Yaoyorozu," he said. He looked down at his left hand that he was holding up, not in a glove anymore like it had been all day. Yaoyorozu looked at his hand that he was holding his phone in, and Zach said as she looked down at it in surprise, "Think I need a new one."

"What, happened?" Yaoyorozu asked.

Was she standing here when I threw it into the wall? It wasn't very long ago. I could pretend like the noise had nothing to do with it, but she would then ask about the noise. "I messed up while unpacking," Zach said, trying not to think for too long and just hiding how he needed to think about his answer by acting embarrassed while he responded. "I was shaking my stuff all over my bed, forgot my phone was mixed in after so long. It hit hard and I wound up, with this," he muttered, looking back down at his phone and some glass shards from the screen he had resting over it. "Anyway, I'm going to throw it out downstairs, since I still need garbage bags for my room anyway. Thank God I actually don't have any, Zach thought, as that was a great lie he came up with on the spot and he knew it.

"Oh, you're going downstairs?" Yaoyorozu said. "I- I wanted to ask you something first, if you do not mind."

She was acting semi-formal with him, and as much as Zach thought that was a good thing, it also made him sad. He smiled at her though and nodded his head, a mild confused look on his face. "What is it?"

Yaoyorozu looked into Zach's eyes and stared deep into them. I will be able to tell for sure, she thought. "Are you really doing alright? If you are not, I wish to help you-"

"There's no need for that," Zach said. He stepped out of his room and let the door closed behind him, then he started for the stairs while looking over his shoulder at her. "I'm fine, really. I'm back. I'm finally back home."

Yaoyorozu watched him turn away from her, leaving her standing in front of his door with so many questions left unanswered. Was that, the truth? Momo Yaoyorozu thought. I could not tell, at all. He did not seem to be lying, but I do not believe him anyway. He was devastated when the cops dragged him away, what I saw of the trial… how could he have gotten over those things, by spending months with villains? I thought it would only get worse. How is he so, alright?

Why was Yaoyorozu outside of my room? Is she the spy? I saw Mineta watching me oddly while I ate dinner. His pervy routine could be an act just to put everyone off guard. They catch him watching the girls, blame it on being a perv, same if he sneaks around Midnight and goes through her things. What about Hagakure? She could disappear and be in any room. She could be listening to every secret conversation and no one would ever notice. The teachers could think they narrow the field down by testing different groups with different information, but Hagakure could always be secretly listening to them… Or maybe, there's no spy at all. Hackerman's just been too good from the very start. Yeah, if only. Zach's hand clenched around his broken cell phone, and his right hand stayed in front of his body as he walked down the steps, ready at any moment's notice to turn him into a dark creature covered in Death. But really, why was Yaoyorozu there? She just wanted to ask if I was fine like the others? Or, I guess Yaoyorozu was one of my closer friends back then too. It just feels, so long ago. All of it. Everything that happened before VTS. Everything, before they tortured me, and murdered my family, and-

Zach lifted his left arm holding his cell phone and he rubbed his eyes with it fast. He winced a bit as there was still a wound under his left arm's bandage, since the glass shard that cut into him had gone deep and that wound was infected before Webb even found him. Even Recovery Girl was not able to help it that easily. Zach kept rubbing his eyes using the top of that arm though, and then he lowered it only to glare down a few more steps at a boy who had stopped at the third floor platform and had not started down his hallway. Zach's gaze softened after he glared at Koji Koda, but the larger boy still leaned back from that first look. "Sorry, Koda," Zach said, and he continued down the steps before turning and walking past the rock-shape-headed boy. "Just broke my phone," he said in a sad way, as if that was the reason Koda caught him doing something out of character on the steps. "It's an emotional day," he whispered, and he continued away while smirking at the joke only he understood.

A/N Thanks for reading. Zach returns to his class and distances himself from his classmates, lying about his scars, how he's feeling, what he's doing. A lot of lying going on this chapter... He makes up with his family though, before cutting off ties with them. The third term has started up. What is in store for Zach's life from here on? Hope you enjoyed. Leave a review below!

Nightsky of FlameClan chapter 31 . 23h ago

Well that sucked. I was hoping for a longer chapter. Oh well, I hope you update soon!

Twice as long this time, sooorrryyyyy. Can't get out a 10k chapter every day. Hope you enjoyed.

Pokemark17 chapter 31 . 19h ago

Glad the story's back on track

Well, Zach is back in school. And it is Boku no Hero Academia so guess that makes it on track again. XD Thanks for the review!

D-Koy24 chapter 31 . 19h ago

I will be you hero baby!
I could-...something something... Oh OH YEAH
I don't know the lyrics okay! *pouts with arms crossed.
I don't know why but the chapter felt very short, maybe its just me,anyway I can't wait for next chapter! Give it to me!
~D-Koy, can't wait to see the face of Ducky-momo.

That was def one of the shorter chapters, don't know if it was the shortest but it might have been. Keeping up the streak with another chapter today, maybe I'll get another one later in too. (Probably will). Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoyed! Also... "I can be your hero baby! I can kiss away the pain. I will stand by you forever! You can take, my breath away..." XD

dmaxime2000 chapter 31 . 16h ago

I thought I would be happy about Zach returning to U.A. but something doesn't seem right. Zach seems to paranoid, that's definitely going to affect his friendships in a negative way.

Paranoid Zach is right. Kind of hard not to be paranoid after what happened at VTS though. Zach's smashing his own phone in fear and imagining everyone around him as a spy... Not a real happy return this chapter, but we'll see if things start getting better from here on in! Thanks for the review!

evil879 chapter 31 . 8h ago

is zach going to be able to copy powers like rogue yes or no

No... As in no, I won't answer this question. No one knows about Zach's powers before he does, not even me. Okay, maybe I do a couple of chapters in advance, but not going to spoil stuff in this comment section. Thanks for the reviews everyone! Be back later with another post!