Chapter 41:

Zach slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry as his eyelids parted, but it got clearer the more he opened them. He looked out the right of his eyes, and he tilted his head a bit to stare at the woman across the nurse's office from him who was giving "treatment" to an unconscious Death Arms. Zach sat up a bit at the sight of where he was, and of the pro hero who was only one of two who were laying on U.A. nurse's office beds. He did not recognize the second hero on a bed closer to him for a few seconds, then he leaned over his bed a bit more and his eyes widened. So that's what Air Jet looks like, he thought, leaning back as he recognized the man's face even if his costume was off.

"Sazaki," Recovery Girl said, looking over right as the boy was leaning back on his bed. Zach looked her way, and he got a worried look on his face as she started walking over. The short old woman frowned at him and she opened her mouth to start scolding, but Zach beat her to it.

"Did, she survive?" Zach asked. Recovery Girl froze with her mouth open, as she thought the boy looked worried because she was getting ready to scold him. She closed her mouth, and she sighed while walking over and getting up on a chair next to his bed.

Recovery Girl looked into Zach's eyes, checking for damage as she leaned her head back and forth and he followed her with his movements. He was a little slow, but he looked really tired and the nurse frowned while pulling away from him. His eyes that had followed her around were full of anxiety, and Recovery Girl finally said, "Yes." Zach's face filled with relief and he leaned back for real this time, putting his back on the top of the bed behind him and slouching his shoulders. His head bowed and he started breathing in and out heavy breaths. "You," Recovery Girl started, then she stopped and furrowed her brow. "You cannot do that again."

Zach turned and looked the old woman in the eyes, lifting his head a bit and seeing an upset look on her face. She kept a stern tone as Zach's eyes started to widen, "I have seen a video, and I already scolded Aizawa for letting you continue." Zach's eyes widened more, and she continued while shaking her head, "You cannot continue on with this if it hurts you that much."

"It doesn't leave lasting wounds," Zach said, lifting his arms up to show he was fine. He felt exhausted and lifting them actually made him more tired and feel like dropping them back to his sides, but he held them there to prove he was fine to Recovery Girl.

She shook her head at him again after that response, even if it did take her a few seconds. "I understand your willingness," she started. "But wounds on the mind, are as dangerous as ones on the body." She said it and Zach's lips that he had been trying hard to keep in a smile for her started dipping down at the corners.

He thought back on what he had been thinking of, before he lost consciousness. He had to break off eye contact with her, and he looked down at the bed he was sitting on. "I know," he whispered. Recovery Girl felt her heart hurt at that response.

"Seeing your expression during that," Recovery Girl started, and Zach frowned deeper as he wondered what had been recorded, and what he looked like since he had not focused on it after he started. "I know, you told me you did not want to talk about it, when we first met after your return." Zach bit down harder and he kept frowning, but he just kept staring at his bed because he could not look up at Recovery Girl. "Did the pain today, remind you of where you got those scars?" Zach pursed his lips and then after a few seconds he nodded his head, and Recovery Girl shook hers at the sight of that nod. She knew from examining his scars that they were not 'accidents' as he tried telling her they were. "PTSD," she said to the boy who finally lifted his head to look at her. "It is not surprising considering what you have been through, but if bringing back the dead is what triggers it-"

"Recovery Girl," Zach started, and he smiled as he interrupted her. "You know, you might be right. Maybe it was, what triggered it," Zach offered. He spoke faster as she tried to interrupt him, "But it's not a bad thing. I need it. Just because, it made me think about it, doesn't mean it's not there the rest of the time. And all that bad, and all the terrible things," Zach continued, shaking his head and clenching his eyes shut for a second. He smiled after closing them, and he whispered, "Saving people, makes it better. It's the only thing."

Recovery Girl sighed and she started shaking her head again. "I can't believe you were going through that pain each time."

"I wasn't," Zach whispered, shaking his head and losing that smile. "That first guy," he started, opening his eyes and looking at her with a pained look on his face. He shook his head while looking into Recovery Girl's eyes, and he said, "I never saved someone like that before. He was, I felt…" Zach paused, and then he smiled even though he was describing, or trying to describe the worst pain he had ever felt. He smiled because that guy was still alive, and he thought about the two women who cried and screamed and thanked him. "It hurt more," Zach just finished, but he kept smiling softly even as he thought on it.

Recovery Girl's eyes widened at that look on his face, and then she turned and frowned while facing away from him. "Of all the…" she trailed off and she hopped off of the chair. "Stay there. I am getting some medication that you should start on."

As she started walking off, the door to the nurse's office opened and All Might poked his head in. The sharp-chinned former top hero opened his eyes wide seeing Zach sitting up on his bed, and he entered the room and started for the boy's bed. All Might glanced at the other two beds to see how the other heroes were doing and then turned to Recovery Girl who shook her head after looking at him, a frustrated and tired look on her own face. All Might walked over to Zach's bed, and he glanced around again before turning directly to the boy and smiling, "Young Sazaki."

"Hey, All Might," Zach said, his voice quiet. He had been speaking in a soft voice to Recovery Girl, but as he tried raising it for All Might he felt his throat was scratchy and he did not have much of a voice. So he just spoke in a soft voice close to the tone he used to speak in when he first arrived at U.A. "What are you doing here?" Zach asked.

"I heard about your actions today," All Might said. He stepped closer to Zach's bed, right up to the side of it and Zach got a more hesitant look at the one on All Might's face. He leaned away and lifted an eyebrow at the thin man with pushed back blond hair and two droopy bangs over the front of his face.

"Did you come to scold me too?" Zach wondered.

"No," All Might said, shaking his head. He glanced back towards Recovery Girl nervously as he knew he was contradicting what she must have told him considering that look on her face as he was coming over, but he turned back with a smile anyway. "I'm proud of you," All Might said. Zach's eyes widened, and All Might lifted a hand and put it up through his hair. He chuckled a few times at Zach's surprised look, then he said in amazement, "Putting your body on the line. The essence of self-sacrifice." All Might shook his head, and he got a more serious expression but kept smiling as he looked down into Zach's eyes.

"I came here, to tell you that I do not regret it," All Might said. Zach's eyes widened more, and All Might's smile lowered a bit before he continued. "I am glad I told you that you could be a hero. And, I take back what I said at the trial too," All Might added. He frowned a little thinking about it, thinking about how Zach looked when he lifted his gaze from the defendant's table in shock at what All Might's reply to that single question had been. "I am sorry, that I doubted you," All Might paused and took a deeper breath, then he finished, "I think you can do it. Young Sazaki, you can be a hero."

Zach's eyes widened more, and then he smiled wide. "Thank you All Might," he said. He tilted his head and his expression got softer, and he said in a choked-off way after hesitating with pursed lips, "It means a lot to me." He said it and kept that soft look on his face with a small smile, and All Might leaned back with wide eyes at how insincere that sounded. Zach sweatdropped and lost his small smile as he could see that All Might saw through him. He felt too tired to lie really well though, or to act at all for that matter. He sighed and then lowered his smile into a flat lip and said, "Sorry. It's just," Zach turned and looked towards the windows of the office just to his left. "I already decided it," Zach admitted.

"Even before the trial, before you and Aizawa, sensei, told me I shouldn't," Zach continued. All Might stared at the back of Zach's head with huge eyes at what the boy was saying. "I never would have got up on the stand otherwise, but by that point my conviction was already strong enough, to hold onto my goals on my own." Zach's expression got more serious as he stared out the windows into the dark sky outside. He turned his head back, and he said straight to the man behind him, "They may have been shaken a little that day, but now though. Now they don't waver at all." He paused and then thought back on something All Might told him long ago, and he smiled. Just the corners of his lips lifted up a little, and he continued, "I still make mistakes, still question my decisions, and I still get scared. But I will become a hero. Stop the League of Villains. Help Midoriya protect the world. Save, as many people as I can, for as long as I can."

Zach made the declaration to the man who had been his biggest hero since he was eight years old. And as much as his faith in his hero had faltered over the recent months, from the trial, to VTS, Zach smiled more genuinely at the man in front of him after what he just said. Asking Webb to save me. And even coming here right now, to tell me I can do it. He's still, my hero. It's a stupid notion, to have a hero who isn't strong at all, who can't do much… But even without your power you're still saving me All Might. "All Might, thank you," Zach told the man in front of him who was staring at him in shock with his bottom lip still lowered after Zach's declaration right there. "I never told you, because I thought I should just deny it to keep everything secret, but my life was saved thanks to you. You don't understand how close I was. A knife, was about to go through my throat…" Zach stopped, and he looked behind All Might towards Recovery Girl who had been staring in shock at him after Zach's strong declaration a few seconds ago too. Zach quieted down and looked back to All Might and just whispered, "So thanks. And even though my conviction is already strong enough, I'm glad you think I can be a hero. It makes me think I'm a step closer."

Zach lifted his right hand to clench in front of him, then his eyes widened as it rose from beneath the blanket and did not have a glove on. "Oh shit," Zach said, and he pulled his hand back fast towards himself. He pulled back so fast actually, that he accidentally slammed it right into his chest and started covering his body in darkness. "Oh fuck-" Zach pulled his hand off and touched himself again, turning off Nightmare mode before it could form fully, though his eyes were already glowing red and a black veil had surrounded him and made All Might lean away and step back. Zach returned to normal and let out a deep breath, then he turned his head towards All Might and Recovery Girl, and he sweatdropped before muttering, "Sorry for cursing. Is, my glove here?"

Recovery Girl finally closed her gawking mouth, and she rolled her eyes as the boy who had seemed so serious and mature a second ago got all flustered at just the sight of his own hand. "Don't curse in the nurse's office," she said in a scolding tone, making Zach pull back and sweat more. "But yes, I have your glove right here," she grabbed it along with the bottle she had just filled up, and then she headed back over towards his bed. She gave All Might a serious look and he nodded before backing away from Zach's bed.

"Well, that is a strong resolve you have shown me, Young Sazaki," All Might said. He scratched the back of his head through his blond hair, wondering if there was anything left for him to tell Zach if the boy really thought he did not need All Might's words for support. "I guess, I will see you in class tomorrow."

Zach nodded back at him, and All Might smiled at the boy who did the same. The former Symbol of Peace left the nurse's office, and Recovery Girl walked up to Zach's bed. She glanced behind her, but as she thought both of the other heroes were still out cold. "Here you go," she said, tossing the glove to Zach first. He caught it with his right and then used his left to slide it on his right hand, and he let out a long breath of relief once his hand was back in the safety of its holster.

Recovery Girl then held up a small pill bottle that Zach turned his gaze to and lost his relieved smile. He stared at it, then to Recovery Girl with a hesitant look. "These are called Voloft," Recovery Girl began. Zach still looked confused, but he leaned back as she continued, "They are antidepressants. Used often for cases of PTSD such as yours."

There are no cases like mine, Zach thought angrily, frowning at the woman suggesting this to him. I don't need, drugs. I don't want them! I don't, deserve them. The things that I'm upset over, that plague me, are things caused by my own decisions. If I stop thinking of them. Or if I start thinking on them without feeling my genuine emotions over them, Zach started shaking his head, and Recovery Girl frowned at him. Zach spoke up though, "Thank you, but no thanks. I'll handle this on my own. I need to," he added as he saw her opening her mouth to argue. "I know medication, might help in some cases, but not mine. The villains are still coming for me, probably," he added 'probably' on at the end, since he was still surprised a little that none showed up to kidnap him today, especially now that he knew there had been recordings of what had happened. "I can't be high on happy pills that make me less paranoid," he finished strongly.

"Your argument for not needing these is that you are paranoid?" Recovery Girl questioned. She lifted her eyebrows at him and then pushed the bottle forward.

"Might be paranoia," Zach said, and he reached out his hand. He put his left hand over Recovery Girl's though and pushed it and the bottle down. "But it's not an irrational paranoia. Isn't there a difference when they really are out to get you?"

Recovery Girl just frowned at his response, but she sighed after a second and lowered the bottle the rest of the way. "Remember that the offer stands," she said. "And I want you to stop next time if you get that close to passing out. You went catatonic before you even finished, healing, the second victim. I told Aizawa to erase your power and force you away next time. I don't know what stopped him from doing it today."

"He must have wanted to save her too," Zach said, then he looked down after he said it. "And, don't tell him that-" Zach caught himself, and he said softer, "Sorry. I know, you're the professional." He lifted his gaze and looked into Recovery Girl's eyes, "But only I know my power. Only I, can decide when it's too much. There are things I can do with this, that people never thought was possible. If you could save someone who was still alive, for sure, but you knew it would cause you pain, wouldn't you still do it?" Zach asked. Recovery Girl rubbed the side of her head, as there was just no getting through to the boy in front of her. "Because to me, they aren't dead yet," Zach said. She lifted her gaze back into his eyes, and he finished, "To me, they're still just people who I can save."

The nurse hummed and she rubbed the side of her head harder at that response. "I'll have to think about it," she said. "But your answers are contradictory. Telling me you're paranoid the villains are going to get you and the paranoia isn't unfounded, only to tell me that you're going to keep going to the point of passing out and being unable to defend yourself." She shook her head around, "It's not a good strategy."

Zach's eyes widened, then he looked down and furrowed his brow while clenching his fists in front of him. She's right. Going too far that I lose time, that I pass out or go "catatonic," it's a perfect opportunity for villains to take me away. "I'll, work on it," Zach said, lifting his gaze and giving the old woman a small smile.

Recovery Girl shook her head, then Zach pulled his legs to the side and dropped them off the bed. "Are you leaving so soon?" She questioned. "You should still rest here-"

"I don't have any real injuries, right?" Zach asked in a soft voice, his throat the only thing really hurting him right now. "I'd feel more comfortable in my own room," he said. Where there's a knife, he added to himself without speaking aloud.

Recovery Girl paused, then she said, "I won't keep you then." She stared at him closely, checking to make sure he was not just leaving early to pretend that he was more fine than he really was. The nurse turned her head after a second and frowned at his upbeat attitude that made her think he really was feeling better after what he had done earlier. She started talking as Zach walked for the door, still wearing his school uniform though there were some rips in it which he noticed on his way out of the room. "Someone came in to see you, but she left a letter when she saw you were still unconscious."

Zach turned, and Recovery Girl walked back from her desk holding a plastic bag with some things in it. Zach patted his pockets and realized he did not have his wallet or his phone, though he already kind of knew considering he could see them in that bag along with a folded up slip of paper. "Who was it?" Zach asked as he took the bag from the older woman.

"Mt. Lady," Recovery Girl replied. "She was quite disappointed that you were not up." The old woman sweatdropped and muttered, "She tried yelling at you even… I had to kick her out."

Zach sweatdropped too, then he looked down at the paper in the bag and wondered what the hero had written on it. "Well, thank you for looking after me," Zach said, looking back up from the bag and nodding at the nurse who sighed once more and just nodded her head. "I'll, think about all you said," Zach said. He turned and walked back for the door, but as he opened it, he heard Recovery Girl speak in a low voice behind him.

"Sazaki, do you know-" she paused. "A man you saved in late September. He worked for a construction company, and he fell a great distance." Zach grimaced, thinking of who that could be. That was the same day, as the first night I started my life, as a real villain. Recovery Girl continued, "Did you know, he had lung cancer?" Zach's grimace dipped so much farther and his hands started shaking at his sides. His eyes clenched shut, as Recovery Girl continued, "He had been a smoker since he was a teenager, but after you-"

"Please don't," Zach whispered. Recovery Girl's eyes opened wide at Zach's whisper, and they widened more as the boy turned his head and looked back at her with such a scared and nervous look on his face. "Don't finish that sentence."

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He paused, wishing he had just walked out of there faster. "If I-" he started. He froze and bit down on his bottom lip, then he stopped since Recovery Girl had scolded him and told him to stop doing that pretty recently. He was scared though, and it was a natural reaction for him to try and shift that fear to some pain. Zach gulped, and then he whispered, "What would that, mean? I don't know. I can't, think about that," Zach said. He shook his head a few times, then he looked down and continued, "I've been scared of my power before. It's terrified me, for a long time. A lot of things about it… But this. Saving, everyone. It'd be possible, wouldn't it? What would that mean?" His eyes lifted and back to the nurse whose narrowed back down at the deep statements he was making. "I'm only sixteen. If I can save, everyone. Sixty, seventy, eighty years of mortality meaning something else if I can live that long. Consequences to people's actions… They could drink themselves to death over a course of five years, or smoke constantly… And all they would have to do is call me up when they're close to dying, because I'd come. And if they're healthy after that, and I save for accidents too… What does old age mean? Does anyone actually die, from old age?" He asked the woman in front of him who specialized in medicine for her entire life.

"Don't think so hard on all that," Recovery Girl said. Zach's eyes widened as he had just told her some of the deepest things that he had been thinking of whenever this idea came to his mind. "They're questions you can figure out as time goes on. Things you can decide for yourself as you go, that you don't need to push on yourself all at once." Zach started nodding at her, and she finished, "As you said. You are the 'only' one who can decide how to use your power. No one else can make the decision for you. Make your own code-"

Zach's face lit up and he smiled brightly at the woman in front of him. She leaned back at that reaction and stopped short at how happy he suddenly looked. "That's awesome," Zach said, shaking his head in amazement and laughing while turning around. "This is awesome," he said, and he walked out of the nurse's office while waving a hand over his shoulder. "Thanks Recovery Girl. Thanks, a whole lot for saying that."

What did I say?

Zach grinned as he walked down the hallway, a bigger skip in his step than there would be just from saving two lives. "Make your own code." "Act by your own code." "Haha, hahaha," Zach grabbed his stomach with his left hand and laughed hard. I thought I was so much like a villain because I thought that, but Recovery Girl just said the same thing! That's not a villain ideology, that's just how people live life! We all have to chose our own moralities. Recovery Girl is like the farthest thing from Shigaraki Tomura. Zach's skip calmed down a little at the thought of that name, but he shook his head and then lifted the plastic bag he was still holding.

He pulled out his phone and wallet first and pocketed them, then he reached for the letter. Zach stopped before heading out of the school and back to his dorm, and he yawned while unfolding the sheet. I really am tired, he thought, and he looked down at the sheet with half-closed eyes. He smiled a little in a sad way as he read the start of it. "…I didn't expect his sudden power boost and when I fell and put my hand down to catch myself I felt- I crushed-" Zach looked down to lower down on the sheet as a lot had been scribbled out in between like she was finding it hard to find the right words to write. "I blamed myself. So thanks kid. And, thanks for that other thing- I remember dying in Camino Ward. Wish you were awake, your nurse is kicking me out, but here's my number…" Zach's eyes widened a bit as the pro hero, and a very beautiful woman left her number for him at the bottom of the letter. His eyes would not have widened as much if there was not a heart drawn at the end of it that made his face blush a bit. He just folded back up the paper though and he put it in the bag, and he put them both in his pocket with his wallet.

Zach started walking again, heading out of the school and back for his apartment. He checked his phone when he took it out of the bag first, and it was already more than five hours after he had passed out. He wondered if anyone would still be hanging around in the common room of the dorm, but his thoughts shifted to that letter again. Zach was thinking about putting it with the receipt he got when he went to Kyoto, but he hesitated at the thought. Not everything she wrote should be directed to me. It was really Monoma, who saved her. Zach started to frown a little, but he shook his head as he continued to walk up the road for Class-A's dorm.

Don't know why I got mad at Monoma. I shouldn't treat him like the villains. The first day back I was way too paranoid, not that it was a bad thing. But I forgave Monoma for the Sports Festival, especially since he came to save me, and he saved Mt. Lady when I couldn't… But, I don't think they would have even thought about going to save her if I didn't say something when about to pass out. Zach smiled again, in a better mood as he walked towards his dorm and giving himself credit where he thought it was due. It was Monoma too, but my power. And my idea. Mt. Lady's alive because of me, and she stopped those villains today before the hardest one… though, that guy I saved wouldn't have died- what am I thinking? Not just him, but a lot of other people probably would have too if Mt. Lady wasn't there. All those people she protected today, I protected them too, right? And keeping her from feeling like she had killed someone, keeping her from blaming herself, Zach shook his head and he patted his hand down on his left pocket a few times. I'm glad, I could help her.

Zach reached the walkway up to his dorm and he was still smiling. He looked up at the building he was walking towards. Home, he thought. It's my real home now. A place I can go back to. Spy? Maybe it was just Hackerman the whole time! Heh, I can only hope. But it was probably a teacher or Class-B… actually, just don't think about it for right now. I haven't gotten anywhere with it anyway, and I know there's no real way for me to find out. So I'll just stay careful at all times, but not super paranoid like before. I let my guard down today in public, off campus without any heroes around, and I didn't get taken. They'd be stupid to come after me here if I'm going to give them opportunities like that. Not that I will keep doing that- I have to be more careful like Recovery Girl said-

"Zach!"

He opened the door and walked inside without really thinking about what he was doing, and he spun towards the couches in surprise as he heard that shout. He did not know what he was expecting when he walked in, but it was not half of the class hanging out around the common room. It was a Wednesday night after all, and though not too late, it was later than people were usually gathered down here. A few people looked like they were going to run to the door to ask him questions before he went up to his room, but Zach took off his shoes and he started walking their way instead. He smiled and he headed right towards the couches around the tv. "Hey," he said, smiling as he walked up to the far couch and turning to the two girls on the side of it who did not have a third person there. They had gotten up when he walked in, but he noticed the extra spot and walked straight towards it.

"Can I, sit here?" He said, his voice getting quieter at the end as the 'can I' came out scratchier than he intended. He barely got it out of his mouth before dropping backwards onto the couch too, not actually waiting to hear a response. Man, I am tired. Walking up stairs right now sounds terrible. He let out a long yawn and leaned back while sliding farther down into the couch in the most relaxed way anyone around him could imagine. He looked like he might actually sink straight into it as he just kept slouching farther.

"You're pretty tired, huh?" Jirou asked the boy next to her. She had been in the middle of that couch, while Yaoyorozu was on her opposite side and leaned farther forward to look down in surprise at Zach. The girl with a spiky black ponytail smiled after a second of staring at Zach's exhausted but satisfied and smiling face. She sat down on the couch again and Jirou glanced her way, before sitting down next to her in her spot again. There was another spot on the couches open, but the spot Zach picked made it so no one was on his right side which he always felt more comfortable with.

Kaminari and Kirishima had turned when Zach slowly walked right by them, and they headed back over to the couch area and looked towards the exhausted boy sliding into his cushion. Sitting back down on the middle couch were Mineta, Hagakure, and Ojiro, and on the couch across the table from the one Zach sat on, Ashido ran over and stole the seat Kaminari had jumped up from, next to Shoji who never got up in the first place and only spun his head around. Kirishima had been standing already, as was Sato who stood behind the middle couch where he had been watching tv from.

Zach barely noticed the tv was on as he walked to the couch, but he turned his head to it a bit and slid back out of his slouched position to stare at the news. "Hey," he said, cracking a slightly bigger smile. "They're talking about- awwww," he yawned and he slouched again. Geez, how did I even make it back here? Recovery Girl was right. Just that walk alone took the last of my energy. He leaned back on the couch again, turning away from the screen showing videos of Musutafu after the villain attack where the damage was being shown. He heard one of the people talking in the background of the images mention, 'Lifebringer,' and he smiled a little while leaning back. Lifebringer. That's not my name. Not Lifebringer. Why do I have to keep thinking that? I'm obviously fucked, if I think that too instead of just respond aloud with it. He shook his head around while opening his eyes again, and then he darted his eyes around as he realized everyone in the room was still looking his way.

"Dude, are you alright?" Kaminari asked, sitting on the arm rest of the couch next to his old seat that Ashido stole. He leaned forward on it and said, "They wouldn't show the video on the news 'cause it was so graphic, but you were-"

"Kaminari," Yaoyorozu started in a scolding tone. "Perhaps Zach does not wish to-"

"It's fine," Zach started, turning left and leaning forward to look past Jirou at the girl next to her. He turned back to Kaminari after nodding at Yaoyorozu, and he said, "I'm good. Thanks." He glanced around and from their looks, he figured the rest of them all saw the video too. "It just, hurt a lot more this time."

"Your eyes were bleeding," Ashido said. "It was weird, you looked just like Mineta."

Zach frowned deeply, and half of the room had to cover their mouths with a hand at that reaction while Mineta dropped his jaw. "What's that look for?!"

"Just thinking about bleeding out my eyes," Zach replied, and the five who laughed at his reaction opened their eyes wide and felt stupid for laughing now. Zach froze as he saw those looks, and he sweatdropped as his lie to make Mineta feel better made the rest of them feel worse for laughing. He smiled as Mineta looked happy by that answer though, and Zach said to the shorter boy, "I didn't realize bleeding out your eyes hurt like that though. It felt like my eyes were popping and unpop-" he stopped speaking at Mineta's wide eyes, and then he muttered while leaning back, "Oh, does that not, happen when you pull off your…"

"No," Mineta said, shaking his head with a nervous look on his face as he thought about what Zach was just describing.

Jirou looked to her right with an uneasy look too. Like his eyes were popping?! Crap, he's in way too good a mood right now. Thought he'd be like comatose or something.

Kirishima pursed his lips as he looked over towards Zach who actually lost his relaxed expression for a few seconds. The boy with messy black hair shook his head though and smiled as he looked Kirishima's way and past him towards Sero and Tokoyami who were heading towards the common area.

"Hey! You're back already," Sero said in surprise as he stopped behind where Shoji sat on the couch.

"Surprised Recovery Girl let you out," Ojiro mentioned, a bead of sweat on his face but a smile too. He was confused at Zach's appearance as were the others, but he had been looking more and more like this for a few days now. Ever since they all went to his room on Sunday, he had just been in a gradually better mood. To have it reach its peak right after that video they saw of him screaming at the top of his lungs in agony though, it was a little strange.

"She tried to get me to rest longer," Zach admitted. "Didn't want to sleep there though," he said. He lifted up his arms in front of him and looked down. He mentioned that last part about sleeping there because he thought about how he needed to get to class tomorrow, and thinking about that reminded him of the state of his uniform. The others had not really noticed since they had been so focused on his face, but now they looked down and noticed a few rips in his uniform too.

"Whoa, did you fight the villain too?" Mineta asked. He leaned forward and said, "We heard it was Todoroki who finally beat it."

Zach shook his head at the first part of what Mineta said, then his eyes widened and he said, "Really?"

"You didn't know?" Jirou asked.

He shook his head and then added, "I left before the villain was down. I don't know how it ended." Saying that got everyone around him to start talking at once.

"What did the villain look like while it was fighting?"

"Did you see the other heroes fighting?"

"It was Todoroki who stopped the guy, but Midnight sensei knocked him out."

"Midoriya helped too, Todoroki said at least."

"How did you guys get Aizawa sensei to let you come with him?"

"It was a just good thing," Zach started, "I was in detention at the time." He grinned afterwards, and a few of the others talking to him at once started laughing at that. Zach yawned again, and he felt his eyes closing on their own as much as he wanted to stay up and talk with everyone. He still felt pretty great, and he was liking this talk too and finding out more about the parts of the fight he missed. He lowered his left hand and patted down his pocket where he felt that letter from Mt. Lady too, then he sighed and pushed up to his feet. "I'm actually," he started, then he opened his mouth more and yawned harder while his eyes just stayed more than half closed.

"Go get some more rest," Yaoyorozu said, making it so he would not have to feel the need to finish that sentence. "You should listen to Recovery Girl."

"I, know," he said. He smiled her way again, then he turned and started scratching the back of his head as he walked for the stairwell. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Yeah, night man," Kaminari said, turning in a bit of surprise as Zach walked right by. The other boy's face looked exhausted though and Kaminari laughed after a second as Zach had to shake his head around and then turn to be more on line with the stairwell.

"Good job out there!" Sero said, cupping his hands to his mouth when Zach was almost at the stairwell. He wanted to talk to him longer, but Zach was clearly on the verge of passing out again.

"Y-Yeah," Mineta agreed, leaning forward off the couch and saying it since he did not when Zach was there. "That was super cool!"

Zach stopped at the stairwell and he smiled more than ever at what his classmates were saying. He thought back on what they were talking about, and doing so made him think of some of the things he thought about back then. But what they were saying to him, overwhelmed those thoughts of pain and regret. He turned his head a bit and flashed them a small smile out the right side of his face.

Kirishima stared at that right side of Zach's face and kept thinking on it even after Zach turned and continued into the stairwell and up the stairs. After a few seconds, the spiky-red-haired teen started that way himself and he sped-walked in before jogging up the stairs. He did not have to go as fast as he thought though, as he found Zach at the second floor with his hands down on his knees. "Looking, a little tired there," Kirishima mentioned, and Zach turned his head while still hunched over, not even trying to hide it as he stood there panting.

"Stairs are, tough," Zach said between breaths, and he flashed Kirishima a smile after joking about how tired he was.

Kirishima did not smile back though, and Zach straightened up while getting a more serious look on his own face. He tried to get more awake too without smacking his cheeks a couple of times like he felt the need to do. "What's wrong?" Zach asked.

"I'm sorry," Kirishima said. Zach's eyes widened and he got a bit of confusion on his face. Kirishima looked a bit hesitant and awkward about this himself, but more like he could not figure out the words he was trying to come up with. "The other day, I'm sorry for saying you should have come at that truck crash." Zach's eyes widened more, and Kirishima continued, "I didn't realize, it hurt you so much. And I'm sorry you had to go through that, to save me."

"Don't be," Zach started.

"I am," Kirishima said. "You shouldn't have to, feel that much pain. I shouldn't have forced you to feel that-"

"Kirishima," Zach began, shaking his head at what the red-head was saying. Kirishima opened his mouth to say more, but Zach frowned and continued, "I mean it, don't be sorry. Saving you, was one of the best moments of my life." Kirishima's eyes opened wide and his mouth froze in its half-open way. "You were, the first person I ever saved. Not just the first I brought back to life, but saved. At USJ I thought I was- but Snipe was there and would have rescued us anyway. Bringing you back though… I didn't know I could do it. And I didn't know it would hurt at the time, but when it hurt, I'm telling you," Zach smiled and he continued, "It was a great pain. And I know that sounds weird, and it's not like I like pain-" Zach paused and he frowned for a second as now he was the one having trouble coming up with what to say.

He sighed and he got a more straight look on his face before continuing. "You know Kirishima, it hurts a lot whenever I bring someone back. But when I take a life, I get the opposite feeling." Kirishima's eyes started to widen even more, and Zach said softer, "One of euphoria. But! I will never stop saving lives. As much as it hurts me physically, the feeling I get from saving a life, knowing that the person will get to go home to their family, is a thousand times better than that weird pleasure I get from taking one." He paused and added, "Saving you, was one of the best feelings I ever had, as fleeting as it was since I had to go with the villains a few seconds later… So, don't apologize for that." His serious look shifted and his flat lips lifted into a smile again. "Every time I bring someone back, it feels amazing. As much as it hurts me, I'll never stop saving people. My, mom," Zach said, and he kept smiling even as he felt a pang in his heart. "Her Quirk was reliant on her crying. She had to be crying in order to heal people, as her tears had healing powers. So I think, that's a part of her Quirk that she passed on to me. Instead of feeling sad, I have to feel pain, in order to save a life."

Kirishima stared in silence at Zach for a few seconds after he finished speaking. He rose his right hand and ran it through his hair a few times, wondering what he should say to all of that. He felt like Zach was thanking him for showing that he could save people, and he no longer really felt apologetic over it, but he thought back on that video he saw and it made him wrinkle his forehead in regret again. "It was just rough, because it's the first time doing it again after a few months," Zach said. Kirishima looked into his eyes again, and Zach's smile actually dropped down after he said it. He was only mentioning it because he thought he could get Kirishima to relax more if he made this time seem like it was so much worse, which it really was. Mentioning how it was worse though, made him think of what the pain during it reminded him of. "I'll get used to it again," he whispered after his face got a darker look on it.

Although they were not thinking it for the same reason, Kirishima heard Zach mention how it had been a few months since he had last done it, and it made the spiky-red-haired boy frown and bare his teeth in frustration. Zach had turned after saying that last sentence though, and he started up the stairs again in a slow and exhausted way. Kirishima walked on his left side and lifted up Zach's arm, putting it over his shoulders and helping take the weight off. Zach wanted to say it was unnecessary, but he actually felt lighter on his feet and could walk up the stairs faster. "Thanks," he said, and the two of them headed up to the third and then fourth floor.

As they turned the fourth floor to go farther, Zach shrugged off Kirishima's arm. "It's alright. You don't need to come with me all the way," he added, since he knew this was Kirishima's floor. He also noticed the dark look on Kirishima's face as they went up those last two flights, and he knew there was something on his mind. As much as he did not want to ask, because it might be something he did not want to answer, he also did not want to leave Kirishima with that frustrated feeling all night. "You good?" Zach asked.

Kirishima turned to him, and his gaze lingered on the right side of Zach's face which was what made him go after his classmate in the first place. Zach saw where Kirishima was looking, and he grimaced too just like the red-head. "Those few months," Kirishima started. "You didn't bring anyone back. No one heard a thing from you," Kirishima looked into Zach's eyes. "I thought you were dead, Zach." Zach frowned deeper but less in an annoyed and frustrated way, because he knew so many of his classmates thought like that. "I couldn't do a thing as you were taken through that portal, and the next time I see you… And I don't want to pry or think you're lying, but you said you got those scars when a car exploded, while you were still going around saving people. But you didn't have those," he nodded at Zach's face and the ones that were most visible, "when I saw you at VTS. And if you didn't save people after that." Kirishima's face looked so frustrated, and angry at himself, and angry just that he was bringing this up in the first place. "What happened, since VTS-"

"Nothing," Zach whispered. Kirishima bit down harder and dropped his gaze to the floor at Zach's response. "Those scars really were from an explosion. The ones on my face were from after. Shigaraki beat me for betraying them," Kirishima's head snapped back up and his eyes were wide. "But I'm not lying about the rest of it. The one on my face, yeah, that wasn't from the car explosion. I just didn't feel like talking about what happened after, because I knew you might blame yourself for it. I convinced them I was on their side again though," Zach said, giving Kirishima a small half-smile. "They wouldn't let me save anyone, but right when they started giving me some more freedom, I found my chance and bolted, made my escape and turned myself in."

"Really?" Kirishima asked. His wide eyes lowered back to normal a bit, and he leaned forward and asked, "That's really what happened?"

"Really," Zach said, losing his half-smile at Kirishima's doubt.

Kirishima's eyes opened wide again though at Zach's response, and he stepped back before lifting a hand and rubbing his head. "Damn," he said, and he shook his head a few times. "Well, I'm still sorry he beat you after that."

"Don't be," Zach said. "It wasn't your fault. No one could have stopped it," he turned and started up for the fifth floor. Do I really think that? No, the teachers could have. If they had tried. If they had done whatever they could have, or if they were stronger! "Night Kirishima," Zach said.

Kirishima scratched his head a few more times, then he sighed and said, "Night dude. I'm glad, you figured out you could bring people back thanks to me. You've been a cool hero ever since." Zach froze on the step and turned back, only for Kirishima to have turned his back already and started walking into his hall. Zach watched him until he was out of sight, then his mouth curled back up as he spun and continued up the stairs.

He really does, think I'm a hero. Already. Do other people? I have a license, provisional at least. Zach chuckled to himself and he lifted his hands and put them behind his head. He let out a yawn and glanced up at the ceiling in the best mood he had been in, for a very long time. Being a hero, feels pretty great.

A/N Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review below telling me what you think or predictions!

Guest chapter 40 . 14h ago

Will Aizawa still assign homework to Zach after this spectacle. I feel like he would despite Zach literally feeling phantom pain that normally would make people go unconscious from the pain. Zach himself wasn't dying right? All he felt was a victim's pain leading up to their death.

He might let Zach off the hook, though Zach was doing his homework in detention so maybe he got most of it done already! Zach's Quirk doesn't let him see how people died like you were saying, he just thought about what happened because he knew about it before he started healing. Like when he was standing around the guy's body he heard the people talking about how he was crushed, and when he felt the pain of his ribs cracking he knew that the guy he was healing must have had a bunch of cracked ribs too. The main things he was feeling this time though were mental though, he was feeling a lot of the pain he felt back during the weeks since VTS that he finally let himself think about since he accepted he was safe enough to save someone in public. But yeah he really wasn't seeing the guy's death, just knew about how it happened. I think that's a cool arc idea, but I'm not gonna say if I will use anything from it (though those Quirks are pretty interesting... ;), so thanks). And thanks for the review(s)!

LordOfTee chapter 40 . 8h ago

I just now learned that Zach feels the pain of the victim that he's healing.
How could I be so unobservant?

Haha, yeah it started back with Kirishima he started yelling in pain, and then with Kuroiro's Grandma I tried showing it was a different kind of pain like he was feeling his insides get all fucked up from whatever organs must have failed when she overdosed. Same thing with the construction guy Recovery Girl mentioned this time who was fucked up really bad so it hurt Zach more than most. Anyway, didn't really specify it too much until these last two chapters. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

D-Koy24 chapter 40 . 14h ago

Okay let me start reading this chapter..
..."One eternity later"(French accent)...
...and I'm done wool that was... Interesting.
~D-Koy,the last air bender

Guess it was a bit long, though hope you liked it! Thanks for the review, air bender!

Colinpop5 chapter 40 . 17h ago

Intense

Yup. Little calmer this time. Thanks for the reviews everyone!