Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 51:

Kaminari: "Guys holy shit!"

A picture popped up in Class 1-A's whole class group message. A second picture followed, then a third. A half dozen texts came through their phones so fast that anyone thinking about ignoring it pulled their phones out of their pockets and started looking at the photos.

Sero: "Oh man where are you?"

A picture of a map sent with a pin on Kaminari's location, in the middle of nowhere far from any nearby cities. Kaminari: "Send people! Phone signals are being blocked!"

Yaoyorozu: "Call the cops!"

Sato: "How are u texting?"

Zach: "Amplify your phone signal more if you can't call the cops"

Bakugo: "Kick all their asses idiot!"

Jirou: "R those all villains?!"

Iida: "I have alerted the authorities. Kaminari you must protect the people with you."

Kirishima: "Bakugo's right! You have to fight them!"

Midoriya: "Be careful Kaminari"

Kaminari: "I can't fight them! There are too many civs around for me to be strong and everything's wet from the rain I'll electrocute everyone and I don't have my costume so I can't direct"

Iida: "Heroes and the police are heading to you Kaminari-kun. Do what you can until then."

Jirou: "Don't listen to them! You can't take that many!"

Zach: "Kaminari"

Mineta: "Guys what's going on?!"

Ashido: "Hey Kaminari kick their butts!"

Yaoyorozu: "Protect the people on the bus first and foremost."

Zach: "Kaminari?"

The messages stopped for a few seconds. They had been coming out rapidly and non-stop for two minutes now, but everyone in Class A just stopped sending them. They all stared at the last message, and they were awaiting a response.

Zach stood up from the edge of his bed he was sitting on. It was pretty early in the morning, and though he had been awake he was just sitting around on his phone since it was the start of vacation after all. He stood up and ran his left hand up through his hair covered in dark shadows of his Nightmare mode. What do I do? Kaminari's right. The others must realize it too, even Bakugo didn't say anything when Kaminari retorted. His retort seemed cut off, like he sent it early for some reason. Zach started pacing back and forth in his room, then he walked over to the door as he heard another one open in his hallway. He stepped out while tapping on his chest with his right hand, then looked to the right towards Sato who looked his way in surprise seeing the darkness leave Zach's body.

"Zach," Sato began. "What do we do? What do you think's happening?"

Zach started walking his way and then right past and Sato turned to walk with him. Zach glanced up at the taller boy and shook his head for a second with pursed lips, then he said, "I don't know. I don't know what to do." He said it fast, and he rose his left hand and ran it up through his hair again as he rushed faster into the stairwell. The two of them started jogging down the stairs, and Zach continued while looking straight down with a serious look and his mind racing. "I hope Kaminari figures a way out of it. He's strong. And, and maybe he's not responding because that's what he's doing right now. He left his phone to go out and fight- or maybe the villains confiscated phones and took the bus passengers as hostages… or maybe they just robbed and killed everyone there."

Sato's eyes opened huge at that last suggestion, and he shouted quickly after gaining that shocked look, "Kaminari wouldn't let that happen!"

"Maybe not, but what can he do on a vehicle? What if he blows it up and those other ones- or what about all that water? Can he use his power in the rain or will it electrocute all the wet ground and everyone near him including those civilians?" Zach's voice was getting more panicked, and when he and Sato both whipped their buzzing phones out with hopeful looks, their hopes were dashed as it was just the others texting Kaminari's name or saying to tell the teachers and figure out what's happening. Someone suggested it was the League of Villains, and that made the others who were away from campus start panicking and saying that they had to get away from their families and back to school.

"What can we do?" Zach whispered as they stopped down on the third floor. He looked through the doors next to the stairwell, his rapid breathing slowing down. What can I do? Is there nothing to do, except wait? Maybe everything will work out. Maybe, Kaminari can figure a way out of it, or the heroes Iida called will arrive at the location. Kaminari's really strong. Maybe, even though he can't fight now, maybe they'll take those people somewhere where… but why? What's going on? Why would they attack a bus? Is it just to get Kaminari?! Is it because of me?! Is it the League, after my best- my best friend?! Zach's fists clenched at his sides as he thought it. It came into his head without having to think about it, and he bit down so hard behind his lips as he stared into the third floor and towards Kaminari's dorm room. What can I do? Right now, what is it that I can do to help him?

At a cafe in a less urban area of Musutafu not far from Zach's old home, everyone in the cafe was staring towards the counter and up at a tv screen that just had more news on the currently breaking story. In the cafe at a booth in the back corner, Zach Sazaki sat with a black hoodie on and the hood up, his black bangs pressed down over his forehead and shadowing his eyes. He had a small cup of coffee in front of him that was almost empty, the volume he was going to leave it at so people thought he was still drinking if they looked over. No one was looking at him though. They were all staring at the screen just like he was.

Zach felt a buzz in his pocket and he pulled out his phone. He lowered his gaze from the breaking news story for a second to see a text from Yaoyorozu. He opened his phone and backed off of the text conversation with All Might, who he had texted before news of the story reached the former number 1 hero, who had given Zach permission to leave the school via a text that Zach was able to show the security guard at the gate before news had spread far enough. He already had several messages from All Might lower down below that permission which were sent after Zach left the school, one of which he received only minutes after making it off campus.

"Zach where are you? Come back to the dorm. The teachers want you back, and we're getting worried since you aren't responding. Tell me you're okay. Things are getting crazy. Just tell me you're fine." Zach lowered the phone with Yaoyorozu's message on it and bit down, but he just turned it off and slid it into his pocket. I shouldn't even have it on me. I need it for a little longer though… Zach stared up at the screen and he bit down harder at what the news anchors were saying.

"…heroes arrived on the scene but found no sign of the tour bus or any of the thirty-two passengers aboard. The rock slide shown here has been determined not to have been caused by natural phenomena. It is believed one of the villains in the pictures shown previously must have been responsible."

"What is it these villains want? Why take a bus full of vacationers?"

"There have yet to be any ransom demands, but every member of the tour is missing, including one Denki Kaminari, a student from U.A.'s freshman Class A." The anchor saying this was pushed to the side of the screen as another visual popped up in front of him, showing the Sports Festival and Kaminari out there using his Electrification against Sero and then a clip back at the Cavalry Battle. Zach saw himself in that next image, and he bit down even harder and then stood up from the table, right before he heard mention on the screen of his being with Kaminari in that clip.

The other anchor moved on fast after saying that it was Lifebringer they saw there. "This Kaminari goes by the hero name Chargebolt, and he has a provisional hero license. What is he doing? The footage we have from the scene does not show signs of a fight-"

"The information we did receive was sent from Denki Kaminari's phone," the other anchor countered. "He managed to get out information to be sent to the police and heroes, but one boy without even a full license would have a hard time against all the villains in those pictures. We don't know if he tried fighting or not, or what happened to him and the other passengers. From the pictures we did receive here at the station not long ago however, we have determined the man standing in front of the bus to be one Howard Kasami, who some people may know of as the villain Shatterer."

"Now that's a tough name to say. For those of you just joining us and did not hear before, Shatterer is one of three leaders of a villain gang known as the War Boys whose operations have mostly taken place in Hokkaido in the past. Shatterer is wanted for a list of crimes, including homicide and terrorist actions. His gang is responsible for the death of the pro hero, Your Hero: Everyman, during a chase two months ago where two of the War Boys were captured and arrested."

"The War Boys seem to be responsible for this, but there have yet to be any ransom demands, and we don't know…"

Zach opened up the door to the cafe and stepped outside. He thought about the pictures the anchors had just skimmed through while talking about the War Boys. They were pictures he had been looking at all morning, and although he had not even had lunch yet, it already felt like the longest day in a long, long time. Whether or not it's actually my fault, shouldn't matter. It doesn't. Zach's head lifted a bit and he looked into the dark sky above full of blackish-gray clouds. His eyes narrowed and he lifted his phone up. He scrolled through the contacts and started walking down the sidewalk, his head lifting and focusing farther into the most urban and central part of town. He put the phone up to the side of his head under the hood. The phone rang twice, then someone picked up on the other end.

"Hello, how can I help-"

"I would like to speak with the man," Zach said. He kept walking and nodded his head a couple of times, then he pulled the phone away from his head and pressed the red end-call button. He lifted his right knee and slammed his phone down at the same time, then he tossed the broken device in a trashcan he was about to walk past anyway. He kept his hood up and his expression dark, and focused straight ahead. He was so focused on what was ahead, that he did not notice the head poking out of an alleyway just on the other side of the cafe he had been sitting in for the past hour and a half. The figure's head leaned out farther and they stared straight at Zach's back, and a huge smile broke out over their face before they pulled back and out of sight.

"How do you like it?" Seiki Ganji asked, scratching his goatee and grinning himself as he looked up and down the shorter figure before him.

Zach stood in Ganji's office at the side wall that was not covered in windows. He did not know the reason last time why the other wall that looked like it should have been covered in windows, as Ganji's office was wide enough that it seemed to span the width of the building, did not have any windows to speak of. He stood just inside an indent in the wall that had opened up to reveal a whole secret narrow passage inside, and he stared into a mirror through the shaded visor over his helmet. It's stuffy, he thought, but he nodded his head and then turned to Ganji and said in a grateful voice, "It's great."

The sixteen year old pulled out a knife from the black sheath on his right side, then one from the left to check the sharpness. He had two more sheaths under his armpits attached to his sides, two more on either side of his hips, another knife on the back of his waist, and his grappling gun was a different model with a twist to it to throw off anyone who might think this costume was similar to Lifebringer's. The biggest difference of his all-black uniform was his helmet though that covered his entire face, and the neck of his skin-tight costume pulled right up to his chin so not an inch of skin was showing on his whole body. The bottom half of the helmet had vertical slits for him to breathe black steam through, as well as breathe easier normally in the stuffy helmet. The top of the face-mask was actually a visor though it was shaded to the point that it just looked like a smooth cover on the top half, yet if his eyes were to turn red they would glow through that visor as it was not made of bone like the rest of the helmet. It was smooth on the sides and around the back of his head, but the top of the helmet did not cover the top of his scalp. It seemed like an obvious flaw for defensive purposes, but the boy in all black wanted his messy black hair showing. His original costume idea did not have anything covering the very top of his head either, though he had wanted his spiky hair to show back then to imitate a hero, not to strike fear when his hair would seep black tendrils into the air above him.

"We'll see how great it is," a voice said behind Zach after he had turned to Ganji again. The larger man turned his head a little and just grinned, while Zach spun around with wide eyes and stared farther into the office. He stared in surprise at the brown-haired man walking his way with a pair of sunglasses on.

"Webb," Zach began in a whisper. He stared at the blind man walking his way, and after few seconds he grinned and asked, "Will you see how great it is?" Ganji's eyes shot open huge behind Zach, his bottom lip dropping as the boy made a blind joke to a blind man.

Webb frowned deeply and stopped walking towards Zach. He paused, then he turned around and Zach called out, "Wait wait! Sorry." He reached up and took his helmet off to stop muffling his own voice which it only did a little, and he was mainly taking it off since there was no reason to have it on right now. Webb turned back around, and Zach said, "I'm surprised though." He glanced back at Ganji, then forward at Webb farther back in the office, "Even though I asked Mr. Ganji to get in contact with you, I didn't think you'd be here so soon."

"You said that I have a way to save your friend," Webb said, repeating what Ganji told him when he had called after speaking with Zach over the phone.

"You do," Zach said, though his voice got lower there and a little hesitant. He lifted his gloved left hand and rubbed over his mouth with it, then he lowered it and said, "And the other hostages too."

"And what is this way?" Ganji asked. He was also interested since Zach had not explained to him yet, saying earlier that it only mattered if Webb came which Ganji did not assure him was going to happen.

"It's something only we can do, together," Zach said slowly. "But it's going to come at a cost…"

Zach explained some of his plan to Webb whose face immediately dipped into an annoyed one, then a more thoughtful one as Zach walked over to a chair he had left his other clothes and belongings. Zach pulled out a sock and he held up his hand with a hopeful look on his face, and after a minute of deliberation Webb nodded his head and said, "Fine."

It was still light out past the windows on one side of the office, though it was dark too as the gray clouds from earlier had covered the city in a downpour. Webb and Zach stood over near the windows talking, while Seiki Ganji went over to his own narrow passage on the side of his office. While they were alone, Zach asked the man next to him who was a couple of inches taller than him, "Why haven't you messaged me recently?" Webb faced the boy and frowned more at the kid who did not lean away but just got a more upset, and a little hurt look on his face at Webb's frown. "I don't know what I did," Zach said. "But ever since we last came here, or even before we left, I know I must have done something."

Webb kept his mouth closed for a few seconds, but then he lifted a hand and rubbed his forehead over his sunglasses. "You were supposed to-" he started, then he stopped himself and sighed. He turned and walked farther back towards the center of the room and the chairs in front of Ganji's desk. Zach walked after him, a frustrated look on his face that Webb would not just tell him already. "I am disappointed, by your response."

"What response?" Zach asked, annoyed since it seemed like Webb was talking in riddles.

"To our meeting here," Webb said. "Your first meeting with Ganji." He turned to the boy behind him again, a frown on his face and his eyebrows narrowed in behind his sunglasses. Zach paused and his eyes widened a bit, though he was still confused as to what Webb was referring to. "After receiving a card, which I was surprised by. I did not think he would give you one on your first meeting. Yet when you received it, you said that you would not use it, and that you would wait until I called on you."

"I had school and-"

"You are right. You made it clear with that statement in the elevator, that you were preoccupied." Zach froze with his mouth open, and his eyes opened wider at what Webb was telling him. "Introducing you to Ganji was supposed to make you more independent, as your own anti-hero with your own connections, not that you realized it at the time. While you designed your costume I had some hope, because I could tell you were listening to the things we discussed. Yet despite talking at length about several criminal operations, you showed no interest in joining me to face them as I made clear I would be doing."

"I would have come if you'd asked," Zach said, a frustrated and also angry look on his face. Why didn't I notice? Why didn't- "Why not just tell me that's what you wanted?"

"It's not up to me to decide what you do," Webb said. "If you took the initiative on your own to show a will to join the fights I implied would be happening soon, or even if you had left school on your own without telling me to go face them by yourself… But you disappointed me by your response, so I decided not to bother with you anymore."

"Bother with me?" Damn it. He just, ended things without saying a word. He didn't even give me a number so I could get in contact with him. But that's, just the kind of guy Webb is. "Then why'd you come?" Zach asked darkly.

"I owe you a favor," Webb said. Zach's eyes opened wide, and Webb continued, "You helped with Diamondfist when I asked you to."

"Really?" Zach asked, his eyebrows lifting up. I wanted to go to that anyway. And he saved my life a bunch of times before that so if anything I was repaying the favor. Maybe he considers the information I gave him enough to pay back those saves anyway, but it's not like I went to fight Diamondfist for Webb. I went with him because I wanted to fight the League of Villains… It feels like Webb's using that as an excuse to help me, and I want to poke fun at him for doing it, but I guess our relationship wasn't as strong as I thought… I really thought of him, as a friend? No, a mentor? I guess that's closer. Not a hero, even if he did save my life. He was willing to let me get captured again to lead him to the League of Villains. He's an anti-hero. I know that. Damn it, I just didn't realize how much I messed up by saying that thoughtlessly in the elevator. I wasn't even paying attention. All I was thinking about was Lifebringer, and controlling Nightmare- there's always too much on my plate! That's no excuse though! I have to realize stuff like that. I have to think about how Webb was feeling in there, when I just got a card from Seiki Ganji, I should have been super hyped to become an anti-hero, but I was just thinking about all sorts of different things… My mind was scattered.

"Well then," Zach said, taking a deep breath as he calmed his thoughts a bit. "Thanks for coming, and letting me do this."

"I still feel it's a waste, but to save thirty-two people it's an acceptable loss. Maybe," Webb added at the end in a more annoyed tone as he once again weighed the pros and cons.

"It is," Zach said. "Even if it was just one person," he added, his voice softer.

Webb frowned more at the boy before him, but Zach frowned right back up at his face and narrowed his own eyes. "Alright," Seiki Ganji's deep voice boomed towards them. The two turned towards the other wall, and Zach's eyes shot open huge at the sight of the burly man standing there in a suit of tight black latex that looked thick and bulletproof. He had a belt on around his waist covered in different tools, a black mask over his face different from Zach's with a helmet that was thicker on the sides with round circle pieces sticking off the sides of his head, as well as thick black boots on with spikes around the sides of the soles.

"Whoa," Zach whispered, then he shook his head around. "Wait, are you, coming with us?" He asked it even though it seemed obvious at this point.

"Those pictures showed a great deal of villains," Seiki Ganji said in a serious tone from behind his mask. The middle of his mask had a visor that was lifted up so his eyes were showing, and those eyes narrowed as he rose up his clenched fists at his sides. "If I can help save the people held captive, then I will do my part. As Mythril, I will support you in your mission, Reaper." Zach's eyes opened even wider at how serious a tone Ganji had while saying that. "Now come here. We'll use the secret elevator at the end of the passage down to the secret garage beneath the building. It has been a long time since I used the secret tunnel connecting to the Cardana Tunnel."

Oh man. I forgot how rich this guy was for a second… but still! He's got a secret fucking tunnel?! How the Hell did he- Webb started walking forward on Zach's right, and Zach moved up as well. "Where's your costume Webb?" Zach wondered.

"I'll put it on on the way," Webb replied, which made Zach lift an eyebrow in confusion as that still did not answer his question.

"What is this method we will be locating them?" Ganji asked as Zach and Webb walked up to him. They entered the narrow passage with Ganji at the front and Zach just behind and to the left, while Webb could just walk side-by-side on Zach's right in the dark passage full of costumes and weapons. Ganji tapped a button on his right wrist where the fabric moved to show a bunch of tech beneath, and the end of the passage cracked in the middle at what looked like a wall to reveal the hidden elevator Zach did not notice last time he was in here.

Webb frowned again deeper at Ganji's question, and he replied, "We'll be using Hunter."

Ganji looked over his right shoulder in some surprise, focusing only on Webb as he did. He's letting Sazaki do this?

"I have something of my friend's on me," Zach said, walking with his helmet in one hand and a sock tucked into the belt on his left side behind a black sheath pressed tightly to him. He had spoken vaguely without giving away much information the first time, but if Ganji was coming along he figured he'd say everything. "He can track him using it, no matter where he is."

"And you're sure you want to give away that we've been tracking him?" Webb muttered, voicing his complaint with the boy's plan.

"He may never get in contact with the League of Villains," Zach began. "But even if he does one day, we need this now. We can't leave those people, and my friend, in villains' clutches for a far-off hope. Besides, I don't plan on letting him know we've been tracking him," Zach added that in a darker voice right as the three of them were getting in the elevator. Webb and Ganji both looked in at the boy as the elevator started dropping them fast through the building, much faster than the main elevator could go. Zach did not look at either of the men next to him after what he just said, but he finished in a lower voice, "When we get to him, just follow my lead. It's going to get, dark."

Webb nodded his head in understanding and pulled out his phone without any more hesitation. He tapped a few buttons while Ganji and Zach both looked at him, wondering how he managed to work his phone without even facing down at the screen. Webb lifted it up to the side of his head, and he said, "Yeah. Riekers, I need his location. No, not like that. I'm going after him. Yeah. Keep me posted on all movements. As precise as you can get, time is of the essence."

Zach felt relieved that Webb felt they were pressed for time, but he also caught that 'as precise as you can get,' which meant they might not be able to locate Hunter as easily as he had hoped. He knows my scent. And that makes it better, Zach thought, suppressing a small grin from coming to his face.

The doors of the elevator opened up and Zach's jaw dropped. He tried closing it fast, but the 'basement' looked like a badass secret lair with giant computers up ahead of them along a wall and a series of different vehicles lined up on a strip of pavement before a road into a narrow tunnel ahead of them. Ganji tapped some buttons on his wrist and the tunnel started lighting up, and then the big black Hummer at the right side of the line of vehicles turned on its engines without anyone inside it.

"Want to drive, Webb?" Ganji offered, a grin like he got a kick out of it.

Webb started frowning deeper, and Zach could not help but lift the corners of his mouth a little as it almost seemed to Zach like Ganji was taking his attitude as an excuse to make a blind joke himself. Zach realized a second later that he was probably wrong though as he saw Webb looking like he was thinking about it, only to shake his head and say, "I'll be on the phone in the back. I need to get changed as well. Let's move. There will be no breaks between reaching Hunter and going after the War Boys."

Webb moved for the Hummer and slid his hand along the door to the handle he grabbed and pulled open. Zach felt a little stupid that he thought it was a blind joke at all, thinking back on how Webb had driven them on a motorcycle from Musutafu to Ugina City before. He saw Webb get in the back of the big vehicle though, and he watched as Ganji moved around the other side, so he just stepped right up to the passenger seat and got in at the front. He kept his helmet off for now, but when he got in the Hummer and saw Ganji stepping in with his still on, he put his own as well. Secret identities. It's important. He lifted his visor at least while sitting there in the passenger seat, and he turned to Ganji who put the truck into gear and started driving forward fast. Guess there are no speed limits on his own private, not to mention secret, roads.

"Gan- Mythril," Zach said, realizing he had to use identities now that the mission was started, or now that Ganji was in costume, or just because of the fact that Ganji told him his anti-hero name a few minutes ago. "What is your Quirk? I assumed it had something to do with strength-"

"You assumed correctly," Mythril replied. "I can strengthen to two times my normal strength, two and a half if I go all out."

Zach tried very hard to keep a straight expression as he stared back out through the front windshield. He's a billionaire. He's a very well-connected anti-hero. This guy talked to All Might about saving me. Don't crack a smile. Zach managed to hold himself back, then he said, "You look strong already, so that must be-"

"There's no need to push yourself Reaper," Mythril said. He continued driving straight down the underground road but it curved ahead and Zach could see a large steel wall around that bend. "I understand that Strengthening is not an amazing Quirk in this world. It is why I graduated U.A.'s business course, even though I originally tried for the hero course." Zach's eyes widened as the man started talking about this, and though he knew Ganji had graduated from U.A. since he had done his research since their last meeting, he did not know that the man had tried to do the hero course first. Ganji continued after a pause, "Just into the start of my first year though, I was offered to move up into the hero course thanks to the Sports Festival. I decided against it however."

Ganji pushed his foot to the gas pedal harder and let out a low chuckle behind his mask, while Zach's eyes opened wide at what the man was saying. "I understood within a short time that I had a knack for business, and I had already made a plan to be a hero in my own way. The offer to move into the hero course was a test in my eyes, and I have always believed I chose correctly." The metal doors at the end of the path opened up in a single swoosh, leaving a large gap into a more illuminated tunnel while all the lights currently around them cut off. The Hummer shot out of the hole in the wall and dropped down ten feet to the ground of the tunnel while Ganji spun the wheel hard to one side.

Zach held on for his life as their truck spun out at the back wheels but then turned correctly after a second. He glanced in the rearview mirror and out the back of the Hummer to see another car had stopped in the road behind them, and he wondered what the person in that vehicle must think considering the wall of the Cardana tunnel was back the way it should be and did not look like a giant metal door at all from this side. They drove fast too, and they were out of sight of that other vehicle in a few seconds. Isn't that risky- Zach's eyes widened more as he stared at the man in the backseat who was already wearing a helmet that covered the top of his head. When did he- how did he?! I wanted to see his eyes, Zach thought in annoyance. He turned away from Webb with a deep frown, and Ganji continued talking after driving them out the other side of the tunnel.

"I learned in the first few weeks at the U.A. business course how much power some companies hold in this world. I understood that through having control over a business, having connections through the world, I could do so much more than just being an average, strong hero. Because don't get me wrong," Mythril said, and he let out a low and dry chuckle, "I am strong. But I never would have been more than a decent hero had I chosen that route."

"That's, pretty amazing," Zach said once the man sounded like he was finished. "And you really did it too. That tunnel thing back there was crazy. Your business, that basement, these costumes too," Zach shook his head in amazement at all that came out of graduating from the U.A. business school. You don't need to be a hero, he thought.

"It's important to make contacts while you are still at school," Ganji added. Zach turned to him eyes wide as it seemed like the man was giving him some advice, and he nodded quickly to show he was taking it. "I still have many contacts from my high school days. And it is someone I first met in the Support Department at U.A. who works with me now, who made your suit," Ganji finished, and Zach's eyes snapped down in shock that this costume was also made by someone related to U.A.'s Support Department. Ganji hummed and then added while Zach looked down at his costume, "Speaking of which, there's something you need to know about your costume…"

"Ah hah, ah hah, ah hah," a thin man in all black sprinted up a staircase, then he threw open a doorway and jumped into the air. He flew across the big empty room with nothing but rectangular white pillars in it from the floor to the ceiling. The empty building was pitch black other than some light coming in through windows, but even that was dim since he was in a quieter part of the city. Thin wings flapped fast over him and he shot towards the staircase up, only for the door at the top of it to open, and a figure to step into that door who made Hunter freeze and drop down to the floor. He fell fast and stumbled forward on his landing, before taking a step back as he looked at the man with a mask covering the top half of his face. "How are you doing this?!" Hunter shouted, his voice high-pitched and cracking.

He turned and sprinted back the other way, slamming a fist out to his left as he ran and smashing it through a pillar. "Raa!" Everywhere I go! I can escape! I can always run! How are they- how are they doing this?! Hunter jolted to a stop as he stared at the door he had come in himself ten seconds ago, where a figure just ran up into that doorway and turned to face him. The figure in all black looked big and menacing as he looked Hunter's way, but all he did was reach out and grab the door, then slam it to a shut with a loud noise that echoed through the empty building. "What is happening?!" Hunter yelled, spinning around and looking back across the room that now had a destroyed pillar in it to see the man he fought on New Year's now standing on the floor level with him.

Hunter took a step back, sweat all over his face. He snapped his head to the left and looked up, then he spun back towards the man across the room who stomped down extra hard and made an echoing thud through the room.

"You know how," a deep voice started. It chilled Hunter to the bone. He froze in place, his entire body covering in more sweat. He turned to the left again, then turned his whole body this time and stared with his bottom lip lowered at the figure suddenly standing only twenty feet away from him. He was pitch black with a dark aura around him, no bones showing inside him this time other than the skull on his face and the glowing red orbs coming from the eye sockets. That figure took a step towards Hunter, and the aura around him pushed back with his step to make him look like he was leaving it behind, a trail of it following him while also seeping off the top of his head in long strands that gave his skull what looked like a waving spiky-haired appearance only of darkness. "You know, because you have my lingering scent from when you hunted me. You knew I was coming for you, but you didn't dare believe it." The voice was dark, and ominous, and scratchy, and the dark figure's red eyes flared as he took another step towards Hunter who took a full step back.

Hunter gulped but then his fists clenched at his sides. His arms were shaking, but he steadied his right and threw a knife he pulled out straight forwards at the boy's skull-face. Zach snapped his right hand up with a knife in it- Dink He slashed across the knife and knocked it away, a black slash coming off of his own blade that covered in that darkness instantly when he wrapped his hand around the hilt. Zach's red eyes grew wider, but Hunter just took another step back in fear, not noticing the figure's red eyes looking at his own knife in surprise. My reflexes in this form, keep heightening. Zach lowered his blade and glared towards Hunter, and he said in a dark and louder tone, "How does it feel, to be the one who's hunted?"

Zach walked forward, darkness dripping from the blade he held in front of him. "Chased into a corner, by my followers?" Zach said, and Hunter's eyes shot open even wider while a terrified look spread across his face. "Hahaha, hahahaha," Zach laughed and slowed to a stop twelve feet in front of the hitman. "Did you really think you could outrun the devil?"

"You're not-"

"Kiki Tanner," Zach said, and then he stomped his right foot forward and forced darkness out of it fast to cover the floor and rise up in dark wisps. Hunter stumbled backwards and this time fell to his butt as Zach called him out by his real name. "You tried to bring me to my torturers, attempted to kill me when I was weak, but I have recovered my strength."

"I'm sorry," Hunter began, his voice cracking as he pushed his hands down at his sides. Webb stood not far away, facing Zach while thinking about the hardened assassin who he fought against tooth and nail a few months ago. Listening to that criminal sounding like he did now, impressed the blind man as much as he was just frowning towards Zach. Hunter spoke quickly in a scared voice, "I didn't know-"

"You toyed with the devil," Zach said, his voice even deeper and more menacing. His red eyes swirled a darker color as Zach forced darkness around his face, shading over the white of his skull more and giving himself the most terrifying black appearance. "And your debt, must be paid." His voice dipped a whole notch darker there, and Zach did not even realize it was going to happen though he had forced a lot of darkness up to his face right there which made him realize it probably had a lot more in his throat and mouth too. He breathed out heavily when he realized that, and a black steam came out of his mouth and shadowed over his face even more with the cloud of haze.

Hunter's arms he was trying to use to scoot himself back fell, his palms slipping as he trying scooting faster only for him to fall almost flat on his back. He stared forward with his head barely lifted, his eyes trembling as the devil walked towards him. "P-Please don't-"

You bastard. How many people told you that when these positions were switched? "I need something from you," Zach said, his voice back to deep and scratchy but not as murderous as what he said last.

This made Hunter's eyes open huge in hope and desperation, and he started nodding his head desperately. "Anything! I'll do anything!"

"I need you to find someone for me," Zach said.

Hunter started nodding really fast, but he said in a somewhat calmer tone while getting to his knees and then in a crouch, "Anything. Yeah I can- but I n-n-need something from whoever you're-"

Zach lifted a hand from his waist and tossed forward a sock that lost the darkness around it as it fell towards Hunter. Hunter scrambled away from the dark form falling at him, falling back on his butt again before getting up and walking to the sock on the floor. He reached down and grabbed it, and Zach continued to the figure whose expression he was reading while the man rose the sock to his face. "Do not think about it," Zach said, and Hunter's face started sweating more, even as he tried calming himself down. "I was able to locate you because of the intense hatred I feel towards you inside my black heart. It led me here, allowed me to keep track of your every move, your every attempt to flee."

Hunter's face filled with terror once again. The fact that Zach was there asking him to help find someone was strange to him since Zach and his comrades had located him. It had almost snapped him out of his horror, but Zach's explanation countering what he was thinking about without him ever making an attempt to escape just made him even more terrified. "Listen to me, Kiki-kun," Zach said, and he forced out more black wind around his body. He forced more than he ever had in his fight against Hunter who had been too fast for him to try and charge much back on New Year's. Hunter lifted his head and stared at Zach's form surrounding in a thicker and bigger shroud of darkness every passing second. He kept it away from his skull face and his red eyes that started glowing brighter as he surrounded everything else in thicker darkness. Ganji backed away from the other side of a nearby door, and Webb took a step back himself, as they heard Zach's voice in their heads, "You are now my servant. If you consider betraying me. If you make any attempt to lie to me… It will not be quick. It will not be painless. It will be excruciating, and you will suffer everlasting."

Hunter dropped down to his left knee and bowed his head into his right that was sticking up in front of him with his right foot on the ground. He got in that kneeling stance like he was pledging his loyalty, though he looked so wobbly on it that he might fall at any second. I'm crossing a new line, Zach thought as he stared at the man who started blathering to him that he would never betray the 'devil' as long as he lived. I knew this guy partly believed I was the devil, so I decided to use that. This far though. Zach glared harder down at Hunter, "You will lead me and my comrades to our companion. Take us there, Hunter, and I will free you… for now." I can be a good actor when I want to be… Zach watched as Hunter lifted his head and tried steadying his obviously terrified gaze to tell Zach that he already had the scent and could start taking them to him immediately. It's already been fourteen hours since Kaminari's messages. I don't have time to go easy. The ends, justify the means.

A/N Thanks for reading. Zach skips out on U.A., calls up Ganji's secret number, and he's using every resource he's got to find Kaminari. What did the War Boys do with Kaminari and the other passengers of the tour bus? Will Hunter be able to lead Zach and his anti-hero comrades to the villains? Has Zach stepped too far convincing a man he is the devil? And what about just leaving U.A. in the middle of this emergency?! Find out next time on one of the longest chapters of Death so far! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to what's coming! Leave a review below with predictions/comments/questions!

Bass4penguin chapter 50 . 21h ago

What would happen if Zach revived someone who had lost there quirk ?

Great question. Zach's been bringing people to perfect health, so I can see why you'd think it's a possibility. If the situation arises I guess we'll see... Thanks for the review!

Jonnno377 chapter 50 . 13h ago

As far as the whole story goes it's amazing I've read alot of MHA fan fics on this website but I genuinely think that this is one of the best ive ever read the storyline is everything i look for in these kinda things the character has some extreme levels of depth to him
My one and only thing is have to say about how I would personally take the story is I'd have Zach do more solo acts like try and take down shigiraki solo idk that's just where I'd take things I think you could you with the rest of the casts emotions that way as they try to figure out where Zach keeps running off too also I feel as if you could explore Zach's emotions abit more but either way as I said one of the best if not the best OC story I've ever read keep up the amazing work

Thanks a lot! Glad you've been reading it this far, and I actually laughed a bit at the second part of this review. Zach's def into some more solo game now as he heads after Kaminari on his own using his anti-hero contacts, Hunter's fear of him, everything he can. Again, thanks for the high praise of my story and I hope you enjoyed the recent chapter!

chapter 50 . 5h ago

I got eyes on target. (ZachxMomo) TAKE THE SHOT!
Amazing chapter. I just found this Fanfic a couple of days ago and I've already binged it to here.
Also is the drawing a photo of Zach? I've just kinda been imagining Juuzou Suzuya from Tokyo Ghoul Re with different hairstyles and scars.

Zach dips on U.A. here, even ignoring Momo's worried messages... ;(, but he's on a mission now. Thanks for reviewing, glad you binged it so quickly, makes me think I've done a good job so far. Hope you enjoyed the recent chapter, and thanks for the review! And yes, that is a picture of Zach which I have the user Celestial Stratos to thank for drawing for this story.

Guest chapter 50 . 15h ago

Will zach be in the hero license exam arc after this cause i want to see him use his
Nightmare form, also could he some how turn it into an armor with all the white bone tattoos
kinda like a skull knight with white flowing hair!

Actually been a while since the hero license exam arc. That happens right after Bakugo retrieval, which happened like 8 months ago now story-wise. Zach got a provisional license upon returning to school, while the others already had their test way back in August/September sometime. Anyway just wanted to clear that up. Thanks to you guys and to everyone else for reviewing! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll try to get up the next one tomorrow!