Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 55:

At U.A. High School, twenty-one students sat in the classroom labeled 'Class 2-A' outside the door. It was the first day of the start of their second years, and they were all excited to start up classes again even after only a short break. Zach sat at his same seat as the last year, or in the same spot as it would be in this new room. He had his right hand on the desk in front of him and was tapping his fingers as he awaited the day to start. I need to relax, he told himself, and stopped tapping for a total of five seconds before he was back at it. This sucks so much more than I thought it would, and I already thought it would stink. There was nothing to do all of break. What did I think I was going to do before I ran off? It doesn't matter! I probably would have left a few times, to go to the library or on a run around the city or to get food. Geez, as far as punishments go this was about as lax as they could have gotten, right? Yeah but why should I be punished at- gaahhhh, this sucks. At least Kaminari's cool with everything, Zach thought, and his fingers stopped tapping again with a small smile settling on his face. He even had ideas for stuff we could do. Though now that I can't leave here, they were just kind of 'what if' scenarios. Still, I think it would be awesome if we could go after the League together.

"Who do you think it's going to be?" Kaminari leaned right and asked Kirishima on his right side.

"I don't know, but I'm getting excited. I wish they would've sent us out a schedule or something. Makes it seem more secretive this way!"

"My heart's pounding," Hagakure said, leaning forward behind Kirishima to tell the other two. "I wonder who our homeroom teacher will be first. And do you think we'll have all different teachers from last year?"

"Everyone! Settle down!" Iida ran up in front of the class that was pretty loud for a Monday morning. "This is not the proper way to greet whoever our new teacher shall be. We should be…"

"Iida hasn't changed in a whole year, huh?" Ashido said, tilting her head back and asking Uraraka behind her. Uraraka smiled back and shook her head with a laugh as their class rep was as diligent as ever.

"You're the loudest one in here," Jirou called to the front. "Better get in your seat fast Iida, before the teacher comes- oh there he is!" Jirou pointed, and Iida started running for his seat.

Iida spun back after sitting down, his hands over his desk and his body straight up in a ready position to greet their new teacher respectfully. The door was closed. No one was coming in. Iida's hands started shaking over the table, while Kaminari cracked up across the room and Jirou held a hand over her mouth. "That is not-" Iida started calling out loudly, then the door of the room opened right as he shot out of his seat.

Iida's mouth was open and his head started turning in slow-motion dread, his jaw dropping farther while Kaminari's smile lifted higher up, as did Kirishima and Sero who were not even laughing at first but suddenly found it a lot funnier. Jirou tried to hold back her laughter, while Zach sat up straight himself at the sight of the doors opening, glancing sympathetically out the corners of his eyes towards Iida who had too much forwards' momentum to sit back down fast.

"Morning," a tired voice said from the man walking in the room.

The rest of the class who were sitting shot up on their seats like Iida already had. "Ehh?!"

"What?"

"Again?!"

Aizawa turned his head tiredly towards the class of students who looked surprised and disappointed to see him. "It's just homeroom," he said, confused at why they had such strong reactions towards it.

The class dropped back down in their seats, slouched shoulders all around at the boring answer to the questions they had all been looking forward to for days. "Ahhh," Aizawa sighed as he walked up to the podium at the front of the room and slouched down himself behind it. "Alright, Iida and Yaoyorozu, come pass these out," Aizawa said, lifting up some papers he brought in with him. "They have your new schedules on them, as well as new information regarding your living situation here as second years. U.A.'s still a boarding school. We're making it less acceptable for you all to leave on family vacations though. Because of some people," Aizawa mentioned, and he looked towards Kaminari and then Zach.

Zach's bottom lip lowered a little that Aizawa was straight out blaming them for school changes, ones that people would probably be upset about. "Good job getting abducted, Kaminari," Kirishima joked to his left, at the blond whose bottom lip closed and he spun to the redhead with an annoyed look.

Aizawa scratched his head and then continued before the class could all start talking, "Anyway, you're second years now. But we're going to treat you like third years have been treated in the past. You have more experience than most have had by this point, including myself back when I went to U.A." The students around the classroom all looked at their homeroom teacher in surprise, and he continued in a lazy tone, "Don't let that get to your head, but make sure you understand that because of your experience, people will treat you like you're all older than you are. We will be allowing you to look for internships later in the semester, and the Sports Festival will be going on as usual. Security will be tighter than last year, but the Sports Festival is as big of a symbol as our society has nowadays."

Everyone looked up at Aizawa with widening eyes. "More so than the top ten, or even Endeavor, U.A. has stood against the League of Villains over and over. The U.A. Sports Festival is the biggest event of the year for many people. And it last occurred before All Might's retirement. The nervous people in this country, ones who don't know if us heroes know what we're doing anymore, need to see the Sports Festival to feel reassured. To prevent them from getting disillusioned with heroes," Aizawa glanced towards Zach whose eyes opened wide at the teacher's look. Huh? "And to alleviate the public's fear that we have lost the edge over villains. We will hold the Sports Festival as always, and you should all keep in mind how much the event means beyond just trying your hardest to win."

Whoa, Sero thought, a bead of sweat rolling down the left side of his face. That's a lot to throw on us on the first day! Don't you think?

That is true, Shoto Todoroki thought while staring up towards the front of the room. As much as Dad's trying to change, not only as a hero, but a father and… U.A. is a symbol that was on par with All Might, or almost. He is rising towards that, but for now the school that trained the top heroes including Dad, All Might, Best Jeanist, it's the thing that people can continue to rely on the most.

Why'd Aizawa sensei look towards me? The disillusioned with heroes thing? Because I mentioned that in my report? Did that… No way. Zach shook his head but started smiling more as he thought about all Aizawa just told them. This is the biggest event all year. And this time, there's no way I give up midway through. No matter what anyone calls me… though I think they'd only say good things now. I hope. Anyone who saw the Lifebringer video- as long as they saw me save Kaminari and Thompson, I should be good, right? I hope so. I want to, I want to win this! Not that that's, going to happen, he glanced to his right and around the room at the people he actually thought had a chance at winning.

I couldn't do it last time. "I am here." I need to tell the world clearly this time. Izuku Midoriya clenched his fists over his desk and got a nervous, serious, and yet excited look on his face. Against Todoroki, or Bakugo again. I have to win this time. It means so much more now that All Might is retired. I need to do it!

Number 1. Damn Deku and the half and half bastard are going all out this time. Bakugo saw their serious looks out the corners of his eyes, and his mouth lifted into a huge grin while glaring straight at the front of the room. An undisputed first place!

Older brother. I will prove I deserve the name Ingenium. Before the world, I will let it know that Ingenium has not died. Iida stared forward through his glasses in an intense way and clenched his left hand where he felt some numbness in his fingers. He looked down towards that hand and the scars on it left from his fight against Stain. This time, I will act as a respectable hero should! As you always did!

Muuhahahaha, my new secret Super Move is going to knock their socks off! Minoru Mineta rubbed his hands together and darted his eyes back and forth in his seat. I'll knock you all off those pedestals you're on! He thought while glancing at the strongest students in the class.

I will get an offer this time! I will! Ashido held her fists over her desk and nodded her head seriously.

Mom. Dad. I'll do better this time! I'm going to become a better hero fast, so I can help you. Uraraka nodded her head while getting serious herself.

Everyone in the class had their own reasons for wanting to take the Sports Festival seriously. The extra incentive given by Aizawa was hardly necessary, and the entire mood of the classroom had suddenly become very intense. "Alright, time for your math class," Aizawa said in a tired voice, and he walked for the door which opened with Snipe walking in. The class full of intense students grinning and clenching their fists and looking nervous and excited all at the same time suddenly found it impossible to get back into the school mentality. That is, until Snipe told them they would be having a pop quiz to see if they remembered everything from last year…

"Another one?" Kirishima asked. His eyes were wide for a second then he shook his head around and said, "Damn. Alright Zach. You went through that last one fast, sure I shouldn't grab you two?" I'm not even halfway through mine, Kirishima thought as he faced the boy in the common room kitchen with him.

"Uhh, yeahh, yeah that sounds good actually," Won't have to ask him to do this again as soon. "Just whenever you're heading there next," Zach added.

"Yeah I got you," Kirishima replied, waving a hand off to show it was no trouble. "Surprised you went through that whole thing so quick though. What've you been doing, drinking a protein shake with every meal?"

"Just, working out a lot recently," Zach said, and he turned back to the stove that had a post-morning-workout egg scrambling on top of it. He had gotten the eggs from Lunch Rush to make on his own time which he was glad the hero did not argue with. He was hungry all the time lately as he was either working out or resting while he was at his dorm, and he was almost always in the dorm outside of class. "Got the Sports Festival coming up, you know?" Zach said, smiling at Kirishima and making the redhead grin back and start saying how he was training for it. Though that's not really it, Zach thought as his friend went on about a new move he was training. I have to constantly be working out, or doing homework, studying, something. Whenever I'm doing nothing in here, I think about all the stuff I could be doing off campus and it bugs me out knowing I can't do those things anymore.

Zach refocused as best he could and lifted his eyebrows at what Kirishima just told him. "Unbreakable on only part of your body? Can you really do it?"

"I'm trying," Kirishima replied. "If I can get it working though, I could probably make just my arms harder than even Unbreakable is when it covers all of me." Zach started nodding at him as that made some sense, then Kirishima asked, "Have you tried that with your Nightmare form?"

"Kind of," Zach replied, nodding at the boy with really spiky hair. Zach's hair was longer than it was at the start of the previous year, but he did not spike it at all anymore. It was messy around his head and starting to get wavy the longer it got, which surprised Zach who did not know what his hair looked like naturally long. He had cut it short for so long, spiked it for years, that the last time he had let it get long at all was back when he was ten years old. Zach rubbed his left hand up through his black hair, pushing his bangs back and then scratching his head as he continued, "After turning on Nightmare I can focus where it's strongest, so I can cover my arms more at the cost of thickness around the rest of my body. Usually I try taking from my back where it's naturally a lot thicker for some reason."

"You don't know why?" Kirishima asked.

Zach shook his head slowly. "Maybe it's a defense mechanism? Protect my spine first? As much as I try to make it weaker on my hands though, I can't forcefully take it all off. Unless I've exhausted the power it keeps coming out of my whole body."

"Having trouble making it weaker," Kirishima said with a shake of his head. "Looks like we've got opposite problems."

"Looks like it," Zach agreed, while stepping to the stove and finishing up his eggs. He slid them off the pan and onto a plate next to it, and he frowned that he did not have any salt or pepper, or hot sauce, or anything to put on those eggs. I could buy condiments at the store, but I can't- Zach grimaced and wanted to rub his head for the thought that solely popped into it to annoy him. "I'm not going to use Death during the Sports Festival though," Zach continued after putting the eggs on his plate. "Nightmare or anything. It's just not-"

"Oh come on dude," Kirishima said, lowering his smile and starting to frown after. "We're all going to be giving it our best-"

"I know," Zach said apologetically, glancing over his shoulder while walking over to one of the tables. He sat down and Kirishima came and sat across from him. "But Aizawa sensei said it, this is a big deal for people all around the country. They're watching to see the best future heroes in action. They don't want to see a scary monster-"

"You're not a-"

Zach re-interrupted after Kirishima cut in, "If you're a five year old kid and me in Nightmare form shows up in front of you, you think you wouldn't start crying?"

"'Course not!" Kirishima shouted.

"Yeah, well I think you're the odd one out there," Zach said. "Those people I saved with Kaminari, I actually saw one of them back up into the guy holding her hostage, rather than get any closer to me." Zach frowned before lifting up some scrambled eggs to his mouth. "It's too scary," he said, chewing his food and muttering it in an annoyed voice. "But you really should be glad," Zach added, lifting his lips up to make it seem like he was not as upset as he just looked. Kirishima changed his expression to stare at Zach in confusion, and the shorter boy said, "If I was going to use it, you wouldn't have a chance against me. Now, I guess you've got a twenty percent chance-"

"Ehhh?!" Kirishima slammed his hands on the table and leaned forward. "Little cocky there if you're not going to be going all out."

"I'm going to put in a request to use my grappling hook for the festival. I'll have to go to the Support Department and make it myself I think, but hey that could be good experience anyway. In case it ever breaks in the field I'll know how to put it back together," Zach offered, taking another bite of his eggs and gaining an actual more thoughtful look as he pondered that.

"Think you can beat me with just a grappling hook?" Kirishima asked skeptically, and in an annoyed voice like he thought Zach was underestimating him.

"Who knows?" Zach asked, but he smirked at Kirishima after a second. "But I don't plan on losing."

Kirishima looked surprised at that competitive smirk, but then he smirked right back and lifted his left hand with his elbow down on the table. "We better get a matchup now, so you can back that up."

Zach was glad Kirishima lifted his left hand, as normally he felt the other boy would have risen his right for something like this. He rose his left too and clasped his hand forward into Kirishima's with his elbow on the table too. "You bet," Zach said, then he laughed as they let go and he went back to his food. "As long as we both never lose to anyone else, we'll have to have a matchup sooner or later."

"Yeah," Kirishima agreed, but his smile lowered down a bit as he thought about all the others in the second year class with them. Don't want to go up against Todoroki, but I could go for a rematch with Bakugo! Told him I wouldn't lose like last time.

"Hey Kirishima, we're about to..."

The two boys sitting near the kitchen looked over and Ashido stopped talking at their gazes. She looked at Zach and her smile lowered down a bit, and Zach sighed as he got back to his food. Saturday, late morning. Ashido sounds excited and has a bag with her. "Gonna go for a run around campus after this," Zach said, while he was finishing up his eggs. "See you later Kirishima." He looked towards Ashido and gave her a small wave before standing up.

Ashido saw Zach knew why she had stopped, and she called over, "Sorry Zach. I'd ask if you wanted to come too-"

"It's fine," Zach replied while going over to the sink to wash off his plate.

"Come?" Kirishima asked, still slow on the uptake.

Ashido walked towards him and started talking about how a few of them were heading out into the city, and when Kirishima asked if they had a pass Ashido replied that Iida had requested one a whole week back. "Always so dependable," Kirishima said with a laugh, then he turned and realized with widening eyes what Zach and Ashido's conversation had been about.

Zach was walking back over himself, and he figured he'd go upstairs first and get back into the clothes he just worked out in before coming down to eat. "Have fun," Zach said before picking up his pace and running every step up without skipping any.

He didn't know where the others were going, who else was going with Ashido, but he liked that better. He jogged up to his room and got back into his clothes from earlier, throwing them on with a serious look on his face. Train. Eat. Put on muscle. I hope I keep getting taller quickly. I thought I'd be taller than Midoriya now, but he suddenly… Focus! Train. Stamina. Strength. Combat. Everything. I can't just make a boast like that with Kirishima and hope I can somehow beat him if it comes to it. I have to train harder. Think of all my classmates' weaknesses… Not that I haven't already. Zach frowned once he got his clothes on but before he turned back to his door. He stared out the window and glared at the blue sky above, Considering everyone could be a spy, will have been good for the Sports Festival. It sucks so much that I've spent actual time thinking about how to defeat each of you, but whether or not I actually have to use those plans someday in the future, I can use them for the Sports Festival too. To win. To let people see me. To let them know, that, Lif- that I am here. Zach frowned and he rose his left hand to his forehead. Come on. You could sign it easy enough. Why can't… I told Nezu I'm not anymore. I unregistered that hero name. I, I can't use it. As much as I want to. I just can't…

Zach shook his head around and spun to his door. But for now, focus on what I can do. If there's a kind of race for the first event again, I need to be faster than I was last year. Everyone else will have sped up using their Quirks over the past year, so not using mine again I have to still be able to make it. He started running straight out his door and then down his hallway. He sprinted to the steps and down them, his face intense and his fists clenching at his sides. I've got this.

This is probably a good thing. Definitely. Having this much free time just means I have more time for this, Zach sped up his jog a bit but kept a pace he would not get exhausted too quickly at. It was already his fifth lap around campus and he was sweating but still keeping from panting. And if I'm really decided on not using Nightmare at all for the whole Sports Festival, even though it could help, even though it has so many perks... then I need to train my body harder not in Nightmare mode. I've been almost exclusively training in Nightmare form while on my own recently, because the results were so much clearer with it. Increasing the amount of Death given off and how strong that Death got, adjusting the potency and my own physical power. I hope one of the rounds is against robots so I can finally see how strong this power- shit. Not that I'd be able to see it while staying in my normal form.

Zach shook his head around and kept speeding up his run. He had on a t-shirt since it was early May and too hot for him to run with long sleeves anymore. He had tried just pushing through it, but he wound up rolling his sleeves up the last few times anyway. The black-haired boy glanced down at his left arm as he ran. He stared at discolored skin over the back of his hand, and he imagined a spike going through it and getting yanked out. He stared at the darker skin on his left wrist from the cuffs and ropes that had dug into his skin so much more at the times he was struggling the most, times which came into his head before he lifted his gaze higher. He looked above a slash below his elbow he winced at the sight of, and he finally smiled at the thin scar above the elbow he received during his fight against Shatterer.

Then Zach's gaze kept lifting though, and he stared at a scar from when he fought Hunter. Except, Hunter only reopened the wound, Zach thought as he stared at the gash only partly sticking out of his short sleeve. His teeth bared and he clenched his eyes shut for a second while slowing down. It opened the first time when I rolled on the glass from that window I shattered. After I escaped from Spinner. After, I left that woman behind… Zach's teeth clenched so much harder and he snapped his eyes open. Those eyes shot open wider and he smiled ahead towards Midnight who he saw on the road looking his way. He ran down the road and rose his left hand to wave at her as he went by, "Morning Midnight sensei." It was still before lunch so Zach thought that was a fine greeting, but Midnight stared at him oddly as he jogged by her. Guess I looked too dark there. Damn it. Thinking about Higucha always gets to me though. More than most things. I can't just push that aside. I can't push her… damn.

Zach kept running without looking back to see if Midnight kept staring at him like that. After I escaped, Webb got me. Webb. Saved me from Hunter, helped me save Kaminari, but if I ever see him again… It's up in the air. If he retires because of his arm, I never will meet him. Even if he recovers, who knows? "The number you have dialed is out of service." Ganji's special card is worth jack-shit now. I never understood how it worked. The first time I used it I interrupted the lady on the other line. Does she know about the anti-heroes? Was the number a part of Rasheed Corp. that Ganji only had rerouted for those purposes? Or was the lady answering casually in case someone stole my card but did not know the password? Could have been anything. I'll never know now, since they cancelled it. Threw out the card, for good measure.

"Ganji doesn't think I'm worth it anymore," Zach muttered to himself as he ran. "Webb's not going to contact me." He ran faster and steadied his expression in a calm way. "If I need anything, I can call up Hunter. I'll let Kaminari know when it comes time for it. I hope he's down." Zach muttered the last part while looking up across campus himself. I crossed a line. Were Ganji and Webb really okay with the way I got Hunter to listen to me, or were they fucked up by my methods? What's acceptable?

I crossed a big line with Hunter. I accepted going that dark for the greater good. How dark? How far, am I willing to go? What's the cut off? Zach shook his head and started speeding up more, panting harder as he started a sprint across campus. It wasn't too far. It doesn't matter what's acceptable to others. Whatever I consider acceptable, is good enough. And if Webb and Ganji don't want to help me anymore that's fine. I'll use my own resources. My own connections. Having Ganji's help would have been good but I don't have the code anymore and shouldn't try meeting with him on my own, if I ever am allowed out of school again. I know things though. Things I learned from Shigaraki and Dabi and the others. Things I never told the courts, or Webb, or Kaminari. Things I did, saw, learned, that no one knows. I hate holding things back from my friends and allies, but it's not all bad knowing that no one realizes the extent of all I know. Maybe it'll give me an edge in the Sports Festival, Zach thought while slowing a bit, lifting his right hand and staring at it. I have Hunter at my beck and call. I took down half a dozen villains, even beat the guy who stopped Webb. Though Webb was fighting that whole group at once, and I had Kaminari's help… but still. I found them. I fought them. I won, and saved them all. He clenched his right hand in front of him at the sight of a fence up ahead, and he bit down hard. And despite all that, I can't leave my fucking house.

"I don't know, I feel like I should be grateful the principal only went this far," Zach said while sitting across from Softy in her office on Saturday afternoon. "I mean I get that it makes sense as a punishment. I just, I can't-"

"Zach, we talked a great deal on this last weekend," Softy began softly. "I was hoping we could discuss the cause for this punishment today. Taking on-"

"I know I know," Zach said, and he lifted his left hand and put it up through his hair. "I know we should talk about that, but the being stuck here thing is making me cra-" He stopped himself and shook his head, leaning back in his seat and frowning at what he almost said. "It's not like things have changed that much," Zach said, and Softy did not say anything about how the conversation was stuck back on this topic again. "But it's the idea of it. The knowledge that I'm stuck- trapped, confined in this small space. And U.A.'s campus is so big that I don't know why I feel like that, but I mean, I hate being trapped. I could go anywhere, be anyone, being so confined is just…"

"Zach," Softy began. "Do you think that maybe, your feelings of being trapped here might be amplified by the memories of confinement with the League-"

"Of course," Zach replied. "It's not like I don't know that," Zach said quickly. "But it's not that different. As much as there's no tor-" he glanced down at his left arm, frowned more and closed his mouth to stop from saying anything more. It's completely different. But the general feel, is the same. Stuck. Trapped. Against my will. I can't fucking take this! It's been two weeks and I'm losing my shit! I've been all over the world, I traveled all across Japan that day to chase Hunter then get to the War Boys. Suddenly not even being able to go out into Musutafu. One step out of school property and I'm expelled?! "I can't take this," Zach muttered. "It's, it's a harder punishment than I thought it would be. I get that's what punishments are supposed to be, I don't know…" Zach trailed off and looked back into Softy's eyes. "Any ideas?"

"Yes," Softy replied. "I will speak with the principal-"

"Wait no," Zach swung his arms up in panic with wide eyes. "You can't," he said, his eyes getting softer and worried that Softy was suggesting taking what they just talked about out of the room. I've been telling everyone I'm fine, that it sucks but I get it. I shouldn't have said anything- "It's actually not that bad."

"Zach, you just told me that the school's faculty is contributing to your PTSD," Softy started, and Zach's eyes opened even wider at the sound of that. "Whether or not you feel the punishment is fair, I cannot allow it to continue if it causes you so much mental stress."

Zach sighed and he rubbed the side of his head hard with his left hand. How to fix this? Think quickly. Zach cracked a small grin and said, "If you really have to." He said it in a reluctant sort-of way, but he wiped the smile off his face after looking back towards Softy and seeing that she saw it.

"Are you trying to trick me into thinking this was your plan the whole time?" Softy wondered.

Zach sweatdropped and lost the smug look he was hiding behind an even faker reluctant one. She's too good, Zach thought disappointedly. "Please don't tell them though," Zach started after nodding once at Softy to let her know she totally caught him. "If you do, I know they'll think I just told you to manipulate you into letting me get out. Things will just get worse, and I know there are more punishments still to come so I don't need the extra stress that would come of getting out of this. Anything that happened after I'd think was just a result of…" Zach trailed off and he rubbed his head some more. Backup plan is going well. Act like I was caught and admit your reasons while also giving new reasons as to why she shouldn't say anything. "So please," Zach started again. "Just let it go. I'm sure Principal Nezu will let me start leaving school again, as soon as I regain some of the school's lost trust."

Softy started shaking her head at Zach but she sighed as she did. If they gave him different punishments to replace the current one, he would blame me, but he would also blame himself for saying anything in the first place. He wouldn't feel comfortable talking to me anymore. Softy rubbed her forehead, the short woman humming to herself as she tried thinking up a solution.

"I'll be fine Softy, really," Zach said, making his own voice quieter with a tone like Softy usually used. "I just needed to vent to you, okay? I can handle it though. I know it won't last forever." But it's driving me bad-shit crazy right now. My room's a cage. The dorm is a cell. Campus is the prison. Meal times. Free time to work out. It's like prison. I could leave though. I have the choice. Just think about that, and I'll be okay. "I could leave whenever I want," Zach said, making sure Softy heard him say it so she knew he did not think it was an actual prison. "But because I choose to stay, I have to accept all that staying entails." Even if my room is starting to look like the one I was in for those six weeks.

"You sure you want to do this?" Zach asked. He interlocked his fingers in front of him and cracked his knuckles pushing straight out, then he brought his arms closer and turned his body sideways into a fighting stance.

"Not really," Kaminari replied, but he put his arms up over his head and locked his fingers like Zach had done as he stretched. The two of them were wearing their blue gym clothes, and they were on the roof of a twelve story building in Ground Beta. "But last time I relied way too much on my electricity. Gotta at least try something else once in a while."

"Sure you want me to spar with you though?" Zach questioned.

"Who better?" Kaminari said then laughed a couple of times nervously. "Trying to make me nervous here, huh? Not gonna work!" Kaminari lowered his arms and got into a fighting stance too, one that resembled the one Zach was in except with holes in it that Zach noticed right away. Zach grinned at the sight of them after Kaminari's boast, and Kaminari snapped his head down before shifting his feet a little and trying not to make it that noticeable.

"Where are you looking?" Zach asked, and Kaminari snapped his head up. The blond boy's jaw dropped and his eyes shot open huge, because Zach wasn't standing in front of him anymore or even where his voice sounded like it acme from just a few feet in front of him.

"Huh-" Kaminari froze with sweat on both sides of his face, as there was a fist sticking out on the left side of it. "When did you…" Kaminari turned his head and looked behind him at Zach whose arm was lifted up a little diagonally since Kaminari was a couple of inches taller than him.

"It's not about when," Zach replied while pulling his arm back. Kaminari spun to him, and Zach said while backing a few feet away, "It's a stealth technique I picked up. Hold my breath, empty my mind, and move outside of my opponent's view."

"Huh," Kaminari said, and a bead of sweat rolled down the left side of his face. "Think I could pick up on that too?"

"Let's work on the basics first," Zach replied. "Like focusing on your opponent so it's harder for them to vanish like that."

Kaminari frowned as Zach grinned at him, then he asked, "So where did you learn that technique?" Kaminari ran at Zach after asking, the instant Zach's smile started lowering down. Kaminari punched his right hand forward, and Zach rose his left and pushed a palm into the side of Kaminari's fist.

The blond boy's momentum kept him moving forward but with an arm crossed in front of his body so there was no way to counter the palm that swung back after hitting his fist. Zach hit Kaminari in the side of his head with the back of his hand, making the blond stumble back while closing his eyes in the sudden pain. He shot his eyes open fast realizing he closed them, and he snapped his head to the right as he thought he heard a footstep there. His bottom lip dropped as he saw the hilt of a blade bouncing off the floor, then a left fist flew past the side of his face again and Kaminari's eyes shot open wide. "Damn it, dude," Kaminari said, and he cracked a smile even as he turned his head nervously to that arm. "Try holding back won't you?"

"Thought making you nervous wasn't going to work?" Zach teased, and Kaminari dropped his jaw as Zach pulled his arm back and started laughing.

"That's what you've been doing?" Kaminari exclaimed. Zach just laughed harder, and his friend humphed and muttered afterwards, "What happened to helping me out with training?"

"We've got time," Zach said, stopping his laughter and just grinning again. "Let's really get started though. Instead of sparring, how about I just help you out?"

Kaminari's eyes widened a bit more, and he thought, Is that the real reason he was showing off? Not just to make me nervous, but to show me sparring really wouldn't be useful? Kaminari shook his head and chuckled under his breath for a few seconds which made Zach get a confused look on his face. "Alright then," Kaminari accepted, holding up his palms at his sides like he was left with no choice. "You show me how to do some of those cool moves, and in exchange I guess I could give you some tips on picking up girls."

Zach rolled his eyes but laughed after a second and said, "I think I'm probably better than you at that too."

"Eh?! No way!" Kaminari shouted.

"Yeah, definitely," Zach said after nodding thoughtfully for a few seconds like he was thinking on whether or not he really was. "You try too hard."

"It's better than not trying at all," Kaminari retorted. "You miss every shot you don't take. I know you've already missed a ton."

"Maybe," Zach muttered. But I'm not really out there trying to pick up random girls… Zach shook his head fast then looked up at Kaminari and his lip curled in a half-frown half-thoughtful way. "Seriously though. I think I'm better at it than you. You're looking too far away. Gotta work with what's around you-"

"Yeah yeah Mr. Ladies Man," Kaminari said in a taunting way. "You're just saying that 'cause the girl you've got the hots for happens to be living with you."

"And you're not into any of the girls at U.A.?" Zach asked skeptically, skipping right past that. "Feel like you're missing out on something that could be right in front of you." Zach's lips curled up more into a smirk as Kaminari just looked at him confusedly.

"Yeah well, I've spent a year trying with the girls in our class, no takers," Kaminari said in a defeated tone. "You know I've tried. It's unfair that there're more than twice as many guys as girls in the class!"

"Mmm," Zach hummed, then he lifted his left hand and rubbed his forehead. Kind of want to help you out here buddy, but I also feel so out of my depths with something like this. How am I supposed to help with relationships when I can't even get in one out of fear I'll get her targeted? Zach's mouth lowered into a frown as he thought that, and those thoughts actually made it easier for him to say without feeling awkward, "What about Jirou? Feel like the two of you get along pretty great."

Two buildings away and inside the basement of the tall building, Kyoka Jirou was straining to hear as far around Ground Beta as she could using her earphone jacks. Her eyes shot open wide, and she stared at the wall in front of her she had plugged into while trying to drown out all other noise. Her face started to turn red, and she had the urge to pull both jacks out of the wall immediately. She also had the idea of crumbling the wall by vibrating them, and she cursed in her head, The fuck are you saying, Zach?! First Mina, then Toru-

"Ha! I'd say it's the opposite," Kaminari laughed at Zach after staring at him in surprise for a second. "Out of everyone in the class, she rips on me the most for how stupid Electrification makes me, and whenever I strike out with girls."

"Almost like she doesn't want you hitting on them at all," Zach replied, then he smirked for two reasons. Kaminari's probably not gonna take it too seriously. He probably thinks I'm messing with him. But, if Jirou's listening right now… the thought of it made Zach smirk, even though he figured the chances were miniscule. Just the idea alone sounded funny in his head, and he added, "I don't know, I think it's worth a second shot."

"Heh, if you say so then maybe it is," Kaminari remarked. "But I thought I was the one giving out the advice on the ladies. Show me some of those moves you picked up, with the villains," Kaminari said, and he narrowed his eyes while lifting his arms back into a fighting stance. Zach started frowning, and Kaminari said, "Come on, I know that's where that sneaky one had to have come from, right? Seems exactly like something a villain would use, right, Reaper?"

"Guess you want to keep sparring instead," Zach said, and he lifted his his hands and balled them into fists. He smirked as Kaminari's grin wiped off his face.

The blond started it anyway though, and he ran forward right as Zach started running at him. Oh this is not going to end- "Grit your teeth, Kaminari!" Zach shouted, and Kaminari's eyes opened wide and he bit down hard. He tried blocking Zach's punch, only for his eyes to open huge as it was Zach's right fist coming for him. OH SHI- He knew the left was coming before he even started darting his eyes towards it, and Zach socked his best friend in the face.

Kaminari stumbled backwards and fell to his butt. "Geez, hold back a bit," he said while rubbing his jaw and cheek on the right side of his face.

"Oh I did," Zach replied. "You should have known that was a feint right away though. I was-"

"Using your right hand, I know," Kaminari said while pushing up on the ground at his sides. "Were you purposely giving such an easy hint?"

"Thought you might notice, but don't worry," Zach said. "If you had dodged my left, I was gonna kick you in the side. Right there," Zach pointed down near Kaminari's left kidney and the blond reached down towards it out of pure reaction.

Kaminari moved his hands after a second and chuckled while lifting a hand to rub his face again over a forming bruise. "Thinking three steps ahead huh? Guess when you're against me you can't not."

"Ch, ck, hahaha," Zach could not help the laughter, and Kaminari frowned but pursed his lips together and then started laughing too. "Well, I guess after some more of this, maybe that'll be true. Yeah?" Zach asked, seeing if Kaminari was still down for more.

"Yeah," Kaminari agreed with a nod. "How about with less punching me though?"

Zach laughed again and then nodded, "You got it."

Nothing more about me, Jirou thought as she was relaxing herself under a building not too far away. She had strained to be able to hear that far, and she thought after removing the jacks from the wall, They were at the edge of what I could hear. So… No, I can't convince myself I didn't hear that. What the hell, did Kaminari call you? It seemed like just a nickname, but you punched him… I'm overthinking this. Why'd you have to bring up something weird, Zach? Why would you think we- Kaminari's right, I just mess with him. I just make fun of him all the time, so it's no surprise he thinks like that. Jirou's eyes lowered to the floor and she noticed she was frowning deeply after a couple of seconds.

Jirou shook her head around and her earphone jacks lifted up at her sides to stab into the wall again, but she froze after they lifted. "Second shot?" Hold on hold on, did he actually ever try something a first time? I thought I saw him strike out with every girl in the class by now, and he didn't with me! That annoyed me- why would- "Gah," Jirou shook her head around and tried refocusing on the wall. A second shot. I should, look out for it harder this time. A small smile spread on Jirou's face and she jammed her earphone jacks back into the wall.

"Heh, don't think I've seen you smile like this since you got in trouble," Kirishima said as he and Zach walked out of a convenience store together.

"Oh it feels fucking great being out again," Zach replied, and Kirishima just laughed as Zach cursed with such a big grin on his face.

Buddy system is perfect. Sure I can't just go off to the library on my own, and I still can't do any anti-hero stuff since I have to bring a friend with me wherever I go… unless I really do wind up asking Kaminari to tag along with me. I don't want to drag him into anything that'll get us in trouble though. Zach had a couple of plastic bags on one arm, and he mentioned to Kirishima about going to Gym Gamma later. Kirishima got surprised and started rolling his shoulders, saying he was wiped from the training they actually did during class today. Zach admitted he was too with a yawn and a stretch of his right arm up in the air, then he asked how Kirishima's training was going with using Unbreakable on only individual parts of his body.

As his friend responded, Zach multi-tasked by listening and still thinking about his anti-hero side work. If only I had asked Ganji about more criminal activity this time when I saw him. I'm sure the stuff I heard a few months back has all changed already, and I don't want to blow any secret ops that Webb or other anti-heroes might be doing. They won't involve me though, and I have to take the initiative without their support. I haven't been contacted yet, and though it's only been a few weeks… Zach nodded his head and responded to Kirishima, then continued thinking, Even if it's permanent though, it was worth it to save Kaminari. And I think the principal just gave me this out of good faith since I haven't complained about the punishment yet- I really hope Softy didn't go talk to him. Well whatever. Even if she did, if there are more punishments… When, there are more punishments, it's because of what I did and not because they just loosened this-

Zach's smile lowered down a little and he nodded again to Kirishima. He stared at the corner up ahead, and he turned to his right to look at Kirishima while responding, "We'll see just how tough it is soon. I'm hoping to see you and Midoriya go at it. You think you could stop his kicks?"

"Definitely," Kirishima replied with a smirk. Zach looked at him in surprise, his eyes widening supposedly at his friend's confidence. "You don't get just how…"

They reached the corner and started turning around it, and Zach's head turned back forward as they started curving around it. His head kept turning not just forward though, but a bit to the side back the way they came, and his eyes were still wide but suddenly filled with hate and had a daring bloodthirsty look in them. He glared down the sidewalk all the way to the next street down, where he spotted movement of something ducking behind that corner right after he turned his attention towards it. Didn't get a good look. Who are you? Zach kept walking with Kirishima and returned his expression to normal so the redhead would not notice anything was wrong.

I'm being tailed. He or she now knows that I know they're following me. I needed them to know though, so they won't try anything. They wouldn't dare attack me knowing that I'm prepared for them. I could fucking murder them. Don't attack me here, please, Zach thought a little more desperately while wishing he could pick up the pace without seeming like he was scared and giving the enemy an opportunity to attack him. Calm down. Think constantly. Who else could it be? If it was League of Villains, why would they just be tailing me with a single person? There could be others around here I didn't notice ready to trap me, but they're waiting too long to let us get closer to U.A. Every second it's less likely to be them. Then who?

A reporter makes sense, but if they saw me already then why just tail me back to U.A.? Are they writing a story on me, just trying to get pictures when I might be looking dark, or even when I'm smiling if it's a good piece. He offered the idea to himself, but he frowned mentally as it sounded too optimistic. What's a third option? Teachers? Principal Nezu said they wouldn't send a teacher after me and waste their time, but if Softy really did tell him how I felt about being caged, then maybe this is his concession. He'll let me out but have me tailed to make sure I don't just ditch my buddy. That makes sense. Yet, that's the best case scenario. What's the worst case? An assassin. One who wouldn't think twice about taking out people around me just to finish me off. One who was looking for a moment to strike and gave away their position… in which case I should be able to take them on. Kirishima can harden to stop bullets or whatever else they can try to kill us with. It's actually a good thing he's with me then.

"…You still adamant about not using Nightmare during it?"

"Don't worry, I've got some new tricks up my sleeve too. I'm just not bragging about them to my future opponent, giving away my element of surprise," Zach replied, then he smirked and looked out the right corners of his eyes at the spikier-haired boy whose eyes widened at the sound of that. Then Kirishima got a more smug look on his face and remarked that he didn't need surprise to take Zach, and a real man doesn't need to hide his power! That's right Kirishima, keep loud and keep passerbys' eyes on us. It might not be an assassin. Think. Who else could it be? The school was just up ahead, but Zach kept his guard up and made sure that a trained assassin would be able to see that it was, with his right hand's fingers all curled in at his side and actually sticking out of his glove already. I don't sense them still following me, and I didn't see anyone behind the corner when I turned to Kirishima just now. Are there others or is it just the one?

Zach let his fingers go back inside his glove when they were across the crosswalk and back at the gates of the high school. For a first trip out in weeks, this wasn't too bad. Whoever that was behind us didn't make a move. Zach showed his I.D. to the guard who let them in then lifted a walkie talkie to his mouth without hiding it, reporting back that Zach had returned which the black haired boy got an annoyed look on his face for. Probably villains. The League. What does Shigaraki want? I thought maybe, he was done with me. I had hoped at least. It was stupid to do so… but he has other things he's focusing on. Things that scare me. What Shatterer said, and the fact that my paper was wrong.

Zach's eyes got darker as they started walking towards the school, and Kirishima told him to cheer up and that it was not so bad as they were at least letting him leave in the first place. Zach nodded at him and lifted his dark look, but he kept thinking on an ominous train of thought, The month of April, as a whole, is being seen as a victory for heroes. Lower crime rates. Higher count of villains getting captured and lower total accounts of villain incidents. It's almost like my paper at the start of last month had no merit to it… Except I know it did. I know for sure, that the trend shouldn't have just disappeared like that. Those rates going down might seem like a good thing to everyone else, but what are the heroes doing about what I said at my review? What about 'Shigaraki's army?' A sharp drop in villain activity… It's like when I was with the villains. I had always hoped that the crimes we committed against other villain groups were actually making a difference. I really hoped, I was stopping villains by fighting them with the League. Well the League is fighting other villains again, and on a bigger scale it seems. So why? Why does the idea of it now make me so, uneasy?

A/N Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Second year of U.A. has started and Class 2-A starts getting ready for the Sports Festival. Leave a review below telling me what you think and predictions for the upcoming chapters? Who will win the Sports Festival? Who is following Zach around (I mentioned someone tailing him before too back right before he left Musutafu to look for Kaminari)? Review responses:

LordOfTee chapter 54 . 21h ago

It's great to see Zach divulging in some of the secrets he kept with Kaminari.
Maybe he's moving past his fear of everyone finding out?

Zach's opening up more, seems like he's not as worried anymore about keeping everything down inside him, but the last scene shows he's still ready to get paranoid and on-guard at a moment's notice. Thanks for the review!

D-Koy24 chapter 54 . 18h ago

The information I am about to tell you is classified, should it be disclosed to anyone other than I those that are authorized you will be held responsible, in any event where I believe you would tell anybody about this it might be your last day... (Leans forward to stare into the other person's eyes) ... The author is constructing a ship by the name "Momozaki", it is unknown when it would be seaworthy...

... Well then. Nice, review, I guess? I guess I understood the Momozaki part... XD Thanks for reviewing D-Koy!

radoddish chapter 54 . 16h ago

For some reason I think Momo or Denki is the traitor as they are the closest ones to Zach. But my suspicions are mostly on Momo as in the end of a chapter where she said "I found you" it made me really think she is the traitor . But hey, it's just a theory. A dumb theory

What a twist! That would be quite a crazy reveal, though I won't say whether or not your theory's got any merit. No spoilers! Then again, I've mainly been pushing this back myself 'cause I'm hoping a new manga chapter revealing the spy will come out soon. Thanks for the review!

Guest chapter 54 . 14h ago

The Zach and Momo shipping tension...if they don't get together I'm gonna explode
Great writing as always!

Hold on! Don't explode just yet, it could still come... Thanks! And I'm glad you're enjoying!

Future Plans chapter 54 . 10h ago

Are you going to ask anyone to do a Reference Sheet for Zach? Also can you get someone to draw some Key scenes out? Oh yeah, can we get a picture of Nightmare form? Basically, you should get a DeviantArt and Commission some artists to draw some things for you because your story is so good.
Like it feels like Zach really is a character in Class 1-A, how do you write it so well and so fast? Plus, I really enjoy the fact that his power is kinda distinct like most of the main characters and how it revolves around Death like it is an element (like fire or ice) rather than just one thing.
Can zach sense people who are close to death? That's what I was kinda "sensing" from you early on in this chapter. But it also seems zach doesn't really know where rather than just how he feels like he's so accustomed with death (and life for that matter) that he can just feel when normal people are so close to the element of death like it's some entity he's so acquainted with. In other words, nice character development.

Are reference sheet's the things Horikoshi does at end of chapters? If so, then probably not going to make any considering Zach's Quirk, height, and weight keep changing. He has hazel eyes I think I mentioned once. I think it would be cool if people wanted to draw out scenes or other pictures of Zach for this story. I have a Deviantart page that I created once but never added any pics on, think I needed a page to be able to comment or something on someone else's... Anyway if you'd like to draw or anyone else reading this, shoot me a PM and let me know. I'm glad you think Zach's really fitting in as a member of Class A, (2-A now), and as for writing so fast I've just got a lot of ideas rushing through my head. Whenever I'm thinking of them I write them down as summaries in case I'm not up to those chapters yet, then if I'm ever at a part where I don't know what to write, I just increase the time of the story like I did in this chapter in order to reach the Sports Festival which is the next big thing I had plans for. Lots of future arcs already planned out like that almost all the way up to the end of Death. Zach sensing people close to death... I'm wondering where you've got this idea from. He could sense it bringing back the two people earlier in the last term, like I mentioned that he knows the exact moment when someone came back to life who he's saving. So I wouldn't really say he can tell when people are about to die... just kind of confused by what you meant by that if you want to elaborate more. Thanks for the big review, and I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!