Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 188:

"Iida, I'm not going to tell you not to do it." Iida Tenya sat at his desk with a pair of glasses in his hands he turned over and over again. "If my, family, had been hurt by someone. You can bet the first thing I'd want to do is go after them."

Iida looked towards his open computer and the time at the bottom, getting ever closer to 9:00 p.m. that he was waiting for so anxiously. "But that box you've got there, that's a costume made by U.A. that they entrusted us to be responsible with. Whatever we do in these costumes will reflect back on our school and everything it stands for. As the class rep, I feel like you'd be the one most clear on that."

Iida's thoughts of that train ride were cut in by something he had read over a year after that had happened. 'I'm sorry. It wasn't just not saying enough on the train. I felt Midoriya's text in my pocket, and I didn't check to see what it was for quickly, as I had already seen Manual out there. I should have come to help you sooner. I think a part of me thought it might have been about you and Stain though… and I…' "The man who killed Stain! The Champion of the Pit! Destroyer of the Shadows! …Death!" How could the you who wrote that letter, go on to do something like that- '...I just needed to say this now because I don't think I'll ever be able to in person. Iida, goodbye. Thanks for being my friend.'

A buzzing noise shook Iida from his thoughts. He looked down and checked the message, then he nodded and got up to his feet. 'You watching downstairs? I'm heading down now.' Iida replied to Uraraka, 'Be right there.' No response had come yet from the third person in their groupchat, and Iida wondered if he would see Midoriya down there tonight.

What Zach told me at the joint training, it was crazy. I could not believe all of it, easily. I still believe that much of it must have been altered by his own changed memories. He admits that he altered his own mind, and though that is dangerous I believe he has a certain grip on the true reality. Especially after that talk, it was like he was understanding it even more- and yet he believed all he was saying about the true 'Battle of the 6 Armies.' And in that battle, Eziano Mozcaccio was watching. There to witness the end of Death… "…Eziano and his assassins, watching from that plateau before I shattered it…"

They were at that battle with thousands of others. He survived it. A remnant from your war that you brought back here to Japan. Except he had come to Japan before too. He has forces that seem to be able to move around with ease and have no identities. Iida walked down his hallway for the stairs where he saw Sero and Sato heading down together, though neither of them were talking and both seemed upset at the other on their way down. Everyone's caught up in their own opinions of him. And, people don't know whether or not Eziano is the one to be worried about here. As powerful as Eziano seems to be, Zach made it out like he could take him… Was that intentional? Iida's breath sucked in and his eyes widened for a moment, then he brought them back to normal size and continued down the stairs himself while trying to compose himself for his classmates he would be seeing in a few seconds.

Zach may have realized that everyone would realize the assassins after him have so much power to be able to pull something like that off and even badly injure him. Giving out that challenge then, it could have been him showing to everyone that he still feels confident he's stronger.

"I can't believe he's actually doing it," Mineta said to the invisible girl walking on his right side on their ways to the couches of the common room. Mineta looked back forward though as Hagakure sped up, and he exclaimed, "Dibs!"

"No way!" Hagakure called back, and she ran around the couches and jumped into the empty spot on Ashido's right side between her and where Sato just sat down. The couch on their left had Uraraka, Koda, and then Sero sitting in the corner closest to where Ashido was sitting. On the opposite side of Sero on Sato's right sat Yaoyorozu, then Todoroki and Aoyama who sat at the end opposite Uraraka. Iida realized he had nowhere to sit and just walked past Mineta to stand in between the couches between Ashido and Sero, making Mineta run around the other side to jump up and sit on the armrest next to Sato who lowered his arm so Mineta could sit, though he did grunt at the annoyance of having to do so.

Ojiro came down after Iida, and Hagakure called over to the stairs, "They're starting Mashirao."

Everyone had known all day what was coming at 9 o'clock that night. It had been broadcasted on every station throughout the day and the night prior when first news of it broke. The Night Late no Tonight Show with Kirigomo "Kipper" Rudo was having a special guest on tonight, one who every late night talk show had wanted to interview for years to no avail. Talk shows were not the only ones to fail, but every reporter, every news host, even the Prime Minister had trouble getting him to sit down for a press conference let alone an interview that could have lasted the whole hour, if companies were not offering boatloads to fill up the commercial slots of that hours.

Iida watched as the spiraling words of the show's name spun over the screen during the intro music. It was 9:00 on the dot and the station was the most watched thing in Japan, and the most streamed videos all over the internet that channel 6's moderators could not shut down fast enough. Zach's going to lie on national television for an hour straight. He's going to tell everyone, stuff that I might one day have to counter. Everyone's going to believe him so much too… Or maybe everything he says will be the truth, and he'll somehow direct the interview in the way he wants it to go. I've seen him do that just as often. So I don't know. I could never, pinpoint who Zach was.

I felt bad I did not run to the teachers fast enough at USJ, to get Snipe there even a second quicker which could have saved Zach from… everything. Iida's face shifted to show a moment of confusion, When did I stop feeling bad about that? Admittedly, I wasn't the one who made me stop. Zach told me that it wasn't my fault. He knows he's the one who made that decision. He makes all his own decisions, and there's never been anything I've been able to do to stop him. And what he decides to do here, all I can do is watch and decide afterwards how to respond.

"Well, I don't need to tell you that we have one hell of a show for you tonight, do I?" Kipper asked, and the audience laughed as all of them were excited for it too and did not need to hear that. "The country is still rocked by the disaster a few nights ago, but for the first time in, well, in forever! Zach, Sazaki," he paused and shook his head with a big smile in amazement and disbelief at what he just said. "Is coming on this show to do an interview. Can you believe that? I'm the first one. I feel honored," he held his arms out and pointed his hands in with a 'humble' expression, though a large smile like he was saying 'of course it would be me.'

"So let's get to it, shall we? First off tonight," Kipper went behind his desk and sat down, and a graphic appeared in the top right corner of the screen as he started up his usual show. "Prime Minister Nikko breaks his silence on the Lifebringer Bombing, which is what they're calling it now. Kind of an off-name right? Though I guess sometimes these things are named after the place the attack happened, and the way Lifebringer looked afterwards it seemed like that bomb hit him right in the face! Don't worry though, he's assured us he's fine and we've heard reports that confirm that despite what we all saw he looked like that night. We'll see for ourselves in just a few though…"

"Can't we see now?" Hagakure groaned, throwing her arms up then dropping them to her sides as she had done too much strength training at school earlier. Climbing those rock faces is starting to catch up with me, she thought, sighing in a tired way but then refocusing and even smiling as the Kipper guy made a funny comparison about what Nikko was saying about the incident to a 'whole lot of nothing' in that speech he made that very afternoon.

"Wonder if Zach asked to only be put on at the very end, or something?" Ojiro mentioned from behind Hagakure's seat, glancing down at his girlfriend who tilted her head up then shrugged as she did not know herself.

"He could just be keeping to his normal routine," Todoroki said.

"And he can get the commercials out of the way early," Yaoyorozu agreed, just as one started up only a couple minutes into the start of the show. As the others started wondering how the show was going to go or if there would be any commercials between when Zach showed up and the end of the show, Yaoyorozu focused in a little more on the commercial happening in front of her. Rasheed Corporation. The former CFO, Seiki Ganji, is missing presumed dead, though there is nothing online about his anti-hero ties. I wonder if there existed anyone inside that company who knew of Ganji's extra-legal activities? If there were, could Raijin have missed them? If he did, would those people consider going to Zach? Whether to bring him back into their fold of anti-heroes, or to condemn him for what he did, it is possible.

I have seen a few of these Rasheed commercials recently though, Yaoyorozu thought with a shift in her head to focus more on what she was actually seeing right now, They seem to be expanding into support gear for heroes. I did not think they had any hand in support tech, but with many countries allowing police and even citizens to use Quirks more freely now it is a lucrative business expansion. For a company centralized in Japan though, it does seem like production costs would exceed profits for a long time. Other foreign companies that are already ahead can produce and sell for cheaper too. So that begs a question, why now? Why not wait until Japan has loosened its rules too? The economy is great so making a risky venture like this could work out, but it's also unnecessary to take such a risk right now, unless I do not know some other factor about their company's business strategy… It does not seem that strange, and yet because of Ganji's connection I feel, suspicious. I shouldn't- but if it is a gut feeling, I should speak with…

Yaoyorozu frowned as the show started coming back on, and her eyes shifted to her side at the boy next to her with half white and half red hair. Todoroki may have insight on it. I do not want to sound suspicious for no reason though, so I will do some more research on my own before bringing it up to you. For now, her attention refocused on Kipper who continued on about the news though did continue referencing Lifebringer in all of his segments to keep people watching the show. This is an exceptionally smart strategy. You do not want people watching only for Lifebringer. You want them to return to watch this show every night. Starting the interview late is mutually beneficial for you as it is for Zach.

Kipper talked and made jokes for a good half hour before getting back into the incident on everyone's minds and the guest he was about to call in. Zach stood backstage watching the live show on the television ahead of him that was muted but he could hear anyway because of Kipper's microphone that made his voice blast around the studio. This was about the best I could get, Zach thought, pushing away his doubt that re-arose in his final minute here out of the limelight. I couldn't go with someone who only defends me or everyone would call me out for doing just that. Going out and trying to boost my public appearance with an easy interview. I didn't want to go with someone too harsh either, but a comedy late show with a host who's well-respected enough to get other pretty important guests to show up, like former PM Ippo just last month, it's a great middle ground. I know the questions won't be too tough or accusatory, as Kipper's really going all out here on trying to get a much wider audience for his show.

The red-haired man on the screen whose hair curled up in a flip on the right side above his forehead tapped his cards down a few more times and then got a big grin on his face. "Then, without further ado, a man who needs no introduction (not that I'm not currently giving him one). Please welcome for his first time ever, Sazaki Zach, a.k.a. Lifebringer to the show!"

People in the audience clapped as Zach headed out from backstage. He no longer had any bandages wrapped around his face or neck, though the camera zoomed in on him as he was walking out and waving his right hand covered in its black glove around. His head did have a line of hair missing around the right side of it, though he had pushed some hair down covering it up partially but as best he could. A few people got out of their seats while clapping, yet Zach noticed a few others also ignoring the 'CLAP' icon that lit up outside of the camera angle as direction for the audience to follow.

"Mr. Sazaki. Lifebringer, Zach? What can I call you?" Kipper asked as Zach sat down, like it was the first time they were talking despite Zach having met with Kipper before the show too so he could hear how the show would be run and when he could expect to come out.

"Lifebringer is fine, Kipper," Zach said, sitting up in his seat and looking totally comfortable on the camera as he smiled at the host and replied in a casual tone. You'd refer to any other hero by their hero names up here. You have every other time before.

"Good! As you can see, I'm a little excited to have you out here tonight. You chose me after all, to be your first time."

"I've always enjoyed your show," Zach replied, ignoring the innuendo he acted like he did not even notice. Don't play into it. Don't get embarrassed by it either. Is that right? Normal people might be embarrassed or get awkward there, and people think I'm the 'Hero of the People' after all. "And I figured, I needed to come out and do a show or an interview somewhere after what happened the other night."

"Yes, the Lifebringer Bombing," Kipper said, nodding his head and looking at Lifebringer to see if he would have any comment on that name. Zach just nodded his head though, and Kipper continued to the boy, "I have to ask, right at the start here, but how long have you known it was that 'Eziano Mozcaccio' who has been coming after you? In earlier interviews when reporters would catch you on the streets, you always just said that villains were after you."

"Well, I've known from the start," Zach admitted. "I thought though that if I mentioned him by name, like I did a few nights ago, he might start dragging other people into the attacks. Now that he's already done it though I went ahead and told everyone who he was." Zach paused and he sighed with a small shake of his head, "Admittedly, the way I said it though that night was not the best way I could have done that. I knew it was something that really upset him though, and in the moment I had gotten really angry, and I was in a lot of pain. I, regret losing my cool there," Zach finished with a sincere look at Kipper that the host nodded at with wider eyes as he did not expect Sazaki to go here without him first pushing the conversation that direction.

"I, know what point you're talking about," Kipper replied, quick to bounce back off of him as was his job as the show's host. "But it wasn't just losing your 'cool' for a minute. What was all that at the end of the clip everyone- and I mean everyone's seen by now?"

"My immediate reaction to fly off?" Zach asked. He explained to the man while holding up his left hand in an open palm facing up, "I knew the bomber might still be in the vicinity and there was the potential for a follow-up attack after I revealed my injuries. Surrounded by so many people, injured, and recently-revived too who were closest to me and the ones I was most worried about after what just happened, to Norita… I knew I needed to get away from there and catch my attacker."

"And how did you do that? Was he out in the open, running away on a rooftop or something?"

"It wasn't that easy," Zach replied with another shake of his head. "I looked around in that moment my eyes went red and darted around," Zach said, referencing the video again and making Kipper nod as he knew that moment and could believe what Lifebringer was saying based on it. "I looked to the buildings with the best view of my apartment, where I guessed the assassin might have been watching from. See, it made sense to me that a villain would have stayed in the vicinity, to ensure the bomb went off with no complications."

"Complications?" Kipper repeated, wondering where Lifebringer was going with that.

"Like, Norita-san," Zach replied. His expression became more serious but not dark or anything as he explained, "My theory of what occurred that night, is that the assassin left a package in front of my door. He did not expect Norita-san to be moving around that late at night though, and when my landlord saw the box left out, he decided to take it to his own apartment so that it would not be left out all night by whoever dropped it off." Kipper nodded slowly and with a solemn look of his own at what had happened. "I believe the assassin chose to set it off at that moment when Norita-san picked it up, so that it was still the closest it would be to me-"

"But I don't understand," Kipper interrupted at Zach's theory. Zach closed his mouth and nodded at the host to continue with his interruption, and Kipper questioned, "Why would the 'assassin' not just wait for a better time? If-" Kipper quieted as Zach lifted his left hand to show he had the answer and did not need Kipper to continue with his line of questioning. "Please," Kipper said, allowing Zach to answer if he already had one ready.

"He couldn't abandon his plan," Zach explained. Others watching the program also got confused at Zach's explanation, and did his old classmates at U.A. watching together who leaned forward wondering what he meant by that. The classmates on other floors watching by themselves also wondered what Zach meant here and what he thought the assassin's reason was. Bakugo kept leaning back on his wall with his phone held out in front of him, his eyes narrowed and his mind thinking fast as he tried to come up with it before Zach laid it out for him.

"Once I discovered the box and found out what was inside, I would have moved away and had an excuse not to tell anyone where I was this time," Zach started. He cut in on his own explanation and added, "Just as no one knows where I am currently living now, as I've kept it a secret from everyone this time instead of telling a few people as I had to before. It's, my own fault too though, as I should have kept it a bigger secret beforehand-"

"It's not necessary that no one know where you live-"

"Did people know where All Might lived all those years?" Zach wondered. "No, right? His address wasn't listed anywhere. Because he would've been a target."

"Are you comparing yourself to All Might?" Kipper wondered with a lift of his eyebrows and the corners of his lips.

"It's not that," Zach countered with a shake of his head. "It's just, any villain wanting to make a name for themselves would have gone after him if they knew his location. The only reason that doesn't happen to students like me more often is because we don't normally make big names for ourselves before we graduate. I have though, made a very big name that puts me in more danger than most. People want to kill me, but I accepted that risk when I decided to be a hero. The other people living at that apartment however, they did not accept that risk. I failed them, by not doing a better job of protecting myself where I lived. And that is why this time, I will keep my address a secret from everyone. I don't even live in Yutapu anymore."

"You don't?" Kipper asked in surprise. "Then where?" He wondered, and then he grinned as Zach opened his mouth only to close it and give him a look saying 'nice try.' Kipper laughed at Lifebringer playing along with him, and then he got back on focus with his interview. Kipper asked about how Zach found the bomber and what happened with him and Deku who had been the one to bring him in while Zach checked into the nearest hospital to his apartment. Then he questioned about Zach's left arm which seemed to catch the teenager a bit off guard, and Kipper explained, "Analysts have gone over the video over and over, and although your left arm was covered in Death for most of it from your 'Nightmare' form, we did catch that below the darkness was metal instead of flesh. Yet right here, I'm seeing your left hand looks-"

"Fake skin," Zach replied as he lifted his left hand. He turned it side to side, then he reached over with his right hand and slid the sleeve of his button-down blue shirt up a bit to reveal the metal below it. Kipper's eyes widened in surprise, and Zach said, "I've yet to finish repairs on my arm actually. Hence why it still looks like this everywhere but for my hand."

"So when did you lose your arm?" Kipper wondered. "If, you don't mind me asking," he added, as it may have been a hard thing to talk about.

Zach shook his head with a soft smile instead of denying to respond to that. "I lost it during the year I was gone. A lot happened-"

"That year," Kipper began, and he smiled in a way that had Zach feeling hesitant despite being the one to shift the conversation this way intentionally. "While you were off world, right?"

How the fuck does this guy know about that? Zach wondered to himself, while just having a mildly surprised look on his face as he looked back at the host. "Not the whole time," he replied, to the confusion of millions watching and the audience in the studio at that moment too.

Sero leaned back in his seat and could not help but lift a nervous smirk. He's really going for it?!

Kipper was somewhat surprised though at the response, but he still smiled afterwards and shook his head in amazement at the teenager in front of him who did not deny it. "Amazing," he said. "Then, it's true? You went through a portal to another world while you were gone?"

"Yeah, that's right," Zach replied, though he sounded confused himself and that response was clearly asking Kipper how he knew about this.

"Ah, you haven't heard about it? Well, I did get an exclusive with the author before this interview, as well as a copy of his new, and first, book." Kipper reached under his desk and pulled the book out. It had a hard cover with a picture on it behind the laminated covering that showed an island with a bridge connected and a large black fortress on top. "Coming to stores soon, this is the 'tell-all' story of Oda Bunogawa…"

Oh, shit, Zach cracked a smile and chuckled to himself as Kipper continued.

"An autobiographical novel of the life of a prison guard inside Tartaros over the past several years. Oda-sensei writes about the Tartaros escape during the Sports Festival Invasion, as well as several other stories from inside the prison, however the biggest chunk of this book surrounds his time as Sazaki Zach's prison guard. He writes that time as, 'The most interesting six months of his life.'" Zach nodded as that sounded about right to him.

"I didn't know he wrote a book about it," Zach admitted before Kipper could continue.

"Well, you are the main character of this book in some regards," Kipper countered Zach in a bit of surprise though he was glad he was getting this first-look at Lifebringer's reactions and that he would be the first to be able to fact-check him on everything he had read.

Oh Zach, Midoriya stared at his laptop where he was watching the show with a look of dread forming on his face. He thought about the prison guards he had met last time he went to Tartaros, You told them all that nonsense for five months, and now everyone else is going to realize it too!

"What are they talking about?"

"He did say, 'off-world' didn't he? What the hell is that about?"

"Are they for real right here?"

"Oda-sensei writes in the introduction where he describes what inspired him to write his story, that he quit his job at Tartaros after a life-changing moment had him considering it for a while. He was actually killed in Tartaros by a prisoner, but you brought him back in there and the experience changed his life." Zach nodded his head at what Kipper was saying, to the shock and amazement of many people watching the interview right now.

Oda could make a lot more money selling this book than being a prison guard. Wonder if he told Kipper not to give too much away, so as to get more people buying his book? Zach smiled as he nodded at what Kipper was saying, and he admitted to himself internally, I don't blame him for this. Kind of a dick move not telling me beforehand, but I just hope that what I did to Faith is left out due to Oda's gratitude towards me. Soon as the full book comes out I'll have to start defending the story I came up, and I'll have to fact check that book against what I said too in case it's an attempt to catch me changing my story. Oda could be working with the ADTF even? Nah, doesn't sound right. He really was grateful. They all were. Hope no one targets Oda though… and I hope he's as good of a story teller as I was to convince everyone reading of what I said being the truth. I'm sure a lot of the book will be Oda's personal life though and how he dealt with dying, his slow acceptance that what "Zach" says is true.

Zach smiled as Kipper read out another quote from the book where Oda had called him by his first name, and Kipper read out, "…'I consider Zach to be a personal friend, and I think he feels the same way about myself and the others who guarded him throughout his time in Tartaros.' Would you agree with that?"

"Of course," Zach replied. "We are in kind of the same profession, after all," Zach explained. "I never blamed them for being so diligent in guarding me, protecting the other villains who everybody thought I was down there for," Zach referenced it with a laugh and Kipper scratched the back of his head with a look away thinking about how he had joked about that himself the night when news of the Tartaros riot broke. "And I was glad to have those people to talk to through my time down there. I didn't want anyone thinking I was in solitary confinement like some were reporting after the riots down there, because those guards really had become friends of mine who I could talk to about what happened that whole year."

"Some would question whether or not prison guards should really be making 'friends' with the prisoners they're supposed to be guarding."

"Yeah, but they tried not to," Zach countered. "But especially after the incident down there where I brought several of the guards back to life, it was hard for us not to connect."

"It was Faith who killed them too, wasn't it?" Kipper wondered. His question made everyone in Class A's common room lean forward in their seats with shocked looks on all their faces. All of Zach's Shiketsu classmates watching as well shot their eyes open wide and gawked at their newest classmate who had never said anything about this before.

Zach hummed to himself, "Was it?" Kipper looked at him confusedly, then Zach grinned and said, "I guess your viewers will just have to buy Oda's book to find out."

"Oh ho ho," Kipper laughed and put a hand over his chest while doing so, genuinely laughing at what Lifebringer just did there. He leaned back forward and asked in a half-serious way mostly pretending, "You aren't getting any of the proceeds from that book on the side, are you?"

"Of course not," Zach replied with a laugh and shake of his head too. "But who doesn't like to help out a friend?" And who doesn't like an easy out on not having to explain anything that might be in that book to you right here?

Zach's response made Kipper nod in agreement, then he pointed the book towards the camera and read out the title, "…Coming to shelves soon. So be on the lookout at your local bookstore, though it will also be released on eReader or so I've been told."

Getting close to ten o'clock, Zach thought to himself. Likely one or two more questions I'll have to answer. If he goes hard trying to get the 'off-world' thing out of me I'll have to try and make it somewhat believable within this short time. That's going to be tough. I can manage though, possibly. Defending Oda's book will do a good job pushing away lingering suspicions that I'm Death too. There are a million other things he could ask me though, and he only has a few more minutes to go in his groundbreaking interview. How are you going to finish this, Kipper?

Zach felt pretty confident about the way the interview had been going so far. His nerves had settled down and he felt friendlier with the talk-show host too now after speaking candidly with him for a while. Kipper did not move on to a different question though, instead starting in a slightly different tone Zach noted but reacted to only interestedly as Kipper began, "Alright everyone. We have a special show for you tonight. Just off stage is someone else I want to introduce to the audience, though I'm sure many of you know him already…"

Surprise guest? Not something you just spring on someone. Should react as if I knew already, just smile at whoever it is- Zach looked to his right around the outside of the camera angle as the man came out and started towards the set. I know him.

"Coming all the way here from America for tonight's show, the trillionaire and CEO of Megamorpho Inc., Dustin Cayman!" Kipper called it out then lowered his voice and leaned forward excitedly on his seat as the American billionaire worth trillions in yen waved behind him for the people following at his back. "While I said a special show people, I must also warn some of our younger viewers against the content they're about to see. Sazaki Zach," Kipper began with a look to the boy who turned back from what was going on off stage. He looked like he was surprised by the set of events going on now, his expression shifting subtly from the calm smile that appeared as if what was happening was not beyond what he thought was going to happen here tonight. "All of us saw on video the other night after the explosion, that amazing ability of yours. Lifebringer on video reviving not just one, not just two, but sixteen people at once!"

Kipper leaned forward while saying that in an exclamatory whisper, as it it was too amazing to even call out any louder. His tone was full of disbelief and yet they had all seen the video and knew Zach had done it. Zach turned his head back the other way though instead of responding to Kipper, just looking back to the edge of the set where Dustin Cayman was walking forwards towards the interviewer and interviewee. Zach looked behind Cayman and watched as the man's staff came rolling down the darkness just off the set, pushing a fancy-looking stretcher that curved up at the sides and did not look like a normal hospital one but a private one for the girl on top of it. The child was covered in a pink cotton blanket embroidered at the top with lace and designed with the cursive spelling of her name, 'Cherry.'

Zach looked towards Dustin Cayman and up into the trillionaire's (in yen) eyes as he stared back at Zach and smirked. There was nothing subtle about his expression. The man just grinned at Zach while Kipper was explaining Cayman's only daughter's fight with illness and how she had fallen into a coma supposedly to never wake up. Dustin Cayman then started speaking before Kipper could continue, "My daughter has just died." He stepped farther from the stretcher that two of his bodyguards turned and then set up to have his daughter propped diagonally. She looked tv ready, make-up on and everything, and her eyes were closed though she looked peaceful, as if waiting for someone to bring her back. "We were at a hospital nearby when…"

Zach looked past the man who kept speaking, talking about Lifebringer and how he knows that with Zach's Quirk Death, he could save his daughter and even recover her to a healthy state again. He looked past Cayman to the young girl in her preteens with straightened black hair, a few freckles on her cheeks the make-up could not fully cover up, and a birthmark just under the right side of her chin.

"What's, going on?" Mineta whispered as he stared straight at Zach's face, feeling the weirdest sensation inside him at the look Zach had.

Zach's smile from through most of the interview had lowered. His lips were not flat yet though, the corners still lifted slightly so there were no big warning signs to anyone around him that things were wrong. The Class A students sitting in their common room could see the gears turning though in Zach's head.

"Well I'm sure the amazing Lifebringer could bring her back!" Kipper called out, oblivious to what others were realizing about the boy in front of him.

"He didn't know this was coming?" Hagakure whispered, then she repeated it again louder in a more assured voice less a question.

"You don't think?" Ashido asked, nervously glancing to her side and then back at the screen where Zach's eyes suddenly looked dark to her despite his expression not really changing.

Don't mess this up, Zach thought at himself, keeping his expression staying as natural as possible. Am I surprised by this? Do I speak, like I really am just… Like I don't know this situation? Like I'm oblivious, to what's happening right now? He turned his head and glanced out into the audience, and he put his hands down on the sides of his chair. The corners of his lips moved closer together, his lips pushing together in that moment before one opens their mouths to say something. His lips just stayed like that though, the corners now straight with his lips so they were flat, though his lips were harder to see as they pursed together in front of his teeth that were pressed up to each other too. Zach's jaw locked on camera and his eyes that had glanced around to see what the audience was thinking looked back to Cayman who got a bead of sweat on the side of his face and started to lower his smile with a darker look emerging.

Zach turned the other way to Kipper after silence had filled the whole studio. It was such an off moment on the program, as Zach Sazaki looked back to the interviewer with his mouth shut and looking like… something, no one could place. He did not look like the same composed person answering all the questions before with his heroic smile though. He just stared at Kipper and the silence continued for a few seconds, and the interviewer felt his chest pounding so violently in his chest that he started hearing it in his ears. He tried to keep himself not looking so afraid though, for another second before Lifebringer questioned him, "How much did he pay you not to tell me?"

The microphone was still clipped under the top of Zach's collar, and his voice came out clear in that silent studio that the entire audience just tensed up in. Dustin Cayman's expression just got angrier though on Lifebringer's other side between him and the stretcher where his staff were staring over hesitantly and backing up towards the edge of the stage themselves. It was Kirigomo Rudo who felt the biggest impact from the question though. Lifebringer's voice had lost all camaraderie in his tone. The relationship they had built up through the show was gone in an instant. Zach did not ask if Kipper thought he should have been informed first, nor did he ask any of the other questions Kipper was prepared to answer in this scenario.

Midoriya stood up off his bed and his eyes darted to his window for a moment before snapping back down to his phone. Why not just save her? Zach?!

"Is he, not going to bring her back?" Todoroki asked, his voice lowering and his eyes darting to his side at Yaoyorozu who just stared at the screen with her eyes huge at the question Zach just asked.

Kipper opened his mouth, but his eyes locked into Zach's and stared deep within them in that moment. Kirigomo had no idea what came over him. The feeling of his bowels about to explode, or the fact that deep within the hazel of Zach's eyes seemed to rage a burning flame of hell, but he stammered at the kid sitting in front of his desk, "Tw-Two hundred million." The second it came out of his mouth, Kipper realized what he had just said and snapped up out of his seat, "I mean- I didn't-" Zach looked away from Kipper and he stood up, and he reached up and under his collar to rip the microphone out from where it was pinned. "Lifebringer!" Kipper called out behind the boy whose mic just made a loud scratching noise through the studio and over the cameras. It thudded a couple times too when Zach tossed it aside and turned like he was going to walk away.

"You get back here!" Cayman yelled out. He spoke in Japanese with an American accent, and he yelled out so loudly the security for the studio looked over wondering if they should do something. Considering who it was Cayman just yelled at though, the security figured things were very likely under his control, or at least it was out of theirs. "You have ignored every message I tried to send you," Cayman continued, stomping towards Zach's back which had the teenager turning fully around to face the larger and richer man. "I came all the way to Japan just to see you! And you- you would let her die?! You have to save my daughter!"

Zach glared back into Cayman's eyes but his expression eased up a little as he saw past the man back at that stretcher again. His expression flinched, and Cayman tried in a different approach than shouting, "Please, Lifebringer. Save my daughter."

"Don't make him beg!"

"What's wrong with you, Lifebringer?!"

Zach ground his teeth while lowering his eyes down to the floor hearing those shouts. He glanced back up and saw Cayman looking between smug and worried, frustrated and relieved at the same time. You bastard. He- he used everything in his power to save his daughter! That's what he did, but I-

Zach darted his eyes to the back of the stage and for a moment Cayman looked horrified and then furious. "You have to bring her back! I demand it!" His hand twitched though as he was starting to lift it, as Lifebringer spoke in a voice loud enough for those around him though it did not echo out into the cameras well without his microphone.

"I'll bring her back."

Zach turned to the girl while he said it, and he started forward over towards that stretcher. His head turned to the right though as he walked in front of the man bigger than him at the shoulders and a few inches taller, and he glared into that man's eyes. Cayman leaned back suddenly terrified of how he was yelling at Lifebringer, only for Zach to say in a low voice as he walked past him, "But not for you." He walked past Cayman and looked to the little girl he stepped straight up to.

Zach leaned forward and put two fingers of his left hand up against her neck for a moment to check her pulse. Then he reached his right hand forward even with the glove still on it, and he pressed it firmly at the top of her chest just below her neck. Darkness flooded out of his palm and fingers into the girl who definitely had died recently based on the pain he felt inside his body. He took two seconds and groaned deep within his throat, but he held back any other noise and then pulled his hand off of the girl. As dark as he felt, as badly as his insides hurt right there twisting up and rotting away, Zach lifted his right hand and placed it on top of the girl's head afterwards. He pat it there in a soft way as she opened her eyes, and he smiled at her while facing away from the camera. "You can go back to sleep," Zach said softly in English, and the child closed her eyes again to pass out.

Cayman was walking towards the stretcher with his eyes huge, still frozen in fear a moment ago but snapping out of it when Zach so quickly lowered his right hand. He was going to ask if something was wrong, only to see the girl open her eyes and Lifebringer smile and say something to her that got her closing them again. Cayman sprinted forward and stopped in front of the stretcher, then he spun and looked at Sazaki's back, then to his daughter again he reached forward and held by her shoulders so softly as if afraid she would break at the touch. "Is that it?" he whispered, then he spun and asked a bit louder at Lifebringer who had started walking away without another word. "Is that it?!"

Zach clenched his eyes shut and walked out of the camera angle. He moved quickly for the back of the studio, and he walked straight past people without needing to shove them out of the way as everyone backed away from him without a word at the look on his face. He could not help it though, feeling so enraged inside and no longer feeling as big a need to hide it as a minute ago. I couldn't just let that little girl stay dead! I couldn't! Screw the politics. Screw how much this changes everything! Zach saw those little eyes open back up again, and he felt the rage simmer for a brief moment that was all he got before all that darkness swelled up inside him.

"Fuuuuccck," Zach slammed the push bar in the back of the studio, leapt up in the air, and he flapped black wings below him to shoot straight up into the dark sky above. "FFffuuUUCCCKK!" He screamed, once he was high enough up that no one could hear him. He curled his arms in to his sides while his knees pulled up towards his stomach. His eyes flared red as that darkness just coming out of his back in the shape of wings spread to cover up his entire body. "FUUUUUCCCKKKK!"

A/N Fuck. Well, Zach goes on tv to try and recover some of his standing in the media... Doesn't seem like it went very well.

Guest chapter 186 . Oct 4

It's super interesting watching Zach trying to fit into hero society again. I love it how the author includes chapters where we really get to see Zach struggle to overcome his PTSD, or trying not to break down in public. Especially love reading Zach's flashbacks while in the AOD, it really helps to picture why Zach became so traumatized and cautious/paranoid.
-Celestia (I'm too lazy to make an account xd.)

Thanks for the review Celestia! Glad you enjoy the chapter and seeing as Zach tries fitting back in with the rest of society. Really tries to hold it back on camera today as he hops on a planned interview... But can't just stay that positive self through it all this time. Hope you enjoyed the new chapters!

GuestP chapter 187 . Oct 7

Wow, a chapter that has a title... it's been like a fuckton of chapters since the last titled chapter, I think. This means that it's an important turning point.
Which is correct since Zach is striving to become a political hero now. Which kind of hurts my soul, but I support good ol' Zach Sazaki. He wants to change political views, and he can't do that being Death the Commander, or as Lifebringer, or even as Reaper (obvi), he has to do it as Zach Sazaki.
also... is this the first time we've had a section on EM?
Mina is such a worrywart but I love her because she yells at the media like I do sometimes. Norita's daughter came out to defend his beliefs and Zach's choices. Which is pretty cool!
I loved this chapter!~
Can't wait for the next chapter!~~

Lol the title thing, was kind of just random actually. I've never titled a chapter when it was posted before, only retroactively titled several of the earlier chapters to make it easier for people who want to go back to reread to find chapters easier. I was thinking about doing it some more when I was posting, and I thought 'Fallout' sounds like a good one for this chapter anyway, might as well!' Zach's plans to be all politically smart for now on, didn't really work out too well for him here. It was the first time we had a section on EM! We saw him a couple other times, at the Sports Festival, in the call with Zach and flashbacks with Snow or dream Blackstar had, but never just a switch over to see what he was doing. That vague menacing evil blew up Zach's apartment and killed Norita, and Zach claps back with the reveal to the world on who Eziano is, though this time he mentions him and then barely elaborates like he's not even that big a deal ;P Glad you liked Norita's daughter, it was good to have her there as people'd probs be more against Zach without that defense she gave him. Anyway, thanks for the review and glad you liked the chapter!

yasideen1 chapter 187 . Oct 7

is it just me or is eziano mozcaccio looking like netero from hxh
he has that whole op old dude vibe and then the praying thing

Hahaha it's not just you! As soon as I wrote out the punch forward after he put his hands together in that praying stance I went 'shit, this sounds like Netero,' but I just hoped I could get away with it XD You called me out though! Lol nice catch, and thanks for the review!