Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 194:

"You see that? He's still out there-"

"Nah, every report says he's stopped."

"But it's up at 195 now," Mineta whispered back to Sero with his phone out under his desk.

"Young Mineta!" All Might called out, making the short boy snap up in his seat with a wide-eyed look to the front of the room and the scrawny teacher who just caught him unfocused. "Do you have something to add?"

"Uhh, no. Sorry," Mineta slouched into his seat and tried not to look around at others who he just now noticed glaring towards him for what he must have been whispering too loudly.

Sero ignored those looks though, instead just shifting his gaze over towards the windows he frowned while staring out of. Why the sudden change in strategy? Was it even a strategy in the first place? Two hundred people in a day. All that, and they're still just going to rip him apart on the news.

Sero's gaze lingered to his left even when All Might cleared his throat and continued teaching his class. Sero looked closer than outside the windows though, to the row at the end and the seat in front of Jirou. Then his eyes shifted back more and he looked to Midoriya for a moment before looking back forward. Heard the two of you were together yesterday too.

If I had stopped him then, those two hundred people would still be dead right now, Midoriya thought it and he couldn't refocus on All Might if he tried. He was trying though, and he stared towards his mentor who acted like he did not notice his successor's strained look exceeding all his other classmates' ones, and many of them were dealing with their own feelings as well.

Is he making his move? Tokoyami had to wonder it, as the sudden news of how many people Zach had brought back was such a sharp change in what he had been doing since returning. What is "his move" though, that this could somehow be the start of it?

If he texts me after this like it changes anything! …He won't though. Not this time, Jirou's eyes focused on All Might but the desk in front of her was still in her vision. No matter how many times she had asked herself why she didn't take the initiative and get rid of it herself, seeing that empty seat now just made a similarly empty feeling fill her. He shouldn't have come back. We both agreed. He, he's done, and I'm done with him. That's it. It's over now. I know he isn't long for Japan. It's just a matter of time now, until he leaves again.

Every life is in his hands, Ashido tilted her head back and continued twirling her pencil aimlessly in and out from between her fingers. And now everyone knows it. More than with Novak, everyone knows now… He can save them all. Even though he can't. She frowned and stopped twirling her pencil, but she refocused as All Might's tone shifted and got some of the students thinking he was directing that tone shift at them for not paying attention.

As lunch came around, Midoriya pulled out his phone and checked on the status of the breaking story all of Japan cared about. Everyone in the world has to be seeing this and going nuts about it too, Midoriya reminded himself as he looked at international news' sources as well that all had the same stories breaking about Lifebringer's activities over the past 24 hours. 'Lifebringer's nonstop revival spree has ended with a total count of 203 people. Ramini Junu was pronounced dead at 7:23 this morning, and the final confirmation of her death came at 10:23 as doctors claimed it was past Lifebringer's time limit and Ramini could no longer be revived.'

Midoriya sat down at lunch but barely touched his food as he went through every new story he could find. '…Initial reports that not a person had died in Japan over the twelve hour period were exaggerated. New reports show that multiple people were passed over in Lifebringer's twelve hour sweep of Japan…'

'Many are claiming the fault lies in those close to the deceased who failed to make enough noise to draw Lifebringer's attention. The friends of the deceased reportedly did not believe Lifebringer would come, and all three of the deaths during the twelve hours period we currently know about occurred within the first four hours of Lifebringer's spree. Once people knew what he was doing, everyone knew to draw as much attention and focus to their deaths as possible. If Lifebringer sees it, he'll have to act.'

Midoriya clicked on a link to a popular internet forum site with the title of the link focused on Lifebringer. The very first comment with the most upvotes read, 'Why today? My parents were both killed in a car crash three days ago, and I begged Lifebringer on Quirkbook, here on Clickit, and out in the streets I shouted his name! I even went so far as to PRAY for him to show up, but where was he?' There were angry comments below it that had many likes too, ones that argued back at that commenter for being so negative towards what Zach had done. Yet the amount of upvotes for the initial comment were much higher, as were the similar comments from people who had loved ones die on any other day than the past one.

The curly-haired teen's eyes narrowed as he read the angry posts towards Lifebringer, but no conviction he had could hold more than a few seconds at the shallow anger those people held towards him for reasons Midoriya did not agree with anyway. I wanted him to bring back more people, but I didn't know you'd do it like this. You only save who you can, but you can save everyone! And yet you- Midoriya's teeth bared for a second and then he looked down and picked up a roll he shoved in his mouth to chew instead of just sitting there angrily. I need to stop you. I have to go after you. There's no way around it now, but I need to do it smart.

Midoriya looked back at his phone to look for more information on Zach. He scrolled down an article, 'An anonymous source confirms that Zach Sazaki is currently at Shiketsu High School. No new information as to whether or not he will continue his revivals after school has ended. There is no official statement from Prime Minister Nikko or any of the top hero officials as to the status of Lifebringer or what his actions have been identified as. Considering the backlash today from the international community for their decision not to let Lifebringer outside the country anymore, it is unlikely they will condemn his actions inside the country. Some sources close to the Nikko administration have even suggested that Sazaki's ban from leaving Japan may not last after this…'

Zach, was that your plan? No. What was it? Midoriya glared down at the screen that showed a picture of Zach at the site of a truck that flipped over off the highway and him reviving the driver and a passenger of a car that had swerved when the truck nearly hit it. Neither vehicle hit the other, and yet there were still two fatalities in the accident last night. Not anymore though. Why did you go, and do all that? Right after leaving our talk I, I thought you wanted me to chase you. I thought you wanted to fight! Did you do all that to try and convince me not to come for you? Or was the pain of all we talked about too much, and you needed something else to block it out? Bringing back people hurts you so much though! So, does all that stuff, hurt even more?

Of course it does. But that doesn't mean it's forgivable. Midoriya glared down at his screen, and he turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket. He continued eating his food with a determined yet solemn expression, and Todoroki, Iida, and Uraraka all stared at him through their meals with varying looks of unease at how much conviction Midoriya had on his face.

Did he do something? Iida wondered, holding his tongue as much as he wanted to try talking Midoriya out of it. He thought of a call he had with his brother the afternoon before, and he had to look away from Midoriya to keep himself from arguing against what he thought Midoriya was thinking about doing. Tensei, says Zach's most likely responsible, for giving him his legs back. I couldn't understand. Except… I could. He heard Zach talking to him so quickly in the joint training dome when it was just the two of them, something he had skimmed right over but echoed in his mind during his conversation with his brother. "…I had an R&D department developing new weapons using technology from all the illegal weapons' facilities all the strongest countries in the world had hidden away from their heroes. Combined with all the technology made by Quirks in research labs and human experimentation facilities, and all the tech that we obtained from the villains we had defeated so far, our technology was so far ahead of the rest of the world's."

Iida could see Zach lifting his left arm and showing it off as he said that. And he could hear in his brother's voice the frustration that Tensei felt at how he was telling Tenya what he believed, even though he wanted to just accept the gift and keep his mouth shut about it. "I think, you already know something about your friend… But this kind of power, Tenya, it's disconcerting. I don't know what I can even do with this hunch. But I needed you to know."

Deku, Uraraka stared across the table at Midoriya with uncertainty over her face. Her own unease only amplified from the looks she saw on both Iida and Todoroki's faces implying they all knew something she did not, All of you have believed he's Death from the start, but are you really, going to do this? Even after yesterday? Even after, I thought you pulled yourself out of the investigation? Uraraka turned her head and looked down the table towards where Bakugo and Kirishima were eating across from each other, both in silence though Kirishima kept glancing up to see Bakugo scrolling through his phone. Bakugo's look was focused but there was less conviction on it than Deku's, more just an intense gaze showing he was analyzing what he was reading on his screen.

I'd tell you that if you need help I'd come, Todoroki thought while watching Midoriya's expression from his right side, wishing at the moment that his friend had not practically kicked that muttering habit of his. But, this is probably something you feel you have to do alone. No matter how many times it happened, you were always the one to defend him first. I watched him attack you in the training forest, but you wouldn't condemn him. You blamed yourself for so long. You even let him convince you to give him a chance after finding out the truth. If you've decided now, after all of that, that it's finally time. Todoroki hummed to himself and he thought firmly, Then I believe you're right. I wanted to give him a chance too after what I heard him say. I know though, that you have exhausted every other option to come to this decision… If you've even decided yet. Todoroki watched as Midoriya's conviction shook again, his hand moving back down to his pocket in a movement almost subconscious it looked like he barely noticed until he had his phone back in hand.

The back and forth in Midoriya's head did not get easier over time, and the school day felt like it lasted forever. Then, at last, it ended, and it was time to head to his internship. Midoriya walked out of the locker room with his hero costume box in hand. He looked down at the number '19' on the box that had remained the same from his first year despite their class only having 19 people in it total now. His class number was still 19 too, even without a number 7 or 13 there anymore. Midoriya glanced to his right after stepping out of the locker room, as a larger boy stepped out behind him and quickly maneuvered around the teen moving slowly away.

"Sorry Midoriya," Sato said, though he barely glanced to the side with the apology as he moved around Midoriya in a rushed way.

"Well he's getting out of here fast," Kamakiri mentioned, looking over with Awase where they were talking with their own costume boxes in hand. The students needed to wear their costumes during training at school too often for any of them to leave them at the offices. The two Class B students had to stop first at the Costume Development Studio before heading out to their own internships, as their practical training earlier with Vlad King had gotten so intense both of their costumes needed quick repairs before they would be willing to go out on actual patrols with their pros.

Awase Yosetsu nodded while watching Sato jog down the hall at one speed lower than what a teacher might call out at him to slow down. He turned when Ojiro stepped out of the locker room behind him, "You know what Presto Change-o has Sato doing these days?" Ojiro and Kamakiri looked at Awase wondering what he meant by that, and Awase looked back down the hall in the direction Sato ran off. "Kai Kobura shares an office building with their agency, but I haven't seen them going out on patrols or anything lately."

"He has been, preoccupied," Ojiro admitted, then he shook his head showing he did not know though and just started walking to head out to his own internship. He thought more about it though after it was brought up, as he had just thought maybe the stress of this final term was getting to Sato, (along with someone else that had a lot of their class focused outside of schoolwork and hero work). It's at his agency though? I know we're not supposed to talk about what we're doing with our heroes, but during the practical training today too he was so focused on it, then couldn't focus enough that Cementoss had to make him read aloud a passage earlier from the textbook…

Midoriya watched Sato leave and his thoughts occupied with similar concerns for his busy classmate, but he could not trick himself into losing focus for long. Whatever he's doing, I'm not involved. Whereas this. Lemillion. Investigating Zach. The ADTF. We know. I know. I know more than anyone.

Midoriya lowered his gaze down to the floor, and then he turned and headed off in a different direction than the front of the school. A classmate of his who Midoriya usually walked up alongside on their ways to the same agency turned his head a bit as he walked towards the locker room late with Sero and Kirishima. Neither of the other two noticed as they were busy talking Zach's revivals and whether or not he would be continuing them this afternoon, but Bakugo's eyes narrowed towards Deku as his childhood friend walked with such a dark expression on his face so unusual for Midoriya to have.

Behind U.A. High School, some first year hero students gathered together behind the class rep of 1-A on the road that wrapped around U.A.'s whole campus. Midoriya stepped out of the school and looked their direction, and his expression rose into a more normal one when he saw the class rep look his way and then straighten up even more. The other hero students glanced his way and spotted Deku looking towards them, so when their rep called out to start their run, everyone moved faster than usual to show off to the person many of them believed had the potential to be the Number 1 hero. All the comparing the news had done with Deku to All Might after the last Sports Festival where he had won, had put that reputation on Deku throughout the school year though he rarely noticed as the students he saw most in Classes 3-A and 3-B did not treat him like it, nor did Lemillion or his teachers.

There was another reason Midoriya did not feel the comparison to All Might as much as he had in the first couple of months after the Sports Festival. That was, because in the middle of the summer after the first term of his third year, someone else had returned who shook that belief that many people felt that Deku could become the Number 1 hero. Midoriya felt buzzing in his phone, and he looked down and checked the news reports coming out now claiming that Zach Sazaki was seen walking out of Shiketsu High School in 'no big rush' after school today. He's done? Does he think, those were enough- They weren't… I can't decide based on that.

I can't stop him only if he's not constantly bringing people back. I can't do that to him- I can't think of it like that! He's supposed to be my enemy, right now… I don't know if I can do this. Midoriya started down onto the road around the campus of U.A., and he glanced in the direction of Heights Alliance before turning the other way. He started walking, then he tucked his costume box into the nook between his right arm and his side and started running faster. He had his backpack on, and his curly hair waved in the wind as his speed increased more and more to the point he was bringing up dust on his run around the campus.

His feet slowed down, with a glance to his right and the sight of a large stone castle in the process of being rebuilt because of training Class 2-B had done their earlier. Midoriya saw Cementoss sensei with his hands down on the floor working to repair the building, a building he remembered getting much more destroyed than it currently was once before. Inside Ground Omega Midoriya could see himself and Todoroki fighting against Bakugo, but he also saw the end of that capture the flag game. Injured and exhausted, for both of them, he stood in front of Zach who looked so ready to fight him. He wasn't even going to use his Quirk against me, and he knew I would use mine to get the flag back but… That was, a long time ago.

Midoriya turned back forward and started moving again, speeding off with a wind of dust rising behind him that caused Cementoss to turn his head and cock it to the side wondering what just zoomed past him. Deku shook his head as he could not get Zach's expression out of his head that day in the capture the flag game. The happy look on his face when he had won that Midoriya did not fully appreciate at the time as he was still upset about losing. The genuinely joyful expression of victory, that he saw again the first round of the Sports Festival, and after he beat Shoji, Midoriya reminded himself. He could see Zach down there with a chorus of cheers for 'Lifebringer' echoing around the stadium- "Not Lifebringer!"

Is it really better for everyone if Zach is locked away? Midoriya questioned himself, but he bit down so much harder that the thought came after he heard Zach scream that in broken panic. It would be safer for all of us not to have him here, but it wouldn't have been better for the people who died last night. And yet if Zach snaps, like I know he can! At any time he could snap, after what I saw yesterday. The look on Zach's face, with more scars on it than the memories he was just having, Midoriya saw it looking so ridiculously unhinged that it sent chills down his spine. Watching him break down like that… I- I…

I just don't know.

Ultimately, Midoriya's run started to slow down. He fell into a jog, and then a walk, and he came to a stop in front of a building he turned to with wide eyes as he had apparently reached his destination. He hesitated as he stared at the building just like another dorm, only this one was not for students. Deku glanced back behind him, but then he turned to the building and took in a deep breath before walking towards the front doors. He knew it was his own decision to come here and stop in front of it, even if part of that decision was subconscious as so much else had been racing through the forefront of his mind.

Yagi Toshinori put his jacket down on the back of his desk chair and let out a long sigh after a hard day at work. He rose his arm and coughed into his sleeve a couple of times, and then he sighed again in exhaustion as just standing up and teaching for a whole day took a lot out of him in his old age and weak state. The old man with sunken-in eyes and graying blond hair smiled though as he pulled his chair farther out, and he took a seat that felt so nice- Knock knock

All Might opened his mouth and let out another sigh though of defeat this time. He shook his head around and then turned to the door and responded, "Yes?"

"All Might, it's Midoriya," Deku started on the other side of the door, surprising his teacher who glanced towards a digital clock in his room to check the time.

"Midoriya Shonen," All Might began, standing out of his seat and starting for the door. "Should you not be on your way to Lemillion's agency?"

All Might opened the door for his successor, and his questioning look faded as he already half-suspected the reason that was confirmed with the look on Midoriya's face. "Do you need to talk?" All Might wondered, and he moved to the side to let Midoriya into the room. Midoriya's face scrunched from its hesitation and confusion for a moment, as he reminded himself that this was his job now and not All Might's. He walked into the room anyway though with an absent nod at the offer. "Is it about, Sazaki?"

Midoriya stopped in the middle of the room, and All Might closed the door before stepping back in himself and towards his chair that he sat back down in. He made the sit look natural and like he thought this was a better conversation to have while seated, but when he motioned at Midoriya to take a seat on the other chair in his room, the student stayed standing. "All Might," Midoriya began. The eighteen year old staring at his mentor grit his teeth for a few seconds, and then he said softly just barely above muttering it under his breath, "Zach's Death." He bowed his head after speaking the words, and then he rose up his gaze and said to his predecessor sitting before him, "And, I think I need to stop him. Now…" Midoriya added softer, indicating to All Might why it was that Midoriya did not appear worried at all about getting to his agency on time.

Nothing else mattered at the moment but this for Deku. All Might's expression got more focused too, even though he already knew this was going to be a serious conversation. "You know it, for certain?" All Might asked, just checking to make sure. "You have proof-"

"He's confessed. We've," Midoriya stopped himself for a second and looked away for a moment, only to look back into All Might's eyes feeling less shame than he thought he would as he finished, "we've talked about it, at length. There's no question." Midoriya paused and he shook his head, before saying in a stronger but angrier voice of frustration, "He was forced into telling us though, when that girl he brought back to life, who he called Darling, showed up. She revealed the lies, but we-" Midoriya ground his teeth with guilt forming on his face for a moment, then he continued quieter, "I decided to, give him a chance. I know it's not what I was supposed to do, All Might. But, I thought it was the right thing, to do…"

All Might sat back in his seat and took in a deep breath that he let out slowly. A talk he had had with the Number 2 hero not too long ago filled his mind. "...The place was fucked up, but almost as bad were the unredacted reports of what the villains who said anything told about what had happened to the place. The gladiators broke free, with the help of the Army of Death. I think maybe Death's army came for their captured leader, or maybe Sazaki was just another prisoner of The Pit when they came. One thing was agreed on by the villains who told me the truth though…" I didn't believe it like you did, Young Midoriya. I did not think it was as sure a thing as you believed it to be, but after what Hawks told me that day I came to accept this already.

"When the gladiators rose up, Lifebringer led the revolt. By that time he was already known by another name there though, one he lived up to during the uprising. They called him… The Champion of The Pit." "…And All Might, this is something that wasn't in any of the reports, but those men I questioned told me. It's something I don't plan on telling Lemillion because I can't really confirm it… This is what one of them told me though: 'Covered in wounds from his gladiator matches, he freed the other gladiators and led them to the surface, and by the end of it the other gladiators had swords raised in the air. They were roaring for Sazaki, as he cut Umbuju down and decapitated him.' The gladiators all went missing afterwards, but those villains who talked to me said that Lifebringer told them all he would never let something like that place exist again in the world. He promised them to drag all villains to the surface, like this, and to make them pay so that no one ever thinks something like this will be allowed again. He was drenched in his own blood and the blood of his enemies. The villains considered him to be the devil, a vengeful demon… the embodiment of Death."

"…and All Might, there are things Zach's told me that, that I can't accept. Things that are so bad, that I know what I need to do now."

"I, would advise you not to be hasty," All Might began to his student. "Your friend has gone through so much." More than you know, All Might thought, though he kept that to himself. He also felt hesitant about his own response right there though, as he remembered how Hawks finished that conversation to him. "The local heroes have no idea what's true and what isn't, as they were called about an anonymous tip with the location and knowledge of what the Pit was, and that's it. Not what happened there that day. Most of the villains I tried to interrogate wouldn't speak either, and most of them completely denied Lifebringer ever even being there.. Some denied it so strongly, when I suggested that I would rumors that they had told me about him, that they started crying… I'll admit, All Might. I don't know what to think myself, but I'd have kept all of this to myself if I didn't genuinely feel, this kid is a danger to everyone."

Midoriya frowned at the first response All Might had for him. I thought- no, I wanted you to be upset. I wanted your help, convincing me otherwise! "You told me before, All Might, that it's up to me now. Since you can't stop Zach yourself anymore," Midoriya said that lower and he bowed his head some more before shaking it in frustration and raising an intense gaze to his mentor. "I know I have to fight Zach. I need to face him now," without any uncertainty in my feelings.

"And why is it so pressing that you rush into this?" All Might wondered. His tone suggested he was against it, telling Midoriya to calm down first and look over all the options just from his question alone.

Midoriya shook his head though and started, "Zach has plans." He paused, and he added in a lower voice, "And there's the possibility, that those plans are altering right now. As he, changes too." Midoriya's dark look shifted away for a moment, Something I pushed to happen. Yet something that I needed to push, and that I don't regret either. "He's told me he wants to be a hero. He's told me it's his reason for being here, and yet the day he returned he said what he did about All For One." All Might hummed and lowered his gaze down too as he recalled what Midoriya told him about that. "And I know he's still planning something with that, and with the League I know he's hunting on his own, and who I'm pretty sure he'll wipe out if he finds them! He's always planning so far into the future. And, and he's so strong."

Too strong. If the time came and I had to stop him after he already lost it, as he's killing again, I don't know if I could do it. Midoriya's look of dread rose up and his dark eyes stared into his mentor's that could see so much hurt in them hidden behind the guise of intense conviction Midoriya was putting up. "All Might," Midoriya began in that dark voice, his dread shifting back more for his conviction to get even stronger with each word out of his mouth. "I've seen how fast Zach progresses with Death, faster than I've ever gotten stronger with One For All. I saw the increase myself in Breakneck's Trigger lab, after he had killed Spinner at the Sports Festival. He told me, that it's never been a temporary boost in strength from killing people."

All Might stared at Midoriya in a steady way with his expression not changing even when Midoriya thought it would fall into a much deeper look of dread there. Midoriya shook his head and spoke stronger, "I remembered the difference between it that day and the Sports Festival, and it's more than just the 6 from the Lifebringer Incident. It's so, so much more," Midoriya whispered that and All Might's black eyes widened for a moment at the horrified look in Midoriya's eyes like he knew how high that kill count was.

Saying it aloud settled things more for Midoriya too. All the self-doubt he had replaced with conviction. He was no longer questioning himself, when there was someone else to do that who he had such bad responses for. I just needed to do this, Midoriya admitted to himself. His fists clenched at his sides, but he ground his teeth at how convicted he was in that moment, and yet how much doubt he still had towards the actual event this decision was leading to itself. "I need all 100%. Not 75, not 80, I need to be able to use 100% all the time, and even then…"

It must be so hard, All Might thought while watching his successor whose expression he had seen before. He recalled seeing it on a camera when Midoriya had broken off from Class A and Class 1 to be on his own in the joint training dome for a little where he thought no one could see him. The look in Midoriya's eyes reminded him of that day only a couple weeks back, and All Might wondered to his frustrated student, "Did you think that you would be able to defeat anyone with One For All?"

Midoriya froze, and he rose his eyes back up with his expression shifting to confusion and surprise for a moment. All Might shook his head at the boy staring back at him like that though, "That won't be the case, and it should not be how you look at your power." The teacher sitting in front of Midoriya spoke in a wiser voice, finally having a chance to teach his student who had taken the reins of this "conversation" throughout to seemingly just vent and gather his own thoughts together. All Might continued to the teenage hero-in-training, "Defeating All For One was not easy for me. It took everything I had and left me as I am now, and I was the first to succeed out of all the previous One For All holders."

When All Might said 'as I am now,' Midoriya really saw the tired man in front of him who looked exhausted from the day. He realized that All Might may have wanted to stand in front of him on a more equal level to have this conversation, and yet was sitting not by choice of keeping the conversation in a more casual way, and Midoriya stepped backwards and sat down which All Might just nodded at before continuing. "…Me, with years and decades of experience fighting more villains than I could count, almost lost that fight and escaped with victory by a hair's breadth. Young Midoriya, do you think if you could use 100% right now that you would just, be able to defeat All For One like it was easy?"

Midoriya started shaking his head, thinking about All For One showing off Muscular's Quirk the last time they had seen each other over the video link when All For One had taunted him. He thought about Muscular taking a full blast from One For All and continuing to fight him, almost killing him, and yet All For One did not just have the Quirk that could do that to him but also so many more he did not know about. As he started thinking about how hard that fight would be even with all of One For All mastered though, All Might continued to him, "What about Raijin? Or Shigaraki? What about Eziano?" Midoriya started hesitating more, wanting to counter on those other names that he felt more confident about facing, but he stared at All Might with wider eyes as All Might shook his head at him in an intense way denying his attitude.

"I could use my full power in that fight," All Might said, referring to his battle against Eziano Mozcaccio. "And yet I was still almost killed many times during that battle."

Midoriya took in a deep breath and calmed himself, and he started nodding in understanding at All Might for all he was saying. All Might frowned himself though in a sadder way at the serious look that had formed on Young Midoriya's expression. He is more prepared now, steadier in hand, but just more thoughtful of what he is doing. All Might could see that instead of fretting about whether he could beat Zach or not at his current strength, Midoriya was just going to come up with a better strategy to beat him instead. "You need to think too, about what fights are most important-"

"It's become a necessity," Midoriya said, countering this time and raising his gaze back up to meet All Might's. He accepted all the advise, but this was something he could see All Might was pushing less from his experience as a hero and more because of his own personal feelings. Midoriya could see that, even in his infallible mentor. "An inevitability," he said softer but no less certain. No matter when it comes, we will have to fight. It has to be on my terms then. Preventative, rather than correctional. I do not want to face you after you have already stepped off this path you can barely stay on as it is. I would have no excuse to say 'there was nothing I could have done' or 'no way I could have seen it coming,' because I see what is coming. I know what he will do. "We will face each other, and he has told me what he will do if I choose to come for him. I am ready to fight him though if that's what is needed. I have to-"

All Might sat in front of his student who was seated in his room before him. Midoriya's hands curled tightly on top of his thighs, and All Might suddenly wondered to the boy when his voice was rising like that in a way so sure of himself, "Young Midoriya, did Sazaki ever tell you why he chose Bikergang's agency?"

The question did not suddenly change Midoriya's focus or make him wonder about why All Might was bringing it up. Instead he just frowned while thinking, 'Young Midoriya' and 'Sazaki.' You always make the distinction for me and not for Zach-

"For you," All Might said.

Midoriya froze. His thoughts cut off, and his eyes bulged, his breath stopping as well as confusion covered his face after a moment of silence where he did not understand what he just heard. All Might explained to the boy frozen like that in front of him, "After the Sports Festival and Tartaros escape, when I told you three how All For One knew you were my successor, you all left for your internships." All Might paused and sat back in his seat, and he continued to his closest student, "I suggested Wonderlass because I knew you could learn a lot from her, and also because I knew she could protect you better than most if All For One did come after you while you were away from U.A."

I- I don't understand what Zach- how does this mean that he…

"I expected All For One was still badly injured though so I was not too worried, but others could be sent after you instead so I did want someone who knew how dangerous it was to be looking out for you." All Might paused, and then he admitted to his student the secret, "That was what I needed to talk to Sazaki about alone that day, when I had you go out in the hall."

Midoriya opened his mouth to start in frustration and anger at his teacher, getting ready to exclaim how All Might shouldn't have done that.

"But before I could ask him to, he promised to do so on his own," All Might continued, silencing Midoriya with his mouth still open and his eyes going huge again at what was just said. All Might stopped for a moment, then he went on to his student who did not have anything to say yet as he was still trying to process what was being said to him. "Sazaki told me that day that he would protect you. He promised to protect you, for the next two years he said he would keep watch over you until you had One For All mastered. It is as you say, Sazaki always looks so far into the future." All Might nodded at Midoriya who was staring at him still in shock as he tried to understand this.

The teacher continued after a second, "So I believe it was all part of his plan, though I did not understand it at first. Then the two of you called me though, on the same video call," All Might shook his head and let out a sigh. "When I heard where Sazaki was going to be interning, so close to where Wonderlass would be, it of course crossed my mind. But I understood when I saw you together. I knew Sazaki was keeping to what he said and following you in order to protect you."

The plane flight there, Midoriya thought, his breathing fast as he sat in disbelief on the chair in front of All Might. We sat right next to each other on the way to Hokkaido. Then after we split up, we met back together to do the same raid… which was luck. I always knew it was luck that we got paired together, just like it was when I worked with Uraraka and Tsuyu and Kirishima in the past. Or the others who fought alongside me against the Cult of Stain… but it wasn't all luck. Not that time. Zach, planned things. Midoriya's huge eyes lowered down and his fists unclenched at the realization of how much it actually made sense. It's believable.

Midoriya's eyes steadying shot wide again as he was just starting to accept it. The day we got the packets with our offers! He could heard Uraraka asking the dark-haired boy who had come up to him, "Do you know who you're thinking about?"

"Not a clue yet…" He said it, and really had no idea what he was going to- "Looks like you've got someone you're interested in though?" He shifted the conversation to me! He came over to find out who I was interning with, and he picked someone… He knew. He knew from the very beginning, and he planned it out to be there with me. Midoriya slouched into his seat, a depressed look covering his face at what he was finding out right here. "We were, really good friends," Midoriya admitted, his voice quiet and his eyes dropping as he said "were" and yet did not even believe his own use of the past tense.

All Might started to his student who rose his gaze back up again, "He did it because you were his friend, yes, but Sazaki had many friends in Class A. He had friends who were closer to him than you," All Might added, "and who I'm sure he was more worried about." Midoriya could picture Zach on the phone with someone else during their internship together, and he pursed his lips that shook as All Might continued to him, "He chose to follow you though, because he was thinking about the future. The future for everyone."

All Might said it in an assured voice, and he continued to his student whose eyes opened wider at what All Might told him with no hesitation in his tone, "He went, to protect you, and thereby to protect the world. I know that was the reason…" All Might slowed down and Midoriya's heart started pounding faster and faster in his chest. "Because I knew when Sazaki promised to protect you, when I saw that determination on his face, that he truly believed the same thing I already did. That you were going to be the one to protect this world. That you would save it."

Midoriya bowed his chin down into his chest, his wide eyes clenching shut and his teeth grinding so hard. All the doubt he felt returned again, and he felt so frustrated and pained but this time because of the doubt he felt about his friend. He did something like that, all, for the peace of this world. That's always why he acts. Every time! Midoriya's clenched eyes opened slowly though, as he saw looks on Zach's face recently that shook him back into the present from this time so long ago. He kept looking down though, and he said in a dark and self-doubting tone, "Zach, might be stronger than me now though."

He rose his head and looked at All Might in a way that had his mentor's eyes opening huge. The sad look full of absolute defeat on it, because of the acceptance of how good a person Zach was that Midoriya just felt for a moment. Midoriya continued in a low and dark voice, "Zach believed that, because All Might gave me this power. His hero too… but if Zach's gotten stronger than that power, what if he can-"

"Maybe my power had a part in it," All Might cut in, admitting that some of what Midoriya was saying might be true. "But Sazaki would not have gone to protect you just for your power." All Might shook his head knowingly as he continued with that too, and Midoriya stared up at his mentor's eyes with his back hunched forward and his expression starting to lift a little from the depression that had hit him for a moment there. All Might smiled at his student and said to him, "Sazaki knew the kind of person you were, which combined with One For All made him believe that you would protect this world in my place. The next Symbol."

"Zach doesn't believe that anymore," Midoriya countered, his voice getting angry though more just upset as he shook his head around. All Might started looking at him in a way suggesting that may not be true, but Midoriya pulled back and his face scrunched up for a moment before he called out, "Zach did more- than anyone! He did so much on his own, has so much power and can influence so many more people, as everyone in the world knows him and looks to him. He has press conferences and knows all the right things to say, and even when he messes up he- he uses everything. He's so, amazing." Midoriya's shoulders slouched and he looked to his left as he could not keep All Might's gaze expecting more from him. The reality was that his faith in himself was more shaken than it had ever been though, knowing how even back in Hokkaido Zach had always been thinking of things on a much bigger scale than him who had just been there to get stronger.

Midoriya gasped out at the thought of the time they spent together there where he never once had the suspicion that Zach was somehow following him around. He bit down on his bottom lip, and then he whispered while still looking away from his mentor, "Zach's more of a Symbol, than I am. Than I could ever be," he whispered that quieter and in the most defeated tone All Might had ever heard from his successor.

So you have finally accepted those feelings, All Might wondered while watching the boy who just said that feeling of his out loud. Something Midoriya pushed so far away, yet bubbled up inside every time they talked, and whenever he saw Zach in public. When they fought at the joint training too, when All Might had seen Midoriya out in the woods alone thinking of his failure, he could see a similar look as this one to a lesser intensity. It would be impossible for you to feel any other way. When you look at what he has done in the year he was gone, compared to what you did in the same year, it must be so frustrating. I do not know much of what he was doing out there, but within four months of leaving here he created an Army and saved an entire nation from an evil tyrant. That alone, would be enough to draw up these feelings. To imagine how much else he did out there, and to be stuck knowing that worst of all he never accepted the credit for the vast majority of it, he epitomizes what so many in this world who disagree with the hero society's current state believe heroes should be.

"What if, it's too late?" Midoriya whispered, still staring to the side out a window to the bright sky outside where he saw birds flying overhead. "What if I've failed, by doing things the right way all this time?" He said it in fear and less as a question and more a confession of the darkest thoughts in his head of self-doubt towards how he had spent his years at U.A.

"You haven't," All Might assured, causing Midoriya to look back at him and into his eyes that were darker again and against what Midoriya just wondered aloud. "There are things he did out there too, that you should never consider as being the right thing." Midoriya's shaken expression hardened and his head nodded quickly, reminding himself of those things fast. All Might saw Midoriya reassure himself too hard though, and he grimaced at the sight of Midoriya's expression returning to how it looked before.

"I know you disagree with my handling of Eziano Mozcaccio," All Might began, causing Midoriya's look to shift again as he started shaking his head so as not to make All Might think that. "It's alright," All Might continued when he saw Midoriya start doing that just for his sake. "I question my decision that day more often now than ever before, after Sazaki's apartment was destroyed, and those people were killed," All Might said it in a regretful tone that made Midoriya tilt his head back in pain at the sound of. All Might continued though, "But, I do not believe Sazaki is the same as Eziano. The decision, is not the same, or you would have gone after him right away as you said. I do not believe it is your friendship that kept you from doing so."

Midoriya lowered his eyes to the floor, as he did not know if he agreed with that himself. All Might wondered in a knowing tone to him though, "Why do you think Zach came back? His real reason, if those plans you say he's brought up or you found out about already are not the extent of it?" All Might posed the question and tilted his head to the side showing he wanted to hear what Midoriya thought about it.

Midoriya looked at him somewhat confusedly though, and he frowned as he tried to come up with it but came up blank like always. I can never tell with Zach. I've never known what he was thinking! As much as he tells me, and as truthful as he seems when he does, he's always hiding so much! His real reasons for being here? I- I don't…

"Why is he spending time with you, when I am sure he can see through and knows that you want to fight him?" Midoriya bit down as he wanted to open his mouth and say that he did not 'want' to fight, and yet knew that the option was there and he was making this choice that he did not need to. And he also knew by how their last conversation ended that he had not done well at all in hiding how he felt about what Zach was doing, which put him at a disadvantage if he actually felt he needed to fight him. All Might continued to the frustrated younger man, "Sazaki is a good liar, and you are not." He was excusing Midoriya's frustration at giving himself away all this time, and All Might shook his head that Midoriya would be upset at a lack of lying ability.

"So then why?" All Might continued. He watched Midoriya ponder it over, and he said softly to the student, "Why did he come back to do things the right way again, the way you've always done them, if he was doing so much more out there? Why would he do it, if he doesn't really think what he was doing was wrong?"

"I don't know," Midoriya whispered. He looked like he seriously didn't think it was wrong though. He started, talking like it wasn't. But he's still here trying to be a hero. He's still going to school, to get his pro license. And he's trying to be a pro when- I don't know! His expression hardened and his voice rose a bit, "But I'm trying to find out."

"Have you ever considered this?" All Might started, and Midoriya looked into his eyes closely as All Might seemed to have the answer for him ready. "What if your friend knows, that he can never be that Symbol like you think he is, because Sazaki has already killed and done so much wrong?" Midoriya's eyes started to widen, as All Might continued, "People will always remember those things he did, no matter how much good he does now on top of it."

"If a hero saves a few hundred people, but then goes out and murders a couple, are those crimes forgiven because things even out? No, right? How could they? People wouldn't think of someone like that as a hero." Something Zach had told him once that he always thought back on rang true in his head. I understood his reasoning there. It made sense to me, and it was true. Midoriya looked from All Might down to his own hands that were curled in fists right over his knees as he leaned forward in his chair. I know that no matter how much good Zach is doing or trying to do, to me he is still suspicious. I still think of him as a villain waiting to happen, because of the bad things Zach has done.

That's not about perspective though, it's just the truth. Midoriya grimaced and rose his eyes back up in no uncertain way to All Might, I didn't understand it back then and countered him, but that was because Zach was saying it about his own case because of wrongs he thought he'd committed that I didn't think were really crimes at the time. Now, we both know what you've done was wrong. And I see you in a different light. "Everyone in the world sees Zach through a veil," Midoriya started softly. "They want to believe in who he is now, but they'll never forget the things he did before…" All Might started to nod at Midoriya, but the student trailed off and shook his head after what he was just saying.

"That's not entirely true though," Midoriya argued with his own agreement and what All Might was suggesting. He said in an even more serious voice than before, "Actually, some people probably don't think that at all. They're like I used to be, thinking even those bad things he's done now are not bad enough to diminish their opinions of them." All Might stared at Midoriya in a growing sense of awe at his successor's realization here going farther than what he had said only on a surface level. The fear Midoriya felt was not just towards Zach, but on a wider scale too that All Might understood the wariness towards as Midoriya continued, "They accept the things Zach did as not being crimes at all, while only a few like you and I will think they are. Instead of it just being Zach now, maybe his aunt too who blamed him, a few other people maybe for those first crimes he thought he committed… Zach has a lot more people now like us who condemn him while still tons more think he's perfectly fine."

Midoriya paused and then continued in a thoughtful voice, "It really is, all a matter of perspective." He understood it, but he also understood something else that he continued with in a softer voice, "Yet to a portion of the population, Zach could never be the Symbol." He said it in understanding and looked into All Might's eyes with that realization covering his face that All Might started nodding at in agreement after a couple seconds. "Zach has all the influence he needs to do whatever he wants, all the strength to defeat anyone… or he could, maybe." Midoriya paused and then shook his head with grit teeth and his eyes dropping down, "He has so much power already, but he's not pushing his influence to try and get political or anything."

The realization hurt Midoriya as much as he wanted to stay impartial towards this thought process. "He's not going to press conferences I know he could twist to make work out in his favor. And when he does, he could have… he could have done things, to make everyone get on his side. Done more! To do that though, would be deceitfully manipulative in itself, and that's not who he's trying to be… He could have done more from the start, but he didn't. He's staying in the rules, as best he can, so that he can stay there as Zach Sazaki." So that he can continue to be our friend, Midoriya added to himself as he paused.

The pause lasted longer though, as Midoriya continued in his head for a second before freezing up, If, Zach understands already that he can't be that Symbol- "I thought… that I could try and be a symbol." Midoriya heard that booming voice of Zach in the Enudora Forest echoing through his mind. Words that were lost in the dizzying madness of that night, that only now reverberated through his mind. "I could try and be the Lifebringer people wanted me to be. I thought that heroes mattered so much, because people look to them to feel safe. And after beating Shatterer, I started to feel like I could actually become something like that… That's stupid though. Not because it won't work, because it could, but because I can't do it."

Panic spread over Midoriya's face at the realization he was having now, that Zach might have already realized what he had just figured out himself, all the way back then. He emphasized how HE couldn't make it work. He already knew. That he never could have become the Symbol because of the people he'd already killed, the lies he'd already told… Midoriya's face pulled back while All Might stared at him in confusion for Midoriya's internal struggle he was not hearing. Midoriya gasped out though, as he thought, So it didn't matter if he just went off the rails like that. His actions were all that mattered, because people would never all be able to see him as a hero again after he had killed people. Just one, and they called him a murderer. And if it's not everyone… but with me, Midoriya thought about himself and he closed his eyes as he saw a way Zach had looked at him before, a look he did not see from nearly anyone except for Zach. One of the people who knew him so well so the look was familiar, and yet it had a similar expression to those people who did not know him personally who looked at him like a possible new All Might.

My clean record. Something he's even pushed me about. About how I can't reveal those secrets… and he's always so intense about that. Because it's not just about my moral compass, because to him I'm more than that! Midoriya opened his eyes and All Might saw in his eyes a look so tired as all of this hit him at once. Beating Inhuman, and Breakneck, the April Fool's Day Villain. Big names I got a lot of media attention for. I got the most internship offers two years in a row. I won the Sports Festival this year, my final year at U.A. before I am going out to become a pro hero, who the whole country has high hopes for. Top of the world famous Class A. Taught by All Might. He sees all these things I don't, even think about. And I haven't been living up to what he knows I need to.

The way I've seen Zach working the media, and how All Might used it too! Always smiling and laughing for the camera like I wanted to do, but have thus far failed at, being too indecisive and hesitant when the camera's on me. And, All Might's not the only one who… Midoriya could see Zach smiling as he came out of the War Boys' base, holding up Kaminari and that girl he had saved. Just like I saw All Might carrying so many people out of the flames. My whole life, I watched that video as my ideal for what a hero was, and then Zach went right out and did the same thing! "It's okay now." All Might isn't the only one who I could look to for advice on how to be the next Symbol. He isn't the only one pushing me towards that future.

"He's believed in me for so long," Midoriya whispered. And when I did nothing but stay here and keep doing things the right way, he never lost that faith in me while I, I lost my faith in him. He looked into All Might's eyes and whispered in a pained voice, "He told me himself so long ago. '…Long enough for you to become the Symbol of Peace,'" Midoriya said it and shook his head with an agonized look covering his face. "He said that about the clash that could potentially upheave all of hero society. And that was right after he came back from the villains, who he held out through all his torture without telling about my Quirk! Even though it didn't matter in the end," Midoriya said softer, feeling so sad as he knew AFO had told Shigaraki and who knows how many other villains about his Quirk. If Raijin, and Phinx and Lee all knew…

Midoriya shook his head around and said softer to his mentor before him, "He told me I could be it, back when I didn't believe I could be it myself. He's always believed in me, and I've never given him… as much faith," Midoriya finished, hesitating for a second as he wondered if he was exaggerating there. I let him go when I found out he was Death. I kept quiet when he revealed what he had really done with the League of Villains. I've had faith in Zach before… but I still doubt him. I doubt him more than he's ever doubted me.

"He's had reason to doubt me," Midoriya said softly to his teacher who looked sadly back at his student at what Midoriya started saying about himself. "I never saved him, when he was being tortured all that time. Even though, in the worst moment of his torture, when he could have died at any second-" Midoriya sucked in a sharp breath, and All Might pursed his lips too as they both thought about that video they saw at the Sports Festival two years ago. Midoriya continued in amazement and so much regret, "Zach had the strongest look I had ever seen, as he looked into Shigaraki's eyes and said that I would save him."

"There wasn't anything you could have done," All Might assured, though his voice was a soft whisper.

Midoriya hesitated for a couple seconds, but he nodded in acceptance of that. His eyes were still so sad though, but they started to harden as he said in a steadier voice, "I knew back then how I had failed though, but Zach pushed me to believe in myself and my power. Seeing him still believe in me, it pushed me to become stronger. A better hero…" Midoriya grit his teeth and tilted his head back with a harsh glare up at the ceiling. Why do I think Zach must have plans? Why, do I think those plans are necessarily bad?! It doesn't have to be like the Lifebringer Incident, and it's probably, most likely nothing like that…

"What if," Midoriya started to wonder, his voice pained as he stared up at the ceiling with his face scrunching up. "The plans Zach has," he continued, lowering his eyes down to meet All Might's. "Are just to be here, so if any of us die he can bring us back to life?" All Might saw water forming on Midoriya's bottom eyelids at the suggestion. "Or, if his plan is just, vaguely, to try and make Japan a better place? Or- or-" his voice cracked, but he shook his head and asked in doubt, "Or to help me, and the others be better heroes… By telling everyone how wrong he was about what he did, in case any of us thought that him breaking the rules was in any way alright?" Midoriya's voice started to speed up, "Which a lot of people did believe! But he put himself in prison for it. He- He!"

Midoriya's head shook harder, his expression breaking and his lips flapping around for a few seconds as he shook it faster and faster. "Brrrr," he blew out air and took in a huge breath. Then he rose his hands to his face and clapped himself on the cheeks, and he stopped with them pressed against it as he once again saw Zach's darkest look the day before. But he shook that look slowly out of his mind, replaced by looks he saw much much more often since Zach had returned. The looks he chose to ignore, to focus on only the absolute worst. I, have to give him back, what I haven't given him since he returned. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, because maybe part of what's made you so dark is this injustice I've been doing to you, by being so suspicious of you this whole time.

"All Might… Thank you. I- I think the answer isn't easy, and I was trying to convince myself it was-"

"The fact that you came here, shows me you understood that it was not," All Might countered right back in a strong way at his student.

Midoriya hesitated for a few moments, then he nodded at his teacher and stood up in front of him. It wasn't easy. And whether or not that's because of a personal reason, doesn't matter. Zach has always been, one of my closest friends. He's still... Midoriya pursed his lips and then smiled and nodded once at All Might who started telling him that he would not tell him how to make his decision, but just to always follow his heart. And as All Might told him that, Midoriya finished to himself, …one of the people I care about the most. Who knows me better than most anyone. Knows my secrets, and who I am… and one of the people I trust the most?

The thought caught Midoriya off guard, and he turned from All Might so as not to show his mentor the look that came from the confusing thought. He did not feel the doubt he felt he should though, even as he wondered it again to see if he was being serious, Can I really trust Zach? Could I ever trust him again, after everything? I'd put people in danger doing something like that… I think- I thought. Can he control himself though? Can he do things right this time, like I know he's trying to do?! He deserves to have the chance. Even after it all, that's what I believe most firmly. You deserve this chance. A chance, to be the hero we all want you to be.

A/N Thanks for reading! Posting this late, so no review responses again (sorry bout that). I've got to wake up early tomorrow morning and drive 4 hours to a job fair at a mountain I'm hoping to work over the winter (so I can spend my days skiing and nights working at the mountain's restaurant, sound like a cool plan right?). Anyway, some more aftermath of Zach's half day of revivals, along with Midoriya's battle with what he knows about Zach now and a decision he makes with help from his mentor he goes to instead of heading to his internship to tell Lemillion. Midoriya learns the truth behind Zach's reason for going to Bikergang that Zach never told anyone, but that All Might knew was the case for a long time now. He also admits his own feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, doubt towards his own feats and strength compared to Zach's, and his fear to what Zach could become and how he wouldn't be able to say he didn't see it coming. Hearing Zach's faith in him has restored some of Midoriya's own faith in Zach, as he decides to give Zach the chance to stay on the right path... I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Leave a review telling me what you think, predictions for the coming chapters, or questions for the story in general! Just finished writing 195 before I started editing to post this, so I'll try to upload 195 by Sunday. 'Til I get it up though, have a good weekend guys.