Death

by tmb1112

Death is a Quirk that can only kill. A perfect Quirk for a villain, but what if the boy who manifested that power just wanted to be a hero? Enrolling in U.A. might not be enough when all your Quirk can do is kill people. Follow Zach Sazaki from his first day in Class A on a story that spans years, as he learns to be a hero, finds out more about his Quirk, and too much to summarize!

216. Chapter 216

A/N Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. Been pretty busy at work and was really swamped over Presidents' weekend, but here's the new chapter and I hope you enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 216:

"Do you really think I won't slip again? I don't even consider it slipping. He was a genocidal maniac! A brutal, SAVAGE man who believed himself a GOD! And the world is better off without him," Zach paused and panted a few times while staring down Midoriya across the gap between them in the devastated Muindo Range. He opened his mouth to continue shouting, but he stopped himself and just closed his mouth with his eyes darkening more. His body erupted in thick darkness and massive wings ripped off his back. "Goodbye, Midoriya. The world needs me now…"

Zach flapped his wings down, and Midoriya shot up in the air after him. "I can't let you go like that!" Midoriya yelled, flipping up over Zach's head and then spinning around on Zach's other side as Zach just turned himself around while raising too. Midoriya got in his way, fists raised, and he yelled, "You can't tell me you'll kill and then go like-"

"You can't stop me. No prison can hold me. And you can't defeat me even at my weakened state right now. You can't do anything except sit back and watch as I cast my judgement on this world." Zach's red eyes flared, and he rose up his hands with swirling black spheres on them. "Now you either get out of my way, or you'll wake up in a few days."

"Zach! You killed a man who was on his back! Surrendering to you! I- I can't," Midoriya's fists clenched so much harder as he glared back at Zach's horrifying body. All of the things Zach was saying as he tried to just fly off here finally culminated, and Midoriya's expression hardened at once. "I can't let you go. Zach, I'm… taking you down."

"And tell them what?! That I killed the God of War?!"

"I'm going to reveal that you were Death," Midoriya replied. "And I'll get the others you admitted it to to come forward and back me up. You'll have to go back to Tartaros."

"Not a chance." Zach flew at Midoriya rather than let the other boy shout at him how he needed to surrender.

Midoriya could already see that Zach was not going to give up without a fight though. He shot at Zach too, and he punched forward while still at some distance from him. Much of the Death on the front of Zach's body got blown backwards, but Zach fired out some down at the bottom of his back and pushed him over Midoriya's head in a mid flip-kick down at the top of his skull. Midoriya spun around faster and dodged, pulling some of the Death from Zach's kick as he moved so fast. He shot around Zach's back and sped at it, and Zach spun around with his body covering in Death again as he rose his arms.

Zach slammed his left fist forward, and Midoriya swiped his left across the front of his body before punching his right forward. The swipe of Midoriya's hand ripped the Death from Zach's left arm and then Midoriya's right hit into that left and swung it out of the way. Zach punched his right fist forward, but Midoriya saw the Death shooting up from Zach's right knee and he slammed his right hand down onto the top of Zach's thigh which knocked his leg down and backwards before the Death could come out of his thigh. Midoriya balled his right fist that he had knocked Zach's knee away with, pulled it backwards, and then the jet of darkness shot out of Zach's right elbow while his arm was still in mid-punch. There was still some distance to go before his fist would hit Midoriya in the face, but the darkness blasting out of his elbow propelled it much faster.

Midoriya's eyes were huge as he was punching his right arm forward. Zach started to dodge his body to the left at the same moment that he accelerated his right hand towards Deku's face. As the glove had been fully ripped from his hand, Midoriya could see his life flashing before his eyes as those unclothed knuckles came close to his eyes. He started pulling his head back while punching his right hand even harder, because even though Zach was dodging, if he could speed up his punch then he could create a force huge enough to completely throw Zach backwards.

Zach rose back up his left arm while his body that was dodging to the side eased back to the position it had been in. His right arm moved a bit to the left side of Midoriya's face less than a millisecond before Midoriya's right fist collided with the middle of Zach's chest that just moved perfectly aligned with Midoriya's speeding-up punch. Midoriya sped it up without full focus on it as he had to focus on Zach's attacks too, and he thought he needed to go at full force in order to redirect the arm that never hit him anyway. The right fist flying at his face went by the side of his head, while Midoriya's eyes shifted away from that right arm going along the side of his face with wind brushing against him.

Midoriya looked down to his right arm that was buried up past his own elbow in Zach's chest. His hand felt the cold air on the other side of Zach's back as he had punched through his friend who he thought had dodged him. Zach's left hand that was lifting went around Midoriya's back and held him there, pulling himself even closer and farther up Midoriya's arm. He coughed as Midoriya's arm slid further into his chest, but the blood splashing out of his mouth went past Midoriya's back as he put his chin forward onto Midoriya's right shoulder.

The curly-haired boy was frozen and staring forward at the huge wind force that shot out from behind Zach, mixed with some blood that was sent flying from the hole in Zach's back and off of Midoriya's own naked arm now drenched in red. Midoriya's arm started trembling, his fist opening and all of his bloody fingers shaking like crazy. His eyes shifted down to his right at the side and back of Zach's head while his friend rested his chin on his shoulder. He could feel a beating against his own arm, and the look of terror on his face was something Zach did not want to see which was the main reason he leaned forward and put his head there to rest.

Zach kept his right arm lifted over Midoriya's left shoulder, but his tricep came to rest down on top of Midoriya's left shoulder as he lost the strength to hold it up anymore with the pain it was in mixed with his newfound and increasing exhaustion. He managed to hold that arm up though with his right fist held far from Midoriya's body, and he chuckled while blood trailed down both corners of his lips.

"I would have got you," Zach whispered, as they both knew his bare right fist had gotten to Midoriya's face before Midoriya's arm impaled him. "Listen, Midoriya. I did that to myself," Zach paused and his eyelids were closing, his body losing all function in the state it was in. "I moved the Death out of the way. Led you into it… I'm sorry. I know, it's a horrible thing I just did to you… This was the only way though."

"Z-Zach, you don't-" Midoriya leaned his head back and looked down into Zach's face.

Zach's body went limp though. His right arm slid down his friend's side and his right hand brushed against Midoriya. A surge of power flooded into the dying teenager whose eyes snapped open as an arm was forced out of his chest. His bones and muscles reformed and his skin spread to cover the vanishing wound. Zach stared forward with his left hand clenching into Midoriya's back, a horrified and panicked look covering his face as he saw Midoriya's unmoving expression. Midoriya's mouth hung partly open and his eyelids with half closed with a blank look in his glassy eyes. "Midoriya? H-Hey! HEY!"

Zach Sazaki blinked while staring up at the ceiling in his U.A. dorm room. He put his hands behind his head and leaned back on his bed in a more relaxed way after playing out an alternate scenario in his head of the early morning a few hours before. See, things worked out for the best. I would have fucked it up somehow in the state I was in. Trying to get Midoriya to kill me? I must have lost it to even think that was a possibility. Plus I would have destroyed him even if I didn't accidentally kill him there. That would've been such a dick move. Good thing he talked me out of it then.

He rolled out of bed and rubbed his right arm with his left hand. Can barely feel the left hand. I need to do more work on it than just buffing out the dents. Right arm's just as fucked though. Zach distracted himself from the pain with thoughts on the lack of nerve-endings he could feel in his fake left arm. How's crouching? Have to put on a different pair of pants, and getting these sweats on was hard enough. Zach tested it out, and he grimaced as his insides still felt mashed up. His ribs ached and screamed out in pain that he barely reacted to while standing back straight up. Today is going to be such a weird day. It'll be tough to get to a sense of normalcy from where we are now, but I think I can manage it by week's end. At least with Class A. And hopefully my teachers. Mother Russia just came back yesterday…

"…try not to kill this one." That was pretty stupid of me. I was passing out after bringing Dover back, but she told our class that story about how she killed her first bear. It was clearly an inside joke. Darling even asked me about it when I woke up. I denied being Zach Sazaki, only to pretty much confirm it a few seconds later. Not to mention bringing her in on Wampajawa. Had my helmet blown off, though maybe with my face ripped in half she wouldn't have recognized me. I needed Dover though that day. I needed everyone I could get, without risking the lives of heroes. She agreed with that. She always, accepted my decisions out there. Taking full credit for King and helping to keep Wampajawa a secret. People like her really helped me as much as my own soldiers. Not people like her. She did. She helped me, and this person is going to be- Fine. It's going to be fine. I'll just act oblivious.

I'm a great actor. I enjoy it too. I'll even come up with a real reason why I was lying to Sato and Uraraka that day. They caught me lying, but I'll have to reveal something real to get away with why I've been telling everyone I was off world. Something real that's not Death. As in a lie, but a real lie. Yeah. That's going to work. As long as I take it seriously enough.

Can't work-out this morning. Even a run would be painful right now. I need rest. Enough rest and I'll recover. A full recovery of my body, my mind, and of Death. Zach picked up his backpack from the floor and dumped its contents out fully onto his empty desk. Not much left. My phone. A charger. One extra set of clothes. This photo, Zach picked up the photograph with his right hand, holding back from making a wincing expression as using his right here was practice for the rest of the day. He smiled down at the picture that had a stain on it from the night before. Should take this with me even if I leave. A memory of a better time- I won't leave. I promised Midoriya.

Knock Knock.

Speaking of whom. Zach lowered the photo down and walked to his door. Sounds like Midoriya's knock. Wonder if he has something for me. Zach opened up his door and looked down to Midoriya's right side immediately. Knew it. "Come in," Zach motioned back with his head and held the door open so Midoriya could come inside. He had spoke softly to his classmate as it was still rather early in the morning.

"Did you sleep, at all?" Midoriya wondered.

"Nope," Zach replied. "Same with you?"

Midoriya hesitated then nodded his head as he had done nothing but think throughout the night. He had finally had too much of it and got moving even earlier than Zach had rolled off his bed. "Here," Midoriya lifted up a school uniform he had brought with him that Zach had looked at when he first opened the door. "We're the same size, so you can use my extra for today and hopefully you'll get a set of your own, later." Midoriya handed it off to his friend who gave him a smile of gratitude for the clothes. Midoriya could see behind Zach on his desk a small pile of belongings with his empty backpack on the floor next to it. There was not much there for Zach to work with, which he reminded himself to justify why Zach had opened the door shirtless though at least wearing a pair of sweats.

Zach started putting on his school uniform right away, and Midoriya averted his eyes as Zach took his pants off to put on the nicer pair Midoriya had brought for him. "Thanks for this," Zach said. "After I get my set I'll wash them and get them back to you."

"Yeah, no problem," Midoriya replied quietly. He turned back to his friend who stood up fully after getting dressed, and Midoriya stood still for a moment as he took in the sight. Zach stood there wearing a U.A. uniform again. The two of them each looked at Zach's body in the school uniform that fit him almost perfectly. "Looks…" Midoriya started.

"Weird?"

"Familiar," Midoriya finished differently than Zach did. Zach's smile as he joked about that lowered for a split second before rising in a less joking and more genuine way. Midoriya shook his head as he realized what he just said, and he rose it back up and looked at his smiling friend whose great mood was not hidden in the least. He killed someone last night. Murdered a man on his back who… Who he wanted to die because of! But now, now that the feeling has filled him… "Are you feeling alright? Unaffected-"

"Not unaffected," Zach countered as Midoriya was continuing. "But yes, I'm fine. I knew the surge of power would come with feeling pretty great," Zach admitted. "Greater than it usually does- actually, better than ever- I don't think I've ever been this," Zach found it hard to come up with the word he was thinking of. He just chuckled and shrugged his shoulders as he did not know how to describe what he was feeling right now. "It's nice though. Unburdening," Zach said, raising his tone as if he found the word that worked best to describe it.

Zach looked closer at the left side of Midoriya's face. "Guess the wound wasn't too deep. Can barely see where it was."

"Recovery Girl says it won't scar," Midoriya replied. "And you, are you sure you don't need-"

"I feel fine," Zach replied. "My wounds healed the second I killed Ares."

Midoriya frowned at the way Zach said that. Zach tried to lower his smile a little, but he found himself turning away from Midoriya instead as that was easier than forcing a frown for him. Truth is, Midoriya, I feel even better than I'm showing you. You know that I'd feel good so I can't hide it all. But damn if I'm not feeling just, just so… SO! I don't even know! I don't know how to act when I'm this happy. It's just so new. Good mood Zach should be able to better work this than getting depressed Zach who did nothing but bring others down with him. Eziano's gone. I'm safe. Can't leave U.A. again so the pressure is off. Haven't spoken to Nezu yet since that first phone call. Wonder if he expects me to apologize? He heard it and let it go. They let me get away with everything!

Relax. He did a great thing for you and you need to thank him for that. Don't take his offer for granted. This is the last chance to get a hero license. To not have to act outside the law forever. Zach took in a very sharp but also long deep breath. He held it in his chest for a few seconds even as his body yelled at him to release it and take in more, then in a more calm and relaxed way he released the breath and turned back to Midoriya behind him with a casual smile. "Midoriya, thanks again. For dragging me back twice last night," Zach specified, smiling gratefully at him and then nodding in a serious way back at the curly-haired teenage hero. "I promise, I'll stay and graduate alongside you all now."

Outside of U.A.'s campus, Principal Nezu stood in front of a pack of reporters who arrived when he called the impromptu press conference before school that day for an announcement. He had not said what the announcement would be about, as he knew the amount of press to come in that instance would be far more than he could handle by going out on his own. His announcement was brief. Brief for Mr. Principal was still a good minute long though. The reporters ahead of the short mouse-bear-dog-man found themselves shocked silent though as the principal of U.A. made his speech to them.

"…and despite the danger that many believe this will bring to U.A., this institution does not fear the threat of villains. It will not back down nor accept the idea that the danger of bringing Zach Sazaki in as a student determines that he is not allowed to enroll here. If other hero institutions believe they are unsafe however, then it is my duty as U.A.'s principal to re-enroll Sazaki here, at the safest and most protected of all hero institutions in the nation."

"I was adamant in maintaining Zach Sazaki's expulsion even after his pardon and release from Tartaros. However, in the past few months he has shown a remarkable willingness and determination to remain within the rules and strive to be a hero in all sense of the word. I have therefore decided to give Sazaki one more chance, and after speaking with Principal Memuria of Shiketsu I have worked out a way to smoothly transfer him back into the U.A. hero course from Shiketsu's. During his time at U.A., Zach Sazaki will be prohibited from leaving campus at my direction. If he disobeys he will be expelled and lose his last chance at obtaining a pro hero license. There will be no questions at this time."

That was not accepted by the reporters who immediately lost it as the principal told them they could not ask any of the million questions they had. Luckily, U.A.'s security was much too good for them to be able to chase him back inside the campus. A huge metal gate slammed up from the floor and another wall cut inwards from the sides to double up the steel doors and make the reporters scramble backwards at the loud clanking noises as Principal Nezu shut the doors on them.

"Mr. Principal, sir. You have a call from the Prime Minister's office. It sounds urgent…"

"Are you serious?! Is Sazaki back already?"

"Why weren't we told about this? When did you decide- when did you change your mind?"

Nezu was swarmed by his faculty who had either come out with him or were waiting just inside the gates. None of them were ready for what he was about to say either, and only All Might and Recovery Girl were aware of the situation after speaking with Midoriya earlier that morning. In a surprising response from that student though, Midoriya had not told either of them much about where he had received his injuries or what had happened between him and Zach the night before.

"If Sazaki's disqualified from the aspect of becoming a pro hero, by leaving campus," one of the reporters just outside the school gates was speaking to her cameraman and piecing together what Nezu had suddenly announced. "Then it seems, Lifebringer will not be bringing anyone back to life in the coming month… Afterwards though, he will have his pro license, if he manages to obey the rules Mr. Principal has laid out before him…"

"This is outrageous! How can U.A.'s principal just decide that everyone who dies in the next month has to die for good?! This is unheard of and an abuse of his power as the principal!"

"He just accepts the risk to all the other students all for Lifebringer? That's a little selfish if you ask me…"

"I hope Nikko has a response for this kind of irresponsible and absurd…" The responses from the media were varied but all mostly focused on Principal Nezu rather than Lifebringer himself.

"I do not see what the problem is," Principal Nezu replied with a small smile as he spoke on the phone with the Prime Minister's office. It was not the PM himself who stood near his minister of defense arguing on his behalf, while Nikko stood back at the windows with a deep frown and a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face at this turn of events. Nezu's voice came out over the speaker, "It is in my right as the principal of U.A. to determine which students are allowed at this school. This institution may receive government funding, but it is ultimately my decision, and I have chosen to allow Sazaki to return as long as he obeys the law and the rules of our school. I have instituted this same kind of penalty to Sazaki before prohibiting him from leaving campus. There is existing precedent, and with his pre-existing record at U.A. and from what Memuria told me about her experience with him at Shiketsu, I found this response to be imperative in order to maintain a level of fairness and equality among our students who would feel Lifebringer is receiving special treatment should he be allowed to carry on as he had without punishment or restriction…"

Damn mouse is too smart. I should get him off the phone. He'll figure me out if I say a word. Nikko looked towards his defense minister and shook his head, a look on his face giving up on their attempt to rein in Nezu. If he had contacted us before the announcement we could have done more to prevent it. Stopping him from this now would be a disaster. I hope they see it that way too. Otherwise, I'm fucked. Oh I'm so fucked. They wanted him gone and they told me it was almost there. I fucked up. What could I have done better?

The others in Nikko's office felt for their prime minister. The defense minister who ended the call with a curt reply to Nezu even eased away from the younger man he was about to start speaking to. The former hero official turned high-ranking member of the executive branch thought as he looked at Nikko's face, He looks ten years older than the day he was elected. I know the office does that to you, but it's happened so quickly here. Then again, I can see dealing with Lifebringer would do that to a man.

Zach was left to get ready for school on his own after Midoriya left his room. It was still pretty early and Zach hoped he could get through going to the bathroom and doing a morning routine without having to deal with seeing anyone. It'll be better to just start up at school. Those who saw me come in last night saw a different me. They'll think I was acting that way to get them to let me in if I act so carefree now. Or will some of them put together the news coming out of Korea? Luckily Japan's news will be flooded instead with Principal Nezu's announcement.

Midoriya went to school early and entered the principal's office as he was called to do. He stepped forward up towards the principal's desk and faced the small mouse man who had a moment between all the talks with his faculty members, frustrated parents, hero officials and heroes alike, and the increasingly hostile press trying to get more information from him. All of this was happening at once, but he called in the school's top student who stepped in front of his desk and faced his principal who looked back at him in a serious and grim tone.

Zach showered in Class 3-A's showers for the first time in a very long time. He relaxed as the hot water washed over him. He tilted his head back and faced up at the water that rushed over his face. I can feel it all. Zach smiled at the heat and wetness pouring over him. It burns. It's actually stinging. Amazing. Take it all in. Who knows how you'll feel in a few days? Ignore that. Enjoy now. Being human. I'll still be human then but, but there's no telling what that'll be like. So just forget about it until it comes! Zach opened his eyes then squinted, looked down, and he had to rub his eyes while chuckling under his breath as he had gotten water in his eyes. Someone's coming.

"Yo, so he's really back huh?" Kirishima asked while getting into the shower next to the one that was already on. He reached forward for the nozzles to turn while opening his mouth to continue to whichever classmate also could not sleep in and was up getting ready this early.

"I'm really back," Zach replied, trying to mask the smug expression he had to force down as he tried hard not to make a joke out of what Kirishima just did.

The redhead in the neighboring shower opened his eyes wide then grit his sharp teeth that he just did that. "Oh," Kirishima muttered, realizing there was no way he could get annoyed there for what was his own doing. He opened his mouth again and tried to come up with something, but his eyebrows narrowed in at the wall in front of him, and he just reached forward and turned on his own shower. "Yeah," Kirishima said, as Zach had not added anything yet.

Kirishima, Zach glanced to his right at the wall past which his old friend was standing. You came over for that fight day, but, after the joint training, and that day too at my apartment... Zach frowned again but he sighed and lifted his head to face up into the water once more. The shower head did not pour it down at a very strong setting, not as strong as the one in his last apartment or back on the Cloak at least. It started to feel unfamiliar and no longer relaxing, and he reached forward and turned it off without staying for another second. We were really good friends, and I left you only a couple weeks after Kaminari did. A guy like you, carefree and easygoing, that had to change you. As much as anyone else.

Zach walked past the curtain at Kirishima's back. Kirishima's head had turned to the side partially when Zach's shower turned off, but his head did not turn any more around to watch that silhouette passing by behind his curtain. He just glared forward with water running down his face and dripping off his bangs. "See you in class," Zach's voice said as he left the room, and Kirishima bit down hard as there was no time to respond since Zach was gone already. In Eijiro's head he saw the tears spilling down Ashido's face. Her words echoed in his head and he finally turned towards the door to the bathroom Zach just left from. His expression eased up but it was too late, and he frowned to himself with his fists clenching at his sides that he glared down at.

I know he has it rough. Every time I get close though- Kirishima's fists tightened harder. He's not some fragile kid. He's a man! Don't just walk around pretending nothing's wrong. That nothing ever happened! Face me like one and, and have the balls to at least tell me the truth! Say it to my face and- and! I don't know! I don't even know who you are anymore. So fucking tell me. Even if he does, how could I believe it? He faked everything those two weeks. All that time I spent trying to- for him! All that and he ignored me and pushed me away, all so he could lure Raijin in for his stupid fucking- Damn it! Damn it, I'm not ready for this. Kirishima glared down at his hands that opened up as he admitted that to himself, and he felt his stomach clench in regret at the thought he had. And me not being ready kept me from doing anything about it? Midoriya said it when he came back last night with Zach. He was gone. If Ashido hadn't said what she did, when she did, I'd have regretted it my whole life. Now that he's back I have to…

I have to do it! Do WHAT?! Kirishima leaned his head forward and slammed his forehead into the wall, letting out a frustrated growl as he did not know what he wanted to do. He's back. A whole month before graduation. That's, that's a lot- not that much time. I don't want to wait until the end too- I shouldn't wait at all! FUCK! Just, just do something. This isn't like you! Kirishima glared forward at the wall tiles and he rose his hands, smacking himself on the cheeks a couple times and splashing some water off his face with the hits. You go face him like a man! It doesn't have to just be up to him. Call him out on it- And if he lies?! Then what?!

"…I haven't even told All Might. Principal Nezu, did I," Midoriya hesitated and his eyes shifted down from the beady black eyes of his principal for a moment. He rose them back up from the desk though and wondered to the smartest man he knew, "Did I make the right decision?"

"That has yet to be seen," Nezu replied. He shook his head as Midoriya just looked more conflicted and unsure at that response from the principal. "But it is up to you to make it the right decision." Midoriya stared back with his eyes widening for a moment and then a more confident look forming on his face. "If you will not give up on Sazaki, then I will do my best to do the same. We can help him. I can only do so much though," Nezu paused and he gave his student a small smile. "You already know that though."

It's up to me. To all of us in Class A. Midoriya nodded back as he did know what Nezu was saying here. Whatever Zach's done in the past, I have a chance now to change his path. We can make him into a hero. We have to. Being a hero makes Zach happy. All the rest is what he does to help the "most" people in whatever way he can, which always winds up hurting him more. Only being a hero do you not have to hurt yourself. Only being a hero, can you stay out of the darkness. We both know that's what you need most of all. Zach's power is going to grow out of control if he kills any more people. Already it's become nearly unstoppable… And I need to come up with contingencies.

The thought angered and upset the formerly strongest student at U.A. He shook his head once though with that serious look on his face that Nezu also understood from his responsible and powerful student. I hate looking at the worst case scenario. I never usually do- because I have to win! No! Contingencies be damned! Midoriya's upset look got replaced with one solely determined now. He shook his head free of those thoughts to the surprise of Principal Nezu who thought he understood what Midoriya was thinking there for a second. I will put everything I have, all my bets, on not giving up on you. Ares was a special case. Kaminari might be too… I don't know! I'm not supposed to pick and choose. Exemptions aren't supposed to exist. But I know right from wrong. I know that I'll be able to see the moment if I have to give up. Until that moment comes I will fight against it with all my being!

I swore I wouldn't give up on you. And I'm going to keep that promise, as long as you can keep yours to me.

Zach finished getting ready and packed up his bag with the supplies he had left for school. He had dumped most of the unnecessary weight immediately after being expelled from Shiketsu, though he had kept a few notebooks in case he was accepted to any of the other schools he had applied to. Not enough to get me through the next month. Guess I'll write small. Had a couple pens in the smaller pouch of this bag too. Lucky. Zach shrugged his shoulders and pulled tight the shoulder straps. Alright. Here we go.

Out on the street passing in front of the dorms, Yosetsu Awase and his girlfriend Yui Kodai were walking with Hitoshi Shinso towards the main U.A. building. The three of the Class B students glanced towards Class A's dorm when the front door opened, and Awase's open mouth froze as he was mid-sentence about the tough training they expected they were having today based on some ominous statement Vlad King mentioned at the end of the day before. Shinso was distracted from the conversation as he was preoccupied thinking about a convenience store robbery gone wrong that had many implications yet to be seen but that he had been predicting since seeing the way Zach acted while on camera…

The three of them stared towards the boy who walked out of Class A's dorm and closed the door behind him. He turned their way a bit to the left as they were still farther back on the road than where Class A's dorm's sidewalk was connected to the road. Zach chuckled at their looks that he expected he was going to see a lot of this day. He rose his left hand and gave a small wave while starting down the sidewalk towards the road himself.

"Life… bringer?" Kodai wondered in surprise. Zach heard her and his smile lowered slightly though he tried to ignore the fact that she used his hero name.

Awase blinked a few times and finally closed his mouth as it was drying out. He jogged a couple steps forward and stopped, and he asked loudly towards Zach, "What are- Are you, back for…"

"Yeah, I re-enrolled for the last month of the term," Zach replied with another glance back to his left right as he was reaching the road. "Principal Nezu just made an announcement about it actually. Not surprised you guys haven't heard about it yet." Zach turned and he started towards the school's main building, his arms down at his sides and his hands sliding into his pockets. Glad I had one backup glove left. Managed to avoid having to talk to anyone about what happened last night yet. Wonder if Midoriya's telling people? I wouldn't if I were him. They'd think he's crazy or lying.

Midoriya would not have lied about something like that, Principal Nezu ignored the ringing phone in front of him. His hands were interlocked under his chin and he stared forward intensely and with the gears spinning rapidly in his mind. How much? How big of an influence did he have on the world? Midoriya was hiding even more from me than he said. To reveal Ares' existence and still be hiding more, what could it be?

I can't tell anyone about that book we have, Midoriya was the first one in Class A's classroom for the day. He sat back in his seat and stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully and with an intense look of his own. It wouldn't matter if anyone found it. They wouldn't believe what's inside even if they could decipher it… I don't know if I'll even be able to believe it. Zach was certain though. When I asked him, he made it out like I would be stupid to even doubt it. Am I? Am I just wishing, that our entire history isn't a lie? To have to know such a secret- another, secret. I can barely hold back One For All. Keeping it from Uraraka is one of my biggest regrets, but I decided that that was the right answer. I have to make sacrifices as the successor to All Might.

Todoroki, Bakugo, Zach, and any number of villains. Midoriya's expression darkened and filled with more regret as he thought that. If the villains already know, is keeping it from my friends so pertinent? I don't know. These new secrets though, they're mine. They aren't secrets I inherited from All Might. They are not ones I've been instructed not to tell people about. It's up to me. Zach thinks no one will believe me. I wouldn't, if I started talking about… Gods, Ares, the plague, war. Principal Nezu looked shocked. He believed me, because he knows I have no reason to lie about all of that. All Might would believe me too. Bakugo, might… I don't know. I feel like, it's just, it'd be easier to keep it secret than try to convince anyone. I don't even need to lie. Because no one would ever ask something that could force me to lie about that.

The door to the classroom opened and Midoriya glanced over to Todoroki and Tokoyami who headed inside together. They did not close the door behind them, and Yaoyorozu came in a second later behind them. Midoriya greeted his classmates who all looked his way and wondered about the faint mark on the side of his face. Tokoyami glanced at it more oddly than the other two who got discerning looks on their faces. I don't remember seeing that last night, Tokoyami thought, as he had still been downstairs unlike Todoroki who had gone up to his room before Zach returned and Yaoyorozu who had still been out searching at the time.

Did you two fight? Todoroki wondered, giving Midoriya an intense look that Midoriya leaned back in his seat at the sight of then shook his head fast at his friend who just became more confused by the answer.

What happened last night? Yaoyorozu did not give Midoriya such a look and rather just glanced towards a seat in the row closest to the windows. She was on her way to her own seat in the back of the room next to where Todoroki just sat down, but she turned towards the door of the classroom as it opened back up. Her eyes widened partially for a moment, and the boy who entered the room turned and looked straight her way and into her eyes. Zach, Yaoyorozu thought as she saw him, her heart racing at the sight of his expression and the smile he gave her after seeing her in the room already.

She looks surprised I'm actually here. Wonder where she was last night? She didn't wait downstairs with the others. She doesn't seem upset to see me though. Todoroki and Tokoyami- no, they aren't grouped together. Each individually. Todoroki looks apathetic. He could go either way, but Tokoyami has some regret in his eyes. He couldn't keep them on me the whole time. Zach focused on the four in the room without thinking too much on Midoriya who he could tell was still thinking about what happened last night. The other three watched as Zach slowed down and stared at a seat at the far side of the room. He stood there with his smile lowering down a little and the others in the corners of his vision blurring away.

Did they really leave it the whole time? Through the end of last year, and all of this year? While I was a vigilante? A killer? In jail? We threw Kaminari's desk out the window on the first day. I don't get it. With how betrayed everyone was, why would you leave it there? For this? This moment- none of you could have guessed this was coming. After I was released and Nezu made it clear too, that I could never return, Zach's smile finished flattening out and he just slowly walked over towards his desk. It was clear no one had been using it. Dust had even accumulated as it seemed no one had even been cleaning it, touching it; they'd just left it alone.

Zach ran his right hand over the top of his desk. He glanced down at his glove he turned inwards, then he leaned over and brushed the dust off his desk and his seat. His smile returned and he grabbed his chair that he slid out a bit with a jolt from the legs of the seat which had not been moved in a while and were kind of stuck to the floor. He pulled it out and slowly rested down on it. Oh man, am I making this too much of a scene? Figure they want it to be an emotional moment for me considering they left it all this time. For this moment. Have to make it intense. Just sitting right down would have been worse. This is nice though. My butt feels familiar in this chair.

He wiggled around his butt and then rested his arms up over his desk. Yaoyorozu's eyes focused onto his right arm, What is with his movements? They look cautious. Midoriya's sealed cut, the way you walked and sat down slowly, it looks like it only has to do with your seat and how we are watching you. If that's what you're thinking, then are you not even thinking about your own wounds? Does that mean you have wounds? What could have happened last night? The smartest girl in Class A put her hands down on the edge of her desk, but the door opened back up to Class A and she loosened her grip. After. So he won't lie… Will he? What is your strategy? You know, that too many of us already know. Will you go all out and lie to all our friends? You need to, I know. But can you be as convincing as you once were? Mina said you couldn't handle it anymore. She knows it all too. She isn't being drawn to your pace. She stepped over it and revealed it to all of us. Midoriya, myself, Todoroki, we didn't see what was happening to you until she made it painfully clear.

Momo knows something. Did she come to my room last night? I can't lie to her right off the bat without knowing where she was and what she did. I can't tell her about Ares though. She finally has some trust in me again. Right? I haven't spoken to her in… Well there's Aoyama. He looks, unsettled. Zach looked towards the blond who had not been waiting for him downstairs the night before either. He leaned forward in his seat and looked towards Aoyama, who for a second pretended like he did not see Zach in his peripheral vision but looked over as it was obvious he could see him. "Hey," Zach gave him a small wave to the surprise of the other four who Zach had not greeted when he entered the room.

"Uh- hi, Zach," Aoyama replied.

"How's the neck?" Zach wondered. Aoyama's face stayed confused for a second, then his eyes opened wide as he suddenly recalled the last time he and Zach had gotten up and personal. It was really the only time the two of them had interacted closely since Zach returned. Aoyama thought about the joint training and when Zach sped around his back before wrapping both arms around his front, right before Zach suplexed him into the dirt. Zach grinned after Aoyama remembered it, chuckling to himself at the stunned look on his new-old classmate's face.

"F-Fine now. How's… um," Aoyama thought he would have something to reply with as he tried to make a friendly small talk back. The blond boy ran on empty though and he wondered, "Your burns?"

Midoriya darted his eyes over to Aoyama in surprise and with his bottom lip lowering at what Aoyama just brought up. Zach did not let it get to him though even as Aoyama's eyes widened like he realized bringing up Zach's apartment exploding was probably not considered "small talk" on a similar level as their joint training. Zach responded though, "Pretty good. Healed up nicely. I checked the recording afterwards, and it looked worse than it really was."

"Are you really alright?" Tokoyami wondered, as he thought about the expression on Zach's face the night before when he had come back to the dorm for the first time. Midoriya said you were so close to leaving. One night back in your old dorm couldn't have had- or is this just, to make us think you're fine? Because you know Ashido was upset?! Tokoyami tried to figure it out while looking Zach's way, but Zach just looked back at him and furled his bottom lip as he continued to smile casually.

"Yeah. I got shot a few days back, but the bullets didn't get far before I turned my body to Death-"

"Wait! When you brought back Sato, you actually…" Midoriya was surprised as he had not even realized this when he had watched it live. "I thought-"

"Did you tell Recovery Girl-" Yaoyorozu began as well as she was upset to hear Zach bringing this up in such a casual tone.

"As I said, it was a shallow wound," Zach countered his friends trying to argue with him here. He looked into Momo's eyes and reassured the girl whose eyes opened huge at the look in Zach's, "If it was worse I would have said something." Tokoyami was asking more about my mental health. Ashido must have really gone off on them. It's like everyone's looking at me and talking to me as if I could fall apart at any moment. Was I really that bad when we talked? I thought I acted the same as always.

As Zach was thinking about her, Ashido Mina walked into the classroom and she stared across the room right away with her wide eyes shaking as she saw Zach sitting there. Immediately those eyes filled with water at a sight she doubted she would ever see and that last night she had become positive would never be a reality. She did not even know if she would ever see Zach again and had been convinced when she cried herself to sleep that he was gone from her life forever.

Oh man, Zach had something he had prepared to say to her. Watching her eyes fill with water like that even in front of other people though, it pushed away the grateful words and friendly tone he was ready to use with her. His smile lowered a bit and his eyes got much softer than he had planned on letting them get. Zach did not pretend or act like anything he said last night was important. He did not pick up as if from the end of their last conversation, because that conversation had been mostly a lie. He just stared at her as she cautiously stepped forward into the room, as if hoping this was not an illusion and that he was actually over there sitting down.

Todoroki had been about to mention something about Zach choosing to save Sato, though he was going to ask more how the Shiketsu students reacted rather than tell him it was wrong to do. He looked over at Ashido though and then back towards Zach who got up out of his seat and walked across the front of the room. Without a word, Zach wrapped his arms around Ashido and gave her a tight hug. He released the hug and stepped back, gave her a bright smile, then he walked back over to his desk and sat down.

Ashido's wide eyes blinked a couple of times. Then her own huge smile broke out and she rubbed her right arm across the top of her face rapidly. "I can't believe you were lying about all those schools you applied to," Ashido ran up to Zach's desk and smacked her hands down on it. Her face was in a pout but the frustration was not too real. It was hard for her to suppress the smile after that hug that felt more real than any words could have. "Though I'm more surprised those schools are even considered 'hero' academies. Full of cowards that's what I think."

"Oh yeah, we're in agreement there," Zach replied with a serious nod of his head but a crack of a smile after a moment too just as Ashido did. He did not apologize or thank her. The two just started talking like a couple of friends who had some time before class started. Everyone else who entered the classroom after Ashido was met with a sight they were all relieved to see. The pink girl who had looked depressed beyond belief the night before and who most of them doubted would ever be her same cheerful self again should Zach disappear, was beyond bright this morning as she leaned over Zach's desk talking to their long-gone classmate back once again.

It's different from last time, Mineta thought as he sat down and turned in his chair to look left over to Zach and Ashido, and Sero who walked right over to the two of them after he came in. He tried so hard to isolate himself last time. And Kaminari pushed him to open up to us. Last time we all wanted him to just be back to normal though, whereas this time it's like, what is Zach's normal? This kind of seems like it, Mineta admitted himself with a tilt of his head to his side. He thought of all the visits he had done to Zach's apartment and how Zach acted during the joint training. He's been, pretty carefree this whole time. That's it! It was Kurogiri!

Holy shit! And the spy! Mineta realized both things right away as he looked towards his smiling friend talking with Sero and Ashido and ignoring how everyone else in the room was watching them. He knew there was a spy here and that Kurogiri could grab him at any time. The spy's gone. Kurogiri's dead. Even Hackerman's in jail so it's just, it's easier. Easier to relax. He saw how powerful they were. Felt their wrath. But now they know his. And damn Zach's wrath is the scariest thing in this whole fucking world. Mineta admitted that to himself while looking down at his backpack he started taking some things out of.

Does Zach not, scare you at all? Tsuyu looked over towards Mineta who just had a small grin on his face as he reached into his bookbag. He's not the same person you once knew. It's not about him changing. Asui lifted her eyes back up and to the side of her classmate's head. She had gone to bed early the night before as she doubted Midoriya would find Zach, and she did not know what she would do if he did. Now Zach was here. He was in their classroom and seated where she had once hoped, a faint hope she never believed would come true, that Zach would somehow make it back there. I knew he couldn't do it. At the Lifebringer Incident it was clear he would never be back. For him to do something like that, and be here now…

Bakugo's eyes were glaring down with his eyebrows narrowed in towards the back of Zach's head. He stared past the seat in front of him that Jirou was sitting down in, an uncaring and unmoved expression on her face that Zach had noted but pretended not to when she stepped past without giving him a second glance.

Unlike Bakugo, she's not even mad. Or she's pretending she isn't. I hope it's that one. She's been so angry at me but, but I'd rather that than no emotion at all. Please don't- I'd rather have her be angry at me all day? Isn't that exactly what I don't want? If she can just be happy and move on, without me… that should be fine too. That was the goal. Or, it was fine if that was how things turned out. Now that I'm here though, I should only go for a perfect score. I can do it too. From inside U.A.? I should only succeed.

A confident feeling surged inside Zach and he laughed as Ashido mentioned something that got Sero laughing along too. He looked past Sero and tried to make eye contact but was pretty sure he failed with the invisible figure walking towards the desk ahead of his. The one ahead of him and to his right became filled too though and Zach shifted his gaze to Shoji who looked back at him. Zach stared at the larger boy for a moment before Shoji gave him a nod of greeting. "Glad you're back," Shoji said from behind his mask.

"Thanks," Zach replied. Ashido looked towards Shoji and her eyebrows rose up, then she grinned big as she thought about the bus ride back to school after the Lifebringer Incident.

Shoji somehow knew exactly what she was thinking about as he saw the girl's expression. He thought about how Ashido had leaned over the seat on the bus and asked him if he wanted Zach to get caught or not, and how he had said he did. I wanted that for his own sake. Before he could do something even crazier. Like flee to America. Or, invading Saudi Arabia… If that was really him. He was in America after that, but that isn't evidence that he didn't go there. He could have went and gone back. If it was Zach, he could have had the resources. He could have gotten them, at least. I doubt it would have taken him very long.

He was an anti-hero, after all, Shoji finished to himself. Then he turned towards the door of the classroom, because the bell had rung and All Might walked inside.

Hagakure knows for sure. I'm hoping she didn't tell Ojiro, but, well I can't tell if that has anything to do with being Death. All Might seems to know as well. More than half the people in this room. Not great. Zach looked towards All Might and just nodded with his homeroom teacher's greeting to him and welcoming him back to U.A. in a more friendly way than most of his classmates had. I haven't spoken to most of them yet. Mina and Sero, Midoriya and Aoyama. Kirishima for like a second. Shoji right there. I've barely said five words to Shoji in the span of the last few months. Shoji never talked much anyway, but we were at least together. He could have come to fight day- Sato looks unsure about his silence this morning. Jirou's just glaring at my head, but her attention shifted to All Might quickly. Trying not to even be angry at me. Bad sign. I don't, I don't want that to be normal.

Zach's mind was clear of everything except his goals for his time at U.A. Those goals revolved around his relationships with his classmates, and he focused on each of them while just paying attention to All Might during their first period of the day. All Might was explaining a good amount of stuff that he did not need to go into this much detail for, but he felt the need to do it for the new student who had not heard it all before this. Zach was grateful to All Might for taking the extra time to explain it to him, but because it was something the other students had already heard it meant that they were even more focused on Zach as they all understood the reason why their teacher was explaining it like this.

That could be a good thing. See how they look at me directly now. Man, Ojiro's more pissed than anyone. Much more than Bakugo. What's Bakugo checking for while giving me that look?

Was he fucking with her? Bakugo glared at the side of Zach's head as the expression he saw was nothing like what Ashido told them Zach was experiencing. He's not losing it at all. He's exactly the same as he's been. Where did she see it? I shouldn't have backed down if he's just, going to act like- unless it really is acting. Fucker's too much of an actor. I can see through it though. So why don't you look upset in the least? If it was as bad as she said, you'd show signs.

After the first period of the day, Zach looked down into his backpack that felt oddly light to him after weeks of carrying so much stuff in it. Its emptiness made him check inside if there was anything else in it that he might need for classes, and so he was looking down to his left when Sero walked back up on his right side between periods. Sero smacked his left hand down on Zach's right shoulder, "What are you looking-"

Before Sero could say 'for,' he took his hand off of Zach's shoulder and looked down at it with his eyes widening and darting back to Zach's face that did not hide the wince well enough. "You okay?" Sero asked quieter, seeing that wince of pain from his friend.

"Yeah, just have a bruise there," Zach mentioned while sitting back up and turning to Sero with a smile but mock annoyed look at Sero's smack on his shoulder.

Midoriya stared towards Zach with his eyes growing wider for a second too before he was able to hide that reaction from anyone who might look his way to see if he had something to do with it. Crap, Midoriya thought as a few people had seen his reaction. Is he in pain? For Zach to wince, it has to be a lot. Not just a bruise. Midoriya reached down to his pocket while turning forward and pretending like he was not focusing on this at all. Zach saw him in his peripheral vision and was glad that Midoriya was acting oblivious instead of reacting to the others' discerning looks questioning if Zach's "bruise" had something to do with the way Deku managed to get him back here.

What Zach did not know, was that Midoriya only started acting like that for him alone. So that Zach would think that Midoriya was doing it for the others who had looked at him. In reality, he had opened his texts and was sending a message to Recovery Girl right now. Second period had barely started when Recovery Girl arrived at the door to Class A, snapping towards Zach to come to her office immediately.

Ectoplasm watched as his new student left the room before he was able to really say anything to him. He did not want to argue with the shrill old woman who was glaring down the boy sweatdropping as he darted a thought Midoriya's way in realization. I wanted to test out my own recovery. I think I will. Zach decided it after getting into the hallway, though he stayed quiet as Recovery Girl started scolding him and asking what he had gotten himself into that Midoriya thought he needed help.

"It's not much," Zach started, and Recovery Girl grabbed him by the right arm and moved it to a wince from the boy next to her who returned a calm smile right away. She glared at him much harder though as he tried to pretend in front of her.

Recovery Girl brought Zach to the nurse's office and barely needed to go through any tests before coming to a diagnosis. "Your right arm is broken. In three different places! And you have two cracks ribs and several bruised ones, not to mention your right femur-"

"I don't even feel any pain there," Zach countered.

"Which I don't understand at all since it shows signs of a clean break, and yet the x-ray I just took shows it realigned perfectly and healed itself. The mark remains though." Recovery Girl gave Zach a harsh look and Zach's joking tone faded from his face at the look in her eyes. "What happened last night? With you and Midoriya?"

"Nothing important," Zach replied. His mouth was still in a small smile but his voice was dry of the humor or friendly tone. It was just telling her not to ask any more questions about it. "And I'm fine, Recovery Girl. Midoriya did not need to contact you-"

Recovery Girl shook her head around with a flabbergasted expression on her face. "Did you not hear a word I just said? You are not fine."

"I'd really like to get back to class."

"Only after treatment-"

"I don't want you to use your Quirk on me," Zach requested. This time, Recovery Girl's annoyed look faded and she gave him a strange confused one instead. "If you need to do something, give me a sling, or a cast. I'll limit my movements and stay out of practical training for a little-"

"There's no need for that when I could-"

"It's important that I let my body heal on its own," Zach countered. I don't want you speeding up any of my recovery. Not my body that I want to test its own recovery time, and especially not Death. Who knows how much longer I have already- Enough. Enough time to enjoy this. Zach smiled with a brighter and assured look on his face to counter the unsure one on the older woman's. "Trust me. This is important. I'll do whatever you want me to, but just give me your treatment and advice as a regular doctor and not a hero with a Quirk to help me."

"Why?" Recovery Girl asked him. "Only if you tell me why," she added, as he looked about to just say some vague platitude to dodge the question.

"Only" if I tell her? "As you've noticed already," Zach started to her. "Death has a strange effect on my body's ability to heal itself. Part of getting hurt is recovery, and if my body can do it on its own then I'd rather train that ability of mine than stay dependent on your Quirk that will not always be around." Zach explained his motives clearly, and Recovery Girl hesitated for a moment but slowly nodded as that made sense and actually seemed like the real reason that Zach was telling her.

He just didn't want to say, because he has enough powers as it is. Admitting that he is even stronger is not something he wants to do. Recovery Girl sighed and then relaxed her shoulders as she realized even she was getting affected by his admission of that extra ability. He is still just my patient and student. And a good kid, Recovery Girl reminded herself as she thought back on the time she had treated him recently at his own apartment. He is still learning new things about his own Quirk. He may not be able to keep his insides full of Death at all times because it makes him sick, but if he has to leave himself vulnerable then he knows he must train his ability to heal and survive. I knew there had to be an explanation to how you survived with all those impossible injuries.

"Fine. Come here…"

Zach returned to class an hour and a half after he left. He was in time for one more period before lunch, though his classmates gawked at him for a second as he returned with his right arm in a cast and in a sling in front of his chest. He sweatdropped at their looks and wondered if maybe he should have just let Recovery Girl help him in a different way. He reminded himself of his reasons though as he headed towards his seat, and in the meantime Uraraka turned her head and glanced hesitantly back at Midoriya. Her eyes asked him, 'Did you break Zach's arm?'

Midoriya sweatdropped this time as Uraraka was not the only one to give him that look. What he noticed though to his own somewhat bewilderment, was that Yaoyorozu did not give him any similar look as the others. Instead she looked his way for a moment and then back down to her own phone and a story she had been checking up on constantly. No casualties. Some bad property damage but the people are praising the heroes' response time and how they evacuated everyone near the epicenter of, of the earthquakes. This is weird. Too many strange occurrences happened last night. Where were you two, when I returned?

In Yaoyorozu's head she saw the empty room she had gone straight up to when she finally got back to U.A. Only she and Midoriya had been allowed out to search for Zach, and when she finally got back she had convinced herself to go and confront him. The empty room with the open widows had left a deep pit in her gut that kept her from sleeping. Instead she had been on her phone, keeping a close eye on the world news. Midoriya wasn't in his room either. I only checked for the two of them. They're both acting strangely. I know Mina was right, so something happened last night to have you like this. The way you're acting too, it's almost as if you've, Yaoyorozu felt her gut clench at the thought of Zach's mood and what the reason for it could be.

Was it Eziano Mozcaccio?

Bakugo glared at the left side of Midoriya's head from over on his side where he sat at the windows. If the two of you fought, how the hell didn't I hear about it? Your fight should have been massive. Even if the two of you tried to keep it down. Bakugo hummed deeply to himself before focusing on the front of the room as their next teacher entered.

Alright. Focus. Please don't say something incriminating. Zach looked towards Mother Russia who stared directly towards him when she entered the room. The woman had a scar on her left cheek from the Sports Festival Invasion two years earlier where one of Spinner's knives had slashed her before Inhuman sent her flying. Her hair was long and light blonde, and she wore her usual red hero costume and red bandanna to match.

"Hmph," Mother Russia stopped and glared at the student in a desk she had considered tossing out the window herself. She had not been around after the Lifebringer Incident though and only returned the day before to see that desk. It was part of the reason she told Principal Nezu what she had about the experimentation lab in Russia. When she had decided not to mess with the decision of this class to keep the desk instead of discarding it. He's back. All this time and he's back here. After all that.

I thought when I watched you work out there, that you were finally where you belonged. You were amazing out there. What are you doing here? Doesn't make any sense to me. You could have crushed that brat Raijin better if you had just brought your army and stayed hidden with them. "Sazaki," Mother Russia began at that student she had glared at for a couple seconds in a crazy intense silence. Zach nodded back at her, and Mother Russia glared harder with a deeper frown as his look was not as hesitant or apologetic as it should be. He got a more hesitant look on his face at her reaction, and she snapped, "Letting those robbers leave the convenience store yesterday was beyond irresponsible. They could have grabbed hostages on the street, or even killed people as they ran."

Zach's lips curled down and a feeling of guilt and regret filled him. He shifted his gaze from classmates who gave him darker and more judgmental looks as they were suddenly reminded of that too and how he had messed up. Mother Russia then humphed again and crossed her arms as she added, "Though I suppose crime is likely going to drop now." Zach lifted his gaze back to her in some surprise, while the rest of the class were more shocked at that admission that had a tone of respect in it too. "As villains assume you might kill them all."

Zach felt another bead of sweat rolling down his face. He could not tell if Mother Russia was actually complimenting him for this or if she was just intentionally making the rest of the class angrier at him. This isn't Russia, Mother Russia. Please stop.

"Alright, let's get to work," Mother Russia continued. "We're going to be talking about Diamondfist today. I don't think he's much of a threat but he's up on the Top Ten now and I'm forced to include him in this new curriculum I'm going to be teaching for the next month. Don't complain about it, no matter how stupid it seems."

I think, Diamondfist might be a bit of a threat, Uraraka thought but did not want to say aloud even as she thought back on the Koimou Massacre and what they had seen Diamondfist capable of then.

"Should be teaching Class B about this guy. You'll have the big shots to take care of," Mother Russia muttered under her breath, making a few of the students closest behind her lower their jaws at their teacher clearly picking favorites here.

She's not wrong. Kaminari's mine. I'm sure Todoroki's going to go after Dabi, and Midoriya'll have to face Shigaraki. As much stronger as I think I am than you, the fact is that I've already revived him and so I'm pretty useless. Especially if his Decay starts to work on Death. It'll have to be you. Also, it needs to be you who takes down Shigaraki. The leader of the League of Villains. The top recruit of U.A. and winner of the last Sports Festival. All Might's successor and the one who ends Japan's Age of Villains. I'll admit it. The age here hasn't ended. Not as it has around the rest of the world. We still live in fear of them.

This is where I need to be. Zach was certain of it, and it made him grin at the idea of how he was in the right place. I have to tell you all that too.

He's smirking because he beat Diamondfist already. Bakugo glared in even more annoyance Zach's way. With his fucking anti-hero group. How the hell did I miss that? All that time you were here and running around as a vigilante and I didn't know shit! I did know- fuck, no he convinced me otherwise. Though I was suspicious. Not enough. Not, of what was really going on. I know now though. I know what you did out there. More than anyone. That story about the 6 Armies, is the Villain Summit. Sueguon. The Pit. What you've been doing since you got back. You never stop. You just kick the shit out of every villain you see- every villain in the world. No consequences-

No. Bakugo stopped himself there when he thought something he had to counter immediately. I was wrong about that. In his head he saw Ashido's disheveled face with tears covering it and a look of absolute despair all over. He remembered the look on her face he saw when he came into the room earlier while she was talking to Zach, something he knew that Zach had brought back for her as he must have known for sure what he had done. But Zach's ability to get her back to her usual self did not make him forget the look she had for him. Nor did it make him forget all she had said, and he knew that 'no consequences' was not a way he could describe Zach's behavior anymore. Even if he's back here. Even if he makes things right with them. How many people did he kill in that Pit? Innocent- people in the same situation as him who… fuck. Just, fuck that.

Whatever happened that made him lose it, his friends here should be able to help him. Mother Russia taught her class but could not help but lose focus. As much as she attempted to just act as if it was not important to her, she knew very well the truth about Zach Sazaki. And yet the fact that he had come back to Japan surprised her more than anything when she first heard the news about it. He hadn't contacted me in months. Just for some help with Life City on and off, but I haven't heard shit from them since you turned yourself in. Guess I was your contact rather than Death's. It's probably Mark in charge now. He was the fucking strongest I'd ever seen. Could have killed you in an instant. Anyone really. The fact that we had to have that fight in Wampajawa when we had him on our side, it was absurd. Sometimes I feel like he should have just killed them all.

But then, that would have made you into villains. Mother Russia kept Zach Sazaki in her peripheral vision. It was what I was looking for, as much as I would have appreciated it. I wanted you to do it so I would have my reason. You wouldn't give me that reason though. You waited longer than many heroes would. Bringing me in on it, on everything, there's no way you planned on coming back here. And yet here you are. Hoping I won't out you. I don't have any proof though and I'm sure you'd deny it. Call me a liar or say I met some fake. Even your expression before you acted as if we hadn't seen each other in years. Smug little… If you hadn't saved Dover, my life would be very different.

I love that bear. Didn't think I would fall for it, when you asked me to take care of him. Wonder if you knew something I didn't? Because I didn't want you reviving it. Thought you were making a stupid mistake. And then, then you rode him in that battle into a horde of villains who ran from the two of you. As if you had seen that opportunity coming months in advance. Mother Russia could not help but feel awe mixed with confusion at the sight of her student who she never thought she would have the pleasure of teaching again. What do I even have to teach him right now? He knows exactly what he did yesterday. And last night. I don't know what he had to do with, but it's unnatural that Nezu brought him back here the same time the rest of that shit happened…

---

At lunch, Zach sat down at a table with food from Lunch Rush that never looked so good before. He did not address the elephant in the room to the other third years from all the classes sitting around the room and gawking over at the sight of Lifebringer in their cafeteria. The moment felt even more surreal, as this exact moment had happened once before, though that time he had only been gone for a single term in his first year. This time he had been gone for a year and a half. This time, he had returned with a smile on his face and a reputation as a killer who most of them had seen on the news yesterday acting like his most terrifying self as he faced off against the convenience store robbers.

Zach figured, and hoped, that Midoriya would come and sit next to him. Midoriya did not stay in the cafeteria after grabbing his lunch though. Zach wondered what news Midoriya was looking at so closely on his phone, but he decided against checking anything for himself. I already know there has to be a story about it. Act oblivious. Real reason I don't want to look is because of all the news about me. About how Lifebringer's ignoring dying people. I get to use that as an excuse to dodge the real news. Besides, even if there are emergencies going on right now, Zach smiled more and dug into his food. "Mmm," he hummed with his eyes closing and a look of more euphoric joy coming to his expression. It's not like I can leave campus to deal with them. I have to stay here now.

Zach had picked somewhere without any people sitting there already, as he did not want to assume anything about the way his classmates felt and was going to let them decide to sit with him if they wanted. He figured Sero or Mina would be the first to sit with him, but he was surprised when Shoji sat down across the table from him. Zach gave his classmate a lighter version of the smile he had while he was eating. There was no way to tell if the boy in the mask had smiled back, as Shoji kept his mask up even while eating.

Shoji created a mouth at the end of one of his tentacle arms that he opened and spoke to Zach, "No sleeve today?"

Zach looked down at his left hand that Shoji was referring to as he had glanced towards it while asking. Zach's left hand was bare steel with no fake skin over it. It had not been as noticeable until Zach's right arm was put in a sling, and since then his classmates had been examining him all over. "Yeah," Zach replied with sliding up the sleeve of Midoriya's extra uniform he was wearing. He checked out some of the dents on his forearm and upper arm, then he turned his hand over and checked the damage on his hand as well that Shoji had not even noticed as he thought it was really just the fake skin that was missing. "I'll have to make some more. I think U.A.'s Development Studio should have what I need. Shiketsu's Costume Development Lab was stocked with-"

"What happened?" Shoji wondered.

Zach closed his mouth and returned a small smile while sliding his sleeve back down. He shrugged out his right shoulder and then his left too, and he replied casually while getting back to his food, "Got in a bit of a scrap with a real tough enemy."

"When was-"

"What I want to know," Zach cut off Shoji and started asking back before Shoji could pry into things he could not respond to. "Is what's been up with you?" Zach rose his pitch and made it out as a question at the end. "Most of what I do gets blasted all over the news, but I've got no idea what you've been up to. How you've been…" Zach trailed off as Shoji gave him a weird look. It was not a look calling him out for changing the subject. Guilt? Is that what I was going for? I shouldn't do that just for- I didn't do it on purpose. Maybe part of me did. I do want to know though. "Really," Zach continued. "Didn't really talk to you much at the joint training, or since I've been back at all really."

"I'm good," Shoji replied. He opened his mouth and got ready to say something that he had wanted to say since the night before. Everything Ashido had shouted at them echoed in his mind, but again he was faced with the person actually sitting before him. This person who looked nothing like the weak and fragile person Ashido had explained to them couldn't take it anymore and was on the verge of, breakdown. He's fine. Isn't he? He's still just hiding everything. Lying and, and I told myself- I promised myself. I am going to be a good friend. This time I'm going to make sure. And sitting here, being your friend right now, Shoji started eating his own lunch and Zach smiled as he got back to his own too. Shoji was not a very talkative person, but he did bring up his own internship and their schoolwork, though his part in the conversation dwindled once Sero and Ashido had dropped down on either of Zach's sides to eat too.

Shoji was not the only one to feel conflicted out of Class A though. Tokoyami stared over for a few seconds when he was returning with his tray, but instead of sitting with Shoji as he often did, he walked over towards Kirishima, Bakugo, and Uraraka who were sitting at a different table. Kirishima was not hiding the glare he kept shifting in Zach's direction with a hint of confusion but more just frustration in his eyes. I understand, Kirishima. In that I don't understand, how we are supposed to respond to this, Tokoyami thought after sitting across from his red-haired classmate.

The way most of the class had thought early in the night yesterday after seeing the robbery video and then after Ashido's heartfelt cries and breakdown were so vastly different. They had felt in both far extremes about their former classmate who was now once again their classmate who none of them had a solid grip on their own feelings about. Whether he was the person they had seen in that video or the one Ashido had described, neither really reminded them of the person Zach had been acting like all morning. He was not the dark monster who scared villains into pissing themselves and taunting assassins on the news. Nor was he looking depressed or on the verge of his own breakdown, which a few of them thought they may have seen the night before when he came back to the dorm for the first time.

Some were even convinced that Ashido had been right when Midoriya told them how close Zach was to leaving. Only Ashido and Deku had seen that version of Zach though, apparently. And now he seemed better. It was not obvious to any of them, and to Midoriya and Ashido they both seemed to think he was better as well based on the way they were treating him. Aoyama had glanced over towards the table Zach was sitting at after he got his lunch, but he averted his gaze even as he wondered to himself if maybe he should- And he headed off to another table where he sat without looking back over, too uncertain and anxious to go sit with Zach like Shoji had.

Ojiro's expression was dark as he glared over in Zach's direction again. Koda and Jirou did not know what Ojiro was so angry about, yet they had both noticed the change in Hagakure over the past few days from the night they thought she had gone out with Zach only to hear on tv that Zach had gotten in a fight with Mysti. Hagakure had still remained off the news about that, but rumors had spread throughout mainly their own class as people wondered what it was Hagakure had seen, especially after Mysti was reported to have woken up, in a severe state.

I know what he did to her, Bakugo thought as he wondered about Mysti himself, catching a glimpse of Hagakure's invisible head in his peripheral vision. Her posture alone was different from what it always was, but she just had not been her usual self lately. And he remembered how she had seemed to argue with Ashido the night before, at least until it got to the part that Zach was trying to push them away recently. The brunette girl next to him at the table had reacted strongly to that as well, just as Sato had.

If he did to Mysti what he did to Faith, but in front of Hagakure, Bakugo frowned deeper and shoved another bite of mashed potatoes into his mouth. That's not what's annoying about it. He could have beaten her without- or maybe she was just already like that when she attacked him. Insane villains after Zach. And he claimed that she was calling him Death when she attacked, so whatever she says now he's already ahead of it. Is that why you made it out like that? Or why you drove her mad?

Fucking psychopath. How the fuck can you be doing something like that, with reasons like those, while also doing it just to push Hagakure away? Which was the more important reason? Bakugo chewed slowly while thinking about his returned classmate whose recent actions had him more baffled than usual. I was keeping up with him. For a while at least. Then these past couple of weeks, it just happened so rapidly. Whatever happened last night too… He made it back here. That was the one thing I decided he wouldn't get when he came back here. I don't even have the ability to say 'but I won't give him back' his relationship with me, because this was our fucking relationship! Me being suspicious of him, without knowing shit about what he's really up to.

Well not this time. I'm ahead of the curve. Bakugo smirked as he chomped into another bite, making Uraraka glance at him oddly and then smiling with a bead of sweat rolling down her face at the look on his. It's not all faked. Known that since the national park. You've gotten a grip though. You were dealing with shit and you dealt with it. The Villain Summit. The Pit. Torturing Kabo. Everything you did, is spreading out before me. Taking down the Shadow Bosses. Fighting Eziano's assassins. You started a war you couldn't finish, and now it's going to come back here. It better. I want a crack at those fuckers too. You aren't the only one who can fight those kind of villains. Don't think yourself on some other level!

Was it really this easy? Shoji wondered as lunch was nearing an end. I could have done this at any time over the last months. Whatever my feelings here are, I should have at least done this much. If it was all he needed. He got up with his tray to go throw it out, and none of the others at the table really made a deal out of it besides giving him a glance as they continue to talk. The others started getting up behind him too, and Shoji just thought to himself, Zach saved my life. If all he needs is this in return, then what kind of hero would I be to ignore that?

Almost half the day done. No confrontations yet. Good. After school is easier. More freedom to act and respond, as well as for both sides to just walk away should things turn gritty. No easy escape in school. Everyone knows that though. Keeps uncomfortable confrontations low. Midoriya's preoccupied as well so he can avoid having tough questions asked of him for now. He'll keep Ares a secret. He better. He'll sound insane if he tells anyone. I know, Midoriya. You don't understand because you haven't spent every moment lying about everything. Too often, the truth is more unbelievable. Lies are accepted easier. Make things easier. Lying is just, easier.

---

In the common room of U.A.'s Class 3-A dormitory, Zach Sazaki sat after school in almost complete silence. In fact, the only noise around him was the white noise he had playing from his phone. He had decided on not wearing any headphones, as he was not prepared and did not want to go upstairs after he had already sat down and started studying. Other reasons were less important than that one. When he had sat down and started, he was not expecting to be so distracted that he needed the white noise for background ambiance.

The noise coming from his phone reminded him of the low whirring of The Cloak's engines. It was a noise he had studied languages to very frequently, though he was usually only able to hear that noise when the native speaker repeating phrases and words and grammar points to him was quiet. He was not studying how to say anything in foreign languages though, even if linguistics was his area of study for the moment. He sat on the couch rather than one of the tables that were too small to lay everything out in front of him that he had grabbed from U.A.'s large library. It'll be a day before the stuff I ordered arrives at the school. Managed to call in a favor to get some money transferred to my empty account. Can't risk asking from the rich, but Roady wasn't too annoyed. Sounded happy I got back to U.A. actually. I'll repay him for the laptop and new clothes soon as I'm out of here and can go rob some villains.

Zach shook his head around and refocused on the material in front of him. Focus, he scolded himself as he re-leaned back in to go over everything he had laid out in such a wide display to give him a lot to work with. His eyes turned red and scanned all over the coffee table in front of the center couch he sat on, and he slid down the cushions towards the right side of the couch where he leaned forward and flipped a page on one of the textbooks he had out. His backpack sat on the floor at his feet resting up against the corner of the couch, looking pretty empty as most of its contents that had actually filled it up were out and being used at the moment.

Was that a noise? Tokoyami's upstairs. Studying. Classes here are as tough as ever. Didn't think anyone else was around, though Mineta's still on campus, I think. Could just be the building. Everyone else is out at their internships. The whole building was nearly empty after school with the rest of Class A out working with their heroes. Tokoyami was only back because Hawks was out of the country again.

Mineta entered the dorm and immediately turned to the left where he was surprised to see Zach sitting alone in the common room. He rose his eyebrows at the other teen who glanced his way and looked the five foot tall boy up and down. Mineta's not just taller, Zach noted from his sitting position as Mineta entered the room. Must have just been working out. Made him look a bit swole. "No internship today?" Zach asked, as if he had not known Mineta did not leave already.

"No," Mineta began. He hesitated, then he started over to the common area rather than heading upstairs.

Oh you did this on purpose. Why else are you sitting here? Zach got annoyed at himself, but considering he was calling himself out on doing this on purpose he knew he was not really annoyed about it at all. Rather what he was hoping would happen happened, even if he did have to refocus once more to make sure he did not just completely ignore the necessity of his task. It's just so tedious. It should be fun. Maybe it's less fun because everyone else is out there fighting villains and I'm reading. Or learning languages is just more fun when it's for practical reasons that will help in emergency scenarios, rather than just to be able to decode and read a book. A very, very interesting and old book. But still, a book.

"I got called out today. Tinsel Tiger is meeting up with Gargantuan, and they're heading to," Mineta slowed down as he dropped down on the couch to Zach's left. He was talking to his friend but at the same time Zach was only half-focused on him as he looked back at his schoolwork while glancing back over and over to show he was interested and listening despite that. "To deal with…" Mineta led Zach on there, hinting at something, but Zach just nodded for Mineta to continue while looking more interested in his work now than when Mineta entered.

Better. Can't have full focus on this. It's not enough. I can focus a full half of my focus on it much easier, Zach realized his problem with a grin, especially as he figured out the meaning of a different picture based on two things he had seen in different languages just a few minutes ago. Those symbols along with a chapter he recalled in a history book on classical philology studies, focusing on the studies of hieroglyphics and cuneiform, gave him a hint on part of a sentence in the book upstairs he had read without being able to decipher any of it. He remembered exactly what was written there though, and he hummed to himself while drawing a picture with a pen he suddenly had in his left hand to the surprise of Mineta who did not see it beforehand.

Zach slipped the pen back up into his sleeve when he was done rather than let it go. Mineta sweatdropped as he glanced up Zach's sleeves and wondered if he always had pens under there along with whatever knives he was hiding. Mineta scooted down the couch a couple of times until he was closer on Zach's left side, and he leaned forward to look at what Zach just scribbled out with full focus. "What are you doing?" Mineta asked in a deadpan voice. He shifted his eyes from the drawing back to Zach who was looking at him now and losing that grin, and Mineta continued confusedly, "It's not catch-up work. Thought that's what you were doing," he explained, as it was what he thought when he first saw Zach in there with so much work out in front of him.

Zach shook his head, though Mineta bringing that up reminded him of a brief meeting he had with the principal right after school. "…Each of your teachers should have informed you already of anything else they want you to complete, but those materials and the assignments described on the notes make up what your teachers managed to put together for you to work on in their free time today. They did not have much time but worked hard so that you can catch up with the rest of your class."

"…You will have more time than your classmates who will often be off campus for their internships. In that extra time you will have other work to do. It will not be easy, and I plan on cramming two years of information into this half of a semester. My hope is that you will graduate U.A. with the same education as the rest of the students who graduate from this institution…"

"…Many of your classes have tests coming up shortly, and there are assignments that were due earlier in the term that you must also complete and hand in on time."

At the end of the meeting, Zach had asked something he wondered now if he should have just stayed quiet about. "Principal Nezu. Do you have anything to say about last night?" The boy who asked stood in the principal's office with his hands together behind his back. He knew the principal was well-informed about the situation already because of how Midoriya had come chasing after him, and how both of them had returned, and how they had not brought any captured assassins back with them. He wondered what Midoriya had told the principal though as he was never able to ask Midoriya before his friend ran off right after school ended along with the rest of the class.

Nezu had stayed quiet for a few seconds after Zach's question. Then, he had replied, "The report you wrote for Shiketsu was sent along with the rest of your course load that Principal Memuria emailed over to inform me of what you had worked on so far this term. I must say… I am, surprised, you wrote that report before last night." It was not the response Zach was expecting. He realized that as Principal Nezu had only just spontaneously allowed him back into U.A. though, that his principal must have read that report for the first time only that day, likely while he was in class only hours before.

"…And Sazaki… Do not let it happen again."

Zach shrugged his shoulders at Mineta while recalling how dark the principal bear-mouse had looked in that final moment as he had been about to leave his office. He had thought the principal was complimenting him seconds earlier for his ingenuity, but Mr. Principal's final warning was that from a hero. It was not a warning from his principal telling him that another mistake and he could lose this opportunity and be expelled. It was too intense and dark for that, but Zach understood why he needed to say it in that way. Knowing that the principal knew everything about the night before, and considering his own state of mind and current cheerful attitude, he got why both Midoriya and Principal Nezu had given him that look today.

"I'm just studying," Zach finally replied to Mineta after thinking for a moment and shrugging his shoulders at the shorter boy. "I know what I need to do," Zach continued as Mineta gave him a more skeptical and confused look as Zach's "studying" seemed really weird. Zach continued, "But this is important as well."

Mineta looked back at the papers out in front of him. He focused in on one of the books and his eyes grew wide in surprise for a second before just getting way more confused as he glanced at the rest of what he was looking at. That, doesn't fit though, Mineta's explanation that had surprised him when he thought it did not make any sense as he looked at some pictures of ancient Egyptian writing with descriptions and how old picture writing like this influenced linguistics of today. Mineta's eyes shifted back to the Korean writing then up to Zach's face that was examining the work he had laid out before him again. "Have you, watched the news recently?"

Zach shook his head. He continued to smile in a small way but then frowned with a shift of his eyes back at Mineta's skeptical look that was accusing him of lying. "There's no point," Zach explained. His voice made it sound dull and easy, and he went on casually, "Since I can't leave school. All watching the news will do is make me upset and guilty," Zach spoke in mild annoyance with a glance up at the tv he had off in front of him. He cracked a smile though and shrugged his left shoulder closer to Mineta while looking back down at his papers, "So I'm just going to ignore it for the next month."

"Learning languages is real important," Zach continued in a more interested tone he rose while leaning forward back into his work. "Don't know what I'll be doing when I graduate, but it keeps my options wide to know everything and speak everyone's languages."

Mineta leaned back into the couch for a moment with his jaw dropped. He seriously doesn't know?! He was shocked, but Zach's explanation made sense to him and he realized it as he shook his head around in disbelief. "Yeah, okay. That makes sense," Mineta said, trailing behind Zach though as he was talking about how Zach was going to ignore the news. "And I get that I do, but Zach, the world's kind of in a bit of a panic right now."

Zach paused and he turned back fully to Mineta. His eyes shifted in the tv's direction again but he furled his lip, I don't know if I want to know. "Is it now?"

"Did you not check your phone, all day?" Mineta wondered again as he thought Zach might have gotten notifications or something. "Or hear anyone talking about it-"

"About what?"

"I don't even know where to begin," Mineta started with a shake of his own head now. He searched Zach's eyes though and got more hesitant when he opened his mouth to speak. "You're not, messing with me are you?" Mineta frowned deeper and his eyes shifted to Zach's right arm, then his left hand that had no fake skin on it. He frowned more when Zach frowned at him like he was frustrated by the lack of trust. Mineta shook his head and added, "I don't know what happened last night, but so much happened and- and I can't help but think you had to do with it."

"So much happened?" Alright. This is actually starting to get interesting. What have I been ignoring all day? Zach shook his head again at Mineta. "I really, have no idea what's going on right now. Haven't checked the news once today."

"Here, I'm sorry," Mineta grabbed the remote off the coffee table where Zach had pushed it into the corner. "But just look for a second. I mean," Mineta turned on the tv and he leaned back while getting ready to watch himself. He had not even gone up to his room yet to change into casual clothes, though Zach was still in his school uniform as well. The two of them stared at the tv as it turned on, with reporters talking about a news story that Zach's eyes focused in on in an interested and intrigued way.

"…Reporting from northern Korea, two hundred miles northeast of Pyongyang in a small town of only twelve hundred. This town of Nonpo is still one of the larger ones in this area which borders the long abandoned Muindo Range. The mountain range named for its uninhabitability experienced large-scale earthquakes in the early hours of this morning. The earthquakes were felt all across the Korean peninsula, though they were felt strongest here around the Muindo Range. Some call it a stroke of luck that the worst of the damage was done in an area completely devoid of human life…"

"Earthquakes in Korea," Zach began. He glanced next to him at Mineta, "How many people were hurt?"

"I didn't see anything about there being bad injuries from the quakes," Mineta replied, off-handedly while continuing to watch the report himself. There were people moving around in the background of the female reporter who was walking backwards on the town's main road with the mountains as a backdrop behind her. Mineta continued, "As they're saying, the earthquakes were really bad but in that mountain range. Heroes came out and evacuated people too, and everyone knew the earthquake protocol so they ran outside away from buildings- but that's not the strangest part about this."

Mineta's been keeping up with this story. Unfortunately it's this one. Wish I was actually seeing something right now that he was talking about. I can't get more interested in other stories though or I'll draw attention to my lack of interest in this one or even an attempt to push our conversation off this one. I'm glad no one got real hurt by the earthquakes at least. If our fight could actually kill people hundreds of miles away just from the ground shaking alone, that would have been insane.

"Strange how?" Zach wondered, focusing back on the reporter as she was going on about the images they got from inside the Muindo Mountains earlier.

"…Camera crews like ours have been given special permission to fly helicopters over the Muindo Mountain range, where several heroes have already begun investigative efforts," the reporter started speaking over footage from helicopter crews in the region. "Due to the severe scale of the damage to the Muindo Range, yet the oddly low reading on the Richter Scale, it has been determined although not confirmed that the earthquakes last night were likely caused by a human source."

"Are you talking about someone's Quirk?"

"That is what the current belief seems to be, however," the reporter on the ground closer to the Muindo Range than their counterpart in the studio was still speaking over the stunning footage of the mountains. The camera crews were showing huge upturned sections of earth, fissures splitting through mountains, and even one mountain with a huge flat top to it that looked so strange that it could not have been formed naturally. The camera angle still switched back to the reporter though as she continued, "The people here don't seem very upset over what happened last night. There is some damage here to the town of Nonpo, but the people are in unusually high spirits despite that. Look over here."

As the reporter started walking over towards a group of people gathered out on a street in Nonpo near a building that had some broken windows on the second floor of it, the camera angle switched back to footage from over the mountains. In the studio, one of the other reporters spoke in softer voice, "The extent of the damage is remarkable. If not for the fact that this occurred in an isolated and uninhabited area, there could have been many casualties. Look at that- Can you zoom in? Right there! There is supposed to be a mountain there, right? I mean, it's just gone. And this one in Korea, covers a much wider expanse than our own…"

Zach's eyebrows rose up and his eyes shifted towards Mineta in confusion. Internally his thoughts got darker while Mineta barely caught his reaction while too busy himself gawking at the insane damage to the Muindo Range. Mineta's eyes grew wider too as a forest was zoomed in on by the camera crew. "…The entire forest is dead. Those trees are black too…"

Mineta's focus was on the dead forest on an overturned section of valley. His eyes shifted back to Zach only to see a very dark and thoughtful expression on his face as he examined the screen as well. Something else happened last night. A lot of somethings. Fuck. Had I not been about to lose it, I could have been out there right now. This is the course of action best for me. I accept that and will not go back on it. Yet, acting oblivious is too hard. "What else happened last night, Mineta?"

"Besides this?" Mineta wondered back, his expression narrowing now after seeing how dead that forest looked despite this event only occurring last night. Even uprooted trees wouldn't just blacken like that.

"Yes, could you explain the news to me now?" Zach wondered, getting more serious and looking at his shorter friend who stopped being confrontational about it and just nodded at the serious look on Zach's face. That look alone made it seem like Zach might go back on his reasons for not looking into the news before, which made Mineta want to tone down how serious he was being about the news in worry that Zach might run off to deal with it if he kept acting this way.

As Mineta started to explain though, the news on the tv in the room with them focused in on the trilingual reporter speaking in front of a group of Nonpo residents. "The people here are happy, actually. The skies over the Muindo Range have cleared. For the first time in as long as many of the people here can remember, there are no dark clouds over those mountains." As she was speaking, the happy-looking residents behind her were grinning and smiling towards the camera, waving, looking back towards the mountain and laughing in relieved and excited ways. Every one of them felt the weight off their shoulders they had lived with their whole lives.

"No storms are projected for the day. It's like, what happened last night was one last big storm mixed with earthquakes and now, nothing-"

As she was saying this, the people of the town behind her started cheering. She turned in some surprise but the townsfolk saw a couple heroes and some of their local guides returning in the distance across the fields of farms between their town and the mountains. The investigative teams were driving back and on the back of some of the pickups were their friends who waved their way looking happy despite coming from the Muindo Range.

"It seems the people here are undeterred by the strange incidence of last night. Rather, they're taking this as a sign of good things to come-"

"Wooo!"

"Alright let's do it!"

"Are we doing this?!"

The reporter heard some things behind her seeming like the residents were deciding on something now as this investigative team was returning. "Excuse me," she tried to get a word from one of the people who was cheering so much to her surprise. "Could you tell me why you are all celebrating? What is the meaning of last night's occurrence to all of you?"

The older woman that the young reporter had confronted just shook her head and smiled back at the girl who could not understand. "The mountains are clear. God willing, they stay that way."

"They will Nana!"

"The beast is gone!"

That last shout in the background was in Korean and not translated by the Japanese telecaster who was subtitling many of the responses and questions being asked by their foreign journalist who mainly spoke in Japanese only with the studio. Zach understood it though and would have grinned if not for what Mineta was telling him. Instead, his expression only soured and his eyes grew dark as they glared at the screen and the reporter in the studio who was switching over to one of the reporters covering another of the many stories of the day…

---

In Shungwon, another town bordering the Muindo Range but on the opposite side of the mountains as Nonpo, G-Man and Cataphault stood at the edge of a small village where forty people were going absolutely wild in the early evening with the festivities set to get even crazier that night. The town elder returned to the two of them again and interrupted their conversation as they were watching the mountains closely. "Please join us. The rest of the town really does insist," the ninety year old man looked far younger than he was, a youthful energy filling him at the idea of what the youngsters did not truly understand or appreciate but he did.

Cataphault held up his hands from his arms that curved up over his shoulders and behind his back. He rose his arms at his sides in a defensive way and chuckled at the old man's enthusiasm and renewed efforts to have them join the fun. "Ey Jiji! We're going to start making decorations too! We'll make a whole festival out of it!"

The old man turned and before he could respond to the teenage girl shouting his way, a jeep came drifting around the corner onto main street. Some people had to scramble out of the way as some young twenty-somethings waved out from the vehicle and called to the elder. "We're going to drive out to the Son's and the Wang's compounds down I-64! They can join us right?!"

"The more the merrier!" The old man shouted back to the roar of applause from his village-folk.

G-Man sweatdropped as this was starting to get a little out of hand. I've heard reports of celebrations and festivals all over the place, but in a small village like this I didn't expect things to get so rowdy so fast.

"Let's make today into a holiday even!" One of the women called out while running up to the jeep the boys were in including her husband as of the last two weeks. She slapped her hands on the outside of his open-air door, and she leaned in while exclaiming to him, "We'll have a celebration every year on today's date!"

"Sounds good to me!" He called back, and he leaned out and kissed his new bride to the cheers of the people who had all been to their wedding a few weeks earlier.

Cataphault smiled softly at the sight of that and the cheers of the relieved people all around him. He felt that relief himself, yet he also saw G-Man looking at him out the corners of his eyes from behind those sunglasses, and his relieved smile lowered down a bit. He managed to keep it long enough though to politely decline the village elder once more, as the two of them had more work to do tonight and could not stay for much longer.

G-Man watched the villagers who the rest of the country would never understand why they were celebrating. None of those confused people in the cities or his colleagues calling him and asking about the strange reactions of their people up here would get it. They heard word that entire forests in the range were dead and blackened, and I never heard them cheer louder. The people of these villages know who they believe came to their range and fought their monsters. They don't say it aloud; they know how to keep quiet about things, but they know they'll be celebrating today… for a long time to come.

After the elder had walked off, G-Man turned more to Cataphault and his look got more stern. Cataphault was already thinking about it from that look a minute ago though, and as G-Man turned his eyes focused in on Cataphault's right eye quickly before he just stared at his fellow hero in surprise that he kept from his face. Cataphault let a tear slip out of his right eye first, then he turned away more from the people who might see him as he cried tears of joy as G-Man realized they were after a couple of seconds.

As the citizens they had come to check on started plans for a celebration, Cataphault rose his eyes up to G-Man who he looked at in a guilty way. His guilty conscience surged up to the surface and those tears stopped as he felt no right to let them fall the way he was feeling now. Cataphault responded to G-Man's accusatory and discerning look, "They're safe now so… I suppose, it doesn't matter anymore."

G-Man nodded and held off on passing judgement as Cataphault turned fully to the man he knew he owed an explanation to after hearing how G-Man had spent his career. The top hero in United Korea took in a deep breath, then he began in a quiet voice, "Once upon a time, this… man, appeared in my home one night." Cataphault paused and grimaced but continued to the hero in a suit before him, "When I had gone for some water downstairs at two in the morning. My girls sleeping in their rooms above me, my wife waiting on the glass I told her I'd bring for her as well after waking her when I stirred. And, the man spoke softly, telling me not to raise my voice or my wife may come downstairs."

G-Man just nodded again for Cataphault to go on. The top hero of the nation shook his head once and continued, "He vanished when I got ready to fight him, and this man appeared behind me and held a blade around my neck. Up against my jugular… And he warned me: 'Stop looking into the Muindo Range.' He whispered how there were three others in the house besides him. That it didn't matter if we were at home, or on the street, or at the pharmacy- where they knew my wife works… or at school." He hesitated after saying that with his eyes clenching as he remembered the moment he heard that how hard his heart had started racing in his chest.

"The moment I consider bringing up the Muindo Range again, looking into it again- if I even breathed the word 'Muindo' in a public setting, one of the three would die in an accident." Cataphault shook his head in a guiltier way again, and he admitted in shame, "I was too much of a coward to ever speak the word again." His eyes dropped from G-Man's stern face and he said to the slightly younger hero also middle-aged though, "I focused as hard as I could on capturing every other villain I could. Stopping them all- made it so that I was so busy that there was no time to investigate something like that…"

"You ignored what you knew was the biggest threat," G-Man started, his voice angry as he spoke down to their nation's top hero. He kept the pity from his voice as much as he felt for the other man though, but he had kept away from starting a family for this exact reason. "You should not have succumbed to the threat." If you thought you would, you never should have put yourself in that position to be compromised in the first place!

"The man vanished from my home without a trace," Cataphault said, his defense weak as he rose his gaze back up to meet G-Man's. "I wished I could imagine it was just a nightmare, but I had brought it up to a few members of my staff and a couple sidekicks just a day before as I discussed what had seemed like a strange pattern of disappearances and deaths in the Range."

Cataphault's look of betrayal was clear and G-Man's look got less harsh as he thought about why those assassins had appeared in Cataphault's house in the first place, which his comrade must have understood as well. Cataphault continued quietly, "The rest thought over time that I forgot about it as other villains appeared who we had to fight, but I never trusted anyone in my agency again. Never fully trusted anyone outside my family. Those I hired myself had been the ones I thought I trusted most, to have my back in the field. They all worked with me to save lives and they had saved my own many, many times."

"But when it came to the Muindo Range, apparently, one of them had superseding orders." Cataphault finished and his eyes got slightly sterner though also accepting as he gave G-Man a more serious look. "Will you turn me in?" He wondered to his fellow hero. "For not saying anything? For corrupting my hero values and oath?"

G-Man wondered back, "Do you think it was Eziano Mozcaccio? His assassins?"

Cataphault did not respond for a few seconds. Then he looked back towards the Muindo Mountains himself, and he whispered softly, "I saw news that Zach Sazaki returned to U.A. this morning. Which means he's still alive."

G-Man nodded his head while looking towards the mountains himself. Was that it? He thought. If Sazaki is still alive, then he won. The villages here think the same. So then, is it over? The end of the assassins who had apparently been controlling Korea's heroes and politicians from the shadows… G-Man started to smile, and he said in a low voice but a tone that made Cataphault's eyes grow wide, "Don't worry about it." Cataphault turned and stared stunned by the smile on G-Man's face.

The suited-up hero loosened his tie and relaxed as much as Cataphault had ever seen him. Then, the top hero was even more stunned as G-Man rose his right hand and went so far as to remove his sunglasses. "I think," G-Man continued. "I may stay for the celebrations," he said, sounding like he was deciding it in the moment to stay and party with the others of this village. He did not have to worry about them recording him and posting it somewhere. That was not going to happen tonight. The joy on these people's face was much too pure for that, which G-Man understood just as he knew how the people of these villages were feeling.

I too, have lived under the weight of knowing what was in there for so long, G-Man thought while walking away from Cataphault towards the citizens who looked his way and went nuts to see G-Man looking relaxed and as happy as they were if not slightly more reserved. It has driven my entire life here. Until this point. No one knew why I acted in the ways I did. I see now that it was right of me not to tell all my staff and explain to the higher ups why I chose to set up my agency where I did. It never was paranoia. It was always justified.

Starting now, I can refocus. Restart efforts to move our people into the mountains, and I'll be here to protect the new settlers of our final frontier. G-Man smiled wider and nodded at the people asking him if he had changed his mind and was going to stay with them now as an "honored guest." Protecting these people who are the ones I now recognize most. Keeping them safe from any villains who would try and stop us from turning the Muindo Mountains, into something more habitable. A home for our growing population. A safe place, instead of a horrifying expanse of death looming over our heads for all time. All generations.

G-Man had looked back at the records going before the War of Unification which were harder to come by. He had traveled to villages all around the range who knew him thanks to his work as a hero up north, and he heard all the stories, all the myths, all the legends… That end here. G-Man thought it with a smile but the most grateful feeling welling in his chest as well. If Zach Sazaki survived, and he really was the one who came here last night, then he just saved all of United Korea. I believe that he was our savior, and no one will ever know. That's not him.

But for those who believe it, we will never forget it.

---

Zach sat on his desk chair and stared at the empty wall across the room from his bed that he had moved all his furniture away from. He had no laptop yet, so he had to go back to the school building and print out several reports and papers and pictures he now had taped all over his wall to examine in a clearer way. He had considered doing something like this for the kind of linguistic investigation he was doing earlier, but those papers he had had splayed out over the coffee table were now on his desk and out of the way of his new pertinent investigation.

Only positive I can see in all this is that the rest of the news here in Japan, in the US, and the missing persons all over the world have distracted from what's in Korea. The news is muddled through of all the cases. Not enough information is out. And if what happened in Korea is going to be reported completely wrong then I must assume everything else is a lie as well. All those missing persons will stay as missing persons. The missing premier of Yugalvenia, the missing heroes including Rhino Chick who is suspected to maybe be in the town of Gondorhan, Arizona. I don't know where they made that jump, but considering what's going on there it might be assumed that she was investigating something that turned sour.

What happened out there? Zach stared at pictures taken by journalists in the US who had been denied access to a town of 14,000+ that had been quarantined by the federal government. Quarantine efforts involved hundreds of personnel: Special Forces at the Arizona base with help from neighboring states' US Special Forces, as well as help from American heroes coming from all over the nation and other heroes from the America Group which consisted of heroes all across North and South America. The mass outpouring of help for the town of Gondorhan was appreciated and praised by the American government which was telling its people to remain calm and wait for word from the response teams going into the town.

The response from the government is surface-level. The only reason I can think of for why they'd say such vague responses is that they really have no idea what happened in there. Zach looked at a picture of Star-Spangled Man who had arrived with a huge group of heroes, only to be fitted with HAZMAT suits as the report claimed. Unconfirmed reports of mass destruction and death are coming out of there. Can't believe all of it, but the fact is that no one's heard anything from inside the town other than initial reports from heroes that there aren't any survivors. Investigation's still underway, but the quarantine covers an area of nearly fifty miles wide and going north and south.

Then there's Japan. With no one giving any relation to the disappearances or the USA, and yet they have proposed theories of how it's the same circumstances as Korea. They're wrong. I had nothing to do with this. Zach stared at the images taken in the middle of a mountain range, and he rose up his phone and opened back up a video that had been taken by Japanese press earlier. Midoriya and Bakugo are still out there. Didn't realize most of the class was rushing off for the same reason, Zach thought, frowning more that he did not pick up on it before. He had already expected to see them when he first watched this video, and he watched as his classmates and dozens of heroes walked around the huge wasteland spanning several square kilometers.

All of Mt. Yamagucha is gone. And then there's that… Zach's teeth ground but he relaxed after a second while the wind died down on the video. He watched as that gray ash settled back down, and he bit down but shifted his gaze towards his door and calmed down completely. Do I hide it? No point. What am I hiding? That I'm investigating the same thing as everyone else only from in here? That's the whole point of putting up pictures from the other incidents wasn't it? Zach questioned himself while glancing at pictures of "missing" persons he knew very well were dead, as well as pictures of the aftermath in the Muindo Range particularly with photos of the dead forests as if he was confused by that.

Knock Knock

"Come in," Zach said, rolling his chair back from the wall and looking to his door. The girl behind it opened it up and stepped into his doorway. "Hey Momo," Zach greeted the girl whose footsteps he had recognized and knew she must have returned from her internship when he heard them.

Yaoyorozu stepped into Zach's room. The tall girl with a spiky black ponytail wore comfy clothes she had changed into after returning to the dorm, and she planned on heading back to the main building to get dinner in a little. She walked into Zach's room first though and turned to the right, looking at the wall covered in pictures he had taped up and drawn on with some arrows pointing towards other papers and reports stuck up there. He couldn't have been everywhere, Yaoyorozu thought, telling herself not to doubt that what he had set up was actually real and not just a ploy to trick anyone who might see it. She sighed that that was the first thought that came to her though.

"You all figure anything out about that missing mountain?" Zach wondered.

Yaoyorozu shook her head. "A few theories, nothing concrete," she said.

Zach nodded his head back at her. Same here, he thought, as he had some unconfirmed theories of his own about that.

"Zach," Yaoyorozu started. She decided not to beat around it and gave him a serious but also sad look that had Zach sitting up more on his chair and giving her a nod to go ahead. "You were about to leave, last night." Yaoyorozu stated it and gave him a look but Zach did not deny what she just said, not that she had asked him it in a question for him to confirm. Her expression stayed hurt for a few seconds and she continued softly to him, "I don't know why you're hurt. You won't tell me," she added, as his silence there was painful to stand there and watch.

"It's not one single thing," Zach replied. "Just, all of it was too much." What a lame excuse, he thought at himself while watching her expression twist frustratedly and sadly to hear it.

"Were you really going to leave?" Yaoyorozu asked him quietly, looking at him softer but seriously to make sure he told her the-

"I was," Zach replied.

The truth, Yaoyorozu knew it was at the way he said it to her. A sharp breath released from her mouth, then she scrunched up her face for a moment before asking in a whisper, "Without telling us?" Zach stared at her hesitantly but in surprise, his eyes growing wider still as she said to him in more of a scolding voice, "I thought you wouldn't leave like that again."

Zach shook his head though. He looked more surprised by the question she had asked, and he wondered back at her, "How could I have left you, if I was never with you all in the first place?"

"You were-"

"It didn't feel like it," Zach replied with another shake of his head. Then he paused, and his eyes shifted down from her as he added, "It doesn't feel like it." It doesn't matter that I'm back. Most of the class wasn't part of that decision. Ashido forced it on them and I saw it today, they're regretting letting her break them down for that moment of weakness where they allowed her to bring me back.

Momo's eyes dropped down too after she had opened her mouth right away at Zach's response. He's right, she admitted to herself. Not everyone's on board. I know it, though I thought, you would have at least said something to me before leaving. Her eyes rose while her head was still bowed, and she said softly, "You are back now though." He rose his eyes too and they met each other's gaze, "So don't leave. You're not allowed to. Not just without telling me. You can't go back. Okay?"

Zach stared back at her for a few seconds and then nodded his head. He reluctantly responded, "Yeah, I got it."

Yaoyorozu nodded back, then she stepped backwards with another glance at the wall he had been investigating. There are other things I want to ask you. Things I wish you'd tell me. I should just- "I was out looking for you last night, same as Midoriya." Zach's eyebrows rose up and he looked at her in surprise. "I came to see you when I returned, after getting the text that you were back." Yaoyorozu kept staring to the side at the wall of pictures Zach had posted up, including the ones with the dead trees and broken mountains. "Checked Midoriya's room as well, to see-"

"Momo-"

"You seem to be in a great mood today," Yaoyorozu continued, still staring straight at Zach's wall because she did not want to be looking at his face when she said it. Her statement came with an implication and a question, and she had to turn farther from him to get him out of her peripheral vision. Her eyes clenched shut as there was no response from behind her. I knew it. Why? You- You can't just… And Midoriya, what were you doing? To let him, kill?

"I won't leave again," Zach just repeated. It took him a few seconds and she was still turned away from him. "I won't leave this place. I promise. And, the only one I'm going to kill now," Yaoyorozu's eyes opened wide while she was still faced away from him. She heard Zach's voice echoing in her head in this very room almost two years ago now. Zach's voice lowered and he finished to the girl he had explained this to, which was overheard by the boys listening from outside but that he had told her directly. "Is him," Zach finished, and there was no need to specify it as her slight reaction alone told him she remembered what he had told her that night.

Yaoyorozu nodded her head. She did not argue or speak against it, as his words pierced her heart once more as she remembered the pain in his voice that night. To still want to kill him for that reason, Yaoyorozu thought after leaving Zach's room, resting her right hand on the wall next to the door to give herself balance for a second. She held back tears thinking about a spiky-haired blond smiling at her, and the one smiling in so much more malevolent evil at Kyoka and Zach whose lives he had destroyed. What am I thinking? Yaoyorozu leaned off the wall and smacked herself on the cheeks a few times. Don't let him distract you from, from something you don't know all the details of. Don't make assumptions. Midoriya will not be able to lie as well as Zach could. Zach wouldn't though, would he? In this instance… Do I even want to know the truth?

I don't think I was lying to her there, Zach admitted to himself while leaning back in his chair, his arms together behind his head with his fingers interlocked. His eyes shifted to his right arm he moved around more while feeling less pain than he had earlier. I just promised her straight to her face. I don't think I can go back on that.

I know it was you in Korea, Yaoyorozu thought while heading downstairs. I needed to see how you were doing when I got back here, but you weren't in your room. The window was open, your things left behind, and I was so confused as to what had happened… I'm still unsure. Did you fight Midoriya? Then why the hesitation? Why does it feel like you killed someone? Why did you look, all day, like you did after killing Spinner? In the Lifebringer Incident- even without any darkness on you, you had that look. A look that I had to see all day today and right there too. It just won't wipe from your face! Why?! What happened out there?!

Yaoyorozu stopped again in the stairwell. I searched and found what you were doing. I couldn't sleep. I heard when you returned and when you went back to your room. So late in the morning, and I don't know what happened. I don't understand, why those people are celebrating. The clip of the damage though- there was clearly someone there you were fighting. A broken arm. Recovery Girl said your ribs were damaged too, and the skin on your left- It's too much. Far worse than you were damaged by the Subspace Devils. Zach… You looked like you weren't afraid of being attacked. Could that be just being at U.A.? It was different than usual. The look may have been for the reason I assume, but under that bad joy was relief and a lack of fear. I needed to see it close up to be sure.

You killed Eziano Mozcaccio, didn't you?

---

In Midoriya's room on the night of Zach's first day back at U.A., Zach lay on his friend's bed on his back with "The God Book" held up over his body. He had nicknamed the book, to Midoriya's unease, and was back to deciphering it while hanging out with the boy who had recently returned from his internship. Midoriya's hair was still wet as he had showered after returning back and only just got into some casual clothes for the night when Zach came to his room so they could do this together.

As Zach was deciphering it though, Midoriya was more focused on the various news stories he also wanted to get Zach's opinions on. He turned from his desk though and looked towards his bed as Zach described what he had just finished decoding, "After befriending the Khan, Genghis and Enzo lay siege across Asia. Growing tired of women it looked like Enzo 'dabbled' with men as well, unlike his friend whose ravenous lust was insatiable." Zach rose his eyebrows and thought to himself, Pretty sure it's like a tenth of the world is a descendent of Genghis Khan. Or something, I heard that somewhere before. He continued on after pausing for a second, "Enzo lost interest in both men and women, however Genghis himself was a good friend and teacher… I think this word is 'teacher' at least."

It's unbelievable, but it's even crazier how much of that you've been able to figure out already, Midoriya thought while watching Zach's intrigued expression as he continued to read the book carefully. Midoriya had flipped through the pages himself and saw nothing he could make out, but Zach was treating it like a puzzle he had been putting together and was pleased at his results. Zach turned his head and continued while looking Midoriya's way, "Enzo writes in here that Genghis actually had a great military mind, yet his overwhelming power and skill in combat led to him not using all the strategies that he and Enzo developed together. Wonder if Enzo would have come up with the idea for bio weapons earlier, if he did not have the Mongol hordes making it so easy for him?"

"What, was Enzo doing?" Midoriya started. He specified confusedly, "With Genghis Khan? Did he cause those wars-"

"I don't think so," Zach replied. "I'm pretty sure this is a very young version of Enzo we're talking about. Since it's before the Black Plague that Ares said Enzo spread as a young man."

"I heard that," Midoriya responded, his voice soft though he nodded as he recalled hiding behind a rock and trying to join in on a fight only to hear that shocking revelation the night before.

"That's why I think this is probably a very young version of Enzo we're reading about here. Probably before he even knew he had the Longevity Quirk like his father, Aurellio, as none of Aurellio's other children had inherited it. I don't think…"

"If it was this early in his life, but he was already fighting in wars and developing strategy and strength and skill," Zach shook his head while looking back up at the pages he held above him. "I'm sure Enzo was as amazing as Ares claimed-"

"He's as horrible," Midoriya cut off and corrected Zach. His eyes were wider and stared at Zach in horror at the things Zach had been describing but also the way Zach worded that last sentence.

"I agree," Zach replied while still looking at the pages, rolling his eyes at Midoriya's disgusted interruption. "But few men in history have had as much of an impact," Zach continued. "As terrible an impact as it may be, I am amazed to read these things I never thought possible about history." Zach frowned more while looking on farther down the page he was on. Wonder if he explains what made him start having children again, that he would come to have Eziano nearly a thousand years later? "The languages change again," Zach said while lowering down the book, turning to the side and dropping his legs off Midoriya's bed. "Into a more Latin-originated language. Can't read it well," Or at all really.

"Hmm," Midoriya hummed and he finally moved past the weird response there he tried to think about and not just deny Zach's interest and amazement in these things. Just because it amazes him doesn't mean- Just, just move on. Genghis Khan. He's a villain- he would be. This is a historical figure. Reading this book that's so casual about historical events and figures is strange. Textbooks don't have this kind of, intimacy. Enzo could have died out fighting with the Mongols. Longevity does not mean immortality. Yet he survived and went on to have Eziano, and then that bloodline ended.

Midoriya leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath at the stunning thoughts he was having. If I even thought I'd be in this position- That I know for a fact that history is full of lies, Midoriya closed his eyes and breathed heavily but shook his head around to clear his mind. I never thought it. Who could imagine they'd even be in this position? His eyes shifted towards Zach for a moment, then he turned back to his computer after making eye contact with the boy who his eyes were drawn to at his last internal question.

"Which are you focusing on?" Zach asked as Midoriya had pulled up the news on his computer.

Zach was sitting on the edge of Midoriya's bed but left The God Book closed next to him as it was time to focus on the present now. "I'm supposed to be staying on Mt. Yamagucha," Midoriya began. He frowned deeper though as the majority of the sites he had pulled up on his computer had to do with the crazy event in America that more news was coming out about. "It's horrible," Midoriya continued. "What happened in Arizona today."

"Yeah," Zach agreed, frowning deeper himself as he thought about the confirmation reports from heroes who had gone into the town. "Atmospheric levels in the town read strange on sensors, but the air isn't toxic."

"Or it isn't toxic anymore," Midoriya corrected. "Whatever it was though, it's saying here that dogs and cats, livestock too."

"Plants?"

Midoriya shook his head darkly in response. "Some people are suggesting it must have been Death-"

"Who's saying that?" Zach asked skeptically.

"Conspiracy theorists," Midoriya replied quickly, denying it was prevalent with his tone as it was not being called out on major news programs or as a theory by top heroes or anything. "But so are the reports saying that you were responsible for Yamagucha… and the disappearances, and the Muindo Range-"

"Two out of four," Zach said with a shrug. "And the disappearances aren't even our fault. It's not," Zach added quickly, and he frowned deeper while Midoriya glanced over his shoulder back at him in slight confusion as to why Zach repeated that so seriously. "I'm sorry, for saying that you failed at that-"

"I know why you did," Midoriya countered with a shake of his head. "But you were right-"

"I wasn't shit," Zach retorted with a crack of a smile as Midoriya tried to put that on himself. "Ares practically Kamehameha-ed apart a couple mountains. It's not your fault he blew away hundreds of his own forces with the attack."

"We just stood there," Midoriya countered in a lower voice. He thought about it often today, and he finished while Zach stared at him in surprise, "As Ares crushed Eziano's heart. I didn't, even move."

"Good," Zach scoffed back with a raise of his eyebrows and a laugh at Midoriya's regretful tone. Midoriya glared at him though at the laughter, and Zach forced his smile down a little though could not help but keep grinning which made Midoriya frown even deeper. "Listen, Midoriya. The way things went last night, was how they had to happen. No point in regretting it."

"That's not true," Midoriya countered. "We could have- I could have, done something else. Reacted better, so that not so many people died."

"You couldn't-"

"We were the only two left," Midoriya snapped. His voice was low and he glared down Zach who lost his smile fully this time. "Everyone else died. That's not how fights are supposed to end. Heroes, shouldn't allow something like that to happen. They can't."

Zach hesitated instead of just countering Midoriya again. If that's how you really feel. "Fine," he said, shrugging his shoulders and dropping back on Midoriya's bed again though with his legs still hanging off the side. Without looking at Midoriya's face he added, "Think of it as a failure. I don't care. Don't let it happen again then," Is he right? If it's how he feels, it must be what he needs to do as a hero. Or just, what heroes should do? I don't know many heroes who would put that much blame on themselves but, but you're better than most heroes. I know that. I shouldn't, try to make you accept anything less than perfect.

A Symbol needs to be perfect.

Midoriya frowned while looking towards Zach's accepting and slightly grinning face as his friend was laying back on his bed. He looked away though to keep Zach from seeing his face and reading his inner thoughts as his mind wandered to earlier that afternoon though. "…Like you don't know."

"What is he talking about?"

"I, don't know," Midoriya remembered how Bakugo looked at him when he replied like that.

"You know what's going on already. I don't know what you two did last night, but Zach's got a broken arm and you look like-"

"We fought."

They looked like they believed that much at least, Midoriya thought while looking at his computer screen. And telling Zach to go along with that if Kacchan asks isn't important. Him not knowing is better, as Kacchan won't be able to tell if you aren't expecting it. Your confusion and surprise- I don't like this. They didn't believe everything anyway though, so I doubt they ask just about that. "…But I don't know about anything else, because we weren't a part of-"

"Why didn't you tell me about this? Why didn't you mention that you were bringing Lifebringer-"

"Why didn't you tell us that Zach was homeless? You didn't think it was important to mention?"

"Yeah," Midoriya was glad that at least Bakugo had been on his side there, as Bakugo looked equally pissed at both of them on their dual-rotored helicopter flight earlier. The Jospreys they had flown in on were loud, but the three of them had had headsets on with microphones sticking out of them that they had been speaking to each other through just the three of them on the channel. He remembered Bakugo had snapped at their pro hero they were going in with, "…No. You're a dick for just keeping quiet about it, like that was somehow doing him a favor. Don't you look at me like that, Deku. You fucking brought him back for no reason, 'cause he looked fine today-"

"He isn't-" Midoriya frowned in the present while thinking of how Kacchan had been measuring his reaction. He had seen that Bakugo just brought that up in order to get him to reveal something about Zach, and yet now as he thought back on it he grimaced even more. Stopping there showed Kacchan even more. Did he let me see that he was trying to find out, just to see if I would stop and hold back from telling him? I could see that, Midoriya frowned deeper but shook his head as he thought of what happened right after that which ended their argument in its tracks. The three of them had to stop being pissed at each other and focus as a team of heroes who stayed serious and on task, as the task was of utmost priority and importance.

One of the news channels Midoriya was streaming in a corner of his computer screen, something that was already starting to slow his laptop down, switched topics from the investigation he was supposed to be working on himself over to the news in the United States. "I just don't understand it," Midoriya whispered as he looked at what was going on there. "Do you think it was villains?"

"Officials are still looking to find the cause," Zach replied while holding up his phone he was watching things on himself. Wish all these other news stories made me feel lucky that the focus isn't on Korea. It's all fucking shit though. "This US story is bad enough, 'a real terrible tragedy' they're saying. It's an 'accident' that believers are starting to push blame around though like the government that's been saying it couldn't have been a power plant."

"Do you think it's a cover up?"

"Doubt it," Zach muttered in response. Midoriya looked back and watched Zach's expression as his glowing red eyes stared straight at his phone he was scrolling on quickly. "They're blaming the strongest US villain group right now, and people are buying it. The Freedom Fighters. Blitz and Coola are hunting them down now with a force of American heroes moving as fast as they can, because this is too much to accept. Yet the Freedom Fighters have taken responsibility for their attacks before. I'd go as far as to say that they would have taken credit even if it wasn't them. Which makes me wonder, how long until they're all found dead, and the blame for that is put on the Army of Death?"

"Wh- What?" Midoriya asked, spinning in his chair fully and staring towards Zach who just cocked his head to the side while sitting up a little more.

"I don't know," Zach replied, his tone raising as if what he just suggested was only a possibility. Only one of many possibilities he was thinking of. "People would believe it. It would let the US government off without having to search for the truth any longer. People would believe that the ones responsible were all dead, and the heroes would be able to stop looking. Whatever killed them all would stop being searched for. Slipping away without anyone the wiser. Except for the Army of Death, who I'd bet would be pretty pissed off being the scapegoat. And they'd also know that something else was going on. Maybe they'll find the Freedom Fighters first though, and maybe it really will be the Freedom Fighters who will be prosecuted in front of all the people… Or maybe some kid developed a Quirk that wiped out the town and killed everyone inside."

Midoriya's eyes shot open huge at that suggestion Zach said in a much darker voice. "Watched as everyone around him died to his confusion, unless it killed him too. The heroes inside the town now might find him, all alone surrounded by bodies-"

"Why would you say something like-"

"It's what I imagined would happen if they revived me at the Sports Festival," Zach replied. He glanced at Midoriya with his eyes hazel but with a dark red tint inside those hazel irises. "It's why I told Monoma not to revive me that day. I thought my Quirk might change, and I would wake up in a city of the dead."

"If I believed it could happen with my Quirk," Zach continued after a second. He grimaced and looked towards Midoriya's window that had the blinds slightly parted so he could see out them. "Then why not someone else's?"

"That's, never happened before," Midoriya began.

"Which means it never can?" Zach wondered back. Then he backtracked and added, "And who says it hasn't happened before? History?" Zach scoffed at the idea of them knowing anything about the past, and he lifted up The God Book in his left hand and shook it to make his point which Midoriya just frowned at. "Whatever it is," Zach continued, putting the book back down and sighing as there was no point arguing about this or even speculating on it anymore. "We'll know more after the investigations are done. There's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to keep watching and hope there are some survivors, someone in there who can explain what happened." There are a few missing Japanese college students who were traveling the US too. Must have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Really sucks.

A lot of people were calling on me to go there and revive everyone. Some bullshit right there. I didn't even know about this until after my time limit… I think.

When is my time limit now?

Do I even have one? That question made Zach's head tilt up and his eyes stare at the blank ceiling with a calm but darker look. I can't let anyone know that. Never revive over three hours. They'll believe you immortal. Believe your power as unstoppable. Back when I explained to them how I was just figuring out my Quirk they weren't that worried because I didn't know how to use it. Now they know how good I am with it. Now they know- that I'm going to U.A.! That the heroes here and Class A are around me and making me into a hero. The best kind of hero.

Being here will restore their faith in me. Graduating from U.A., as part of Class A, will make them believe in me far more than even stopping the Subspace Devils.

"Anyway Midoriya," Zach started. "How was it out there today? Figure anything out, that you can tell me," he added afterwards, as what happened during internships was occasionally classified information.

Midoriya immediately thought about all the conversations he, Lemillion, and Bakugo had had about Zach throughout that day. Those were not things he was willing to discuss with Zach right now, betraying the trust of the other two who did not think he would go tell Zach what they had talked about when the topic of discussion was him. The rest of the day though, Midoriya thought about only somewhat hesitantly while giving his friend an uncertain look.

"Come on, I know you have a theory already," Zach started at his friend giving him that look. He lowered his mouth into a flat line and added, "We both know who was responsible for this."

"Mount Yamagucha completely disappeared," Midoriya began. "The entire mountain in central Honshu went missing last night, along with all the train tracks on it, telephone poles, houses… There are a lot of missing people who lived on that mountain."

"A shrine with some Buddhist monks, a family on a camping trip, I know. All the power was knocked out for the region around it, I know." Zach frowned at his friend stating the things he already knew. "Those videos I saw didn't show as much destruction as the ones I saw from Korea, but I saw what was down there, Midoriya. We both saw that ash. So tell me, what is your theory?"

Midoriya hesitated for a couple of seconds, then he started, "I think, that maybe Shigaraki-"

"Shigaraki," Zach said at the same time he saw Midoriya's mouth start to move in that way. He spoke over his friend so they said the word at the same time, and he nodded as Midoriya did not hold back what he already believed. "Good," Zach said with a nod as Midoriya thought so too. "I'm glad you think so. It's clear to me that's what this is."

"We don't know yet-"

"We don't, but it was him-"

"You can't just assume. There are a lot of missing people. If we just assume they're dead-" Midoriya was scolding Zach, but Zach's eyebrows narrowed at his classmate in anger.

"You pretend that they're just missing because you don't want to have to tell their families that they've all been decayed. You don't want to tell them that Shigaraki Tomura has the power to destroy an entire mountain with his Quirk," Zach said it and he stared into Midoriya's soul while the green-haired boy's eyes opened wide. "Other heroes can't easily comprehend that there are Quirks out there with the power to destroy an entire mountain, but you and I understand."

Midoriya's eyes returned to normal size though his right hand did raise to his mouth as he looked down and started contemplating this harder than just a theory he did not want to believe. Ares was different though. Stronger than, than everyone!

"Of course Shigaraki would be this strong," Zach countered Midoriya's thoughts in a way making his friend's eyes snap wide open again as it felt like Zach had read his mind. "Because All For One told him about you having One For All, which means Shigaraki knows that you're as strong as All Might at least. He's going to be preparing for even stronger than that, so being at mountain buster level was to be expected." Midoriya stared at Zach in shock, but the boy sitting on the side of his bed shook his head like it should have been obvious to him as well. "If the successor to All Might is going to be stronger than All Might, then we should expect the successor to All For One to be the same. And Midoriya, it's up to you to stop him."

"You, don't want to fight him yourself?" Midoriya wondered. He asked it as images of Shigaraki carving through Zach with a knife flashed through his mind. He imagined what Zach had screamed about the scar on his face during the Lifebringer Incident. And yet Zach just shook his head with a small chuckle that unnerved Midoriya deep inside that Zach thought his question to be laughable.

"I know how formidable Shigaraki is," Zach replied. "Because even though he thought he was going to break me with his torture, he still went through the precaution of having Ganeshi snap his neck so that I would bring him back and make it so I could never hurt him. As much as I'm strong even without being able to use Death to kill or knock someone out, with Shigaraki? No chance. And if he's gotten strong enough to even Decay my Death and destroy that too, then I'm really screwed if I try to go after him." Midoriya stared at Zach with his eyes huge, but Zach just smirked and tilted his head back in a more relaxed way now, "I'm not saying it would be impossible for me to defeat him- it would be hard- but it has to be you, Midoriya. I'm going after Kaminari. I need to beat him myself." Zach's smirk lowered down there and his lips flattened out more, but he lifted them into a small smile while refocusing on his friend in front of him.

"But you? You've got the power of All Might. You stopped Inhuman during the SFI. The winner of the last Sports Festival. Beating the leader of the League of Villains?" Zach posed the question and let it hang in the air of Midoriya's room. He grinned at his classmate whose expression could not be more serious at the aspect of what Zach was suggesting. "It's necessary. It has to be you. And you're going to do it. No doubt in my mind."

"Wh-" Midoriya's mouth opened and made the sound even though he did not have a question he was prepared to ask after hearing that. He just stared at Zach with a shaky expression and confused look, as his friend had just told him how he could probably not take Shigaraki himself yet thought he could do it without a doubt. But- but last night you- but- what?! What, are you even- Are you lying? You don't sound like you're- What?! Midoriya's eyes shook as he stared at his friend who stood up from his own bed to grin down at the stunned boy ahead of him.

"You can do it. Tell me you can." Zach stated that down to Midoriya who lowered his bottom lip at the request. Zach was smiling at him when he asked it, and Midoriya stared right back up at his friend for a few seconds before getting an intense look on his face and nodding once.

"I will… if I get the chance to. Maybe, someone else will, before-"

"It will be up to you," Zach countered what Midoriya started saying about the uncertainty of the future. Zach knew it in his mind, and he said to his comrade he wanted to be fully ready for this, "Only you, can stop him."

---

Zach sat on the stairs between the second and third floor. He had his phone out and his headphones in while watching the news on his phone. Left Midoriya on a good note. Optimistic. We're in a good place, the two of us. Things are good with Mineta. Tried to normalize some stuff with Aoyama today. We were never too close, but I know everyone pulled out of the Sports Festival for me. You were in the training forest that night and I had to keep Dabi from you. I heard how you defended me when I was with the villains the first time too. Shit- why am I even thinking of this. You're Class A. Everyone, is Class A. You're all my-

Anyway, Tokoyami avoided me. Think the way I looked today has something to do with that. Shoji ignored it- stay second floor for now. Can't skip to fourth, when I can't even walk past the third floor. Zach's eyes darkened more and shifted back to his phone's screen. Pleas all over the world right now. In the places where it's the middle of the day. Yugalvenian citizens begging for the return of their premier. The parents of the student from the hero high school in Canada. Really wish he hadn't have died. Without Eziano or Ares, I might've been able to set him on the right path. Zach's expression saddened a bit and he saw something flash through brightly in his mind that he knew Midoriya had been thinking about all day. I could only save him. I was barely able to. It almost killed both of us, that attack. Defeating him was still one of the hardest things I've ever done. At any moment he could have beaten me, killed me, drained me of all Death. I held out though.

And every one of the assassins died. Luckily for me- no. No, I- I never wanted that. Zach frowned deeper and he rose his right hand to his mouth, bowing his head more. What am I thinking? I was going to kill them, but Midoriya came and stopped me- Or you just told him that. It made it easier, to believe that the choice to kill them wasn't in your hands alone. That you could have just done it, if Midoriya wasn't there. So as soon as he showed up, you accepted that you couldn't do it? I did- FUCK! I had to kill them- or they had to die at least. That made it easier.

Easiest isn't best. Just because-

Just because it's what you needed to do, Zach closed his eyes and he brought his fists up to them and rubbed them into his closed eyelids for a few seconds. Did I do the same thing the other night? I pretended like she was the only reason holding me back, when I just wanted to put it on her- No! I was going to- and she knows I would have, which was why she interjected in the first place. She didn't want me doing it. She knew I would. I knew I would, which is why I brought her- right? Right- just to what? Why did I… Because I'm a bad person.

A bad person to the people I hate- I told them I don't hate anyone. I lied. Zach stood up on the steps and shook his head around. A bad person to the people I hate! But, he turned and looked up at the third floor, and he walked up the last few steps then onto the platform. But to the people I love…

Zach gulped but shook his head around. He hardened his expression as he walked around the corner and down the hallway. He slowed down as he neared her door, but he took in a deep breath while he was outside of it. It's still early enough. She won't be asleep.

Knock knock. "Hagakure?"

Zach didn't want her to open the door and be surprised to see it was him. Saying her name aloud he gave her fair warning of who was outside her door. In case she doesn't want to open up, Zach thought while glancing down for a second as he heard movement on the other side of the door.

The doorknob started turning and Zach's eyes flashed red for a split second before going back to normal. Every time he had seen her all day his great mood had sank. Looking her direction had been a damper on everything he did so he had avoided making eye contact with her once. It was hard to make eye contact with her anyway so he was able to avoid it easily, but he was in front of her door now and there was no way to avoid it.

In Hagakure's head as she opened the door and looked into Zach's eyes, she saw the moment she had grabbed him by the sleeve on the street the other day. She had turned him after the darkness spread across his face like veins from his blood-red eyes. After he had swung a black arm around her, and she had watched that bullet seep through the darkness on perfect line to blow her head apart. Then she thought of what she had seen in that alleyway afterwards though. As she looked at Zach she saw the boy who had talked down to the woman he had beaten, whose mask he had broke, and whose entire life he had destroyed all meaning to with a few sentences he admitted to her he had made up after it all.

Zach thought about the sight of her invisible body's postures when he had placed her in that trap. He opened his mouth as soon as she opened the door. Nothing came out.

No words could escape his lips. He just stared at that blank space over Hagakure's pajamas and his heart pounded violently in his chest. His heart ached and he tilted his head back for a second as he thought about how she had left him in that alley when he told her how he wasn't Death, and how she should leave so he could call in what had happened…

Zach's head bowed. He broke eye contact with where he thought her eyes were, and he whispered, "Hagakure." Zach bent down. His knees bent and he lowered to them with his mouth curling, his eyes shaking even as he clenched them shut harder. Zach lowered his upper body from his knees and prostrated himself to hide his face from her and to bow as low down as he could. He shoved his face into the carpet below him. Hagakure stared down at him hesitantly, even easing back as Zach's face shoved into the ground and she heard the gasp down below her. "I know, I don't deserve your forgiveness." He paused and with his face still down he said, "But I want you to know how sorry I am."

"Mysti," Zach paused and he grit his teeth, "She was, one of the most dangerous people I had ever met. Putting you in her direct crosshairs was too risky, so horrible of-"

"It was," Hagakure gasped out, her eyes clenching up and her voice coming out hoarse as she heard Zach say this to her days later. She shook her head and then whispered down frustratedly and with shaking eyes, "How could you do that, if you really care more about us than…" Hagakure trailed off. She thought about the night before and all Mina had said that had broken everything she thought about what had occurred between her and Zach and Mysti. On the other side of Hagakure's door that was opened inwards, the blond boy who had been with his girlfriend continued to stand facing his door and frowning as he listened to the other teen boy on the other side.

"It's because of that," Zach whispered. "That I knew all of you were Mysti's targets," Zach continued. He shook his head into the floor, continuing strongly but regretfully, "And if I didn't do it on my terms, she'd catch me off guard and kill one of you when I wasn't perfectly prepared for it. And I had to be. She was truly that dangerous. I believed she could probably assassinate half of you if I was not careful. After the first she would be ready to get around my preparations too, so it had to be the first one that I set her up for- but also because I didn't want anyone- but- but I-" Zach grit his teeth and sucked in a sharp breath.

"So I set up the perfect moment for her to get her first kill," Zach whispered. "A completely fabricated day and scenario and everything because Mysti would have noticed or suspected something, or that I knew that she was there if I had shown the slightest idea of knowing, or if my friend had, or if our schedule hadn't been just a fun day with nothing to indicate an actual threat to her." Zach paused and he rose up his head slightly. He glanced up at Hagakure who was listening to this and staring down at him stunned to hear his explanation in full without him being that same dark person he had been after this incident the other night. Zach just grit his teeth while looking up at her then shook his head, "I had to convince myself your feelings didn't matter to me, so that I could save you and- and I just couldn't be the person I was before it, right after it, leading me to say things and act in a way I forced out for necessity… But that's no excuse."

"You put me in danger," Hagakure whispered. "To protect me, and the rest of our classmates too." Hagakure hesitated but shook her head with tears in the corners of her eyes, "But I don't know how you could do that? Both morally and, how you could even think up something like that!" Hagakure gasped it at the boy bowed down in front of her whose face scrunched up at the question. Her eyes shook and Zach saw the pain in them as she thought on that day they spent together.

He did not really have an answer for her question. He closed his eyes slowly, and he shook his head while opening them with his gaze shifted down at Hagakure's feet, "Certain things, are important enough to me, that no options are taken off the table. Some outcomes are so horrible, that when I consider ways to prevent them, every alternative is preferable no matter how horrible some of those alternatives may be…"

Zach stopped and his breath hitched in. His voice got sharper at the end as his voice cracked. He lifted his gaze back up to Hagakure's face with tears in his own eyes, pain all over his face as he wanted to just hold this back as he felt no right to say it even if it was true. "But that's no excuse. I- I destroyed our relationship for a grudge, but I was just so afraid when I knew that she was coming for me. For the people I love. And it crushed me to know what I was doing, but I had to even convince myself it was real for her, and so-" Zach lifted his head up higher and looked desperately at the invisible girl's face above him. "Hagakure, I wasn't lying."

She pulled her head back and stared down at him with her watery eyes shaking at that desperate plea up at her. "All of it was not a lie. Our day was real, because I had to convince myself it was so as to better convince Mysti. I know that might now make sense, but it's true! Because she's smart enough that I doubted I could do it any other way." Zach grit his teeth and then gasped out. "I lied to myself that everything was fine, and though some was intentionally an act I- I don't know where it began because most of the day just came naturally to me. The movie and hanging out- It wasn't all a lie. Because as much as it was part of my plan, I had planned it out that it be the truth. That Mysti see truth and so- so I believed it, and that might not make sense to you but- but it's what I- I had to-"

Hagakure reached down with both hands and grabbed Zach by his armpits. Zach stood up as she pulled him up to his feet, and he held his arms out as she wrapped hers around his back and hugged him. He stared over the top of her head with his teeth clenched so hard as she buried her face into his chest. "I'm glad, you didn't kill her." Hagakure whispered it while pulling her head away from his chest for a second. Even after all of Zach's planning, and despite the fact that he really thought she was going to kill all of them, and that she had killed his friends and was one of the worst villains of all time… Hagakure thought of how Zach had spared her life rather than killing her.

"It's thanks to you stopping-"

Hagakure shook her head and looked up into Zach's eyes, "It's because you're a good person."

Zach flinched but he could not lie while looking down at the look he knew was staring back at him. "I- I know I… What I did then," Zach whispered. "When you grabbed me and stopped me from chasing her right away, I had to convince myself you were the reason I wasn't killing her. Yet I-" his teeth clenched and darted down for a second. "I still had to believe that what I did was worse than Death for her, because I hated her so- so much- but I didn't want to kill her," Zach whispered that and clenched his eyes shut once more. "I didn't. I needed to bring you with me to make it easier, not to kill- I just, I just couldn't stand the idea that she had aimed to make it, so I couldn't revive you-"

Hagakure's arms tightened back into Zach's back and she pulled herself in for another hug as he gasped that out at her with his voice straining to get the words out. His eyes shook as he stared down at the top of his head, then those eyes darted up and looked around the end of Hagakure's door that another figure just walked past. Zach stared at the blond boy wearing casual clothes who had a thick tail drooping behind him. His eyes widened at the sight of Ojiro there, as he actually had not expected or seen the boy in there. He stared at his classmate who had only given him dark and angry looks all day, and who now had a single tear down the right side of his face touching his chin as he stepped out.

Ojiro's girlfriend was hugging Zach as tightly as she could, and she whispered how she had forgiven him into his chest multiple times. Ojiro told Zach silently instead. As he nodded at his friend whose head tilted back farther with pain flashing through it at the accepting look on Ojiro's face of what Zach had done, even when to Zach it felt like an unforgivable act that these two were forgiving too easily. His chest heaved though and tears slipped out of Zach's eyes too, and after seeing Ojiro's look he finally put his own arms around Hagakure too and hugged the girl back. His eyes closed, and he just whispered softly to the girl he hugged and the boy behind her, "I'm sorry."

---

A/N Awww ;). Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Took me too long editing last night so I woke up this morning and finished up the second half of it. Already started on the next chapter and I'm going to work on that a bunch today too! Thanks for reading! This chapter we see Zach's first day back at school. Interactions with Yaoyorozu, Aoyama, Midoriya, Kirishima, Shoji, Sero and Ashido, Mineta, and here at the end with Hagakure and Ojiro as he tries to make things right after what he did to Mysti in front of the invisible girl. Meanwhile, the people around the Muindo Mountains are celebrating and we see some aftermath from that, though the news about Korea's earthquakes gets a bit less airtime when some other events have just taken place with many casualties, and just as little information about them.

sloganlogan chapter 215 . Feb 6

I hope more than anything that Zach gets a happy ending. He deserves it after everything hes been through.

Me too. Me too... Maybe. We'll see. XD Thanks for the review!

R-Dawg chapter 215 . Feb 5

Some awesome writing here man, loved ares's character haha. Looking forward to how you're gonna end this, even though i will probably be depressed about it :P With all this happening lately i feel that Eri's gonna play a big part in the endgame, since she always seems to miss a meeting with Zach. Whether she gets rid of his quirk or maybe reduces his power? Also if Zach had to revive All Might, would he get some of his powers back, would certainly help Zach's image though regardless as well as act as a mini homage to "The Two Hero's" last fight, well if the story calls for it haha. Looking forward to Life Cities reveal as well as the Army of Death's ultimate fate. But I'm now blathering so i will just say that i cant wait for the next chapter, the long waits kill me but they are always worth it in the end haha.
Keep writing bro!
P.s I think AFO definetely has something more to give us, maybe he stole a "Godly" quirk.(God Tier sounds far cooler actually)

Nice prediction about Eri, not gonna say but always cool seeing these. Same with the All Might thing though that sounded more like a hypothetical rather than you were suggesting it would happen. Lot of cool stuff in store too, but I like your predictions about more Godly and God-tier Quirks too. A lot of you guys were mentioning stuff about it in the comments last chapter.

zangetsuflameo chapter 215 . Feb 16

First off thanks for responding to my last review. SENPAI NOTICED ME. I was curious about some power scaling things regarding Zach and the rest of the world so I decided to analyze it a little bit. I'd love to hear comments on it so please if anyone including other reviewers wants to speak about it go ahead.
I'm going to analyze all of his different forms as Zach's power varies greatly depending on that.
Whoof that was a long review, but I'd love to hear your commentary to see how well I scaled characters here, and if you disagree.

Alright just going to start off with: Wow. That was awesome, (everyone else should read the whole review I didn't post fully here). Loved seeing all that power scaling and didn't really have anything I disagreed much with (just like SPS), XD but also not going to confirm or deny any of it too. Like certain levels of Zach might be able to defeat some heroes or other at different levels than you said, but I haven't written that as much as you guys haven't seen it, and you understand that already which you showed pretty well when you talked about how you weren't sure how well Zach would do against Kamui Woods without use of his Quirk. I think a cool thing that My Hero has that lots of other shows don't though, is that Quirks are each unique which makes it real hard to power scale against others. Like Lemillion's Quirk alone sucks, but he made it up to the top of the hero leaderboards (third unofficially right now), even with a Quirk like his. Yet there are still going to be villains who can beat him despite his huge strength, even if he's more powerful than them, which is why I disagree with a bit of your ending points on Zach's current strength or his God tier level where you said how no one could beat him other than the whole world together or something of the like. Lemillion was superior to Overhaul in canon, then the Quirk-destroying bullet changed the tides. Same thing happened in Death when Fantasma looked like she might actually have a chance to stop Raijin, and he took her Quirk away. But also same thing happens the other way around when Shinso brainwashed Midoriya in canon but he pulled something out his butt to negate that trump-card kind of Quirk. Anyway, just wanted to mention that because as much as I enjoy power scaling and think you did a great job on yours, I think unless I pit the characters against each other and actually play out a fight between them then there's no point in saying that one is stronger than the other. So yeah I don't want to really confirm or deny any of the rankings (even if based on what we've seen so far I didn't see anything you wrote that I disagreed with), so nice, epic job! Thanks for reading the new chapter and hope you enjoyed it! And thanks everyone for reviewing to these chapters, faving, following, or just reading them. Try to get the next chapter out quicker, so see you then!