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!

231. Chapter 231

Disclaimer: I don't own Boku no Hero Academia

Chapter 231:

Karebo Office

Yuranama Yaisuke stepped into the Prime Minister's room after the secretary just outside the door told him the country's head of state would see him now. Pinoko turned her head and watched one of the top hero officials in the country closely as the man walked forward, and her eyes darted away as his severe expression shifted a look back at her on his way through the doorway. He's sharp, Pinoko thought, turning back to her desk's monitor and getting open some drafts of emails that the Prime Minister's secretary needed to reply to and she had been putting off. Be this bitch today!

Yuranama, Nikko Kaizo stood up from his desk as a sign of respect to the man who was entering the Prime Minister's personal office. "Greetings, Your Honor," Nikko greeted the older man who had gray hair yet did not look old. Yuranama's imposing presence had nothing to do with his stature as he was a lean man and not that tall at an average height around 5'6" with a little extra on top because of the way his gray hair styled. His hair was crisp with sharp edges sticking up at his bangs and then back along the top of his head while flatter down on the sides of his head and behind his skull.

"Mr. Prime Minister," Yuranama greeted in curt reply to the man who had appointed him to the "trial of the century" as the media was calling it inside of Japan and out.

I respected this man, Nikko thought while motioning for Yuranama to take a seat in front of his desk. Yuranama refused, saying he preferred to stand. Nikko nodded in understanding and then remained standing himself before him. Harsh, conservative, and he does not like me which I could tell the moment I was inaugurated. Trying to stop me from signing Lifebringer's pardon in that small gap of time. Everyone else trying to suck up to the new Prime Minister yet he was abrasive from the first minute.

"I have to question," Yuranama started before Nikko could say anything to the man who had been contacted through the Prime Minister's office about his appointment but had not spoken to the younger man himself about it. He looked at the man in front of him around the same height but who had shorter well-kept blond hair and a fairer complexion though with a few wrinkles of his own on his face that Yuranama had not noticed a few months ago when he last met the Prime Minister in person. "Why would you request me for this duty?"

He's not just curious, Nikko warned himself while nodding and keeping a flat expression. This is a public servant who spent years as a judge and in various law professions from prosecutor to judge to hero official and enforcement violation officer specifically for heroes who break rules. Yuranama has always been strict. He was strongly against the pardon of Zach Sazaki but was already against Kanno's ruling of only six years anyway. Ippo didn't appoint him to that trial he should have been first in line for, because even she knew how anti-Lifebringer he was beyond what she could allow in good conscience. "It's not as if I've had a change of heart," Nikko started to the man in his office. "But Judge Wilson let Sazaki off with not being allowed to use his Quirk or be a hero again after killing two men. Judge Kanno gave him 6 years for counts of premeditated murder and multiple homicide. An execution," Nikko admitted bluntly how he would describe the Lifebringer Incident. "It's what it was, based on what I read in files and reports of that night from eye witnesses."

"Sazaki got off from all of those punishments early. Everyone has been too lenient on Lifebringer," he told Yuranama. He paused then added, "Myself included. And to even out the leniency of the other two judges who are being appointed, like you, due to your positions as high-ranking officials and your experience in these matters, I appointed you as the lead judge for this trial, Yuranama. Which in this hero society grants you a great deal of power due to Lifebringer's possession of a hero license."

"As Death, his license had already been revoked," Yuranama stated. "However, his current license has yet to be suspended or revoked. As the lead judge I will have full discretion in the post-trial sentencing, and I will be sentencing him as a hero."

Which under five different penal law codes dictates his crimes if intentional will be charged more harshly than they would any other villain, Nikko finished to himself while nodding in understanding to the official before him. He seems convinced by my reasoning too. Yuranama doubted my motives but can see that I no longer support Lifebringer as I did all the way back then… Has it really only been three months? More, if just a little.

"There will be no pardon this time," Nikko assured the man who was questioning right there in his tone if Nikko was going to disagree that he had sole discretion in Lifebringer's sentencing this time. "Not if Sazaki is convicted for being Death… and I've seen the evidence," Nikko added in a lower voice. "Sazaki is Death."

"I concur," Yuranama agreed. "The trial is a formality at best," the older man admitted while putting his hands together behind his back. Nikko stared at him in surprise that Yuranama would come right out and say that to him. The judge continued in a determined tone though, "But we do need to show the public Lifebringer for what he really is before sending him back to prison. Death needs to finally face justice for his crimes. Japan needs to see that a villain is a very different thing from a hero."

Nikko finished up his meeting with Yuranama shortly after. He did not want the sharp hero official to stay for long, though Yuranama was clearly fully focused on Lifebringer's trial rather than on the Prime Minister who watched him leave and felt a small weight off his shoulders. He didn't see through me, to my real reasons for doing this. Nikko shut his office's door and put his hands up over his face then pushed into his blond hair that seemed to be moving farther back on his forehead lately.

"We have to throw him back in prison, and only you can make that happen," Nikko imagined the leader of the League of Villains standing before him. Raijin and Dabi in the same room, but the man who many people felt had faded from their country or had never been too afraid of in the first place. All For One had destroyed Camino Ward. Intanzo caused the failure of the Nara Raid. Even Raijin had been the spy of U.A., the lead attacker in the Lifebringer Incident who came to kill Zach Sazaki, and he had been the one to reappear recently in the resurgence that killed so many of Japan's heroes. Shigaraki's the most dangerous man in this country, and no one's even thinking about him anymore. He's been in the shadows the whole time. And I can't do anything against him, Nikko ground his teeth and lowered his right hand from up in his hair down to in front of his eyes he pressed it against.

That evil man's voice filled his mind, "You'll get the proof you need to charge him for being Death, and you'll throw him back into the deepest part of Tartaros." I know where that evidence came from. Electro thinks it was from some villains overseas who got it just so we could get rid of Lifebringer, but even if that was true- even though I know it was the League! I would have had to do this anyway.

The flashdrive came from the League though. Just because I would have to do this anyway… Am I even doing anything against the law right now? Nikko felt confused and he walked back across his office and put his hands down on top of his desk. They didn't give me any orders and I don't know what I'm supposed to do! I know I have to do what I can to get Lifebringer sent to prison though. And, it shouldn't be that hard, Nikko shook his head back and forth at the thought. His frown deepened and his eyes lowered down shamefully to his feet. That video…

The Prime Minister shook his head fast and spun around to put his lower back against his desk. He pressed his hands down hard at his sides with his fingers curling over the front edge of the desk that felt like the responsibility of taking care of Japan. An attractive blonde woman flashed through his head though and he rose his right hand to his forehead and gripped it tightly. Did they drug me? I was drunk. I woke up next to that woman and, I never felt more shame, which wasn't an excuse. It's not! I betrayed Enri. I betrayed her and this is what came of it. And now I'm digging even deeper as I betray Japan…

I already did. A different blonde filled Nikko's mind. He pictured the young heroine standing in front of Raijin with a defiant look on her face even after losing her Quirk. His eyes clenched and his hand pushed up harder into his hair, pulling some strands out in the stress while his heart pounded harder and harder. Focus! He imagined that girl's dying moment, and the deaths of so many other heroes the League of Villains were responsible for. I don't know any scenario where I can get out of this. But I've already made my choices. I've committed adultery and treason, and now I have to do what they say or I'm dead, and Enri will be too.

Nikko walked around his desk and took a seat again. He lifted his remote and turned on the large television across the room from him where it was imbedded in the wall. Opinion in the nation had changed already too. It wasn't just my own. That may be why Yuranama isn't as suspicious as he could be. Sazaki brought back thousands in China, which is thousands more than he's saved in Japan since returning. Nikko's expression turned harsh and he glared at the photo of the boy that was in the top right corner of the screen while reporters and news anchors argued below that. The picture was from his newer hero license where he was smiling and looking like a hero, but despite the photo they chose, the hosts all sounded vehemently against the teenager they were calling Death even though he was still only "accused" and a "suspect" until the trial.

His reputation was already getting worse with his expulsion from Shiketsu. Not to mention his apparent ongoing battle with the mysterious Eziano Mozcaccio, who he brought to our shores when no one was worried about him beforehand. He got them all scared of something they did not know about, a missile shot at Yutapu… And he beat the Subspace Devils, Nikko tried hard to change his own opinions to help him with what he needed to do. It was not so easy though. Revived hundreds of our citizens even if not thousands. And I received the reports from Lemillion's investigation. I know Lifebringer was stopping other crimes. I heard Ryukyu's report of what her sidekick Roady and Lifebringer did together, as I also heard about it from Mitosh Xilovic who contacted my office through a representative who thanked me for those heroes' efforts that captured dangerous villains at his residence…

That whole thing would have unnerved me had I not already been in the middle of being blackmailed, Nikko admitted to himself with a tired sigh. But I need to have a new public stance. One based on my position as Shigaraki's dog. Nikko glared down but his face was hardened as he had told himself he needed to do this for his and his wife's safety. After seeing the evidence, I believe I was wrong. Maybe if Sazaki had been given more than a 6 year sentence in the first place, I would have paused for longer before pardoning him. It's Kanno's fault. Yuranama hates Sazaki already, but my pardon was a slap in the face to his justice. This is just making it right. Making right my mistake. That's what he'll think I'm going through, and it's what I need to convey the next time we speak!

But to think, Nikko slouched his shoulders and looked to his computer. He opened up a file that he had downloaded a copy of on his computer. His finger hesitated on the mouse, and he decided against pressing the Play icon again. I was wrong. I really didn't think, it was him. If I had seen this proof beforehand though…

Would it really have changed my mind?

---

"None of it adds up!" Inda exclaimed at her co-anchor. The two usually had a great rapport with each other but were fully at odds today as they argued back and forth. "Back after the Villain Summit we were hearing about Lifebringer over in Europe, while Death himself was suspected to be dead because of the few members of his army that were remaining-"

"That was speculation we had then. This arrest was made after months of investigation by heroes looking into Lifebringer and Death," Keito argued back with a shake of his head. "We already knew Death wasn't dead soon after we reported on the Villain Summit in Tibet. He was back reviving people again, which apparently ended the same time that Lifebringer returned to Japan?"

"Not everyone who was revived after that lied about it," Inda argued back. "And if you're going based only on the people who changed their minds about whether they were revived or not, then there are two people in Morocco who claimed to have been revived last May who revealed last night that they had never been revived in the first place and made it up the whole time!"

"They just said that in response to Lifebringer being arrested," Keito snapped. "They think the heroes just arrested him because of the new revelations about Death's revivals-"

"Now who's speculating?! You don't know that they're the ones lying and the others who came out and said they hadn't been revived after his arrest in July were the ones telling the truth!" Inda argued louder.

"What point would they have to lie-"

"Heroes pressured them? They disagree with what Death's doing so they don't want people admiring him, so they retract word of their revivals-"

"Speculation-"

"All we have is speculation if we're not going to believe some eye witnesses in favor of others!" Inda yelled.

Sato lifted up the remote and changed the channel. "Ugh, they're giving me a headache," he muttered as the two anchors would not shut up and were not giving any new information on what was going on.

The new channel had a woman Sato recognized on it. She was a younger reporter who had reported on the Lifebringer Incident but also got an interview with Zach soon after his release from Tartaros which was finishing on the screen before returning to the same woman speaking three months later. Trisha Furaima continued calling out her report from in front of a Tokyo city jail that Lifebringer was inside of so it had hundreds of reporters outside it despite the heavy police and hero presence around too. "What we just showed was my interview with Lifebringer back in January where you heard him deny that he was Death. He appeared to think the accusations were laughable at the time, but the prosecution facing Lifebringer claims they have concrete evidence that proves Zach Sazaki is in fact Death."

"The People vs Death will be live broadcasted on WWNN on Sunday," Sato clicked onto the next channel and saw another woman though much older than Trisha. The veteran investigative reporter who had been in Japan not long ago for the arrest of Mysti had returned. Eisheia Robertson had her right hand over her ear as she was reporting this news that Sato had not heard of yet but still did not interest him all that much. "We have received rights as an international broadcaster due to Death's crimes that took place across many nations with various jurisdictions. The attorneys prosecuting Sazaki consist of special prosecutors for the UN, as well as Dr. Arudo Rainne, a Canadian-Japanese lawyer who has a long history of prosecuting heroes who step outside of the rules. After looking into Dr. Rainne, I have discovered some very interesting information about his previous marks. Dr. Rainne was the same prosecutor responsible for getting a guilty verdict in the final trial against Titanium, stripping him of his hero license."

Sato's eyes opened wide and he lowered his bottom lip at what the reporter just said. "The history between these two may be something to watch for during the trial. One could understand it if Lifebringer puts blame on Dr. Rainne for the death of his father, Jack Sazaki, which unfortunately occurred at his own hands."

"Other than the history between Lifebringer and one the attorneys representing The People, he also has a long-standing history with his defense attorney. Rivera Hanuri was seen entering the Tokyo Police Headquarters earlier to meet with her client in the city jail here that holds villains before their trial dates…"

Sato grumbled and flipped the channel again, not really sure what he was looking for but changing it anyway. "…After I stopped Lifebringer on his first day of school, he used the excuse of dodging those assassins in order to avoid all future press conferences and interviews Your News 8 has attempted to get from him." Sato flipped off Kimmy Kiero and then lowered the remote as he hit a 5-host show where the hosts were shouting at each other and he wanted to see what sides they were on. Sato remembered watching these people on the day Zach was thrown into prison, discussing whether or not Lifebringer had gotten himself sent to Tartaros so he could kill all the villains down there.

Keishi slammed her hands down on the table in front of her. "We have images from the eye in the sky that showed U.A.'s campus in complete chaos! Who do those heroes think they're fooling-"

"There were also images of Lifebringer kneeling before heroes and allowing himself to be arrested," Ito Uniro countered the younger woman who threw her hands up in exasperation at his comment.

"Perhaps the heroes attacked thinking that Lifebringer would try to resist them-"

"And you don't think he did?"

"It's possible he resisted them, and then gave himself up anyway?"

"Why would he do that?!"

"Lemillion and Star-Spangled Man both claimed that Lifebringer was cooperating with authorities…"

Sato watched the argument for a little while then glanced to his left and past the couch area where six other people were trying to watch the news but got too engrossed with each new channel to even get annoyed at Sato for not picking one and staying on it. Sato looked over towards Tokoyami and Kirishima who were in a heated argument outside in the courtyard of their dorm building, as Kirishima's voice just rose loud enough they could hear it inside in a moment the argument on tv quieted down.

Tokoyami crossed his arms and shook his head at something Kirishima just yelled at him, making Kirishima lean backwards with a pained and then seriously frustrated expression. Sato grimaced himself and looked back to the tv he changed the channel of again, gaining a purposely loud sigh from Mineta on the couch to his right though the short boy instantly got into the next station that he watched most often anyway.

Bob, Rashi, and Kasami were oddly quiet and composed compared to most of the other channels. Bob and Kasami were almost always arguing when the students saw them on tv so they all looked closely at the trio who had just finished watching a clip from an on-site reporter outside of the Tokyo jail. "So, Ms. Hanuri says that Lifebringer has chosen to represent himself," Rashi began, posing it in a slow way and hoping one of the other two would latch on to start an argument. "Though she'll still be there in the courtroom with him…"

"What if he really is Death?" Kasami wondered. He posed the question while looking towards the older co-host across the table from him who hummed and shook his head in a questioning nature himself.

"Then, it's a good thing he is being charged here in Japan. Some nations that Death's committed his crimes in would not be so lenient, as even our harshest penalties." Bob grimaced while saying it then added, "Though when the trial's over, I doubt Lifebringer will ever again see outside of a cell at the bottom of Tartaros."

"Only if he's charged with every one of Death's crimes-"

"If they get him for one," Rashi started over Kasami. "They'll surely charge him with all of them."

"That's just not right," Kasami muttered, though his enthusiasm was lacking in this broadcast. The man had once claimed that Lifebringer was the "Hero of the People" before Zach Sazaki had even been released from prison. He tapped a couple fingers on his right hand down on the table and said slightly louder, "If they don't have proof of the crimes they're charging him with… I don't just mean evidence that he's Death. Have you read the list of charges?"

Bob nodded his head and Kasami shook his own with an exasperated sigh then darker look that matched some of the students of Class A who were silently watching television together. Most of the class were out on internships, and the ones who remained were all together as this did not feel like a normal weekend. They were all with one another, feeling like they wanted to talk about what was going on but also trying not to bring anything up that might set off their classmates who all looked so frustrated and upset.

"I just don't see why the heroes are doing this, now," Kasami mentioned with his fingers stopping on the table and his eyes glancing back and forth at the other two for an answer. "Right when things seem so… so!"

"There hasn't been a good time for this in years," Bob retorted. "It's never a good time. Even in our most peaceful times we've always had someone like Shigaraki Tomura, Faith, Intanzo, and Raijin," Bob added the younger villain who had been on everyone's mind for a month now.

"If he really is Death," Kasami started. He paused then added in a more positive tone, "Then that means he'd probably be able to protect us from Raijin."

"Kasami," Bob began. He paused for a moment himself then shook his head, though the pause surprised the other two like Bob was thinking about it himself. "He's a dangerous terrorist. Even if that could be true," Bob added to give Kasami a point there though he was not going to let Lifebringer get away just by agreeing that the boy might be even stronger than they all already thought.

"Try explaining that to the people of China," Rashi said with a small smirk that could not hide the grim nature of the conversation behind it. He let out a dark chuckle though and continued, "Thousands have taken to the streets in mass protests against Japan's arrest of Lifebringer. And the Chinese are not the only ones…"

Kirishima stormed inside and marched over to the couches, dropping down on one that Ashido and Ojiro were sitting on with a small gap between them. The other two inched away to give Kirishima the room as he dropped into the seat with his arms crossed and his eyes glaring darkly at the screen.

Ashido glanced over her shoulder and out to the courtyard where Tokoyami was left alone. The dark boy standing out there lifted his gaze up to the sky though and Ashido looked back away from him as he seemed to want to stay on his own.

Tokoyami had just asked Kirishima to go inside though, as he had a call he needed to make out here on his own. He lowered his gaze from the sky and lifted his phone to his ear. Hawks left him waiting for several rings before picking up the phone. "Right on time," Hawks greeted, as Tokoyami called him on schedule. "We can't talk for long though. I don't know if your friend's electrical Quirk can pick up on our radio waves and intercept this call, so I'll keep this short."

"I'm going to be missing for the next several days," Hawks continued to the boy who did not interrupt him after Hawks explained why they had to speak fast. It's not normally a problem, which means Hawks might expect that Raijin could be near him. Don't go after him alone, Hawks, Tokoyami thought the warning at his pro who even he doubted could take on their old classmate by himself. "We need to be excessively careful with what's going on with Lifebringer. We're on the lookout in case this is all an attempt by the League to get us distracted or gathered in one place."

"It does seem suspicious to me," Tokoyami agreed. He opened his mouth to continue but Hawks spoke over him.

"Whether the evidence was planted or faked, or even if it's all real but the League just acquired it for us, they'll use this in some way or another. Keep your phone on and be careful at the trial."

Hawks hung up on his intern for the past three years who had already told him what Class A had decided as a whole. All of the other 19 students besides Lifebringer were going to be at their classmate's trial. Tsukuyomi told him that Deku had suggested that it needed to be all of them, getting Ingenium and Creati both on board as well. The class representatives better explained to their class how Class A needed to show unity whether or not Lifebringer was convicted, due to recent events that could lead the public into losing trust of the famous U.A. class who stood for a lot in their society. With graduation almost upon them, Hawks had to agree even though he felt there was an even more serious risk in having all of those students in one place at the same time.

"You two," Hawks called over to FlyGuy and Pelican Girl, an ADTF member from Canada. "Circle around the station to the east and patrol on that side for the next half hour. Alternate with team B when the half hour is up," Hawks ordered them away and watched the other heroes go. The number 2 hero coordinated the surveillance in the skies of Tokyo, and he glanced down to the roof of a building near the station where a team of heroes led by Incognito were hidden out of sight from everyone except for him and only because he knew exactly where they were posted so he could spot them easier.

Aerial assault blocked. People don't know where Star-Spangled Man is just like Endeavor, though unfortunately the villains will realize he's no longer here before long. He still has the Gondorhan Incident to deal with though and will only be back here for his part in the trial. I know his focus needs to be on that disaster we're all clueless about, Hawks admitted to himself. But we need everyone here right now. The pressure is building up so high. I feel like we're being played. Moving at Raijin's pace. Tsukuyomi mentioned off-handedly how it would have to be Zach who defeats Raijin. He was not even talking to me when he said it, and neither of his classmates had even reappeared at the time. We're about to get rid of our strongest weapon. And he is a weapon.

The way he fought us at U.A., Hawks thought with a tsk and look back down at the jail down below. I wish we could have found this proof some other time. Some time when I wasn't fairly certain that the Jazz and Radians, are in league with the League. If those three have all teamed up then we don't have the manpower to take them on. I didn't stop the Cult of Stain quick enough. Intanzo and Raijin killed too many others. So few of us remain, compared to what we once had. A deficit of heroes, in a country where we need more of them than ever.

Hawks' heart raced and he thought frustratedly, All I can hope for is that Lifebringer breaks out of his cell on the day of their attack. I'll have to get one of the prison guards on my side. Have them tell Sazaki whenever the villains make their move. Whoever it is will forfeit their job and could even be charged afterwards if Sazaki breaks out- but maybe the kid will put himself back down there afterwards! Then we'll reduce his sentence or something, if he manages to save us. Hawks sweatdropped at the uneasy thoughts he was having that were too nervous for him to usually have. Or maybe we could do it without him? Duke Dread doesn't seem like the kind of man to work for someone else. And the Radians are mad. For Shigaraki to have united all of them…

Tokoyami hummed to himself while standing alone in the courtyard of the building that had been his home for the past three years. We're in a precarious situation here. Tokoyami was involved with investigations that only Bakugo, Midoriya, and Todoroki were fully informed about out of his classmates. He knew theories that the top heroes in the nation had about their enemies that they kept quiet from most people in order to avoid causing an unnecessary panic when they did not even have proof of those theories. But if Zach is a terrorist- He's done a lot of good since he came back here.

The Subspace Devils were the second most powerful villain group in the nation. Overlord, Kousen, Sulu, they were all very powerful villains and extremely dangerous. Potaru was someone Hawks had us trying to set a trap for. We were in the middle of a long investigation into them, and Zach wiped them out in a half hour! Tokoyami shook his head in amazement but looked back up into the blue sky above again that had some dark gray clouds in it rolling in. Are they coming?

Tokoyami shook his head, trying to forget about that phrase one of Hawks' foreign contacts who dwelled in the underworld told them when they met with the C.I. in Iraq last summer. He shook his head around, Zach wouldn't want that. They know it- and they wouldn't try it. Not with hundreds of heroes around Tokyo all expecting something to happen. And that's not them. It's not Zach. He told people how anyone could be a hero. Got on tv and said all those inspirational things about us not needing pillars and how we could all be heroes to someone. I was watching you closely after you got out of Tartaros, Zach. I didn't try to be your friend again, because I believed yesterday's fight was going to come sooner or later. And yet the entire time you were back you just acted like a great hero.

That's what I thought it was. Acting. But even if it was just an act, you did so much good in that act. Too much, that I know it wasn't just an act. Tokoyami lowered his eyes down from the sky to the windows he stared through and into the common area where his classmates were sitting around watching tv together. It doesn't matter right now. The crimes he's being charged with have nothing to do with the last three months he's been here. But, I can't just forget about it, Tokoyami thought about seeing Zach on Dead Heroes' Day. He recalled seeing Zach in a kimono and a kasa that shadowed over his face at the festival people had caught him on video at.

He stopped some kids from bullying another. Whatever else happened, I remember that. Whether he knew the camera was there or not. Whether it was just a random act of kindness or he was trying to show people that it was cooler to be nice to others and help them, than bullying- It doesn't matter! He was good. It was just, good. "Exodus…" Tokoyami heard the name that Zach mistakenly said during his story while they sat around the campfire at the joint training. Somehow that was the name of a real person. I never said it to Hawks because I know, I knew! But that meant that the Battle he talked about was somehow… but that's impossible, Tokoyami reminded himself with a darker frown and more pitying look on his face as he stared at the image of Zach on the tv he watched through the windows.

As much as Zach might have slipped up in his lie, the slip-up just doesn't make sense. Why would he fake failing at lying? I can't imagine a reason for it to happen.

---

"You want a shoulder massage?" Yunami Kai wondered to her husband as she scooted down their bed to where he was sitting at the foot of it.

Urukio Endo did not say anything but grunted in response in an accepting way as that did sound nice right now. Popfire put her hands onto Roady's shoulders and rubbed them while putting her head to the left of her husband's so she could better keep watching the tv herself.

"We're asking people all over Yutapu for their opinions," a reporter named Takagi said to the group of three who had just stopped when he asked them to with his cameraman behind him. "We want to know what you think of Lifebringer now with the new allegations against him?"

Roady remembered watching this same guy asking for opinions around Yutapu shortly after the joint training Shiketsu had with U.A. The people he had interviews had almost all supported Lifebringer and sounded happy he beat Class A and U.A. They were wearing Lifebringer merchandise and cheering his name… but not anymore. Roady watched as the people distanced themselves from Lifebringer and talked about instead how they had been worried about him being in their city all this time.

I don't blame them for turning on him. Popfire admitted to herself though she did not want to say it aloud as she felt the knots in Roady's shoulders she tried to rub out. His apartment exploded in their city and killed a lot of residents, one of them for good. Then there was his talk show appearance, Popfire thought it because of a mention by one of the people Takagi interviewed in a different cut of him running to a different older couple in Yutapu.

The woman of the two being interviewed countered her blunter husband, "Though I still think Kipper's program should be shut down! Bringing that American billionaire there so he could have his daughter revived, when so many people here have not been so lucky…"

"I get that the people there got scared when they heard about the missile Eziano fired their way," Roady muttered under his breath while watching more and more people in Yutapu criticize Lifebringer. Some of them started saying how they always knew he was Death, and Roady snorted but actually did not say anything as he thought about how that was possible. "And he looked…" Roady trailed off. What he did in that convenience store made him a villain. He can't get away with shit like that! Acting all scary against those robbers, I get why people are saying he's been scaring them lately. At least, until he went back to U.A.

"…He's been really off-putting recently," a regular-looking Japanese man in a black suit and a blue surgical mask suggesting he might be sick continued to answer Takagi's question. "I don't really think he's Death though. I think the government just wants to blame him for being Death because of all the fuss the Army of Death made by firing those missiles at the ADTF, even though nobody got hurt! Sounds fishy to me…"

I could see where they'd get that from, Popfire stopped rubbing Roady's shoulders for a moment and looked over towards their bedroom windows herself. If only we were trying something like that. I'd be against it but at least, at least he'd have a chance to get out of it and help us against what's coming. Popfire felt the weight of what was coming even if she could not put words to that anxiety or describe what it was she thought was on its way. Her hands curled into Roady's shoulders for a moment before she continued rolling them back and forth so he would not notice her anxiety.

Roady normally would have picked up on his wife's feelings, but his dark gaze was locked on the screen and he barely noticed that she had stopped rubbing his shoulders for a few seconds there. "Why'd we have to catch him?" Roady muttered in annoyance, regretting how successful they had been already.

"If it was a couple months ago," Popfire replied with a small smile. "You would have been fine with it. Happy even-"

"That's not true," he cut off the woman behind him who he glanced to his side and back at to her face just next to his. "I wouldn't have been 'happy' then…"

"The kid isn't a bad guy," Roady said in a low voice while looking back away from his wife who had already been smiling that he changed his opinion from earlier but stared at him in more surprise now to hear him say that. "I imagined, Zach, was Death many times but, but I'm still not convinced!"

What really changed your mind? Popfire wondered while just humming at him to suggest acceptance that he might be right. You told me after working with him that he acted like Death. You were convinced it was him, or at least that it could be. Now though, I think you just don't want it to be true. Because you know your friend will never get out of jail if convicted.

---

What a boring fucking day, Bakugo lay on his floor with his arms behind his head. He did sit-ups to work up a sweat, as it was not like he did much physical activity at his internship all day. If they're going to do anything it'll be tomorrow. He sat up again and back down then up and grunted to himself as he admitted in his head, Our guys just wanted to put on a show of force, while also showing that they're going to be hiding some of the big guns. Prepare an ambush on whatever kind of attack the bastards might send at us. Like Endeavor could do it on his own. Though, there's a chance they'll show up. If they think the League's responsible for this, they might lurk about in hiding waiting for the villains to make their move. His Army.

Why did he give himself up? Bakugo lay back down and stayed there for a few seconds with his back just barely lifted so his abs were aching from the strain of being almost into a relaxed position. He never let himself reach that point and just started back up quickly in a new set that burned in his abdomen. If we had just fought for a little longer…

"Now that's an Explosion." "You call those Explosions?" Bakugo grit his teeth in rage that welled back up inside him and made his form sloppy which he noticed after a couple bad sit ups.

He lay down flat on the ground and panted with his face twisted in anger. His hands curled together behind his head and he imagined the blond girl's face as she smirked in such a convincing way at the fake Bakugo Katsuki that had appeared in Koimou to help her fight Raijin. Bakugo sat up quickly and leaned over his knees, panting harder as he pictured Indago's falling body with blood splashing out of it. Sweat covered his face and his panting breaths turned into gasping ones, though he shook his head around and felt anger swell up even more as he saw Fantasma before her death. Why did he say it like that?!

He could see Toga wearing his skin and using his Quirk, somehow in possession of his Quirk even though he did not know when she got a sample of his blood. Bakugo imagined the explosion Toga blew straight in Indago's face, and, "You call those Explosions?"

I would have been tricked. She knew. You knew me! Bakugo slammed his head forward between his knees, then he shook his temples back and forth as he squeezed his head harder with them. He pulled back and dropped down to start sit ups again which could get his mind off of these painful memories. Yet with all that was happening tomorrow, he could not push it far enough. He knew what he was saying too. He said it like he was- like he was talking about her! Who do you think…

He could not finish the thought. Bakugo understood. The reason the thought he was just having did not make him as infuriated as he wished it would, was the same reason he did not hate Zach for saying what he said. If it had been anyone else in Class A who tried saying something like that to him, if it had been anyone else at all! Bakugo thought he would have kicked their asses just for saying it like they knew it was something that she would have said, or like that was a real Explosion compared to the paltry one Toga had managed to set off… He knew her too, Bakugo thought.

They talked about him. Bakugo thought of a flight that so often made him furious, because it saddened him too much that he filled himself with rage instead to push that down. Before Miruko and Fantasma had passed out though, and before their heads had tilted to the sides to rest on his shoulders… he remembered what the two of them had been talking about with their earlier trips internationally he had been left behind during. You brought her back to life. The fights they were in, they treated them like the biggest fights ever. And they fucking- they talked you up like some badass! Like you were stronger than me!

Bakugo felt his heart pound harder as he thought about how his fight with Zach started. What was that? He thought in frustration as to how their fight went down. That bastard just, he just waited for it! I hate that he waited, Bakugo grit his teeth and then ground them back and forth as he thought of the way Zach grinned at him while waiting for Bakugo's new gauntlets to fly up to him. I hate that he waited. Because it wasn't just to have an even fight. He didn't have any fucking gear. I know why he just waited for my gear! He knew I'd use big blasts anyway. That I'd use as many as needed if I didn't have…

"Bakugo, don't… Your arms." Bakugo slammed his eyes shut as he thought about the image of his dying classmate begging him not to use Explosions to fly off and find Recovery Girl just for him. His arms had been so damaged at the time that it took him over half a year to fully recover from it. He didn't want to cripple me. He didn't want me to risk it this time either. But he just doesn't want me hurting my arms because I'll be less effective as a hero. Zach thinks that far in the future that he knows I can save more people by not injuring myself…

What am I doing? Lying to myself, Bakugo sat up and shook his head around in annoyance that he would pretend even while alone like this. It pissed him off even more that he would lie about it, I didn't use them that day. Not when you begged me not to as you died. I didn't want that to be the last thing you saw. Dying feeling like you'd crippled me… and I knew you were dying. I knew that was it. And I know you didn't just want me not to hurt myself for the other people I can save. You think of me as…

He's arrested. Things go the way I'm expecting, he'll be in jail forever after this. I'm not going to go visit him. So this is it. And even if it is. Even if I never see him again after tomorrow. Even if he spends the rest of his life rotting in a cell… I'll still think of him as one too. I wish it was easier to hate him. Bakugo turned his body and leaned against the side of his bed that he had been working out next to. He shook his head around at his oddly sentimental thoughts. A part of him knew that the next day was the end of something though, and he was wishing now that it had just come suddenly rather than giving him this much time to sit around mulling it over.

After wishing he could hate Zach easier though, Bakugo just pictured his classmates he had seen gathered up downstairs talking when he walked by and ignored the whole lot of them. If not for him though, Bakugo thought, and he pictured that group of people downstairs missing five people. Sato, Iida, Asui, Shoji, and Kirishima all vanished with Kirishima fading last and making Bakugo close his eyes while letting out a sigh as he knew that he would never be able to change what he had just thought. He fell forwards over his own knees and put his palms out to get into push-up position. Then he lifted one hand and bent his arm behind his back as he began, while thinking, He brought this on himself. He can't get out of it this time either.

Which means I get to be the one to murder Raijin, Bakugo's lips pulled up far on his cheeks with a crazy smile broken out over his face.

Downstairs and in U.A.'s common room, the only lights were the ones in the dorm as night had fallen outside. Most people's internships were done for the night, though Todoroki was still missing very late and could not tell them when he would be back due to being with Endeavor whose current location had to be an unknown. As a few of them were thinking about their missing classmate though, he came in finally and still wearing his hero costume though he was not the only one who had it on as he walked towards the group.

I hope he kept what I told him from his dad, Midoriya thought as Todoroki did not make direct eye contact with him yet. He imagined Todoroki had had a moral dilemma earlier about the benefits of telling Endeavor that Eziano was dead. He shook his head and refocused on Iida who was going over how their class was going to travel to the courthouse tomorrow and how they would present themselves considering the massive media presence that was going to be there. "…We will travel in our hero costumes. That is both because it is how we are most presentable and because of the heightened threat of attack due to all of us being in one place."

"Do we really think," Mineta started hesitantly. "I mean, do you guys think they're going to attack tomorrow?"

"They?" Jirou wondered at Mineta's wording. You mean "he." He's the only one we care about… No, the only one I care about. Jirou looked towards Midoriya who she knew her previous thought did not apply to. Midoriya has that scar on his back that Shigaraki gave him. The whole League was responsible for putting the hit on his mom. It's not just Raijin. Though I'm sure some others feel the same way as me, Jirou's gaze shifted in Tsuyu's direction.

"It's a possibility. I doubt it though," Midoriya told his classmate and then glanced around at the rest of his friends as he explained. "I think the villains would rather the trial go on without problems. I can only imagine they want Zach out of the way."

"And we're doing exactly what they want," Ojiro said in a dark and low voice. Though if heroes have proof that Zach is Death, what else can they do but arrest him?

Others shared Ojiro's dark sentiment but did not know what to say about it. "Everyone get a good night's sleep," Yaoyorozu suggested to her classmates. "It will be a long day tomorrow, and you must be well-rested for whatever the day may bring."

Some of the others nodded along with the class vice president. Hagakure sighed and looked to Uraraka, suggesting they take showers since the two had arrived back from their internships and went straight to dinner at the U.A. cafeteria. Uraraka was still in her hero costume and Hagakure was wearing the outfit she tossed on when finished with outdoor hero work or while working in Incognito's office. The plain white outfit was easy to toss on and take off. It had pop-on buttons on the left side of both the shirt and pants that were loose and easy to slide on but even easier to take off as all she had to do was rip to the right.

Jirou headed off on her own but she glanced back for a moment when she saw some others staying down there and looking like they were waiting for something. Waiting for the rest of us to leave, Jirou realized as she noticed a look in her direction that made her glower though turn towards the stairs to go to her own room.

Ashido frowned right back towards the back of Jirou's head. She turned and looked to the group around her who had stayed in the common area after the rest of the class had walked away. Mineta and Sero had made it out like the two were just talking and standing next to the back of the couch, but they turned back and stepped towards the others in a small circle near the tables they often studied at between the couches and kitchen.

"We're in agreement then?" Midoriya wondered with a look around at the others who had been in private conversation together but not in person before this. "None of us are going to testify."

"No one knows that we knew," Sero stated. He glanced towards Todoroki then more at Yaoyorozu who had a look of doubt on her face different from the betraying eyes of Todoroki that he was trying to see which might indicate he had told his father.

Kyoka knows. I saw her listening to you, Sero, Yaoyorozu looked back at the dark-haired boy who had given her a confused look by her reaction. She shook her head at him rather than say anything about it.

I wonder if Kirishima knows now? He and Zach got over their stuff, Mineta thought about the redhead who had left with everyone else. Whether we include him or not, he doesn't seem like he'll testify against Zach now either. Even if he's called up to the stand? If he's a witness, I don't think he could lie… Could I? Would I? Mineta asked himself the more pertinent question as whether he could or not did not matter unless he knew what the answer to the second question was. I don't want to see Zach put in jail. He broke the law though. And he got arrested for it. That's how the justice system works. He saved entire countries though! The world, probably.

"Lemillion has suspicions about my knowing but hasn't said anything about putting me up on the stand," Midoriya continued in a lower voice to the others. "I haven't seen this new evidence myself, but if they aren't trying to get us to stand against him then they may not need our statements at all."

"Do you think it's DNA evidence?" Ashido questioned with a look to her right side and up at Iida's face.

He looked back into the pink girl's black eyes and hummed at the question. "Zach could claim that it was planted there. A trick villains are using to try and get him sent to jail and out of their way."

"If he can convince them-" Mineta started with his tone raising optimistically.

"It's not some jury that he's going to be facing," Sero countered Mineta's optimistic tone. He shook his head when the boy with purple balls on his head looked back. Sero continued in a lower tone, "These are hero officials charging him with acts of villainy. He's being tried as a villain-"

"Again," Todoroki finished. "He's on trial, again."

"He's so used to it that he's defending himself this time," Mineta offered up as a sign of hope.

His opponents have far more experience in the matter than he does though, Mineta, Yaoyorozu thought at him without crushing his hope verbally. Perhaps Zach will do something amazing in this trial though. I know he will surprise me, but I also know that I am hoping for a surprise where he makes a miracle happen and gets out of this. Despite all his crimes, I know Zach is a good person inside. And he has done so much more good than wrong. And, we need someone with his outlook on life. Someone who believes as much in this world as he does. He said that was true. He talked about it on Inazuma, and I know he tried to make that world a reality for everyone else the whole time he was gone.

Iida shook his head and wondered in a somewhat worried voice, "Even if they would not ask all of us, I would have expected the prosecution to come ask if we had any information to help them." He paused then added softer, "The fact that they haven't makes me wonder how concrete the evidence they have against Zach already is."

"In the end it doesn't matter," Yaoyorozu said in a quiet voice. "It could be loose or solid proof, but they would doubt Class A's testimonies."

"I think so too," Midoriya whispered. "I think Lemillion, Star-Spangled Man, and the prosecutors would be worried that we might lie to protect our friend, and since everyone would trust our words so much they're more concerned that Class A could be used in Zach's defense."

"Though Zach wouldn't consider doing that himself," Sero muttered. If he was the kind of person who would try to make us perjure ourselves, he wouldn't be the kind of person we'd want to perjure ourselves for. It was a great dilemma that even the question of if he would do it or not was taken out of his hands because Zach would never make them do so. Because he never had to answer the question, he was left wondering what that answer would have been.

Mina had lifted up her eyebrows at what Midoriya was saying and gained a thoughtful look on her face. Sero looked at her though and passed on his thoughts to the girl who hesitated at what he just said but lost her hopeful look completely when he frowned as if telling her not to try lying for Zach's state. After Ashido looked sadly down at the floor again, Sero turned himself and started away with his hands sliding down into his pockets. I told Zach to make it to the end of the term this time. And he only got a day and a half in before getting arrested! Sero thought angrily at a conversation they had just the other day after Zach got back from China.

I thought it would be easy for him to do as long as nothing else came up. Why couldn't this have waited just another week and a half? Then Zach would have been… He would have, been somewhere. Someplace doing, something. He didn't know, Sero closed his eyes and stopped walking for a second. He didn't know where he would be. In the short time since he came back Zach's blown my mind a dozen times. Why did he have to be so excited that night? Sero balled his fists at his sides in anger at the smile on Zach's face even as he started crying for some reason, which Zach said had been happiness. The future he saw, or that he wanted to see! A future I doubt he'll be able to be around for now.

A future Zach gave us, Sero added in anger as he thought too, and which he himself can never see.

I stayed quiet because I believed what you two did, Todoroki thought as he looked at Iida and Midoriya who remained with him so it was just the three of them at the end. None of them said a word as the others all broke off one by one, and they just met each others' gazes in the silence that continued after. I believed it because I already saw what was happening out there. The truth the ADTF hid from everyone. Zach did it. He did exactly what he set out to do. What we failed to stop him from doing, by letting him get away that night, Todoroki lowered his eyes down to the floor between himself and his close friends.

I know what side we need to be on tomorrow, Todoroki thought. What we had to do in that fight was the right call. Standing with other heroes and the law, not rebelling by telling Zach to run. I never imagined he would defeat us all even in an ambush. He imagined his darker friend suddenly appearing behind him and questioning about Endeavor, getting his answer himself in the next instant just by reading Todoroki's expression. Except it wasn't all of us, Todoroki admitted to himself after a moment. He seemed to be in control of most of the fight, but there were two who managed to fight him and stop him. You two, have gotten so much stronger, Todoroki lifted his eyes back up to Deku's thoughtful expression and he imagined someone else a few floors above him too. Even if Zach has to be taken away tomorrow, I still have faith that we can do this as long as we have the two of you.

---

On Sunday morning, Zach lay back on his cell's bed with his hands behind his head and his gaze locked on the glass ceiling above. The inner Cyn wall was see-through to the outer steel barrier surrounding him, though on one side there were only metal bars on the outside of the Cyn for the double barrier on that side. Horizontal bars of black went down in a grid pattern over the normal steel bars, and he could not test it himself but he was fairly certain they had produced enough Tevlon for those bars.

He sat up and put his hands up into his hair to style it quickly. Footsteps approached his cell, and he looked out through the glass and between the bars to see officers and heroes walking his way. They stepped past the guarding heroes who turned as well and all faced Zach Sazaki who lowered his arms down to his sides and gave them all a nod. His look was calm and easing. Zach kept his expression as mellow as possible since the heroes they had come get him were not ones he knew very well. "Did the plan change? I thought Ms. Hanuri would be joining me before I was moved to the courthouse."

"That was just what she was told so she would tell the media," Gang Orca replied. "She has already been briefed and will meet you there."

"Alright," Zach decided not to ask any more questions as Gang Orca was the only one who stayed calm there when Sazaki asked a question about their tactics. They're on edge about me. They don't know if Eziano or the League might attack. Regular people too might try to get in the way. At least, the heroes will have prepared a strategy in case there's a riot. Shouldn't be one though in Tokyo. Most populated city in Japan, meaning it had the most deaths since I've returned from Terra. My release from Tartaros should have meant death had ended for them. Instead they've watched loved ones die for months while I was minutes away. What am I thinking? Riots? These people don't love me anymore.

They never really did. They loved an idea of me that they skewed while I was missing. Zach followed the heroes out and walked down into an underground tunnel with them under the police station. They went two blocks away before surfacing and getting in undercover cop cars in an alleyway. Once they entered, Gang Orca told Hawks through a hidden microphone and headset that Zach did not see on the hero who sat directly in front of him in the back of the vehicle. Surprised they picked someone I haven't revived before. I haven't saved enough Japanese heroes for it to be feasible to always have a revived one at my side. Gang Orca caused me to flinch with his attack during the arrest. From point blank he could get it off before I turned entirely to Death. It's a decent strategy. They had to try something.

Hawks held up a radio to his mouth and said, "Now." He switched the frequency, "Now." He changed it again and said, "Reroute to scenario B. Go."

All around Tokyo, police vehicles left precincts and turned sirens on. At a precinct in Musutafu closest to U.A., a larger convoy of vehicles pulled out and turned the opposite way as Tokyo to head instead towards the Hosu City Grand Court. No one outside of law enforcement and his lawyer had seen Zach Sazaki since he was put in a police custody on U.A.'s campus. Hawks strategized what the villains could predict and how they might imagine the heroes had "really" moved Lifebringer around while telling everyone where they had actually brought him. The cops driving around the city in different patterns had heroes in their vehicles ready for ambushes or ready for those convoys to redirect straight towards the main route, and flying heroes in Hawks' agency and on their team today flew overhead keeping a close eye on the city below.

Hundreds of heroes filled Tokyo. Crack sat in the Super Jet Mark 3 hovering just over the Pacific Ocean fifteen miles off the coast of Japan so she was in international waters. The UN logo on the side of the jet and ADTF branding on the other side matched the logos of the four other jets surrounding Japan and prepared for orders from inside the country to move in. Their leader was already inside of Japan after all, though he was missing too for the moment as no one in the courthouse had seen him despite knowing that Star-Spangled Man was testifying later. Crack was in contact with the ADTF's leader herself on a private encrypted channel, though she continued to change the IP addresses and end the call and start back up to ensure their communications were un-hacked.

Raijin and Rebel both have vested interests here. Either of those two could still get past me, the American heroine thought as she typed into three different keyboards she had sitting on top of the control console of her team's Super Jet. Crack reached quickly to her left and took a big sip of coffee before wiping her lips and cracking her fingers out in front of her. Because I'm going to focus more on tracking them down than stopping them from listening to our comms. Whatever they attempt today, I'll use it to find them and stop them for good.

Police cars pulled up in front of the courthouse that had a wide perimeter outside of it keeping all the press away. An announcement from the government's chief official Yuranama who was in charge of the trial today had explained to the public and the press how the trial would be taking place. He included the wide perimeter that the press would have to keep during Lifebringer's transit to and from the courthouse, though he did add a caveat that "from" only mattered should Lifebringer be in custody after the trial and need to be put back in transit for Tartaros. Already there were heroes along the route to Rairosu who were looking out for villains planning their own ambushes on the path to Japan's mightiest prison. The entire nation was low on heroes at the moment, as the trial of Zach Sazaki had drawn them all in with different missions and orders for what they needed to do or look out for today.

Two blocks to the right and left of the front steps leading to the tall marble pillars of the Greek-styled Tokyo Superior Court, press vehicles were lined up four more blocks down and around all adjacent intersections. Police were gathered at the roadblocks and keeping the press out, though the reporters were yelling into their microphones while cameras flashed in front of them and the cameramen and women lifted their cameras to point down the road at the dozens of vehicles showing up at court. Most of the vehicles the police were letting through had tinted windows, and no one could tell which one Zach Sazaki was in until everyone started getting out of the cars all at once along a stretch of the road in front of the court.

Because of freedom of the press, Yuranama had ensured that the media would not be kept away from the proceedings entirely. There were a few filming crews in the back of the main courtroom through the front doors of the courthouse. The rest of the media were held past the perimeters only until Sazaki was allowed into the court, then the police had to let them get by though with loud warnings how they would be forced away from the Superior Court later on during post-trial transit. They all rushed down the streets though as fast as they could in an attempt to get closest to the building they wanted as a backdrop as they continued their reports on a day that their stations were convinced would have the highest ratings of all time.

Japanese broadcasting networks had made deals with online companies to stream their broadcasts overseas. Various news stations other than WWNN wanted to get pieces of the trial on their channels for their viewers as viewership was up all across the world that morning, or afternoon, or night, depending on the timezone.

At a bar in New York City, a group of construction workers who had been a hundred floors off the ground all day working on scaffoldings and girders turned towards the tvs lining the wall across from the bar or the smaller ones up above the top shelf. Only one of the twenty screens in their view had highlights from last week's Quirkball games playing on them, while every other screen was showing different angles of Zach Sazaki getting out of the unmarked police vehicle with a group of heroes around him. His hands were cuffed behind his back in a pair of black handcuffs that one angle zoomed in on as it moved around up in the air where one of three press helicopters granted permits to fly over Tokyo was doing a loop at the perfect time to get a great shot of him.

"Here we go," a burly Hispanic-American man with four swirly goat horns on top of his head said. He leaned back into the bar then turned to the side and said, "Hey Mo, turn it up."

The bartender was already reaching for his master control remote. He muted the rest of the screens and turned up the volume on the main screen in the center of the wall ahead of his counter that had the World Wide News Network's broadcast on it.

WWNN's cameraman in the building heard his producer's voice in his ear warning him of the countdown until his angle was being broadcasted. "…4, 3, 2- you're on."

The doors of the courthouse pulled outwards. Everyone inside the building had arrived earlier and were waiting on the accused. The defendant of The People vs Death stepped into the courtroom and walked forward straight into an aisle that split the room in half. He walked by the cameras without looking to either side at them. The few media personnel who had I.D. tags around their necks had already been warned that they would be removed should they speak at all while in the building, so they all stayed silent and just turned their cameras to track Zach Sazaki as the teenager walked down the aisle.

He wore a white outfit of prisoners in the Japanese jail system as anyone else in his position would. His hands were in black cuffs, though Gang Orca stayed with him while the rest of the heroes who had gone all the way up to the door stayed outside or guarded the inner doors. A couple costumed heroes from overseas moved over to stand between media staff and the final pews of seating that went twelve deep in the large room. Cameramen had to move around them rather than try arguing with the heroes about their positions that seemed to have been chosen beforehand based on the equal distance between each one. There were heroes on the sides of the room too. Then there were a few police chiefs and higher ranking officers standing near the bench at the head of the room that had three high seats on it the judges were already sitting in.

Directly ahead of Zach when he entered the room was Judge Yuranama. The spiky-gray haired man with a sharp chin and expression stared towards him silently and locked eyes with the eighteen year old terrorist entering his courtroom. Zach looked back at the man and into his cold dark grayish-black eyes that gave him a clear sense of the man's disposition towards him. This is the man who decides my fate. I can expect no leniency in a guilty verdict.

On Yuranama's right side but to Zach's left was Judge Kanno, a man who looked Sazaki's way in disappointment that he had to oversee this young man's trial once again in under a year. The man had sentenced Lifebringer to six years in Tartaros but had no public qualms when his sentencing was overruled by the new Prime Minister who had criticized his judgement and pardoned someone he had sentenced. It was the first time that had happened in his career, and yet over the past months he had felt happy it had occurred at times and angry at other times. He forced himself to be more impartial now and forget about all else that he knew of Lifebringer. Due to the layout of their villain court, he had to be the impartial jury that no human on Earth could fill anyway since everyone on the planet knew the name, Zach Sazaki.

Zach's eyes shifted to the right rather than to Kanno. He looked to a man he had not seen for a long time. Judge Wilson had the appearance of a walrus that was a slightly lighter brown than the dark-skinned Kanno. Due to his walrus-like stature he also appeared chubby, compared to Kanno who was a more muscular and broader-shouldered man than his colleagues. Wilson had long tusks and his arms turned into flippers close to his hands that were folded together over the bench that was slightly lower for him and Kanno than it was for Yuranama.

Gang Orca led Lifebringer towards the small gate that separated the full spectator section from the front of the courtroom. Zach was told to stop by the escorting hero and he did so when he reached the gate. Gang Orca pulled out the key to his handcuffs and took them off before telling him that he could go ahead and take his seat. Gang Orca then turned to his left and started into the front row on the left side of the gallery. There was an empty spot for him to sit in with the other heroes whose presences there gave a sense that this courtroom was the most secure place in the nation.

Lemillion looked towards Gang Orca from the center of the row at the front of the gallery and right behind the middle of the prosecutors' desk. The hero with the Orcinus Quirk put the specialized tevlon cuffs down on his waist and pocketed the key to them. Lemillion made it obvious what he was looking at before turning back to Lifebringer again as the boy hesitated before taking his seat next to his lawyer who had pulled his chair out for him. The tevlon may not be effective enough to stop him. He slipped straight through the cuffs before, but for a moment they were locked around his wrists. Maybe he really couldn't make his arms into Death as easily with them around him. We'd have to do more extensive testing to figure out a better way to hold him. I don't know if he'll cooperate with us after the guilty verdict.

He will go to prison expecting that if something happens he can just slip out of his cell and fly away. He's told us as much, and because he said it I cannot just take it as a joke and let it slide. The cage he will be kept in this time will truly be at the bottom of Tartaros. Not a special protected ward, but a cage on a locked floor in sealed rooms with a hundred security measures and traps that will sink the floor should he attempt escape. Lemillion stared down the boy who flashed a smile back at the right side of the room before taking his seat next to Rivera Hanuri.

The woman with purple skin and white dotted freckles on her face had her orange hair tied up in a short but carefully-styled bun. She wore a black suit and had a matching thin professional skirt that went down just below her knees. Hanuri looked at the boy at her side who gave her a reassuring smile showing he was confident in their chances just as he had told her when they met together to plan their defense.

The average age of the people behind Zach on the defendant's side of the room was ten years lower than the plaintiff's half. It was so low because even with a few adults in the mix farther back, almost every single one of the people in the first six rows were 18 years old. Class A sat in their entirety in the first rows behind him. Then sat the Class B students and even some Class 1 students who had come to Tokyo on their Sunday in their hero costumes. Inasa, Dendo, Porrolo, Himazuri, Kotsumura, Reika, Manzo, Elinari, and Imino sat in a line behind Class B students they did not know very well. They also did not know that half the students in the row in front of them had been part of the team that took down Lifebringer in the first place.

Honenuki, Tsuburaba, Bondo, and Shinso were all there though. They sat with other classmates grateful to Zach for Kendo, among other things. None of them sat on the other side of the room even if their pro heroes were there which many of them were. Kai Kobura looked across the room and towards Awase Yosetsu who had been his intern for a long time now but had respectfully declined to sit with him at the long wooden bench he was on with several other heroes who had sat around him instead.

Drivress and Holy Hamster looked across the room from the row behind Kai Kobura. They had to look back a row too to see Himazuri and Dendo, who were the two of their interns respectively yet who both knew well individually because of the pair's hero team that had existed longer than most heroes who started working together more in the recent years of increased villain rates. Neither of their interns had shown any inclination to come sit with them and instead sat behind their classmate for a little over half a term of high school.

Roady fidgeted in his seat in the second row on the left side of the room where he really did not want to be right now. His wife sat next to Ryukyu though in the row in front of him, so he felt more obligated to sit near her than to sit behind Lifebringer. The row in front of him was an intense lineup though with Presto Change-o, Midnight, Kimona, and Ms. Clue rounding out the left end of the bench past Lemillion. Ectoplasm also sat on the row between Popfire and Gang Orca at the end of the bench closer to the aisle. Some sidekicks of those heroes like Roady sat on his row too, though others like Ape Man, Michelangelo, Outback Man, Stretch, and Yue Fei also sat in the line with him. The lineup of international heroes who sat with him made Roady even more nervous as he had Michelangelo on one side who had been the Number 1 hero in Italy for years before Metallore's rise. On his other side sat Yue Fei who was the Number 1 hero in China currently though rumors had been spreading that Warrior Hero: Mulan was vying for that spot again thanks to the amazing prosthetics Virtucorp had made for her. Roady could not tell what either of the older and larger men were thinking though he felt like Yue Fei was on the wrong side of the room too based on the Chinese hero's recent comments and the public stance of China that their new Premier had announced earlier that morning.

Premier Tai Jin had made quite an uproar across international politics with his statement that morning. The UN were already decrying it and demanding the Chinese heroes and general assembly take action to censor or punish their head of state. Some people considered Premier Jin's statement as the reason for why Prime Minister Nikko was not at the trial, since Ippo had been at his last trial which they all saw when film of Lifebringer's 6-year sentencing was handed over to the media last July.

Premier Jin had come out with an official statement that after examining all reports given from the citizens of Huangdoo and the Chinese heroes at the Villain Summit, that Death was responsible for saving Huangdoo from a terrible monster. He had added that the Army of Death were responsible for capturing the Triakuza, the Great March, and Měnggōng who had been the worst villains in China. Jin finished his statement controversially with the addition that even if Zach Sazaki was found to be Death, he requested that what he said be taken into account during his sentencing. As well as the fact that he had saved thousands of Chinese citizens during the recent Sleepless Outbreak.

Then Jin added an offer that should Lifebringer be acquitted of his crimes but still feels vilified from Japan and the Japanese people after the trial, he would be welcome as a pro hero in China.

It may have been to quell the protests and anger of our people, Yue Fei considered while he himself thought again on the Premier's announcement earlier. But you have certainly upset the people of Japan, Mr. Jin. Though I too would appreciate the opportunity to work alongside Lifebringer as fellow pros, once again. Yue Fei was hopeful and wished it possible, but his presence at the trial was not so he could argue the results of it in any way. Even before Premier Jin's announcement he had decided on his own to come so that the people of China would watch him sit there and accept whatever verdict was handed down. In order for a global system of heroes to work, we must all agree to abide by the rule of law.

Behind the powerful heroes in the front rows behind the prosecution's table sat various other respected members of Japanese society. There were some lower level hero officials who managed the trial and organized the heroes in their preparations while also dealing with the press and ensuring the trial went by the book as much as it needed special provisions because it was not a normal case. UN officials and representatives were in the room as well as ambassadors and foreign dignitaries who had been granted spots that some news stations called "golden tickets" to the trial that everyone everywhere wanted a seat at. Some of those ambassadors were not sitting on the plaintiff's side of the room, with the Chinese ambassador, as well as the Saudi's, Gorrani's, and Egypt's ambassadors among other notable ones sitting in the gallery near the back behind Lifebringer's former and present classmates.

Across the aisle from those ambassadors far behind Lifebringer and in front of the cameras, sat higher ranked hero officials in Japan who were not very public figures but had great control in the hero society. Among them sat Hiroshi Koudo and Shichi Koi, two men who had nearly been killed (or had died and been revived in Koudo's case), during the Sports Festival last year. The two men were joined by the woman next to Koi- the Dalmatian-looking oldest hero official who had been the only one of the three to survive that day, while Hinata Juuzo herself had been killed and brought back like Koudo.

Juuzo was also involved with the three on her other side though who had authorized Lemillion and Hawks to begin their investigation into Death months ago. Amazie Yukio, Morro Noire, and Kumono Ozo watched as their colleague Yuranama lifted his left hand for everyone to be silent, though there was barely any noise in the soundproofed courtroom in the first place. They could not hear the clamoring of the media outside. Somehow, even the dull low noises of shuffling or fidgeting in seats became quieter as Yuranama motioned for them all to be quiet.

Nikko Kaizo sat back in his office chair and put his chin down over his interlocking hands he had to put that way to keep them steady. He hunched forward and felt the sweat on his face and the back of his neck as his nerves caught up to him. The best heroes are scattered about. Everyone's watching this. The villains included. Where is the League? What's happening- As long as I just play my part, things will be alright. All I can hope for is that the trial goes smoothly. Then maybe heroes can deal with the League before I'm caught. It's all I can hope for- All I can handle! He needed to imagine there was a possibility that things could go right here, but he still lifted his right hand and rose it up through his hair again before dragging it back down under his chin.

The young politician winced and closed his eyes as he felt the strands of graying blond hair falling next to his lowering hand. The stress is killing me, and Enri's noticed! I can't let this drag on any longer…

Just outside of Nikko's office, Electro watched the tv on the wall in the lobby that he and Nikko's receptionist were watching together. He sat on the secretary's desk while she sat back in her chair behind it. Bloodhound stepped back into the room and sniffed in once for no reason, though it was good to keep up the quirkiness and mannerisms of the hero he was pretending to be. Meta looked at the screen and held back his grin as he watched everyone in the courtroom get up to their feet at the 'All rise' Yuranama announced to the people gathered there today.

We'd have people at the courthouse right now, Sonic thought behind the mask of Electro. He could see the backs of the heads of many of the people in the room who just stood partially in the way of the WWNN camera that had to be adjusted for it. If not for that damn Shiketsu girl. Sonic's dark eyes locked on the brown hair of Himazuri Hikari whose Mindreading Quirk was too dangerous for any of their plants to get within a hundred meters of her.

Kamui Woods and Cyn-Thia stepped forward from the sides of the room past the short wooden wall connected on either side of the gate in the aisle. They stepped in front of the bench past the police chiefs and stopped on either side of Yuranama so they split the three judges in between them. The two heroes were in costume and stood before Zach Sazaki with expressions harsh and unshaken. They did not look towards anyone but stood as guards between the judges and the accused who had been a flight risk in the past and was a clear and present danger to have in the courtroom.

"Good luck, Zach. We're all rooting for you."

Great control, Himazuri, Zach thought back without any walls up. He just had the thought that he knew she could hear rather than speaking to her directly in his head, and the fact that he did not continue a more direct conversation with her got Himazuri to ease off as she knew he needed to be focused for this. I can do this. The justice system will prevail. I believe in it, Zach reminded himself of this simple fact as he took in a deep breath. Our system would not convict an innocent man. I'm not Death. I never was Death. That's all that matters today.

Judge Yuranama proclaimed to the room of standing people in front of him, "It is 10:00 on Sunday the 4th of April. I hereby commence the trial of The People versus Death, or The People versus Zach Sazaki for the crimes committed while acting as the international terrorist Death. You may take your seats," Yuranama slammed down his gavel, and the trial began.

Bam!

---

A/N Bam! The gavel slams down and the trial starts! Haven't had a good trial for over 200 chapters, and now we're back in the courtroom with a much larger presence and media affair than the last one. The world is watching as Zach Sazaki, Lifebringer, is put on trial for the crimes of Death. The international terrorist who stopped villains and created an Army of vigilantes. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for reading and let me know what you think is coming, what the verdict may be, or any other predictions you may have for what might come of this trial or afterwards. Comments and questions welcomed! I'm in Starbucks right now (mask on), and I'm going to post this and get right to the next chapter which is super long so will take me a little longer to get out than this one I'm sure. Had this ready for a couple days actually but was doing a lot of construction work and finally moved my grandpa into the new place we (almost) finished up. Anyway, review response time:

papaprep chapter 230 . Jul 28

Shit.. This is badass
Thank you

Lol you're welcome! Glad you liked it, hope you enjoyed the new one!

Ossslot chapter 230 . Jul 29

THAT WAS INTENSE
Man I don't think you realise how much we missed your weekly uploads.
That scene with Midoriya saying he loves Zach like family got to me man, I'm not gonna lie.
It'll be interesting to see if we get to post graduation in this story. Will Zach have everything settled by then? Who knows...
Also, that Bakugou vs Zach scene was amazing. I loved the scene where they acknowledge each other before fighting. While not a lot of focus is given to how Bakugou and Zach interact with each other, aside from several scenes, this part was exciting nonetheless.
Also, Zach is arrested yet again. That was heartbreaking, especially with how his classmates reacted to him attempting to escape.
Nonetheless, it seems he has somewhat accepted his current situation. It is interesting (and sad) that Momo has come to the conclusion that he'll try lie his way out of it
A somber and foreboding end to the chapter. The first time Zach was arrested it led to a massive cluster of events that changed his character and his outlook on life. Is this arrest possibly leading to a showdown with Raider?
Man I can't wait

Another chapter out in only a few days! Hope you enjoyed and I'm glad I'm getting these back out faster again too. I'm glad you enjoyed the Midoriya scene and the Bakugo one too, which some people seemed not as much for which I get for just some Bakugo hate reasons though I myself like the character. Either way, yeah Bakugo and Zach don't interact too much but that's a lot of Bakugo's character interactions in the show too where he's not someone who was going to get very close to Zach after he came back, communicating in a fight made a lot more sense to me just like it had to be with Kirishima. Anyway, definitely some hard times for the Class A's to accept what's happening, though this chapter they've seemed to get more a grip on what's happening to treat the whole situation as heroes. Well, don't want to say much more but yeah thanks for the review! Try to get the next one out soon!

QuestingforBitches chapter 230 . Jul 29

I...don't get it.
I don't understand the ending or everyone's feelings about it aside from Bakugo.
He's been arrested and just...gave up? And yet people are happy he did?
But they can't actually contain him? It all just seems stupid and messy to me.

Sorry it didn't click much for ya last chapter. Zach's had reasons for being back all this time which included showing people he was a hero and doing things by the rules this time which he's talked about from the day he got back in that hospital scene. It's not as much giving up as Zach had two things he wanted to protect which contradicted each other. He didn't want to be put on trial and forced to defend himself for the actions of Death which could ruin some of what he had done while out there, but he also knew he couldn't keep fighting heroes and show people that Lifebringer was not a hero but a villain. Took Midoriya really slamming it into his head that the second of those things was what Zach needed to protect more, as it's the thing he needs to protect as a hero rather than as Death which Zach had been acting like (or even worse since he was actually fighting the heroes). As for not being able to contain him, it's not easy for them to do so but we see different perspectives on that this chapter. Some heroes don't think the prison will be able to hold Zach and hope that he'll break out to come help out when the League attacks (Hawks), but others (Lemillion) are planning ahead on new ways to contain Zach and how they're not actually accepting that it's impossible to hold him. It's not like he's going to tell Zach though that they're going to make it impossible for him to break out after Zach says he'll just slip away, because if Zach's only going along with them because he knows he can break out at any time then Lemillion might be trying to let Zach keep thinking that way while he makes his plans to keep Zach imprisoned forever. Anyway, hope this chapter cleared up some stuff from last chapter and if not... well I hope you enjoy anyway. Thanks for reviewing!

Definitely Not Redd chapter 1 . Jul 29

Quite possibly the most drawn out and unnecessary amount of reading I will never do is this story

Boooo! Me can't read too many words so me not going to try. Boooo. XD

Guest chapter 230 . 23h ago

For chapter 231 it would be cool to have endeavour to defend Zach like I'm pretty sure endeavour knows he's death but denies it to others so it could be cool to see that dynamic. Also from the way the heroes seemed to be at the end of the fight being very relaxed with him when moments before he was fighting them it doesn't seem like there is going to be another court scenario like it could've been a distraction for the villains in some way. Again love the chapter and please keep bringing them out quickly!

The trial starts really next chapter, so we'll see about this prediction if Endeavor makes an appearance during the trial. We know Star-Spangled Man is somewhere and going to take part in it, but we'll see what happens with Endeavor who has not shown up much in recent chapters. Zach is going on trial this chapter, and though we see some heroes taking it very seriously and treating Zach like a villain, it's not easy for all of them to act very intense around him when Zach does everything he can to relax everybody and keep them calm. Anyway here's another chapter within a couple days of your review! Hope you enjoyed!