—1—

JUNE 13TH, 2005 / IRUSU, JAPAN

The sound of the bell shot up and down Irusu elementary, the school was a large brick building for Irusu's standards, but was on the smaller side for most other school's in the country. Sero Hanta's grade 5 class cheered loudly- excitement buzzing through all of them as their teacher, Mrs. Seki, walked to the front of the class and waited for them to quiet down.

"Children," she began, a somewhat worried expression on her face, "I know you are all excited about the early summer break, but I will remind you that you do have a book to read and write a report on-"

A loud groan sounded through the class, and Mrs. Seki smiled for a moment before the worry made its way back. "-and if you are walking home today, you need to have a buddy with you. Whether that's an older sibling, a friend, or your parent- you have to be with someone before you leave school grounds."

Sero frowned a little at that. He was walking home today (he always did) but he didn't have anyone to walk with. He had no siblings, and his only friend, Kaminari Denki, was homeschooling now. The closest person he had to a friend here was Todoroki Shouto, but that was really stretching it, as the most they ever did was share cigarettes behind the school- and Todoroki had an older brother to ride home with- not to mention the fact that they lived on opposite sides of town.

Would they not let him leave without someone to walk with? He didn't have a bus pass, and he doubted his mother was in any condition to get into her car to come pick him up- (or that she would even want to) so what was he supposed to do?

Mrs. Seki's kind, yet slightly nervous voice, cut through his thoughts then. "I have your grades for this quarter, you will be dismissed once your name is called and you've been handed your report card."

There were more groans, and this time, Sero joined in with them.

"I sure hope I passed!" Kendo Itsuka chirped brightly at Todoroki Shouto at the front of the class. Kendo was bright, pretty, and most people liked her. Todoroki was also pretty (Sero didn't often describe guys as pretty, but it's the only word that came to his mind- "handsome" didn't really seem to cut it) but there was nothing bright about him today. He looked blankly down at his uniform khaki's, one side of his face sported a large burn scar, the other a fading black eye.

"I don't give a shit if I do or not," Todoroki replied, his tone dull and bored.

Kendo gave him a look, a 'well, excuse me' look, Sero thought- and turned to Monoma Neito and began talking to him instead. Sero figured it was only the excitement of an early break that had made Kendo talk to Todoroki Shouto. He was not a friendly person, as most of them had figured out years ago, and he really didn't do much except sit quietly and do his work. Sero still thought he was pretty cool though, he provided Sero with cigarette's (which earned him major points) and because he tended to be scarily good at any sport he tried. (Which earned him even more)

Sero Hanta was not good at sports. He was too skinny, so he got too tired too quickly and every time he got hit with the ball, or slid to the next base, or dived for the save, it hurt- excruciatingly so.

As she called their names, Mrs. Seki's grade five class came forward one by one (except for the Morikawa twins, who came together as always, hand in hand, indistinguishable except for the length of their white-blonde hair and the fact that she wore a skirt while he wore khaki's), and headed towards the door at the end of the hall that had been propped open at the finale bell and was being watched over by a teachers aide. A few students began to couple off, and walk down the street, while others clambered into their parent's cars, found older siblings, or got onto buses.

"Nakahara Michi... Ozawa Kenta... Sero Hanta..."

He stood, pulling the jacket of his school uniform against his small frame (it was the smallest size available, and still it was to loose), and went towards Mrs. Seki's desk. His clothes hung limply off his body, and he was shivering a little despite the warmth of the June day. He was skinny- too skinny- even he, an eleven-year-old, could figure out that much. However, he didn't know why. He ate, most of the time a lot more than most kids his age, but he could never keep the weight on him.

Sero was deeply ashamed of his body. He hadn't always been, in fact, it was only recently that he had begun to think this way about himself. He hated the way his ribs poked out, and how the knobs of his spine were visible, and how his hip bones jutted out sharply. Sero hadn't cared much at all about his appearance, he hadn't even been aware that was something you were meant to care about, until the first day of school that year- when Twice (a nickname for one of the grade seven's they shared a playground with) had begun poking harshly at his semi-exposed spine and remarking about how gross it felt- getting several other kids to join him, all laughing themselves silly.

Since that day, he wore the jacket that came with his school uniform. It also kept him warm- which he never seemed to be- so it served him well.

"I hope to see you again soon, Hanta." Mrs. Seki smiled, though Sero noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes- it was something he was used to, all the adults looked at him like that- he hated that look. It was full of pity.

"You too, Mrs. Seki." Sero took his report card and smiled back softly, despite his annoyance at her sad look.

Then, from the back of the class: "Yooooou too, Mrs. Seekiii" in a high falsetto.

Shigaraki Tomura was in Sero's grade five class instead of grade seven with his friends Twice and Kurogiri because he had been kept back two years in a row. And Sero had a very bad feeling that Shigaraki was already in danger of being held back again, as his name had not been called with the others, and that meant trouble. Because if he did end up being held back, it would be partially Sero's fault.

When the school had decided to start their summer break early, they had also moved up the end of quarter exams. They had been reseated at random, and Sero was placed next to Shigaraki in the back row. Sero had been struggling through his own exam in quiet frustration when he had heard a soft whisper to his right.

"Let me copy."

Sero had looked up directly into the furious and terrifying blood-red eyes of Shigaraki Tomura. Shigaraki was pretty toned for thirteen- most likely from slaving away on the farm his father owned- and his skin always seemed to be dry and peeling, and it always made Sero feel sick to look at. His unkempt and matted hair drooped into his eyes as he leaned over his desk, trying to sneak a peek at Sero's exam. An oder of sweat and juicy fruit gum always hung around Shigaraki Tomura in a thick fog. Once a grade four was dumb enough to laugh and hold his nose around him, and Shigaraki had knocked out three of his front teeth. Instead of an expulsion, (like every student at Irusu elementary had quietly hoped for) Shigaraki had gotten a two-week vacation. He'd swaggered back into school, both eyes puffy from the beating his father gave him, and things had gone back to the status-quo- just as they always did when Shigaraki returned. Very, very few tried it with Shigaraki and his gang.

When he whispered grimly at Sero to let him copy, three thoughts had gone skyrocketing through Sero's mind-which was every bit as lean and quick as his body was stick-thin-in a space of seconds. The first was that if Mrs. Seki caught Shigaraki cheating answers off his paper, both of them would get zeros on their tests. The second was that if he didn't let Shigaraki copy, Shigaraki would almost surely catch him after school and administer the fabled double-pump to him, probably with Twice holding one of his arms and Kurogiri holding the other.

These were the thoughts of a child- which made sense, considering Sero was one. However, the third thought that had shot its way through Sero's consciousness that day had been strangely adult:

'He might get me, But maybe I can keep out of his way for the last week of school. I'm pretty sure I can if I really try. And he'll forget over the summer, I think. Yeah. He's pretty stupid. If he flunks this test, maybe he'll stay back again. And if he stays back I'll get ahead of him. I won't be in the same room with him anymore... I'll get to middle school before he does. I... I might be free.'

"Let me copy." Shigaraki hissed again. He was no longer just whispering, he was demanding.

Sero shook his head wordlessly and brought up his arm to shield his paper.

"I'll get you, Ana." Shigaraki hissed, and Sero frowned at the nickname. 'Ana'- it was shorter and less obvious to the adults then calling him 'Anorexia'- Kurogiri had started it shortly after Twice had started poking at his spine all that time ago back in April.

Sero looked over at Shigaraki's test and noticed that it was completely blank other then his name scribbled sloppily at the top. He was desperate. If he flunked his exams and stayed back again, his father would beat his brains out. Sero shook his head again.

"You let me copy or I'll get you bad."

Sero shook his head once more, shivering a little- whether it was because he was cold or scared he didn't know.

"Is someone talking back there?" Mrs. Seki had said then, very clearly. "If so, I want it to stop right now."

Silence had prevailed for the next ten minutes; young heads remained studiously bent over examination sheets, and then Shigiraki's whisper had floated across the aisle again, thin, just audible, chilling in the calm assurance of its promise: "You're dead, Ana."

—2—

Sero quickly disappeared behind the school, holding tightly onto his grade card and summer reading slip that detailed what book he was meant to read and what he was meant to right his report about.

He had only just managed to avoid Kurogiri and Twice (who had been waiting outside Irusu elementary fo Shigaraki, messing with a few other unfortunate souls Sero hadn't gotten a good look at) by ducking underneath the stair rail and cutting through the playground.

His grey eyes scanned the expanse of the familiar, shadowy setting, and finally landed on Todoroki. The two-toned haired boy was leaning against the back of the cinder brick wall casually, his expression as blank as ever. He had a Marlboro cigarette clamped between his teeth and was puffing on it slowly. His eyes shifted to Sero for a moment, before shifting back to stare straight ahead.

"Hey." Sero waved a little, smiling.

Todoroki waved a bit in response, before reaching into the pocket of his school-issued khaki's and pulling out a pack of Paradise brand cigarettes- Peach flavored. He tossed them in Sero's fumbled them a bit but eventually wrapped his to-thin fingers around the package.

"Thank you."

"There's a lighter inside. My brother took two for himself."

"That's alright, I don't mind." Sero's smile widened, and he opened the pack, the artificial peach scent wafting out in a quick burst. There were, in fact, two cigarettes missing, and in their place was a black BIC lighter.

Sero took one out, lit it, and took a long draw, his nerves, and worries about Shigaraki Tomura and his gang beginning to fade away at once.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Todoroki took one last puff of his cigarette, before stamping it out under his black boots. Up ahead, he could see fifteen-year-old Todoroki Natsuo on the back of a large blue bike waving his younger brother over.

The younger Todoroki sibling pulled his own white and black bike off the fence it was leaning on and threw a leg over it. He shoved his pack of Marlboro's into his pocket and blew his hair out of his eyes.

"Have a nice summer, Todoroki," Sero called, cigarette in between his index and middle finger, an easy-going smile on his face as perusal.

Todoroki stopped, turned back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He eyed Sero warily for a moment, as if trying to decipher his true intentions, before giving him a soft, barely-there smile. "You too, Sero."

...And then he rode off, catching up with his older brother, and disappearing with him around the corner. Sero Hanta had assumed then that that would be the last time he saw Todoroki Shouto that summer- however, he had been sorely mistaken.

Sero spent some time behind the school. He finished his cigarette, shoved the pack into the pocket of his jacket, and waited for most of the school staff to either leave or go back inside so he could slink away by himself unnoticed.

Eventually, he was able to do just that, taking a back root through the small alleyway between the cafeteria and gym (which smelled horrible due to the rotting food in the summer heat) and made it out onto Ori road- which not only lead him to the intersection that would take him home, but to several shops downtown, as well as the Irusu Public Library.

Now, Sero Hanta wasn't all that fond of reading. It wasn't that he couldn't do it or anything- (like Math, for example) it just bored him. But he did like the library, because he could play games on the computer there, and because he liked the way it looked.

The Irusu Public Library was really two buildings, both carved out of pretty stone. One side was the children's library, the other was the adults, and the two were connected by a solid glass hallway that you could watch the people inside pass through.

Sero loved that hallway, he would spend hours just watching the people inside go back and forth between the two sections if they would let him. In thirteen years time, he'd build an animation studio (the very one where Midorya Izuku's manga "Wilting Flowers" would be adapted in two years after it went up) that would look like a prettier, more refined, version of the glass hallway that connected the two Irusu library's- though nobody would be able to make the connection- not even Sero Hanta himself.

'I need to go to the library anyway' he thought to himself, slipping another cigarette in between his lips and lighting it. 'That's where I'm supposed to pick up my summer reading book.'

And so, he headed that way- could he of gotten the book any other day? Definitely. Was he even going to read the book? Probably not. But he didn't want to go home and deal with his mom, so he went to the library instead.

Besides, he wanted to look at the hallway again.

This close to downtown, Ori road was one-way, so Sero only looked in one direction-right-before crossing. If he had looked left, he would have gotten a nasty shock. Standing in the shade of a big old birch tree on the lawn of the Irusu Community House a block down were Twice, Kurogiri, and Shigaraki, stalking him from the shadows.

—3—

Though Sero Hanta didn't like reading much (unless it were Manga or graphic novels) he loved the smell of books. It was a spicy smell- faint and cinnamon-like- his favorite librarian, Kayama Nemuri told him it was the smell of what they used to preserve the books once.

The sun filtered through the large windows of the children's library prettily that afternoon. Sero ducked through the aisles, weaving in and out, trying to hang around groups of children so it seemed like he hadn't come here by himself and get told off.

Eventually, he found the cart containing the books they were meant to read over their break, a sign above it read 'SUMMER READING FOR ALL GRADE 5 IRUSU ELEMENTARY STUDENTS'- there were similar carts and signs for the other grades along the wall as well. Sero grabbed one of the books off the top and made his way over to the check-out desk. Nemuri was there, which made Sero happy, she was one of the only adults in town that didn't make comments to him about his weight.

He waited in line behind a tall boy, also carrying a grade 5 summer reading book, as well as four others. The boy rocked back and forth on his heels, glasses slipping down his nose, as he read through one of the many books in his arms. Sero didn't know it yet, but this was Iida Tenya, and he'd be spending a lot of time with him in the coming months.

Sero looked around, also beginning to rock back and forth, swinging his arms and the book in time with each rock. He was already getting bored and restless- he never liked waiting in line.

He scanned the library, admiring the architecture more. The inside was also made of shiny, smooth stone, (Granite, Sero recalls Nemuri telling him), and there were exposed wooden beams overhead, large floor to ceiling windows, and iron spiral staircases that led up to a second story that held the computers, manga, and private reading rooms you could book for an hour at a time- something Sero found himself doing quite often.

There were also posters plastered around everywhere- mostly on the wooden bookshelves that held the large number of books that called the Irusu Public Library home. One Sero could see now, read 'PLEASE BE QUIET' and had the 'shush' emoji printed out underneath it. Another read 'WHEN I GROW UP, I WANT TO BE SICK JUST LIKE MY DAD' with a drawing of a boy holding a pack of cigarettes and giving a thumbs up underneath.

Sero took particular offense to that one and pushed the Paradise pack deeper into his pocket.

Another had a bunch of candles printed on it, all lit, that read 'ONE IDEA CAN LIGHT 1000 CANDLES'

There were invitations to 'JOIN THE SCOUTS TODAY' with a sign-up sheet for both the Girl and Boy Scouts alike. A poster advancing the idea that THE GIRL SCOUTS OF TODAY BUILD THE WOMEN OF TOMORROW (and one similar to it for the Boys) behind it. There were baseball and softball signups, and signups for the Irusu community house theatre. And, of course, one inviting kids to JOIN THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM- this one being run by the library instead of the school.

Beside these bright and colorful posters and advertisements, was a single stark poster. This one had no bright colors or fancy scripts of cartoons- it had been written in sharpie and stuck upright beside the door.

REMEMBER THE CURFEW

7 PM

IRUSU POLICE DEPARTMENT.

Just looking at it gave Sero a chill. In the excitement of getting his grades, worrying about Shigaraki, talking with Todoroki, and starting summer vacation, he had forgotten all about the curfew, and the murders.

The murders were the reason he was supposed to walk home with a buddy, and they were also the reason they had been let out of school early that summer. Usually- they had a month-long vacation in July, and returned in August- but this year, it was deemed too dangerous for the children that had to walk to and from, and school had been paused until further notice.

People argued about how many there had been, but everyone agreed that there had been at least four since last winter-five if you counted Toshinori Eri (many held the opinion that the little Toshinori girl's death must have been some kind of bizarre freak accident).

The first that everyone was sure about was Hado Nejire. She had been found the day after Christmas, in the construction zone out near Taiko street. The girl, who was thirteen, had been found mutilated and frozen into the muddy earth. This had not been on the news, nor had any adult Sero had spoken to told him, it was just something he picked up around the corners of whispered conversations.

Around three and half months later, a deep-sea fisherman who had been coming in from a long day of work about fifty miles north of Irusu, had dragged something a lot heavier than sea urchin's out of the water that day. When he was finally able to sift through the catch, he had found what remained of a girl's forearm- the hand, wrist, and the arm up to the elbow. The urchins had been feeding on it, it seemed.

The Prefecture's police had found the rest of Asui Tsuyu in a river that fed into the ocean farther upstream (which the Shibui stream in Irusu fed into), caught in a fallen tree from the previous winters storm- it had been a miracle that the arm and body hadn't been lost out in the sea forever.

Asui had been in the other grade 4 class in Irusu Elementary the year before, and Sero had seen her in the halls several times- so the news of her death had caught him more off guard than the other two.

The girl had been reported missing five weeks before the body was found. The police investigation of Asui Tsuyu's death began with a logical enough assumption: some sort of sick sex fiend. The other girl, Hado, hadn't been too much older than her, so the idea didn't seem that far fetched.

However, if it was a sex fiend, he had a thing for little boys as well. Because in mid-April, right after school had begun, a teacher taking his grade 8 class on a nature walk came across a pair of bright blue sandals and short denim overalls sticking out from the mouth of the large stormdrain underneath the canal.

The body had been that of six-year-old Shimano Katsuma, who coincidentally had been the son of the man who had found Toshinori Eri's body the December before. He had been reported missing only the day before (Sero had seen his picture on the news, an adorable little kid with light brown hair and a small dusting of freckles- with a large grin and floppy straw hat on his head) the Shimano family lived quite a bit away from the canal. His father, who had only just begun to escape the grief and trauma of finding Eri's mutilated body, had told the local Irusu police that he had disappeared off his bike the morning before. Katsuma had been riding it up and down the sidewalk in front of their house (mere steps from where Eri had died) and Mr. Shimano had turned his head for only a moment to help his daughter with a math problem, and when he looked back up again, his son was gone- the front wheel of his bike still spinning.

The Irusu police, desperate for an arrest, had questioned Mr. Shimano due to his (admittedly, weak) connection to both the Toshinori girl's death and his own son's, but hadn't been able to link him to anything other than unfortunate circumstances.

That was enough for Chief Okumura Isao, who implemented the 7 PM curfew only thirteen hours after Shimano Katsuma's body was discovered. All small children were supposed to be watched by a "qualified adult" at all times and children of all ages walking to and from school were supposed to be with a buddy of some sort. It was brought up at an emergency city council meeting, held in one of the upstairs meeting rooms on the adult side of the library Sero was currently standing in and was adopted unanimously. It went into effect the next day.

Sero's school had a special assembly a week later. The Chief went on stage and assured the children they had nothing at all to worry about as long as they followed a few simple rules: don't talk to strangers, don't accept rides with people unless you know them well, always remember that The Policeman Is Your Friend... and obey the curfew.

Two weeks ago, a boy Sero knew only vaguely, (he was in the other grade 5 class, just as Tsuyu had been in the other Grade 4 class the year before) had looked into one of the storms drains out by Neibolt Street and had seen what he had thought was a clump of hair. This boy, whose name was Mineta... something (Sero couldn't quite remember), had been out searching for goodies with an invention of his. (A tree branch with purple, grape-flavored gum stuck to the end of it) in his spare time, Mineta would take it out, and shove it down grates and other tight spaces in search of coins and other similar things.

Sero had heard rumors about Mineta long before his gum-stick had vaulted him into a twisted sense of stardom two weeks ago. He had heard that he was gross.

"He's fucking disgusting." A kid named Bakugo Katsuki had confided in Sero one day at recess. Bakugo was a boy with platinum blonde hair and a nasty snarl on his face. He had a scab from where his lip had been busted during a fight a few days before, and a temper so fierce it had earned him the nickname "Trash mouth"- Sero had known who he was instantly, despite being in different classes, because Bakugo "Trash mouth" Katsuki was the only Grade 5 brave (stubborn? Stupid?) enough to face Shigaraki and his gang head-on.

"Is he?"

Bakugo had nodded, scrunching his nose up in disgust. "Pokes that damn gum stick of his down the sewer drains all day and chews the gum afterward."

"Oh god, that bad?" Sero had asked, a shiver of disgust running through him.

Bakugo nodded. "Yeah. Tries to peak at the girls during gym, too."

"Why?" Sero, having only been eleven and had not yet experienced the "joys" of puberty had asked, curious as to why anyone would be interested in watching the girls during gym class.

Bakugo had only shrugged at his question. "Dunno. I just know it's gross."

Sero had shrugged back, agreeing- boys their age knew better than to spy on girls. Bakugo had walked away soon after that.

Mineta had worked the gum-stick back and forth in the drain, thinking it was a wig. He had wanted to dry it and see what it was like to run his fingers through a girl's hair- or something like that. (Again, Sero had been confused as to why he would want to do that) After a few minutes of poking and prodding, just as he was about to give up, the face of Hagakure Toru had floated up beside the messy clump.

He had run home screaming.

Hagakure had also been in the other grade five class and she was buried on what would have been her eleventh birthday.

After the most recent horror, the school had decided to break for summer early.

He and most of the other grade 5's had been asked a couple of questions by the Irusu Police a week after the body had been discovered. Chief Okumura had once again stood up in front of them (though this time, it had been at the front of their class instead of in the gym) and reminded them of the rules. He had then said that if any of them had seen anything suspicious, anything at all, that he would be in the cafeteria after school and they could tell him then- and that he wouldn't even tell their parents what they said if they didn't want him to.

Sero highly doubted his mother would care about anything he had to say, but still felt comforted by the knowledge- and he noticed several other kids looked the same way.

After class that day, he had debated going to the cafeteria and telling the Chief what he had seen back in January on his way home from school... but had decided against it in the end. They'd of thought he was insane and sent him up to Juniper Hill- after all, he couldn't of seen what he had thought he had.

He had just been mistaken.

There hadn't been a clown watching him from beneath the bridge that sat on top of the barrens.

There was no way.

(Was there?)

—4—

"Hello, Sero." Nemuri smiled, pulling him out of the train of thought the curfew poster had started him down. "How are you?"

Sero smiled up at her and placed his book on the check-out desk- all the fear and worry flowing out of him in an instant- Nemuri smiled teasingly, her purple-tinted dark hair cascading prettily over her low cut top.

"Sero Hanta checking out a book? Never thought I'd see the day."

Sero grinned at her, putting both bony elbows on the counter and resting his head in one hand. "It's only my summer reading, so don't get too excited Nemuri."

She laughed a little, grabbing her scanner from behind the desk, and scanning his book for him. "Of course, I should have known- Sign your name in the back of the book on the next available line- and I'm assuming you want a computer key as well?"

"Not today," Sero said, scribbling his name quickly into the book with the metal pen attached to the desk by a chain "Probably just gonna go home and take a nap."

He noticed her frown a little at that before she reached under the counter and pulled out a king-sized snickers bar, sliding it towards him- his eyes widened immensely. "Woah-"

"Eat it for me, would you?" She asked, her smile back again, but less bright.

"Sure." He grinned, opening it right then and there and taking a large bite. Nemuri patted his head softly, and Sero suddenly found himself wanting to lean into it desperately- almost craving it- he blushed a little in embarrassment and pulled away.

"Since it's for school, the book isn't due back for a month." She started, before frowning once more. "oh, and be careful, alright, Sero?"

Sero gave her a mock salute, before grabbing the book off the counter and heading towards the door.

"Wait- Sero- do you have someone to walk you home?" She suddenly asked, grabbing onto the sleeve of his jacket, her eyebrows furrowed with concern.

"Uh... Yeah, Denki's right outside- didn't want to come in because the library makes him break out in hives or something." Sero joked, lying through his teeth. Nemuri frowned disbelieving.

"Sero-"

"Seriously- he's out there-" he insisted, "I promise."

She held him there for a few more minutes, seeming to fight inwardly with herself, but eventually sighed and let him go- though she didn't look too happy about it. Sero heard her mumble something about how his mother should be making sure he was getting home safely, but he ignored it and pushed through the heavy mahogany door into the blazing heat of the June afternoon.

Sero took another bite of his new candy bar and headed down to the intersection of Ori and Susume drive, which would take him home.

"Your mother should be making sure you're getting home safe"

Sero frowned, thinking to himself.

He crossed over the bridge that stretched over the Shibui stream. He was suddenly overcome with a strange sensation of dread and looked to his left, pausing, eyes widening as he realized where he was.

This- this had been where he had imagined the clown.

His heart began to beat wildly as he suddenly began picturing a clammy hand reaching up between the rails and seizing his ankle, yanking him into the barrens below, never to be seen again. A pale, white hand. A pale white hand belonging to a clown in a baggy silver suit with large orange puffballs down the front-

-A hand clamped down on his shoulder and he almost jumped out of his skin.

There was laughter, and Sero shrunk back against the bridges railing- (Which creaked audibly) recognizing the laughter instantly. Standing in front of him were Shigaraki Tomura, Twice, and Kurogiri.

"Hiya, Ana." Shigaraki smiled, his horrendously chapped lips cracking as he did.

"What do you want?" Sero asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"To hurt you," Shigaraki responded simply, his red eyes gleaming dangerously. "Gotta teach you something, Ana."

He reached for Sero, Sero ducked away.

"Hold him, guys," Shigaraki commanded, and Twice and Kurogiri followed their orders obediently.

Sero's arms were seized, and he tried desperately to squirm away. His grey eyes darting around wildly, trying to find a way to escape. He didn't find anything.

"Jesus, you are Anorexic, aren't you?" Twice laughed, yanking his left arm up harshly. "You're tiny-"

"He sure is." Drawled Kurogiri, also tugging on his right arm painfully hard. "Do you ever eat?"

Sero kicked one leg out and tried to kick Shigaraki, but missed by a mile- his breaths coming out in short, quick, bursts as he struggled to getaway. 'He was caught- oh god, he was caught!'

Shigaraki grabbed the front of Sero's shirt and yanked it up harshly. His skin began to immediately prickle with goosebumps as his thin body was exposed to the cool breeze passing by, a chill wracked through his small frame.

"God- look at those ribs-" Twice snickered, poking one with his index finger. Sero let out a hiss of pain. "Seriously?- How does that hurt you?"

Twice continued to laugh, and Kurogiri's smile widened. Sero looked around desperately for help but found no one. Below him, in the barrens where the Shibui ran through, crickets chirped and birds cawed.

"Quit it!" He yelled, struggling more. "You better let me go!"

"Or what?" Shigaraki asked, approaching him slowly. "Or what, Ana? Are you gonna cry home to mommy? Everyone in town knows she hates you, so what are you gonna do?"

Sero felt a surge of hot shame flash through his body and his face beginning to heat up. Tears began to sting behind his almond-shaped eyes and he kicked hard at Shigaraki again, only just missing.

"I think you're about to make him cry." Kurogiri chuckled, yanking his right arm up harshly once more. "Poor baby, are you sad because mommy doesn't love you?"

Tears were beginning to well for real now, and Sero was begging whoever was listening up above to not let them fall- he'd never hear the end of it. He struggled some more, but suddenly paused when he saw the look on Shigaraki's face.

It was distant- and it seemed as if he were reflecting on something- almost if he weren't all there. It frightened Sero immensely, and it only got worst when Shigaraki flicked open a pocket knife that he pulled menacingly slow from his back pocket.

Sero's terror exploded all at once. Before he had been whipsawing his body back and forth with an occasional kick here and there- now, he lunged straight forward, using as much strength as he could muster to break free. There was an instant where he truly believed he would get away- his right arm slipped out of Kurogiri's grasp, and was almost out of Twice's as well when Shigaraki had moved forward and shoved him backward into the bridge's railing. Twice and Kurogiri grabbed him again.

"Hold him this time, do you two hear me?" Shigaraki growled, and Kurogiri and Twice nodded quickly.

"Sure, Tomura," Twice said. He sounded a trifle uneasy. "He ain't gonna getaway. Don't worry."

Shigaraki stepped forward once more, and Sero's eyes bugged. 'I'm caught!' He thought again helplessly, shrinking back a little, 'Dammit I'm caught! I'm caught! I'm caught' I'm caught!'

The tip of the pocket knife glimmered prettily in the sunlight. Shigaraki's name was carved into the handle.

"I'm gonna test you now." He said, twirling the knife in his hand, "It's exam time, Ana."

Sero's heart thundered madly in his chest, tears were dangerously close to falling. His borrowed summer reading book laid open on the ground, his half-eaten snickers bar next to it, already beginning to melt in the summer heat.

"Here's the first question on your exam, Ana. When someone says "Let me copy" during an exam, what do you say?"

"Yes!" Sero gasped out, somewhere in the back of his mind he thought 'I don't even know why you'd want to copy off of me, I barely passed the damn thing myself!' But he doesn't say that. "I'll say yes! Sure! Okay! Copy all you want!"

The knife's tip slid through two inches of air and pressed against Sero's flat stomach. It was as cold as an ice-cube tray just out of the Freezer. Sero gasped his body away from it. For a moment the world went gray. Shigaraki's mouth was moving but Sero couldn't tell what he was saying. Shigaraki was like a TV with the sound turned off and the world was swimming... swimming...

'Don't you dare faint!' the panicky voice in his head shrieked. 'If you faint he might get mad enough to kill you!'

The world came back into some kind of focus. He saw that both Twice and Kurogiri had stopped laughing. They looked nervous... almost scared. Seeing that had the effect of a head-clearing slap on Sero. All of a sudden they don't know what he's going to do, or how far he might go. 'However bad you thought things were, that's how bad they really are... maybe even a little worse. You got to think. If you never did before or never do again, you better think now. Because his eyes say they're right to look nervous. His eyes say that he's fucking insane.'

"That's the wrong answer, Ana," Shigaraki tutted. "If just anyone says "Let me copy," I don't give a red fuck what you do. Got it?"

"Yes," Sero said, his stomach hitching with unrealized sobs. "Yes, I got it."

Well, okay. That's one wrong, but the biggies are still coming up. You ready for the biggies?"

"I... I guess so."

A car came slowly toward them. It was a dusty old Ford with an elderly man and woman propped up in the front seat like a pair of neglected department store mannequins. Sero saw the old man's head turn slowly toward him. Shigaraki stepped closer to Sero, hiding the knife. Sero could feel its point dimpling his flesh just above his bellybutton. It was still cold. He didn't see how that could be, but it was.

"Go ahead, yell," Shigaraki said. "You'll be picking your fuckin guts off your sneakers." They were close enough to kiss. Sero could smell the sweet smell of Juicy Fruit gum on Shigaraki's breath.

The car passed and continued on down Ori road. Sero felt his heart stop.

"All right, Ana here's the second question. If I say "Let me copy" during an exam, what are you going to say?"

"Yes. I'll say yes. Right away."

Shigaraki smiled. "That's good. You got that one right, Ana. Now here's the third question: how am I going to be sure you never forget that?"

"I... I don't know," Sero whispered, turning his head away from Shigaraki.

Shigaraki smiled cruelly. "I know! I'll carve my name into your bony little hip!"

Twice and Kurogiri began to laugh again. And for a fleeting moment Sero felt a species of bewildered relief, thinking it had all been nothing but make-believe-a joke the three of them had whomped up to scare the living hell out of him. But Shigaraki Tomura wasn't laughing, and Sero suddenly understood that Kurogiri and Twice were laughing because they were relieved. It was obvious to both of them that Shigaraki couldn't be serious. Except Shigaraki was.

The knife slid downward along Sero Hanta's skinny hip, excruciatingly slow. A red wilt of blood began to well up and drip down Sero's side.

"Hey!" Kurogiri cried. The word came out muffled, in a startled gulp.

"Hold him!" Shigaraki snarled. "You just hold him, hear me?" Now there was nothing distant and reflective on Shigaraki's face; now it was the twisted face of a devil.

"Holy shit, Shigiraki don't really cut 'em!" Twice screamed, and his voice was high almost a girl's voice.

Everything happened fast then, but to Sero Hanta it all seemed slow; it all seemed to happen in a series of shutterclicks, like action stills in a Life-magazine photo-essay. His panic was gone. He had discovered something inside him suddenly, and because it had no use for panic, that something just ate the panic whole.

In the first shutterclick, Shigaraki had snatched his sweatshirt all the way up to his chest. Blood was pouring from the shallow vertical cut on his hipbone.

In the second shutterclick, Shigaraki drew the knife horizontally, operating fast, like a lunatic battle-surgeon under an aerial bombardment. Fresh blood Sowed.

'Backward,' Sero thought coldly as blood flowed down and pooled between the waistband of his khaki's and his skin. 'Got to go backward. That's the only direction I can get away in.' Twice and Kurogiri weren't holding him anymore. In spite of Shigaraki's command, they had drawn away. They had drawn away in horror. But if he ran, Shigaraki would catch him.

In the third shutterclick, Shigiraki began to carve the 'O'- Sero could feel blood running into his underpants now, and a sticky snail-trail was creeping down his left thigh.

Shigaraki leaned back momentarily, frowning with the studied concentration of an artist painting a landscape. The 'O' was only halfway done from what Sero could tell- feel- and Shigaraki seemed to be wondering how he should proceed. That one moment was all it took to get Sero moving. He pulled forward a little bit and Shigaraki shoved him back again. Sero pushed with his legs, adding his own force to Shigaraki's. He hit the white-washed railing between Ori Road and the drop into the Barrens. As he did, he raised his right foot and planted it in Shigaraki's belly. This was not a retaliatory act; Sero only wanted to increase his backward force. And yet when he saw the expression of utter surprise on Shigaraki's face, he was filled with a clear savage joy-a feeling so intense that for a split second he thought the top of his head was going to come off.

Then there was a cracking, splintering sound from the railing. Sero saw Kurogiri and Twice catch Shigaraki before he could fall on his ass next to Sero's book and candy bar, and then Sero was falling backward into space. He went with a scream that was half a laugh.

He had escaped.