Life goes on, but it changes for a while after that. Training focuses on flames more than martial arts. His clothes are changed from what he used to be given. The black pants and soft shoes he always wears stay, but any top he wears is red. It is all of finer quality than he was previously permitted. People treat him differently as well. They bow in the hall and give him a wide berth. Classmates that used to ambush him now avoid him like the plague. Teachers that used to run him through katas till he could hardly stand now encourage him to meditate. His mother has shown more fondness for him than she ever did previously. Mei and Sifu do not change. It's what keeps him from snapping at someone. Or just snapping.

(Why couldn't it have been some slice-of-life manga? Ouran High School Host Club would have been a vacation; a melodramatic vacation, but still a vacation. Yuri on Ice would have been great. He had never tried ice skating before, in either life. On the bright side, it could have been worse. Boku no Hero Academia would have been stressful at best. Naruto? A hopefully quick death at best, but a guaranteed death for all background characters. What ifs never solved anything. At least he was in a story that would end well. It would take years, but the world would be saved and the Arcobaleno would no longer need to be sacrificed. Most of it is out of his control. Fon can just concentrate on training and let everything happen.)

Fon is now valuable to the Triad. Those who have Flames are in high demand, but short supply. It has its upsides; the Wo Hop To is now invested in keeping Fon alive and sane. They are also invested in ensuring he does not leave. His teachers have started him on linguistics and mediation. It's clear his is now being trained as a diplomat or official with fire power; someone they can send in for negotiations to show that Wo Hop To has the upper hand. It's rather lucky for them Fon has no plans to leave the Triads or China at this point. As long as Mei is here, Fon is here. Sifu is an adult who made his choices. Mei would someday get to choose what she wanted, Fon would guarantee it.

At this point, Mei is about 90% of his morals and impulse control. He can't do anything that might get Mei punished. He won't do anything that Mei would hate him for. She knows he's a murderer, but she also knows he cares for her and would do anything to keep her safe and happy. He never had to tell her the two things were related. The few lines he's managed to keep from crossing all involve children, because of Mei. He won't harm them, kill them or orphan them. So far, it hadn't really been a problem. When he's thirteen, it becomes one.

A particularly high up official gives him an assignment. The goal is to make a statement to a group infringing on the Wo Hop To's territory. His target is the son of the opposing groups' leader. The boy is nine, same age as Mei. He has never been asked to kill someone younger than him before. He refuses. The official has him whipped. 40 lashes. He doesn't remember too much about it. He was feverish for a few days after.

Later, he finds out the official did not have permission for it. That the entire operation was a bid for more influence within the Triad. The official is dead now. Executed by the Deputy Mountain Master. It would be reassuring, if he didn't have the memory of Mei's tears in his mind and the pull of healing wounds at his back. At least he has the answer to a question that had long nagged him. Fon and Mei's father is the Deputy Mountain Master. The man is distant and cold, and he has no personal love or care for them. But their mother is the man's favorite and she is somewhat fond of them. They are also highly skilled and can be put to good use. In combination, they are worth extending some protection over.

No protection lasts forever, though. Mei commits her first kill at eleven, when Fon is fifteen. She came back that night and cried with him, silently. Later, she tells Fon she doesn't regret it. She feels nothing for the man. He did not matter to her. She cried because she might be a monster. Fon tells her that their situation is difficult. They can only afford to care about the people they love. If she is a monster, he is too. Either way, he will always love her.

Missions have always been fairly routine, but they get harder as he gets older. When he was a child they used to deliver him directly to his target's location. Tracking them without assistance or instruction started when he was about seven. It is the only time he is away from the compound, and he cannot help but enjoy it. He has been allowed to do this alone since he was ten. It is peaceful and he can see normal people and interact with them. Fon always loved people, in both lives. Crowds weren't his thing; but interacting with new people, seeing them go about their day, and learning new things was a quiet joy.

Before, he had worked in a little café all through high school. Now, he loves to walk through the marketplace. As long as he returns to the compound before his specified time, he can do as he wishes. Sometimes he buys snacks or little gifts for Mei. It feels wrong to buy these things, but it would be worse and it would draw attention to steal them. Fon is not paid and he has never been given an allowance. He gets the money from the wallets of his kills. It helps keep the authorities distracted. He passes through the marketplace and heads towards his target's location.

At fifteen, he still looks very young; getting a target alone is easy. Sometimes he'll play the lost child or the messenger. He recently started using a new ruse: pretending to be an underage prostitute. It started when a previous target mistook him for one. Fon had no regrets over that kill. It's an easy ruse and even those that aren't… interested in getting him alone don't become suspicious of anything else. He is also androgynous enough that the target's preferences don't really matter. Sure some targets get a little handsy, but it's nothing Fon can't fight off once he gets them out of sight.

He isn't going to use a ruse on this target. He doesn't usually bother with one, if the target is alone. Fon is going to be completely honest about who he is and what he is here to do. Warning them is the closest he can get to an apology for the innocent ones. They don't believe him: he's too sweet and innocent looking. (The ones who know enough to believe he is telling the truth, and be afraid of him? They are not innocent.)

Twice, he tried to return without killing his target. The first time, he claimed he could not find the man. For incompetence, he was given 20 lashes and he took them gladly. The second time, he claimed the man grew suspicious and ran from him. He was still small enough, then, for them to believe he couldn't catch up. That earned him 10 lashes and speed training till he could hardly stand. Both times the target was tracked down, dragged in, and tortured to death. Fon was brought to the room each time, to witness the results of failure.

The target is at his home. Fon climbs the side of the building and goes through an open window on the second floor. The man is in his office. He freezes and his eyes widen when Fon enters. Before Fon has finished telling the man why he is there, the man pulls a gun. It doesn't do him any good. Neck snapped and body growing cold, Fon searches the man's office. New to the area and trying to break in on Wo Hop To territory. He was a drug dealer with contacts in human trafficking. Honestly, Fon had been a bit relieved when the man tried to shoot him. Knowing the target was drowning in guilt made for a lighter conscience.

It didn't clean the blood from Fon's hands.