Not Edited: 04/11/2023

Why can't anything ever be simple? At this point, I just want to crawl back under the covers and never leave. I never meant to be caught red-handed. Weaving through the dark alleys of Hosu, I launch myself up the side of a building hoping to lose this flame brain of a hero.

"Ugh, These types of heroes are the reason I never wanted to come back." I could feel the heat even as I jumped across rooftops. "This guy just doesn't give up."

Annoyed yet reluctant to stick around and fight, I pick up the pace until I'm practically flying over the apartment complexes. It isn't long before I can duck behind some crates and transform. I catch my breath, change my clothes, and walk out as if I've been there all along. Not even two minutes later, Endeavor is seen barging out of an alley a half block back looking left and right. With no villain in sight, his scowl deepens before retreating.

"Hero 0: Me 1" I snicker as I pull out the phone that almost got me into custody. (As if.)

'Damn thing just had to ring while I was harvesting a long pig.' Looking at the lock screen, my notifications inform me that I have two text messages and a missed call.

The calls from that broker, "Giran…" I mutter, "Could it be ready? It's only been a few days, what happened to having to wait a week or so?" I sigh, he must want something in return for this speedy delivery. The text on the other hand is from Toga, which isn't really that surprising. Ever since the Red-eyed Slasher made the news this little girl had been adamant on meeting up with one of her so-called role models. I swear that kid managed what heroes could not, meeting her was an experience. I guess if anyone could find a killer it would be another killer. Scared the shit out of me for one.

(Flashback)

It was late evening, I was in the middle of stalking my prey while it stocked its own. A young girl, a middle schooler if her uniform was anything to go by. I was about to interfere and drag my long pig in through the mouth of the next upcoming alley up ahead. As I got into place, ready to pounce, the girl surprised me with her own stupidity, or so I thought.

The moment both girl and prey are deep within the shadows, her entire demeanor changes. Gone was the shy little girl, nervous as to what or who was following her, and in her place a predator ready to strike down those who wander into her territory. Well at least not before having fun with her prey first. The way she played with her food was amateur at best, but the way she moved gave away her experience. This isn't the first time she's killed. It was saddening watching the sight of a young girl taking down a guy twice her size, clear as can be you can tell she's what I call a fallen. Someone who had been failed by the system of today's society, by those who think they have a right to label whose quirk is heroic enough and whose isn't. In the end, it always comes down to quirkist a-holes and that damn hero-ranking bullshit.

Her giggling snaps me out of my darkening thought of why the system should be burned to the ground.

"So," she smirks, "Did you enjoy the show?"

I was shocked for a second, as she looked up at that moment, slightly unhinged eyes locked on my location. For just a second I froze thinking I might have to kill a kid. Her eyes moved around as if searching. It had been a fluke, her eyes landing on me was just a twist of luck.

I sped away from my first location until I was right behind her. The way her shoulders tensed made me aware that she had a bit of spatial awareness to figure out I was just a turn away. Spinning around she lunged at me with her needle-like knife, it was stopped within inches of my face.

She looked shocked, then surprised, and finally ecstatic. She shrieked in a way only a fangirl knew how to, "It's you! It's you! You're him, aren't you? I knew it, you're that new serial killer everyone's talking about, the Red-eyed Slasher! I can't believe I'm truly meeting you. You are almost just as I imagined, although you would look better covered in blood."

This up close to her, she wasn't as unhinged as I thought. Yes, maybe in a year or so, she would come to stop caring and take a plunge where she may never come back from. Looking at her now, her eyes reflect a loneliness that I have seen in mine, years before meeting the people who would eventually become my friends, family, and home. As much as I wanted to help her, I knew I couldn't get too close to anyone here, not when I was planning to find a way to get back to the others. Yet how she managed to get my burner phone number and later on my cell number is a story for another time. Now I had one kid to help and look after.

"Damn you Himiko! I am not the type of responsible person capable of raising a child let alone one who has been wronged and left to drown by the actions of stupid heroes and politicians."