Trigger Warnings:

- blood

- gruesome murder

Much to my chagrin and relief, I will not be participating in any internships.

That means I get to spend more time at the bar.

That also means I will be monitored very closely by Hanada-sama.

Lucky me.

Hanada-sama intends to set meetings with the Pro-Heroes who had inquired about me, either at his office or their offices. And I'm expected to come with. He's already come up with an excuse for the school. And as if that is not depressing enough, he informs me that Endeavor and his family will be coming to the Hanada mansion for the New Year.

Tonight I have a murder to commit, so when Kurogiri's portal manifests in my bedroom, I am already dressed in my villain costume, complete with knives. And because I intend to rest a few hours at the bar, I bring a nightgown and other sleepover materials in a shopping bag with me.

I pass through and see that Shigaraki is reclining against a sofa, feet propped on the sofa armrest. Kurogiri, I figure, is upstairs. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten about me. It's been days since the warp gate appeared, I considered calling you with that burner phone you gave me. Any particular reason?" I greet.

"As if you're easily replaceable," Shigaraki groans. He probably doesn't realize that it's a backhanded compliment, and I don't bother pointing it out. "We just thought you could use a break after exerting yourself like a donkey during the Festival, and we could analyze the hell out of the U.A. brats. Also, you didn't make it into Top Three like you were supposed to, so ignoring you was also a punishment."

"That's relieving. I was beginning to wonder whether you had been ambushed."

"As if. This place is unassuming and secluded in a narrow, dank alley. Pro-Heroes don't tend to go to reclusive areas like this. Anyway, let's talk about what information you've gleaned, and then we can go kill a bastard."

"Let's not be hasty," I warn. Leisurely, I walk to the back of the bar, and pour a glass of milk for myself and retrieve a bottle of Japanese wine, his favorite alcoholic beverage. "There's something I want to discuss first, with you, Kurogiri, and All for One." Popping open the cap, I pass the bottle to him. He appears surprised at the gesture, but he accepts without a fuss.

All-for-One's voice booms out suddenly, startling me, "I'm listening. Kurogiri will come down soon."

Clutching the fabric above my heart, I scold, "Why is it that I never receive a proper welcome from you, All-for-One? It's always speaking out of nowhere and scaring the poor soul. At this rate, I will have cardiac arrest in a few weeks. I already have one health condition; I don't need another."

All-for-One's response is to laugh, much to my annoyance. Kurogiri comes down the stairs with a box full of cleaning supplies. As he proceeds to clean the bar counter, I speak again. "Now that everyone is here, I can share the goldmine of information." I rest against a couch and narrate everything I overheard: Midoriya's suspicious relationship with All Might, Iida's hospitalized brother, all the declarations of war, and my observations of the class. The only things I do not reveal are Todoroki-kun's past, involvement, and the private moments we shared. Kurogiri seems to sense that I am hiding something, so I beckon that we will talk later.

When I finish, All-for-One's comment is just one word: "Interesting."

I plant my hands on my hips and tilt my head to the side. "I just gave a spiel of what I learned, and that is all you have to say? Answer me this: what do you know about All Might and his quirk?"

"You'll know in due time," he stalls. I begin to protest, but he cuts me off with, "You should get ready for your midnight rendezvous, Selene. Who's your victim tonight?"

Fine. Be that way. But I better get my answer in due time. "It's a legal officer this time. But before we go, I have an announcement to make. Today, the class chose their hero names because each student has to take an internship with a Pro-Hero. I chose mine to be Lucifer."

Shigaraki snorts, "You named yourself after the Devil! Why am I not surprised?" Kurogiri makes a sound of intrigue, and All-for-One remains characteristically quiet.

"There's more. I've decided to keep a villain name as well. Take a guess."

"Lilith," says Kurogiri.

"Michael," replies All-for-One.

"Rebellious and Emo Teenager with a God complex. Sorry, with a Devil complex," jokes Shigaraki.

I glare at Shigaraki. "Morningstar. Lucifer is my hero name, and Morningstar is my villain name."

"Real Subtle," Shigaraki mutters, to which I give him another glare and slap his bottom with a slipper. Twice. "Ow! I'll disintegrate you to dust, you little demon!"

All-for-One, however, takes me seriously. "Why these names in particular?"

I answer his question with a question of my own. "Do you know the name of the brightest star in the night sky? Sirius. Also known as the Morning Star. Its light rivals only that of the moon. And do you know the tale behind the Morning Star?

"Lucifer was banished from heaven because he rebelled his father, God. He was not content with coveting God, but wanted to be coveted himself. He was enamored by his own intelligence, beauty, power, and position that he desired the throne of God. Hence, he is the Avatar of Pride. God was enraged, a celestial war ensued, and Lucifer lost and won. Scriptures write that when he was exiled, a brilliant star descended from the heavens, and with it thousands of other stars. The greatest meteor shower to have ever existed.

"I relate to him. Hanada-sama is my God, and I am his scorned child. He sought to suppress me, oppress me. Be an obedient mutt without any will of my own. When I fought back, I was punished again and again. But like the Devil, I refuse to submit. All that is his, I seek for my own now. I am fighting a war with my God, and he will know it soon enough."

All-for-One is silent again, pondering over what I said. Shigaraki and Kurogiri stare at me intently. "You've thought about this for a long time, haven't you, Selene?" Kurogiri breaks the silence. "Your devil horned hair, your pride, your hero and villain costumes, and your taste for death and vengeance. The colors associated with Lucifer are blue, black, white, and silver, his infamous talent is his wisdom, he is associated with the elements of nature, and his number is nine as any number nine is multiplied into returns to itself. You and him are quite alike: your hair and general preference in clothes is of those colors; you're cunning and strategic; your quirk comprises water, fire, earth, air, light, lightning, and darkness; and you adorn your hair with a specific number of flowers, primarily multiples of nine. What I don't understand is why didn't you choose Lilith as your hero or villain name? She is Lucifer's equal - in some cultures, his feminine counterpart - and cherished by Lucifer."

"That is true. She did not subject herself to Adam's commands, and therefore she was banished by God as well. Lucifer, however, respected her and made her his queen. Personally, I think Lilith was the first female feminist and Lucifer the first male feminist in Christianity, and that is perhaps partly why they are hated so much. She is Lucifer's counterpart in every which way. I admire her, truly. Unfortunately, her name does not evoke as much fear in people as does Lucifer's. I want to be Lilith, but until I develop a fearsome reputation for Lucifer Morningstar, I shall wait to take her name.

"The Devil is a woman, and hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Shigaraki chuckles, "Who would have thought a girl named after the moon would be so malicious?"

I raise a brow at that. "Why shouldn't a girl named after the moon be so malicious, especially if that girl is me? By the name 'Selene,' did you think I was a saint? Pure and innocent? I am no saint; I am a sinner. It would be horrifying if you did not know that by now. Kurogiri said do so himself, the colors of the Devil are the colors of the moon. And nighttime is the domain of both. I am vain of my talents; I am greedy for revenge; I envy those who live a life unaware of pain; I am wrathful toward those who hurt me; I lust for blood; I am a glutton for agony; I am slothful during direct confrontations. You saw my performance at the Festival: I like to take the subtler yet flashier route. Hell is empty, and all the devils are here. And I am the worst of them.

"Now, are there any more criticisms about my selection? I have even chosen my names for my daggers. Would you like to know what they are, or shall we go spill some blood?"

"How vicious," Shigaraki snickers again. "No, I do not care about the names of your metal-for-fingers. Yeah, give me five minutes. You should put your bag in your bedroom since you're planning on staying the night. And when we come back, you're helping with dinner."

"All right."

The sun has just set as we stand outside an English cottage style home. I look up at the new moon. Regeneration. To any passerby, the home would look cute. To me, it is a prison cell. It is time I shatter the manacles binding me there.

"How do you want to kill this piece of trash?" he asks once we break into the home. "And why is the house suspiciously empty?"

"Death by a thousand cuts. I made sure to wash the poison from my daggers. I'll let you make a few cuts, if you would like, but I need you to count because after every few hundred wounds, I'm going to shatter a limb. Also, he is supposed to attend a function tonight but got held back because of extra work. His family is already there, so that is why the house is abandoned, save for him."

My victim puts up a fight, but with Shigaraki's swipe between his neck and collarbone, he limps unconscious.

When he wakes, he finds himself restrained by the wrists and feet.

"Who are you? What do you want?" my once-tormentor shrieks.

He doesn't even recognize the girl he forced into his bed!

"Your damnation," I say with a cold fury, knives glittering in my hand.

I make the first slice, and he releases a bloodcurdling scream.