"Okay, your 10 minutes are up-... Why are your eyes red now, kid?"

Deku just looked at Zero in confusion. Indeed, his eyes had turned into a dark, crimson red. Almost as if they were the legendary red spider lilies themselves. A guide for the dead, a flower the symbolized the afterlife itself. Zero looked down at Deku in contemplation.

"I've heard of people's eyes changing color according to their emotions, but I've never witnessed it myself. I thought that you were a block of ice, but you can be interesting when you want to, huh?"

"So you're saying that my eyes are red now?" Deku exclaimed

"That's indeed what I'm saying. Freaky eye color changes aside, it's time to do the job. My good ol' client is starting to get ticked off at me for taking so long. I made sure to save it especially for you! Don't worry, you can thank me later."

Something similar to outrage blossomed itself into Deku's chest, but it dissipated just as quickly as it rose. All that was left was smothering indifference and a peculiar type of cynical tiredness. He couldn't gather up enough energy to feel. Not that it was anything new.

"You're no fun, kid. On a more serious note, we'll be going now. If you mess up, get yourself killed, whatever. I'm not here to be your babysitter. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

Zero didn't bother to say anything more after that, and neither did Deku. The figure of a smaller teenager following a tall adult around like a chick was humorous. That is, until you consider their motives. They walked for quite a long time, before coming into a dimly lit alleyway. It was then that Zero handed Deku his weapon of the day. A small handgun, equipped with a state-of-the-art silencer.

"I have some pretty solid intel that the target always walks home through this alley on the way home. She should be pretty easy pickings though. Mundane quirk too. She has the ability to manipulate her hair, but I don't believe that you're stupid enough to get in close, right?"

All Deku could do was nod. He was halfway convinced that if he opened his mouth, a squeak would come out instead of words. Zero's face lit up in a traumatizing manner as he pointed straight ahead. Looking at what or rather who lied beyond the finger made Deku pale.

"Your little target is rather punctual regarding her death, isn't she? Hahaha! Just remember, pull the safety, aim, and fire. It's as simple as that. Once you're done, immediately start running. A gun unfortunately always makes some noise, regardless of what you equip if with. We'll meet up back at the gym, capisce?"

Deku let his head bob back and forth shakily. Zero swiftly disappeared into the darkness, just as the office lady looked up from her phone. Deku's hands quickly fled behind his back, keeping the gun hidden from sight.

"Are you okay? You look rather pale, dear."

Deku's brain scrambled for an answer within the tidal wave of panic.

"I-I'm a little lost. T-The city looks completely different a-at night."

The lady moved closer.

"Do you remember your address? If you want, I can take yo-..."

The lady coughed up blood as the hole in her chest widened. Deku's world turned into panic, guilt, shame... All of the things, the emotions he wished for. But, why did these ones hurt so much?

"W-Why?..."

"I'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosor-"

Although her smile was stained with blood, it was the most beautiful, warmest, and gentlest smile Izuku Midoriya had seen in his entire life.

"I forgive you. So please stop crying, dear."

He hadn't even noticed the warm liquid running down his cheeks.

"W-What..? No, you- you can't forgive me! I'm a bastard, scum! I-I just shot you! Y-You're going to d-die!"

All she did was make that heartbreaking smile once more.

"We all have to die sometime, right? I'll... just be a bit earlier... than others."

Her eyes began to dim and her limbs grew colder and colder.

"Can... you do me... just one little favor? No, two?"

"Y-Yes! Anything you want me to do! Anything!" Izuku shakily exclaimed

"P-Please take care of that.. old fat cat of mine...."

Izuku turned even paler as he hurriedly tried to shake her awake.

"Ah, sorry... Where was I?..."

Izuku's eyes poured even more tears down his face. Guilt threatened to consume his everything.

"Dear... the last favor... that I ask of you... is to please forgive yourself."

She reached up her shaking hand to pat his head, and then... then she was gone. She was dead.

Silently, the red spider lily, that lived in the crack in the concrete, began to slurp and gulp up the crimson liquid. It's red petals grew ever more brilliant, as it was a plant that thrived off the life of another. It was pure, yet it was rotten. It was life, and it was death.

~~~

The blood was starting to dye his clothes red, but Deku couldn't bring himself to care. His body started to act on auto-pilot, mechanically putting on his change of clothes, and throwing away the gun after wiping his fingerprints off. He started off as a walk, then a jog, then a full-out sprint. His breathing began to quicken and his pulse started to race, but his mind was a broken record. It repeated words over and over and over again, damaging itself in the process. Soon, even that disappeared, replaced with sensations. Blood soaking into his skin, the acidic stench of iron, a gentle pat to the head.

"...You're that kid from a couple of months ago, right?"

The outside stimulus started to wake up his mind, ever so slightly. His mind automatically cataloged the man and his identity, mainly from having seen him so, so many times.

'Hero Name: All Might. Descriptio-'

"What are you doing out so late?"

His body's muscle memory started to speak for him.

"...Mr. All Might, it's nice to see you again. I just left something at school. Good-bye!"

As the boy disappeared in the distance, All Might would later think of this incident and feel regret. If he paid more attention to the boy, if he stopped him... If he hadn't been so hypocritical... Then perhaps Young Midoriya wouldn't have stepped down this path in the future.