"You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice."

-Unknown

"...Are you trying to kill me? I won't put up a fight, there's no need to come up with such a redundant scheme."

The tall, brawny man in the middle of a roundhouse kick looked at his 'opponent' with incredibility. Slowly his disbelief turned into laughter as he threw his leg back to the ground, creating a respectable crater.

"I was told that you were a suicidal boy, but I didn't think that you would react like this. Didn't you want revenge on Baki?... No, that's not it. Bakugi? Bakukichi? Ah, Bakugo! Along with All Might of course."

The man, no the predator, pinned his curious gaze on Deku. The boy merely heaved a sigh, showing no reaction despite the dangerous gaze.

"It is true that I want them dead. However, your big boss also happens to be mine as well. If you're running around like a chipmunk on drugs while trying to kill me, it means you were ordered to do so. I don't think any of us wants to get on his bad side. Thus, if you're trying to kill me- which you are- then that means that you were ordered. If Santa Claus doesn't want to give me my present anymore, there is no chance revenge on those two basta- ahem, individuals. Therefore, I will giv-"

The tall man covered Deku's mouth with a deadpan stare.

"Good lord, kid. You talk a lot. What did you call me? A chipmunk on drugs? You're lucky that I think you're funny, or else I'd be doing worse things than chopping your head off and playing soccer with it. On another note, I have no intention of killing you."

"That's real convincing."

"Shut up kid. All of these exercises are designed to bring out the potential of the body, and make you stronger. Not to kill you."

To emphasize his point, he motioned at Deku. Deku, on the other had, just looked at him with disdain.

"Okay, maybe I'm a little happy to have a punching bag after so longer, but I do my job. No matter what that job is. You'll do well to remember that," The man face lit up with a predatory smile. "Okay, we've wasting quite a long time talking! Drop and give me 100 sit ups!"

Deku was merely resigned to his fate as he crouched down to the floor and began the laborious process. He didn't dare to slack off, or complain. Because despite his instructor's attempts to hide it, it was clear that he was a cold blooded killer. The eyes are a window to the soul and all that. If so... This nameless instructor's soul would be an endless icy pool of crimson blood.

Slowly but surely, time passed by at the pace of a turtle. Muscle fibers tore microscopically, tendons strained and pulled, and blood was frantically pumped without rest. Towards the later half of the day, Deku's face was a striking strawberry shade. His chest would heave up and down, trying to capture as much air as possible, and then he would get up once more. Blisters formed and popped, yet he stood back up.

All for a vague promise. A covenant of power beyond his wildest imagination. All he had to do was pass this little test, and perhaps he could be something. Something more than the confines of quirklessness. Something more than the quiet kid in the corner. Something more than the bullied...

Something more than a failure.

He was broken out of his trance by Zero. Somewhere throughout the day, Deku got tired of thinking 'nameless instructor' in his head, and asked the man what his name was. The question had seemingly stumped the man before he replied with Zero. It was the first time that Deku felt like he got any real emotion out of the man. A bizarre mixture of sadness and guilt.

"You're right in thinking that this is a test, kid. Our 'big boss' as you like to call him wants to make sure that you have the conviction to follow through with your decisions. You've impressed me with your drive, so you've passed this test. Your final test, however, is to follow me on my job."

Deku looked at him with indifference as he nodded.

"Don't get too happy just yet. My contract this time is assassination."

Even Deku couldn't prevent his eyes from widening the slightest bit. Zero looked as if he was the king of the jungle that had finally captured his prey after a long chase. As he moved toward the door, his footsteps made no noise. Somehow, that achievement tugged loose an emotion from the depths of Deku's mind- fear. A wave of goosebumps popped up along his arms and legs.

"Of course, you'll be the one pulling the trigger, Deku." He drew his watch closer to his face. "You have five minutes to make up your mind. I don't want any wishy-washy crap out on the field."

The door closed with a slam.

A series of thoughts screamed and raged and echoed and reverberated within the confines of his mind. How... How could he kill someone? What if they liked being alive? What if they had a mother, a sister, a father? What would happen to their dreams? Their hopes? Their future? Abruptly, he found his answer.

"...Their dreams, hopes, and futures... It will all die alongside them. Nothing will be left."

Who was he to place his hopeless existence above theirs?

"Ah, I get it. What a murderer really means."

A corrupt judge. Someone who judged their existence higher, more worthy then the rest. They flung down the gravel in place of Death himself, and then they killed. They grasped hold of the universe's laws and acted upon them. They were rotten. Yet they were justice. (For a judge is justice, r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶?̶) An unceasing paradox that had lived on since the first death.

(I̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶o̶.̶ ̶)

'There is only question left. Does my existence truly take precedence over theirs? What am I saying, my existence will never be worthier than theirs. Yet, I'm doing it anyway. I wonder what that says about me? Hahahaha...'

Little trickles of blood raged down his cheeks, and his irises slowly turned blood red. Izuku was gone. The kid who wanted to be a hero, to save lives was gone. All that was left was a blood-red husk.

All that was left was Deku.