A Lucky One

24

"You." A small voice said in the silence of the Infirmary.

The alarm was banging on his ears. Its signals almost ring like a tune you'll never forget. But quickly upon realizing that a voice he was not familiar with was nearby, he sat up. The curtains had covered his bed completely as it always is, but behind it, he could sense, that apart from Sero, there was another presence that he did not recognize.

"I know you." it said. It seemed like the voice of a child. A little girl.

"...It seems I know you as well." Answered Sero, who seemed to be awake as well because of the alarms.

"So you really have lost your eyes as they said. Pity."

There was a slight playful tone in Sero's voice when he answered, "Well, your friend did make sure that I would."

"Friend?" The little girl asked, "Do you mean Spyrablast?"

"Is that who the water kid was?"

Water? Katsuki noted. Frozen and silenced at the incredible presence before him.

The girl continued, "Must a crippled hero be so calm in the face of a foe? Aren't you afraid?"

There was only one reason why an unknown voice was ever inside the Hero Corp's Infirmary...

A villain.

And a villain being here could mean only one thing...

They've found camp.

Shit.

Sero answered, "What made you think I'm not afraid?"

"You don't act like it."

"Must I? Heroes are supposed to be strong, you know..."

Katsuki could not see what was happening, but a part of him tensed at the silence that followed suit.

"It is unfortunate that you were neither old enough, nor were you there, or strong enough, to save me back then." Said the small voice, "I believed in heroes once too, you see. Although, that belief was unfortunately short lived... The heroes couldn't save me. Or, maybe they chose not to? I never really did find that out myself until it was too late."

Katsuki listened keenly.

"However... I feel like, you would've, had you been there... Maybe you wouldn't have been strong enough to save me, but, maybe, you could've had the opportunity to try, and, maybe, something could've changed. Maybe I wouldn't be here standing in front of you right now."

After a long pause, Sero answered. This time, his voice devoid of playfulness, and instead, coated with a layer of sadness that he could not help but use. "I'm honored to hear that. And, I'm sorry. I am, believe me."

What... the hell...

"Does it hurt? Your eyes?"

"Will it hurt more when you finally kill me?"

Should I intervene? Should I keep hidden? How many of them are they?

"...It wont. At least, not as much as your eyes. It will only sting a little..." The child paused for a mere second. But Katsuki swore that it lasted for way more than that. "Do you want to die?"

What?

The response wasn't immediate, but it was there. And Katsuki somehow knew that there was a smile on Sero's face as he answered, "Yes."

"Do you regret being a hero now that you cannot see?"

"I've seen the world with better eyes now that I have none."

What did he mean by that? Ah, but as much as Katsuki was curious, he could not forget one underlying fact: That the child was dangerous.

"How is that an answer? I don't understand..."

Should I step in?

Sero asked, "Do you need to?"

Do I have the right to?

"...No."

Damn it.

"What's your name, by the way?"

"My name?" The child seemed taken aback, "Why does it matter when you're about to die?"

Sero shrugged, "Call it a person's last wishes."

"That... is a stupid wish."

"Is it?"

Devolution doesn't answer.

"They call me Devolution. But," She paused, "In serving a dying man's wish, I'll give you this momentous liberty to know me by the name, Eri."

Pause.

"Eri... What a nice name."

"You are odd." A condensed energy seemed to suddenly emit from her tiny body, quickly growing stronger, bigger, evermore terrifying than Katsuki ever witnessed for himself up close. The shadow of a child raising her hand and pointing it to Sero was the last thing Katsuki has seen before the child said her farewells. "Then, goodbye, hero."

He had not done it himself, but Katsuki had witnessed Devolution kill Sero.

Katsuki let Devolution kill Sero.

Katsuki killed Sero.