Chapter 10

Flashback: Entrance Exam

The day of U.A.'s Entrance Exam

Some time in early March

Reinananana (7:31 AM)
Do your best today! I'll be cheering for you 3
Let's go to the cafe when you're done!

Rei couldn't help but smile at her phone as she sat on the train, shooting off a text of her own in reply. The day had finally come; she had finished the placement tests for Ketsubutsu and Seiai, since they had been earlier in the month. They had been a breeze, and both Reina and Rei were confident that she had passed with flying colors. But that only meant that the hardest test was ahead of her, and along with it, the school where she truly was aiming to be.

As good as Ketsubutsu and Seiai were, no hero school could compare to U.A., and Rei had had it drilled into her head that she would prepare for the worst but aim for the best. Confidence in her abilities without getting cocky. Keeping a level head without losing herself to despair. It was a mental game that she had been playing for the past three years, and now she would be put to the test.

Kuromam-ei (7:33 AM)
I've got it in the bag
I want two chocolate croissants today :3

It was a cool but beautiful day as Rei stepped off the train and down the streets, making her way to the campus as silvery grey clouds drifted overhead. Her shaggy, pixie cut hair ruffled in the breeze, blowing black strands in every direction. Deep down she had a good feeling about today, but she wasn't about to get ahead of herself. Climbing the steps to U.A. she breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the top, looking around to see that people were already meandering around, a bunch of signs directing traffic toward registration. With purposeful steps she entered the building, making her way to the tables to sign in.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kumo City's biggest disappointment."

Stiffening at the voice, Rei refused to turn around. Her feet had hesitated at the statement, but she forced herself to keep walking. Not today; she wouldn't give them the time. This was her time. She knew exactly who it was, not just from their voice but from the crazy declarations the boy had made for the past month about getting into U.A. and being the best from their middle school. There was no point in giving him the satisfaction of letting him see her face, her resolve that for a moment, had wavered just a tiny bit. Instead she kept her head trained forward, refusing to turn around. She would let them talk, just as she had for the past three years.

"You think you can get in, Akatsuki? U.A. is an elite school for training heroes, not dirty street whores looking for a bit of cash. You'd only be a disappointment. I can't wait for them to see that for themselves."

There were other voices that chimed in with laughter, at least two others, and Rei could pinpoint exactly who they were. Ishihara and his gang were insufferable, and no matter how many times Rei had beaten them to a pulp they kept coming back for more, knowing that in the end the administration was in the pockets of their wealthy parents. Compared to her, who had nothing, it was a cakewalk for the troublemakers. Money sometimes spoke louder than words, if you had enough to silence those with weaker wills.

"Hey, Akatsuki, you think anyone would want you, with your record? You're not a hero. You might as well go play with the villains so that I can have the satisfaction of putting your ass in prison."

Her fists balled tightly, only provoking them further. By the time she stepped forward in the line to check in she could barely open her mouth, her jaw tight from keeping it clenched the entire time to prevent her from mouthing off. Thankfully the man signing her in said nothing, remaining cordial and impassive as ever. She was grateful, turning away and walking toward the testing hall. But she had to pass by those ingrates, who leered at her as she began to walk by.

"Oi, you suddenly think you're better than us, you trash?"

"You're a real bitch, you know that?"

"Can't wait to see her face when she gets rejected."

"Oh, but isn't she a reject anyway? She should be used to that."

The noise they made was beginning to draw more attention, more and more eyes landing on the group and on the girl that simply walked away with a blank look on her face, ignoring the comments and jeers that she received. There was confusion, disbelief, disgust, and suspicion from the entire engagement as people looked at the situation unfolding. But most of all, there was interest at the one who seemed to float above it all, a picture of calm as she gracefully weaved through the crowd with a disengaged look on her face, as though the voices didn't even register. She was above it all, and strangers couldn't help but watch in awe at her raw determination and grace.

They marveled as they watched a heart in the process of breaking, the hurt and raw fury that was simultaneously mixing with her composure to create a complex caricature of a raging angel whose power lingered dangerously close by.

She finally made her way into a smaller corridor, following smaller signs that directed the prospective students towards the auditorium. There were fewer and fewer people now that she was away from the registration room, in addition to the fact that it was still incredibly early. With fewer people to stare at her Rei sighed to herself. She had survived. Hopefully their paths wouldn't cross again for the rest of the day; there were enough people taking the test that it was possible, although with her luck there was still the improbability that she would be left alone.

"Ah, Akatsuki-san!"

Slowly Rei turned around at the feminine voice, blinking as she saw another one of her middle school classmates approaching her. The girl was running toward her in an attempt to keep up, panting slightly at the exertion. She halted in front of Rei, clutching her belongings as her cheeks flushed. "I just… wanted to say, good luck today!"

Rei blinked. It was then that the girl's name came to her, a studious and bright personality that sat at the front of the classroom. "Bara-san."

"Ishihara's just jealous that you're here too. Don't pay attention to him."

Rei wanted to laugh at it all. Don't pay attention to the boy who had been tormenting her since she had entered grade school? It was laughable. How could she ignore all the things he had done to her, had done to Haru, the ways that he had made her life difficult and had laughed? Of all the people here, Ishihara and his group deserved to be heroes the least. It made Rei's blood boil, Bara's comment only making things worse in her mind. She wanted to scream, to punch someone, to completely deck Ishihara and wipe that smug look off his face. But she couldn't. She had promised Reina.

But in the end, she had to be grateful to the girl who had stepped up to speak with her, if only for Reina's sake. Her mentor would scold her later if she found out that Rei was rude to someone who only had good intentions. Rei knew that she was intimidating, most people keeping away from her at all costs. But Bara had stepped forward to wish her luck, to attempt to invalidate what had been so noisily shouted at her in the foyer, airing her business to the world. So she swallowed her pride and her rage, and simply nodded. "Good luck, Bara-san." Her internal thoughts would be just that: kept to herself. She would carry on, as she had always done. Alone.

The girl jumped at Rei's well-wishes, both knowing that Rei preferred to be left alone in all circumstances, never engaging with anyone in their class. She had been shocked not just that Rei had remembered her name, but that she had said something positive to her. Bara smiled sheepishly, rocking on her heels. "R-right. Good luck to you too, Akatsuki-san."

With a curt nod Rei turned on her heel, walking into the auditorium to find her seat. Considering the size of the room, it wasn't terribly difficult, what with everything being so clearly labeled. Sitting down and pulling out her materials, she began to focus. Good karma, bad karma, and everything in between. She would be lying if she said that Ishihara's comments hadn't gotten to her in some way, their words reminding her with a sting that she wasn't of their ilk, never quite belonging to society. Would she be able to fit in if she became a hero?

That was a stupid question; of course she would. She deserved to be there. She had worked just as hard, if not harder, than most people in this room just to get the chance to prove that she deserved to belong. If she became a hero she could become a beacon for others just like her, to prove that they didn't have to crawl back into the darkness and take life lying down. If one orphan could do it, couldn't others as well? That was the future Rei wanted, to lay down the foundation for others who would surely come after her. But first, she had to take this step and seize the opportunity in her hands. She had to make this dream come true.

Golden eyes harded. She could do this.

"Everybody say 'hey!'"

Silence. No one in the auditorium even flinched, hundreds of eyes staring forward blankly. To be fair, they had just taken a grueling written exam, leaving heads swirling with overload as they attempted to figure out just what was going on. Rei was one of them. Leaning forward on her desk and propping her chin up on her hand, she watched Present Mic attempt to rally the entire assembly, only to fail.

To be honest, he was a little too loud for Rei's liking, particularly in this moment, but mentally she felt as though she had just been bludgeoned with questions and papers and ink. Unable to produced a refined answer, she simply stared forward like most people, in an academic stupor.

He muttered briefly to himself, but seemed to collect his wits and continue. "Then, I'll quickly present a rundown of the practical exam! Are you ready?!"

At this Rei sat up straighter in her seat. Her head cleared slightly at the anticipation of the practical exam, knowing that the next pieces of information presented would be crucial. This was what she had been hoping for, the one part that she knew was her time to shine. Even as the room continued to be silent there was an energy that began ramping up, excitement and nerves coming back to the forefront at the mention of the second half of the exam.

"As it says in the requirements, you listeners will be participating in ten-minute mock urban battles after this! You can bring whatever you want with you. After the presentation, you'll head to your specified battle station, okay?!"

Above his head on the screen, an image of seven battlestations appeared on a graphic, labeled from "a" through "g." Picking up the card she had received at registration, she looked it over. Battle Zone G, huh?

Present Mic continued as the crowd began to look at their cards, determining where they would be and comparing them to friends that sat nearby. "Three different types of faux villains are stationed in every battle center. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty. Your goal is to immobilize the villains using your quirks and to gain points! Of course, attacking other examinees and any other heroic actions are strictly prohibited."

Sitting back in her chair, Rei folded her arms over her chest, processing the information as it came. Judging how many people were in the room and how many battle stations there were, it looked as though there would be at least twenty or so people in each section. There was no way to know how many faux villains there were in each site, and if they had to explicitly state that attacking other examinees was prohibited…

Then it would likely be a bloodbath to get the most points.

From what she could tell, the test thus far didn't give any one type of quirk an advantage. Offensive quirks would clearly be useful for taking the enemies down, but if they were unable to scout the terrain and find the enemies they would have a hard time. Additionally the terrain would be difficult to get through if one was limited to just the streets. Maneuverability was a key factor here as well.

But people with a quirk that had neither offensive capabilities, maneuverability, scouting, or even defensive abilities were going to be at a severe disadvantage. What would happen to them? Rei didn't give much more thought; she was balanced enough to both scout and attack. At least she wasn't disadvantaged like those people. She would just need to come up with a plan of attack then.

"Excuse me! May I ask a question?"

Raising an eyebrow, Rei turned to watch as a spotlight turned on a blue haired boy who stood rigidly from his seat. After receiving the "okay" from Present Mic, he gestured to the printout that they all had been given. "On the printout, there are four types of villains. If that is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of such a foolish mistake!"

He continued to tout on about something, but Rei only twitched away from his loud, projecting voice and rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she muttered under her breath, "Present Mic isn't done explaining. Pretentious ass rich kid."

She heard snickers from the other students immediately in her area, and her lip twitched in amusement. She hadn't really intended for other people to hear her, but it was apparent that her sentiment was shared; people who were seeking out the errors and interrupting before a full explanation was finished were clearly seeking attention and didn't actually care about the big picture. Interruptions were almost always personal and foolish. But the laughing was soon smothered, no one else wanting to draw attention to themselves in such a large auditorium. Now wasn't the time to be noticed. They could wait fifteen minutes for that.

"Okay, okay, examinee 7111. Thanks for that." The screen behind Present Mic shifted, a different type of enemy appearing on the screen with a zero hovering above its figure. "The fourth type of villain is worth zero points. That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center, a type that'll go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it either. I recommend that you try and avoid it."

Rei scowled. A moving obstacle made sense. But why term it a "villain" if it was simply an obstacle? Something wasn't adding up, but it wasn't important enough for Rei to question further. If it had no point value, then Present Mic was right; why go after it if it didn't help your overall score? It was enough for Rei, and she settled back into her seat, satisfied with her own reasonings.

"Alright, so that's all from me. Finally, I'll give you listeners a present; our school motto." Everyone seemed to perk up at this mention; most everyone already knew the school motto, but to hear it in this space was completely different. "Napoleon Bonaparte once said: a true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes. Go beyond, Plus Ultra!"

A shiver ran down Rei's spine as the screen flashed behind Present Mic. This was what she was here for. She watched as a gleam came into his eye as he leaned over the podium at the front.

"Now, good luck suffering."

After changing out of their school uniforms and into their spare sets of clothes, everyone had taken various buses to their respective battle stations. To Rei's dissatisfaction she had been off in her estimates; there were more than thirty people in each battle station, with everyone broken up seemingly in random patterns. More people meant more competition. But to her luck, Rei was able to find a seat to herself on the bus, stewing in her thoughts instead of being forced to make meaningless conversation with a stranger who would be her competition.

The drive had been somewhat short, with the battle station being relatively close to the test center. Stepping off the bus, Rei felt slightly self conscious in comparison to everyone. Almost everyone else wore cohesive ensembles and gym uniforms of high quality, truly a testament to everyone's background or to their school prestige. Once again she felt intimidated, dressed only in a black tank top and black leggings, her normal boots on her feet. She felt plain compared to everyone else, hugging her arms to her chest in discomfort as she disembarked from their transport, staring at the massive gates that blocked the way into the battle zone. At least no one seemed to point her out or make fun of her. Everyone was too engrossed in their own preparations to care.

The group fell into hushed chatter, some people striking up conversations as they waited while others began to focus, calming themselves. Rei stood at the side of the group, beginning to stretch out her arms and legs by doing some jumping jacks and squats. No one bothered with her, a sort of respect being maintained for whatever each person needed to do in order to get ready. For five minutes she simply stretched and calmed her mind, reviewing the plan she had created on the bus on the way over.

This test came down to offense and defense. She had done a rough headcount on the bus, with about thirty five students in the battle center with her. Everyone would be eager to get started, meaning that there would likely be a rush into the center. From there things would devolve into a free for all, chasing after targets in order to land the finishing blows.

Rei had decided to avoid the main group. She would climb over the buildings and get ahead of the group, allowing them to focus on the faux villains nearest the door. If she got just ahead of them to where they didn't notice her presence, then she could take out the next line of villains without them realizing it. She could then spread out from there, instantly taking the majority and getting the first picks.

It was selfish, but she needed this, more than anything.

The handout had stated that there were roughly the same number of each type of villains, meaning that if Rei could get ahead she would have the first picks. She wanted to prioritize the three point targets in order to ensure that she racked up the highest points while keeping everyone to the lower points. It wasn't enough to warrant avoiding the one or two point targets, but she had to prioritize. Ten minutes wasn't the greatest amount of time, and she wouldn't have time to linger.

"Okay, start!"

The group looked confusedly around at Present Mic's announcement, but Rei had seen the doors begin to open. Without hesitation she bolted for the door, slipping through and beginning the test. Every second counted. She could hear his voice even as she pulled away from the rest of the group, who was still standing in a stupor. "What's wrong? There's no countdowns in real fights! Run, run, run!"

By the time Rei could hear the shuffling of footsteps as people ran into the battle center, she had already come across the first wave of villains. With a maniacal grin she extended her nails, hard talons that had been sharpened and polished the night before. Hurdling over the lower point villains she aimed straight for the three point target. You're mine.

The machines were slow, that much was for sure. Rei landed solidly on top of the three point villain, not even hesitating as she shredded through the metal plating on top of its head. Reaching a greedy hand in she gave a hard tug on the wires, ripping them out viciously and grinning as the machine fell to the ground, powered down completely. Her easy success made her blood pump even faster, exhilaration and adrenaline coursing through her body and almost making her vibrate in anticipation. Three points in the first minute. She could do this.

Turning away she leapt into the sky, leaping onto a short three story building and taking off over the rooftops, scaling some of the taller buildings as she began to survey the land. For the most part from what she could see from the higher vantage point, the villains were starting in pods, clusters of a few one points, a couple two points, and one or two three point robots. Ignoring the next cluster that was ahead on the road she scampered over the buildings, making her way down another main street far away from where she heard the other students fighting for domination. Already they were chomping at the bit, arguing over who got to destroy which machine and who had called dibs. But that was the wrong bit to chomp at.

Idiots. But some other students were beginning to scout as well, scaling the tall buildings and making Rei's eyes narrow as she glanced at the competition. So others had similar ideas as her. She would have to be fast.

Landing down on the ground once again, she grimaced as the impact shattered the cement below her feet, the vibrations of the impact running up her legs. Immediately the faux villains turned on her, beeping wildly at her approach. The closest was a one-pointer, who went on the offensive, charging wildly as he sped toward Rei. Taking up the challenge she sprinted forward, launching into the air and delivering an airborne kick into the pivot point, right where the body attached to the wheel it rode on. It collapsed, unable to move as Rei plunged her hand in once again to the mechanics, tearing out the insides and watching in satisfaction as it sizzled, powering down. Another point for her, but the others were coming in quick now.

Dodging one of the four arms of the two point villain she slid underneath the body, shredding a cavity into its core before mangling the cords within. She barely ran away before it fell down, nearly dropping on top of her in the process. Gritting her teeth she took off toward the three pointer, going for the head again like she had done the first time. Rei was finally getting into the swing of things, senses keeping her alert to any incoming blows. A two point villain came hurtling toward her as she stood atop the three point villain, disassembling the creation but unable to finish in time. At the last second she jumped into the air, watching in surprise as the two pointer continued to ram into its companion, taking it out with ease. The three pointer shuddered to halt, red eyes dimming as it died.

So it wasn't impossible to get them to hurt one another, if she timed it right. Without hesitation she moved to clear out the final few points, wiping the group with a sigh. Her arm muscles were starting to cramp; most of her training involved running and using her legs, her most powerful assets. She would have to think a little smarter if she wanted to endure the rest of this test.

Launching back into the air, she began scouting for her next targets. By this point the main group of test takers had begun dissipating through the battle center, spreading out over the urban landscape and running amok almost like the villains themselves. The scene was rapidly descending into chaos, a madness overtaking everyone as they fought for points, even amongst themselves. Turning away, Rei continued to sweep the perimeter, looking for her next targets

By her estimation there had to be a few waves that were yet untouched. Others with quirks for scouting had similar ideas as Rei, breaking away from the main group on the ground and going after clusters on their own before the others had a chance to reach them. Seeing a group off to the far right Rei took off in a sprint. If she hurried, she would have time to take them all out before anyone else came, greatly increasing her point count.

"Five minutes left!"

It was her lucky day; what appeared in front of her was not just a small wave, but a long line of two and three point villains. With a grin she rushed forward, placing herself in the middle of the pack and allowing them to draw their eyes on her, watching in satisfaction as they changed their direction and immediately began hurtling toward her at top speed. Shortly before impact she leapt into the air, watching as they collided in confusion. Wash, rinse, repeat. Smashing through their armor and ripping them apart, her count was beginning to steadily climb.

"Oi, over there!"

Standing on top of the pile of robot bodies, Rei wiped the sweat from her brow as a small group of boys made their way over to her. They suddenly stopped in shock as she jumped down, walking their way. One of them took a step forward, his eyes wide in what seemed to be a combination of surprise and fear. "Impossible, all of them… are finished? You did this?"

Rei scowled. "And what of it?" Her voice was biting, angry that the group was now slowing her down. Pushing through the group, the boys jumped out of her way, clearing a path as she strode away from the carnage, boots clicking on the ground.

"Incredible. You're super strong, aren't you?"

"She's definitely going to make it into the hero course. She took all those three pointers down herself?"

"Woah, incredible!"

Compliments were not what she was expecting. Pausing, she blinked in surprise as she turned toward them. For a moment she was silent, but she pulled herself together. "There's no other enemies in this section. I suggest you look elsewhere." Turning away coldly, she looked down the street. It was wide enough to be considered a main street, and sure enough a large number of people could be seen taking out the enemies on the other side. The five minute mark had passed a while ago, making sense of why everyone had suddenly caught up to her. Golden eyes narrowed. She was at thirty-six points, a considerable amount but surely not enough. She had to look for new targets, and fast.

Suddenly the ground began to rumble, forcing Rei to freeze in her tracks. What was the source of this? Turning to look behind her, her face paled in horror and fear.

At the end of the street, high above their heads, a new robot peered down at them with horrifying malice.

Was that even possible, for a robot to contain such evil? They were robots, not humans. But its hands crushed the buildings next to it as it began to make its way down the street, and Rei couldn't help but see a glimmer of insanity in its red dotted eyes. Screams could be heard from further down the street as debris began to crash in front of her. The boys near her shrieked, running away as fast as they could. Rei began to back away with them, eyes looking up into the sky, but for a moment she looked back down at the ground, eyes widening further.

One of the boys, the one with blonde hair, continued to stand, his back facing Rei as he stared up. The debris was falling fast. Rei screamed. "Get out of there!" But he did nothing, frozen in place as the robot began making its way down the street, drawing closer and closer.

She could hear people yelling in her direction, but her hands clenched tight. A chunk of a building fell from above, making the ground tremble and knocking the boy off balance, sending him into the ground. He fell on his rear, still frozen in horror. All the while, the robot continued to advance.

"Two more minutes!"

Surely the robot would ignore the boy who had been taken down. This was a test. No one could get seriously hurt. But red eyes looked down at the prone figure, a hand beginning to reach out slowly, descending faster and faster.

It was going to grab him.

She could hear the boys shouting for their companion behind her.

Scream. Chaos.

It wasn't going to stop. The robot was actually going to crush that boy.

Rei clenched her hands, shooting forward.

She couldn't let that happen.

Wasn't she trying to become a hero? Wasn't that what heroes did? It wasn't just about fighting villains and restoring peace. It was about saving people like Haru, the people who couldn't fight. Her mind was made up, even as her feet tried to keep her back.

"Shit."

Everyone had watched in horror as the robot had extended its hand, reaching out to grab the person below. The fear kept them rooted in place, as all they could do was watch the inevitable happen. But suddenly it froze, hands attempting to grasp something but unable to fully close.

Rei groaned, turning her head back to the boy she had covered. He stared back in surprise, golden eyes somewhat hazed over, as though unable to process everything. But he seemed to jolt enough back into the present moment when Rei's eyes met his own, seeing the grimace on her face as she held back the massive fist. Groaning, she glared daggers at the boy. "Get… out of here."

He scrambled as best he could, still looking slightly dazed. The hand began to withdraw, robot eyes tracking the intended target as it began to run away. But Rei latched onto the hand, weaving through the chunky fingers to the back of the palm, digging her nails into one of the digits and ripping it apart. A finger fell to the floor as the hand began to rise, snatching the robot's attention as it looked to its newest opponent.

Rei was ready to run. She wanted nothing to do with this beast. She had to get more points. But she had watched as the boy had wandered slowly away, not fully functioning for whatever reason. He had seemed mentally fried, quite literally, and she wondered just what was wrong with him. Was he so terrified that he had frozen in fear? But the golden haired and eyed boy wasn't the only one though. Other students still were frozen in the street, well within reach of the zero pointer, and subsequently in the danger zone.

Rei shouted as loud as she could, anger in her voice. "Run! Don't stand there, you asswipes!"

It seemed like her words had been effective, no matter how vulgar (although that was potentially a factor that helped snapped everyone from their stupor), the entire street beginning to move again as everyone scampered to get out of harm's way. The movement was enough to agitate the massive villain again, but Rei simply tore off another finger with a growl. She didn't want to fight this. But she had to distract it long enough so that everyone could get out of harm's way.

For her pride. She had gone this far, and she wouldn't turn back. How could she be a hero if she didn't see things through? Images of Ishihara and his gang spitting cruel words at her filled her mind and her rage. She wasn't a nobody. She could do all the things that even they couldn't, including taking down the monstrosity that threatened their existence in this setting. She could do it, because she was her.

Or perhaps she was a nobody, and because of that she had nothing to lose.

By now the zero point robot had turned its full attention onto her, other arm now swiping down at her with alarming speed. Jumping out of the way and climbing onto the other arm, she began to quickly scale the robot, using her claws as anchoring points as she aimed for the head. This thing was on a whole other level, compared to the other three robots in the test. How could this thing even move that fast, what with how large it was? Wasn't that physically impossible? She was hard pressed to dodge while simultaneously climbing up the arm, leaping through the air and switching between appendages in order to escape its furious movements as robotic hands tried to snatch her out of the air. But seeing an opportunity open up she jumped onto its head, sinking her claws into the top of the creature. It stopped moving, slowly lowering its arms down in confusion.

It had lost her. Rei grinned. Shredding open the head she began clawing at various mechanics, listening to the confused whirring as the visual receptors started frying. So obsessed in trying to find a way to dismantle it and destroy every operation, Rei hadn't realized that she had begun crossing into dangerous territory until she heard a hissing noise. By then it was too late.

The machine exploded in her face, sending her skyrocketing into space and sailing through the air. Multiple explosions followed, the frame of the robot locking up before loosely sagging. It had been dismantled, damaged enough so it was no longer able to focus or carry out basic operations. But Rei was unable to see a thing, so focused on trying to survive the launch that she turned away from the faux villain.

Thankfully she had been tossed to the side, a high rooftop coming into view. She rolled onto the ground in an attempt to prevent herself from slamming directly into the surface and potentially breaking anything else, but she felt her shoulder pop out of place. Clenching her teeth she shrieked, tears immediately coming to her eyes at the pain. Rolling to a stop she laid on her back, staring at the sky through glassy eyes.

"Time's up!"

She couldn't stop the tears rolling from her eyes. Pain. Excruciating, physical pain. But not only that. Her pride had gotten in the way of her objective, where she should have been looking for points instead of fights that wouldn't take her anywhere. Disappointment and shame flooded her system. What would Reina say?

For a few minutes she simply laid there, the pain and a lack of desire preventing her from rising. She was barely aware of her surroundings when the medical robots came to wheel her away, taking her down and out of the building and through the streets, all the way back to the entrance. The world passed in a blur of pain, voices phasing in and out of her head. She couldn't understand anything, not even bothering to care until a particular head popped into her vision, an older woman with a purple visor coming into view. "My, my. You've really done a number on yourself, haven't you?" Rei only flinched as she briefly prodded her arm, but it was immediately followed by a loud pop. This time she couldn't restrain from the cry that left her throat, the pain bringing tears to her eyes once again.

Someone helped her to sit up, and suddenly her left arm was in a sling, the right hand holding onto a handful of candies. Confusedly she looked up, right into the face of the elder woman. It was then that Rei made the connection. "Recovery Girl."

"That's right." The older woman smiled gently, patting her right hand. "Eat up, it'll help recover your strength."

Rei followed the command, tentatively crunching on the candies before determining that they were actually chewable and chomping away. They were an odd mixture of bitter and sweet, making her swallow hard and grimace at the aftertaste. Shuzenji only smiled knowingly, backing away from her and gesturing for her to stand up. "It'll take a few days for your arm to heal on its own. Be sure to rest up and ice the muscles as soon as you get home. You'll want to start moving it in a few days, but not before them."

Blinking, Rei looked away. "Thanks." Standing up she gave a small, awkward bow to her elder before following the rest of the crowd, everyone patched up and heading back for the buses. Falling into the back without anyone really noticing her, she paused for a moment before turning around, looking down the street one final time.

The zero point robot was in shreds, lying haphazardly in the streets. A behemoth, but felled eventually. Had she really done that? Her mind was hazy, the past few minutes blurring together as she tried to recall everything that happened, but the adrenaline was wearing off now. Left with nothing much but exhaustion and an arm in a sling to tell of her battles, she turned around and walked toward the exit. She would have to process this all later. There was much to talk with Reina about when this was finally over.

The last one onto the bus, she sat in the front row, fortunately on her own once more. She sat silently, brooding over everything that had happened while the rest of the bus conversed, a dull hum filling the air. What would happen now? Would she make it? She had felt as though she had done decently on the entrance exam, but she wasn't sure if thirty-seven points was enough to make it. The score, if anything, felt average, nothing outstanding. Disappointed, she hung her head. Average wouldn't be enough for U.A..

All she could do now was wait.

As soon as she made it back to the main campus she hustled off on her own, gathering her belongings in the locker room quickly and not bothering to change back into her school uniform, instead heading off on her own. She was over it. She just wanted to get back to Reina, who would surely have some words of comfort and assurance for her. She wanted a coffee and a chocolate croissant. Rei wanted that reassurance, that even if this path didn't open up, she wasn't a failure. Walking out of the front gates, she pulled out her cellphone, punching in a message.

Kuromam-ei (3:58 PM)
Omw back. I'm gonna need 3 croissants

All the way back, she held the phone in her hand, waiting for a response. To her surprise, nothing came in. Was Reina just waiting at the orphanage? Still, it was unlike her to not respond, even with something as small as a little emote. Shaking her nerves off as coming from her disappointment from the exam, Rei brushed off her doubts. Everything would be fine.

With as much of a spring in her step as she could muster despite the gloom and doom in her mind and the aching shoulder, Rei quickly made her way back to the orphanage. The other middle schoolers weren't home yet, only some of the younger kids playing in the front yard. They greeted her enthusiastically, some trying to swing from her free arm even as she gently brushed them aside. For the first time that afternoon a small smile came back to her face.

"Ne, nee-san, did you make it?"

"Of course she did, stupid. It's Rei-nee!"

"Stupid yourself, stupid!"

"What happened to your arm?"

They swarmed around her, making it almost impossible to move through the huddle. Slowly Rei shuffled forward, warding them off from her injury. "It's just a shoulder injury. It'll be fine."

"Does it hurt?"

"Ehh? You got hurt today?"

"Was the test really hard?"

Shaking her head, she ushered them away. "I'll tell you all about it at dinner tonight, okay?" With their hearts satisfied for the moment they cheered, turning back to their business and playing amongst themselves once more. It was enough space for Rei to sneak through the door, removing her shoes quickly and wandering through the hallways in confusion.

Reina was nowhere in sight. Turning into the kitchen, Rei found the director clutching the phone to her ear, a severe expression on her face. Urahara Sho, the woman who held the orphanage together with hard work, discipline, and love; she was a strong woman whose rigid nature made her both intimidating yet a person whom everyone wanted to please. Still, Rei had never seen such a look on her face, hanging up the phone after muttering a few more things into the receiver. Stepping forward tentatively, Rei peered around the corner. "Urahara-san?"

The woman snapped her head up, a movement that immediately had Rei suspicious. She was not easily startled; something was clearly wrong. Turning to face the dark haired girl, Urahara leaned on the counter. "Rei-chan, I'm afraid it's bad news."

Stomach dropping, Rei looked in confusion, the fear beginning to blossom in her chest again. Swallowing hard, she tried to steel her resolve for what came next.

Nothing could have prepared her, not all the time in the world.

"Reina-san… was in a major car accident on her way here. I'm afraid she's in the hospital."

She hadn't believed it. She didn't want it to be true.

But now that she was looking through the window of the hospital room, Rei was forced to come face to face with the reality.

Urahara had escorted Rei herself to the hospital, knowing that they would not let a child unaccompanied into the building. Rei was on the edge of being a high school student, so she was almost old enough to go into the hospital on her own, but with no familial connections to the woman currently inside the hospital it would have been difficult to get close. Urahara had explained things as patiently as she could to the receptionists before they finally admitted the two, handing over visitor passes that they hung over their necks before flying as fast as they could down the hallways. The nurses had been rather helpful, throwing pitying looks to the two who looked rather frazzled, leading them to the room where Reina lay. It was all they could do to let the two stand outside the room, looking through the glass and trying to sort their emotions.

The orphanage director had left for the bathroom, muttering something softly to Rei before leaving the young girl alone for a moment. It mattered little to her. Her mind was strangely blank, brain trying to comprehend what her eyes were seeing. This wasn't supposed to happen; they were supposed to be sitting in their favorite cafe, gorging themselves on pastries while Rei complained about the test. They were supposed to analyze what she had done. Reina was supposed to say something to help her feel better about the exam, give a word of encouragement that she had done her best. Knowing what Reina would have said didn't make it any easier, not when she was lying on a bed ten feet away and looking like she was sitting on death's doorway.

Two sets of footsteps came up next to her, the clicking of heels forcing her to look up. A man and a woman, both dressed sharply in business clothes stood next to Rei, not bothering to look at the girl. It wasn't until nearly a minute later that the woman looked down disdainfully on Rei, filling the young girl with an equal amount of spite in her chest. It apparently showed, as the woman sneered. "And what are you doing here? What connection do you have with our daughter?"

Rei had often wondered what kind of mother Reina had. She had never ever really mentioned her parents, only very sparingly when the topic came up. Rei knew that Reina's relationship with her parents was strained, and she had always wondered why. But with one look, Rei immediately got a read. First impressions were important, and Rei couldn't shake the feeling of unease and disgust at this first meeting. But she forced herself to drop her head respectfully, hair hiding her expression enough to give her time to recompose herself. These were Reina's parents, and she would do her best to be respectful. "Akatsuki Rei, ma'am. Reina is my mentor."

"Reina, is it?" The woman scoffed, turning her head back to the window. "Then you're one of those children, aren't you?"

The manner in which the woman coldly spoke sent a shiver up Rei's spine, hair standing up as her back prickled. She knew immediately, even without words, that this woman did not approve of the child standing next to her, did not approve of her connection. Rei immediately knew this woman's type; the wealthy who looked down upon the poor, who held disdain for those who did not belong to society, did not fit the mold. Briefly she wondered how Reina had ended up so different, but when her golden eyes observed the couple in front of her she found that it wasn't so hard to make the connection at all.

If these people had been Rei's parents, she would have wanted to escape them at any opportunity. Forget being an orphan; she would gladly take the route of societal shame over such drudgery and prejudice any day. But she held her tongue instead, for Reina's sake. "I am, ma'am."

"I have no idea what Reina is doing with your type, but you don't deserve her time. She needs to be learning the ropes of the company, but instead she wastes her days and her time on… other things."

Rei's head swirled. Company? She had no idea exactly what was going on, since Reina preferred to avoid talking about her family for some reason. But from this one meeting, this chance encounter, Rei knew why. Courage swelled in her chest, and she turned to the woman. "You're right. I don't deserve her time." Brown eyes turned to Rei, but Rei pushed on. "I don't deserve Reina at all. But she gave me her time anyway, and she's pushed me to become a better person." Her fists clenched at her side, voice unwavering as she spoke confidently. "I'm going to become a hero. I'm going to go to U.A., and I'm going to work hard to achieve my dream. Reina gave me a chance, even though I didn't deserve it, but that doesn't mean I'm going to throw it away. I'm grateful for her, and I'll keep pushing on, even if people like you try to stop me."

Bowing curtly, Reina walked away, feeling two sets of eyes on her. But she refused to turn around. Urahara was finally coming down the hall, but paused as she watched Rei walk purposefully toward her. Concern was on her face, but she kept composed. "Are you ready?"

Rei nodded sharply. She would take the next step forward. She had to believe that she was going to get into U.A., that she would become a hero. Not just for Haru, any longer, but Reina's sake as well. The list of people that she loved was growing a bit bigger, and she wouldn't let them down.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

Urahara seemed to know that something was wrong, but she said nothing. Rei was grateful for that. The older woman always knew what to say and when to say it, but she knew when to hold back too. Sometimes silence and retrospection was greater than any advice that someone could give, and Urahara wielded that knowledge and discernment well. The entire way back she let Rei stew in her thoughts.

Too many times had she been told that she was nothing. After a certain point, it was what one came to believe: that they were nothing, that they would never amount to anything. For every one hundred compliments someone received, all it took was one negative thing to make someone break or doubt themself.

But Rei was over it. She would no longer be the victim. She wouldn't lie and say that she had overcome her troubles; this was pure anger, pure bitterness that now spurred her forward. She moved out of spite, to kick her abusers where it would hurt. If they believed that she couldn't do it, then she would rise to the occasion to prove them wrong.

She had to believe she was going to make it. For herself. For Haru. For Reina.

AN: Poor Rei. I've really been throwing her around like a punching bag, haven't I?

I know I said I might be slowing down, but the good news is that I finished a chapter that I wanted to insert pretty soon. Can you guess what the surprise will be?

And as always, thank you for your reviews...

N3mm: I'm glad it was so surprising! I try and make my plot points unpredictable (which is why I've been rewriting some of the later chapters in order to make them more complex). And I do have plans for Haru's role later... those moments are intentional. I do try to make everything intentional in my stories, though sometimes they don't seem like it at first. (also I love Mercy, since I'm a Mercy/ main)

apple pie: Technically I can't explain this or give you a good answer, because spoilers for some things I have planned for later. :) But I hope you enjoyed it!

And The Others Laugh: At first I was just going to have her get knocked out of the boundaries, but then I was like, "but consider this... human shishkabob." Poor Rei lol

dragontamer64: Omg, hearing you say that you stayed up to read this really makes me happy as a writer (but as a human who has responsibilities, very concerned for your sleep as well, so stay healthy!). But thank you! People saying that they stay up to read this makes me feel honored, because I know those feels.

FireFox614: Thank you! I will try to update as fast as possible.

ansegiel: Poor Rei is my little kabob now. Rest in pieces pieces. Literally.

Please leave a review if you like how this is going!