Chapter 14
Internships (Part 2)
Smoke, ash, and flames tore the night sky open with orange anguish, a battlefield of unwilling participants running amok as the landscape threatened to devour them with teeth of shattered glass and talons of fragmented cement. It was chaos. Screams and sirens filled the air, and every so often the familiar shriek of a Nomu made its way to Rei's sensitive ears, though it was always distant and difficult to discern its precise location. There were at least three of them, if their different pitched screams were anything to go by. She wasn't certain if it was a good thing that the creatures weren't close to Chirasaki and her; it was good in the sense that it meant that they weren't in immediate danger, but always bad in the sense that there was potential that they were off preying on innocent civilians. Keeping her senses peeled as her head constantly moved on a swivel to take in their surroundings, Rei followed Chirasaki's lead as they leapt over rooftops and began to survey the damage, making their way to the thick of things to provide support.
They had been heading into the city when something caught Rei's eye from the side. Turning her head, her eyes widened as she grabbed her mentor's attention. "Black Panther! To the left!"
Both of them looked as a creature had burst from a bullet train, flying through the sky before crashing into a building and falling to the ground. But there was something strange about its behavior; instead of flying away, it had looked as though it was being punched, something or someone punching it instead. And Rei swore that she saw something small and yellow along with it…
Chirasaki changed direction. "This way! We're going to check out that villain's landing spot and help evacuate the area."
"Right!"
By the time they arrived people were running everywhere, trying to find safety without knowing exactly where their feet were taking them. Panic and adrenaline were dangerous things in the untrained mind, and even with training it was often difficult to resist the allure of what one's nature demanded. Rei watched the tidal wave of bodies moving through the streets below her feet as the two heroes leapt over the rooftops, entering a commercial district with buildings increasing in height as they went along. The scene was lit eerily by the flames, a sharp contrast to the typically electric blue and neon setting of Hosu City as the smoke curled around the streets. Going against the current of people for a short while, the epicenter finally revealed itself. There in the center of the streets, the Nomu screeched as it chased after people indiscriminately.
"Get those people over there," Chirasaki pointed at a couple who had frozen in fear on the streets. They were kneeling next to a car, peering over the hood with frightened eyes as the Nomu tossed its blind head with horrifying dexterity that was certainly inhuman. "I'll distract that creature."
"Be careful!" Rei called after him. "Those things can have multiple quirks!"
He flashed a thumbs up at his side before he careened through the air, dropping a powerful kick onto the Nomu's head as he went. Rei landed next to the couple, moving to stand in front of them so that she pulled their attention from the fight onto her. "Please, this way!" She pointed to their left, grabbing the woman by the arm and tugging her along, forcing the duo to follow her lead. Gritting her teeth she tried not to drag them too hard, attempting to be as gentle as possible. But suddenly they screamed, pointing to the side with wide eyes. Rei turned her head, following their gaze as she tried not to scream in horror as well.
The Nomu was coming after the three of them, crawling on all four arms and legs like a wild animal, saliva dripping everywhere as it tossed its head. Brains pulsating, eyes swirling, it charged with feverish fervor, shrieking in that abysmal voice that completed this monstrosity straight from a horror film.
She could hear Chirasaki shouting for her in the distance, backtracking as fast as he could to help his intern. But both of them knew that he wasn't going to make it in time.
It was fight or flight for Haru. Instinct kicked in.
She wasn't running anywhere.
Without hesitating she stepped away from the couple in order to put her body in front of them as a barrier, pivoting over her shoulder as fast as she could and delivering a kick to its head. It was powerful enough to send the beast into the ground with a crack, its head lolling on its shoulders as it went limp for a brief moment. It was enough of a distraction for Chirasaki to get on the creature's back, wrapping his hands around its neck and yanking it as hard as he could. Turning back to the couple she picked them up from the ground, taking their hands into her own and pulling them away. "You'll be alright. Just focus on me, and follow me."
They were obviously panicking, their minds not quite screwed on right as they trembled, but they seemed to be coherent enough to listen and understand what Rei was saying. She smiled as best as she could, keeping her golden eyes trained on their faces, flickering back and forth between the two. Smoothing her face, she attempted to remain as calm as possible, if only to reassure the two civilians. "Let's get out of here. I'll protect you."
Slowly they began picking up the pace, until they finally were in a fast run. It wasn't a sprint, due to the woman's choice of heeled shoes, but they were moving with purpose and gaining good distance. Rei continued to jog backwards for a moment longer, watching Chirasaki fight with the Nomu, struggling to subdue the fiend. But she forced herself to turn away, regrasping the couple's hands and leading them away herself. She had to have faith in her mentor, and she had a job to do.
This was what a hero did.
They ran for a full city block until a police line finally came into sight. Once they turned the corner and made themselves known a couple of medics rushed forward to receive the couple, taking them from Rei's hands and escorting them away with soft reassurances that seemed more natural and practiced than what Rei had provided. The smoke wasn't quite as thick anymore in this spot, and Rei realized just how bad it had been, her face mask protecting her from the majority of it. But that couple had been in trouble. She grit her teeth, realizing her mistake. She should have told them to cover their nose and mouth with their shirts; they had clearly been under too much distress to think for themselves.
But they vanished from sight, a police officer stepping forward to receive Rei. "Thank you for your help. Please return to safety."
Shaking her head, she backed away. "My mentor is back there. I'm going to help him." Without hesitating she sprinted back into the distance, the smoke, debris, and chaos obscuring her figure as she disappeared around the corner. She could hear the police yelling for her to return, but she ignored them.
Rei was determined. She had to help Chirasaki. He had given her permission to fight. Now that the couple was safe and the zone was cleared, she wasn't going to sit back and let him deal with everything on his own. She was afraid for his well being; from her experience at USJ Rei had seen first hand what that Nomu could do, and even though this one seemed a little off compared to the last one it was still just as dangerous. Sprinting through the mess she drew closer and closer to fight. Even if she was limited in what she could, what little information she could provide had the potential to turn the tide, or at least to help Chirasaki win the fight. She braced herself as she entered the field where the fight was.
Or at least where the fight had been. She stared in shock at the three figures that stood around the broken body of the Nomu, jolting to a complete stop just a few paces away from the carcass that lay broken on the even more broken sidewalk.
"Black Panther!"
The three men turned to look at her, but only one's expression changed into that of relief as soon as Rei caught his attention. She jogged forward to close the space, running up to Chirasaki's side. The other two heroes only stared in confusion, matching Rei's own internal struggle. Endeavor? And another hero I don't know…
"Meishin." For a moment Rei forgot that it was her hero name, though she straightened her posture as soon as she stood before her mentor. He looked pleased, although tense and wary. Rei chalked it up to the bizarre nature of his fight. Nomus weren't regular villains. They were far beyond what anyone could ever imagine in reality.
"Everyone has been evacuated to the safe zone," Rei reported with confidence. She had been scanning the streets and alleyways on her way back, satisfied that the coast had been cleared. That one couple had been the last of the people in the streets, unable to move from their panic and close proximity. She felt sorry for them; they would be having nightmares for the next few weeks, if not for the rest of their lives. But at least they were safe and in the hands of authorities now.
Chirasaki nodded, turning back to the other three men. "The two of us can continue rallying up stray civilians around the main fight." Everyone turned to look into the distance, the telltale glow of embers in the distance. "There should be a lot of heroes gathered over there."
The short older man in the yellow cape had stepped onto the Nomu's back, watching its prone figure cautiously. "Let's restrain this guy quickly so we can turn him over to the police and go help."
But Endeavor apparently had other plans. His face had glossed over with a look of dark contemplation, as though considering something else. Suddenly, Rei was struck by an thought, recalling a conversation she had with Todoroki not a week prior. He had stated that he was going to take his internship with his father's firm, taking Rei by surprise. If Endeavor was here, that meant Todoroki had to have been somewhere close as well. But where was he, if he wasn't with his father?
The flame wielder looked to the old man. "Leave this villain to my sidekicks. You three, go to the address I'll give you now. I will be enough for the main fight over there." As he gave them the address Rei pulled out her phone, ready to type it in. But she froze at the message she had received a few minutes ago, not realizing that she had received anything. It was most likely from when she had been running with that couple, so engrossed in the heat of the moment that she hadn't felt the buzzer go off. She opened the text quickly, eyes widening as Midoriya's ping. The link opened to a map, which led to…
Her heart stopped.
Apparently her horror was obvious, as Chirasaki turned to her in concern. "Meishin, what's wrong?"
"Midoriya…" She knew now. Todoroki was here in the city, but if he wasn't with his father and Midoriya had mysteriously sent his location without anything else… "Let me see your location."
To her horror but also unsurprisingly, the location Endeavor had sent to Chirasaki and the location Rei had received from Midoriya were one and the same. She looked up to her mentor, eyes hardening. There was no time to explain. Something was terribly wrong, and every second counted. She turned to Endeavor, looking him straight in the eye. "Leave this to us."
Suddenly realization lit up his eyes. Flames crackled loudly as he narrowed familiar cerulean orbs at Rei. "You…"
But she turned sharply, her mind already hundreds of feet away. Breaking out into a run she launched herself high into the sky, aiming for one of the rooftops as she sailed out of sight.
She didn't have to wait for either one of the pro heroes to catch up, though she was caught off guard at just how fast the older man was. The two men were quickly sailing through the skies with her, sprinting over the rooftops. Rei was thankful that she had begun endurance training with Chirasaki, the movements coming naturally.
The older man in yellow narrowed his eyes at Rei, although he seemed more interested than suspicious, for all the severity and harshness in his face. "How do you know my intern?"
Rei's eyes widened. "Midoriya... is your intern?"
"Gran Torino." Chirasaki awkwardly tried to do his best at a brief introduction from the wizened retired hero to his young intern, even as they rushed through the night air. Rei continued to check her GPS every few seconds, making sure that they were on the right path. For the first time since she had arrived in Hosu City she was thanking her lucky stars that she had paid so much attention to the layout of the city, the gauntlets she had been running for the past few days suddenly adding substantial detail to her sense of direction. Turning left she began running along a new street, adjusting her speed quickly to compensate for the turn. "This is Meishin, my intern from U.A.."
Gran Torino scoffed, blasting through the air and almost overtaking Rei. In fact, she was confident that he could overtake her, considering the enormous power he had in his feet. Speeding through the skies with the power of wind, now that was something she could get used to. "So you know Midoriya. I'm guessing you're classmates?"
"Yes." They were drawing closer, the location just further up the street. "We're almost there-"
"There!" Chirasaki pointed to the dead empty street, a small cluster of people coming out from an alleyway. "Look!"
Gran Torino was the first to blast off, pulling far ahead and landing in the street as Rei and Chirasaki did their best to catch up. Rei huffed, muttering half to herself as she hoisted herself over a railing to get to the next building. "To be half as maneuverable as him…"
Chirasaki managed a small grin, for all the severity and seriousness of the situation. "Gran Torino is a retired pro hero. To see him out here though…"
Finally drawing closer, Rei could only watch as the older man flew toward a Midoriya who was being carried by another pro hero, sending his giant yellow boot directly into the green haired boy's face. She would have laughed, had the situation not been so dire. But she could hear him as she reached the building just above his head, jumping off and making her way to the bottom as fast as possible.
"Gran Torino is the pro hero I'm interning with. But why…"
Rei suddenly landed, scarring the other four people shitless as the ground cracked beneath her feet. Standing up quickly, she looked over the four, noting three familiar faces and sighing in relief. For all their injuries at least they were still standing and in one piece, although it might have been the adrenaline kicking in and keeping them on their two feet. "Midoriya, Todoroki." Her eyes widened at a disgruntled and worn Iida, someone that she hadn't been expecting. "Iida-san…"
Chirasaki landed behind Rei, scaring the four again. He sighed. "Meishin, you need to work on your landings. You should be able to soften them yourself, without having to damage the ground."
Sheepishly, Rei scratched the back of her head at the reprimand. "Right. Sorry."
But Midoriya's mentor only fumed, glared daggers at his intern. He ignored Rei and Chirasaki's appearance, continuing to berate his own mentee and fuming at the lack of information. "We were told to come here all of a sudden. Well, I don't know what's going on, but I'm glad you're okay."
Rei had started moving closer to her friends, but a closer look at the rope in Todoroki's hand had her eyes following the trail, eyes widening in fear. She froze in her tracks as her eyes took in the sharp lines and the blood trails of the person in bondage, seeing clearly even in the half illuminated alleway. "Is that…"
"It's around here!"
Voice and footsteps were drawing incredibly close, drawing the attention of the group. Everyone looked in surprise as another group of pro heroes drew close. "Endeavor told us there was a request for help here, but…"
Immediately the group broke down, assessing the wounds of Rei's three classmates and of the other pro hero who had been found at the scene. The call for police backup and medical services was put in first, with the new pro heroes taking control of the situation. Rei looked to Chirasaki, smiling in relief as he pointed his chin toward her friends, giving her permission to catch up with her classmates. Stepping away from her mentor with a grateful nod she drew close to the trio, but paused as she watched the three interact.
"You two…" Iida bowed at the waist in apology. "You were injured because of me! I am truly sorry. I couldn't see anything through my anger…" The tears began to fall from his eyes. Even Rei, who had never cared for their class president and his loud and obnoxious mannerisms, was moved to compassion, seeing Iida in an entirely different light. Something had been weighing on his mind, and quite heavily. She had seen it after the sports festival, but she hadn't wanted to say anything simply because of her distaste for the boy.
This was certainly a lesson in passing quick judgements upon someone. How could she be a hero if she was so quick to determine who she didn't like, and thus turn her back and a blind eye to their needs? Stepping forward she grasped his uninjured arm gently, meeting his gaze gently as he turned to look at her in surprise. She strengthened her grip, allowing him to lean on her for support. Of all of them he was definitely the most injured, the blood stains all over his usually pristine costume.
Gold eyes met navy blue in a moment of surprise, shock, exhaustion, and understanding. But Rei couldn't bring herself to say anything, filled with shame at her own ignorance. This wasn't about her anyway. She swallowed hard, casting her eyes down to the ground.
Midoriya bowed his head. "I'm sorry too. Even though you were feeling so cornered, I didn't notice at all. Even though we're friends…"
Iida sobbed, but he held back as the tears continued to run. Rei said nothing, simply placing her free hand on top of his own, helping to hold him up. There was nothing to say, really.
"Pull yourself together. You're the class president, aren't you?" It was harsh, but the way Todoroki said it was gentle enough, a word of encouragement masquerading as a reprimand. Iida simply wiped away his tears, pulling himself together and nodding.
Rei wondered at their strength. From what she was able to gather, the pro hero Native had been out of commission for the entire fight. That meant that these three-Iida, Midoriya, Todoroki-had taken on the hero killer alone. How? Without a doubt, they were some of the most talented people in their grade level, but they were only high school students. The thought of facing such a violent killer chilled her blood, and she shuddered to think about what had been going through their minds in that fight. A real fight.
That wasn't to say that USJ hadn't been a real fight either. But compared to what they faced during their first week of school, the Hero Killer was no joke. How was it possible to compare those common thugs to someone who had gone out of their way to kill and main more than a handful of pro heroes, and for what seemed to be no clear reason? Her gaze turned to the villain who was restrained by rope wrapped around his body multiple times, until she couldn't even see what was beneath. But was that even enough? His face was turned away from her, but she didn't want to look at him.
The face of a killer, a true villain among society. He had shed blood, all for a cause that he somehow rationalized as just. It sent a shudder down her spine.
These three boys were strong. Even as she stood with them, she had a sense that she wasn't really standing with them at all. There was a bond that they had forged from their struggle, a common understanding that passed among them. Rei had seen those Nomus, but she hadn't gone toe to toe with a serial killer. And they had passed.
She wanted to have that strength as her own. So she stood proudly among them, holding Iida up and doing just what she could. That was enough for now.
"Get down!"
The shout had come from Gran Torino, but the sound of flapping of wings quickly drawing closer had Rei looking toward the sky. For a moment she froze. Another Nomu was diving their way like a bullet fired from a gun, its eyes and jaws greedily trained on the group below. Rei could see its trajectory, could see where its eyes were trained. Instinctively she lunged away from Iida, dropping him from her grasp and pushing a hand to Midoriya's chest-
Pushing him out of the way, just as talons encircled around her torso.
Her stomach threatened to rise into her throat as the creature lurched from the ground and began to climb into the sky, Rei frozen in its grasp and watching in horror as the ground began to grow further and further away. She heard Chirasaki call after her, could see Midoriya recovering from her push as he watched the sky hopelessly and in horror. The entire group of faces stared up at her in shock, as though mirroring everything she felt. At least she had gotten her classmate out of harm's way. If there was anyone who could survive this creature it was her.
She had stared death in the face and laughed, and she would do so now.
But the Nomu's grip was constricting, growing tighter and tighter. She tried to wriggle out of its grip, extending her nails and sinking them into the fleshy body of the creature, but it only shrieked loudly, Rei wincing at the noise. Now that she was close to it, the sound grated even more harshly on her ears, threatening to burst her eardrums. She hated it. Grinding her teeth, she closed her eyes tightly. She felt something crack, most likely a rib from how difficult it suddenly became to breathe.
Suddenly its flight path began to level out, no longer increasing sharply into the sky. Then it began to descend, though not of its own accord. Something was wrong with it. Even its grip had stopped becoming tighter, though it was still uncomfortable and Rei was barely able to wheeze in breaths. They began to tumble to the ground, a free fall that Rei was unable to break out of. At this height and rate, she would be taking the brunt of the impact, and while she was certain that she would survive the fall in some way, shape, or form she didn't want to know what would happen if the Nomu landed on top of her.
"All these false heroes, and these villains who wave their powers around idly…"
A raspy voice sounded near Rei's ear, and she froze. This was no pro hero. She heard a knife slicing into the brain of the Nomu, moments before she crashed into the ground below. Pain, all over. The talons had released their death grip, Rei rolling out and onto her side as she coughed. Something was fractured. In fact, she was sure that multiple things were fractured. She was having difficulty breathing. Rolling over to her stomach, she began to cough, eyes seeing blood spittle appear on the ground in front of her. Definitely broken.
"All of them should be purged."
She had forgotten the mysterious person who had careened through the air with them and taken down the Nomu. But her senses were on edge, a dangerous aura now sizzling above her, even if she couldn't see who it was. Suddenly she realized that rolling onto her stomach might not have been the best idea, but she was in too much pain to move and change her course now.
A raspy sigh sounded from above, along with a knife that repeatedly plunged into flesh. Rei was only thankful that it wasn't her flesh, a shudder going down her spine and the sensation of nausea rising at the sound created, although she was certain that at this rate, she would be next. "This is all to create a more just society." Next to her she heard a body colliding into the ground, the clatter of a knife next to her head. Forcing her head to move she dragged her face along the broken pavement, scratching her face as she tried to see just who it was that had landed next to her.
She stared up into violent crimson eyes. Their gaze locked, and Rei stiffened.
A hand fell onto her back, pressing down as the hero killer pushed himself up. It only put more pressure on her broken rib, Rei crying and sputtering as she continued to cough up blood. "You…" She couldn't look anymore, eyes filling with tears in fear and pain. "He had a picture of you too…"
A picture? Who? What? But she was so delirious that she only choked out another cry. She heard him grab the knife in his hands again, a gritty sound that could barely be described as laughter wracking his chest. "You're a fake too, just like those others. What'll happen if I kill you before him?" She felt a blade slip into her back, another scream releasing from her throat as he continued to laugh. "That's right! You're going to fall, just like all the others…"
She had said that she did not fear death. How could she fear death, when she herself had stared it in the face so many times and come out unscathed? She, the one who seemed to cheat death, all thanks to her quirk that kept her body tied together even as other forces threatened to tear her apart? She did not fear death. But in that moment she truly understood what fear was. It hadn't manifested when she saved Midoriya, when she risked her neck for someone else. It was never there when she had fallen to her own injury during the sports tournament, or when she did something reckless. But now she knew where it did exist.
It existed here, at the hands of someone else who wanted nothing more than to put her into a world of pain.
She would not die. She could not die. She would feel each stab time and time again, until someone decided it was enough. Lying limp in the hands of someone else she realized that this was where her fear resided; when she was lying at the mercy of someone who wanted nothing more than to drag her broken body across a boulevard of glass.
Fear. It was here, in her chest now. She knew it well. And there was nothing anyone could do.
But suddenly the laughter stopped, the hero killer standing up and hovering over her body. His attention was no longer on her. She could hear him stepping on the leathery wings of the Nomu, the tendons and wiry bones snapping under his metal boots. "You fake… I must make things right… someone will be dyed in blood!"
Rei felt as though she was drowning, now pressed to the ground simply from the killer intent that was seeping from the hero killer himself. Crimson darkness smothered her, covered her nose and mouth with a kerchief laced with passionate violence that spoke of only the worst ways to die. "I must take back what it means to be a hero. Come and get me, you fakes!"
"The only one I'll let kill me is the true hero, All Might!"
Overwhelming, utter darkness. Despair intermingling and mixing with rage and desire, cruelty and absolute violence that thirsted for blood. Rei was certain that she was delirious, imagining such things, but all of a sudden the hatred stopped, and she was almost able to breathe again.
She didn't know what had happened. She couldn't see anything from where she was, save for the silhouette of the dead Nomu's corpse next to her. But in that moment she had faith that someone would finally come for her.
She had faith that a hero would save her.
She could already feel her quirk as sinewy flesh began to repair, could feel the way that the bleeding began to slow and crust over. Already she was being saved from the otherworld, the realm of death. She would live. Now, all she could do was wait for someone to save her from the pain, the unimaginable torture.
Eyes rolling back into her skull, she finally passed out into darkness, dead to the world as she knew it.
Waking up felt like coming out of a long, drugged slumber. Her senses felt dulled down, like her mind was being dragged through a swimming pool full of slime, or jello. It was an odd sensation, being unable to function like normal. Eyes sealed shut from heavy slumber, the first sense to come back was her nose. Sniffing the air delicately, her nose twitched at the powerful scent of antiseptics that overwhelmed her, the scent barreling through her nasal cavity and almost covering the lighter ones of a sterile yet floral environment.
Sterile… Floral… She had smelled these things before. It was familiar.
A hospital?
The smell of cleaners had been particularly powerful, Rei's nose continuing to twitch until she couldn't stand it anymore. She was unable to hold back the sneeze that came through, jerking her head up from the pillow as her stomach contracted. Immediately she flopped back onto the bed, a groan coming from her throat. That had hurt like hell.
"Rei-chan?"
Her mind was groggy, like it was filled with a fog. She recognized her name, but was unable to place the voice. It too was familiar, the irritation of not knowing spurring her onward as she slowly pried her eyes open. Eyes twitching and trying to adjust to the bright light, it took her a few moments before she was able to look at the wall and ceiling in front of her, the neutral cream color overwhelming her senses. Everything was too overwhelming, but she forced herself to turn her head to the left, eyes fluttering as she blinked away the sleepiness.
Gunmetal hair framed warm brown eyes that stared at her in concern and excitement. Rei smiled at the familiar face. Even with all the pain and the strange sensations, there was no one she wanted to be by her side more. "Reina…"
The woman sighed in relief, flopping back into her chair. Another figure walked into Rei's line of vision, standing behind Reina's chair and placing a hand on her head. Golden eyes peered into Rei's face, as though uncertain if Rei was actually conscious. "You with us this time, little cat?"
Rei snorted. "What kind of question is that?" Her words were still a bit slurred, but her mind was slowly becoming sharper, the details forming as the pain began to return. It was muted, but she was now aware of almost every injury in her body.
Chirasaki sighed, leaning back. "Looks like you're actually awake this time. I'll get the nurse."
Blinking slowly and blearily, she watched as her supervisor left the room, turning around the corner and disappearing from sight. Golden eyes turned back to her primary mentor, watching as Reina placed Rei's small hand inside the grasp of her own, enveloping her with a warm gesture. It was then that Rei saw the IV in her arm, a scowl at the needle.
"I know you hate needles, but leave it. That one's giving you your pain medication."
With a groan Rei flopped her head back onto the pillow, a squishy and delightful impact for the first time in a while. At least this was comfortable. At this point Rei was almost certain that she had bled out on nearly a dozen surfaces from past experience, so she liked to think herself an expert on what was the most preferable and the most uncomfortable. There was none more relaxing than a comfortable and supportive bed, even if it was technically a hospital. Chirasaki's words came back to her, and she tilted her head to the side. Her brain was still foggy, but she managed to piece together as much as possible. "Was I awake before?"
Reina stroked her hand soothingly. She was well aware of how much Rei wanted to rip the needle out and chuck it across the room, the older girl doing her best to distract the younger, more temperamental one. "You were in and out. It was mostly because you kept metabolizing the pain medication quickly, so you kept waking up. It's been almost a full day since the attack."
Another scowl crossed her face. "I don't remember."
"And that's fine." Shifting forward, she traced the back of her index finger along Rei's furrowed forehead just between her eyebrows, getting the muscles to relax from the motion as Rei's face smoothed over. "We're just happy you're good now."
"Mmm." Rei hummed happily, closing her eyes at the movement. There were few times when she gave into her more cat like reflexes and impulses, but Reina always seemed to spoil her. For the moment she simply relaxed, allowing herself to be taken in by the moment.
She was alive. She had survived. And never before had she been so grateful to her quirk to keep her in the world of the living.
Moments later a nurse came back in, closely followed by Chirasaki. He had removed his hero apparel and was dressed in casual clothes, the first time Rei had seen him look so normal. Both he and Reina watched carefully as the nurse ran through some tests and began to redress her wounds, Chirasaki asking various questions and engaging the woman as she worked, the nurse more than happy to speak freely. From what it seemed like, Rei had suffered no serious injury once again, although her ribs were still fragile and would need more time to fully heal and solidify before she returned to rigorous physical activity. The nurse had estimated about a week or two, but Rei knew that she could cut that time down to a quarter. She would be fine in about four days.
But that meant that her internship would be over by the time she fully healed. As the nurse left, Rei looked down at her hands, a sorrowful look on her face. "I can't finish my internship, can I?"
Chirasaki only shook his head. "I won't stop you, but you're more than welcome to stay at the agency for the next few days. I can put you on light duty and have you help our receptionist at the front. I'm sure Hana-san would appreciate the help."
Rei sighed. "I wanted to run more circuits, but I guess that won't be happening."
"We'll see how you feel. We can always start light."
Reina turned around to slap Chirasaki, a light bantering gesture that held no serious ill intention but still had him clutching his cheek. "Idiot! Don't push Rei any more! She already pushes herself to the brink!"
The pro hero only rolled his eyes, crossing his hands over his chest. "Sometimes I wonder why we're still friends."
"That's because you need me!"
Rei smiled at their banter. It was strange for her to see Reina so carefree around someone else, but it made her happy to see her mentor in a new light. Knowing all the she now knew about the silver haired woman, Rei was filled with a sense of satisfaction. Reina deserved happiness. She deserved the world.
Reina turned back to Rei. "If you're up for it, we can try walking around the hospital."
"Oi, didn't you just say to not push her?"
Rei smiled. "Actually, there's somewhere I'd like to go."
The hospital staff had tried to force Rei into a wheelchair, but she was having none of it. She was itching to walk and use her legs, the muscles about to start cramping and seizing up if she didn't use them soon. Besides, her pride wouldn't have it. Why use the damn chair when she was perfectly capable of using her two feet? She wasn't a fragile little civilian who would break under the slightest pressure. When the nurses had turned to Reina and Chirasaki to convince Rei otherwise, the two adults had merely shrugged their shoulders with sheepish expressions, knowing full well that Rei would only ignore them as well. After nearly five minutes of bickering Rei had been given her IV drip and free reign with the promise that Reina would walk with her the entire way and call for help if something happened. Using the rod of the drip as a sort of cane she trudged forward, hobbling slowly as to not agitate her still healing core and ribs.
By the time they had made it to the elevator Rei was exhausted. She was half tempted to go back to her room and take a long nap. But her stubbornness kept her going forward, even as Reina looked at her in clear concern. Making it to the next floor Rei shuffled out, making her way down the much too long hallway until she came to the right room.
There was laughter coming from inside the room, Midoriya and Iida's voices muffled but still audible for Rei. She placed a hand on the door, opening it up just as Todoroki began arguing.
"I'm not joking. I'm like the Hand Crusher or something."
It only riled up the other two boys for an even louder and more rambunctious round of laughter, the two of them cracking up at Todoroki's serious musing. Opening the door a little bit more it made a bit more noise, grabbing the attention of the boys inside as they looked sharply to the door to see who had come to visit them. Rei peered in as the laughter stopped, three sets of eyes looking back at her in surprise.
For a moment the four of them simply stared at one another, Rei's mind still a bit out of it and unable to form any sort of greeting while the three inside the room looked shocked out of their minds. Suddenly Iida stood up, Midoriya hobbling over to the door. "Akatsuki-san!"
At the call of her name Rei slid the door open further, revealing the IV drip she had been carrying with her as well as the bandages on her body. The sight of the drip plastered looks of horror and concern on the boy's faces, especially Midoriya who managed to stutter out his concerns. "A-akatsuki! Shouldn't you be resting?"
"Moreso, aren't you supposed to be…" Iida trailed off, unsure of how to word his question.
"More broken?"
The three of them were stunned at Rei's blatant honesty and especially the hint of dry amusement with which she had replied, watching as she shuffled into the room. "I need to sit. I'm tired."
"Did you walk here by yourself?"
It was at this moment that Reina peered around the corner with a massive grin on her face, surprising the three boys once again. "Don't worry! I'm her escort. Rei-chan, call me when you're ready to go." After seeing a nod from the black haired girl Reina closed the door behind her, disappearing out of sight and leaving the three boys sitting in shock.
Rei shuffled over to what she assumed was Midoriya's bed, making her way around so that she could face Todoroki and Iida. "Can I sit?" Midoriya frantically gestured for her to make herself comfortable, watching her carefully as she sat down unceremoniously. The sudden jolt made her cringe in pain, the sensation sending coils of shock into her ribs.
The gentle green haired boy reached out, but froze just short of touching her, unsure of what was healed and what wasn't. "Akatsuki-san, are you sure you should be up?"
"I'm bored," she groaned, a completely different side to her. "I don't wanna sit anymore."
Todoroki's eyes bored into her, uncertain if he believed that she was as fine as she let on. "Weren't your injuries bad? How are you even awake?"
Rei sighed grumpily, hands propping her up on the sides as she sat on the bed. It was harder than she had imagined, trying to keep herself up straight. But she was bitter and determined, and starved for interaction. Besides, she had been curious and a bit worried about her classmates' well being, so she had decided that the trek would be worth it, even if she only stayed for a short while. "The fractured rib and the knife wound were the worst of it, but I should be back to normal in about four days."
"Eh?! Four days?"
Iida stared hard at Rei. "That's impossible, unless you have-"
"Regenerative powers. I know." Rei looked rather annoyed about it, much to the confusion of her classmates. Who wouldn't want accelerated healing? But it wasn't their fault that they didn't understand the intricacies of her quirk and everything that she had gone through in her short life. Brushing those thoughts away, she shrugged her shoulders as best she could, though the motion was still stiff. "My quirk isn't called Nine Lives for nothing."
"Woah, incredible! I didn't know that."
Rei turned her head to Midoriya, who had taken a seat next to her. "That's because I haven't told everyone all of my quirk's abilities. It's a lot easier if everyone just expects the high jumping and the claws."
The boy sitting across from her folded his arms over his chest as his eyes clouded over, thinking back as he pulled a memory up in his mind. "Back at the sports festival, when you fell…"
"You didn't see it, but it was pretty bad. Fortunately, with Recovery Girl's help, I was able to make it to the award ceremony."
She felt bad as she saw the boy's face fall, guilt clouding his face heavily. It made her soften her face, genuinely sorry that she had made him feel bad. "It wasn't your fault. It was my dumbass mistake."
"Still…"
Rei rolled her eyes. "It's fine, stupid. I'm still in one piece, and I'm kicking." She glowered at him from her position. "If I could reach out and flick your forehead from where I'm sitting, I would do it, just for how stupid you're acting."
"Akatsuki-san…"
Rei looked to Midoriya. "Call me Tsuki. That goes for all of you."
The three of them stared at the girl, blown away by just how talkative and how strange she was acting. Iida leaned forward, testing the waters. "Tsuki-san, are you sure you're feeling alright?"
She scowled again. "I'm fine. The medication is making me feel loopy, so I'm still a bit out of it thought." Shaking her head slowly, she lowered her eyes. "But I mean it. I'm fine." Golden eyes lifted to all of them. "As will all of you, too."
They were still thrown off by her comparatively talkative behavior, each of them unsure of just how much the medications were effecting her. But she seemed coherent enough, the look in her eyes clear enough to determine that she was aware and for the most part, feeling like herself. For Iida in particular he was completely thrown by how sarcastic and talkative she could be, but also how kind and soft she was at heart. For Midoriya he was almost seeing double, some of her mannerisms immediately reminding him of Kacchan but her gentle side still showing through. But for Todoroki, he was beginning to fit the puzzle pieces together.
Akatsuki Rei only wore that cold mask as a front. The only question now was how long it would take to break it down completely for their class.
For at least another five minutes the four of them began to banter, Midoriya recounting exactly why she had heard them laughing before she had walked in, at Rei's request. It was enough to get a chuckle out of her as well, although she had to hold back from the pain in her ribs. From there the conversation bounced back and forth, the four of them ultimately relaying the events to Rei in order to tell her what their cover was. She had already deducted the truth from what she could recall, that her three classmates had essentially single handedly taken down the hero killer. She was in on their secret, their injuries explained away as separate incidents that happened during their internship. For all the rest of the world would know, the four of them had only passed one another by. They wouldn't know about the common experience that they shared, and the afternoon they spent in the hospital with one another, relishing in the fact that they were miraculously alive.
But as the minutes wore on the boys could see that Rei was still not as fully healed as she tried to portray herself as. She began sagging, the pain coming back to her eyes even as she tried to hide it. Eventually Midoriya went and retrieved Reina, who had been sitting outside the room a few paces down in an attempt to give them some privacy. With a smile, a brief introduction of herself, and a wave farewell the woman carted Rei off back to their floor, sliding the door shut with finality.
Rei's shoulders were slouched from exhaustion, even as her posture brought a sharp pain to her ribs. She was exhausted, and Reina offered her arm for balance as they walked toward the elevator. Rei gratefully accepted her support, leaning on her mentor as they made their way back.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
Smiling as best as she could, Rei's eyes glimmered even in the stale hospital lighting. "Yeah. We'll be fine."
Reina said nothing at the inclusion of her classmates, her face as smooth as ever. After helping Rei back into her bed she tucked the girl in, smoothing her hair down lovingly. "Sleep. I'm going to go out for some food, but I'll be back."
"Mkay." She was out like a light, a serene expression on her face as she slept.
Everything would turn out fine.
Yaomomo (8:30 AM)
Are you okay? Just heard about the Hero Killer
Please let me know that you're okay
Tsuki (7:15 PM)
I'm fine. Hospital.
Don't worry about me.
Hope you're okay too
Yaomomo (7:56 PM)
Hospital?! That's not okay
Yaomomo (7:57 PM)
It's been slow. I'm sure there's something I'm missing here
Yaomomo (7:57 PM)
Were you with the hero killer?
They said that four high school students were at the scene
Tsuki (8:00 PM)
Just a few scratches. I'll be out of here tomorrow
Endeavor saved us
Tsuki (8:01 PM)
I'll tell you all about it when we get back to school
Yaomomo (8:02 PM)
I'm glad you're okay
Rest up! 3
Get lots of rest
Tsuki (8:08 PM)
I will. You too.
Good luck :)
Yaomomo (8:10 PM)
3 3 3
Midoriya (8:02 PM)
Tsuki-chan! Do you have a phone charger?
Midoriya (8:02 PM)
Gran Torino is bringing my belongings but I'm at 10%
O_O
Midoriya (8:05 PM)
Nevermind, Todoroki found his!
Tsuki-chan (8:05 PM)
Sorry mine probably won't match yours
Midoriya (8:06 PM)
Thanks! Come visit tomorrow okay?
^_^
Tsuki-chan (8:09 PM)
I will
Good night
Midoriya (8:06 PM)
Goodnight! :D
Bakugou (8:03 PM)
You better not be fucking dead
Akatsuki (8:04 PM)
Too late
Bakugou (8:04 PM)
Smartass
Akatsuki (8:06 PM)
:(
Bakugou (8:06 PM)
Stop using stupid emojis
Akatsuki (8:06 PM)
Joykiller
Bakugou (8:07 PM)
It's supposed to be joykill
Akatsuki (8:09 PM)
A smartass too
Bakugou (8:10 PM)
Not my fault you don't know how to spell words
Bakugou (8:10 PM)
Aren't you supposed to be on patrol?
Bakugou (8:10 PM)
Stop texting and get to work, stupid
Akatsuki (8:10 PM)
Someone couldn't spell fuck the other day :P
Bakugou (8:11 PM)
Shut it dumbass
Akatsuki (8:11 PM)
I have to get my bandages changed
Bakugou (8:13 PM)
Don't tell me you got beat up already
Akatsuki (8:33 PM)
Sorry for being a literal hostage by the hero killer
Akatsuki (8:34 PM)
Not everyone has sparkles for their quirk
Bakugou (8:34 PM)
THEYRNEOT FICKING SPARKLES
Bakugou (8:35 PM)
FUCKING
Bakugou (8:35 PM)
FUCK OFF
Akatsuki (8:37 PM)
:)
Bakugou (8:38 PM)
Go sleep or something. Aren't you supposed to be healing?
Akatsuki (8:40 PM)
I just woke up
Rib's almost fully healed. I'll be out tomorrow
Bakugou (8:41 PM)
Whatever. I'm going to sleep.
Akatsuki (8:45 PM)
Good night
Akatsuki (8:52 PM)
Turn off your phone vibration
Bakugou (8:52 PM)
Fuck off
Akatsuki (8:53 PM)
:)
The rest of the internship had passed rather slowly. Much to Reina's displeasure, Rei had decided to return to Black Panther's agency for the remainder of the week, even as she dealt with the healing process. Although it irked Rei to be so immobile, it had been enlightening to sit with Hana at the front desk, on occasion welcoming in prospective clients and taking them to meet with Chirasaki. It allowed her to see the job from a different perspective. Not to mention, Hana was a wealth of information and stories, working diligently while also entertaining Rei in a way.
She was grateful for everything, for every experience, even if they weren't what she had expected. By the time the week was up she was disappointed to return back to U.A., having admittedly gotten used to the swing of things. But it was time to get home, and faster than she could blink she found herself making her way to the train station with Reina and Chirasaki by her side. Reina had stayed with her in order to help her carry her belongings back on the train to get back home, Chirasaki taking the morning off to say goodbye to his latest protege and one of his best friends.
At the platform Rei had bowed as deeply as she could, showing her utmost respect to Chirasaki. "It was a honor working with you this week. Thank you for everything."
He scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry that you got so heavily involved with the Hosu incident. It's a shame that I couldn't train you as properly as I wanted."
"It's okay." Rei smiled. "I'll be sure to increase my regimen when I get home. I'll remember everything you taught me."
The man scoffed. "I would hope so." Even so, his face softened, a genuine smile on his face. "This might be jumping the gun, but I hope that I might get to call you my sidekick in the future. If this is really what you want to do, then my door will always be open."
Drawing in a sharp breath, Rei's smile expanded even further. "Really?"
Dropping a hand on top of her head Chirasaki ruffled her hair, much to her displeasure. Shaking her head as soon as he back away she preened herself, trying to regain her composure. It wasn't impossible seeing how short and messy her hair always was, but it was strange to have someone touch her hair like that. She secretly didn't mind, but she had an appearance to keep up. Chirasaki grinned at her scowl, placing his hands on his hips. "Really. But I know you'll probably get a lot of offers too. Don't feel obligated or anything. But I look forward to working with you someday in the future, no matter where you end up."
Backing away with a stupid grin on her face, she watched as Reina and Chirasaki hugged one another. "Miss your stupid face."
The man grinned. "Miss yours even more. Don't be a stranger, both of you."
Picking up their bags, the two of them boarded the train with one final wave goodbye. The doors closed a few minutes later, and the two girls were off, speeding back home to Kumo City. Rei leaned against the window, Reina sitting next to her and tapping away at her phone. Eventually Rei looked on in interest. "What is it?"
Reina's eye twitched. "My mother is being a hassle again. As per usual."
At this Rei grew quiet, unsure of how to approach Reina. But she did eventually, simply opening her mouth and speaking her truth. "Chirasaki-san told me. About your parents."
Brown eyes looked at her in surprise, but there was a complete lack of blame. Instead she smiled. "He has a habit of oversharing, but that's neither here nor there. I'm sorry I didn't tell you myself."
Shaking her head, Rei had let it go a long time ago. "What are you gonna do?"
At this question Reina grew quiet and focused. She seemed to think long and hard about her answer, truly contemplating it as they sat on the train, the landscape flying by outside. "I think," she eventually began, "that I've been running for a while. Maybe it's time to pick up my responsibility."
Responsibility. It was a heavy word, one that weighed Rei down. Someday she would bear that weight, the responsibility of others, upon her shoulders. It was the destiny of a hero. But it wasn't just heroes; everyone had responsibilities over something, whether big or small. She contemplated things silently, musing to herself as Reina continued to click away at her phone, face eventually smoothing over and becoming much more happy once more. "Are you excited to go home?"
"To be honest, I'm going to miss Black Panther's agency. But I guess I'm ready."
Reina grinned. "Great! Want to stop by the bakery on the way back?"
"Is that even a question?"
AN: Well, here we are. I feel like we're blasting through the story so quickly. But not to worry; some of the upcoming chapters are pretty dang beefy, so it'll be a good time.
Just to give another update on where I am with the story; I'm currently working on chapter 24, though chapter 23 is super rough and will need a few rounds of editing. I know some people have expressed concern that, once I catch up with posting chapters to where I've been writing, that I might slow down severely with updates. I promise to the best of my ability that I will continue writing, as long as there is BNHA content for me to use, or I will take the time to make more AU/ special chapters for you all. I've never had so much support in the reviews, and I don't want to let you down (and also, this story has actually been pretty fun to write!).
Is anyone interested in writing tips, or my insights to this story and structure? I feel like I could dedicate a portion of the next author's notes to sharing some tips that I've found useful, or maybe posting them on my author's page. Leave a comment and let me know if you're interested!
As always, thanks for the reviews...
dragontamer64: Wowowowowow, such high praise! Thank you so much, omg. As to why I'm good at writing, it's a lot of practice. My undergraduate degree is in English (and I completed enough units to qualify for both a literature and creative writing emphasis), so I've been going hard with writing for the past three years at least. I know I've only posted 3/ 4 stories here, but my Google Drive is... overloaded. I've written stories for Lord of the Rings, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy XV, Bleach, and a bunch of others. I just haven't posted them. Needless to say, I'm constantly writing (which helps improve over time), and I'm also always reading. Reading exposes me to different styles, which is why I've started to develop a style that's kind of unique to me.
Psycho-Jellybean: Thank you! I'm glad you've found this story, and I hope you continue to enjoy the future chapters! I have plans to include more bonus chapters in the future as well, since it seems like people have enjoyed them so far.
N3mm: I like to imagine that Rei and Bakugou will always be bickering and fighting, no matter what time, place, or universe. It's just... them. Hahaha it's a dynamic that's also really fun to write! I'm glad you enjoyed the special chapter too!
Please leave a review if there's something you like! It helps me write more and write faster for you all. Have a great week!