Chapter 2

First Encounters

"This is Haru. Starting today, she'll be your new roommate."

Rei was five years old, looking at the equally as small girl standing in front of her who hiding behind Miss Yuuka's leg and peering at Rei. It was almost comical how the other girl seemed to think that she could hide completely behind the other woman's legs, trying to vanish from sight as though she wanted to completely disappear, but it was no laughing matter to Rei. Wide blue eyes stared into her own gold, clearly frightened at this place. They flinched and moved around constantly, one moment fixated almost entrancingly on Rei's figure before bouncing between the floor and walls, staring with absurd interest at the worn wooden panels. Rei could only stare in vague interest as a moment of silence stretched between them, curiosity and concern weaving together in her chest.

"I'm sure you'll be able to show Haru around, won't you, Rei-chan?"

Puffing out her chest at the responsibility, Rei grinned and nodded ecstatically. Even if the other girl was uncertain, Rei couldn't hide the fact that she was proud to have been selected for such responsibility. She was eager to do her part, to please Miss Yuuka and demonstrate her competence. Not only that, but she was eager to make a new friend, someone else that was her age. Maybe this girl wouldn't be afraid to go digging around in the canal for more rocks to chuck back into the river, or to build mud cakes with her during the summer. She just hoped that this girl wouldn't be like the others who preferred smooth their skirts over and tell Rei that she was being rather unlady like and improper.

"Yes ma'am!" Hopping forward, Rei reached out a hand to Haru, who shifted backwards instinctually. But Rei was undeterred, stubbornly insistent on making a new friend. "My name is Akatsuki Rei! Call me Rei! Starting today, let's be friends."

Haru seemed unsure, looking up at the caretaker for permission with wide eyes. With the older woman nodding her head in encouragement, the blonde girl seemed to perk up and become a little more bold, swallowing her fear as best as she could in order to put on a brave face. Stepping around from Yuuka's position, she tentatively reached out to accept Rei's hand. "I'm Haru. Please take care of me."

Her voice was quiet, but Rei didn't let that deter her at all. "Of course!" Haru stumbled a bit as Rei yanked her hand energetically, almost dragging the smaller girl down the hallway. "C'mon, let's go to my room! Do you like collecting rocks? I have a lot of really shiny ones from the river." The black haired girl immediately began chattering away, occasionally asking questions to Haru, who slowly began to open up as a small smile dawned upon her face at her new friend's enthusiasm.

It was the beginning.

Humans have always stated that time only speeds up as life is lived. Perhaps this phenomena only occurs because, as humans experience life and live under the constraints of the fourth dimension, our perception of time and our understanding of its relativity to our experiences and conceptions grows. One day in the perspective of five years lived seems to be much longer than in the perspective of thirty years lived.

But a month flew by in the blink of an eye for both Rei and Haru, no matter how young they were, no matter how little of life they had lived thus far. In one another's company, the days passed quickly as they explored and played in wonder and fascination. They had become sisters in all but blood, playing and bickering with ease.

Time passes. History repeats itself. The real world returns and breaks the peace.

"What do you mean you're going?"

Haru sat on her bed across from Rei, who was rummaging around and pulling together her meager belongings, putting them in a pile on her futon. It was nighttime, the only light in the room being a dim bulb that hung high above their heads, casting a dull warm glow around the room. Pulling open some of the drawers, Rei scanned through the contents, finally picking up a shiny white rock and holding it in her hands.

"Sometimes my mom likes to take me home. But I'll probably be back in a week." Rei frowned, holding the rock in her hand as she studied it carefully. Her eyes were trained on the object in her hands far too carefully, too studious to be natural. "She always gets tired of me."

There was a sadness in her voice as she spoke, though it was mostly covered by the biting tone that stood at the forefront. Haru watched her friend of nearly a month in sorrow, clasping her hands together in her lap. There was fear in her eyes and in her voice as she spoke, unwilling to fully lift her head and show it, but even as her eyes flickered all around the room they always managed to come back to Rei. "But, what if you don't come back?"

Her friend's concern was enough to break her from her musing, a sharp change in her demeanor pulling her from her dark thoughts and back into the present. Stopping her packing and flopping onto Haru's futon, Rei grinned. "Don't worry. I always come back. And I won't leave you alone for long." Taking Haru's hand in hers, she placed the smooth pebble in Haru's hand. "This is my favorite rock. Keep it safe until I come back, okay?"

Haru turned the rock in her hand, admiring the way its polished surface shone and feeling the weight of the promise settle into her grasp. She looked into Rei's eyes, finding strength in the absolute confidence that Rei displayed. Rei would return. They both knew it.

Closing her hand over the rock, Haru nodded her head. "Okay. Come back soon, okay?"

Haru waited for Rei every day. Every time someone came to the door, the small blonde girl would leap down the stairway with a grin on her face, only to let it slip away with every person that was not her friend. In her free moments she waited by the gate, looking for that familiar tuft of messy black hair, waiting to hear her infectious laughter, longing to see those golden eyes again. With every day that passed Haru found her resolve to continue waiting, day in and day out.

She grew anxious. After a full week Haru began acting out, throwing sudden tantrums that had most of the orphanage workers confused until they realized the source. Haru and Rei were thick as thieves, their relationship unlike any others as they mostly kept to themselves and minded their own business. With her partner in crime missing, it was only natural that Haru felt lost. After a few days they let her wait by the door until she would fall asleep, Miss Yuuka more often than not being the one to take her back to her room and tuck her into bed with a look of sorrow on her own face.

It was after ten days that Rei returned.

The evening had worn on, and most of the younger children were getting ready for bed. Haru sat on the staircase, the same as every day, waiting for Miss Yuuka to come around the corner and gently admonish her for staying up so late. Sitting on the third step, with her hands holding up her chin, blue eyes watched the door intently, watching, waiting. The light hanging above the foyer was dim, like every other light in this house, waning with overusing and straining to continue shedding light. Casting a haunting orange glow about the room, Haru found herself growing sleepy, eyes fluttering and straining to remain open.

There: the iron gate at the entry creaked. Perking up, Haru sat up straight, watching the door with excitement. A few moments passed as she held her breath in anticipation.

Haru was not the only one who heard the gate. Miss Yuuka came streaming out from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a dish towel as she threw a look to Haru. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Haru-chan?"

The girl didn't make a move, simply watching as the woman stood in the doorway and threw the door open. Both of them knew that she wasn't going to move, not until she was unable to physically keep herself awake. Haru strained to see around her figure, the lack of light combining with the obtrusion to block her line of sight. Even then, in her heart, Haru knew. Even before Miss Yuuka gasped, gaped, freezing in the doorway.

"Rei-chan!"

No one moved. For a moment the world froze, not a person breathing. Then Haru lifted herself from the stairs, rushing forward to meet her friend, a brilliant smile on her face.

Pushing her way around Miss Yuuka, Haru froze.

Black hair wet and tangled, it did little to obscure her crestfallen face as the tendrils were plastered to her skin. A welt, angry and red, line her right eye, face swollen in agitation. There were other marks on her neck and arms, lacerations that had already healed but left the tell tale crusty red lines on her skin. Little was hidden, what with Rei still dressed in a sleeping yukata, hands balled at her sides.

Haru moved at the same time as Miss Yuuka, both of them grabbing one of Rei's hands and leading her into the house. The girl did not resist, only sniffling in response. Her hand gripped Haru's tightly, pain registering on Haru's mind from the tightness with which Rei held onto her hand, but she cared little. The pain meant that Rei was really here, that she was back. But at what cost? Blue eyes could only stare in confusion between her best friend and their caretaker as they were led into the dining room, the two of them sitting on a couple of chairs as Yuuka disappeared into the kitchen. Rei had refused to let Haru's hand go, only loosening her grip slightly as Haru enveloped her friend's hand in both of her own.

"Rei-chan…"

Rei's free hand reached up to wipe away the tears that began to fall, another loud sniffle coming from her. It was then that Miss Yuuka appeared with a first aid kit to take care of the welt on her face. Silence, save for the stifled crying of the girl that had suddenly appeared back on their doorstep.

"Rei-chan, did you run away from your home?"

For a moment she simply sat, staring blankly at her intertwined hands. It was when Yuuka pulled away to look at Rei properly that she finally answered in a whisper.

"I don't want to go back anymore."

No further words were necessary. Patching the young girl as best as she could, with nothing much to do with the already healed wounds, Yuuka stood up fully, looking at the two. "Go to sleep. You'll be safe here."

Sliding from the chair, Haru followed Rei's lead, the two of them walking hand in hand back up the stairs and to their bedroom. Rei's belongings had been taken, the empty futon stacked up in the corner. Neither were big enough to take it down, Haru instead lifting up the blankets to her futon instead. The bed was big enough for the two of them, and they curled up next to one another.

There was no need for words, no need for any explanations. It was simply the reality of their situation, one that everyone that lived under this roof intimately understood. Even if each kid came from a different family, and no family was the same, the pattern was established.

True orphans were rare. Most of them were simply unwanted, born into families that could not afford them financially or even mentally. The unlucky few that were born into this world were forced to live under that reality, thrown into orphanages while still knowing their parents. It was a dichotomy; the parents could not afford to keep them, but neither could they bear the shame of being forced to give up their children. Rei, like so many others, lived in a limbo. She was forced to spend most of her days in an orphanage until her mother decided that she wanted to have her child back, then forced to realize after a few days that she was unfit for motherhood. Then, back into the home she went, biding her time until her mother cycled around once again. It was a bitter cycle, one that both kept Rei's hopes up and crushed it repeatedly, again and again. Hope that her mother still loved her and would take her back, demolished by the fact that that woman was mentally unfit, obsessed with other worldly distractions that ultimately led to her forgetting the fact that her daughter was still sitting in front of her, waiting, watching.

But now that Rei was old enough to understand, she had enough. There would be no more of her mother's false hopes coming to take her away, no more nights where she watched her father return complaining either about his sobriety or how much more he needed to lose his mind. No longer would she watch him beat her mother, beat his own daughter. She was too young to understand, but old enough to know that enough was enough. Rei was old enough to unlatch the door, to run down the street, to make it all the way back to the orphanage without turning back.

She was just lucky that she had someone waiting for her, someone who truly and earnestly wanted her back. Huddling under the blankets the two eventually fell into an uneasy sleep, the uncertainty of the world jabbing at their backs and shaking the ground. Even if the world fell apart, at least Haru would never leave.

She was old enough to understand some things, but not yet others.

School was school was school, no matter where you went. At least that much was apparent after delving into the first day of academics.

At least Rei had gone through enough preparation to start on the right foot. Even in regular classes the standard was high, as expected of the top hero school in the nation. It was obvious that no one was allowed to slack off in any aspect, instead being pushed to the best of their abilities. As Rei sat in her seat in the back corner she scribbled articulate notes furiously, doing her best to keep up with the teachers during the day.

It was all she could do to keep her head screwed tightly onto her shoulders and deal with the heavy flow of information until lunch time, slightly dazed as their noon break finally came about. The class had all filed out to the mess hall, chattering away in groups that had already begun to form. Rei took her time packing up her belongings and organizing everything, watching for the last of her peers to disappear out of the classroom before taking out her own lunch and tucking it under her arm. Standing with a sigh, she stretched briefly, feeling her joints popping in a satisfactory manner before she was off.

She had heard about U.A.'s mess hall, a legendary feature where deluxe meals were offered at reasonable prices. But for the first day of class the current kitchen director of the orphanage had packed a bento for her, a good luck gift for her first day of classes at the prestigious high school. Rei was many things, but she was never wasteful; though she was certainly disappointed at having to delay her visit to the cafeteria, she was nonetheless thankful and touched by the sentiments of those in the orphanage. Walking through the corridors by herself, she wandered outside to find a good tree to sit under.

Well, it also saved money too. And that was something that Rei valued most.

Good people were hard to come by at the orphanage. It was why Rei made sure to be thankful for every good gesture that came from any of the staff, which was hard to come by as things were. As she grew older, Rei came to understand exactly why the problem existed; funding was severely lacking for orphanages, which therefore lacked the resources to hire committed individuals. If good people came along, they never stayed for long. Enticing and even living salaries were scarce, and even the most well-meaning individuals would eventually give up for more lucrative options. It was the nature of the world, being driven by money as is. Even Rei couldn't deny that part of the reason she had decided on becoming a hero was for the money. Who could reject the possibility of a future with financial security?

With her bento clutched tightly in her hand, Rei found a grove of trees that was devoid of any people. Plopping herself halfway in the shade, she carefully unpacked the box, lifting the lid to reveal a piece of fish surrounded by various cold vegetable dishes and white rice. Mouth watering with anticipation she dug in immediately, savoring the taste of the crispy fish and all the other pickled vegetables as they mixed in her mouth. The current cook for the orphanage really was something else; Rei had never known that miso soup could taste so good in her life. Letting her mind relax for the first time during the day, she slowly began to unwind, shifting so that she could sit more in the sun. It was still chilly in March, but the sun warmed her bones and lifted her attitude.

After finishing the meal she repacked the items carefully, setting the box aside as she pondered her next step. What should she do next? As tempting as it was to take a short nap in the sun, it was probably wiser to head back inside and study her notes. Present Mic's lecture on articles was familiar material, but he spoke rather quickly and in an eccentric manner that made it difficult for Rei to follow. Scowling at her inner conflict, she snatched the bento and began to walk back to the building.

Might as well start the first term strong.

On second thought, maybe she should have taken a break.

How could she have forgotten about hero training? The one thing that seriously stood out against normal high schools? Apparently, in her search to stay on top of academics, she had completely forgotten about this small detail, eyes twitching as All Might had pranced into the classroom.

Literally. The man pranced.

As soon as she saw him, her heart had both fluttered from seeing such a famous hero and had stuttered from the knowledge that they were about to partake in something that was probably incredibly rigorous.

She would be mentally fried for this next part.

But at least their uniforms had come in, one of the refreshing pieces of information that came in and made Rei perk up in excitement. With everyone rejuvenated and excited for the next class, they had nearly sprinted into the changing rooms like a stampede, everyone talking loudly and excitedly. Rei had simply found a quiet corner to change, pulling out the rectangular box emblazoned with the number "twenty-one" on the sides. Opening the briefcase with a click and pulling out the material, she smiled.

When they had been asked to submit their costume preferences along with drawings and references, Rei had been skeptical. How were any designers to know exactly what she wanted without even meeting her face to face? Surely they were going to mess something up. But as Rei ran her fingers over the material, she had to be impressed.

A small letter dropped from the folds, and Rei picked it up gingerly. Scanning through it quickly, she read through the specs that the suit offered, along with other changes. Interestingly enough, the material had been changed from the requested carbon fiber to a fiber-reinforced polymer, due to the fact that carbon fiber was incredibly rigid and thus was unsuited for her quirk. Tugging on the suit and testing it out, she watched as the black material shimmered gray in the reflected light, a subtle difference that brought a small smile to her face. Subtle, but still stylish. She no longer knew why she had been worried, what with the changes they had made to make it much more… her.

The uniform was a black jumpsuit with long fitted sleeves, a high neck, and skin tight pants. Fortunately it was fairly breathable and flexible, offering the durability Rei had wanted while not sacrificing movability. A black fitted hoodie with three-quarter sleeves added another layer of protection, hiding inner pockets of various weapons and a utility belt and waist brace that had even more pockets and tools. Black gloves that reached her elbows hid grappling hooks, deceptively slender and skin tight, unlike many of the bulky hero costumes she often saw. Everything was black, including the face mask that was similar to the one she wore in the mornings, save for the fact that it was of much higher quality.

It fit. Not just in size, but to her expectations and desires. She had no desire to be a flashy hero, soaring through the skies. She was content to fly in the darkness, subtly making her way and taking villains down one by one in the shadows. The all black, fitted, and sleek uniform was everything she had ever wanted.

If only she could show her mentor…

"Akatsuki-san, you look great!"

It was Uraraka who bounced over to the stalwart girl, excitedly shaking her hands around as she jumped up and down. "You look like a secret assassin!"

Rei's lip quirk behind the face mask at her playfulness and spot on analysis. "Well, that is the point."

The bubbly girl paused, not expecting such a response. "Eh? Really?"

"Are you two ready?"

The rest of the girls had finished suiting up, an excited Ashido waving Uraraka over. Running to catch up with the rest, Uraraka sped forward, leaving Rei behind as she calmly followed behind the group.

A secret assassin, huh? Rei laughed to herself. Uraraka had no idea.

"Team C vs. Team G! You have ten minutes to prepare!"

"So, does anyone have any ideas?"

As expected of U.A.; the student had been thrown right into hero basic training. Almost literally. Starting the first day of classes with a practical component was brutal, but at least it was realistic. If they were to move forward, it wouldn't be practical to spend a day with syllabi and monotonous rules. It was reminiscent of how Aizawa-sensei had taken them out of the formalities of the opening ceremony, instead putting them to work and testing their quirks on a day usually reserved for more of the logistical sides of high school. Or perhaps testing their quirks again was a part of the logistics? Either way, it was clear that hero basic training ran along a similar line of ideas and it time to get into the thick of things, and Rei was itching to prove herself. She was ready.

Well, as much as she could be. There was only the problem of how to deal with their team battle now and put together a plan.

With an odd number of people in their class, there was one team of three. Luck of the draw determined that Rei was placed on a team with Jirou and Kaminari, placing them against Yaoyorozu and Mineta. It was favorable that they had more people in theory, but a frown had immediately spread across Rei's face as she had heard their team; more people meant more moving pieces and more individuals that she had to play nice with. Frankly, she would have been much happier to go through with the practical on her own, but not only was that illogical with how many students were in the class, but also irrational on her end. Even if she preferred to work alone, that wasn't always the smartest idea in the field. Solo players could end up getting backed into a corner in the real world.

It was with grudging acquiesence that she joined her team and introduced herself, listening along to the other two as they chattered a bit more amiably. Taking the time to observe her partners, she simply bided her time, leading the way to their position as they began to wait outside the building for their faux mission. Real threat or not, she had to perform well. Her grades depended on this-hell, even she was cognizent of the fact that All Might himself was watching, and she wanted to make a good impression on the world's number one hero.

But first they needed a win.

Jirou folded her arms, one hand playing with her earphone jacks as she twirled it around her finger. "Well, Yaoyorozu-san has an incredible quirk. It'll be hard to guess what she's planning, what with anything she can do."

Heaving a sigh and folding his hands behind his head, Kaminari closed his eyes briefly. "Agh, you're right about that. Such a troublesome quirk to go up against…"

Rei tilted her head, blinking steadily. "Actually, I have an idea."

The electric users turned to their third teammate, questions on their faces. Rei looked between the two of them, face even more serious that she had been before. "Yaoyorozu-san may have an incredible quirk, but she'll most likely begin with some sort of defenses, something to block us or throw us off guard. If we can get past that, then it'll be an easy fight."

Jirou frowned at the analysis. "I doubt it'll be an easy fight, but-"

"Trust me." Rei's face was contemplative, but still held confidence. Her brain was buzzing with an idea, processing the probabilities of its success and the risks that were included. "From what I could see during the tests yesterday, neither are the most athletic. It's easy to say that most of them haven't had any severe combat training, or real life fighting experience."

"That's right!" Kaminari's face brightened, the two girls turning to him as he pounded his fists energetically. "Akatsuki-san, you're a natural fighter, aren't you? You're super athletic and cool! As long as we can back you up, you'll have no problem getting through."

Scratching the back of her head sheepishly, Rei turned her face away. "Uh, thanks. But I think I might have a better idea than fighting."

Now that the group had a starting point, the hype started to rise. Jirou and Kaminari looked even more hopeful than before as the three of them began to brainstorm. "So, what's the plan?" Jirou turned to Rei, who was becoming more and more their leader with every moment. "Are we going to capture the villains, or retrieve the bomb?"

Rei grinned, a feral looking action that sent shivers down her teammates' spines. "First, tell me more about your quirks. What can you do?"

"Team C and Team G! Match, start!"

Almost immediately after the announcement, a blur flew past the window, launching high into the sky. Mineta ran to the window in shock, straining to look up to the roof but failing to see any other movement. "Ah! Someone's on the roof! They're going to come in through the top!"

Yaoyorozu frowned, a thoughtful look on her face as she ran through the potential outcomes. Surely the person who made it to the roof was Akatsuki-san, with her incredible leaping powers she had demonstrated the day prior. But if that was the case…

Shaking her head, the brainiac looked back toward the door. "No, it must be a diversion to make us think they'll be using the roof. There are a few lines of sight that would have been better to slip by us unseen." Satisfied with her assumption, Yaoyorozu produced a metal pole, readying herself for the fight. "Be ready, Mineta-san."

"Y-yeah…" The duo slid into defensive stances, Yaoyorozu much more confident than Mineta, even as her mind raced. What was the other team thinking? No, focus; they had revealed their location too close to the beginning of the task. It was certainly a diversion, and Akatsuki would be making her way back down to her other two teammates. It would only be a matter of time before they found the barricaded door…

Silence. Mineta was sweating with anticipation, groaning and straining from the tension as his focus threatened to break under pressure. Next to him Yaoyorozu continued to think about ways to defend their location, all while wonder just where their opponents were. What was taking them so long? Surely they knew where the bomb was at this point.

Footsteps in the hallway. The two acting villains waited with baited breath, straining their hearing to listen for the telltale signs of their opponents on the other side of the door. The footsteps stopped near the door, pausing for a moment before continuing down the hall. Yaoyorozu breathed a sigh of relief. So they weren't going to try and bust through. It had been fortuitous that she had picked such an option then, since she hadn't any idea of just what their opponents were capable off.

"Waaaaghhhh!" The girl jumped as her compatriot wailed, shoulders slumping. "I can't take this anymore! I don't wanna be a villain! I didn't sign up for this!"

"Mineta-san, quiet down, please!" Thankfully the boy quieted his dramatic sobs as Yaoyorozu looked back to the door. With the sudden distraction she had lost track of where the footsteps had gone. Had they gone around to try and find another route? Maybe she should have thought about stuffing the vents with some sort of barrier too. Going off an estimate of her own sense of time, it was likely that they hadn't even reached the halfway point yet. Who knew what the other group was planning-

BOOM

Hands flew up to her ears instinctually even as she held onto her weapon, flinching away at the sudden explosion. The dust hadn't even cleared as Kaminari and Jirou flew into the room, a grin on the boy's face as he took in the villain teams' expressions.

"Sorry to crash the party! Couldn't help but notice you barred the door."

There was no time to react, as suddenly the two villains fell to their knees, Jirou's heartbeat amplified to send them to their knees. Gritting her teeth, Yaoyorozu began to fight against the attack as it slowly began to weaken, grasping the weapon in her hands. "Mineta-san, we have to defend the bomb!"

"Hero team wins!"

Both Yaoyorozu and Mineta blinked, looking at the duo ahead of them. "Huh?" It was then that Yaoyorozu's heart dropped, realizing her mistake. There's only two of them here. That means… Turning her head to look behind her, black eyes widened at the causal figure that stood behind them, leaning against the bomb.

"First, tell me more about your quirks. What can you do?"

Jirou was the first to recover, getting down to business. "With my quirk I can amplify my heartbeat to incapacitate enemies. I can also listen to walls and the ground to determine where everyone is."

"Perfect." Rei nodded curtly, mind working quickly. "Then you can determine where the enemies are and where the bomb is?"

"Leave it to me."

Kaminari jolted as Rei turned her gaze to look at him, enough to make him pause before stuttering out a response. "Oh! I can cover my body in electricity. I can send out charges too, but too much and my brain gets all fuzzy. Also, I can't really pick a target…" He trailed off sheepishly, a bit embarrassed to admit such things, but Rei only nodded seriously.

"Good. Here's what we'll do. I'll launch myself onto the roof immediately at the start of the test in order to draw their attention. Knowing Yaoyorozu, she'll call a bluff immediately, since there are multiple ways of getting to the top of the building without being seen. I'll need you two to determine exactly where they are and force an entrance to draw their attention."

"And you?" Both teammates looked in confusion. "What will you do?"

"It won't be a bluff." Seeing their blank looks slowly fill with realization gave Rei some hope. At least her teammates weren't dunderheads. Another plus, seeing as how they were already trusting her with the plan of attack. Perhaps working with this team wasn't so bad as she initially had imagined. "I'll infiltrate the vent system in order to get into the room. We'll coordinate our entrance so that you'll obscure mine, and I'll sneak around their backs to retrieve the bomb."

"And what if it doesn't work? What if Yaoyorozu knows you're coming?"

Rei turned to Jirou, crossing her arms, although not irritated. It was a valid concern, but Rei was confident. "She'll definitely think twice about me on the roof, but I'm confident that she won't overthink it. She's careful and meticulous, but I doubt she's been duped like this before."

Jirou and Kaminari looked at each other for a moment before Jirou shrugged her shoulders, turning back to Rei. "It's the best plan we have. We'll just have to see things through."

"Don't worry about it. You two kept your quirks pretty much hidden away during the testing yesterday. They won't expect to get hit hard and fast like this."

Grinning and clapping his hands together, small sparks flew in Kaminari's grip. "It's a plan then."

With a small smile and a curt nod, Rei began to walk away to position herself. "I'm relying on you two to make a big entrance, so make it count."

"Don't worry, Akatsuki-san. It'll be electrifying."

The groups had reconvened for the analysis portion, the five competing members standing in a line and receiving analysis.

"Yosh! The MVP for this match is…" All-Might pointed at Rei dramatically with a flourish. "Akatsuki Rei! Can anyone tell me why?"

Immediately a hand flew up from the middle of the group, a tense Iida looking about ready to burst with some comment. "Excuse me! But shouldn't it go to Jirou-san or Kaminari-san?"

Rei folded in on herself instinctively, a bit hurt at the comment. Surely Iida was right in some ways; Rei had been missing from most of the actions, and she was more than happy to give the title of MVP to the two peers that had followed her plan nearly on a whim. But hearing such things come from Iida's mouth left a bitter taste in her own. Scoffing and narrowing her eyes dangerously, she cursed his bones mentally. She hated these rich kids that pretended to know everything, and Iida wasn't the only one. Out of the corner of her eye she looked over to Yaoyorozu, who had begun raising her hand as well but stopped after seeing the look she received from the other black haired girl next to her.

But All Might seemed to miss the look Rei was giving her, instead calling on the her competitor with a wide grin on his face. "Miss Yaoyorozu, you have something to say?"

"Akatsuki-san deserves the MVP, because she read me clearly."

Raising an eyebrow, Rei was filled with surprise. So it seemed as though the girl now retroactively recognized her mistake. Still, her gunmetal eyes were resolved to not meet Rei's own gold, as though nervous of what would happen if she did. Rei scoffed, rolling her eyes. Coward. But the other girl's answer seemed to appease All Might, who praised her insight. "Correct! Akatsuki-san was able to read into Yaoyorozu's mind, even if they do not know each other well yet, proving her ability to read an enemy with little information. That is an incredibly useful skill!"

The class buzzed at the conclusion. "But Akatsuki didn't do anything until the end." A red headed boy stepped forward with confusion, scratching his cheek as though still unable to see the reasoning behind their teacher's decision.

Rei could feel a fire in her chest, an anger instinctively rising. How much did she need to do in order to prove herself here? Taking a step forward, she had half a mind to fight the next person who questioned her and take them down, but it was Jirou who rested a hand on Rei's shoulder, taking her by surprise.

"Actually, it was all Akatsuki's plan. She was the one who decided to provide the distraction and sneak through the vents while we came in the front and provided the distraction."

"Woah, really?"

"I completely misread her…"

"Her quirk's not flashy, but she's smart."

A tangle of emotions twisted in her chest; gratitude and confusion at Jirou's defense, anger and bitterness at the rest of the class for doubting her. But it appeared as though their time was up, All Might calling out the next group and sending them on their way. It effectively dissipated the formal nature of the classroom, everyone breaking down into groups. Rei found herself alone for a moment before noticing someone's approach.

To her surprise, it was Yaoyorozu. There was a disappointed look on her face, and even though she refused to make eye contact with Rei she was definitely approaching her with intent. Finally her face lifted to look at Rei, who stared blankly back. "How did you know what I would do?"

For a moment Rei simply looked at the girl, scrutinizing her from head to toe and watching the way that she flinched under her gaze without emotion. This girl was one of the four who had gotten into U.A. through the recommendation process, possessing a brilliant mind and even more stellar contacts. Rei wondered what it was like to have so many people believing in her and her abilities, enough to recommend her so that she could get around the entrance exam. It filled Rei with inexplicable rage, a fire in her gut the longer she looked at the shy girl that wilted under Rei's strong gaze. Did she even realize how lucky she was, to have people supporting her like that? They came from two completely different worlds, something that Rei was naturally jealous of.

Scoffing, Rei looked away. "You're too easy to predict. I could tell that you live in books and analysis. Mind games are not your strong suit."

"Mind games…" She trailed off, a look of concern coming on her face. "Then, I need more experience."

There was just something about her that riled Rei. Perhaps she just wasn't a fan of the wealthy who paraded on their connections and the start life had given them without fully realizing the consequences. "Get real. You'll need more than that if you ever want to catch up."

"I don't understand. Why are you so angry? We're classmates, no longer fighting."

Rei took a step toward the girl, who naturally backed away from the invasion of her space. Gold eyes glittered even in the low light of the room that was provided from the multiple screens spread across the wall. "I've been fighting all my life to get here. I don't care about being the number one hero, but I'll take down anyone who stands in my way of my goals."

Stepping away and effectively ending the conversation, Rei moved away from the group, turning her back on her competitor to seethe on her own. A part of her internally screamed; hadn't she just thought yesterday that she didn't want to make any enemies? But there was no going back; Rei couldn't handle the thought of some of these pretentious rich kids lording themselves over here. Even if they didn't realize it, their mannerisms and blindness to their fortune was irritating, small cuts and nicks that bit into Rei's exterior and chipped away at her inner self. That was the way it had always been, living in an exhausting world where everything was pitted against her, whether they realized it or not.

Standing slightly off to the side, Rei watched the cameras as they began to pick up and swivel towards the next two teams. Whatever. There was no time to look back, only forward.

AN: Wow, I had no idea people would be excited about this story o_o But thank you so much for your reviews! I'm glad some of you are looking forward to what I have. Sorry it took a little bit to get this chapter out; this is one of the chapters I partially finished, then never returned to in order to complete it/ add details. So I just finished it this morning, seeing as how some people are excited!

Please leave reviews if you like it, or if you have something to add! Let me know how I'm doing.

Edit (5/31/19): Basic grammar/ syntax changes, as well as some minor detail additions.