Chapter 4

USJ

Life wasn't fair.

That was a lesson they learned early.

Rei and Haru were often picked on by the other kids. As they grew older, those kids turned into bullies, for no other reason than because they didn't care for the two rejects. Haru had always been the gentle one, the angelic face that managed to scrape by. It was Rei who turned up the heat, refusing to let anything slide past her. Once Rei discovered that her quirk made her essentially super human, with fast regenerative powers and an overall more fast and powerful body, she set herself up as Haru's bodyguard and their protector, the first line of defense. She wasn't afraid to get dirty, and she wasn't afraid of the consequences. If she didn't fight, who would?

No one else would defend them. Even the teachers tended to turn a blind eye to the fights and scuffles that Rei and Haru often found themselves at the center of. The adults could only ever be bothered if, according to Rei, one of the bullies decided to snitch, using their parents to back them up in order to discipline the orphans through administrative power, a way of getting the last laugh. But Rei never saw it that way; she only saw that as a sign that they were too weak to continue, too cowardly to face their problems and own up to the fact that she was better than them.

It made her angry and spiteful.

Haru was her only solace and impulse control. Where Rei dealt with the physicality, Haru operated as the brains of the body. She picked the fights that they fought, letting Rei go only when she was certain that the tides were in their favor and the consequences would be minimized. With her quirk she could see the probabilities of winning, the factors that came into play, the likelihoods of outcomes. Haru wasn't a fighter, wasn't athletic, wasn't hardened in the way that her best friend was, but her intellect was unrivaled. She had a sharp eye and an even sharper mind, and that made her just as dangerous.

When Rei became enraged beyond control it was Haru who calmed her down. She was the only other person Rei would listen to, aside from Miss Yuuka at the orphanage, but the lone adult wasn't always there to reprimand her and set her straight. If the black haired girl ever became consumed by hate and spite, Haru was the one to bring her back down and set her straight. It was an effective partnership, one that made them even more inseparable.

By the time they made it into the fourth grade, most students knew to stay clear of them. The infamous duo was always by themselves, eating lunch, studying, or just shooting the breeze. Only the reckless got tangled up in their business, always ending with the intruders leaving with their tails tucked securely under their behinds. Their isolation from their peers only grew stronger; it was as though they realized that their peers would never accept them, and instead wielded that knowledge like a sword, daring anyone to try and break the barrier that had been set up. As time passed it became impossible to tell how any of this had begun; it just was.

But they were also impossible to ignore. With some of the most outstanding traits of their year they couldn't go completely unnoticed, especially by their teachers. It was a delicate balance of encouraging them to stay on the good side while also rejecting who they were as people, a bias that even the adults didn't realize they held. At their core, no one believe that societal rejects could amount to anything. They had no parents, no structure, no potential. But how did the adults equate such powerful quirks with such negative thoughts?

It was a dichotomy that no one refused to acknowledge. It was just how it was, the status quo, the norm that no one challenged or thought about, lest their understanding of their world collapsed. Someone else would love the orphans, but not them. They were too busy, too absorbed in their own lives, their own successes, their struggle to make a living and survive. Who had time for another life? Obviously their parents had messed that up, not realizing their inability and ending up sending their child away. Disgraced, dishonored.

Lies, all of it.

The world of adults was a convoluted mess, a series of expectations upheld by society in order to maintain a semblance of order. In reality it corrupted children from the bottom all the way to the top. It was a terrible system, one without compassion, sympathy, or love.

They lived in that reality each day, and each day they grappled with the message that they were unworthy of any success. It was a burned that weighed on their shoulders, that unknowingly dragged them down into the waters, drowning them without their knowledge or consent. It was no wonder that most of the older kids abandoned the system and went into the wilds to find meaning, wherever it may have been. If the light constantly burned them, then wouldn't darkness be the solution?

Even as Yuuka worked to support these two children, the two she had vowed to save, the system undermined even her. As she worked to keep them afloat, their heads above the water, even she couldn't fully remove the weight that had been tied around their ankle, the cinder block that simultaneously strained to drag them to the ocean floor. With every day that they came home with a new bruise, a new welt, a new cut on their arms, she could only pray that her words would get through to them. They were worth it, and they were loved by someone.

Unbeknownst to her, Yuuka's plan was working. It touched their hearts and fastened Rei and Haru to the light, the goodness of the world, the hope that the future belonged to them too. But the fate of the world is that it inevitably smashes anything that remains too good for too long. Time would see them crumble to their knees, and all anyone could do was watch it happen.

Villains. The very reason why each of them was at U.A., the very people that they vowed to take down for the good of society. None of the students could have been ready for such an encounter with reality so soon. They were in training, only a week deep in their studies, a bubble that promised to train their skills so that they would be prepared when the real deal came at a later point. To see such evil in front of their very eyes, unbridled and raw, was almost more than some of them could take.

Rei was no exception.

But they began to move. They had to, if they were to survive. Broken from their stupor at the scene that was beginning to unfold in front of them, legs began shifting and head began spinning. A delicate balance of logic, instruction, and panic weaved a plan of attack in each person's head, instinct clashing with the role of heroes. Heroes didn't run; they were the vanguard. But neither were they civilians nor heroes.

Yaoyorozu stepped forward toward Thirteen, desperation in her voice. "Sensei, what about the trespasser sensors?"

"We have them, of course," Thirteen began but trailed off, looking back to the ever growing crowd amassing on the ground floor of the arena. Rei shook her head, attempting to pull her focus back. Now wasn't the time to be panicking; how could she be a hero if she froze? Focus: why hadn't the sensors gone off?

It was Todoroki next to her that jumped to the conclusion first. "Did they only appear here, or around the entire school? Either way, if the sensors aren't responding-"

"Then someone has a quirk that can stop them."

The boy turned to look down at Rei, golden eyes clashing to meet gray and cerulean. They had spoken at the same time, much to their surprise. Rei nodded in assent, continuing his line of thought. "The sensors haven't gone off, the power's out, and there's a villain attack at an off site building when a class is scheduled here. It's too much of a coincidence."

The entire class had turned to look at the two, who were only looking at one another as they formed their hypothesis. Slowly, Todoroki nodded his head, a firmness in his eyes. "They're fools, but not completely dumb. This attack was coordinated and well planned by someone."

"All we're missing is an alibi." Rei crossed her arms, lifting a hand to her chin as she looked at the ground. "What could it be?" She half mused to herself, half to her partner. Todoroki dipped his head once, affirming that they were still on the same track.

Throwing a hand to his side, Aizawa began walking toward the staircase, focusing forward at the advancing villains. "Thirteen, begin the evacuation. Try calling the school. It's likely that someone has a quirk that can disrupt communications, if they passed the sensors without triggering anything. Kaminari," he raised his voice, jolting the students with surprise, "you try contacting the school as well."

"Sensei, are you seriously going to fight by yourself?" Midoriya leapt forward with concern. Even Rei was concerned for their teacher, no matter how good he and his quirk were, brows furrowing as she considered the situation. He was certainly trying to prevent a battle occuring with the students, with them still minors and under his protection. But a one versus massive gang situation wasn't good for anyone, no matter how powerful they were. Even a hero such as All Might would be at risk. How could their teacher jump into the fray without any kind of backup? "A full frontal attack is…"

Their teacher shifted his head to the side, looking back at their group out of the corner of his eye. "You can't be a hero with just one trick. Thirteen," he began walking forward, striding with more confidence than Rei had ever seen from their exhausted and beaten looking instructor, "I'm leaving it to you."

As soon as he leapt forward, lunging through the air with incredible speed and accuracy, Thirteen took control. "Everyone, move to the exit!"

Rei wanted to watch their teacher in action, but her feet moved with the rest of the class. This was the real deal, and there was no sense in fighting when she was clearly outclassed by the attackers at this point. She would have to have faith in Aizawa-sensei, that he would be able to hold them off or take them down without help. He had a point when he said that it was impossible to become a hero without a few tricks up their sleeve, but what exactly could he do? Scratch that, what would he do? And what was she going to do herself?

Scowling, she ran with the rest of the class toward the exit. There was nothing they could do now to help in the situation, but perhaps it was for the best. They were clearly still green, only running through a couple battle simulations with one another and completely unprepared for facing an unknown enemy, let alone a group that outnumbered theirs. Rei wanted to sink her nails into something in aggravation, but she focused ahead. For now, she would leave this to the pros.

Suddenly a swirl of purple formed halfway between them and the door, exploding for a moment before taking a bit more shape. Yellow slats for eyes gleamed down at the group, forced to come to a screeching halt now that their exit was barricaded. Rei slid into a defensive stance, twisting her body and sliding into a defensive stance so that she could watch the enemy in front and look behind. Todoroki noticed her move and copied her, the two of them facing one another as their heads swiveled back and forth.

Rei caught his attention, staring him in the eyes. At least she could depend on her classmate to keep pace. They both had been quick to catch on to the elements leading up to this surprise attack, something that Rei appreciated and admired. "I'll take the back, you take the front?"

He nodded once, looking to the purple, hazy enemy in front of them. "Yeah."

Neither changed their stance, but it was easier now that they could cover one direction at a time. Keeping their heads on a swivel was dangerous, leaving small windows that could spell the end for them. Keeping an ear turned forward at the mysterious enemy, she watched the staircase with careful scrutiny, moving her sights along the sides of the walkway just in case someone tried to sneak up on them.

"Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves in to U.A. in order than All Might, the symbol of peace, may draw his last breath." His voice was a smooth, baritone, an edge of superiority and elegance lacing his words as he spoke. A shiver went down Rei's spine at his words before they fully hit her, making her look back in surprise. All Might?

"I believe All Might should have been here," he continued, the group a mixture of frozen in fear and completely speechless at the brazen and forward onslaught. "Has there been some kind of change?"

Shifting her position so that she could look both at Todoroki and keep her line of sight open, her eyes flickered between her watch and her peer's face. He seemed as calm and collected as ever, but a closer look at his eyes revealed the gears turning quickly in his head. Finally noticing Rei's occasional glances, the two exchanged a meaningful look, Rei whispering quietly so that no one else could hear them. "The reason for this attack… All Might?"

His eyes narrowed into a glare as he looked forward at the intruder. "So it seems. Keep your guard up."

Muttering under her breath, Rei focused back on the staircase. "Don't have to tell me twice."

With no one giving an answer, the enemy seemed to shrug his shoulders nonchalantly. "Well, that is neither here nor there. This is the part I am to play." Spreading his arms wide, he looked ready to attack, demeanor shifting from casual and inquisitive to reveal his villainous intent. Rei instinctively turned to face forward at hearing his tone change, muscles tensing for the certain attack.

But instead she watched in shock and fear as Bakugou and Kirishima bolted for the enemy, fists at the ready and quirks charged up. With explosive force Bakugou unleashed the charge in his gauntlet, smoke filling their air and violently swirling around from the attack. Rei lifted her arms to her face, attempting to block her eyes from the smoke. At least her face mask would protect her nose and mouth from the worst of the debris and hazy, but her eyes stung slightly at the sulfur and smoke. Closing her eyes for a moment before blinking quickly in an attempt to clear the irritants, she looked around in shock. Had they seriously landed a hit?

The smoke began clearing enough so that she could see ahead of the group. Bakugou and Kirishima stood confidently, completely unharmed. But as their visibility returned the villain returned into their view, purple haze swirling malevolently, as though irritated.

"My, my. That was dangerous."

"Get away you two!"

But Thirteen's cry was too late, Bakugou and Kirishima hesitating enough for the villain to take advantage of their shock. Expanding his body, the villain reared his head. "My job is to scatter you all and torture you to death!"

Purple tendrils shot out from his body, encompassing the entire group in a thick haze that was impenetrable. Raising her hands to protect her face again, Rei winced, closing her eyes as the wind whipped through the area and dried her eyes. It was her feet that began to sink into something, Rei's heart stuttering in fear. Was this what he meant by scattering them? What was going to happen to them?

Senses on overload, Rei felt as though she was suffocating for what felt like an eternity. This wasn't just any fog, this was something else. It was as though a heavy pressure was bearing down on her, an immense load bearing down on her and pushing her through a swamp that was pulling her legs. Opening her eyes for a moment, she realized that she still couldn't see anything, absolute darkness taking over. Then, she felt her legs emerge into the air, as though her body was being dropped from a cloud made of playdough. The feeling slowly rose up through her body, until suddenly her shoulders and head popped free.

Falling. Where was she falling? Opening her eyes, she realized that she was actually falling through the air, a bunch of dirt and broken buildings below her.

Not to mention, a mass of villains waiting at the bottom.

Reaching into her jacket without hesitation she pulled out a smoke bomb, hucking down below and listening to the enemies reacting in shock. At least her landing would be obscured. The villains would be the least of her problems, as long as none of them had heightened senses like she did. She ended up colliding with someone's head, feet striking an unfortunate soul's skull and sending them into the ground, knocking them completely unconscious. There wasn't even time for them to react, let alone groan. Instead they had collapsed upon themselves like a doll dropped carelessly onto the floor. Rei winced in apology instinctively, but she pulled herself together. These were the villains, the real deal. There was no time for apology, only time to strike quickly before they got the jump on her. In the misty fog of the smoke bomb she closed her eyes, opening the rest of her senses and listening carefully for footsteps and other movements.

There were four villains to her left, who had crowded close to her original landing spot. Darting through the thick haze she delivered a flying kick to one's head, sending them into the ground with a cry and a thud. The other three looked in her direction but refused to move, unaware of what exactly was happening. Weaving between them with ease she snatched a metal pole that one of them carried, whipping it around and clocking the remaining three figures and sending them into the ground. With satisfaction she delivered one final blow to each of their heads, ensuring that they remained unconscious.

"Oi, she's in here somewhere!"

"Come out and fight, you coward!"

"Coward…?" Lunging through the smoke she smashed the metal pole into another villain's head, the one who had taunted her, easily identifying where they had stood based on their outbursts. His friend next to him stiffened, Rei taking advantage of his locked limbs to conk him out as well, sending him into the ground. Huffing a bit and jabbing the pole into one's head, she seethed. "You're a coward for trying to take on a fifteen year old kid, asshole."

The smoke was beginning to dissipate, spreading over the area and losing its thick density and cover. As Rei looked around she could see the dim figures emerging in the smoke, making it easier to see exactly who was coming for her. Giving the metal pole a twirl in her hands and over her wrist, she tucked it under her arm, face in a frown as she thought of a plan.

She had to figure out exactly where she was. That was the first order of business. It was possible to simply wait out the smoke and take out as many enemies as possible, but she would be at a disadvantage, not knowing where she was while the villains most likely already knew the terrain. But if she jumped out of the smoke and revealed her location, the enemy would know where she was, making it more difficult for her once they all ganged up on her. She had the distinct advantage with the first six enemies of catching them off guard with her smoke bomb and disappearing into the mist, relying on her heightened senses to find them first and take them out. Now she would have to be careful.

Damn it, why did this have to happen? They were supposed to be doing rescue training, not waiting for rescue themselves! With a growl, Rei looked around once again, a few more silhouettes to her left cautiously wading through the smoke, most likely looking for her.

Time was running short. An idea popped into her head. What if she jumped up into the air above the smoke bomb to ascertain her location, then go back into the smoke bomb and rely on its cover to get out? There was precious little time now if she wanted to maintain the cover for a little longer. Crouching down quickly she sprang into the air, quickly clearing through the haze and popping up above the ground, looking around.

It looked like she was still in USJ. No, she definitely was, if the fire and water zones were anything to go by in the distance. Looking at all the broken buildings and dirt below her, it was now clear that she was in the landslide zone, on the cusp of the fake town and the mountain where the mud had flown. The villains had surrounded her smoke bomb, about nine of them on the fringes as they looked at it warily, uncertain if they should enter. But one of them happened to look up just as Rei was reaching her peak, sounding the alarm. "Look, up there! That girl's inside the smoke bomb."

Rei's eyes narrowed. Shit. Apparently they at least had general perception about them, though they still weren't the brightest and the best the villains had to offer if the numerous unconscious ones inside the fog were anything to go by. Still, if she remained in the smoke for just a while longer, drawing some of them inside, she could take them all. Readying herself for her descent, she tucked her legs into her body, forming a ball with her lower extremities and torso while her arms reached out to steady herself. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. She could do this. Those six inside the smoke bomb were blundering idiots, taken out by her almost in an instant. Only nine more to go.

"Akatsuki, move!"

Twisting to look behind her, Rei's eyes widened as she looked at Todoroki, who had apparently landed slightly further up the mountain. There was a deadly focus in his eyes, a dangerous look as he glared at the enemies below him. It was then that Rei saw the ice shooting out from his foot, realizing his plan in an instant. Twisting around midair she shot a grappling hook out of her left hand, the clamp digging into the mountainside just above where Todoroki stood and yanking her in a new direction. She grunted as she landed on the incline, feet barely tucking underneath her in time to stick her landing. Standing up she retracted the grapple back into her glove, turning to look at the devastation they had wrecked.

The ice glistened even in the mid-low lighting of the arena, frost and haze mixing and blowing away the smoke grenade she had thrown. All the enemies that Rei had encountered were frozen stiff, locked in icy restraints that held them securely in place. She stared for a moment in amazement, the beauty of the sparkling snow captivating even as the villains struggled before her.

"It's pathetic to lose against two children."

Rei looked to her classmate, whose back was turned toward her. Even so she could feel the unrestrained rage that emanated from him, hands clenched at his side. It wasn't from the exertion of his quirk, that much was for sure. Rei knew the feeling, the anger, the bitterness and disappointment of the adult world that lingered just beyond them. "Get ahold of yourselves. Aren't you supposed to be adults?"

It filled her with rage too. But Rei calmly walked toward her classmate, placing a hand on his un-icy shoulder. To her surprise, it was strangely icy, blood chillingly cold. If anything she had expected this side to be at least a bit warmer. But instead it was almost as if she was touching the ice on his left side itself. She paused, unsure of what to say, words temporarily forgotten in her distraction.

But when brown and blue eyes stared at her in surprise, her head cleared. There was no time for distractions; they had to get out of here alive. "Thanks. For the warning."

"It's nothing." The two of them began walking forward, Rei staying off the ice for the moment while Todoroki showed no qualms about slipping. His costume was most likely designed to resist sliding anyway. "Thanks to you, you took their attention off me when I landed."

"Like you said, it's nothing." Rei gave another twirl to the metal pole in her grip, a flourish for the fun of it. It had been a while since she'd had an actual, proper weapon in her hands. "But they're really not the brightest, are they? I was expecting a little more trouble, what with that first villain's threats about tearing us apart."

"Hmph." Todoroki only grunted in assent, looking at the enemies before them. He had been careful enough to leave their heads unobstructed, mostly because it would have meant suffocation and instant death if he hadn't. He wasn't a killer, even if these people were. But Rei was right. "'Scatter us and kill us,' huh? I hate to say this," came to a stop before the group, raising his voice at the enemies, "but you all look like the guys with quirks they didn't know what to do with."

Rei snorted in amusement, jabbing her weapon into the ground. "Couldn't have said it better myself. Aren't you all supposed to be villains? You look like the rejects from my middle school, and even those kids are more talented than you." Rei paused, lowering her voice so that only Todoroki could hear her. "Incoming."

Suddenly from behind them, a battle cry sounded. Rei rolled her eyes, ducking forward and sticking out a leg to trip her assailant. It had been a good idea to wait on the sides until the most opportune moment, but she had heard him coming from a mile away. Her nose wrinkled. And smelled him, for that matter. Man, if she could smell him through her face mask, she didn't want to know how bad the stench was without it on.

Sent flying forward with his weapon outstretched, the icy boy turned sharply on his heel, grabbing the weapon and freezing the enemy from both his hand and the ground. Encrusted with icy shards Todoroki glared at the man's face, the enemy realizing his mistake and shuddering under the withering stare. The high school student snapped the rod in half, sending the enemy face planting into the ground, unable to move and certainly more uncomfortable than before. Rei only stretched out her back, picking the weapon back up again and moving closer to Todoroki. "Now that that's over..."

The boy looked at the closest enemy, a plan formulating in his head. "Oi, at this point, your cells will slowly die. I want to be a hero, so I don't want something so cruel to happen if possible." Lifting his right hand to the villain's face, icy shards swirling around in the air, a haze appearing. Rei watched with interest, crossing her arms over her chest while looking around the area, searching for other assailants. Thus far, it seemed quiet, her senses not even picking up anyone that wasn't already encased in ice.

"On what base do you think you can kill All Might? Tell us your plan."

The man was clearly panicking, stuttering an answer out as best he could. "I-it's that creature! That t-thing they brought with them. They didn't tell us more than that!"

Rei leaned forward into his face, Todoroki moving to the side in surprise. The villain clearly wanted to shrink away from Rei's gaze, feral golden eyes glittering with pupils in dangerous slits. She knew how intimidating she looked with golden eyes on their own, but making them appear a little more feral and cat-like was enough to make even some of the most stalwart people quiver. "That's not good enough. He might have reservations about letting you die a painful death, but I'm not above a good beating if it comes to it." She delicately booped the top of his head with her metal pole, the man whimpering in anticipation. "Tell me things you do know then. Are there any others in this area? How many of you came here?"

"Th-there should b-be more in the city p-p-part as backup! We were split up am-mong all areas. We were just supposed to take out the students!"

"Tell me about that creature. What's so special?"

"I don't know! It's supposed to take down All Might though!"

Rei glowered at him for a long moment before stepping away. "If I find out you lied, I'll come back and kick your ass so hard, you'll be buried in this mountain and no one will find your body."

"It's true! I swear!"

Stepping back, Rei leveled him with one last glare before turning back to her peer. She blinked at his blank face, tilting her head in confusion. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head once, stepping further down the mountain on the ice. "You're surprisingly... persuasive."

She rolled her eyes, carefully following his footsteps down the mountain. "I prefer intimidating or terrifying, but I'll take it."

"Hmph. Remind me to stay on your good side."

"Let's just go get those stragglers and round them up."

"Yeah."

All Might…

He had to do something.

Midoriya couldn't just stand to the side. All Might was quite literally on death's doorstep, if that creature sucked him into that warp gate. Held in the vice grip of that monster he was trapped, weakening with every second.

He moved with hesitation at first, legs unwilling to carry him forward. But with every step he took his resolve grew, even if his fear only skyrocketed. These villains were too strong, too cunning, too evil. Surely they would destroy him in a heartbeat too. But he couldn't stand by the side, not while his greatest mentor and hero was stuck in a vice grip staring at the face of certain death.

He had to move.

He had to do something.

All Might, there's so many things I still want you to teach me.

All Might…

"All Might!"

Sprinting forward with all his might, Midoriya cried out for his hero, stretching a hand out desperately. Doing something was better than nothing, wasn't it? All Might looked down to see his young student. Midoriya hadn't noticed that the villains were looking at him too.

"How foolish."

In the blink of an eye the warp gate had formed in front of him, blocking Midoriya's route to his mentor. There was no escape. His momentum carrying him much too fast to slow down, green eyes widening as everything happened in slow motion.

He had failed.

Green eyes closed.

He was going to die.

BOOM

Body jerking in an entirely new direction, Midoriya was certain that had nearly exploded. But an explosion meant…

Suddenly he crashed into the ground, though something cushioned his fall. A grunt sounded near his ears, causing him to slowly open his eyes in surprise.

"Move, Deku! You're in the way!"

But Midoriya was no longer near the warp gate, where Bakugou was now slamming the metallic container into the ground with a battle cry. Instead Midoriya found himself watching from a few feet away, directly to the side of where he had been. Rolling off whoever had the misfortune of catching him and softening his landing, Midoriya jumped up with a cry of surprise as he realized who it was, joy still on his face. "Akatsuki-san!"

Groaning, Rei sat up from the ground as quickly as possible, still recovering from receiving the brunt of the impact from their landing while sending a glare at Bakugou, completely ignoring Midoriya in favor of biting off the ash blonde's head from a distance. "Idiot! I told you to aim more left!"

"Hah?" Bakugou glanced up briefly, eyes flashing wildly with maniacal excitement. "I told you to stay out of my way!"

Rei simply shook her head, aiming her glove back at All Might. "Whatever," she mumbled, eyes narrowing as she mentally calculated her trajectory. "This fight isn't over yet." Midoriya made a sound and motion to stop her, but she threw herself back into the fray willingly, whipping out a small throwing knife and plunging it into the un-iced hand of the creature. It didn't even cry out, seeming almost motionless and unaffected, but Rei saw its hand twitching in response. At least there was some sort of response, some confirmation that Rei was at least doing something to affect it. Twisting the knife even deeper, she looked to All Might. "Sensei, can you move?"

The symbol of peace only grunted in affirmation, wiggling in the loosened grip and flipping out of the vice hold. Immediately Rei copied his motions, withdrawing the knife and leaping back through the air to stand near Kirishima, soaring through the air in a high arc before landing in a crouch near her classmates. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, her heartbeat thudding loudly in her ears as she surveyed the scene with eyes that flitted around. Truly, fighting the villains earlier had been a little more in her comfort zone. At least they had human faces. Rei couldn't even begin to describe the monstrosity that lay before, a creature that had somehow restrained even All Might himself. Was that even humanly possible? Was this thing even human at all?

"The symbol of peace cannot be killed by the likes of you." Todoroki's monotone voice was betrayed by the stone cold glint in his eyes, a serious and deadly look that impressed even Rei. Dropping into a defensive stance she looked around at her peers, satisfied that Midoriya seemed fine at this point, albeit a tad teary eyed at the sudden rescue.

"We're all accounted for," she murmured to Kirishima. "Just that blue haired guy."

He sighed, clearly disappointed in his apparent failure. "Damn, it was just me that didn't get the pick."

"Don't beat yourself up. We still have the upper hand."

Almost all according to plan.

"Oi! Todoroki, Akatsuki!"

Rei and Todoroki both looked to the jubilant redhead waiving in their direction, walking alongside a stewing Bakugou. Slowing down to a stop, Rei and Todoroki waited for the other two to catch up to their position, Rei raising her eyebrows in question at their appearance and path. Kirishima sighed in relief as they met up, a tenuous smile on his face despite the desperate situation.

"Good to know you're both okay."

"Oi! Let's hurry up and go."

Rei looked at Bakugou, whose eyes were trained toward the central plaza. He seemed trained on a warpath, ready to continue moving to another destination. Raising an eyebrow, she looked between the two new additions to their group in surprise. Bakugou wasn't one to have plans, if their last team up was anything to go by. "You have a plan?" Her tone of voice was both surprised yet suspicious, somehow doubting that Bakugou had thought anything through as of yet.

Kirishima looked a little sheepish. "Well, not really a plan, but-"

"The plan's to smash that warp gate bastard and cut off their exit." Bakugou continued to storm off toward the fight, forcing everyone to walk a bit quickly to keep up with him.

Frowning, Rei stared at the explosive quirk boy. "You're terrible at this. Let's get behind the fountain and look at the situation first." Passive aggressively taking the lead, she started to jog over to the fountain, forcing everyone to follow her. Bakugou growled at being overtaken, catching up to her and complaining in her ear.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Quiet, idiot. We both know you're not the planner of this group, so sit down for five seconds while I think." Her answer came out as an aggressive whisper as the group drew closer, indicating that she wasn't about to take any of Bakugou's crap. He desisted with a noise of complaint, clearly annoyed at her point yet not moving to go against her either. The group crouched down next to the fountain, peering over the ledge. Rei's eyes widened. "Shit, not good. All Might's in trouble."

The other three boys peered over the ledge to see what Rei was seeing, surprise on all their faces. All Might restrained? It seemed impossible. Bakugou growled, hand threatening to explode, but Rei leveled him with a single look. "Shut up. Otherwise our cover'll be blow."

Relaxing his hands, the boy pouted. "Yeah, yeah. Hurry up so I can deck that warp gate bastard."

Todoroki pulled up next to Rei, eyes trained ahead as she spoke quietly. "I can take that creature and freeze him."

She nodded, looking over to Kirishima. The third boy crushed his hands together as quietly as possible, a grin on his face. "The blue haired boy is mine. Leave him to me!"

That left, well, nothing really for Rei. "I'll just work on getting All Might out of that monster's grip. It must be really tough if even All Might can't get out of it."

"Can we fucking go already?"

Rei hesitated, about to nod when a blur entered her field of vision. Bakugou growled. "Not Deku again…"

Standing up from their cover, Rei took command. "I've got Midoriya. Let's go!" With Midoriya, it looked like there would have to be a bit of improvisation, but she would take their impromptu meeting and briefest of plans as a success, considering Bakugou had been about to blast into the fray with nary a bullet point to his list of tasks. As the four burst onto the scene, Rei readied her gauntlet to fire, running in stride with Bakugou for a moment. She briefly glared at him, matching eyes in a fiery gaze. "Aim to the left a little. It's gonna be close."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, readying his fists as they bantered. "Why don't you just stay out of my way?"

"Just focus."

A series of small explosions sounded from Bakugou, the boy hovering creepily over the warp gate with an unnerving grin on his face. "Don't even move!" He barked a laugh, getting even closer into the villain's face, if it could even be called a face. "If I even feel you moving suspiciously, I'll blow you to smithereens!"

"Jeez, his attitude isn't very hero like."

Rei rolled her eyes before focusing back on the blue haired man, the only villain to move freely after their surprise attack. "When has it ever?" She muttered under her breath, mostly to herself, but she heard Kirishima chuckle to himself in amusement at her snarky comment.

"Nomu."

The group tensed as the half bird, half human beast began to pull itself out of the warp gate. Collapsing briefly on the ground, its icy limbs shattered into pieces, the creature flailing around but still alive and seeming to not care about its limbless state. Rei watched in horror as it shrieked, flopping on the ground as it attempted to stand up, a demonic creature from hell itself. Did it even feel any pain? Finally holding itself still, its eyes swirled in its sockets, locking onto All Might unblinkingly.

Midoriya gasped. "It's still moving? Even if its body is broken?" It was what everyone else was thinking, complete shock on Todoroki's face and horror on Rei as she watched the remaining ice shatter and fall from its limbs. No one, especially not the ice user expected this to even be possible. From the severed stubs muscles began expanding at a rapid rate, the innards and skeletal structure of the creature weaving together and materializing before their eyes. This wasn't just the creature moving with a broken body.

"Everyone, get back!" All Might threw an arm out, but the students stood in rapture at the horrifying beast before them. Rei felt her stomach grow sick at the sight, even as its raven black skin began to cover the exposed tissue. This wasn't natural at all. This was something even beyond her wildest nightmares. "What? His quirk wasn't shock absorption."

"I didn't say that was all he had." Even though the blue haired villain's voice was quiet, Rei could hear the chuckling in his undertone, still finding amusement in their horrified expressions. "This is his super regeneration. Nomu has been modified to take you at one hundred percent."

"Modified?" That was disgusting. How in the world did they even manage that? At least now it became clear that this creature was no longer human. It was a test, a modification, an abomination. From what it sounded like, it was as though it had been stuffed with quirks left and right in order to build some sort of monster that could even take on All Might. Was that the only thing that could take on All Might; a monster? Rei's fear of the creature only increased tenfold, watching as it stared in a docile manner back at them. No, it certainly wasn't docile. That thing was-

"Go, Nomu."

No one saw it coming. In the blink of an eye there was a sudden explosion of wind that violently threw them backward, Rei unable to keep to her feet. She cried out as she flew into the air, hands instinctively coming up to her face to block any attacks. But she had never been the target.

She was only on the periphery.

With a splash she was sent into water, the sudden cold shocking her, making her unable to move. She was frozen with surprise, followed by panic and fear. Muscles frozen in cold and anxiety, her mind just as chilled and unable to move, she began to sink.

She hated water.

She couldn't swim.

In an instant she began to panic, limbs thrashing as she attempted to swim toward the surface. She could see the glimmers of light in the distance, high above her head. Strangely enough she could also feel vibrations through the water, jolting her to the core as she struggled to break to the surface. Was the fight continuing? She hoped that she wouldn't be in the way, but her mind was consumed with the desire to survive. Desperation took over.

She released her air.

It was a feeling she had experienced before, the realization that she was out of air followed by a desperate and instinctive gulp that only brought water into her lungs. Choking, suffocation, asphyxiation; none of them could compare to the knowledge that no matter what she did, air was nowhere near her. Her arms and legs began to thrash more randomly, seizing as she slowly began to drown.

Just like before.

The madness was all consuming, all encompassing. In between the blurry bits of what she could see, she saw a figure coming toward her. A silvery outline, long wispy strands of hair floated in the infinite dark, indefinite and foreign as Rei strained to see. A pale face emerged in her view, and it was then that Rei knew she was slowly dying. She could imagine the school uniform, the old and tattered backpack, the slender hands that reached out for her. Half of her mind knew that it was only an illusion, a fever dream that her subconscious produced. Still, to see her here…

Rei's eyes closed, accepting her fate. Finally, after all this time.

Haru, have you finally come to take me too?

Oi, Akatsuki-san! Can you hear me?

Oi, wake up!

Rei, wake up.

Rolling onto her side, Rei heaved as much as she could, the water draining out of her system as it poured from her mouth. For nearly a full minute all she could do was lay on her side and cough up all the water she could in between desperate gasps for air. Pain, everywhere.

But she was alive.

By the time she managed to take in a deep breath, all she could feel was disappointment. So, she was back from the brink again, as per usual. It was impossible to even clench a fist in anger, her body so exhausted and heavy from trying to revive itself that all she could do was lay on her side, trying to catch up on getting as much oxygen into her body. Exhaustion. She had been drowning; how long had she been down there?

Visions of blue eyes and pale cheeks flooded in from her memory. Rei was certain she had been close to death. She had seen Haru, of that she was certain.

"Thank god, you're alive!"

Dryly, she unfortunately had to agree with that statement. Opening one eye and peering up, she looked at the sopping wet figure of Kirishima, red hair somehow only slightly bending under gravity. She wondered in amusement how much product and water it would take for it to stick to his head, a thread of amusement running. "Barely." Her voice cracked, making her cough even more. A shiver ran down her spine as her stomach cramped furiously, the familiar feeling of nausea returning. Groaning, she closed her eyes, trying to find a bit of relief.

"Don't worry, the pro heroes are here."

A small sigh passed her lips. "Everyone?"

So exhausted, she was unable to bring herself to formulate an entire question. But it seemed as though Kirishima caught her drift enough to answer her. "Fine. Midoriya's legs are bad from jumping in, but everyone's in one piece."

Rei hummed in satisfaction, allowing herself to go limp. She was much too tired for this. All she wanted was to go home and sleep for a day.

"Akatsuki? Oi, Akatsuki!"

AN: Ehh... I don't have much to say. I've tried editing the next few chapters, but something isn't clicking for me. Regardless, I'll be posting them ASAP (because I'm a monster and don't have regular update schedules).