Chapter 5

Deep End

The day had started out sunny and beautiful, a sure sign that spring was here. But as the afternoon wore on the clouds began to gather in the skies, a fluffy gray that began to turn dark and threatening.

Still, Rei and Haru didn't mind. Even if the waters were higher than usual and they were unable to pick up rocks to hurl back into the canal, they still sat on the edge of the bridge, talking about their day. It had been a good day; Haru had received top marks on a test, and Rei hadn't had to fight anyone off for the past three days straight. For the moment they were content to bask in the peace, talking about the little things in life: how they would show Haru's test to Miss Yuuka, how they would bargain for some snacks later on when they got home, how they would surely become heroes.

That was the bulk of their talk, ever since the subject had been brought up a couple years prior. Slowly and steadily, the two of them had begun to rise. With Haru's help, even Rei's grades were beginning to see the light of day, a ray of hope. Their teachers had been impressed, and bit by bit the notorious duo were gaining respect from their elders. If they had been impossible to ignore before, now they were outstanding, shining as bright as the futures they saw in front of them. They had done it, and although there was more to go, they no longer saw the future as inescapable or dreadful. Instead they had changed their destiny, their reality. No longer would they be the rejects, the orphans on the side of the road. They would pave the road themselves, laying down the foundation with their own hands.

Nothing lasted forever.

They were on a high, believing that they could do anything. Sitting on their high horse they were convinced that the world was open to them, if only they tried. The possibilities were only as finite as their dreams.

"Oi, it's the rejects!"

Rei instinctively scowled, leaning around Haru to look at a group of fifth graders that were coming across the bridge. She moved to stand up, Haru copying her movements with a look of uncertainty on her face as the group drew closer, their leering smiles building a sense of foreboding in the two girls' guts. Placing her hands on her hips, Rei sneered back at them. "Whaddya want?"

Their leader grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You two think you're hot stuff now that you're doing good? Don't you know that you're always gonna fail, no matter what?"

It was Haru who stood up straight, hands clenched at her side. "Leave us alone! We haven't done anything to bother you."

"Oh, you haven't?" The taunting tone in his voice vanished as he pointed a finger accusingly at Haru. Even though she was bolder and braver, she flinched at the accusation. Rei stepped in between them, using herself as a physical buffer as she snarled at the boy. She really didn't like where this was going. "Miss Know-It-All here has taken top of the class. My parents are gonna be furious when they find out."

Rei crossed her arms. "Isn't that your fault for not doing better?"

The boy snarled. "Shut up!" He pushed past Haru, shoving her to the side roughly in favor of getting in Rei's face. But golden eyes only gleamed as she stared coldly back into boring brown, refusing to let this entitled kid get his way. She knew how to play this game. Word were something she wielded well, and if it came down to a slander-fest she would undoubtedly win. Rei knew how to get under someone's skin, to rile them up. It was a gift, so to speak. Or at least she considered it to be for now.

She offered a knowing smirk, just to get further under his skin. "Mommy and daddy can't help you get good grades. Guess you'll just have to do better."

But now the boy only smirked back, immediately setting off the warning bells in Rei's head as she looked in confusion. "Trash like you shouldn't talk back, and you certainly shouldn't get in our way."

It was then that, out of the corner of her eye, Rei saw movement. Looking over the boy's shoulder, she froze in fear for a moment at the scene before her eyes. "Haru?"

Her friend didn't respond, didn't even acknowledge that she had heard Rei's voice. There was a strangely blank look on her face as she climbed over the barrier of the bridge, staring out into the distance. For a moment time stood still, the wind slowing as Rei helplessly watched in horror and fear, the laughter of the boy and his gang drowning out. On the precipice she stood, blonde tresses unbound as always and fluttering gently around her, like an angel of hope, teetering dangerously on the line of life and death.

She fell.

It was only after she began to tip forward that her expression came back, fear on her face as she began to fall. Limbs thrashing around in an attempt to get her balance back, it was already too late as she slipped from the edge of the concrete and fell with a scream. "Rei!"

"Haru!" But even as Rei stretched out a hand to catch something-a hand, a wrist, a piece of her school uniform-Haru slipped from her hands. The laughter of the boys only enraged her, getting her to land a solid punch on the leader's face, watching without pleasure as he fell to the ground, shocked. "You idiots," she seethed, tears coming to her face. There was no blocking the desperation in her voice, the horror, the fear, the pure angst as her voice cracked from her sudden screech.

"She can't swim!"

There comes a point where the joke must come to an end. The boys apparently realized this, their faces turning sheet white at their mistake. Their leader began to blubber, unable to put two and two together, eyes glazing over. Surely he hadn't realized the honest repercussions. No one did. "We-we were just, I…."

But Rei didn't want to hear it. Jumping over the bridge barrier with ease Rei immediately jumped into the waters below, not even hesitating. She crashed through the cold with shock, a cry instinctively coming from her as water threatened to fill her lungs. But she broke the surface with a sputter, trying to cough out the water from her lungs as she simultaneously looked around her. The water was carrying them quickly as the tide was higher than usual flowing through the canal, but Rei saw Haru hovering a bit further in front of her.

Doing the best she could, Rei awkwardly paddled through the water to reach Haru, who was trying her best to stay afloat. Her movements were sluggish, eyes glazed as she inhaled mouthful after mouthful of water and air, sputtering and coughing and trying to stay alive. Rei was in a similar boat, never having swum before in her life, but doing all that she could to reach her friend. She had to save her. That was what heroes did.

What seemed like hours passed before Rei was able to reach Haru, grabbing a flailing wrist in order to grab on to something. But with the new tether came all of Haru's panicking, her fears, her inability to make sense of the situation. Latching onto Rei, Haru began to push her friend down in an attempt to stay afloat, forcing a mop of black hair under the water. Confused, Rei attempted to get Haru to let go, but she was held in a vice grip, forced underneath the panicking girl.

There was nothing she could do. It was only a matter of time before Rei had to breath, the only thing entering her lungs a generous portion of water that made her twitch and writhe, the pain too much to bear. Still above, Haru continued to push her away, not to her intention, but only for her survival. With the world spinning and panic setting in there was no telling who was who, instincts unfortunately taking over.

Rei's world slowly went black, surrounded by bubbles and a dim light in the distance. There was no helping them, and she accepted her fate resignedly, embracing the cold dark waters around her as she closed her eyes.

She had tried to help her friend. At least Haru would survive. If this was what heroes did, then it was enough for Rei.

She had only passed out for a few minutes again, but apparently it was enough to warrant concern from the professionals on the field. Sitting on the grassy area outside USJ after everyone had finally evacuated, Rei continued to push the medical staff away while wringing out portions of her hair. It was a difficult task, seeing as only small clumps could fit in her hand in one grab, the choppy and messy strands standing out at different angles. The action only put a deeper frown on her face as she worked both for herself and to dissuade the medical professionals. She felt like a drowned cat, trying to preen itself back into at least a somewhat presentable figure, but all her attempts were certainly failing. It didn't help that the paramedics were circling her frantically, trying to get her to sti still so they could get an accurate read. But Rei had made up her mind. "Seriously, I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere."

"But you almost drowned! We must take you back to the hospital to check you for any remaining liquids in your lungs. If left unchecked-"

"I know, I know." Rei cut them off, shaking her head out and flinging small droplet everywhere, causing the two medics to flinch back slightly at the sudden movement and wetness. The young student looked at them in the eyes, exhaustion clear on her face but also mixed with determination. She had made up her mind, and she would be stubborn about it until she got her way, at least for now. "My quirk will make sure I'm fine and keep me from dying. If I have any other complications I'll see a doctor."

They had been arguing for for almost a minute now, with Rei resisting any other treatment. She had spoken the truth; she knew her quirk would prevent her from dying. But more than that, the last thing she wanted was a hospital bill for something she could handle. It would surely put a dent in her savings, and she couldn't bother the orphanage about footing the bill as is, what with the terrible and minimal funding they already received. The money was much better spent on the younger kids, and with summer coming up Rei wanted to make sure that their yearly fund for street food and other booths during the starlight festival was untouched.

She could be rather selfless at times, but only when things really concerned her. She wouldn't admit that much to anyone she barely knew, so she kept her inner thoughts to herself. Surely if she said such things, the medics would whisk her away without a second glance. It was safer to take her away to properly look her over, and definitely aligned with protocol. Who was this girl to ignore them? But she did so anyway, convinced and stubborn as a rock. Propping herself up on her hands and leaning back, she fought her exhaustion to try and keep a strong front up, a last ditch effort to dissuade the concerned techs. "I'll be fine. I promise."

The two didn't seem to believe her, but neither could they find any other reason to take her away. From what they could discern she was perfectly healthy with her vital signs stable, a shocking revelation after hearing from the red headed student who rescued her that she had certainly drowned. It was strange, absolutely bizarre. How was she looking so healthy, when not a few minutes ago she was in a life or death situation? It made no sense, other than the fact that she looked a little exhausted, the only other indicator besides her drenched exterior that she was telling the truth. But without any other concrete reasons to take her away for another diagnosis and analysis, they reluctantly stood and left their patient sitting on the lawn, moving back to their station. There were other villains to look at, and although they were the perpetrators of the situation there certainly were injuries that needed to be treated before they could be locked up in a cell where they belonged.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Rei slumped forward, placing her hands on her knees. That interrogation had been difficult to pull off, what with the careful scrutiny of the medical staff. She could only wish for a towel and her dry school uniform now, though the afternoon sun was working its magic and heating the black suit slowly. Still, it wasn't fast enough to ward off a shiver, running up her spine as she shuddered quickly.

She was still dazed. The haunting memory of what she had seen under the water still filled her mind, the ghastly tendrils of hair lingering between belief and uncertainty of what was reality. It wasn't the first time she had hallucinated a vision of Haru, but never before had it been so strong. Was it truly Haru's ghost coming to haunt her, right when Rei found herself on the brink of death? Eyes glazing over, Haru stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought. For years she had grieved, never quite getting over her loss, longing for the person who meant the most to her. But Haru had been there, just out of reach. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that she could see her best friend.

Was it possible? Reis seemed to think so. If this afternoon's events were any indication of what was in the realm of possibility, all she needed was a little risk, and the certainty of death. Macabre, but a reality. A plan began to form in her mind. It was more of a hypothesis, something that she wanted to test. To do so-

A hand entered her vision, forcing her to look up slowly, blearily. It was none other than her rescuer, a soft grin on his face. "You good?"

Rei watched Kirishima for a moment blankly before processing his words, finally coming up with a response. "Yeah." Grabbing his hand she allowed him to pull her up, an easy feat for the muscled teen. He watched as Rei rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn as she shook her head slowly. "Fine."

Internally she was frightened. More than that. But she couldn't show fear here; not now, in front of her peers. She didn't want to be the one to break first, to fall behind. There would be time for that later. At least Kirishima didn't seem to say anything or call her on her bluff. Instead he quietly took the lead with a grin motioning for her to follow him as the two of them rejoined the class. Falling into the back of the group without anyone truly noticing them, save for the detective at the front, they assimilated just in time for the head count that was beginning to take place.

"Eighteen…" He trailed off, noticing the last two filing into the back. "Nineteen, twenty." Jotting a note down quickly, he offered a small smile. "Aside from the boy who was injured, everyone seems to be in good condition."

The class began to chatter once again, Kirishima intermingling with the class again while Rei remained on the fringes. Even so, there was a hush over the group, even as they went through lengths to prove that they were fine and safe. It belied their confidence, the strength they attempted to display, working against everything that they tried to present and undermining their intentions. It was laughable. But even Rei couldn't say anything, lest she be a hypocrite herself. Instead she lingered on the periphery, trying to keep a sense of normalcy in order to keep herself sane.

She was ready to fall apart at the seams. The afternoon's events had shaken her up, in more ways than one. It wasn't just the villains' surprise attack, the way she had nearly been cornered if not for Todoroki, the gigantic creature or Nomu as it had been called. All those things she could rationalize as examples of what she would someday face as a hero, and while it had been early and taken her off guard it was a reality that she managed to accept. It was the things that she had almost forgotten, the darkness in her mind that now lingered after her brush with death. The lure of a watery grave had been all too frightening, familiar, and soothing. It was enough to drive Rei mad.

She just had to keep it together for a little while longer.

By the time they had all boarded the bus, the energy began to lift in earnest. Rei sat next to Jirou, the two of them exchanging nods of solidarity as the music lover plugged her ears with a pair of headphones, something Rei had no idea how she had not only snuck along, but manage to keep undamaged this entire outing. At least Rei wouldn't be forced into any conversations she didn't want to have at the moment. Crossing her own arms and closing her eyes, she leaned back in the stiff chair, attempting to make herself comfortable. But rest would not come, forcing her to shift uneasily every few minutes.

It took all of her restraint to not barrel her way to the front of the bus in order to run back to the changing room once they got back to the main campus, get back into her school uniform, and run away. Class was dismissed for the rest of the day, and she was more than ready to get out of this place. She felt stifled, shaken, and broken. She wanted to break. Her mind had been running down a dark place, and by the time she had picked up her backpack she had made up her mind of where she wanted to go.

She was the first one back into the classroom, quickly storing her uniform case back into its perch and briskly striding to her desk to pick up her bag. The worn material of her backpack sagged in her grip, but she paid it little mind as she heaved it over her shoulder and quickly exited the room. Turning in the opposite direction of where she knew her classmates would be coming from, she headed toward the emergency exit. There were no alarms set on the stairway, and Rei jumped over the ledge, hurling herself quickly down the center of the spiral steps and landing on the ground floor with a thud. Heart beating quickly, breath hitching, she knew it wasn't from the physical exertion.

Her hands shook as she exchanged her school shoes for her beaten boots, lacing up the ties as quickly as it was possible as she trembled. The pressure was there, sitting on her sternum, slowly pressing down until she cracked, finally shattering the tension and snapping the string that kept her upright. She refused to run from the school, instead walking as quickly as humanly possible, a gait that bordered a jog if not for the fact that she kept her feet solidly on the ground.

There was no way that she could take the subway. She would break down in an instant. Rei didn't want any more attention. Instead she let her legs carry her aimlessly, but as far away from the school as possible. Walking nowhere as quickly as possible, a hot tear snuck out from her eye. She wiped it away as quickly as she could, holding her breath and feeling her throat tighten in resistance. That was it. Grasping her bag firmly she jumped up into the air as soon as she moved out of range of U.A., looking at her surroundings. There was one place she wanted to go, one place that she could clearly think about.

In the distance she saw a canal in the middle of a quiet suburban area. School wasn't out yet, almost ensuring the fact that she would be unseen, undisturbed. There was a bridge about a kilometer away, and as soon as Rei touched down she started off in that direction. Another tear fell. This time, she let it roll down her cheek, dripping from her chin and onto her uniform.

She was being driven mad, from the inside out. And there was no way to escape it.

"Is Akatsuki-chan okay?"

The small group of 1-A students looked to Uraraka, who was staring out the window in concern. Each person followed her gaze, watching a figure hurrying off into the distance. It was odd, how she had so suddenly left. It was no shocker that Rei often acted on her own, always remaining on the fringes of the class with either an indifferent expression or a scowl on her face, and leaving as soon as possible. No one really knew why she acted that way, since no one really knew her. She was polite enough to everyone in order to leave a neutral opinion of her in everyone's mouth, though it was obvious that she kept everyone at a distance for some reason. Kirishima was the first to react, a smile on his face. "Don't worry about, Akatsuki. She said she's fine. She's really tough, you know?"

Clasping her hands in front of her chest, Uraraka looked downtrodden, a sad look on her face. "I don't know. She was awfully quiet today on the ride back."

Ashido laid a hand on the girl's shoulder, the two of them looking at one another. "Maybe she's just dealing with this afternoon on her own."

The answer didn't seem to be enough for Uraraka, as she shook her head slowly. "I don't know… Something just seemed off."

"Then I will go and see if she is alright! As class president-"

Uraraka quickly waved her hands in front of her. "N-no, that's alright Iida-kun! Besides, I don't think that Akatsuki-chan…" She trailed off, not exactly knowing how to breach the topic. It was obvious to almost everyone that, while Akatsuki was borderline polite enough to everyone, there were certain people that irked her and ruffled her feathers. The entire class sweat dropped as they stared at Iida, who continued to be as oblivious as ever.

"Then I'll go."

The class turned to the person who had just spoken. Uraraka hesitated, uncertain of what Akatsuki would think, but she nodded. After all, they were better than Iida barging in; at least this person would have some tact…

"Please take care of Akatsuki-chan..."

By the time she reached the bridge she had regained a tenuous hold on her emotions, though the tears had continued to run down her cheeks. The tightness in her throat and on her chest was a constant, a pain that only reminded her of what she was about to do.

The canal was wide and deep, rushing fairly quickly. Just like that day. Setting her bag to the side of the bridge, Rei removed her shoes slowly, carefully, setting them next to her pack. She then removed her gray uniform jacket, shivering as a cool breeze blew through the thin blouse. Even if it was March and sunny, it was still chilly without an added layer, but Rei resolvedly set the clothing aside, folded neatly onto her pack.

So she was here again. After she had vowed never to come back to this state of mind, to always push forward and away, it seemed as though it was inevitable. It was a part of her now, just as much as her quirk. Even her mentor couldn't take that away. Would she be disappointed in Rei?

There was a small voice inside her that told her to stop, to turn away, to put her clothes back on and go home. It was a small ray of hope in her heart that begged her to turn around, to find a bit of joy and clench onto it tightly. But the looming gray that had settled her mind was impossible to think through, her feet moving automatically as she pulled herself up to stand on the bridge's barrier wall. Placing a hand on a beam that held the bridge up, she looked out at the waters below, her eyes glazing over in thought.

Even if her heart wanted her to turn around, there was the bit of her from today that forced her forward. She had seen Haru. Rei wanted to see her again. Another shiver ran down her spine, not only from the chill of the early spring breeze, but from the anticipation, the knowledge of what she was about to do. She had never learned to swim, after all these years. She would drown, just as she had done today. But still…

She wondered if this would be the time, if it would finally happen today. What then? No one would miss her. She was a loner, a reject of society, born without love or a place. If she thought about it that way, then there risk was minimized. She could finally let go. She could see Haru.

With a steady inhale, she released her grip from the beam, stepping out from the bridge-

"Akatuski-san!"

Shit.

She panicked.

Rei often denied that she was a cat, that she only had "feline aspects" in her quirk. She didn't have a tail, cat ears, or whiskers, or any other defining physical features that would make her as such. Aside from the fact that her pupils would sometimes be slatted, there were no other physical markings or indicators that she was a cat. That aside, Rei had already accepted internally that, without a doubt, she had cat-like quirk. From jumping insanely high heights or falling without taking damage, heightened senses and regenerative properties, Rei would honestly hone up to the fact that she was, without a doubt, like a cat in that sense. She had an uncanny balance and graceful reflexes-most of the time.

This moment would be classified as the rest of the time.

An exclamation of surprise left her mouth, being caught off guard. Leaning her upper body backwards and pushing her hips out to compensate, she quickly discovered that her momentum had already taken her forward enough to tip her over the edge. Turning in the air she reached a hand out, eyes locked onto the cement slab that was the last outcropping possible. She could make it…

Someone grabbed her wrist.

This led to the rest of her body finishing the arc, slamming her torso into the concrete edge of the bridge. Rei groaned, eyes closing for a moment as she winced from the pain. She had been thrown around enough today; even if she was a tough cookie, there was only so much she wanted to take, and she was quickly reaching her limits both physically and emotionally. With a groan mixed with a growl she used her other hand to push herself up, helping her rescuer pull her up to safety. Grasping firmly onto the metal balustrade she heaved a sigh, looking up to see who had pulled her up.

Golden eyes narrowed. "You."

Yaoyorozu flinched at the accusing tone, a bit of sorrow and uncertainty crossing her features but not enough for her to release Rei's wrist. In silence Rei hoisted herself over the edge, bringing herself back to safety as she stared in anger and confusion at the self conscious girl, who hugged her arms closer to her and looked away. "Akatsuki-san…"

"I can't believe it." Growling, Rei turned back to her belongings not far away, storming over and grabbing her jacket. Throwing the item over her shoulders she buttoned it aggressively, looking back to her vice president. "Why are you here? Did you follow me?"

Even as Rei spit out her words, it only served as some sort of reminder for Yaoyorozu's purpose, the girl only seeming to regain her confidence. Squaring her shoulders and putting on a brave face for the first time that Rei could really remember in conversation with the girl, the class vice president spoke her mind. "Everyone was worried when you left. As class vice-president, I thought that I should check up on you…"

Rei had been shoving one of her shoes on her feet, but her classmate's comment was enough to make her look up. Everyone had been worried about her? She stared at the other girl before scoffing, resuming the process of lacing up her boots. "Yeah, right."

"It's true!" For the first time, Yaoyorozu seemed less self conscious about herself, arguing passionately as she clenched her fists near her chest, taking a step toward Rei. It caught the black haired girl off guard, fingers pausing their task. "We know you keep to yourself a lot, but you're a part of our class. Uraraka was worried when you left so quickly. So were the rest of us." For a moment she looked defeated, hands lowering. "I know today was rough, but you don't need to do this on your own. Let us help-"

"Everyone just leaves me anyway." Rei yanked the laces tighter, cutting Yaoyorozu off with a sharp tone. She kept her eyes trained on her task, tying the laces into a knot at the top and grabbing the other boot. "Once everyone finds out who I am, they'll want nothing to do with me." Pausing, she looked up with impassive gold eyes. "You too."

"And yet, you want to be a hero. You would not be here if that was not true, correct?" At a loss for words, Yaoyorozu simply watched as Rei finished tying her other boot, standing up but refusing to move. "Akatsuki-san, why do you push everyone away?"

Rei had to admit, the girl had an awful lot of courage to stand up to her even after all Rei had done to push her away. In fact, this was one of the first times where she had seen Yaoyorozu so resolute and adamant about something, completely resolved and unwilling to back down or doubt herself. Rei had intentionally been hostile to keep the girl away. If she pushed her away, then at least Rei wouldn't have to be on the receiving end first. But standing here, there was something about her vice-president's resolve that had Rei opening her mouth, if anything, to finally push her away for good.

It was better this way.

Turning to the edge of the bridge to stare out at the waters, Rei placed her hands on the guard rail. For a moment she simply stood their, trying to find the words to start. "Do you want to know why I tried to throw myself from this bridge?" She didn't wait for an answer, instead diving into her story.

"Haru was my best friend. We made a promise to become heroes someday. She was… incredible." Rei's eyes softened as she began to talk earnestly, face covered with a yearning. "She was everything I couldn't be. Smart, pretty, talented, dedicated. She was going places, you know?"

At this Rei could feel her throat tightening again. She was forced to stop as she collected herself, leaning forward and placing her forearms on the rail. Swallowing, she tried to find the voice to go on, but found that she was at an impasse.

It was Yaoyorozu who spoke out tentatively. "'Was'…?"

Hunching over, Rei's brows furrowed as her eyes became hard. Hands clenching the metal beneath her fingers, she shook. "It was around this time, five years ago. A group of boys were angry because Haru had passed them to become top ranked in the class. They threw her from a bridge into the canal below." Yaoyorozu gasped, a soft noise that had Rei's heart breaking all over again. Looking at the water below she could almost see the two of them struggling in the water all over again, ready at death's door. "I jumped in to save her. But neither of us could swim. When I got to her, she pushed me under, trying to survive. I lost consciousness."

Yaoyorozu stepped closer, slowly, until she was leaning against the guardrail next to Rei. Glistening silver eyes watched her companion's face carefully, even as the first tears began to fall. "I was supposed to die. But then I woke up in the hospital." Pulling one of her hands from under her, she looked over it, watching detachedly as her hand clenched and unclenched. "My quirk saved me. But it was too late for Haru."

"How could anyone do such a thing?"

Rei's fist clenched hard. "Because of who we were." Standing up straight, she looked at Yaoyorozu. "We were orphans, the trash beneath their shoe. Those kids couldn't handle anyone being brighter than them, especially a societal reject." Her gaze turned hard, anger flowing out of her as she began to rant. "Don't you see? Everyone leaves, because I'm not even supposed to be here! I should have died the day I was born. I should have died that day in the river. I shouldn't be here…"

Her voice cracked, and with it her exterior. Shoulders crumpling, Rei buried her face in her hands. "...because Haru should be here."

She had been holding back all day, stifling her emotions, waiting for a point where she could just let it all go. Rei hated showing emotion, had no intention of breaking down in front of anyone, especially her vice-president. But everything was too much, the swirling emotions and tightness that threatened to crush her throat and her ribs finally cracking and exploding. Forced to run away from villains, to fight villains, to see Haru again, to try and keep her composure to act tough in front of her peers. So she let go. Heaving a sob she cried, allowing the tears to drip through her hands and run down her forearms, absorbed into the gray uniform jacket. It didn't matter what Yaoyorozu thought anymore. She would leave anyway-

A pair of hands rested on her upper arms, jolting Rei and forcing her to look up. She looked at Yaoyorozu's pained smile, a reassuring gesture that trembled even with her own emotions. Thumbs tracing circles on Rei's upper arms, Yaoyorozu spoke softly, voice filled with gentleness and sympathy. "But you are here, Akatsuki. Even if you wish it were some other way, none of us would. I would not want anyone else to sit behind me in class, to stand with me in a villain attack." Her smile became even more genuine though muted in a way to match the current swirl of emotions, but there was a bright light behind her that shone into Rei's eyes. "Your past does not define you. You got here on your own, and you deserve to be with us."

Rei would never have believed Yaoyorozu. She would have dismissed her words as placating, fake, intended to cheer her up before leaving her alone. But looking into onyx eyes on that afternoon, Rei was forced to realize that she had been wrong. She could hear the honesty in Yaoyorozu's voice, the truth in her words. Your past doesn't define you. Rei knew that her peer had meant it, would not judge her from where she came from, a past as unloved and unbroken as she was. Trembling, she sniffled, even more tears flowing from her eyes.

She didn't flinch away when Yaoyorozu drew closer, wrapping her arms around the much shorter girl and pressing her gently to her chest. Rei didn't mind the closeness, the gesture. Instead she found herself hugging the girl back in earnesty, the tears still flowing.

"Akatsuki-san."

Rei pulled back with a sniffle, looking into Yaoyorozu's eyes. The girl removed one sleeve of her jacket quickly, manifesting a cluster of tissues quickly and handing them to Rei. Accepting them with a grateful smile, she blotted her eyes and blew her nose hard, trying to rid herself of all the snottiness. She hated crying, if only because it was difficult for her to smell and breath afterward. But she looked back to her friend, who was staring in concern.

"Akatsuki-san, why did you try to jump?"

Wincing, Rei wrapped her arms around herself, looking to the side. She had forgotten that she had mentioned that to Yaoyorozu. Looking back it was a part of her shame, the dark side that she so often wanted to forget but found herself consumed by. But she wouldn't deny Yaoyorozu that information. Afterall, she had saved her. She deserved that much of an explanation.

"My quirk," Rei began, trailing off. "They call it Nine Lives. It mostly refers to my cat-like abilities, but… also something else." Heaving a sigh, she lifted heavy golden eyes up to make eye contact. "Drowning, hanging, bleeding myself out, overdosing. I've tried it all. None of it can kill me."

"Akatsuki…"

Shaking her head, she continued on. "Earlier today, when I was drowning, I saw Haru. I thought that maybe…" She sighed. "Maybe, that this was finally the end."

Silence. With every passing second, Rei had the growing feeling that she should have held back. Perhaps an orphan was enough for Yaoyorozu to accept, but a suicidal maniac that wanted to throw herself at death's door every time the opportunity arose? She began to close her heart up, sewing herself back together. Just her luck, to find someone that would accept her, only to push her away.

A pair of hands grabbed onto her own, enveloping them in a strong grasp that was warm and comforting. Rei looked up in surprise and confusion, staring at steady onyx orbs.

"Don't let it be. Haru wouldn't want that, would she?"

That was enough to crack her open. Even if it was just a little, like a hesitant crack of a door as she peered around the corner, uncertain of who was on the other side, it was enough for the ray of hope to take over once again, pushing the dark clouds away. They were still there, as they always had been, but the future for the first time in a while didn't seem so bleak, so harsh. A smile cracked on Rei's face, tears threatening to spill again.

"Yeah. Yaoyorozu-san?"

"Please, call me Momo."

"Right… Momo. I'm sorry I've been a jerk."

"It's fine. Do you feel better?"

She would never know just how wonderful Rei felt in that moment, even in the pain.

Yaoyorozu had walked with her to the station, filling the space with chatter that Rei found herself warming up to. As it turned out, Yaoyorozu wasn't the rich girl Rei had expected her to be; even while she had her moments, the girl had a heart of gold that underlied every action she made. It was respectable, and Rei found herself slowly opening up to the girl with every question and answer that bounced between the two.

She had made Yaoyorozu promise to keep everything she had said a secret; even if Yaoyorozu was accepting and kind, Rei wasn't prepared to face the rest of the class with her deepest and darkest secrets. They had made the conversation light from then on out, and by the time they reached the station Rei found herself promising to eat lunch with the girl the next day, swayed by her earnest enthusiasm. But even Rei found herself looking forward to the excursion, a small smile on her face the rest of the way home.

There was one final stop to make before returning home, however. Stopping by a flower shop, she picked up a small bouquet of brilliant gerbera daisies, clutching them tightly as she made a small detour to her route.

The cemetery was empty, the warm afternoon glow illuminating the patchwork of tombstones as Rei made her way down familiar paths. Towards the back of the land, near a cherry blossom tree, Rei sat down next to a small tombstone, brushing away the flower petals and cleaning the marker before laying down her own bouquet. Sitting on her shins, she breathed in deeply, sitting for a moment in silence before speaking.

"Hey, Haru."

Wind whispering through the branches and rustling the flowers around, Rei spoke in a hushed tone, as though someone would overhear her. "So, we're getting close to the end of the first week at U.A.. Can you believe I made it?" She laughed, though it trailed off at the end with sadness. "You should be here with me. There's not a day that goes by where I don't imagine how you'd handle the teachers, or how you'd do in the battle tests. You'd be amazing here, Haru."

Breathing in deeply, she began again. "I made a friend today. A rich kid, no less. You'd probably laugh." Chuckling to herself, she sheepishly scratched her head. "But she's nice. You'd love Momo-san. She can create any unliving thing with her quirk. She's smart, and sometimes kind of annoying with how perfect she is, but…" Rei smiled sadly. "She didn't look down at me, when I told her that we're two societal rejects."

"I think Momo would like you too. The two of you'd get along well. You'd be unstoppable in battle teams. Oh, did I mention that All Might is teaching? He's really… something." This time Rei laughed freely, thinking about how he had strode into class on the first day of school. "That man seriously prances around the room, kind of like how we used to imitate reindeer back in kindergarten. And Eraserhead is our homeroom teacher. There's so many pro-heroes teaching, it's really incredible. I just… wish you were here to see it."

"Haru," Rei began, resolvedly. "I promised you that I'd become a hero for you. There's so much you didn't get to do, and there's not a day where I don't wish you were here in my place. If it meant that you got to live, then I would give my life in a heartbeat."

"But, is it okay, Haru? If I do this for myself too?"

AN: Okay, so I reread through what I've written and I... actually am okay with it? I'm trying to update as fast as possible for all y'all, so there will probably come a point when I'll need to take a break and write more. Currently I'm making more edits with the 22nd/ 23rd chapters, since they're pretty flimsy, so hopefully that'll be done by the end of this week.

Please review! It helps me write faster so I can update more :)