Chapter 6

One Step Forward

"Akatsuki-san?"

Everyone's head snapped up at Tokoyami's remark, freezing Rei in her tracks for a moment. It was overwhelming to have that many pairs of eyes on her all of a sudden, and Rei wanted nothing more than to slink away into the shadows and skulk over to some unwatched corner. But much to her surprise, the more that she looked at their faces and scruitinized their reactions there was only… surprise. No hate, no suspicion, no one looking like they were ready to smash her head into the ground. Scratching the back of her neck where her hairline started, she shifted her weight, looking away sheepishly. "Hi." It was lame, but no one seemed bothered, still too shocked by her apparently willing appearance.

"Akatsuki! Come sit!"

Rei looked up, blinking in surprise as she saw Yaoyorozu on the other end of the table, waving her hand calmly. Sure enough, the brilliant star student had saved her new friend a seat, earning a small smile and a tentative wave from Rei herself. Walking around the back of the table to the other side, she plopped down gratefully, unpacking her homemade bento.

"Woah, Akatsuki is sitting with us."

"This is exciting!"

"She isn't so scary when she's eating!"

Opening her chopstick case with a click, she hid her smile as best she could. Normally she would have immediately told them off, her heightened hearing catching everything her classmates said without them realizing it oftentimes. Usually she would have been irritated that they were saying things about her, hiding them from her face.

Today she felt nothing. Well, except for a bit of humor and relief. It seemed as though they weren't as against her as she thought. She tried to ignore the dark voice in the back of her head that nagged away, pushing it back into the corner where it belongs. Today she was sitting with a friend, and she would do her best to stay as positive as possible.

Well, as neutral as possible. She wasn't making any promises.

Thankfully, Yaoyorozu came to her rescue. "How was your day off? I didn't get to ask you earlier."

Covering her mouth while swallowing and speaking, she readied her next bite. "Good, I guess. There's lots of work to be done around the house." She spoke carefully, not wanting to drop any information she wasn't ready to share yet while also wanting to speak truthfully. Facts aside, they were in a public space with a hundred ears around them, and Rei was willing to be that she wasn't the only one with stellar hearing. Shouji was a prime example of that. Popping another small bite of food into her mouth, she covered her mouth as she spoke. "Whaddabout you?"

Momo seemed amused with how Rei both spoke with her mouth full while trying to be as considerate as possible, at least covering her mouth so no one could see the beginnings of her digestion. But she smiled in a carefree manner anyway, responding with pep. "I spent it reading more books. It's good to be prepared. There's so many things I could make, but I'm only limited to what I know."

Humming in interest, Rei appeared as though she was looking at her friend in a new light. "Incredible. No wonder you were recommended for U.A., Momo."

She flushed under the attention, accepting the compliment while also trying to push it away. "It's nothing much, since I need to make sure that I am keeping up with everyone. Remember what you said, during the first battle trial?"

Rei blinked, then looked away sheepishly. "Oh. Yeah. I was an asshole, wasn't I?"

"But you were right." Yaoyorozu offered another smile. "I need to keep working hard, if I want to keep up."

Everyone stared at the two in apparent shock, the two girls carrying on their conversation softly and unaware of the looks they were receiving. Kirishima slapped his cheeks as though to make sure that he wasn't dreaming, looking at the rest of his classmates to make sure that they were seeing the same thing. "Oi, are we all seeing this…?"

"Yaomomo and Akatsuki…"

Jirou leaned forward on the table, watching the two chatter away. "I wonder what Yaomomo said to Akatsuki yesterday. Usually Rei's all glares and gloom, but now…"

To be frank, Rei wasn't outright smiling. But neither was she emitting the normal aura that screamed for everyone to get lost around her. She was less Bakugo-esque and more Yaoyorozu, if anything. Instead she seemed more to be the watchful and lazy cat, whose eyes saw all and stared unblinkingly at the room, watching everything and everyone. What was more was that she was actually not just tolerating Yaoyorozu, but actually actively sat with her and talked with the girl. They wondered just what Yaoyorozu had said to her the day before…

Which was just as scary. How had Yaoyorozu befriended the ball of fury that sat in the corner? Maybe their vice-president was just as scary. The group sweat dropped, looking on in confusion and interest. Perhaps it was for the best if they didn't know, and just accepted it as one of life's odd outcomings and moved on.

The end of the day had finally come, after another tedious day of lessons and sitting around. Stretching her arms into the air, Rei scrunched her face tightly into a ball for a moment before relaxing, looking forward blearily. Yaoyorozu turned around in her seat, looking excitedly at Rei with a glimmer in her eyes. Uncertain if she was ready for whatever her new friend was planning, Rei leered at her suspiciously, squinting her eyes as her vision returned to normal. "What's that look for?"

Instead of answering, the creator quirk girl pulled something from her lap, extending it into the air and setting it onto Rei's newly cleared desk. Staring at it for a moment, Rei sat stunned. "This is…"

"Yesterday, I noticed that your backpack was wearing a little thin. I tried to keep it the same as your current bag, with a few renditions of mine since I didn't really know the internal specs of it so I improvised with some of the pockets…"

She continued to prattle on about the specs of the bag as Rei held it in wonder, sifting through the pockets herself as she gently touched the fabric. It was of a much higher quality than her current one, what with it being from the dollar store and not the most sturdy, the cheap synthetic materials replaced for dense fabrics that felt weather repellent. The lining was silky smooth, the pockets well sewn as Rei gave a small tug to test it out. If Rei had to put a price tag on it, she would have to work multiple shifts to get something as nice as this, stunning her into silence even as Yaoyorozu continued on nervously.

"I wasn't sure what your favorite color was, so I just stuck to the color scheme you already have. If you don't like it, I can always-"

"I love it."

Rei looked up with a small smile on her face, cutting Momo off. "I've never had a gift like this before. Thank you."

She pulled her old back onto her lap, removing all her materials and placing them in her new bag. Her new bag! She was ecstatic; she had never had such a gift before, and she was eager to try it out. Rolling up the old, flimsy bag and shoving it into a corner in her new one, she zipped it up and stood up, slinging it over her shoulder. "Thank you, Momo. I love it."

It was apparent that the girl had been stunned into silence, staring in shock as she watched a smile form on Rei's face. She was smiling. Rei looked at her friend, blinking owlishly. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." Shaking her head and her hands, she reached for her own bag, standing up confidently. Rei decided to not press the matter, already talking more than normal as was. It was shocking how exhausting socializing could be when she hadn't hung around so many people in so long. She was ready to head home and drop dead asleep, but there was work to be done first. At least Yaoyorozu seemed to pick up on this, but avoided mentioning the topic. "Do you want to walk to the station together?"

Rei was about to nod, when her ears picked up a steady hum of noise beyond the classroom. She hesitated, instead turning to look at the door at the corner opposite from her desk. There was someone-no, there were a bunch of people outside the classroom of 1-A. Why would there be so many people, and why weren't they coming in? Rei froze as she watched Uraraka approach the door, apparently oblivious to what was going on outside, golden eyes trained on the poor girl.

The door opened, revealing a flood of people waiting outside the door.

"Huh? What's going on?!"

The shock on the gravity girl's face was apparently shared with everyone else in the classroom as they stared at the mob that lingered just beyond the threshold of the classroom. How were they to get through such a crowd? But Rei only looked at the crowd in determination, nodding to Momo. "Let's get out of here."

Surprised, Yaoyorozu followed behind Rei's confident strides. "R-right…"

Rei heard Iida calling out to the crowd, the rest of their classmates talking amongst themselves nervously in confusion. Leading the way for Momo, she strode forward confidently, ready to wither anyone who even dared cast a wrong look in their direction. But just as she was reaching the front of her row, Bakugou stood up, nearly crashing into Rei, who scooted to the side.

The two looked at each other in brief surprise before Bakugou smoothed his face over with a small sneer. "Are you gonna move?"

Raising an eyebrow, Rei looked back to the crowd at the door, her gaze darting between the two a few times before finally opening her mouth. "Depends. Are you gonna handle those pathetic fanboys hanging at the door, or should I?"

For the first time that Rei could remember, the red eyed boy smiled at her. It wasn't menacing or intended to scare her away, and it wasn't a look that lorded over her. Instead it was more of a twitch of the corner of his lips, a raised eyebrow that seemed to look at her in a new light. Rei wanted to roll her eyes. Wasn't it obvious that the students standing at their door were scouting out the competition for the sports festival? But considering some of their classmates and their ability to put two and two together, perhaps it wasn't so obvious to others. Perhaps that was why Bakugou was looking at her with a look of appraisal, as though seeing something in her that was worth keeping around.

Rei rolled her eyes. "Scratch that. Don't even know why I bothered asking. Just don't do anything too stupid."

Stepping away to make room for the boy, she watched as he rolled his eyes, slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading for the door. It was useless to ask Bakugou such questions; that boy had his mind made up within a split second, and she was foolish to pretend she didn't know otherwise. She followed close behind him with Yaoyorozu still trailing behind at a bit of a distance, hands in her pockets as she stood up straight, eyes returning to looking bored. A bunch of harpies, the lot of them. Vying for attention, trying to see who was the strongest; none of it mattered. If they got in her way, she would crush them.

Mineta was currently at the front of the class, shrieking into the void of students. "We can't even get through! Just what are you all here for?!"

"Scouting the biggest threat-"

"Scouting out the enemy, small fry."

Rei and Bakugou has spoken at the same time, much to the surprise of the class and the students on the fringes who watched their casual approach. The two shared a look of surprise and raised eyebrows at having spoken simultaneously and on the same track, but Rei only shrugged her shoulders, pointing her chin towards the bigger problem and for him to continue.

He seemed to accept her direction, stepping ahead without flinching. He couldn't help but soak up the spotlight, no matter what situation. And he was a natural, taking the stage and capturing everyone's attention in one fell swoop. "We're the ones who made it out of the villain attack. They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival." Walking straight up to the door and staring back at the expectant faces, most of the crowd withered immediately under his intense and piercing gaze. "Move outta the way, extras."

While Iida and the rest of 1-A began to panic over Bakugou's words, Rei stepped up next to him, crossing her arms over her chest as she threw a lazy gaze around. "At least get out of our way and quit blocking the doorway." She paused. "Please."

"I came to see what the famous class A was like, but you seem pretty arrogant. Are all the students in the hero course like this?"

Frowning at the new voice, Rei watched as a purple haired boy pushed his way to the front. She snorted. Of course, she would try and play even a tad bit nice, and the first person to accuse them of being over their heads is the person who pushes arrogantly through the crowd. The new kid was one to talk. Staring down her nose at him, she squinted her eyes as he came to stand in front of her and Bakugou.

He continued to address the blonde boy, completely disregarding anyone else around them. Rei was miffed even further. First he had the audacity to push through everyone else and ignore them, and now he only focused on Bakugou, completely ignoring her? But the boy continued on, an emptiness and detached aura about him. "There are quite a few people here who enrolled in General Studies and other courses because they didn't make the hero course. Did you know that?"

From Bakugou's silence, they knew the answer. But Rei had had enough. "Obviously. From experience, one can never be too careful about limiting their options." She forced the boy to turn toward her direction, gold eyes meeting violet. Leveling him with a look and meeting him head on, Rei's eyes flashed. "U.A. is gracious, in that it gives its student the opportunity to rise to the occasion. Just as some may fall from grace as well."

Her comments were enough to get a small glare from the boy, obviously having stolen the thunder from him. Good. He seemed pretentious enough as is; there was no need to keep him on that dramatic high horse. With a scoff, he crossed his arms and mirrored her posture, looking to the rest of 1-A. "I didn't come here to scout. I at least came here to say that, even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep the floor out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

"Then I'll assume that you're off to 1-B to deliver the same message?" The entire class flinched as Rei went on the offensive, taking a step forward and forcing the purple haired boy to step back in surprise and shock. Waves of irritation rolled off of her, the initial bored appearance she had carried at first transforming into displeasure as she scoffed. "Consider your message delivered. Now leave, or get out of my way."

The turn of events had been so shocking, a path immediately parted for Rei. She didn't wait for anyone to follow her, already steaming so hard that she was ready to explode. Pretentious little mother fu-

Inhaling deep, she released all the air out of her chest, letting the scowl slowly fade from her face. Who did that kid think he was? Obvious, he seemed like someone who had tried to get into the hero course but had failed, for whatever reason. He seemed strong enough, but Rei was slightly curious as to the reason why he hadn't gotten in. Only slightly. The rest of her was absolutely muffed by the fact that he had dared to stand in that doorway and pretend that his brain was five miles ahead of the rest of them. Sure, he was obviously smart and obviously planning something, but he was singling out 1-A no matter what he said. Even if he said he didn't care about the villain attack, Rei could tell he was intrigued.

Liar. Giving one final eye roll, she angrily opened her locker, aggressively removing her school shoes and sitting down with a huff to tie her laces. Stupid, stupid, stupid. And she had left Momo behind in the classroom, damn it! She would just wait by the school gates for her to come down. They'd meet up eventually. She needed to let off some steam anyway, still riled by that encounter. She couldn't help it that there were just some people that set her off; they were the figurative embodiment of someone rubbing a cat's fur in every which direction, slowly riling it and setting it off. Rei just so happened to be the cat, figuratively and literally.

A figure sat down next to her, and Rei paused in her motions to look at the newcomer. To her surprise, a scowling Bakugou had sat down right beside her, all his focus thrown on tying his shoes. The corner of Rei's mouth twitched upward as she resumed tying her shoes. She couldn't help but make some small talk, so irritated by the purple haired boy's attitude and talk that she had to run her mouth to let off more steam. "That one guy was annoying. Wonder what his quirk is, if he still is aiming for the hero course."

The boy clicked his tongue, standing up quickly and readjusting his hold on his bag as he slung it over his shoulder. "None of my business, if he didn't even make it in."

Putting the finishing touches on her boot, Rei stood up as well, grabbing her bag and walking out the door. Bakugou followed behind before falling into step as they walked at a casual pace toward the front steps. "It might be worth learning. Some people may not have great offensive capabilities, but their quirks are just as dangerous."

"Whatever. If he gets in my way, I'll just beat him up."

"Guess that's a plan." Rei took a moment to actually look at the boy, now that he was next to her. He towered over her, a good foot and then some higher than she was, an intimidating person to be sure even without his dark scowls. His hair shot out in every direction, much like his explosive quirk that he wielded with deadly intent. All together, he wasn't terrible to look at, even if his attitude was often unsavory. The thought was enough to give Rei pause; come to think of it, he wasn't as terrible around her as he was with the other students in their class. Maybe it was because she could hold his gaze without flinching, or otherwise be relatively unintimidated by him? It was a thought, but surely there were other students who didn't mind him.

Scratch that. She was one of the only ones. Even Midoriya, who had grown up with Bakugou, was terrified of the boy and could barely form a cohesive sentence around him.

It didn't matter in the end. Rei was her own person, and she refused to back down. Even when Bakugou noticed her staring, peering over his shoulder to look at her, she only met his gaze with a blank stare. He looked down in loose annoyance, more inquisitive than anything. "What're you looking at?"

"You." Rei wouldn't cut corners. "You're not bad, Bakugou."

"Huh?" Now he looked somewhat irritated, but Rei only gazed forward impassively, even as the explosive boy began to get riled. "What're you going on about now, Akatsuki?"

"Take it how you will."

"Why're you always so cryptic? Just speak plainly for once, dammit."

Rei smiled to herself. "I thought you were just a stuck up brat with an attitude problem. You still are, but you're powerful. You'll be a great hero."

"What-" His brain appeared to short circuit, unable to process the diss and the compliment for a moment as he tripped over her words. He most likely hadn't expected her to be so honest, but Rei only played when she felt like it. She had seen how serious he could get during the villain attack at USJ, how it seemed like he was simply gunning for the strongest guy in an attempt to prove himself, but how his logic was also solid, even if his intents often obscured the core reason. He was smart, and able to think on his feet. There was no denying that he was physically strong, a brute in his own right with a quirk that made him to be like a shooting star barreling across the sky.

Rei knew that, without him, they wouldn't have been able to be as effective in saving All Might. He hadn't crumbled, not once. He was a rock, unshakable, and that was what impressed Rei the most. No matter how offstandish he was or how brusque his personality, he was solid to the core. And that was something Rei admired.

"You better come out on top during the sports festival," Rei continued, pretending to be oblivious to his sputtering, "with all that talk. Don't drag the rest of us down too."

Back on safer ground, he tossed his head. "Tch. I should be saying that to all of you. Don't drag me down during the festival, or I'll kill you."

They had made it to the front gates, Rei stopping short of the exit and forcing Bakugou to turn around and stop. She looked at him with a small grin on her face. "When have I ever? I told you that I have no to plans to take the top, but I'll take anyone down that stands in our way."

"Huh?" He raised an eyebrow, turning around fully to face her. "'Our way?'"

Blinking, she stopped for a moment. Had she really said that? "You said," she began slowly, "that you're going to be the number one hero. And I told you that I have no intentions of being at the top. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to go as far as I can." Crossing her arms, she looked deep into his eyes, dead serious as she spoke. "People can only stand at the top if there are people below them."

It was a reminder of what she had said to him before the first day of class when they had held the physical fitness test, how she had mentioned his move to isolate himself. But she wasn't about to let him do that, and now she knew that she wasn't going to give up on herself either. She slowly walked toward him until they were standing barely a foot apart. Rei had to look up into his face, but she refused to back down or cower as she stared into bold red eyes. Lifting a hand, she poked a finger into his chest, an accusing finger as she spoke. "I'm betting on you to come out on top. So leave those extras at the bottom to me, and focus on becoming number one."

There was a strange look on his face. Surprise was one of the emotions, most likely due to her sudden, close proximity and her bold words. But there was something else behind those eyes, something that Rei was unable to determine before he grasped her protruding hand, lowering it to the side. His grasp was firm but gentle, and as he let go it filled with Rei with a strange feeling in her gut. She hadn't expected him, with all his hard edges, to have any soft part of him, but there was no time to have lingering thoughts as he backed away.

"You're weird, Akatsuki."

Rei smirked, stepping backward and grabbing the straps of her new backpack. "And you're weird as well. But weird doesn't have to mean bad."

He scoffed at her remark, but his eyes were soft even as they partially rolled in his skull. Turning away, he raised a hand in parting, striding down the stairway and out of sight. Akatsuki waved a tiny wave, even if he couldn't see it, a warmth in her chest. No, Bakugou wasn't bad at all. He was like a clam, if anything, with moments where he opened up just so Rei could barely see the soft flesh inside before slamming shut with a vice grip. Even with all his hard edges, he wasn't truly bad at his core; he wanted to be a hero more than anything, and Rei could see that. It was why she had told him that, why she had been completely honest with him.

I'm betting on you to come out on top.

If anyone could do it, it was Bakugou. Perhaps there were other people with quirks that were also powerful, but if it was something Rei had also learned from a young age, it was that intention and drive took people to even greater places. Talent did not guarantee someone victory, if their motivation was lesser than their opponent. It was determination and the desire to have their dream become a reality more than anything in the world that made the good people great, that put their names into history books. Bakugou was unrefined, but the core was there.

She waited there, lingering in her thoughts and a warm feeling in her chest until Yaoyorozu finally made it out of the building, looking rather overwhelmed and nervous. Rei gave her an inquisitive look. "Tired?"

The vice-president sighed, shaking her head. "Seriously, Akatsuki-chan, that was rather dangerous. Getting the other classes angry at us will only make things worse in the long run."

Rei hummed, falling into step with her friend as they descended the stairs. "I don't think so." When Yaoyorozu looked at her in confusion, she explained to the best of her ability. "Now, everyone in our class knows what's at stake. Everyone will be giving their all from here on out. The fire's been lit."

Momo said nothing, but from the look in her eye it seemed as though she understood. For a moment they walked quietly along the road, lost in their thoughts.

Rei had meant every word she had said. She had faith in their class, that they would know what was at stake at this point. They would have to work harder than ever, if they wanted to keep ahead of the curve. They had been thrown into an unthinkable situation for most high school students, and it would only propel them and make them stronger, if they utilized it right. Turning pain into passion, they would go harder than ever, fulfilling the school motto.

They would learn what it meant to go beyond.

For the next two weeks, everyone dedicated every spare hour to training. To their fortune, the hero training class ended up giving them extra time to prepare in Ground Beta, allowing everyone to have a space to freely explore and push their quirks. Most people kept to themselves, training in alcoves hidden away from most others. Everyone, even their classmates, would be considered competition at the sports festival, and even friendships would have to be temporarily set aside.

That was the attitude Rei had. Fortunately, it wasn't much different from what she was used to; even if she was warming up to the class and they were beginning to actively include her and make space for her, training alone was something she preferred. For years it had been her and her alone, running around her hometown and pushing herself to become stronger. This was something familiar, something that she was accustomed to. It was a nice change, she had to admit.

Standing at the beginning of a small alleyway, she stared at the narrow walkway in front of her, limbs nearly twitching in anticipation. She breathed in deeply, savoring the last moment of calm before she threw herself into the gauntlet she had created in Ground Beta for herself. The air was pleasantly warm, with a breeze blowing through the area. But she could only marvel at the weather and conditions for so long. There was no time to waste. It was time to begin.

Eyes trained at the thin line of sky high above in the air, she burst forward into the alleyway, arms pumping in time as she prepared. Gaining enough speed she took two jumping steps, on the third landing in a crouch briefly before pushing off into the sky. Like a ping pong ball she jumped from one wall to the other, bouncing in between and pushing her way into the air high above. Her legs burned, aching from the strain as she neared the top, but she pushed through. Gritting her teeth, she gave one final shove, launching into the air and onto the roof.

Yes! With a grin on her face she took off running across the rooftops, easily clearing the gaps like hurdles as she pushed forward with even greater speed. One rooftop dropped two floors from the previous one, making her roll on impact to keep her momentum flowing. She couldn't stop. She had to push on. That gap was only the beginning, and she picked up her pace as she looked at the next space she had to clear.

She hadn't made it all day. The leap was from a four story building to a seven story building, a jump that wasn't impossible but was incredibly strenuous after running the full gauntlet from the ground up. For the past three days since she chose this route she hadn't made it once; the closest she had gotten was the day previous when her hands had managed to grab onto the edge of the building, but she had lost her grip and her strength and fell to the ground below. Pulling all of her focus together, she lifted her eyes to the guardrail high above her head. She would do this.

Like before on the ground, she took two small leaps before crouching on the third, bursting forward with her continuous momentum and soaring through the air. It was exhilarating, every time. Was this what birds felt like when they flew? But at some point Rei had to come down, and she grit her teeth as the building came closer and closer. She began to lose altitude, a snarl on her face. No!

She grabbed the rail with two hands in desperation, her body slamming into the side of the building. Groaning, she held still for a moment, feeling the bruises that were stacking up on her body. She had barely made it, but she had done it. With a grimace she willed her arms to move, to pull her up. In one swift motion she heaved herself up, right left swinging up to step on the ledge and assist in pushing herself up. Rolling over the rail she landed in a crouch, breathing heavily. She had been so close to losing, to giving up, her muscles burning as she tried to catch her breath from the two minute gauntlet.

But she did it. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she wandered around the top of the building, looking out to the rest of Ground Beta and listening to the sounds of her classmates in their own areas. In the distance she could hear something crashing into the ground, the person indistinguishable but surely someone strong, like Kirishima. In the other direction an explosion burst out, immediately identifying where Bakugou was. There were other small noises peppered throughout the training ground, surely everyone else training on their own. Walking to one of the ledges, she peered down to the central street below. No one was around, much to her fortune. Turning around and back up a few paces, she waited a moment before bursting forward, leaping over the rail and plunging toward the ground below.

Wind rushing past her and ruffling her hair, Rei grinned. She had fallen from the massive building before, but never had she been able to completely throw herself from the height. It would be a test to see how much fall damage she could handle, and she took up the challenge with a maniacal look on her face. Was this what Uraraka meant when she thought the catlike girl to be an adrenaline junky? Laughing, she braced herself for impact, landing in a crouch to soften the landing.

The ground broke beneath her feet, dust flying up into the air as she landed. It wasn't a terrible mess, but it was still surprising that she had landed with such force. A vibration ran up her shins at the impact, evoking a grimace on Rei's face once again. She hated that part of landing, even if it meant that she didn't break anything. The reverberations were surely a sign that the landing would have broken most other peoples' legs, but it didn't mean that Rei would ever actively enjoy the sensation. If anything it made her nauseous; bones shouldn't shake like that.

"Akatsuki-san! Are you okay?"

Blinking in surprise, Rei turned her head to see Midoriya running in her direction. For a moment she didn't respond, so surprised as his sudden appearance and his concern for her that she forgot to respond. But after he continued to stare at her she realized that he was waiting for an answer. "Yeah. I'm fine."

He smiled, beginning to chatter away. "That's good. I didn't know that you could fall from such heights without taking damage. I saw Kirishima doing a similar move, but he has a hardening quirk that could take all the damage for him. If Akatsuki-san's quirk is like a cat, that doesn't necessarily mean that she should be able to land without taking damage, since her quirk doesn't appear to be shock absorbent…" He seamlessly shifted from commentary to his typical mutterings, losing himself in his train of thought as he began to analyze Rei's abilities. She could only look at him blankly, uncertain of what she would do. Eventually she just spoke up.

"Midoriya-san, it's fine." Breaking him from his external stream of consciousness, she continued. "My quirk actually helps me regenerate quickly. I've been running and leaping from tall heights for years."

"Oh, I see!" His expression brightened as he began to make connections, synapses firing off as he spoke even more quickly. "By starting with smaller impacts, your bones built up strength to endure larger ones over time, and with your fast healing you could train more quickly since you don't have to wait for them to heal at a normal rate!"

Slowly blinking, Rei stood stunned. Not even she had made that connection. Of course, it made perfect sense now that she thought about it, but she had just attributed it to the fact that her body was constantly healing herself. She had never considered the fact that her bones and body structure overall had been building itself slowly to become even more powerful, making her more efficient over time. Now that she thought about it, it would explain why she couldn't handle incredibly high jumps as a kid; if she had tried to fall from the seven story building she had just jumped off of as a five year old, she surely would have broken almost every bone in her body. But now that she could handle higher jumps…

Rei turned to look around Ground Beta again, searching for the tallest building in the area. She would have to climb to the top of the roofs to get a better look, since she was standing on the main street and couldn't really see past the current line of buildings. But something kept her in her spot, instead looking to Midoriya. The puppy-like boy had gone back to his inner musings, muttering to himself as he held a hand to his chin, his eyes staring blankly at the ground.

Tilting her head, Rei placed a hand on her hip. "Midoriya-san, why are you here?"

He snapped out of his reverie, suddenly looking panicked. "Ah, sorry! I was just passing through! I didn't mean to spy on you, or to bother you-"

"No, that's not what I mean," Rei raised her hands defensively, not wanting the poor boy to have an anxiety attack on her watch. "What I meant was, why aren't you training too?"

Immediately his face changed. Looking down at the ground, his face became rather sheepish. "Well, I can't really control my quirk yet. So I'm focusing on other things, and on learning from everyone else." Startling himself, he apologized again, waving his hands in front of him. "Sorry, I'm not trying to snoop or learn your secrets. I just mean that I can learn so much from everyone."

Normally Rei would have been slightly suspicious. A classmate who wasn't seriously training his quirk and instead was walking through Ground Beta, watching other people? The purple haired boy from a few days before popped into her head, and she mentally scowled. That was a tactic that was more up that boy's alley, but Midoriya wasn't like that. Rei knew that for a fact. He was gentle and genuine, and sincerely wished for the best for everyone, even as competition. As she watched his face morph into awkwardness and sheepishness, she found something lingering in her heart.

She decided to run with it.

"Train with me."

He looked up in shock. "W-what?"

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rei avoided eye contact. It was a thought that had just passed through her mind quickly, and she had blurted it out almost without thinking. But even she had to admit that training alone was dangerous; there was only so much preparation one could do for a battle royal or one-on-one fight, and Midoriya was a wealth of information. At least, that was what she had rationalized. She shoved the tiny voice in her head away that was swayed by the sweet and kind boy in front of her. "Train with me. If you don't want to rely on your quirk, you'll have to find another way to stand out, right? And there's undoubtedly going to be a battle portion. Wouldn't it be better to fight someone in real life?" Shrugging her shoulders, Rei shifted her weight. "You don't have to. It's not like I won't gain something either. Either way, I-"

"Okay."

Rei blinked. "That's it?"

"Yeah." Midoriya looked even more determined than ever, clenching a fist. "Like you said, we'll both benefit. We both have to do our best, and this is one way to go about it, isn't it? I look forward to working with you."

She hadn't known exactly why she had offered to train with him. If anything, this put her at a severe disadvantage; if Midoriya and her advanced far enough, he would become a threat simply because he would know so much about her. He was already a walking, talking, lexicon of everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and knowing every detail about her would likely cost her in the long run.

But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she was beginning to believe Momo. She wasn't alone anymore, and she didn't have to suffer by herself. Life was better with friends, wasn't it? And perhaps Midoriya could be a friend. That was the core reason of why she had reached out at the opportunity, ignoring all the logic that screamed at her to stop everything she was doing and run in the opposite direction. Eyes softening, she relaxed her arms to her sides. "Let's do our best, right?"

Lifting his head up, Midoriya smiled brightly. "Right!"

"But first," Rei looked around, "I think it's time to test this theory of yours."

"Eh?"

A wicked smile crossed over her face, and suddenly Midoriya was reminded of just how terrifying Rei could be. Even if she was beginning to warm up to everyone (in her own way, at least), there was no denying that the brooding girl could be as sinister looking and as dangerous at Bakugou when he was angry. The grin on her face only seemed to serve as a reminder of the similarities, sending a shiver down Midoriya's spine as he swallowed hard.

Eyes turned to the highest building in the area, she pointed a finger at it in excitement. When Midoriya managed to put two and two together he shuddered, horror clearly on his face. But she didn't seem to see his fear, so focused on her destination. "It's time to see how hard I can fall."

It had been a hard fall, that was for sure.

Rei was almost certain that she was going to die during the final class of the day. Sitting in her seat was making her joints hurt, her knees and ankle locking up and creating a whirlwind of pain every time she shifted or tried to move them. She was almost certain that everyone around her could hear them creaking and protesting their abuse like unoiled door hinges that creaked with old age, and by the time the final class of the day was over Rei slumped forward in her desk, planting her face into the surface and and groaning.

Yaoyorozu turned around in concern. "Are you alright, Akatsuki-san?"

Rei only groaned in answer, her words muffled as she spoke into the desk. "Dammit, Midoriya, this was your idea."

"Um, Akatsuki-san?"

Grumbling to herself, Rei lifted her head, eyes narrowed as she glowered. Speak of the devil; Midoriya took a tentative step back as he looked at the seething girl, suddenly unsure of what he was about to ask. "Ah, are you alright?"

Groaning again, Rei slammed her face back into her desk, head hitting the desk with a dull thud and making Midoriya and Yaoyorozu jump in surprise. "Everything hurts. Stupid ass building."

Midoriya chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, that was my idea, wasn't it?"

Turning her face sideways to look at the boy, Rei's face turned inquisitive. "What's going on?"

The green haired boy rummaged around in his pants pocket for a moment before pulling out his phone, a sleek smart device that was protected with a slim case. Rei stared at it for a moment as he unlocked it, pulling up his phonebook. "I just wanted to know if you wanted to meet up tomorrow. You can come to my place; I know a great spot we can go to from there."

"Sure." Punching in her name and number carefully, she gingerly handed the phone back to the boy. He seemed elated, about ready to burst with energy as he smiled brightly.

"Great! I'll text you my address later. See you!" With a wave he bounded away, heading toward Iida and Uraraka, who had been waiting for him at the door. Thankfully there were no crowds any longer, the interest in Class 1-A finally having died down as time passed. Rei breathed a sigh, finally starting to pack up her belongings.

Yaoyorozu stood up, already finished. "I'm going to use the bathroom before we leave. I'll meet you at the gates?" Seeing Rei nod her head, the vice-president swept out of the room quickly, leaving Rei alone.

Finally, a moment of peace. Rei's head was swirling with all the information from the day; the chapter they had read in English was on repeat, number and equations swirled in her brain, she could fall from a twelve story building without taking substantial damage, and she was going to train with Midoriya for the sports festival. Of all the things that should have been at the forefront of her mind at the moment, it was the gentle boy who couldn't control his quirk. Rei was still a bit surprised that she had asked to train with him, but she had already begun to accept it. If anything, she was beginning to look forward to the next day, already thinking of a basic plan of attack and what they could practice.

"Oi."

Or she wasn't as alone as she had thought. The rest of the class had already left, leaving Rei alone with one final person that she could recognize in a heartbeat. With a sigh she continued packing her belongings, not bothering to look up at the person who had moved to stand next to her desk. She was tired, and there was still more to think about and prepare for. As such, her voice was a bit more biting than usual, although a small piece of her knew that Bakugou could handle it without taking too much offense. "What?"

"The hell are you training with Deku? He's damn useless."

"Midoriya is a wealth of information that I could only dream of having." She carefully corrected him, still adamant on avoiding his gaze. She could feel the wrathful stare she was receiving without even looking up. "Plus, I offered."

"What?"

At Bakugou's flabbergasted response, Rei zipped her bag up tightly and finally turned to stare back into caramine eyes. She had been expecting anger and wrath, which were rightfully at the forefront of his look. But for a moment she saw disbelief flash across his face, along with something else that passed too quickly for her to identify. Standing from her desk, she looked up into his face. "Why are you so surprised?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing? I thought you were smart."

"And I've realized that I can only train so much on my own. Midoriya bumped into me during training today, and I took the opportunity." Readjusting her grip on her backpack, she began to walk around him, but he shifted to stand in her way, forcing her to look up at him. She glowered at the interruption, continuing to speak at him in a level tone. "Who else would I train with?"

He scoffed, looking away from her. "At least work with that creator girl that you're now friends with."

That was enough to raise an eyebrow. "Yaoyorozu? She's lording over her books, and she can't fight me on my level. I don't want to bother her, since her approach to this thing is different than me."

"But why Deku? Why-"

"Who else? You?" Rei rolled her eyes, looking out the window so she could stop craning her neck to look up at the boy in front of her. "You don't want that; you're off by yourself doing whatever you're doing. Don't even joke about that."

Silence. After a few moments she turned her head back, looking back up into Bakugou's face. He still refused to meet her gaze, staring off to the side. But something had changed on his face, his expression softer as he seemed to listen to her words and her logic. Had he seriously wanted to train with her? She would never know, but Rei knew that her logic was sound; he was busy on his own, and he wanted no one knowing what he was going to pull. Taking a step forward, she placed a hand on his shoulder delicately, watching as his face turned to meet hers.

"I don't know why you hate Midoriya so much, and I won't ask." She watched as his face creased at the mention of the boy's name, but she continued to speak quietly, calmly. "But he's my classmate too, and he's proven that he can be useful. Unless you can give me a good reason not to train with him, then I'm going to do what I see as most beneficial and logical."

He remained silent, Rei taking it as her cue to leave. Sliding her hand from his shoulder she walked past him, exiting the room and heading down to the shoe room. Sliding a hand over her face as she hobbled along stiffly, she sighed.

What was with Bakugou? The two of them for the most part never fought, and he never raised his voice at her like he did with the others in their class. But for the first time during the term she had gotten an idea of what it was like. The anger boiling in his eyes was real, all because Rei had decided to train with the boy that Bakugou detested the most in their class. Huffing, Rei shook her head to move some of the black strands of her hair out of her face. Whatever. It didn't matter what he thought. She would do what she wanted.

But there was a small bit of her that did care what he thought. She respected him, on the fact that he was one of the most powerful kids that she had ever met. He had fire and potential, and an iron will. He was strong. And at the end of the day, Rei couldn't deny that she wanted him to see her and respect her a bit too.

Her mind swirled with her thoughts all the way to where she met Yaoyorozu at the gates, the girl looking at her in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Shaking her head, Rei moved forward. "Nothing. Just thinking about the sports festival."

AN: Thank you for everyone who has reviewed and told me that they like Rei! I'm really happy that so many of you enjoy her. To respond to Rynxenvy, I've written a lot of characters that are more cheery and peppy, and I've finally gotten that out of my system. Sometimes it takes writing about the same character thirty times before you can get to the more interesting and diverse personalities, and that's something I'm really striving toward. My hope with Rei specifically is that she will learn how to be softer and to be happier, but I'm definitely going to keep her more brusque shell and biting humor.

To N3mm, thank you so much for your kind words! I definitely have a lot to live up to, but I hope that I will be able to continue this style of writing that you have enjoyed thus far. I'm afraid that some of the characters in the future might get a little out of character (because canon can be demolished and rebuilt) but I'm definitely going to try and keep them as in character as I possibly can. We'll have a bit of fun with that when we get there :)

As always, please review! I really appreciate you all.