Chapter 8

Two weeks had passed. Every day, after Rei was finished with school and she came home to the orphanage, Reina was there waiting for her at the dining room table, papers and who knew what else spread across the surface. The mess would immediately be cleaned up as soon as Rei arrived, more often than not sulking about the afternoon's activities as she was forced to do two things she despised: homework, and social interactions with a person that was set on having her do her homework and holding her to a high standard. Not that being held to a high standard was a bad thing. Rei just didn't like being told what to do by yet another adult who was set on stepping into her life and taking control. It was like a rock had been placed in her path to trip her up, a distraction and unfortunate, mandatory event that Rei was forced into yet again.

She tried to focus on the fact that sooner or later, that rock would be gone. Replaced, or even removed completely from the picture, something was bound to happen sooner or later. Perhaps the program would flop, or Reina would finally throw her hands up into the air and give up on her. Maybe another person would come into the picture, another individual that Rei would have to suffer under until they decided to spend their time in another manner. It was inevitable.

At least, that was what she thought.

"You seem distracted today, more than usual."

Rei slumped in her chair as Reina sat up next to her, placing her pen down and folding her hands on top of the table. "Sorry."

She wasn't. The apology slipped from her lips without any intention, merely a placeholder for the space. She was particularly distracted by the date, the two year anniversary of Haru's passing. For the entire day she had been unable to focus, the day passing by in a blur of sounds that didn't make sense. Her mind was miles away, and there was no motivation to pull herself back into reality.

Shuffling the papers in front of her, Reina pushed a pair of glasses further up her nose. It was irritating how, even with glasses and casual clothes, she still looked every bit of a model. Perfection, in everything she did. Flawless. It didn't help that she always had the answers to every question that Rei could bring up regarding classwork or anything on her mind. She was a walking, talking, encyclopedia, or search engine. How was it even possible?

With a small sigh, Reina tapped her pen on the notes in front of Rei, signaling that there was more work to be done. "We should really get this finished. That way-"

"What's the point?!" Rei was unable to contain her frustration any longer, voice raising slightly in agitation as she cut the older girl off. She had been holding back all this time. Even so, she refused to make eye contact with Reina, instead dropping her head low as her hands clenched in her lap. "It doesn't matter. I just have to pass so that I can get out of here."

"Get out of here?"

Rei shifted, unwilling to talk anymore. The older girl didn't know. She didn't need to know the reality of those in the orphanage. She was from another world, where she could become anything she wanted to be, dream any pretty dream in peace. Silence fell upon the two, Reina awkwardly shifting as she tried to think of what to do. Second passed like hours, the ticking of the clock the only constant in the space. Outside the shouting of the younger children at play could be heard, muffled by the thin walls as they ran and romped around.

"Let's try something different today, then."

Raising an eyebrow lazily, Rei looked at Reina. Much to her surprise there was an energetic and mischievous look that she wore, completely foreign to the typical stoicism and niceties that she had always performed. For the first time her face showed something other than the ridiculous mask of performative happiness, grabbing Rei's attention. Her interest finally piqued, she raised her head warily, as though uncertain of what was about to happen. But curiosity won over. She would bite.

Nodding her head, she followed Reina as the woman stood from her chair, grabbing her purse from the seat next to her and walking out the room. "Come on, let's go somewhere! My treat!"

The treat ended up being to the corner store a few blocks away to pick up ice cream. Rei had grabbed a melon bar, Reina selecting something with a chocolate shell. The two had walked out in companionable silence for what seemed to be the first time, the awkward stiltedness between them fading for just a moment. The elder began leading her further away from the orphanage, all the way to a small park where they sat down on a bench. The weather was warm, forcing Rei to continually watch her popsicle stick to make sure that it wasn't about to drip down her fingers. She hated it when her fingers got sticky.

For a while they simply sat there, eating their chosen snacks. Then Reina broke the silence. "When I was in college, I met this incredible girl. She was ridiculously smart, but she was always by herself. One day, I decided to offer to go to a cafe with her, just to be nice."

Even though Rei had been distracted for the entire day, she felt some of the fogginess begin to dissipate as she listened to the story. "She ended up becoming my best friend. I learned that she had grown up in an orphanage outside of Tokyo. She told me about how terrible her experience was, how she wished that she had someone to help her along the way. We ended joining a tutoring program based out of Tokyo together. My parents were mad," she mused, chuckling a little bit, "but I knew what I wanted to do." Warm brown eyes looked to Rei. "That's why I'm here. My friend was placed at a different location, but I know she's doing the exact same thing as me. We want to make change, even if it's a little bit at a time."

"Making change?" Rei licked absentmindedly at her popsicle. "Why not become a hero?"

The air changed a bit, Reina looking down as her eyes glazed over, a blank smile on her lips, though it was obviously plastered on with difficulty. "My parents had hoped for that. That was the reason why they married. But I was born quirkless. That's why," she turned back to Rei, a genuine smile now on her face, "I decided to start small. Being a hero doesn't mean fighting crime on the streets, or becoming a public face. It's the little things we do to help others to fight injustice in the world."

Musing over her words, Rei finished her popsicle, staring off into space. Perhaps she had been wrong about Reina. But something still bothered her.

"Are you going to leave?" Reina blinked at the suddenness, the strange nature of the young girl's question, but golden eyes blazed, shimmering with something almost akin to tears. "Everyone leaves eventually. I just…"

She didn't want to get her hopes up. But as she waited for an answer she found that the hope in her chest had been watered, the roots beginning to take place. Reina placed a hand on her shoulder, a brilliant smile.

"I'll stay for however long you want me to. I promise."

"I promise… That I'll be number one."

Boos filled the arena as all the first years jeered at Bakugou on the stage. Most of 1-A began to panic, realizing that their classmate had just painted a target over all their backs. Various shouting was aimed at the blonde as he descended the staircase with a neutral expression, almost looking bored and done with everything. Everything descended into chaos, the stadium filling with noise from every angle. The crowd, the participants, and surely those watching in their own homes were reacting in their own ways. Confusion, laughter, anger; it was a sweltering crest of emotion that rained down upon the first years, and one person stood at the center of it all.

Rei simply stood with her arms folded across her chest, eyes locked with the boy who descended into the madding crowd. Not once did they break eye contact, even as Bakugou brushed past the people that stood in his way, hands shoved in his pockets. But now, his shoulders were pulled back, no longer slouching in the casual manner in which he normally held himself. Looks could be deceiving, but Rei saw through it all.

"Bakugou, about yesterday…"

The blonde boy silently sighed to himself, though Rei saw his shoulders heave. She had rushed out at the end of the day to chase after him, managing to catch up with him in the open courtyard. He stopped in his tracks, only turning his head partially so that Rei could barely see his one eyes staring back at her.

For a moment she lost her courage. Looking to the ground, she scowled, trying to pull her wits about her. It was nothing. It was an accident. It wouldn't happen again.

"Thank you."

He raised an eyebrow, turning around a bit more to look at her fully. Rei had been looking at the ground, but she pulled herself together, finding the courage to look him in the eye. It was the truth. She was thankful. He didn't have to shelter her from the landing; he could have just collided into her or pushed her to the ground in order to save himself. If anything, she was almost certain he would have done one of those things and proceeded to have yelled at her for getting in the way. But he had only looked at her with those radiant red eyes, staring at her in a way that started to get under her skin.

It was the same way that he was looking at her now. It unnerved her, sending a shiver up her spine, but she refused to give in and look away. She wouldn't back down; that was who she was. Seeing her resolution, he simply clicked his tongue, turning away. "Just don't get in my way."

Rei breathed a sigh of relief. All was forgiven. Even as he began to walk away, she called after him quietly. "I promised, didn't I?"

His steps faltered for a moment, but he otherwise didn't break his stride. Waving a dismissive hand over his shoulder he disappeared down the steps, out of view.

Walking toward her now, she could see the determination, the rawness in his attitude. He strode over to stand next to her, turning his body and eyes around as he trained his focus on Midnight as she began to explain the rules and regulations. Neither looked at one another, maintaining the illusion that they were simply moving on, watching Midnight and taking interest in the explanations. Rei could feel the tension wired in his frame, the weight he pushed away from all the glares they were receiving.

Shifting her weight to be slightly closer to him, Rei murmured under her breath. "Better get ready to back it up, hero."

He scoffed, but she could hear the lack of bitterness in the noise. Internally, she smiled.

They would make it through.

"3… 2… 1… Go!"

An obstacle course. Rei should have expected something like this, in order to weed a lot of students out of the pack. Something accessible to all the students, but also something that would clearly give an advantage to those in the hero course. It almost seemed juvenile, when the ending of the sports festival would culminate in a battle royal of sorts, but this was just fine for a nice, introductory activity. At least she didn't have to worry about most of her classmates getting in. All that mattered was that she made the cut for the next portion.

From the beginning Rei had held toward the back, keeping with the pace of some of the business students who were more reluctant to join. It was a strategy that she had initially debated, but after seeing how many people had eagerly crowded the front, she knew that things would get hairy quickly. Instead she settled on watching what happened first, then reacting and overtaking those who would get caught. Almost right off the bat her predictions rang true, with traffic almost grinding to halt as a result of the narrow doorway funneling students through slowly. Rei grinned maniacally as she heard the crowded and cramped cries of the students within.

Stupid. Leaping into the air, it was more than easy to find various shoulders to step on. Students cried out in agitation, no one able to see where she was coming from and no one fast enough to snag her ankle to slow her down. Even if there weren't trees and branches here, it was more or less the same strategy; she had to be careful with everyone squirming beneath her, otherwise her ankle would get caught in the mosh pit and she'd be just as trapped as anyone else. She was certain that she would get some attention for this maneuver. It wasn't really civilized or polite to use others' heads and shoulders as literal stepping stones to get to her point, but no one was seriously injured and Rei was arguably using her quirk and size to her advantage. Every so often she muttered apologies under her breath, but she couldn't find it in her heart to hide the evil grin spreading on her lips. These were the assholes that had come to scope out class 1-A, literally beneath her feet now. She would make sure they stayed there.

Up ahead, the air began to chill, a frosty bite channeling through as Rei looked forward. So her classmates had already begun. The closer she got to the front of the group, the less they moved around, making it more than easy to hop from shoulder to shoulder, even as they began to spread out.

It was when she finally emerged from the tunnel that she saw the icy predicament.

That Todoroki didn't know how to hold back, did he?

Or maybe he did. But it was just another obstacle. Rei was quickly running out of shoulders to jump upon, and was faced with the next predicament. Spotting a particularly broad framed boy near the front of the group who was frozen into place, she leapt onto his shoulder, taking a moment to brace herself for her next step.

The boy looked up in confusion and anger. "Watch where you're going!"

Rei grinned. "I am, idiot." Springing up into the air and hurling herself forward, she flew past even more of the competition, landing on the ice and using her momentum to glide forward. But she would run out of speed eventually. Frowning, she swung her hands out, nails extending further and sharper than usual, one of the few times she was actually grateful for retractable nails.

"Damn it, Todoroki," she grimaced as she dug her nails into the icy sheet below her feet. Using her arms as an anchor, she began to run on all four limbs. "Making me devolve to an animal. Disgusting." Rei was more than annoyed that she was forced to run like a four legged friend, forced to lower her status and crawl like an animal. But it was what she had to work with; it was faster than trying to shuffle along like the rest of the students, attempting to remain upright while sliding sketchily along.

Well, she certain could have done that. But she was so greedy for a win, she was ready to resort to anything, even if it meant sacrificing her dignity. She had the potential to be vain when she wanted to be, but this was not one of those moments. All that mattered was a spot in the next round. She could look pretty then.

Thankfully, the stretch of ice didn't last forever. Even with the high number of people who had been halted in their tracks at Todoroki's move, there was still a decent handful of people who had managed to make their way forward without too much of an issue, most of them classmates from 1-A. Of that entire cluster, Rei found herself steadily making progress toward the front, keeping a steady pace but still pushing forward. This was an obstacle race, which meant that the first obstacle would be here somewhere…

It was Mineta, who had used his purple orbs to jump over the ice and sky rocket toward the front of the race, who went down first. Rei naturally slowed her pace slightly, although most of the people around her stopped dead in their tracks at the hulking metal frames that had scooted into position in front of them. Frowning, her mind raced to come up with a plan. She couldn't stop, otherwise her momentum would be lost.

"Obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with the first barrier!"

Present Mic's voice rang out even from outside the stadium, projecting over the walls so that even the students could hear his commentary. Rei grimaced, but she refused to slow her momentum. If she slowed, it would have been chaotic and embarassing way to grind to a halt. Barriers would have to be crossed at some point, and if she had to face them while she hurtled through the air then that was her choice. She heard Midoriya cry out after her as she bolted past him, ignoring his panic and warning.

She couldn't stop. She had frozen when the villains had appeared back at USJ, but she wouldn't hesitate now. The robots from the entrance exam almost seemed tame now, in comparison to that traumatic event. Even if she instinctively hesitated for a fraction of a second as she took in the obstacles, she continued to clear through the space ahead of her.

Fortunately the three point machines were just as slow as she remembered. Well, they weren't slow, but they certainly weren't as fast as her. Launching herself into the air she dodged the dull metal claws, vaulting through its grip to land briefly on its shoulder before jumping off again. But as she looked forward, her eyes widened in horror.

Three zero-point machines from the entrance exam loomed above, red eyes leering down below at the miniscule students who looked like gnats compared to the metallic monstrosities. Even though she had taken one down during the entrance exam, Rei's blood pumped faster through her veins, the thought of having to take on three of them at once finally making her panic.

But still she pressed on.

Todoroki had already begun to move, ice swirling around him and jutting out explosively, freezing the three bots before Rei had even touched the ground. Golden eyes narrowed, watching as they teetered precariously on their frozen legs as her classmate ran beneath. There wasn't enough time for her to make it; she could see that they were ready to give at any moment, most likely crushing her beneath their weighty frames if she tried. There was a sliver of a chance that she could make it, but the cons outweighed the risk. Fine. If she couldn't go under it…

Landing in a crouch and blasting forward again with all her strength, she aimed for the outstretched hand, jumping on top of the thick fingers and darting up the arm. Already it was starting to tip forward, the incline sharply increasing at an exponential weight. Rei was only halfway up the arm. Gritting her teeth and growling she dug her her nails into the ice, crying out from the painful cold that laced up her arm as she launched herself even further. Ice and bones didn't mix well. The motion had to be repeated a few times, considering the fact that her arms couldn't send her flying as well as her legs could, but she was fortunate enough to reach the shoulder just before the robot began to completely topple forward.

Rei slid down the icy back for a while before finally jumping down to solid ground. She wasn't ready to jump from such a tall height just yet, so she eased down a bit before making her final landing. The ground shattered upon impact, a small divot created from where she landed. Grimacing, she took a moment to shake her legs off while looking behind her, observing the situation.

True to what she had estimated, the collapse of the zero point robots had blocked the way forward, buying her some time. A dust cloud covered her, as a result of the hulking robot colliding into the ground. Covering her mouth and hacking through the dust, she turned away from the carnage, jogging forward at a casual but purposeful pace. If the obstacles were anything like this, she would need to save her strength for what came ahead.

"Todoroki from Class 1-A! He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant! Amazing, he's the first one through! It's definitely a little unfair!"

Rei grimaced, picking up the pace. From what it sounded like, they hadn't addressed her maneuvering yet. Had they been so preoccupied with Todoroki's flashiness that they had completely disregarded her? A bit of her ego felt bruised at the lack of attention, but she pushed through the dust cloud step by step.

"His actions are logical and strategic."

Aizawa-sensei?

"As expected of someone who got through on recommendations!"

"But he isn't the only one who got through."

Golden eyes narrowed. So her homeroom teacher had seen. It was at that moment that she finally burst through the dust cloud, coughing and finally inhaling a breath of fresh air. Shaking her head to clear the fog, Rei pushed forward at a purposeful jog, determination in every step.

"Huh? It looks like Akatsuki also from Class 1-A was able to sneak through as well! That makes two from Class 1-A to get through the first obstacle in record time!"

Rei glowered, muttering to herself. "I actually went over the damn thing; did no one seriously see that?"

There was no time to question or complain, as the familiar sound of explosions in the distance popped off. Rei didn't even need to look back over her shoulder, already knowing what was coming.

"Oi, Akatsuki! Stop trying to show off and get ahead of yourself!"

Rolling her eyes, Rei maintained her pace. She had enough of a lead where she could comfortably sit for now; even if a few people over took her, she'd still be sitting near the top, at least high enough to clear to the next round. She had no intention of getting too comfortable, her mind constantly working and watching her surroundings, but she had already established a high lead above the pack. Refusing to answer, she simply continued jogging forward, not even flinching at his aggravations.

"Then let's see how you all react to the next obstacle! If you fall, you're out! If you want to get through, then crawl!"

Todoroki wasn't so far ahead that Rei couldn't see him, but he wasn't showing any signs of slowing either. Taking the most direct path possible, he instantly began freezing the ropes in between the hunks of land, sliding along them casually. Rei sighed, heading for the next closest route. "You just had to make things more difficult, didn't you?"

"It looks like Bakugou from Class 1-A has advanced into second place! He flew over the entire second obstacle! It's definitely not fair, Eraserhead!"

Rolling her eyes, Rei immediately ran across unfrozen portions of the tightropes, not even flinching at the narrow walkway. With her natural balance the entire thing was a cakewalk. Catwalk? She dismissed the thought, internally groaning at the terrible pun her mind had naturally conjured. What a wreck. She had to focus. But as long as she avoided the ice, she would be fine. Once again, the gap between her and the rest of the pack began to grow even more distant, giving her a renewed slice of satisfaction. She could hear the people behind her freezing in place before the gap, staring out at the new obstacle that laid in front of them. In the end, hesitation would only cost them time and placements.

It was like the physical tests at the beginning of the term all over again, where everyone seemed to have at least one area in which they excelled. But by having one obvious strength that was often terribly unique and special, it cost them in their ability to be well rounded. Rei's quirk wasn't flashy and didn't appear to be that much, but it offered her flexibility and heightened abilities in every area, even if she didn't come out on top in any one category.

Still, coming in second or third, or even as the runner up, in every category was a success in itself. There were no gaping weaknesses in her defenses, unlike some others. She would have to rely on that selling point going forward.

"They haven't announced how many people will make it through, so you can't relax! Push forward!"

Leaping from the rope onto a solid chunk of rock, Rei started off onto a new track. She was almost there, a little over halfway through the second obstacle and taking a comfortable lead over the majority of the pack, although Bakugou had solidly taken away second place from her and there were others who were beginning to creep up. Damn his explosive powers and his ability to fly over the pack. She was temporarily irritated the fact that it was most likely her fault that he had nearly perfected that ability, but she was focused on the steps of the rest of the crowd behind her, imagined ghosts of their breath gracing the back of her neck. The tension was rising. She couldn't lose focus now.

"And now, the final barrier! The reality here is that it's a minefield!"

Rei was just clearing the end of the second barrier when Present Mic's words reached her ears, her eyes bugging out as she ran. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"It's set up so that you can tell where they are if you look closely, so you have to exploit your eyes and your legs! By the way, these land mines are for games, so they're not that powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to make you want to wet your pants!"

This time Rei let out a loud and exasperated groan, turning the final corner and looking at the last stretch before the third obstacle. She could already feel her ears throbbing from the inevitable explosions, even if they weren't triggered by her. Anticipation made her cover her ears as she looked out. The dread filled her chest as the minefield came into view, Todoroki already making considerable progress on the long stretch ahead of them.

Present Mic's explanation had been true; the mines were obvious to see if one even paid the slightest bit of attention to their surroundings. Their outlines were clearly traced for Rei, although she wondered if it was her enhanced eyesight that made it so obvious. Damn; she wouldn't be able to leap through the air, since she didn't have that kind of accuracy when it came to landing. She would have to take it step by step, hop by hop, as fast but as meticulous as she could. Without hesitation she began to walk the gauntlet, eyes flashing between her steps and the end goal. Todoroki was nearing the halfway point, but where was Bakugou?

"This doesn't affect me!"

Rei flinched as another explosion sounded, eyes widening as the blonde boy hurled himself forward with reckless abandon. But from his trajectory, he was intentionally aiming for Todoroki. Rei strained to keep focus between her own feet and the happenings ahead. What was he doing?

The explosive boy aimed a small blast at his classmate, forcing him to move out of the way. It was enough to set the two of them into a fist fight, all the while running through the minefield. Their distraction was slowing them down, and as Rei took a brief look at her surroundings she noticed that the group was now catching up to them. So that was how it was; the first place runners and those at the front had more mines to deal with, but as the race progressed…

Those at the back would have a distinct advantage.

Grimacing, Rei began to pick up the pace, hands still clasped tightly over her ears. The explosions were becoming more frequent now that there were even more people entering the field. Explosions, distractions, the overwhelming sound… Gold eyes were trained ahead. She just had to make it. She was almost there-"

A massive explosion sounded from behind.

It was enough to make almost everyone freeze, but Rei refused to look back. She was advancing forward, drawing even closer to Todoroki and Bakugou, who were staring into the air behind them in surprise. She would press on, even with the distraction.

"Was it a mistake, or on purpose?! Either way, Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast!"

"What?!" That got her attention. Rei paused to look up just as Midoriya soared over her head, riding on a hunk of scrap metal that was most likely from the robots in the first portion. Hurtling through the air, she could only watch in surprise at his unorthodox approach. So he had used the landmines the to boost himself through the air. It only could have happened since he had that hunk of metal to protect his body and to ride on. Everyone watched as he sailed over their heads, headed toward the finish line.

"Actually, he's taken over for first place!"

At Present Mic's announcement time seemed to resume and speed up, everyone resuming their motions to hurry onward. Rei watched as Bakugou and Todoroki broke apart, the two of them focused on catching up to the boy who had overtaken them for first.

"Now the two formerly in the lead have stopped trying to take one another down and are chasing Midoriya!" Todoroki had laid down an ice path, determined to catch up. It was just slightly ahead of Rei. She could use it; jumping up into the air she now had a solid landing strip, bursting forward and using her claws to further propel herself forward.

There was still a considerable distance between her and the three ahead. Rei grimaced. She was losing ground, and the others behind her were catching up quickly. She could hear Iida's engine boosters, and she knew he would only find solid ground once he reached the icy foundation that Todoroki had laid down. But she refused to look behind. She had to focus forward. As long as she looked ahead-

Midoriya slapped the metal plate onto the ground in front of him.

Rei winced, hands rising to her ears as the explosion resounded ahead of her. Because of the size of the plate it had hit multiple landmines at once, a larger explosion than normal that reverberated down Rei's body. But even on the slippery ice she forced herself, willed herself forward. She couldn't stop.

"Midoriya swiftly blocks those behind him! Would you believe it?! He clears the minefield in an instant! Eraserhead, your class is amazing! Just what are you teaching them?!"

"I didn't do anything."

Rei felt two other people pass her by, followed by Iida. She clenched her jaw harder. There was no way she was giving up yet!

"They got each other fired up on their own."

"Who could have ever predicted the results! Right now, entering the stadium, Midoriya Izuku from Class 1-A!"

Bursting into the arena, Rei was breathing hard. By her estimation…

Ninth place.

She had been too confident in her abilities in the beginning. Of course there was going to be a portion that disadvantaged those in first, giving the others in the back a chance. But even so, Todoroki and Bakugou had still finished in second and third, only falling behind Midoriya because he had been incredibly resourceful and lucky with his strategy. Did that mean that she was just that weak, for falling behind?

Rei tried to convince herself that it didn't matter. She was never aiming to be the top hero. She was content to stay on the sides and simply take whatever successes came. She would assist others, would play the role of the shadow, carefully watching everyone else and taking what she could.

It was a lie. Her competitive streak was beginning to show.

Being second best was no longer an option.

"The Cavalry Battle! You have fifteen minutes to choose your teams!"

It made the most sense that she would be the rider, given that she was small and light. Additionally, she didn't have the greatest range of defensive capabilities, so she wouldn't be as useful as a horse, even though she was more than capable of carrying someone. Clenching her fists, Rei looked around. It would seem as though this was one of the times where standing on the fringes turned out to be a bad thing. Almost everyone had immediately turned to their friends to start building their teams, leaving Rei on the outskirts.

Even worse, now was the worst time to have an even distribution of skills. She had for the most part flown under the radar during the obstacle course, her abilities obscured for a variety of reasons. Of all the things to happen-

"Oi. You."

Rei turned around, face reactively frowning. "What-"

The world went blank.

Or it did relatively.

She felt like her mind was painted in water colors, seeing a world unseen for the first time. It was like her body had been ejected out of itself, her mind floating in an endless abyss that she didn't understand how to comprehend. There was no concept of time itself, as she lingered in this space.

Hazy smears of grey, tan, and occasionally blue floated in her sights in a dreamlike haze.

What had happened to her body? What even was she? It was as though every sense of self had been stripped away, Rei no longer aware of just who she was and where she had been. What had been happening up until this point? Nothing, no answers. Just a stretch of nothingness that she couldn't even begin to comprehend and process.

Then, just like that, it was over.

"We'll be taking a one hour break!"

"Thank you for your hard work."

Rei exhaled. What had happened? The crowd was going wild, cheering at an insane volume that startled Rei out of her stupor. Looking around in confusion, she turned to Ojirou, who wore a similar expression on his face. She had to admit that she didn't know her classmate that well, so she was unsure of what was going on in his mind. Was she imagining things? But the moment that they locked eyes in a gaze, they shared a look that made her feel less alone. So it wasn't her imagination.

That only meant that the purple haired boy had done something. Was that his quirk? Her mind still felt hazy, as though waking up from an entirely too long nap. Hands clenching, she began to walk after him, determined to get an answer. Stalking off with a dark look on her face, she parsed her way through the crowd, trying to find where he had gone. She was ready to give him a piece of her mind, as well as figure out just what the hell he had done to her. She knew that something was up with him. Damn it! Why hadn't she realized it sooner?

The participants had begun to disperse in groups, making it difficult to see where everyone was. Everyone was more or less conglomerated in a mess of bodies, everyone weaving and lingering almost aimlessly as they tried to find their friend before running off to lunch. It should have been easier to spot a mop of purple hair, but with Rei's unfortunate challenge with verticality and a complete lack of good genes to give her even an average height, she was left searching aimlessly. A dark look had come across her face, at least warding off some of the people closest to her, giving her a wide berth as people tried to avoid the deathly aura eminating from her.

But she couldn't be isolated for long.

"Oi!"

A strong hand grabbed her wrist, suddenly dragging her in a new direction. Rei stumbled over her feet, trying to regain her balance as she looked at the person who had so rudely interrupted her. "Bakugou? What are you doing-"

"Shut it." He growled, dragging her off down a corridor, still clutching onto her wrist. She tried pulling her wrist out of his grip, but it was too tight, clamped down and unrelenting. Rei had no choice but to follow him, the two of them snaking through the maze of passages underneath the stadium.

With a growl she continued to try and pull her hand away. "Bakugou, the hell are you doing?"

"I'm supposed to be the one asking you that!" He suddenly rounded on her, face snarling aggressively. Rei balked at the open display of unbridled rage in her direction, never having had the full effect so openly displayed toward her. She blinked slowly, trying to take in everything at once. Everything was too confusing, and her head was still foggy.

Shaking her head slowly, she tried to make sense of everything that was going on. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't start that stupid crap!" He pointed a finger at her accusingly, causing her to cross her arms defensively. "I tried to ask you to join my team, but you went and joined up with that stupid purple hair! The hell were you thinking?"

Even more confusion. Rei tried to recall what had happened after the boy had turned to her, but she only drew a blank. There were fuzzy noises and images, but nothing clear that she could recall. Lifting a hand to her temple, her brows furrowed as she tried to focus. "I… don't remember anything."

"Huh?"

Bakugou at least had enough sense to look confused at her discombobulation. Rei prided herself on at least being put together enough to make sense of every situation. This, however, was foreign. "I don't remember."

There were a few conclusions she could draw, and all of them pointed fingers at a familiar purple haired boy. Anger surged through her veins, her face turning dark. "That asshole must have a mind controlling quirk. He forced me to join his team, and then everything went dark and blurry. I don't remember anything until it was over." Growling, she clenched her fist. "That bastard's gonna pay."

Suddenly, his words came back to her mind. She paused, face smoothing over blankly as she looked back into red eyes. "Wait, you were gonna ask me to join your team?"

He scoffed, turning sharp on his heel and storming away. "Don't repeat what I say. It's annoying."

The corner of Rei's lips twitched, and she jogged to catch up with him. "Really? Thought you didn't want me around."

"Stupid. I just told you to stay outta my way."

Covering her mouth to hide her snicker, she walked next to him, having to skip every couple steps in order to keep up with his stride. "Are you warming up to me? I didn't think you had it in you."

The only reaction she received was an eyeroll and a click of his tongue as he shoved his hands into his pockets. It was subtle, but he had slowed his pace enough so that Rei could keep up without struggle. She hid her smile, not wanting to call him out. "So, we both advance to the next round."

"You better not get in my way."

"You better make good on your promise this morning."

He scoffed. "I'll beat everyone up who stands in my way."

She threw a glance at him, but mostly kept her eyes looking forward. "If we do end up fighting, I won't hold back."

"You better. I'll kill you if you don't."

Rei slowed to a halt, watching as Bakugou continued a few more steps before pausing, turning to look back at her in confusion. There was something that she couldn't figure out, for all of the parts of him that were easy to solve. Why had he wanted her to be a part of his team? He wasn't the type to be a horse, that much was for sure. He was more acclimated to being a rider, giving orders to everyone else beneath him. But Rei knew for a fact that she was a mostly ineffective horse; she had determined it from the get go. So why had he, Bakugou, the boy who was aiming for the number one spot and nothing less, wanted Rei to join his team when she was clearly surpassed by others?

Standing there in the empty hallway, she was reminded of their encounter in the forest as she looked at the boy in front of her. Internally she flushed, embarrassed at her failure to react properly at that time. Turning her face to look at the ground, Rei allowed the confusion to wash over her fully. Why? What merit did she bring to a boy who was so clearly out of her league?

"Why?" Slowly she raised her gaze, meeting Bakugou's gaze determinedly. Their eyes locked, and Rei felt her heart stutter. But she forced her mind to remain clear, to at least figure out her one question. "Why did you want me on your team?"

His lips parted, Rei aware of every little movement he made. Turning to face her completely, he gathered his thoughts, opening his mouth to speak.

But a voice made its way to Rei's ears, and she held up a hand for him to stop. He looked irritated that she had asked a question but interrupted him before he even had the chance to respond, but she walked forward stealthily, intentionally hiding her footsteps and making them softer on the pavement. Standing next to Bakugou, she whispered as best as she could.

"Someone's around the corner up there." Her eyes went blank, straining to hear and distinguish just who it was. To her surprise, she recognized both of them. "It's Todoroki and Midoriya."

Bakugou's eyes narrowed at the mention of his childhood rival, walking forward and grabbing Rei's wrist again as he dragged her along. She tried to protest but he was determined, going all the way to the corner just around where the two boys stood talking. Rei wanted to growl and slap Bakugou across the face for manhandling her not once, but twice, but she kept quiet instead, listening curiously.

She was naturally curious as well, and growing up she had never been above a little eavesdropping, especially when something grabbed her attention.

Normally she wouldn't have cared, but there were compounding factors at play. She had naturally been a little curious and wary of Todoroki's open statement against Midoriya back before when they had been in the waiting room in the arena, along with his declaration that he was going to beat the green haired boy in a decisive manner. Normally Todoroki was quiet, making him a lot like Rei except in the sense that he didn't exude an aura of annoyance or death for most of the day. He was a mystery that Rei hadn't had time to unpack, and he was obviously choosing now to play up his strengths and prove himself now that he could go against even his classmates in a free for all setting. His sudden interest in Midoriya was suspicious, and even Rei had to admit that she was curious to listen in. Midoriya was now included in the small triangle of friends that she had, and she wasn't about to let anything unlawful slide.

Of course, she was forced into this situation by Bakugou, who had practically dragged her along for the ride. But she had to admit that she wasn't entirely against snooping.

"I felt something similar coming from you." It was Todoroki who was musing, his voice low and quiet. Rei distractedly wondered if Bakugou could even hear him from this distance, what with his regular human hearing. But the two of them stiffened at the same time at Todoroki's next question, confirming that he was in fact audible from that distance.

"Midoriya, are you All Might's secret love child or something?"

She would have laughed in almost any other situation. The logical jump that Todoroki had just made was horrendous, a chasm of unknowns and shoddy facts likely lining the path up to that decision. But as she clamped her hands over her mouth in order to hide her laugh, she found her jaw dropping in surprise and horror as she began to logically consider the idea.

All Might had shown interest in Midoriya outside of class. It was mostly subtle, but there were times when even Rei had her suspicions on what was going on with the two of them. They were obviously connected somehow outside of U.A., but the rest of it was a big, fatty, question mark. The more that she considered Todoroki's proposal, the less strange it seemed to be, although it was certainly mind boggling and deserved an incredulous look for its bizarre nature.

"Well? Are you?"

The fact that Midoriya had even hesitated and began to actively defend himself only after a moment of silence made Rei suspicious. She wanted to believe that Todoroki was simply over imagining and overthinking the connection, but Midoriya wasn't helping his own case. He stuttered and stumbled his way through a defense, panic fully registered in his voice. "Th-that's not it! I mean, even if it was I would say I wasn't, but then you wouldn't believe me…" He continued to ramble in a way that was very characteristic of himself, but he managed to stop himself, turning the question around. "In any case, why do you think that?"

"Since you said 'that's not how it is.' That means there's a connection between the two of you that you can't talk about, right?"

With every passing idea, Rei found that even she was beginning to be a little suspicious of Midoriya. Something wasn't adding up, with all the strange things that already surrounded his situation. Bakugou had mentioned that Midoriya had grown up quirkless, and suddenly he developed a quirk and had All Might's extra support? In the silence that stretched after Todoroki's analysis, Rei was increasingly inclined to believe that her new friend was hiding something from everyone.

It was Todoroki who broke the silence. "Endeavor's my old man. I'm sure you know that he's been stuck as the number two hero for forever. If you have something from the number one hero, then I have even more reason to beat you."

Rei turned to look at Bakugou, who had an impassive look on his face. Behind his eyes she could see the gears turning, his thoughts flying by at a fast rate as he processed everything that they were hearing. She was reminded of his rivalry with Midoriya, Bakugou's determination to crush the boy absolutely. There was a fire that was cooking in the background, but he remained as rigid and impassive as ever.

"My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world. As a hero he won a name for himself with crushing force. Because of that, All Might is an eyesore for him. Since he couldn't surpass All Might, he moved on to his next plan."

"What are you talking about, Todoroki-kun? What are you trying to tell me?"

"You've heard of quirk marriages, right?"

At this turn Rei began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. She was well aware of these marriages, and the types of people that were affected by them. Her thoughts passed to Reina as she clenched her hands to her chest, closing her eyes. She knew where this was going. "Choosing a spouse based on strengthening your own quirk and passing it on to your children. My old man has accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold on my mother's quirk. He is trying to fulfill his own desire by raising me to be a hero that surpasses All Might. It's so annoying." Rei could hear his throat tightening, his voice straining for his words to be heard. It mirrored the way her heart clenched painfully, the empathy she felt for him. "I won't become the tool of scum like that."

For a moment there was silence. Rei was certain that the conversation was over. But Todoroki continued, as though his words could not be stopped once the memories began to flow. "In my memories, my mother is always crying. 'Your left side is unsightly.' That's what she said when she poured boiling water on me."

Rei couldn't help the gasp that flew from her mouth. Bakugou instinctively threw a hand over her mouth, but no other sound would come out anyway, the motion in vain. She knew she should have left as soon as that gut feeling in her stomach told her to leave. There always came a time when it was time to quit, but Rei had ignored it. It was too much information, too much personal background that had now fallen upon her ears and into her lap. Frozen in horror, she could only listen as he continued. "I picked a fight with you to show him what I can do, without using his damn quirk." At this thought his voice began to raise in determination, even through the agony. "I'm going to reject him by winning first place without using his quirk."

Silence. Then the sound of footsteps fading away. Rei looked up at Bakugou, slowly raising her hands to gently pry his hand away from her mouth, allowing her to breathe more freely. She would have made a comment about how he should wash his hands before getting anywhere near her face, but the heavy tone of the conversation of which they had just eavesdropped had passed over to them. At a loss for words, she looked away at the ground, exhaling through her nose silently.

"Why does he ignore me, after everything?"

Rei looked up sharply, watching as Bakugou's face morphed into pure, unadulterated anger once again. "What's so good about that damn Deku? What is it?!"

Crossing her arms, Rei leaned against the wall. "It isn't about sheer fighting power. Todoroki-"

"Not that," he spat viciously, making Rei flinch. "Todoroki, Deku, even All Might… Why don't they even look my way? What's so good about that useless Deku that everyone thinks he's the top?"

"Oi." Pivoting to stand in front of him, she grabbed his upper arms, checking around the corner to make sure the coast was clear before staring up at his face. But he looked to the side, adamant to avoid her gaze. "Midoriya isn't useless. Out of everyone in the class, he's been making the most gains-"

"Shut up! Even you, why do you side with him?"

"Because no one has to worry about you!"

Her voice spat out viciously, matching Bakugou in anger and fury. What was it about this boy that pushed her to her emotional limit and broke her calm mask? But she refused to back down, now taking advantage of the fact that she had thrown the boy off guard, red eyes meeting her own in surprise. "You came top in the entrance exam. You understand how to use your quirk. You never need to be pushed or prodded, because you're already pushing yourself. When are you going to get it into your head that no one worries about you because you're so far ahead?"

Shaking his arms, she only barreled forward, letting her anger and her emotions carry her away. She was thankful that Todoroki and Midoriya had left the area, lest they not only find out that they had been eavesdropping, but that she was breaking out of character. "I don't care what All Might sees in Midoriya, because I know it all boils down to something out of my control. But Todoroki is putting a target on his back because he sees potential that can be smashed easily. No one has to worry about you, because you're so far ahead. Don't you see?" Swallowing her pride and her fear, she pushed the final button on the tipping point. "The spotlight isn't on you anymore, because you're a constant. You might as well get used to it."

Her words appeared to pierce him as he looked away, unable to meet her gaze any longer. Holding him for a moment more she slowly released him, backing away slowly as she breathed slowly to try and gather herself back together. There were few times anymore that she truly unleashed her anger and irritation like that; she had thought that she had learned to compose herself. Inhaling deep she dropped her hands to her sides, closing her eyes as she exhaled, only reopening them when she felt composed enough. "Sorry."

Bakugou only pushed himself off from the wall, sticking one hand in his pocket. He stood dangerously close to Rei, forcing her to crane her neck up in order to look at him. Raising his hand and bringing it down toward her head, Rei naturally flinched, preparing for the blow.

But instead he gently flicked her nose, earning a nose wrinkle, a scowl, and a sound of disgruntlement from Rei. She looked up in frustration that melted into confusion as she noted the small smile on his lips, a strangely soft look coming from the aggressive boy.

"You're better when you drop that bland look off your face."

His words were soft and husky, making Rei's heart flutter in her chest. She blinked slowly in bewilderment as he stepped away, increasing the distance between them until Rei felt like a normal person again. Collecting herself, she crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, tossing her head to the side in a small effort to conceal just how unnerved she truly was. "Didn't know that you had it in you to be barely cordial."

Huffing, he stuck his free hand back into his pocket, turning away and walking toward the exit. "Don't push it."

Internally Rei was beaming, but she covered it with an eyeroll and a purposeful stride forward, noticing how he fell into step next to her. "Let's hurry up and get lunch. You wasted my time with this stupid excursion and now we're gonna be late."

"Hah? It was your fault for ignoring me."

"I already told you, it wasn't my fault."

"Geez, you're insufferable when you want to be."

"See the stick in another's eye and ignore the log in your own."

"Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?! Oi, stop ignoring me, you alleycat!"

"Don't fucking call me that again."

"Hah? Alleycat? Does that make you-"

"Bakagou."

"That's it-"

AN: I'm sorry for not updating for a few days! Got a lot on my plate.

I'm in the process of re-outlining what I had planned for later. I decided to scrap like... 90% of it. I think it's changes for the better, but I have a lot of pressure to fulfill the things I want to do in order to execute the story properly. Good challenges for me!

Thank y'all for the reviews! I'll try to post another chapter soon. I've been trying my best to do multiple edits and reviews of each chapter before I post them so that they're a bit more polished for y'all.

Leave a review if you like something!