Chapter 9

Sports Festival, Part 2

A month passed by in a flash. And every day, Reina was waiting at the front door of the orphanage for Rei to return from school, a new adventure planned ahead of them. Some days they buckled down and tackled Rei's homework together, reviewing concepts that were difficult and solidifying her knowledge. Other days were spent in simple companionship, taking excursions around the town or simply spending the afternoon doing something that wasn't academic. In the short time that they had spent together, Rei saw her grades rising, slowly but steadily. Her confidence in class grew, and although she was still the silent storm that kept to herself in the back corner she rose to the challenge whenever a teacher called on her.

Improvements. Slowly, but surely.

Some days Reina would take Rei out on excursions across the city. Rei was seeing the town in a new light as they visited distant corner stores, shopping districts, and Reina's favorite, small cafes with specialty desserts and beverages. It was where they had come today; a small cafe that they had visited multiple times already, just a few blocks from the orphanage. Reina was a regular customer, the staff greeting her cheerfully as she took the cafe by storm, her jubilant and radiant personality shining.

That was something Rei had been uncertain about at first. Reina was Rei's antithesis, the bubbly, cheerful woman that always had something nice to say, who could carry on a conversation with even the most unwilling individuals and warm their heart. Rei had joked at one point that perhaps that was Reina's quirk, the ability to talk to people and change their personalities. There was something magical about the way Reina carried herself, bringing light to everyone. And Rei found that she wasn't an exception.

Today they sat in the cafe, Rei with a chocolate croissant and a sweetened latte while Reina picked apart a fruit tart and drank her mocha. Even with summer approaching they stuck with their warm drinks, the cool air of the cafe ensuring that they could relax and take their time. The elder chewed thoughtfully, waving her fork in the air. "So, where do you see yourself in five years?"

Sipping her latte, Rei raised an eyebrow. "Five years?"

"Yeah! You have to have a game plan, right?"

She knew it was a common question, to ask about a person's dreams and aspirations, but as Rei set her drink down she could only scrunch her face in concentration and confusion. "I don't know. I've never thought about it."

"Ehh? Really? But there has to be something!"

Shaking her head, Rei leaned an elbow on the table, resting her chin on her palm and taking the opportunity to stare out the window. It was late afternoon, the streets a little more busy now that most people were out of school or leaving work. Golden eyes watched the people that passed by, not noticing her stare and going on about their business without a care in the world. Where would she be in five years? "To be honest," she started plainly, "I only thought that I would be out of the orphanage system by then. Maybe I'd have a small job somewhere. But I never wanted to think about it, because the only thing that remained was that I'd be out on the streets somewhere."

Reina's brown eyes were warm, her face clearly concerned as she stared at the young girl she mentored. "Then, what did you want to be as a kid?"

"Huh?"

She grinned. "You know, when you were five. What did you want to be? A policeman, an astronaut…"

Rei knew immediately. Her heart hurt as memories began to flood her mind once more. How had she forgotten, after all this time? "A hero."

"A hero?" Now that they were getting somewhere, Reina grinned energetically. "I could see it; your quirk is pretty versatile. I think you'd make a great hero."

"But I can't." Even with the encouragement that made her heart flutter with hope, Rei knew that she had to squash it down. It was illogical, impossible. "I'm not smart enough to get into a hero school. I didn't even think about going to high school."

Setting her cup down on the saucer, Reina looked squarely at Rei, a reprimanding look on her face. "What have we talked about? There's no such thing…"

Rei sighed. "As can't. I can do anything."

"So what's so different about this?" In the silence, Reina waited for a few moments, sighing to herself as Rei slipped into her own thoughts. She could see the gears turning, but the hesitation and fear was still lingering in her eyes. "Rei-chan, remember what I told you a month ago? When you said you were scared?"

At this Rei turned back to look into brown eyes, dropping her hands back to her drink as she looked in surprise. "You said that you wouldn't leave."

"Then I'm going to change that promise." Shocked, Rei was frozen in fear for a moment before she read the determination and excitement in her mentor's eyes, the electricity and hope that was constantly contagious. "I'm going to stay with you, all the way to when you get accepted into a hero school. And then, I'll be by your side, cheering for you when you become a hero."

It wasn't a half-hearted promise, or an empty deal that would snap at the slightest pressure. Reina's vow was as solid as the day she had promised to not leave Rei, this addendum as meaningful and intentional as the last. There was still fear and uncertainty in Rei's heart, but as she looked at her mentor she found that she was beginning to believe that she could do it. Nothing was impossible, and even then, even this wasn't improbable. It was feasible, right now just beyond Rei's grasp, but if she worked for it…

"Okay."

With a full stomach and dread in her heart, Rei had marched back into the stadium on her own. After they had reached the lunch room Bakugou had stormed off on his own, leaving Rei a bit dazed and unsure of where to turn. Fortunately her friend had flagged her down, admonishing her for taking so much time and talking about something else as Rei had dug into her meal. She had made sure to eat light enough so that it wouldn't slow her down during the afternoon, but giving her enough sustenance to push through the afternoon's activities.

At least she had gotten out of getting into those cheerleading outfits. Damn Mineta and his schemes. At least Rei was able to level him with one look, instantly making everyone back away from her.

"Alright, we're going to draw lots! Starting with-"

"Excuse me... but I'd like to withdraw."

All eyes turned to Ojiro, who had shyly raised his hand. Gasps of astonishment could be heard, and even Rei crossed her arms in surprise. "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle," he began to explain, a disappointed look on his face. "I think it was that guy's quirk."

Rei's eyes narrowed. So that hadn't been her imagination. As he continued to explain his rationale for withdrawing, Rei sent a look around the crowd of students. She couldn't see the purple haired boy, mostly due to the fact that she was terribly short and couldn't see through the crowd, but she shot suspicious glares all around. Rei had to respect Ojiro's honesty and integrity. She, unfortunately, wasn't so noble.

This was her shot to get recognized. She wasn't about to let it slip away, no matter the circumstances.

In the end, another familiar face was moved up into the bracket. It was the metal guy from Class 1-B, the guy that reminded her of Kirishima…

Whatever the case, it was resolved.

The match ups came to life on all the screens around the stadium. Rei looked up blankly, crossing her arms. Kaminari, huh?

"Oi, Akatsuki-san!"

Speak of the devil.

The blonde boy weaved through the crowd, waving his hand as he drew closer and closer. As soon as he stopped in front of her he gave a thumbs up and a wink. "Let's do our best today, right?"

Rei nodded her head, shifting awkwardly. "Yeah."

"No hard feelings! Let's go all out!"

Wouldn't that be bad for her, since his quirk was quite literally electrifying? But she would come up with a plan. She had to. Instead she nodded her head solemnly. "I look forward to it, Kaminari-san."

Bouncing around and running back toward Kirishima and Sero, Rei looked around the area before finding her intended target. Ojiro had already approached Midoriya, the two of them conversing for a moment before starting to walk away, the group of them dispersing as they began to get ready for the recreational part of the tournament. Rei was forced to pick up the pace in order to catch up with the two boys, before she lost them in the crowd.

Dodging through the crowd, she finally managed to catch up. "Midoriya-san."

The two of them turned at the green haired boy's name, Midoriya's eyes lighting up in surprise and excitement while Ojiro's face nodded, already knowing what was coming. "Akatsuki-san, are you going to participate in the recreational part?"

Shaking her head, she looked around at the people surrounding them before lowering her voice slightly. "Let me come with you. I want to talk to you and Ojiro about your opponent. You're up first, right?"

Surprised, Midoriya nodded choppily, leading the way to his waiting room. There was much to discuss.

"A quirk that can control people?" Midoriya looked at the table, sweat beginning to form on his brow as his eyes went wide at the possibilities. Rei could see his brain working away at all the different scenarios, picking through the strategies and sifting through his ideas in the way he always did. Perhaps he was overthinking it, as usual, but she let him have his way. It was better that he started now; he was the one who was most likely to create a cohesive plan. "Isn't that too strong to beat?"

"Yeah, but you can probably avoid it if you know about it." With Midoriya at the end of the table, Ojiro sat to his left, Rei sitting directly to Midoriya's right. Her eyes flickered between the two as Ojiro tried to explain thing better. "I don't remember much after I answered his question," he pointed at his head, eyes still a little unfocused as he tried to remember the details. "I think that's how it works."

Rei folded her hands in front of her, propping her elbows on the table and pressing her hands to the bridge of her nose. "The same thing happened with me," she spoke quietly, eyes going dark. "He said something to provoke me. As soon as I responded, it was over."

The already strained look on Midoriya's face only grew worse as his brows furrowed even deeper, hands clasped in front of him. "So, if I answer without thinking, I'll lose immediately."

"No, it's not completely impenetrable."

Rei and Midoriya looked up in surprise, both lifting their heads to look at the blonde boy. "I said I barely remembered anything until almost the end, right? When we were running away after Shinso stole Tetsutetsu's headband, it looks like I ran into one of the horses on his team. That's when I snapped out of it. I remember clearly after that."

"So receiving a shock can get rid of it?"

"There might be other compounding factors," Rei added, hesitant to build upon the negatives of the situation. But it was important to consider the entire situation as realistically and holistically as possible. "Shinso was controlling three of us as horses, so the strength might have to do with the number of people he's holding control over at once."

Ojiro nodded. "Akatsuki-san is right. I also don't know what kind of shock you need to snap out of it, and in a one-on-one situation you can't rely on help." Scooting his chair back and standing up, Ojiro nodded his head. "Well, that's about all I can provide. Sorry it's not much."

Midoriya shook his hands. "No thank you. That's a big help."

The blonde boy nodded, lingering for a moment more as he clenched his hand in front of him. "I'm going to say something selfish, but please do your best for me too." He offered his fist to Midoriya, who stood to receive the gesture gratefully. After bumping fists Ojiro swiftly left the room, leaving the other two alone.

Sitting down, Midoriya began to panic again. "Even if that's a help, how am I going to do this? I can't talk, but still knowing that…"

"Just win."

Interrupting his monologue, Rei stood up from the table as Midoriya stared in surprise. Her eyes were soft, even though her face was placid, unwavering. "Don't think about what could go wrong. You've been given an advantage. Win," she quietly urged him. "So you can meet me at the top of our bracket."

His eyes glistened, the beginnings of his resolve building back in his eyes. She could see the determination, relaxing at the sight.

"I'll see you there, Akatsuki-san."

"I'd better."

"Next up, we saw her briefly in the obstacle course, but we're not really sure what she does! It's Akatuski Rei from Class 1-A! Versus, sparking killing boy! Also from Class 1-A, Kaminari Denki!"

Rei's eye twitched at Present Mic's introduction, a dark mood surrounding her as she walked up the final flight of stairs. She was certain that everyone was picking up the fact that she was less than thrilled to be standing up there, what with all the television cameras that had trained on her face, but she didn't care. She wasn't about to put on a pretty face. Present Mic's less than enthusiastic and informational introduction for her had secured the fact that no one was going to see the pretty side of Rei any time soon. "You've got to be kidding me…" Reaching the battle field, she stood with her arms hanging at her sides, composed as she could be. Two sets of golden eyes met one another, clashing as they stared down in friendly rivalry.

"We have another flashy battle, coming right up! Ready, start!"

"You ready, Akatsuki-san?" Kaminari grinned, readying his fists. "Because I'm not going to hold back!"

Sliding her right foot backward, Rei readied her hands as well, eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't have it any other way." Of all the opponents she could have faced, Kaminari was one of the easiest to read, mostly due to the fact that she had already worked with him and he had explained his quirk. She knew most of his limits and how he liked to fight, giving her a distinct advantage. But that came with the knowledge that his absolute upper limit had a chance of taking her out instantaneously.

There were two ways this could go. He could try to fight in hand to hand combat, dealing electrifying blows if he managed to land anything on Rei. It was the more difficult route, seeing as how Rei was certainly faster and craftier than most people imagined. Even in their class, few people had ever seen her go full out, since she tended to use her surrounding to her advantage instead of revealing her fighting skills. Additionally, she already knew that Kaminari wasn't the strongest in hand to hand. If that was the route he chose, then there was a possibility that the match could get stretched on for a wide range of time. But if he really wanted to end this battle decisively…

"Indiscriminate Shock, 1.3 million volts!"

Obviously she was at a disadvantage. She couldn't call up any defenses like Tokoyami's dark shadow, or conjure an ice wall like Todoroki. But she had prepared for this as best as possible, creating a plan that would hopefully give her enough power to survive the initial blow. If she could survive this move, then her victory was assured; Kaminari would be down and out for the count, but so would she if she wasn't careful. As soon as she felt the air crackling with energy she leapt as high as she could into the air, watching as the lightning whipped out indiscriminately. With her single leap she could only afford to buy a few seconds of time, and she knew that Kaminari had been training, most likely in his endurance in keeping up this final move. Before he could only afford about three seconds tops. But now…

As expected, she fell back into the tangle of electricity, immediately getting zapped. It stung worse than a bee sting, licking at her skin and tazing her with incredible power. She couldn't help but scream, clenching her jaw together as she tried to keep her wits about her. Focus! She was fortunate that her regenerative quirk was working full time to try and keep her body alive, healing as fast as it could go. But even so she could tell that her stamina was dropping with every passing second.

Which brought her to her next plan.

Landing on the ground, she exerted every bit of energy, focus, and concentration she could to make sure that only the balls of her feet touched the ground, all her strength and coordination pulled into that move. With her heels touching one another she tucked her head into her torso, covering it with her arms to shield her head as much as she could. Another scream ripped from her chest at the pain. It stung, everywhere.

But she could hold out, just for a bit longer. Sure enough she began to feel the energy waning, the voltage dropping steadily until it fizzled out completely. Her muscles twitched as she finally fell to her hands and knees, breathing heavily as she shook her head. She felt heavy, like lead, wanting to drop to the ground with finality. No, she couldn't survive that much just to fail! She had worked too hard, her plan was fool proof. She just needed to stand.

To the side, Midnight raised her hand uncertainly, eyes flickering between one student who had been brought to her hands and knees, electricity still licking her limbs and flickering around her, while the other plodded around brainlessly, completely friend mentally but still standing. "Akatsuki is unable to stand! The winner-"

"No!"

The crowd drew their breath at the cry, leaning forward in their chairs as they watched the girl grit her teeth. Shaking her head with a frustrated cry, Rei put one foot on the ground, placing her hands on her knees as she pushed herself up. She staggered to the side wearily, but she refused to fall, shaking her hands out to her side. Golden eyes trained aggressively on Kaminari, who had enough sense to realize what was going on and stood frozen in fear. Rei managed to unhinge her jaw one more time. "I can still move!"

Slowly she pulled herself to her full height, rolling her shoulders back and sliding into an offensive stance once more. Breathing hard, she shifted her weight. "Better get ready, Kaminari," she spoke lowly, voice barely audible, "because I'm coming."

"After all that, Akatsuki is still able to stand! Just what is she?!"

"It wasn't just her ability to endure. When she landed on the ground she made sure that she balanced on the balls of her feet and connected her heels, making sure that almost all the energy was redirected back into the ground. She used her body as a conduit, not an end point."

With a cry she burst forward, showing no signs of weakness anymore as she sprinted at full speed, adrenaline working full time now that she had defied the odds and managed to overcome the seemingly impossible. There was no way for Kaminari to react, ragdolling as soon as she grabbed his arm and tugged him along behind her. Running up to the line of disqualification she yanked his arm, placing her free hand on his back and forcing him to move outside of the zone. For a moment they stood still, Rei breathing hard and the rest of the crowd still shocked from the turn of events.

Raising her arms now with finality, Midnight lifted her flail into the air. "Kaminari is out of bounds. Akatsuki advances to the next round!"

The cheers from the crowd were energetic although slightly subdued compared to other matches, whispers going about the audience even as Rei slowly released her grip on Kaminari. "Thank you, for giving your all." The boy gave a thumbs up to indicate that he had heard her, a whiny grunt the only voice affirmation she was to receive.

The robots came with two stretchers to take them to the medical bay, easily hoisting Kaminari onto the surface, the boy terrifyingly maleable. But Rei refused, even as her arms and legs shook. "No, I'll walk." She was injured, but she refused to lie on a stretcher; her pride wouldn't have it. Holding her head high, an attempt to demonstrate her resolve and her unwillingness to go down no matter the circumstances, she set her shoulders back and walked away, listening to the ecstatic cheers of the crowd.

They had underestimated her. It was there in Present Mic's introduction. Even though she had placed herself near the top she wasn't much to look at, considering there were people with tails and other quirks that flashily manifested themselves. They had equated her normal physicality with average performance. Even as her legs felt like rubber she forced herself to walk tall; they wouldn't get anything from her. She would show them.

How strange, that a week or two ago she had planned to fly under the radar. Now she was fighting to be seen, to be the best. As the crowd began to surge again at seeing her stand up in victory, Rei soaked it in, breathing in deep and letting a smirk make its way to her lips. It was admittedly addictive, standing in front of a roaring crowd that was now in her favor, cheering her name and screaming wildly at the outcome of events. Rei could try and pretend that it was a fluke that she now boldly stepped into the forray, but she knew deep down that it came to a gentle natured boy with a genuine smile and his flashy antithesis.

Those two wanted to be the best, and they wouldn't settle for less. Now, neither would their peers. Neither would she.

After getting healed by Recovery Girl, a fairly quick endeavor that came with a harsh scolding from the school's resident nurse, Rei was back in the bleachers, watching the competition. Everyone had been completely shocked at her survival and how quickly she had returned from Recovery Girl's office, but she had waved their concerns away, only wanting to sit in relative quiet as she analyzed the other matches in preparation for her own. There was much to think about, and much she had to do to prepare in so little time. For the most part everything progressed as expected.

For the most part.

And of course, it all came to a head when Midoriya's match against Todoroki came around.

If Rei hadn't been dead serious about facing Midoriya in her bracket, she would have been livid at the chaos that he and Todoroki had wrecked upon the stadium. Ice, concrete, and other debris had swirled violently in a malstrom of destruction, rocking the crowd and endangering their lives unnecessarily. He had done his absolute best to progress, but at what cost?

Just what the hell had Midoriya been thinking? Had he even been thinking? Of course, that was a stupid question; if anything, Midoriya tended to over think things, what with how fast his brain made connections so quickly and how curious he was about everyone's abilities. There was something that told Rei that Midoriya had planned for this, or something similar to occur. Still, it was enough to put a dent in her mood.

But as she emerged into the arena for her next match, she smoothed her face over into one of tenativeness and concern. She had a plan, and she couldn't let the other matches affect her portrayal now. In any other circumstance she would have worn her typical scowl for all to see, but now was not the time. This match required multiple layers, and she had to play her part.

"We didn't get to see much of him in action in the first match, so here's to a second chance! It's Iida Tenya from Class A! Going up against him, the monster that managed to withstand a thundershock, it's totally unfair! What even is her quirk?! It's Akatsuki Rei also from Class A!"

Walking up the steps tentatively, Rei watched Iida readying up from his side of the arena. Uncertain, she slowly slid into a defensive stance, wariness on her face. Iida noticed the tension, commenting as he readied himself. "Nervous, Akatsuki-san?"

She shifted. "Sorry, but you're a bit fast for my taste."

"Ready, start!"

Engines waking and boosting, Iida didn't hesitate. "Then I apologize, but I'm going to give it my all!"

Surging forward, he just missed grabbing onto Rei as she instinctually rolled to the side, narrowly dodging out of harm's way and quickly rising to her feet again, retaking her defensive stance. Iida went on the offensive, swinging his arms and legs quickly in close combat, attempting to catch her off guard. But in close quarters it was clear who was the ruler; for every swing he threw Rei had a perfect counter, dodging and anticipating every movement.

But much to his surprise it was Rei who back away, jumping backwards in a high arc after Iida had aimed a low sweeping kick at her ankles. Clearing almost half the field in an instant, she readied herself again.

Pressing his advantage, Iida blasted off, covering the distance in less than half the time, giving Rei no extra time to think. "Too slow!" Exchanging blows once again they danced around one another, Iida lunging forward and using his strength to attempt to overwhelm Rei's slight frame. But golden eyes only watched carefully, defending flawlessly once again. They were at a stalemate, what with the way that Iida continued a barrage of blows that Rei darted through and deflected expertly.

It was when Rei jumped back again that Iida saw his opportunity. Before she had even reached the ground his engines were already kicking in, sprinting to catch her before she fell. Clamping his hands around her upper body he began sprinting to the other end of the arena, his plan finally in action. He had planned to use his speed in order to overwhelm her and push her out of bounds from the beginning. It wasn't that he didn't respect her, or didn't think Rei strong enough to withstand his blows, rather the opposite. But there was still little known about what exactly Rei could pull; she preferred manipulation and exploitation of terrain advantages during class, leaving her exact physical skills and quirk abilities a mystery. Here in the arena there was little that she could use, so Iida had decided from the get go to simply overwhelm her by using his speed and push her out of bounds.

Even if she had evaded his first two attacks, he had predicted the third. She had been slower to jump away the third time, a sign of exhaustion. He would have to take advantage of it and quite literally run with it. Grasping her firmly in his hands, he sprinted toward the edge of the arena, the line drawing closer and closer.

"Are you sure?"

Blue eyes widening, time seemed to slow. By the time he recognized that daredevil smirk on her face it was too late. Delivering a kick to his groin he instinctively dropped her, hands flying to his guts. If he had his armor, none of this would have happened. But that was exactly the point. Rei dropped to the ground, landing on her back with a thud and a breath while kicking her legs into the air.

If she had been any other person, he would have simply tumbled right over her collapsed form. But instead, to everyone's surprise, he was sent sailing through the air from her kick that launched him over her, continuing his momentum and ensuring that he was unable to stop himself as he flew through space. With a shout he tumbled off the edge of the arena, rolling down the first flight of stairs. There wouldn't be an inch of him that didn't hurt after that.

"Iida Tenya is out of bounds. Akatsuki Rei advances to the next round!"

The crowd erupted.

Rei walked over to her classmate, who had begun to pick himself up from the ground. Offering a hand, she pulled Iida up from the ground, taking in the shock on his face from her surprisingly strong grip and strength. It was then that he realized what had happened. "Akatsuki-san…"

"You underestimated me, Iida-san."

The boy simply pushed up his glasses on his face, surprise crossing his features. "In the beginning, you had looked nervous."

Rei shoved her hands into her pockets. "A farce. I wanted you to think that I wasn't confident."

Heaving a sigh, Iida shook his head, hand going to fix his hair. "I can't believe it. I had hoped to tell Nii-san that I was number one…"

Rei blinked, a trademark motion at this point. Awkwardly she patting his back, unsure of exactly how to console her classmate. "You fought well. Your offense was near unbreakable. It wasn't easy for me either."

He smiled reassuringly. "Well, I have no regrets about our fight. I have a lot to work on, going forward." Stepping away, he gestured robotically, seemingly back to normal. "Then, I will see you back in the bleachers!"

Watching her classmate's back draw further and further away, Rei gazed off blankly. "Yeah…"

Another fight. But Rei knew exactly what was next.

Going against that Todoroki wasn't going to be easy.

Rei had sat through Tokoyami and Ashido's matches, but just barely. Bakugou and Kirishima had barely walked out onto the field when she had stood up and walked away, the nerves in anticipation for her next match beginning to get to her. She had heard Yaoyorozu call after her in concern, but all voices went ignored as she made her way through the tunnels down to the base floor, trying to get away from the crowds. For most of the day she had watched everyone's matches with a sharp eye, all the while considering her next plan of attack for her other matches. But something about this was different. Locking herself in the waiting room, she stood at the doorway with her hands clenched.

She was nervous.

More than just nervous; she was like a ball of yarn that was a string of nerves, all wrapped and bundled together but ready to unroll at any moment. Her heart pounded in her chest, blood coursing much too quickly through her veins and her forearms, stomach tying into a knot. Her mind was scattered and hazy, barely able to contain a coherent thread as she stood there. Unable to keep her pent up energy in her body she began pacing around the room, all the while stretching her arms and beginning to go through her preparations, attempting to physically calm down while she thought of a plan.

If anything, Midoriya's fight had only made Rei panic more. Everyone knew that Todoroki never used his left side, and now she had a good idea why. He was so adamant to not becoming his father, the flame hero Endeavor, that he sought to suppress his abilities at every turn. He had told Midoriya that he sought to win the entire competition without the use of his left side. But during their battle, Midoriya had done something to provoke the half hot, half cold boy.

The question was, had it been enough to turn it on permanently?

If that was the case, then Rei was screwed. Absolutely screwed, in every way possible. In fact, there were almost no other ways that she could be even more screwed over; there was nothing worse than knowing that her opponent had a power that they never used, only to now know moments before their fight that it had been unleashed. Even moreso, Todoroki had control over it, or enough control to be an incredibly dangerous threat. Going into this fight, Rei had been absolutely certain that she was going to get screwed over by his ice powers, since they were beastly and provided a first line of defense that made close range combat next to impossible. But now that he had his flames…

No, she couldn't afford to think like that. She was panicking, and she had to calm down. Focusing on her breathing, she began to pace more slowly, stretching her arms over her chest as she began to warm up more earnestly. She had to make the most of this time. It was time to think logically and get back to the facts.

If Todoroki had been truly as adamant as he had declared himself to be during his conversation with Midoriya that she had eavesdropped upon, then Todoroki most likely hadn't used his flames by choice. It was possible, but not probable. Knowing the tension between the two boys, it was likely that Midoriya had explicitly done or said something to tip the boy over the line, in order to get him to use his flames. What that was, Rei wouldn't know. Uraraka had mentioned that Recovery Girl was in surgery with the boy in question, meaning that Rei wouldn't be able to get any answers in time. She was left to her reasoning and logic.

So her conclusion was that Todoroki was unlikely to use his flames again, although it was probably somewhere on the table as a desperation tactic. If they were competing in a scenario where his father was definitely watching, then Todoroki would want to shut his father down. If that was the case, then Rei was back to square one of fighting with the ice.

Which literally left her back at square one. All she had so far was that she couldn't allow that ice to touch her. If she was ensnared at all, she was a goner and would be immobilized on the spot. There was most likely a very, incredibly brief window of contact where she would be able to leap out of reach, but she couldn't rely on such things. Rei had to think of all contact as a no-go zone. Normally he liked to use his foot to guide his direction; she had seen it back in USJ and in battle training. In fact, he almost always preferred some sort of contact with the ground or other objects in order to begin creating ice, now that she thought about it. If that was the case, then he would be limited to attacks beginning on the ground, since the arena was flat.

Wiping a hand over her face, Rei groaned. Instead she started to stretch her legs out, bending over and feeling her calves burning ever so slightly as they began to warm up. If only she could continue flying in the air forever, like a bird. But even birds probably weren't insusceptible to Todoroki's ice. If she could fake a limb and detach it in the ice-

An idea flashed through her mind, but she stored it away for later. That would require a lengthy letter to a costume company to update her uniform, and would get her nowhere in this situation.

If that wasn't possible, then-

The door flew open.

It slammed against the wall, jolting Rei to her feet and causing her eyes to bug out in panic, looking to the entrance with a jumpiness at the sudden sound. The only thing she saw was a grumpy Bakugou, who almost looked just as surprised at her presence. He scowled, pressing in dangerous. "The hell are you doing in here?"

Rei blinked. "My match is next."

The blonde grumbled, swiping his phone from one of the tables and stuffing it in his pocket. Rei had expected him to storm out, but instead he turned toward her, looking her over in careful scrutiny. "You look terrible."

Scoffing, Rei clasped her elbows, hugging her arms close to her. She turned her head away, unable to meet his gaze. "I feel terrible. Don't make me feel worse."

"What, you at a loss for your next match?"

The black haired girl winced. "Just, not feeling as confident. I've been able to outsmart every opponent so far, but when there's a massive wall of ice in my way…" Her face dropped into a scowl at the mere thought, mind racing as she began to loop back through her plan of attack.

Silence. Shaking her head, she looked back to the boy. Her fears flew away for a moment as she studied his face carefully, watching his jaw twitch as he attempted to keep his face as smooth as possible. He was hiding something. To his fortune, she could guess exactly what was bothering him, seeing him try to subtly clutch his forearms and failing completely.

To his fortune, she was looking for a momentary distraction.

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes, walking over towards the grumpy blonde and extending her hand out. He looked at her suspiciously, but she simply rolled her eyes. "Give me your arm, dumbass."

He sneered again but handed his arm over. All haughtiness immediately stopped as she began pressing down on points on his arm, Bakugou no longer able to hide his wincing at the pain. Golden eyes flickered in empathy between his arm and his face, though she mostly kept her gaze down. "This'll hurt," she murmured in warning, beginning to press down on certain places in his forearms with her thumbs, running them up and down the muscles as she felt for all the sensitive places. Much to his credit he remained silent the entire time, the only difference his face contorting briefly as he attempted to keep the pain to himself.

"Quirks are physical abilities too," she quoted him from earlier. He looked surprised that she had remembered what he had said after Uraraka's loss when they were back in the bleachers, though the look was quickly wiped after Rei's fingers reached a particularly sensitive spot. But he accquiesed, allowing her to massage the pain out. By the time she finished they were still sore but felt noticeably looser, much to his surprise. Testing out his grip, he stared in wonder at the limb.

Rei crossed her arms. "You almost overdid it in your match with Uraraka. I'd do the other side, but I'm guessing my match is on soon. If you want, I'll fix it after I'm done, but go see Recovery Girl before your next match." Silence. Dropping her arms to her sides, she started for the door, walking through the frame and not bothering to close it behind her. There was nothing more for her here. Bakugou would likely take care of any stray ends in the room, if he was last.

"Akatsuki."

Freezing in place, she turned to look behind her. To her surprise, red eyes bored into her own, a fierce fire behind them, as though attempting to pass the flame to her. He clenched his hand into a fist as he stared into her eyes, face deadly serious but somehow serene.

"I'd better see you at the finals."

Of all people, the last person she had ever expected to hear encouraging her and cheering her on was the explosive Bakugou, a constantly scowling and grumpy presence that was ready to attack anyone who questioned or bothered him at all. Bakugou, who constantly vexed her and surprised her at every turn. The boy who made her stomach flip upside down and inside out, for reasons she couldn't quite figure out-or more realistically, for reasons she didn't want to face. But here he was, standing in front of her in the waiting room as the echoes of the screaming crowd drifted to her ears in the dark corridor, as though there was nothing beyond those four walls for them.

And in that moment, she believed him.

The corners of her lips quirking up, she scoffed and shook her head. "I'm not giving up."

"You better not," he countered, hands in his pockets. "I won't let anyone watch my back if they're gonna sulk all day."

Rei perked up at his words. Had he really said that? Did he believe it? Quietly, almost half to herself, she mused. "Do you mean it?"

Red eyes rolled. "Don't you have a fight to win first?"

It was enough to put her in better spirits, confidence returning where it had waned only minutes before. There was no choice; in the real world, she wouldn't be able to pick the villains she wanted to fight. There were things that had to be done simply because they needed to get done, and heroes had to pick up that mantle. This fight here would test what she was made of; heroes could get out of any situation, and they certainly wouldn't back down.

Nodding her head, gold eyes glittered. "Yeah."

Emerging through that tunnel, it was like the first time all over again.

"It's the first fight of the semifinals! The story of the hero elite whose quirk can't be contained, versus the scrappy girl who's defying all odds to get here! On one side, it's the mysterious girl herself, Akatsuki Rei from the hero course! And on the other side, with fire and ice, it's Todoroki Shoto also from the hero course!"

The roar of the crowd was ignored as the two of them made eye contact, the clashing resolves battling it out from the very beginning. Rei could see the anger still swirling in silver and cerulean eyes, the bitterness and determination that seeped through his body and lolled on the cement floor below them. There was something different about Todoroki, a tension that was threaded through his body. But now was not the time to contemplate the reasons; she was here to defeat her opponent, and that was that. Sliding into her stance, Rei flexed her hands as she waited for the command.

She would become a hero. She would not back down now.

Neither spoke a word. There was no need.

"Match, start!"

Both ice and girl moved instantaneously, the icy crystals jutting up dangerously but in large chunks. Rei wasted no time launching high into the air as soon as it got in her face, but much to her surprise the wall went up with her.

"Right from the start, Todoroki builds a wall in front of Akatsuki, anticipating her incredible jumps!"

Rei's eyes narrowed. Shit. He had read her further than she had read him. But there was no time to stop, only time to go forward. Without hesitation her nails shot out, digging into the barrier and immediately halting her descent. Using her grip she shot even higher into the air, wincing at the cold that had assaulted her fingertips. She had experienced it before during the obstacle race, but she hadn't ever expected to feel it again. It was to her fortune that Todoroki hadn't made the wall extremely tall, only halting at a height he believed could not be jumped.

Too bad he had been in front of her when she had scaled that robeast in the prelims. He hadn't seen what she was capable of. Otherwise, he would have tripled the height.

Flipping over the top, much to the enjoyment of the audience, she began to ride the wall down, eyes narrowed as she fought the wind. Immediately she could feel the ice beneath her feet acting up, forcing her to leap side to side in order to avoid the further obstructions. It was like running through the treetops and branches at the school, except this time the branches were ready to actively snare her ankles and limbs should they linger too long in any single spot.

Dancing through the tundra, she was constantly kept at distance. Both of them knew it. Every time she tried to advance closer, he would send a new barrier that would have her moving further to the side or backing away slightly. The battleground was looking more like the arctic, an icy wasteland with a small area around Todoroki that was moderately clear, a small layer of frost on the ground from where his feet directed his quirk. Rei began leaping through the air in an attempt to change things up, forcing her to think on her feet once her dodges to the side became too predictable. But at this rate, things were beginning to turn in her favor.

After one leap, Rei looked in satisfaction at Todoroki's small circle. The look she gave him was enough to tip him off to something, but he had already called an ice wave to follow her too quickly. His eyes widened before Rei disappeared from sight, and he realized just what she had been trying to do.

Rei jumped out to the fringes of the battle field, observing her work. She had noticed his arm covering in frost the more he had used it, his breath becoming even more strained and frosty. In the beginning she admittedly hadn't had much of a plan. She was a close range fighter, especially without her costume to give her long distance advantages, and she was fighting against a long range fighter who could endlessly keep her at bay. But she was nimble and quick on her feet, and she had fortunately been able to think one step ahead, even though she had been incredibly hard pressed.

She knew that Todoroki had been quick to push her away, doing everything to keep her at bay. She knew that he recognized her close range fighting abilities, and had likely tried to keep her on the fringes. When she approached him he had pushed her away, setting up barriers.

But barriers worked two ways. Rei knew that he was surrounded by a fortress of ice, with a miniscule window of light up to the top. He had essentially iglooed himself inside, and if Rei had guessed correctly about his quirk, he wasn't immune to the cold himself.

It would be a waiting game.

And Rei could wait.

The audience had devolved into murmurs, but Rei wouldn't let her guard up yet. Midnight looked unsure of what to do, what sort of calls to make. Even Present Mic sounded like he was out of ideas, everyone straining and watching to see what would happen next in the silence.

The sound of crackling first made its way to Rei's sensitive ears, and her eyes widened in response. She knew before anyone else what was happening, and she could only watch in horror as the ice burst at the top, Todoroki appearing on a wave of crystals as he flew up into the air, quickly descending on Rei's location.

The crowd cheered. Rei's heart dropped.

But there was no time to react. Seeing Todoroki's fast descent she jumped into the air, aiming for where he had been previously in the slope. With the smoothness of his path she had to dig her nails into the ice once again, clinging to the wall in desperation while looking around, trying to determine his next path. He merely lept to the ground near where she had just been, eyes glaring daggers in her direction as he began to move on the offensive again, shooting daggers of ice in her direction. This time they were thinner, more precise, and sharper looking than ever, ready to cut Rei up at a moment's notice. So he was growing tired, exhausting his supply. It wasn't infinite like most people assumed. He had a limit.

The problem was that Rei did as well. Leaping higher into the air she scaled the tower of ice, brain panicking now that she had been thrown off. What little plan she had created had been lain to waste in an instant. She had nothing left but instinct. And instinct told her first and foremost to run.

If Todoroki was growing tired, then Rei realized that her chance for close range combat was soon approaching. Soon she would be able to attack. Reaching the top of the ice block, she turned sharp on her heel, staring down at her target. He was hunched over, breathing hard, but still staring at her with a deadly look on his face. She was leaping into the air before she even realized it, instinct telling her that she could make the jump

Instinct forgot to remind her that Todoroki wasn't down for the count yet.

A final ice wall came barreling in her direction, and she was unable to stop it midair. Doing the only thing she could she braced herself for the impact, arms forming an "x" in front of her chest and face. It clipped her elbows, but it changed her direction just enough, throwing her off balance. Twisting in the air in panic, she tried to get her feet and hands below her so that she could catch herself and save her from the dive. But the icy wasteland was unforgiving, and most importantly, it wasn't flat. Her hands and feet were not the first to make contact.

There was a ripping sensation in her gut.

Rei heard a scream just as she was registering the pain, not even realizing that her mouth had opened until she inhaled from losing all of her breath. Trying to prop herself up, she felt the icy sting on her hands as she tried to push herself up from the ground. It was then that she saw the blood already pooling around her, brain trying to catch up with what had happened.

She was out before she even saw the icicle that was lodged inside her body.

"This is the second time you didn't try to come here."

… Haru?

"Still, I'm proud of you. Though, I didn't realize it'd be this dangerous to become a hero."

Haru, wait.

"I'll always wait for you, Rei. But you shouldn't be here. Not yet."

There's so much I want to tell you.

"You have to go back, Rei."

Haru, I don't know what to do.

"You better hurry, otherwise you'll get stuck here too."

I don't know what to do.

"And stop coming to this place, okay? You make me worried every time…"

Haru, what should I do?

"I miss you, okay?"

I miss you too. Every day.

"I believe in you. It's not just our dream anymore, right?"

Yeah. I've got that much figured out.

"That's right. Just keep taking steps forward. It doesn't matter how big or how small."

Right. Because-

"It's not just our dream anymore-"

It's mine.

"Young Tokoyami, Young Akatsuki, congratulations. You both are very strong."

Rei bowed her head in acceptance of the bronze medal, trying her best not to involve her torso in the movement. It proved to be an impossible feat, and she winced at the pain as she felt the muscles stitching back together and straining under her movement. Recovery Girl had mentioned that she would be in quite a bit of pain for a while, but Rei hadn't quite realized what the lady had meant until she began moving around.

Core muscles sure got used in every movement, and Rei was painfully aware of the fact now that they had been completely shredded against their will, now working slowly to mend themselves even as Rei tried to push onward with the day.

"My, my, I almost can't believe my own eyes. It's like your wound has healed all on its own."

The moment Rei regained consciousness she found herself in Recovery Girl's temporary wing, the woman standing over her prone figure. Confused, she looked over her body, blanching at the white bandages that were wrapped tightly over her stomach.

The pain, she remembered the pain-

"I remembered seeing something about regeneration in your quirk registry. But something tells me that that's not all."

Rei lowered her head in shame. Recovery Girl was sharper than she had originally given her credit for, which was a dangerous thing to do. For a minute they simply existed in silence, the nurse running other tests and cleaning up her work station. There were bloody gauzes and bandages on a tray to be tossed, instruments to be cleaned. All the while, Rei remained silent, until she could remain silent no longer.

"Nine lives."

The older woman turned to her patient, curious but listening with a calm face. Rei's eyes glazed over as she looked at her bandages, seeing but unseeing at the same time. "That was the name of my quirk. It was simply given because they noticed that I had strong gracilis muscles in my legs and heightened senses, along others that identified me to be very cat like. Later, they thought it was regeneration," her voice dropped to a whisper, throat tightening. "But it's something worse."

At this the woman stopped her motions and came to sit at the bedside of the young girl, who trembled and shook at the memories. Her eyes no longer saw what was in front of her but the ghosts of the past, the things that haunted her when she closed her eyes at night. The tears could not be stopped. "Every time I die, I find that I can't. My body comes back to life. I can't…" She inhaled sharply, breath hitched. But it was too painful to hold back, the muscles in her stomach still weaving together. So she silently let the tears stream down her cheeks, closing her eyes and letting go.

The minutes ran by. Slowly, piece by piece, Rei began to stitch herself together. She let the tears run dry, closing the aquaducts and allowing her face to smooth over. A moment of release, only to build herself back up. Her mask fell into place, cold and removed, distant from the present moment while living in it all the while. Recovery Girl began to move again, but not before taking Rei's hand in hers and giving it a pat.

"Only you are responsible for the grief you carry. You get to decide what you take and what you leave behind." Rei turned her head slowly, words filing into her head as she turned them over, examining them piece by piece. Shuzenji only gave a small, sad smile before squeezing her hand one last time and letting go. "The award ceremony will start when you're ready. Take your time."

The medal fell around her neck, cold and weighty. Rei felt as though in that moment it could have dragged her neck down to the ground, back down to her knees. But All Might stepped forward to embrace her, Rei stiffening as he spoke into her ear.

"You fought admirably, even in spite of your limitations. I'm sure that now you recognize where your abilities lie, and what you must train next in order to overcome them."

The man pulled away, and Rei stared for a moment before bowing her head. "Yes, sensei."

The world seemed to pass into a blur as she stared at the medal for a while, then looking out to the crowd. In the distance she could see her classmates, each of them watching attentively and hopefully. She saw Midoriya standing among them, both arms in slings. The two of them made eye contact, a hopeful yet strained smile on his face as he looked at Rei. She thought it strange, but didn't think anything further of it. He was probably just tired from recovering and from the day.

If she was honest, so was she. So exhausted, she barely even noticed Bakugou throwing a fit next to her as All Might placed the medal on his head, eventually letting him clamp onto it with his teeth as the boy seethed. From the other side of Tokoyami she didn't want to lean forward or backward to rely on her stomach muscles, so she simply listened to his tirade with half an ear.

Nothing had come out as she had expected. The only constant here had been Bakugou, who had only that morning made his declaration to be number one. Rei had planned that morning to stay in the middle of the pack, to be average, to do well but not too well. Somewhere in all of that, she found that her resolve had changed. She had shifted to aim for the top, not to settle for the semifinals, but to go all the way to the top. Deep down, she had truly wanted to meet Bakugou at the finals, and Rei had to admit that there was a piece of her that was disappointed.

But there was a medal on her neck. Wasn't that more than what she had originally expected? That was the biggest sign that something had changed. She had changed. And Rei had to admit that she realized that now, she was going to continue changing.

It wasn't just the dream she and Haru had shared as children.

Rei was going to make it her own.

AN: Just a warning, but updates will be coming out a bit more slowly for a while.

I've decided to add in a bunch of stuff (which I'm gonna keep a secret so you can be surprised), but it needs to get inserted between chapters that I've already written. I hope you'll be looking forward to it! I'm excited.

And thank you to:

Ansegiel, for constantly reviewing. I'm happy you enjoy Rei and Bakugou so far!

Boooop: I usually don't put too many cliffhangers in, since I'm bad about intentionally writing them, but when I do... :) Haha thank you!

Scarlett: I will do my best to keep updating! I'm bad about regular posting schedules, so please bear with me!

HellToTheNo123: I'm glad you like it! Short reviews are very motivating for me, so thanks for this little note :)

And The Others Laugh: Man, I know we've already had a few conversations behind the scenes, but thank you thank you thank you for your thoughts. Please enjoy the next few chapters!

And thanks to everyone else who has reviewed so far!