Chapter 21

Final Exams (Part 1)

Summer was undoubtedly upon them. With bugs chirruping and the constantly hot and slightly humid air surrounding her, Rei was reminded at every waking moment that it was officially her least favorite season. Sure, being warm had its perks. There was less time needed to warm up for training compared to winter and its chilly, freezing temperatures, but that also brought on unnecessary amounts of sweat and overheating. It didn't help that, while most people were more than happy to hit the pool or the beach in order to cool down, Rei wasn't happy with almost any body of water.

Rei slumped over in her desk. It was only morning. She was thankful for the air conditioning inside the U.A. classrooms, but she was still seated near the window, and the sunlight made her a bit sleepy. It wasn't anything she couldn't handle at the current moment, but she definitely couldn't sit up in her chair with a completely straight posture all day like she had only a month ago. Why did it already have to be so warm in the morning? And why did it have to get worse? Leaning her forearms on her desk, she listened carefully as Aizawa wrapped up their morning homeroom.

"Alright, that's it for class." He straightened up a pile of papers, slightly more focused on the stack than the students in front of him at the moment, although he continued to address them. "There's only one week until final exams. You all are studying properly, right? I'm sure you already know, but it won't just be a written exam. There's be a practical portion as well. Make sure you train your minds and bodies at the same time." Heading for the doorway, he paused just before exiting, leveling everyone with one of his infamous glares. "Make sure you're prepared."

As soon as the door slid shut, the room burst into activity and voices clambering, most of them bemoaning the approaching end of term tests. Almost immediately, Ashido and Kaminari jumped at Yaoyorozu's offer to help them with studying, Rei instinctively giving an eye roll while trying to hide her exasperation. Leave it to Momo to come in clutch and save almost everyone's asses. It was in her nature to be kind, and not just as the vice president, although her status as a class rep probably had something to do with the fact that she wanted her peers to succeed. Rei peered around the group, looking forward to a familiar ash blonde figure who sat a few seats in front of her. She noticed that Kirishima had approached Bakugou, most likely asking to study with the boy. After all, Bakugou had gotten third on the midterms. Heaving a sigh of her own, Rei debated her predicament. Should she ask to study with him again? Much to her surprise, Bakugou had been surprisingly helpful during their last study session. Surely if she studied with him, she would learn a lot more and solidify the rest.

But seeing Kirishima made her doubtful. She didn't really want to intrude on the two of them. More than that, she wasn't sure if she wanted to open up to Kirishima. He was funny, and sweet as well as hard working, but he was also a bit flirtatious around Rei, from what little she had noticed and from what the girls in 1-A had mentioned to her with giggles in the changing room. It was flattering, but also a little awkward. She wasn't sure if she would survive a study session with him around, let alone with Bakugou as well. But that was a problem for later, as Present Mic walked into the classroom and began setting up for class. The day had begun, and Rei needed to keep up with as much as she could.

It was at the end of the day that they made a breakthrough.

Well, Midoriya had discovered something, to be exact.

"Yes! It'll be easy if it's robots!"

Although Ashido and Kaminari seemed to be taking this a little too lightly, Rei found that she had to agree with their comments. Midoriya had apparently learned during lunch from someone in Class 1-B that the traditional first exam of the school year was against the entrance exam robots. The discovery had filled Rei with a touch of relief; at least she would mostly have to worry about the written exams from here on out. Of course she wouldn't slack in her physical preparations, but knowing that the test would be in familiar territory provided at least a little bit of relief.

But they most likely weren't in the clear just yet. Knowing U.A. there would be some sort of twist. It couldn't be as simple as trying to clear the robots from the field, even if they did add those "zero point" robots and made them mandatory. Perhaps they would change the programming and rewire their patterns to make them more unpredictable, more erratic? That would certainly change things up a bit, forcing them to keep on their toes. Packing up her belongings, Rei had a small smile on her face. Things were looking up.

"It doesn't matter if they're humans or robots. They're the same if you beat 'em up, right?"

Rei raised her head, sliding the last of her belongings into her bag. The entire class had turned to look at Bakugou, who was halfway across the front of the classroom. Even with his back turned toward the duo, he was clearly addressing Ashido and Kaminari, who were preemptively celebrating Midoriya's release of information.

But something was different about him, Rei watching him closely. Even with his usually slumped shoulders she could see a coil of tension, keeping his frame rigid and tense. "What're you idiots talking about it being a cinch for?"

"Oi, who're you calling an idiot-"

"Shut up!" Rei blinked as the pink and golden blonde duo withered from Bakugou's fiery temper as he turned to yell at them. "If you need to control your quirk, then control it, idiot!" Taking advantage of the moment, Bakugou finally turned around fully, a raging glower on his expression. "Oi, Deku! I don't know if you've figured out how to use your quirk a little or what, but you seriously keep rubbing me the wrong way." Even Rei shivered at his dark tone, though still frozen in her seat. She could only imagine what Midoriya was feeling, what with that rage being fully directed at him now.

"I don't need another half-assed result like at the sports festival. At the upcoming finals, we'll get individual scores, so we'll see who's better whether you like it or not. I'll beat you with an indisputable difference! I'll kill you!" Much to Midoriya's credit, he barely flinched away from the aggressive challenge. Rei had to give credit to the boy; not two months ago, he would have been stammering away, hands gesturing wildly in his weak defense in fear of his childhood rival. Now there was only surprise, and nothing that indicated he would back down from the challenge. Bakugou then turned to face Todoroki, redirecting his anger. "Todoroki! You too!"

The boy in question only nodded in acceptance of the challenge, Bakugou storming out of the door and out of the school. Rei immediately rose from her seat, placing a hand on Yaoyorozu's shoulder as her friend looked at her in surprise and a bit of questioning. It seemed as though everyone seemed to notice that something was up, but only Rei moved to find some sort of closure. "I'm going," she stated plainly and quickly, wanting to make a quick exit so that she could catch up with the boy that had just left. There was something odd about how he had suddenly snapped, and Rei wanted to get to the bottom of things. "I'll text you later." Yaoyorozu nodded, offering a tentative smile that only gave away her nervousness at the sudden tension in the room, but Rei was fluidly striding out the door, walking calmly but with a purpose.

"Man, it's been a while since I've seen Bakugou that tense." Kirishima's words barely reached her ears as she strode out the door, shutting the door quietly and delicately in comparison to Bakugou's fiery exit. It wasn't just her that had caught on to Bakugou's sudden temper flare. Such a thing hadn't happened for some time now. Usually he simply brewed away in his seat, keeping to himself or making comments under his breath out of earshot. Having him explode at Midoriya was a throwback, reminiscent of the first few weeks of school. What was going on, to have him snap in such a way? Rei was determined to at least give him support, if not lend him an ear. Something told her that today was going to be a difficult day with him.

She was forced to rush to her shoe locker, shoving her boots onto her feet and tying them in a haphazard manner as she rushed to the front of the school. Bakugou was already a few paces in front of her, back toward her as she rushed to follow. He seemed to be lost in his own world, and she was hesitant to pull him out of his thoughts. Eventually she caved, calling after him softly to get his attention. "Bakugou!"

The only indication that he had heard her was that he paused in his steps, giving enough time for Rei to quickly walk up next to him. The moment she appeared in his peripherals he continued on, forcing Rei to skip a couple steps in order to fall into stride. He was walking much more quickly than usual, a scowl on his face and darkness in his heart. It was in that moment that Rei knew that he wouldn't hear anything she had to say, at least not right then. So instead she fell silent, simply walking alongside him, a silent companion. It was what she decided was best. There was no point in asking pointless questions that would only provoke his rage further.

The train ride passed in silence. Rei had simply stood next to him the entire way, trying to let him know just by her presence that she was there for him, ready to lend an ear. She watched as the anger drained from him slowly, minute by minute, until he seemed to recede to a normal level of irritation. That wasn't until they were back close to home, walking through familiar streets as they made their way back to their residence. Still Bakugou said nothing. Rei found that she couldn't keep silent for much longer, a question on her mind.

"Are you…" Trailing off she shook her head. It was pointless to ask how he was. He wouldn't appreciate the meaningless chatter. Instead she cut to the chase. "I noticed you're studying with Kirishima this weekend."

At her reminded he bristled, but it was different from the way he had reacted in class. "Damn idiot needs help, so I guess I've gotta help."

Rei only nodded halfheartedly. "Well, have fun then."

"Oi." Red eyes met gold as he glared down at her. "You're not skimping out either."

Blinking a few times, she stared back blankly, hiding her surprise. "I'm invited?"

Her question evoked an exasperated eye roll from her companion. "Who else? I need to study too, and Kirishima's not gonna help me."

"You? Study?"

"Shut up."

Rei couldn't help the chuckle that tumbled out of her mouth, earning a half hearted glare from Bakugou. Lifting a hand to her mouth, she attempted to stifle the giggles, a smile on her face. At least she had succeeded in lightening the mood just a bit, and just in time. They rounded the corner to their street, walking a bit more slowly now that they were almost home. "Bakugou, are you alright?"

Silence. Rei looked up at him, watching the way his red eyes hardened as he stared straight ahead, the fury returning to him just a bit. "I'm going to come out on top," he spat out, a vow of determination, "and that damn Deku and Todoroki bastard aren't going to stand in my way."

She would have been lying if she didn't say that she was worried with the way the promise was spit out of his mouth. He was angry, and more so than usual. It was a little daunting, but Rei had to have faith that things would come out just fine in the end. As they came to his house she stopped in her tracks, forcing Bakugou to look at her. She offered a small smile as she looked into his eyes. "I believe you, hero."

Surprise briefly registered on his face before a composed facade took over, features smoothing over into a neutral look. He scoffed. "I know. You'd better."

It was as good as a goodbye as she was going to get. She waved her hand in a tiny gesture at her side, offering a smile as he simply nodded his head, turning away and walking into his house. Rei finally turned away, walking a few more steps to get into her own house. Unlocking the front door and stepping inside, she saw Reina's head pop over the edge of the couch.

"Welcome home! How's your day?"

Rei sighed. "I'm home. It was… interesting."

"Tell me about it?"

She only shook her head, lugging off her shoes and padding over to the living room, plopping down on the floor. "Nothing much. Just school. Finals are coming up next week."

Reina patted Rei's head, a soothing gesture coming from the woman, and Rei found herself nuzzling her head into Reina's palm. "And you'll be more than prepared. Are you going to start studying now?"

"Yeah." Rei's face was determined. She had everything to gain, and nothing to lose. She would do her best and go beyond. "I'm ready."

"What the fuck kind of answer is that?! Use your damn head, shitty hair!"

"I got it, I got it!"

Rei sighed. The weekend was finally upon them, and she found herself sitting next to Bakugou in a booth at a small diner that Kirishima knew, the two of them sitting across from the red haired boy as he struggled over his notes. Bakugou had been true to his promise to the other boy, determined to beat the information into his head.

Literally.

With his own notebook in his hands he curled the bound book in his fist and smacked the other boy on the head. At least Kirishima's quirk would prevent him from getting too many bruises, although Rei knew that he had been caught off guard a few times, his quirk not likely manifesting in time to completely shield him from the physical abuse. Poor Kirishima. At least he knew what he had signed up for prior to their study session. To his credit he didn't complain at all, simply withstanding the torture and tackling the notes even harder than before.

Sipping her cup of hot tea, she watched the two in amusement and concern. Well, the concern was mostly for Kirishima's wellbeing. Bakugou at least had reverted to his normal self for the most part, forgetting about his grudge against Midoriya and Todoroki temporarily in this space. He was still tense on their walks to and from school, although in the afternoon as they walked back home he seemed to relax a bit more in Rei's presence. There was a small bit of tension between them still, but it was barely noticable. Perhaps it was mostly one sided, since the blonde didn't seem to care much, but Rei couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. It was her that was holding him back, but neither could she bring herself to move forward. Not yet. Not now.

Instead she settled for studying from her own notes, occasionally peeking at Bakugou's whenever he wasn't smacking Kirishima over the head. Those moments were few and far in between, so Rei mostly stuck to her own work, although it was becoming more and more difficult to study what with the racket they were making. At least there weren't many other patrons at this time of day, letting the trio do whatever they wanted. Sipping her tea, she sighed quietly as she watched the two bicker about something, leaning forward onto the table as she observed their interactions.

Of all their classmates, Bakugou was probably the least antagonistic around Kirishima, the energetic boy somehow breaking through a number of his barriers. Even if it wasn't on the same level as Rei's interactions with the boy, the two seemed to get along in a… rather physically manipulative way. It was more that Kirishima respected and wanted to be friends with Bakugou, who begrudgingly gave his time to the red head. Rei knew that Bakugou wouldn't waste his time; deep down inside, he mostly likely had given Kirishima a stamp of approval, no matter how rough he still acted.

Most of Bakugou's time had been spent berating Kirishima, and Rei knew that the boy needed a moment to process everything. With a sigh and a bit of resolve, she plucked the notebook from Bakugou's hands, momentarily standing up in order to reach the object before settling back into her seat and smoothing the pages out. When she looked up she saw Kirishima staring at her in horror, while Bakugou simply looked stunned. Blinking her eyes, she handed back the flattened notebook to her seat partner, giving him a look of severity. "Let Kirishima-san absorb the material for a minute. You need to study too."

Kirishima had clearly been expecting a shit storm to ensue, strawberry red eyes widening as he braced himself for the inevitable. But much to his surprise, Bakugou only scoffed, sitting back down in his seat and swiping the notebook from Rei's grasp. He muttered something under his breath, opening his notebook as Rei pointed to a particular page in her own. "Here, this quadratic equation. It's from April seventeenth."

Her voice and appearance was calm, countering Bakugou's storminess, although even his anger was much more diluted than normal. Kirishima blinked in surprise, watching the two for a second before grinning. "Wow, I never thought that you two would get along. I've never seen Bakugou so calm."

His comment only riled Bakugou back up, as he raged at the boy. "What'd you say?! I'm always calm, you idiot!"

Kirishima's grin only widened as he pointed to Bakugou. "Yeah, I thought you'd be more like that! But around Akatsuki-san, you're definitely different."

"Kirishima-kun, focus please."

Even though her voice was still light, there was a glint in her eyes that sent a shudder down Kirishima's spine. "R-right." Silence for a moment, but Kirishima couldn't resist commenting further. "Akatsuki-san, you're like the icy cold to Bakugou's hot temper, aren't you?"

A string of curses and challenges came out of Bakugou's mouth, but Rei only looked into Kirishima's eyes, blinking for a moment as she absorbed his comment and processed it. After a few seconds her lips twitched, clearly thinking of some instance in her head that Kirishima wasn't privy to, although the amusement on her face made him wonder what it was that she had thought of. "I suppose, when you put it that way."

He grinned. "You know, you're a lot less scary than I thought you were! And nice too. And you're really smart!"

"Oi, stop trying to flirt, shitty hair."

Bakugou's tone was suddenly lethal, almost hissing as it oozed danger. But Kirishima didn't seem to notice, although he chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Oh yeah, sorry!" He instantly started looking back at his notes, leaving Rei to blink in surprise. What was that all about? Flirting? Confused but deciding to push it away, she turned back to her notes with Bakugou, the two of them pouring over the same concept.

Squinting her eyes, she delicately tapped Bakugou's notes. "What's that?"

"It's how I was taught to separate the terms." Making a few extra scratches in the margins of his notes, he briefly demonstrated how he used the small diagram, explaining it in a few, soft spoken words. Rei hummed, marking up her own margins as she copied the example. It was rather different, but something that made sense once he explained it. Smiling, she looked up at him.

"Thanks. I might use that now."

He only shrugged his shoulders in a tiny motion that was barely perceptible, flipping through a few more pages before coming to a section he pointed at. "This section. What do you have?"

The two of them talked quietly in hushed tones, not noticing that Kirishima had slowly been pulled out of his own studying as he analyzed the two. This was certainly something different, a completely new and unprecedented side to Bakugou as he and the girl next to him sat close to one another, putting their heads together as they poured over other concepts. The explosive blonde was rather subdued, although still grumpy looking with a small scowl on his lips. Rei on the other hand seemed almost too comfortable with this side, calm and concentrated, not making a fuss about this other side. But Kirishima couldn't stay incognito forever; it was after he stared for too long that Bakugou finally looked up, the scowl deepening on his face. "What're you staring at?! You want me to knock more sense into you?"

"Ah, n-no!"

"Then stare at your own notes, hah?!"

Rei only watched the two with a suspicious smile on her face, a strange look that Kirishima couldn't quite place. But before he could give it any more thought, a coiled notebook smacked the top of his head. "Oi! Focus!"

"R-right!"

Strange indeed. The icy stoic princess and the explosive riot. An inexplicable combination that somehow worked, the two of them meshing in a way that no one could have predicted. It was curious how fate worked, and Kirishima found himself wanting to know more. But school came first. He had to pass final first.

Then, maybe at the camping trip, he'd be able to ask Bakugou what was going on.

Three days of written finals had come and gone. Rei knew that she had done exceedingly well, no thanks to her study sessions with Bakugou and extra cram sessions with Reina and Hotaru. Everyone had been excessively helpful, and she was confident in her ability.

Now came the real test.

"Now, we'll begin the practical exam."

Aizawa stood in front of the class with a variety of U.A. teachers, much to Rei's confusion and suspicion. The rest of the class had changed into their hero costumes, Rei deciding to forego the face mask she usually wore. It was hot and humid, making it more difficult to breathe even without the contraption. With her face free she felt almost naked, but it was worth the trade off. She would have rather been able to breathe freely than to suffer for the sake of image at this point. Perhaps it was a good idea to look into alternative materials… Shifting her weight, she began to stretch her arms out subtly, standing in between Kirishima and Bakugou as the former was stretching out his legs. Her eyes were trained completely on the teachers in front of them, eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out exactly what was setting off her nerves.

"Of course, it is possible to fail the exam," Aizawa prefaced, "So if you want to go to the training camp, don't make any stupid mistakes. I expect," he surveyed the entire class, looking each person in the eye, "that you have gathered information ahead of time and have some idea of what you'll be doing."

"We're fighting robot warriors like at the entrance exam!" Kaminari punched his fist into the air excitedly, clearly ready for the test. "Right?"

As Ashido began exclaiming and shouting about various training camp activities, Rei's golden eyes focused onto Aizawa's bandages around his neck. They shifted oddly, as though something was moving underneath them. Come to think of it, it looked as though…

"For various reason," a muffled voice sounded before a white furry head popped out of Aizawa's bandage scarf, "the exam will be different starting this time!"

Rei's jaw unhinged, although she managed to keep herself together enough to prevent her jaw from completely dropping open. The principal? And not only that, but the test was now different?

Rei knew that her gut instinct had been telling her something.

"Principal Nezu?" Various exclamations had come from the class, although Ashido and Kaminari had frozen in their tracks, unable to make a sound after hearing that their expectations were shattered.

Ignoring all the outbursts, the principal lowered himself to the ground using Aizawa's wrappings, shaking off his suit and placing his hands behind his back. "From now on, we want to focus on person-to-person combat and hero work, and stress teaching that is closer to actual fighting!" His usually bubbly expression suddenly turned slightly dark, unnerving everyone as they listened in horror to his words. "So, we'll have you form teams of two and fight against one teacher!"

This time Rei's jaw fully dropped, mouth open as she stood aghast in horror. Fighting against the teachers? It was Aizawa who picked up where the principal had left off. "Furthermore, the pairs and who each pair will be up against has already been decided. These were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships, so here they are."

"First," he declared, "Yaoyorozu and Todoroki will be one team, and they're fighting me." There was an oddly excited look on his face, effectively sending shudders down her spine as she looked to her friend. Momo looked completely uncertain and caught off guard, the complete opposite of a determined Todoroki who was clearly already conjuring strategies in his mind. Rei felt a wave of pity for Yaoyorozu to go against such a strong teacher. If they weren't careful…

"Midoriya and Bakugou are also a team, and their opponent…"

Something glinted in the sky, drawing everyone's attention. Crashing into the ground, an extremely familiar figure made their appearance, a fist clenched in determination. "I… will do it!"

Rei's gut dropped. All Might? Obviously someone had to do it. But having Midoriya and Bakugou paired as a team, let alone going against the top hero was… incredulous.

"All Might?" Rei turned her gaze to Bakugou, who looked on in surprise.

The pro hero approached the two, his trademark smile on his face. "Work together to beat me, you two!"

"And now," Principal Nezu threw out an arm, "We'll announce the rest of the teams and who'll they'll be up against!"

Rei waited in anticipation, nerves bubbling in her stomach. The names continued to be called, and yet she hadn't had a pairing yet. As the list continued her horror and anxiety only increased, until all the rest of the students and all the teachers had been paired. There was no other free teacher. Would she be doubled?

Hesitantly, Rei raised her hand. The class seemed to realize what was going on, everyone turning to her expectantly and mirroring her confusion. "Principal Nezu," Rei began hesitantly, but she swallowed her nerves and summoned all her courage, face turning neutral. "Has there been an error? I haven't been assigned any team, and all the teachers here have been assigned. Will I be doubling up on a teacher?"

"Due to the class size, you'll be on your own, Akatsuki." Aizawa stepped forward, his answer making Rei swallow hard. "Of course," he continued, "we've designed a different solution for you. In your exam, there will be a buzzer at the center of the map. If you choose, you'll be able to request one of your classmates to come to your aid. Keep in mind that you'll be the last match, in order that everyone else can focus on their own exams first."

Part of her anxiety was washed away, a small sigh leaving her lips. But her brows furrowed. Her question hadn't been answered completely. "And my opponent?"

"As for your opponent…" Aizawa trailed off, eyes focusing on something behind the group. The class turned, gasping in surprise as a newcomer stalked purposefully toward the group. Rei's gut dropped as she froze in horror.

His feral grin hadn't changed, although it was much more sinister and feral than she remembered. "Sorry for appearing late, everyone."

"Is that…" Kirishima was still by her side, looking in surprise though his question was clearly directed to Rei. Her fists clenched, eyes narrowing.

"My internship mentor. Pro Hero, Black Panther."

The man pushed through the group as a path opened up for him, moving to stand with the rest of the faculty. He only had eyes for Rei, who he grinned at with a sharp look in his eye. She only stared back with similar intensity, her face a mask of determination in an attempt to hide her fear. Just her luck, the one teacher in front of her who absolutely knew her style intimately. Rei was at a severe disadvantage.

At least her match was last. Then she would have time to plan, to think.

But even as the rest of the class began gearing up, she couldn't help but notice the sinking feeling in her gut that was slowly dragging her into despair.

So there were two options to pass the exam. The first one being to put a pair of handcuffs on the teacher. The second, and slightly more logical one, was to have one person run from the arena and escape.

To be frank, it didn't seem like there were a lot of options in Rei's case.

Still, there were ten matches in front of her. Rei could take the time to think of a strategy at the latter half. If anything, she could watch her classmates to see their strategies, in order to boost her own creativity. And if all else, she would be able to see just what it was like going up against the teaching staff.

Midoriya and Uraraka had been in the room with her, watching and analyzing the fights from the beginning. It was a little surprising that there weren't more groups, but Rei knew that the next three groups at least were most likely planning their attacks and building their plans as she watched on, using their time to create as good a plan as possible. It was less surprising that Midoriya was watching from the beginning; he thrived on watching others, as everything he saw was almost always immediately applied on the field. Aside from that, his match was second to last, right before Rei. And as for his partner, well, it made sense that Midoriya was here on his own, watching the rest of his classmates and cheering for them while also making sense of their successes and failures.

Uraraka had been even more of a surprise to see in the observation room from the beginning. Although, given that her partner was Aoyama, perhaps that shouldn't have been much of a surprise. Planning with the sparkling boy was like speaking to a rhinestone studded fire hydrant that was gushing water from the side. But regardless, having Uraraka at her side was a comfort. Of all the other girls, aside from Momo, Rei was happy to have someone as positive and as attentive as the Gravity Girl.

It quickly became clear from the get go that the pairing decisions had been made deliberately in order to highlight each student's weaknesses and get them to think beyond their ability. Even though Principal Nezu had mentioned as much at the beginning, just by watching the first round made things painstakingly clear to Rei as she watched Sado and Kirishima try and punch their way through Cementoss's barriers. Recovery Girl had only confirmed their theories, the four of them watching in the observation room with concentration. As the first exam came to a close, Rei watched in horror as Kirishima was knocked unconscious, effectively failing the practical exam as the buzzer rang out, signifying the end of the first round of tests.

Such was their team's weakness, as Shuzenji had pointed out. They had entered a battle of attrition with Cementos, a pro hero with no clear weakness or point of exhaustion. It would have been better to run away, but that was neither her nor there now that the exam was over. Despair came over Rei once more, hand clasped in front of her chest as she watched in fear. Was this truly the end? Were they fated to lose in these battles? How would she make her decision on what to do, to call for help or to run away?

But slowly, surely, the winners began to make a comeback. Asui and Tokoyami had made a stellar comeback in particular as they managed to outwit Ectoplasm, with Iida and Ojiro not far behind them due to their quick thinking and even quicker actions. Watching her classmates' battles, Rei slowly began to fill up with strength again. It wasn't impossible. Improbable in some cases, perhaps, if they approached it the wrong way. She watched with a clenched jaw as Yaoyorozu floundered for the first half of the exam, though she finally managed to pull herself together by the end.

No, it wasn't impossible. But one misstep, one mistake made…

That was reality. Perhaps it was cruel, but the real world wouldn't be so kind as to giving them a failing grade, pat them on their back, and tell them to improve. In the real world one had to succeed, to pass with flying colors every time, without fail. Even if the odds were against them, a hero's job was to win. Suddenly the exam began to make more sense. This was a simulation of what they would face in the outside world after they finished school, a stepping stone to what they could expect after three years. It didn't make the nerves go away at all, but Rei's determination was renewed. She had to do this. This was the path to becoming a hero.

Slowly the room began to fill up with the class as the groups began finishing up. Slowly, the room seemed to close in on Rei. It was after watching Kaminari and Ashido's exam that Rei finally turned her back on the screen, feeling like she was beginning to suffocate. Everyone in the room looked at her as a darkness fell over her face, Momo in particular looking at her in concern.

"I need time," she began, eyes narrowed at the door as she began to walk away, "I need a plan."

"Tsuki-chan!"

Pausing, she turned her head to look over her shoulder. She could see Midoriya pumping his fists. "I know I can't be of any help. You probably know Black Panther better than I do. But," he smiled brilliantly, "if you need my help, please call on me!"

"The same goes for me, Akatsuki-san!" To Rei's surprise, Iida stepped forward with a confident smile, making Rei turn around fully to look at her classmates. "We may not talk much, but do not feel as though you cannot call on me if you need me!" Asui nodded in assent, silently adding her vote of confidence and support, but Rei's gaze turned back to Yaoyorozu.

The other black haired girl still seemed a little uncertain, but she offered a gentle smile. "I don't know if I can be of any assistance, but if you think you can use me in your exam, I am more than willing to help you."

Rei smiled gently, nodding her head. "Thanks. I'll… keep you all in mind." It was the best promise she could make, given that she didn't have any clear direction quite yet. But they all seemed to accept her noncommital response, smiling after her as she waved a hand in farewell, disappearing from the room and out into the hallways of the observation room.

She couldn't stay in here any longer. Even the hallway seemed to be closing in on over her head, threatening to press down upon her and flatten her into the ground. Breaking from a walk she began to jog, warming her body up in the process. She needed space. There was more than enough time before her exam, and she knew just where she wanted to go. Finally breaking outside, she saw the familiar tree line in the distance, a dense grove beyond the expansive parking lot. Running across the space she leapt through the air, almost leapfrogging like Asui often did. The shade was much cooler after running across the black top, Rei taking off into the trees as she began to hop from branch to branch, seeking solace in the rustling tree tops above her head. It was quiet, a welcome distinction from the constant buzzing of the electronics in the observation room. Her mind felt much more free now that she was outside.

After making sure she was deep in the forest where no one could find her, she finally dropped onto a low hanging tree branch, a large arm that was thick enough for her to sit comfortably upon. Crossing her legs like a pretzel and leaning against the trunk of the tree, she placed her hands into her lap and closed her eyes. It was time to run through everything she knew.

The most important thing to consider was the terrain. She had been assigned Field Gamma, although she was curious to see how it fared after Principal Nezu had wrecked almost the entire landscape after his battle against Kaminari and Ashido. Still, it was the furthest thing from the rural areas, like the field that Iida and Ojiro had been in, or the forest that Jirou had been assigned to. If anything Rei had a slight advantage; the terrain was one of her favorites, next to the mid-high urban area that both Kirishima's group and Bakugou and Midoriya had been assigned. Her knowledge of Field Gamma was at least more than her mentor's own, although he most likely had received a map or had done a brief tour prior to the test. It was best to assume that they had about equal knowledge of the terrain, giving neither an advantage.

One of the key elements to everyone's exams had been facing their weaknesses in order to overcome their trials and pass the test. But what was Rei's weakness supposed to be? She wasn't trying to be vain; of course she had weaknesses, but thus far she had been given quite a good hand. Black Panther and she were both close combat fighters; it would have been easy to make Rei go against someone like Present Mic or Snipe, effectively putting her at a disadvantage by going against a long range fighter. Clearly they weren't trying to take her out in that manner. Terrain didn't matter quite as much either, although she was more suited to tight squeezes than open spaces, being naturally smaller in size than her mentor, something that Field Gamma certainly provided.

Her brows furrowed. Both she and Black Panther were adept at maneuvering in urban environments instead of open air spaces with plenty of space to run around in. They were stealthy, preferring to sneak around before striking, but they both loved to jump through space and soar through the skies, memories of being in Hosu City and running gauntlets with her mentor coming to mind.

Golden eyes flew open. That was it.

Her mind raced back to the first day after returning from internships, as well as the game of hide and seek not long ago. Those who were able to fly through the air had a distinct advantage, as they could cover more distance. The rest of them had to navigate through the tangled web of buildings, pipes, and other technical equipment. Those were the two options for navigating Field Gamma: to rule the skies, or to crawl through the web below. If she took to the skies she would be allowed free movement and a quick path to the exit, but Chirasaki would undoubtedly be waiting for her up where his vision was unobscured. The other option was to navigate the tight pathways below, but her opponent would certainly be patrolling the rooftops. If she was caught, he could descend on top of her without warning, effectively calling the end game. She would be dead in the water.

What would she do? What could she do? Or most importantly, what should she do? Even though she was fast, Chirasaki was just as fast and three times stronger. A direct fight wouldn't end well for her, even if he wore those weights and had his strength taken down a few notches. That thought gave her pause. That was right; the teachers were fairly weakened to make it more of a fair fight for the students. Then, was there a chance that she would make it?

There was a chance. But Rei didn't want to leave things to chance. She wanted an undeniable win, a definite thing she could grasp without leaving things up in the air. She wanted victory to be in the palm of her hands the moment she stepped into that arena. Growling, she crossed her arms over her chest again and closed her eyes. Think! What else could she do?

Then there was her lifeline, the buzzer to summon one of her classmates. Someone to run, or someone to fight? But no one knew how Black Panther fought, and she didn't want to leave that job to someone else. This was her responsibility. Immediately that narrowed down her choices of who could join her in the ring. She needed someone with maneuverability, someone that could either help give her an advantage so she could get to the exit, or someone who could get there themselves while she held her opponent off. The pickings were getting slim. Who would she pick-

An explosion sounded not too far away, making Rei's heart stutter and making her jump, completely startled and caught off guard. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen Bakugou since he had stalked off before the matches had started. Was he really out here as well, trying to think of what to do? Another explosion sounded, and Rei winced. Perhaps he wasn't planning. If anything, this sounded more like… anger management.

She shouldn't get involved. She shouldn't meddle. She should focus on her own match, think of a way to win. But she found her arms pushing her off of her perch, her feet carrying her toward where she had heard the blasts, eyes searching. Her head told her to leave, but it was her heart that carried her forward. At the end of it all, she cared.

Too much.

Suddenly an explosion rang out in front of her, covering with a wave of smoke. Coughing and spluttering, completely unprepared for the onslaught, she tried to clear her vision and her senses as she stumbled backward. She was sensitive to these things, damn it!

"Who the hell's there?"

Rei froze. He hadn't seen her yet, but surely he had heard her coughing and had caught on to the fact that someone had intruded on him. From his violent tone she knew that he wanted to be alone, and he was ready to physically fight anyone that intruded into his space. And yet, she shook her head, calling out unsteadily.

"Bakugou, it's me."

"Akatsuki?"

The smoke finally dissipated enough for Rei to see once again. The smoke had been much more violent than usual, her lungs still trying to dispel the last remnants even as red eyes came into view. He looked furious, though perhaps slightly less now that he knew who it was. But the glower remained on his face, even as the two made their way toward one another, Bakugou storming over and leaning over her in anger as she waved her hand in front of her nose, sucking in a full breath of clean air. "The hell're you doing here?"

Rei narrowed her eyes at him. "I came out here to think of a plan." Looking around, she surveyed the broken trees and newly created clearing, the ground still smouldering with hot ashes. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" He barked laugh, catching Rei off guard again. "Every damn thing! That half wit Deku is on my team."

"And breaking a forest down is gonna fix it?"

He glared back at her, a death stare as he tried to push her down. "Shut up."

"No, you listen to me." Rei went on the offensive, refusing to back down. "You're on a team. Do you know how lucky you are?"

"Not lucky enough-"

"For once shut the fuck up and listen to me!"

He immediately fell silent, lips still parted slightly in shock. Rei's eyes glittered, half in enragement, half in sorrow. "I don't have a fucking partner. It's not even guaranteed that I'll make it to the buzzer, let alone the exit. I don't fucking care that it's Midoriya on your team, because that's one more person on your side that I don't have a luxury of having."

Red eyes turned away, still fuming. "He'll only slow me down."

"Then outrun him."

"He's fucking weak."

"He's fourth in our class! He no longer snaps in half when he uses his quirk!"

"He shouldn't be here!"

"Stop playing a damn pity party for yourself and get your shit together!" It was times like then when Rei knew in the back of her mind that her temper eventually would be her undoing. She had tried for years to get her angry streak to go away, but when riled it was impossible to stop her from saying exactly what was on her mind. Of course it would be her most explosive classmate that saw the worst of her. The tears threatened to rise in her eyes as she shook her head at him. "I don't care if you leave him in the dust. But stop fucking complaining and do your damn job. Win. Get this practical over with. Isn't that what a hero would do?"

It was apparent that neither of them were going to budge. The two of them put together, the temperamental hot heads of their class, was a recipe for disaster. But Bakugou fell into silence, settling for glaring holes into her head instead. Rei refused to back down, face dangerously neutral as she slid back into control over her unchecked anger. "You're supposed to be the number one in our class, right? Just… win."

When it became clear that he wasn't going to respond, she began to back away slowly, taking a few steps and letting her gaze linger on him for a moment longer before turning sharply on her heel, walking away. Why had she done that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. She closed her eyes and sighed for a moment, letting her mask fall, disappointment clear on her face. Was this what he wanted? To see her unwravel, angry, and completely undone, bearing her true self to the world? She should have just let him be, not fight with him. It was clear that she hadn't made a difference, only riled him further.

"Wait."

She stopped in her tracks. Rei refused to turn around, simply doing as he asked. For a few moment she was unsure if he was even going to continue, but she was too prideful to turn around. Just as she was about to move away again, he spoke. "I… need your help."

That was enough to get her to turn her head around. She kept her face deceptively neutral, although she raised an eyebrow in curiosity, a gesture that encouraged him to continue. He looked away for a moment, as though debating if continuing the conversation was worth it for his pride. Eventually, he looked back at her, albeit sheepishly. "I want your opinion." Rei turned around fully, hands at her side, telling him through her body language that she was listening. "I have a plan."

"To fight All Might?" He nodded at her deduction, making her cross her arms in thought. "You're already a good tactician. I don't think you need my opinion."

"Will you just listen?" His temper began to flare again, and Rei shut her mouth wisely, only nodding in response. Shifting his weight, he took a few steps closer to her so he didn't have to feel like he was shouting. "He has those limiters, but I don't know how much weaker they make him."

Rei nodded. "For the other teachers, they're half their weight, but considering how much force All Might can endure…"

"He'll need extra to compensate for his quirk." Bakugou finished her conjecture.

Eyebrows furrowing, Rei lifted a hand to her chin as she thought. "So we have no idea how much it actually limits his strength. You'll need to test it, most likely, to see how much he can endure."

"Obviously it'll still have to be strong, but not the full arsenal of my gauntlets."

An idea popped into Rei's brain. "Then what about something that's more flashy than powerful? Then you can determine if he can actually endure anything else?"

"That's what I thought."

Rei thought for a moment more, then shrugged her shoulders apologetically. "Other than that, I don't have much. To be honest, you'll probably have to go in at one hundred percent if you want to get out alive." She paused, trying to find the words to say. "Just… don't hold back."

Scoffing, he narrowed his glare at her again. "You have to say it?"

Lips twitching, Rei averted her gaze. "My apologies. I forgot who I'm dealing with."

Through the trees, a voice sounded through the clearing, a bit distant and shadowy. "Group: Sero and Mineta. Practical Examination. Ready, go!"

Rei lifted her gaze to the sky above, as though looking for a signal. Her brain turned. If they were already on Sero's exam… She turned to Bakugou. "You're up next, aren't you?"

The dark look had returned to Bakugou's face, surely thinking about Midoriya and the inevitable clash and arguing he would have to deal with. Rei knew that there was nothing she could say to him now that would pull him out of it. Instead she watched as he nodded, walking out of the clearing and heading toward the designated battle zone. Falling into step, the two of them walked side by side in relative silence.

Thankfully it was probably the closest site to the observation building. It wasn't a far walk, the time passing relatively quickly before Rei suddenly found herself standing in front of a massive gate. Perhaps it was because she was so lost in thought that the time passed quickly, her thoughts turning toward her own fight. Looking up into the sky she took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly as she rolled her shoulders back. She looked to Bakugou, who had been doing a similar thing before he lowered his gaze to shoulder level, staring ahead impassively.

"Bakugou." Rei tentatively placed a hand on his gauntlet, right where it met his arm. Her gloved hand touched his skin, forcing him to look at her in slight confusion. There was nothing but determination in her gaze, attempting to convey the peace that she had and the faith she felt in him. "I don't care if you carry this grudge with you, no matter how petty I think it is." She saw him narrow his eyes at her again, but she simply shook her head, leveling him with a gaze of her own. "Just… win. You'd better win. Otherwise, I won't forgive you."

The sound of footsteps made their way to her sensitive ears, drawing her attention as she looked down the path. Midoriya was bolting in their direction, running to catch up and make sure he made it in time for their test. The moment she pulled her hand away from Bakugou's arm he turned his attention behind him, sending a brief glare before turning forward again. Knowing that he was in his zone, Rei simply moved away, walking back down the pathway and meeting Midoriya a few steps away. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she looked at him, watching green eyes widen in surprise. "Good luck." He nodded in acceptance, although he was still slightly bewildered as to why she was there, but he reluctantly watched as she disappeared down the path again.

Rei shoved her hands into her pockets. Against the weather, she had worn her costume jacket on top of her black ensemble, hands feeling each pocket and double checking for her tools, making sure that everything was in place. She would need every advantage she could get when going against her mentor, even if it made her a little warm in the summer.

"Team Midoriya and Bakugou. Practical Examination. Ready, go!"

Striding forward, she made her way to the entrance to Field Gamma. She was as ready as she could be. She would see her future through.

Just as Bakugou would see himself through.

AN: I always feel like I have a million things to say in these notes, but I never remember them by the time it comes to actually write them...

Sorry this chapter is a little shorter than the past few! I promise the next one will be much beefier :) We're finally getting into the exams! Also, I finally decided to do the thing and catch up on the manga. I now have a pretty good idea of where I want to go with the story... How do we all feel about introducing some romantic tensions and jealousy from my shitty explosive son?

Also, my new Bakugou top from UNIQLO just came in and I'm so happy :D I get to subtly rep my shitty son now irl. I've felt particularly inspired recently, so I might post another bonus chapter soon. Who's interested?

As always, thank you for your reviews!

FireFox614: I think I almost started crying when I saw you suggested "Grumpy Cat" as the official ship name. I'm forever referring to this ship from now on by that, and nothing else can change my mind. Thank you for your review! I am unsure of when exactly the emotions and feels are going to come out, but it might not be for a while... But I promise that they will happen eventually!

dragontamer64: I am glad that my characters can even provide some practice drawing! I'm literally still in shock that people would actually think about drawing Rei, like I've never really thought that people would take my story that seriously. In all seriousness though, I promise the future content will be intense, but will have an (eventual) good ending. I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with a couple loose ends, but it's coming together! As always, thank you for your review! I know I can always count on you, and I always look forward to what you write :D

yaoi4adollar: Oh yes. If you are here for all this fluffiness and then a bunch of angsty drama to go down, you're absolutely in the right place. We're getting closer to the camping arc! Please look forward to the future content. Also, thank you so much for reviewing in like, every chapter. I really really appreciate it!

ansegiel: LOL flirty Bakugou is also fun to write, and just as fun if not more fun than soft Bakugou. Thank you so much for the constant reviews! Thank you thank you thank you :)

Kaiko Pyon: Thank you for your review! I'm glad you really like my interpretation of Bakugou, and that you love Rei as well. I feel like I've tried to put a lot of heart and soul into both of them to make things seem natural and flow-y. That seriously means a lot to me that you like their interpretations. Thank you!

ILikeFoxes828: Wow, no joke, I'm still in awe that people read my story and enjoy it so much. To hear about someone IRL recommending my story makes me want to explode. Thank you to the both of you for reading and sticking with things! We're finally moving back into some of the more canon things, but there will be more fluff before we get super angsty, so look forward to all of it!

If you like these chapters, please review!

More fluff is to eventually come, and more angst as well.

(I might post a bonus chapter before the next update, but it won't take place of the regular updates, so please look forward to the Final Exams - Part 2 on next Sunday as per usual!)