Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: How it all began

The orange rays of sunset slowly disappeared, taking with it the last reason for me to be alive. I wanted to watch true beauty one final time before I plunged to my inevitable death.

 Slowly looking down, I take in the chaotic rapids that seem to perfectly match my inner emotions. I don’t want to die, if I’m being honest with myself. But I know I have too. It’s much too dangerous for me to live.

"Hey kid, if you’re going to kill yourself, I wouldn’t suggest doing it here.” a masculine voice says from behind me. I let out a squeak and turn around, locking eyes with a tall young man with eyes like midnight. He wears bandages around his neck and has long hair just past his chin. A light smirk rests on his lips, but his eyes hold concern. I only give him a sad little smile and turn back around, watching my dangling feet as they precariously hang off the edge of the bridge. I register a presence sitting beside me, and black boots come into my field of vision.

"Even if you jumped from this height, the water is too deep for you to die upon impact. You’d break about half the bones in your body-” the man lightly pokes my side, causing me to glare at him- "and you’d suffer internal bleeding. Of course, after about fifteen to thirty minutes of floating downstream in immeasurable pain would you finally succumb to death.”

 I stare at him, my jaw slightly hanging open and eyes wide. I thought people were supposed to talk you out of suicide, not point out the shortcomings of the way you plan to do it! But, no matter. If he knew who I was, he wouldn’t think twice about pushing me off this bridge himself. And with that thought I huff slightly and turn my gaze back to the river below.

 "Maybe I deserve the pain. You don’t know who I am, or what I’ve done.” I spit out.

"You’re, what-” he scoffs, “-ten years old? I highly doubt you’ve done more harm than any of the rest of us have.” Laying a hand on my shoulder and sighing, he shakes his head. “And even if you have, who cares? Rise above it. Learn from the mistakes of your past.”

 I clench my fists in my lap and dig my nails into the skin of my palms to keep from crying, from showing emotion. Mother always punished me if I showed weakness. Sighing and turning towards the stranger, I’m able to choke out, “I don’t have anywhere to go. If I go back, she’ll make me do bad things again.” My chest starts to heave and I can feel my self-control slipping. “She’ll punish me, more than she has already. And I’d rather die than be a part of her sick game.”

 The man searches my face. For what, I’m not entirely sure. Tears fill my vision completely and I let out a strangled cry, holding my hands up to my face to block the incoming assault. “Please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me please don’t hurt me I won’t cry anymore I won’t I won’t cry please-”

The mans long arms encase my frame and cradle me to his chest. Stunned, I’m about to jerk away before I feel him start to awkwardly pat my head. For the first time in my miserable life an emotion that’s not pain, terror, or betrayal blooms in my heart.

Warmth.

I don’t know exactly what to call it, but I think it’s what people refer to as ‘happy’.

"C’mon kid, you’re staying at my house.” The man grumbles and picks me up, standing from the side of the bridge and slowly walking towards the city. I don’t complain, still confused at the fact that I was being touched in a way that didn’t cause bruises to form or blood to splatter.

 "W-what’s your name? Why are you doing this for me?” I ask timidly, unable to look him in the eye.

 "Shoto Aizawa.” He says and jostles me a bit so I have to look him in the eye, “And because you look like someone who needs a friend.”

 I nod my head slightly and go back to staring at my hands.

 “Besides, it won’t be for long right? Only until you get a job, get rich, buy your own house and move out. That’ll take what, one week at the most? You are ten after all.” Aizawa says and smirks down at me, a glimmer of amusement in his eye. I can’t help the small smile and giggle that escapes my throat.

"Hey!” I exclaim, “I’m eleven thank you! So I should be out by tomorrow, considering I already have the best job and am super duper rich.” I cross my arms and stick my tongue out, turning my head away from him dramatically. Aizawa chuckles lightly and scoffs, “Whatever you say, kid.”

 "My name is Rina Dakuenerugii.”

 He inhales sharply at my last name and eyes me suspiciously. “Yes, I’m related to her.” I say quietly and hang my head low in shame. “She’s my mother.”

We walk in silence after that, and in the back of my mind I know he’s about to drop me off at a police station and wash his hands of me. What would a stranger want with the daughter of the world’s most sought after villian? All too soon he stops in front of a building and I feel tears start to work themselves to the surface again.

“Well, this is my apartment building. Memorize what it looks like, you’re going to be spending a while here.” Aizawa says and gently sets me on the ground next to him. I gasp in surprise and clutch onto his hand, daring to let hope fill me for once.

"You-you’re not going to turn me in?” I ask shakily. Aizawa squats to my level and looks me dead in my hazel eyes, a serious expression on his face.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like, Rina. Just as long as you promise me you’re going to try your hardest to be who you are, not who your mother wants you to be.” He gently grabs both my hands in his, and sighs. “You don’t have to tell me what happened, unless you want to. I am not going to judge who you were, only who you are from here on out, okay?”

 My lower lip starts to tremble, and the familiar sense of terror starts to take over. “What if I can’t? What if I turn out like her and hurt others? Or she comes looking for me and kills you?” My pitch starts to rise to the point of hysteria, and I’m shaking violently. “I don’t want to be like her! But, that’s all I’ve been taught! What if-”

 Aizawa shuts me up by slapping a hand over my mouth. Shaking his head slightly, he repeats his request. “Promise me you will be who you truly are Rina, and I will teach you how. I know you are not like your Mother, because you have the want to be a good person. Something she never had.” He moves his hand as I think about all the times I’ve defied my Mother’s orders, even if it meant a new collection of scars. Refusing to participate in torture ‘interrogation’, never using my power to harm anyone, and the one that caused me to run away. Defying her order to kill my own sister to prove I was the stronger one. With newfound determination I lock eyes with Aizawa and nod firmly.

 "I promise.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2: You're insufferable and I hate you

*8 Years Later*

The only thing I’m able to process is the thudding of my feet upon the concrete and the blood rushing through my ears. I have to create distance, or I’ll never be able to win this fight. Hoping to shake loose my pursuer, I take a sharp right down a dark alley. “Fuck…” I whisper as I almost smash into a wall. Dead end. Turning around quickly, I push out my aura to search for any signs of life. A smirk captures my lips as I zero in on the form running on the rooftops about sixty yards to my left.

“Gotcha.” I mutter victoriously as I crouch down and launch myself upwards. A thrill of relief flushes through me as I unfurl my white wings and propel myself towards the clouds. But before I can fully clear myself of danger I feel something wrap around my left wing and yank downwards, causing me to fall towards the ground. Quickly I swipe at the bandage hooked around my feathers with the sharp purple tips of my right wing, effectively stopping my free fall. Looking down at the culprit, I sneer and start to barrel towards him. Various bandages try to stop my descent but my purple energy shield thwarts them. Suddenly my shield vanishes, and I can no longer evaluate the dark green aura surrounding my attacker that helps me figure out his next move. That little shit erased my quirk! Oh well, two can play at that game.

“You’re getting slow, old man!” I yell out as I land on the rooftop, sprinting towards him with my fist raised. The bandages around his scruffy neck rush towards me but I cover myself with my wings and let out a powerful flap, causing him to close his eyes and step back slightly. I hold out my hand and let loose a barrage of energy blasts, effectively pinning him to the floor and covering his eyes.  

“Well, well, well…” I exclaim as I stop beside his trapped form and curl my wings back into my body, “Looks like someone’s getting a little rusty there, Shoto-sensei.”

“Just let me up, kid.”

Rolling my eyes at his attitude, I snap my fingers and dissolve the lightly glowing bonds around his eyes, hands, and feet. Aizawa sits up and eyes me with a light smile on his face before patting the area beside him. I sit down and lean my head against his shoulder, looking out across the empty training center.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be trying out for UA Academy here tomorrow.” I take in the cityscape and shudder at the sheer size. “I’m a little nervous.”

“You shouldn’t even be trying out. You got recommendations from four pro heroes and the principal himself.” Aizawa gives me a sideways glance before turning back to the slowly setting sun. “You don’t have to prove anything to us, you know.”

I sigh, “If people find out I consider Eraserhead, Midnight, Present Mic, and All Might family, they’ll think I got in because of connections.” I raise my hand and let purple light consume it, twirling it around my fingers before throwing it upward and watching it dance around in the sky. “I want to be accepted because of my skills, not who I know.”

Aizawa’s eyes follow my little expression of power, his face completely blank. “I’m not going to argue with you, but isn’t it a little unfair you’re trying out in the same facilities you train in?”

I frown a little at his words, “Well, it’s your fault for training me here in the first place.”  

“And, when you do get in, you’ll be in Class 1-A. My class.”

“Well…” I don’t really know how to respond to that.

“Of course, I’m going to be harder on you. I’m not going to deal with your ‘I won’t use my wings in public’ bullshit.”

I lift my head off his shoulder and glare at him, a slight frown encasing my lips. “You know as well as I do Shota what people would do if they saw I had the exact same wings as Dark Matter. They’d make connections and completely discredit me as a future hero.”

Aizawa faces me completely now, anger simmering behind his ebony eyes. “Your wings are a part of you. Using only half of your quirk for the rest of your life because you’re scared of people knowing who you’re related too is extremely childish.” His gaze softens slightly and he sighs under his breath. “Let the world know who you came from, but make sure they know that does not define who you are.”

I throw my hands up in exasperation, “and how I am supposed to do that?!” I cry. “Tell everybody who asks ‘why yes I am the daughter of the most wanted villain who’s killed hundreds of people! No, I’m definitely not secretly a part of the villain alliance’ and hope they believe me?”

“Well, I wouldn’t add that last part. It makes you seem suspicious.”

“You’re insufferable sometimes, you know that dad?” I say and fall onto my back, watching the stars that are slowly starting to show themselves.  Aizawa lets out a deep, over-dramatic sigh before flopping down next to me.

“I remember the first time you called me insufferable.” He places a hand over his heart. “Almost as special as the first time you called me dad.”

“I’m going to punch you.”

“That’s a very villainous thing to say.” I turn to glare at him but can’t help the giggle that escapes my throat at his shit-eating grin.

“Let’s just go home.” I heave myself up and hold out a hand. “I want to get up early tomorrow and take a walk on the beach.”

Aizawa takes my hand and curls his lip in disgust at my beach comment. “I never understood your incessant need to wake up early on important days.”

“I like to triple check that I have everything I need, you know that.”

He shrugs and starts to walk towards the edge of the roof. “Just as long as you don-”

“-don’t wake you up, I know. You like your beauty sleep.” I say and let out a chuckle. Aizawa only glares at me before jumping off the building and turning his head slightly behind him to shout, “If I make it home before you, you have to cook and clean up dinner!”

“Hey, that’s not-!”

“Fair? Too bad!” He yells from a good ways away. I quickly unfurl my wings and sprint towards the edge, throwing myself off in pursuit of the crazy homeless-looking man I call my father.

“You’re insufferable!”

Chapter Text

The crisp saltwater air flows smoothly in and out my lungs as I jog down the deserted beach, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. There’s never anybody here, considering the miles of trash that litter the sand. But lately the amount of garbage seems to be diminishing, and I can’t help but think of the cryptic message Toshi-sama told me yesterday morning.

“Rina-chan, I have a very important mission for you!” Toshi exclaims, popping into the kitchen out of nowhere in full All-Might mode.

“Ah!” I yell and drop the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I was making. “Great. Thanks alot steriods.”

He has the audacity to look a little ashamed at my ruined lunch, but huffs a little at my nickname. “I asked you not to call me that!”

I sigh and start to clean up the mess, shooting a glare at the imposing man in front of me. “And I asked you not to waste your hero time whenever you’re not in the public’s eye.”

All-Might holds a finger up in protest, “Well…” then reverts to his powered down form. I nod my head in satisfaction at his actions and then start to make another sandwich. “Want one? I’ll make the kind you like.”

“Yes please, that would be nice.” At his words I go and dig around in the pantry, looking for a special ingredient. “So, what exactly is my ‘very important mission’ Toshi-sama?”

“I’m glad you asked! I need you to go for a walk on the trash beach tomorrow morning, just before sunrise.”

My searching stops as I let out a chuckle at his idea of an ‘important mission’. “So that’s all, just a sunrise jog the day of the U.A Entrance Exam?” I ask and go back to searching the pantry. “No super secret villain take downs, or going undercover in a drug cartel?” I finally find what I was looking for and make my way back over to the kitchen counter.

“I would never ask you to do any of that! Do you know what Aizawa would do to me?!” Toshi says indignantly, a slightly horrified look twisting his features. “All I’m asking is for you to go on a jog, no villains or drug cartels allowed.”

I finish my fluffernutter sandwiches and hand one to him, raising my eyebrow at his vague request. But then again, Toshi always has a reason for everything- even if it’s a wrong one.

“Okay fine- I’ll take a supremely early, sandy jog on what might be the biggest day of my life.”

All-Might suddenly makes an appearance, a huge smile and fist bump accompanying him. “ALL RIGHT!”

I smile fondly at the memory, chuckling a little. Toshi always seems to rope me into some crazy scheme of his at the worst times possible, but he means well. Suddenly, a loud scream echos across the beach. I immediately stop and gather energy in my hands just in case I need to defend myself. No threat presents itself, so I quickly check the area for any signs of life energy, causing my eyes to glow purple. Only about half a mile in front of me, next to a large pile of trash, I sense two presences- one oddly familiar. “Toshi?” I mutter and unfurl my wings, flying towards the disturbance. Upon landing I notice All-Might holding a boy who looks to be my age, a proud gleam in his eye as he gingerly stands him up. The boy’s eyes flicker towards me but he doesn’t seem to actually acknowledge my presence. Most likely due to the deep circles under his eyes and apparent exhaustion written all over his body.

“Toshi….. Who is this and why does he look like he’s about to die?” I inquire, concern evident in my tone. I take the time to assess the strangers aura, and my eyes widen slightly at the genuine goodness radiating through him. His effervescent aura is a sunshiney yellow, filled with the want to help others even if it kills him. I narrow my eyes at the darkness creeping around the edges, trying to infiltrate the bright warmth. I can’t help the curiosity that consumes me as I reach out and touch his freckled cheek, intent on knowing what troubles such a bright soul. Feelings of suffocating insecurity and doubt flood through me, as well as the bitter aftertaste of failure. I gasp and draw my hand away, confused as to how such a loving person could hate themselves so much.

“Wha-what did you just do?” A shaky voice asks, and my still-purple eyes meet shining green ones. I smile slightly and take a step back to put some distance between us.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Can’t control my curiosity sometimes.”

I take this time to look at him from head to toe, my eyebrows raising slightly when I get to his six pack abs. He has stunning green-almost teal- eyes that match his hair, and a slight but muscular build. He’s only about three or four inches taller than me and is currently looking at my wings, jaw slightly ajar.

“Th-those look exactly like Dark Matter’s wings! They even have the purple tips that are sharp to the touch!” He’s outright pointing at me now, enthusiasm clear on his features. “You have a twelve foot wingspan, smaller than her fifteen foot one, but your feathers are similar to an eagle’s just like hers! Are you related to her in an-”

“Midoriya, my son, that’s enough!” All-Might booms and slaps a hand over his mouth, shooting an apologetic grimace my way. I only look away towards the ocean, watching the waves change colors along with the rising sun. This is why I didn’t want to use my wings, it’s painfully obvious how similar they are to hers.

“I-i’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have gone off on a tangent like that.” The boy says, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “I’m Izuku Midoriya, it’s nice to meet you!” He sticks out his hand and I eye it warily.

“Rina.” I say and shake his hand. “And I’m sorry about searching your soul without asking permission first. I just wanted to know why someone as pure as you would hold such pain in your very being.”
Midoriya’s hand slips out of mine, a slightly scared look overcoming his features. “You did wha…?”

“No matter! I asked you to come here for a very special reason Rin-” All-Might deflates with a shower of blood spilling out of his mouth, his once daunting figure turning into that of a crack addicts.

“Toshi, what have I told you about overworking yourself? You know you have to be at the entrance exam today, what if you need to power up and talk to the examinees?” I scold him, hands coming to rest on my hips.

“Wai- you…. You know him?!” Midoriya exclaims, looking between the both of us wildly.

“Know him?” My eyebrow raises. “He’s practically my uncle.”

“U-u-u-uncle?!” He sputters, a look of awe and jealousy on his face. I giggle a little at his cute expression before shifting my gaze to Toshi, who’s looking at the both of us with a tiny smile on his face. “So why didn’t you just ask me to come meet you and your successor on the beach outright, instead of beating around the bush?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise for both of you!” Toshi exclaims.

“Wait, she knows about One-For-All? I’m so confused…” Midoriya looks like a lost puppy, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him. Toshi must have not told him anything!

“Well why wouldn’t your student trainer know about your quirk? She’s going to help you out at U.A. whenever I’m teaching or too busy with hero work!”

“Well….” I interrupt. “I’m not exactly a trainer, because our quirks are drastically different. I’m more of a protector of sorts while you learn to figure out One-For-All. People are going to make connections between your power and All-Might’s, and we can’t have this huge of a secret coming out. With my power I can sense who has ill intentions around you at all times.” I smile encouragingly at him and give him a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, you’re in good hands!”

“Rina was already accepted into U.A on recommendations, but she’s trying out anyways to prove herself to her peers. That is why I introduced you two now and not in school, so you can be together for the exams.” Toshi says, clapping both of us on the back.

Midoriyas cheeks turn a pale pink and he swiftly looks at the ground. “S-so we’re going to have to be together for all of college?”

I swing an arm around his shoulders and pull him down to my side. “Oh c’mon, I’m not that bad am I? I’m a pretty good best friend if I do say so myself!” I squeeze him one time before letting him go, a broad smile on my face. Midoriya slowly returns it and gives me a tentative thumbs up.

“Now it is time for you to inherit One-For-All, Midoriya.” Toshi says with a suddenly serious look on his face. The boy in question gulps, excitement and wariness evident on his features.

“Now…….. Eat my hair!”

~
The familiar archway of U.A comes into view and I can’t help the nervousness that suddenly takes over me. To distract myself, I take in the school premises. The yard is mostly deserted right now, considering Aizawa and I are here an hour early to help set up. We walk inside and Aizawa leads me down countless hallways and staircases before stopping in front of a large door with the words ‘viewing room’ on it.

“This school is like a maze, do you know how many freshman are going to get lost the first month?” I comment and walk inside, my eyes going a little wide at the high-tech room in front of me. “Whoa….” I whisper and take in the multiple viewing screens, huge control panel, and score board with awe. Hundreds of student’s names are posted on the score board, a 0 next to all of them.

“Rina-chan!” A feminine voice squeals before I’m crushed into somebody's chest. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

I finally recognize the voice and throw my arms around her, letting out a squeal of my own. “Nemuri-san! I’ve missed you so much!”

“Midnight, you saw her last week.” Aizawa comments in an uninterested tone. She lets me go and immediately pouts, her bottom lip protruding slightly.

“You never let me have any fun, Aizawa-chan!” She smirks slightly. “You should be punished for that…”

“Oh jeez, gross, please stop.” I say in between fake gagging. She titters lightly and pulls me over to the screens, an excited look upon her face.

“Aren’t these just the best? We can watch the whole examination from here!” She squeals and clasps her hands together. “Maybe look for your future boyfriend?” Her eyebrow raises and a smirk adorns her full lips.

“No boys. No future boyfriends.” A stern voice says from right behind me. I jump a little and turn to glare at Aizawa, who has a slight frown on his lips.

“Oh, you can’t be serious! She’s a lovely young lady with a huuuuuuge rack an-”

“Okay Nemuri-san that’s enough of that!” I interrupt with a dark blush adorning my tan cheeks. “Besides, I’m only here to make sure Aizawa doesn’t skip out on judging. I’m going to be trying out.” I say and Aizawa grumbles a bit at my comment.
“My dear why on earth would you do that? I have already placed you in class 1-A.” A trill voice says from across the room. A small mouse-like creature pads his way over to us and I smile warmly at him.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Principal, I deeply appreciate your confidence in my abilities.” I bow slightly to him. “Yet I can’t help but feel like I need to prove something to myself, my peers, and my relatives today.”

The room goes quiet at my declaration and I start to wring my hands, a nervous habit I never grew out of. Aizawa gently lays a hand on my shoulder and all of my nervousness, doubt, and insecurity fly out the window.

“Go get first place or you’re cooking dinner for the rest of the week, kid.”

I deadpan at him before chuckling and placing my hand on top of his. “I’ll see you all later on, okay? Have fun judging!” I give Shota’s hand a gentle squeeze before walking out of the room. Not paying attention to where I’m going I almost crash into Toshi, who’s standing in the middle of the hallway with a worried look on his face. His expression brightens immensely when he reaches out a hand to steady me, a victorious laugh bursting out of him.

“There you are Rina, I was worried about you! Young Midoriya should be arriving soon, do you mind meeting him at the gate?” He clasps a hand on my shoulder and starts to lead me out the building. “I’ll take you to the main entrance so you don’t get lost!”

I quirk an eyebrow at his pushy behaviour that he’s trying to hide behind a too-wide smile. “Toshi, what is this really about? I know you need me to watch over Midoriya-kun, but this is a little much.”

His shoulders slump slightly and his excessively bright smile slips off his face. “I just worry about the boy, Rina. He has no friends and was bullied all of his life.” His hand slips off my shoulders and he stuffs it inside his pocket. “He reminds me of who I was before I inherited One-For-All.”

I reach out and clasp Toshi’s hand, and we walk in silence for a little while. “You know, his aura is extremely similar to yours.”

“Really?”

I smile up at him and nod my head. “Both of you have a strong moral compass, and a passion for saving those in need. He just needs to gain confidence in himself and he’ll be the best Symbol of Peace the world has ever seen.” I stop and take his other hand in mine. “You chose well.”

A gush of blood pours out of his mouth and I jump away, a giggle bursting out of me. “You really helped me out thank you so much Rina for your kind wor-”

“Oh shut it All-Dork.”

Toshi only chuckles and gestures towards the end of the hallway. “Just turn left here and you’ll be right near the main entrance.” He ruffles my hair and turns to leave. “Oh, and I’d hurry, the presentation starts in ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes?!” I screech and sprint towards the door, Toshi’s good-natured laughter echoing behind me.

Chapter Text

Hopeful students filter in the door, but I don’t see any signs of Midoriya at all. “If I’m late because of him I swear…” I mutter and debate flying above the grounds to see if I can spot him better. Suddenly a familiar mop of green hair walks through the gates and I hurry over to it.

“Midoriya-kun, there you are! I’ve been waiting for you!” His worried expression relaxes slightly at my presence, but he still looks a little queasy. I stop beside him and give him my most convincing smile to help ease some of his worries.

“Oh, I hope you weren’t waiting too long! I got a little caught up i-”

“Stupid Deku.” A gruff voice interjects and Midoriya’s face grows pale. “Oh- Kacchan!”

I look between my friends terrified face and the blond-haired boys abrasive stance a couple times before I connect the dots. Is this guy a bully?

“Get out of my way before I set you on fire.”

Well, that answers that question. I quickly rake my eyes over his figure, letting out an appreciative grunt. The guy may be an asshole, but with his molten red eyes, chiseled muscles, and tall stature, he makes a pretty picture. Yet I’m pretty sure the inside won’t be as nice to look at. His aura is a passionate red, constantly moving and flaring up at random times. But the one thing that stays completely still is a grey spot, permanently melded to his soul. It seems for all of his ambition, determination, and confidence, one part of him thinks he’s weak. So, his attitude is a wall to block others from seeing his insecurities. Interesting.

“You shouldn’t be so callous, it makes you seem like a villain.” I say and his eyes cut to mine before narrowing slightly.

“And who the fuck do you think you are, girl?” He growls out, taking what’s supposed to be a threatening step towards me. I copy his movement and raise an eyebrow at him. “The names Rina. Master Asshole Identifier.” I poke his chest and he looks absolutely livid. “And you, my friend, are off the charts.”

“R-R-Rina I think we should go, like right no-”

“Shut UP Deku! Quit poking your quirkless, loser nose in places it doesn’t belong!”

I ready myself to teach this guy a lesson (most likely involving fists), my mouth just opening to start yelling when he puts a finger to my lips to shush me. I’m so shocked I don’t react, and a sliver of a smile makes its way onto his lips.

“The names Katsuki Bakugou. I like your fire, so I’m not going to fucking murder you.”

His finger disappears from my lips and he walks away, but not before sending a glare towards Midoriya. He stops a few feet away and turns his head slightly, “Oh, and if you try any shit like that again, your personality won’t save you.”

“Why you son of a bi-!”

Midoriya yanks me backwards and gives me a pleading look, causing my anger to melt away at his puppy dog face. “C’mon Rina-chan, let’s just head to the presentation!” I can’t help the giggle that escapes at his wide doe eyes and protruded lower lip.

“Okay okay, but next time he insults you I’m going to kick his ass.”

The first step Midoriya takes, he trips over his own shoes. He looks to be resigned to his fate, his face almost smashing into the concrete before an adorable brown-haired girl touches his backpack and he starts to float. His legs flail around in the air a couple times before the girl giggles and sets him down.

“I’m sorry for using my quirk on you without asking, but it’s bad luck to fall on your exam day!” She gives a closed-eyed smile and I can see Midoriya’s face look like it’s going to catch on fire.

“Y-yea I guess so…” Midoriya stutters out and I internally cringe at his horrible flirtation skills. I take the time to search her light pink aura, checking for any ulterior motives to ‘saving’ Midoriya. Thankfully she is just a helpful, sweet girl who wanted to make some potentially new friends.

“Thank you for saving my friend, that was very nice of you!” I say and she turns to me. “Oh, no problem at all! I’m Ochaco Uraraka, what’s your name?”

“I’m Rina, and this is Izuku Midoriya. Would you like to sit with us during the presentation?” She furrows her eyebrows in confusion when I don’t mention my last name, but turns her attention to Midoriya with a smile on her face.

“It’s nice to meet you! And I’d love to sit with you!” Midoriya looks like he’s on cloud nine and I make the decision to get these two together as if my life depends on it. “That’s so g-great!”

We get to the presentation room with four minutes to spare, but the only three available seats are next to Bakugou. I repress a groan and usher them up the stairs, but not before making sure I wave to Hizashi who’s standing next to the stage. He gives me a confused look but I only mouth ‘later’ to him before following after Midoriya and Uraraka. I gesture for them to sit in the two seats on the left of the temperamental blonde, while I take the single one on his right. Midoriya shoots me a worried glance but I wave him off with a smile. Bakugou side-eyes me but doesn’t initiate a conversation, which I’m grateful for.

Suddenly the lights turn on and bathe the stage in a warm glow, where a suave looking Hizashi is posing.

“What’s up U.A candidates?! Thanks for tuning into me, your school DJ~” He strikes another pose and I can’t help but smile at his over dramatic tendencies.

“C’mon and LET ME HEAR YA!” Hizashi encourages, cupping his hand over his ear.

“Go Hizash- I mean Present Mic!” I yell and stand up in my seat, causing everybody in the room to stare at me with a mix of disbelief and amusement. “Wow, nobody else cheered? How rude.” I say (making sure it’s loud enough to be heard by everybody) before flopping back down in my seat again.

“Thank you Rina-chan for participating in the presentation!” Present Mic shoots me a thumbs up and I return it. Bakugou, Uraraka, and Midoriya all stare at me intently when Hizashi says my name in such a familiar tone, questions evident on their minds.

“What the hell, do you know him personally?” Bakugou asks accusingly. I just shrug my shoulders, choosing to focus on the speech Hizashi worked so hard on.

“Rina-chan, how many pro heroes do you know?!” Midoriya whisper-yells and I send him a warning look, but it’s too late.

“Wait, you know more? How the fuck…” Bakugou sneers his upper lip at me. “You must think you’re better than me since you know pro-heroes, but I’m going to take you down!”

I only roll my eyes at his little ‘declaration’ and turn my attention to the changing screen behind Present Mic.

“You’re going to head to your determined destination to fight a ten minute urban mock-battle!”

I take my card out and smile when I get training center B, one I haven’t used as much with Aizawa. At least there will be somewhat of a challenge.

“Our numbers are right next to each other but we’re in separate destinations.” Midoriya says, gesturing to Bakugou’s card.

Bakugou yanks his card away from Midoriya’s prying eyes. “So friends can’t work together, idiot.”
“There are three types of villains listeners! 1, 2, and 3 pointers! The more you incapacitate, the more points you rack up!” Present Mic gestures wildly to the 4 silhouettes of what seem to be robots behind him. Hm, the fourth one must just be an obstacle and not worth any points. I’ll have to make sure to avoid that one.

Suddenly, a male student a couple rows in front of me shoots up and raises his hand high in the air. “Excuse me sir, I have a question!”

“Hit me!” Present Mic says with a lavish hand motion.

“On the printout, there are four villains when you have only explained three. With all respect, if this is an error on official U.A materials I have to say I am severely disappointed!” He exclaims, an air of authority surrounding him. He swiftly turns around and points at Midoriya. “And you, with the green hair!”

Midoriya lets out a whimper and points a shaking finger towards himself. The uptight boys expression darkens. “You’ve been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can’t bother to take these things seriously…” His head lowers and a glare reflects off his rectangular glasses. “Leave.”

My eyes widen in shock and I can’t help but feel sorry for Midoriya, who is currently shrinking down in his seat. Giggles break out among the crowd and anger flows through me. Who the hell does this guy think he is, calling out his fellow examinees?

“Hey asshat, who peed in your bran flakes this morning?!” I yell, sending him a harsh glare. The black haired boy noticeably stiffens and loud laughter erupts throughout the auditorium. Before he can shout out a rebuttal Present Mic cuts him off with a loud, “Okay, thank you Examinee 7111 for your question!” He brings a hand up to stifle a laugh as the boy huffs and sits down in an angry manner.

I turn towards Midoriya and mouth a “you okay?” at him. The only response I get is a brighter blush and shaky thumbs up as he looks too busy with trying to not die from embarrassment. Uraraka looks at me with her mouth wide open in shock at my bold move, whereas Bakugou side-eyes me with a huge smirk on his face.

“That fourth villain is worth 0 points and only an obstacle in your way! As a word of advice to my listeners, I suggest avoiding them. It’s not that they can’t be beaten, there’s just kinda no point!” He throws his hands up and smiles widely. “Well, that’s all I’ve got! Thanks for tuning in, and I’ll leave you all with our school motto. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!”

The auditorium starts to empty as we all go to our designated battle sites. “Hey, did anyone else get B?” Uraraka asks.

“I did!” Midoriya and I say at the same time and we look at each other and giggle. “Well, let’s go! But don’t be surprised when I leave you two in the dust!” I say and sling an arm around both of them. Uraraka chuckles, but Midoriya looks like he just swallowed something sour and mutters out a, “Ha...yea….”

We make our way to the bus that’ll take us to Battle Station B, and Bakugou turns to go to his bus. “Good luck, don’t fuck up!” I say and give him a smile. He looks at me with mild annoyance before turning and leaving without so much as a wave goodbye. I only shrug and walk onto the bus, making sure Midoriya and Uraraka sit together so my plan ‘Make Izoucha Happen’ will officially begin.

The bus arrives at the battle site quickly, and looking at the colossal concrete wall and double doors makes my stomach start to do little backflips. I look around at the large group of examinees, trying to calm myself by sizing up my competition. No one sticks out at me as powerful, except for a boy with a strong navy blue aura that radiates knowledge and discipline. Hey, he looks kind of familiar…

The boy turns around and I let out a groan when I recognize him. It’s that asshole guy who called out Midoriya in the auditorium. And if his aura is anything to go by, I’ll most likely have a class with him for the next year. “Ugh...just great...” I mutter and roll my eyes.

“What’s wrong Rina-chan? Nervous?” Midoriya asks from my left and lets out a shaky chuckle. “I know I am.”

I turn towards him and nod, letting out a nervous laugh myself. “It’s normal to feel anxious, we’ve just got to use that to our advantage.”

“I’m not too sure I can do that...” He looks over to Uraraka who is currently stretching. “Hey, I’m gonna go stretch with Uraraka, okay? You wanna come with?”

I shake my head and wave him towards her, a sly grin on my lips. He blushes a little and starts to make his way over to her. Before he can even get halfway there, the boy from the auditorium blocks his path.

“She looks like she’s focusing on the task ahead. What are you going to do, go over and distract her so it limits her chance to succeed?” He asks in a stern voice. Midoriya immediately shakes his head, trying to stammer out his explanation. I sigh and walk over, placing a hand on Midoriya’s shoulder to calm him down.

“He was only going to go stretch with her.” I say and look cooly up at the now uncomfortable looking boy.

“You’re the girl who called me an asshat.” He states, crossing his arms across his broad chest. I turn Midoriya around and push him gently towards Uraraka, causing him to hurry over to her.

“I am, but in all fairness you did call out one of your fellow examinees in front of everybody. Even though there were plenty of others talking, you chose to single him out.”

He raises an eyebrow. “He was distracting others learning.”

“And you didn’t by causing a scene?”

A shocked look comes over his face and he brings a hand up to his chin. “Well when you put it that way, I caused a bigger distraction than he did…” He mutters, eyes furrowed in concentration and mild disbelief.

“It doesn’t matter, you were only doing what you thought was right. But, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I’m Rina.” I hold out a hand for him to shake, and he takes it.

“I am Tenya Iida. Good luck on the exam.” He gives a slight bow.

“Good luck, Iida-kun.” I say and walk towards Uraraka and Midoriya. Before I can make it to them a voice booms, “Okay, start!”

Everyone looks towards Present Mic, who is standing on top of the concrete wall. “Get moving!” He yells.

I start running towards the now open doors, passing everybody who is still standing still and looking up at Present Mic. “Well, what are you all waiting for?! There’s no countdowns in real battles! Let’s GO GO GO!”

The crowd notices me already in the Battle Station taking down a 3 point robot. With a cry everyone runs in and I feel a smirk pull at my lips.

Finally, the battle has begun.

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

I run behind the still crowd, making my way into the Battle Station. I stop in front of the empty street and push my aura out the farthest it can go so I can mentally mark every enemy. There’s a 150 in total, scattered throughout the city but mostly condensed in the middle. My eyes snap open and focus on the three pointer coming straight towards me. With a flick of my wrist its cut down the middle by a crescent shaped energy bolt. A series of indignant cries sound behind me, and I scoff at how unobservant wannabe heroes are. I take off towards the middle of the city, shooting purple bolts at anything that happens to be in my way. By the time I reach my destination I’ve racked up about twenty points in just doing damage control. Now it’s time to get serious.

Relaxing my mind and letting my eyes flutter closed, I feel my barriers crumble and connect to the life energy around me. My hair slowly starts to rise and radiate purple, and when my eyes open they are nothing but an endless chasm that glows the same color as my hair. I raise my arms and shoot out multiple bolts at once from my hands and eyes, effectively killing all robots even remotely close to me.

“Sixty seven points.” I declare. Lots of ‘Hey!’s and ‘My robot!’ sound from the other examinees, but I’m too caught up in not falling to the ground in exhaustion to care. Energy Seeker takes up a lot of my power, but is extremely effective when taking on spread-out enemies.

“Only four minutes left!” Present Mic shouts and some examinees start to panic.

Suddenly, the ground starts to shake and in the distance a cloud of dust rises up into the air. Everybody stops fighting and congregates in the middle of the road to see what caused it. I furrow my brow and squat down, placing a hand on the cracked concrete. It vibrates slightly, signaling that something big is headed this way.

And big it is.

A nine story tall green robot comes into view, leaning down on the buildings to get a look at the terrified examinees. His huge fist rears up, and I quickly raise a shield to cover myself as it crashes into the ground. Dirt, rubble, and dust fly up from the impact and temporarily blind everybody within a mile radius. As soon as the dust clears everyone turns tail and runs away, some screaming at the top of their lungs. Well, everyone except two people.

I’m just about to leave to go find some more villains when I notice a certain teal-haired boy staring up at the robot in terror. Oh no… Midoriya froze with the threat of danger…

I run over to him, avoiding the chunks of asphalt and grimacing at his show of cowardice. The next Symbol of Peace can’t almost pee his pants at the sight of a mock villain in a controlled setting.

“H-Help!” A girl’s voice squeaks out. There, trapped under a piece of debris, is a struggling Uraraka right in front of the incoming robot.

“I’m coming!” I yell, now completely focused on saving Uraraka. In my concentration I almost don’t notice Midoriya get up and start running towards the robot head on. He springs up and flies towards the robot’s face, pulling his arm back to smash it to pieces.

“That’s it Midoriya! I knew you had it in you!” I cheer before arriving beside the trapped girl. Tears are running down her dirt-stained cheeks as I cut the piece of concrete away from her leg with a couple well-placed bolts. Once she’s free I look up at Midoriya, who has just used One-For-All for the first time. At full force.

“Oh no...not good…” I mutter as the robot collapses and Midoriya starts free-falling to the ground. “Uraraka, you control gravity right?! I need you to stop him from falling!”

“I-i can’t! I need to touch something in order to have control over it!” She says in a shaky voice. I bite the inside of my cheek in worry then stand up, pulling her with me.

Midoriya is falling faster now.

“Make yourself weightless. I’m going to fly you up there, and I need you to slow him down enough so I can catch him.” I order and let my wings materialize, causing the back of my blue t-shirt to rip open. Gripping her arm and giving a strong downwards flap, we shoot towards Midoriya. His legs and right arm flail behind him at unnatural angles, and his eyes are squeezed shut in pain and fear.

“I’m going to throw you towards him, okay? I promise I’ll catch both of you!” I yell and look behind me to make sure she heard. Her face shows determination and she gives a curt nod. Using my energy bolts for a boost, I fling her towards Midoriya with a sharp cry of pain. Overusing my quirk causes my life energy to diminish- but I don’t have time to worry about the consequences of going too far. I have a friend to save.

Uraraka rockets towards Midoriya and I follow closely behind. She smashes into him and they slow down considerably, but she looks as if she’s going to hurl. I scoop them up in my arms and almost laugh at the look of relief on Midoriya’s bruised face.

“You can stop now Uraraka, I’ve got you.” I murmur as I fly back down, not having that far to go considering how close Midoriya was to becoming a pancake. I land somewhat sloppily and exhaustion is clear on all of our faces as we fall to the ground. Uraraka turns away from us and throws up rainbows, Midoriya stares in horror at his arm that’s twisted the wrong way, and I release the energy that was making my wings take on a physical form. They slowly fade away as I lay down, trying to hold on to consciousness as best I can.

“Thank you for saving me.” Uraraka whispers quietly. I smile in response but can’t find the energy to form words.

“There’s still time left!” Midoriya mutters, using his one and only non-broken extremity to pull himself towards a robot. “I need to get at least one poi-”

“Time’s up!” Present Mic shouts.

I dimly take in Midoriya’s teary face, sighing lightly at his inability to see the bigger picture. He showed true heroism today, saving somebody even if it meant not getting any points. He’ll definitely get in to U.A.

“M-Midoriya….stop crying…you’ll be fine…” I wheeze out before finally giving in to the black invading my consciousness.

~

I tie off my hair and look in the full-length mirror, taking in my appearance one last time before I head off to U.A. I have on light makeup, using nude eyeshadow to make my hazel eyes pop and light red lipstick on to accentuate my already sizeable lips. My long dirty blonde braid ends in the middle of my back, and I’ve left the jacket unbuttoned to give my school uniform some type of personalization. Overall I’m a curvy girl, and I fill out the green skirt and white button-down nicely. I frown when I notice a gap between two buttons right in front of my chest but quickly remedy it with a small safety pin.

“C’mon kid, you’re gonna be late on the first day. Don’t think your homeroom teacher will appreciate that!” Aizawa shouts from outside my bedroom door. I grab my simple black bookbag and zoom out of my room, grabbing the piece of toast Aizawa is holding out for me.

“Thanks Shota. See you soon!” I say cheerily and give him a peck on the cheek. He only huffs and points towards the front door of our apartment. “School. Also, it’s Aizawa-sensei from now on.” He tacks on a smug grin at the word ‘sensei’ and I hurriedly leave so he doesn’t see me roll my eyes.

I arrive at the entrance to class 1-A quickly, stopping in front of the humongous door. What if I don’t make friends? What if they find out the homeroom teacher is my adoptive father and hate me? What if everyone is repulsed by my very presence if they find out who my mother is? Millions of ‘what ifs’ swirl in my head and I start to wring my hands out of habit.

“Are you just going to stand in front of the classroom, or are you actually going to go in?” A cool voice says from beside me. I jump slightly at the sudden question and turn to look at the person who asked it. Hazel eyes lock with heterochromatic ones, and I find myself mesmerized at how vibrant his icy blue eye is compared to the brown one. His hair is also bi-colored, one half white and the other garnet. Over the cerulean eye and on his red haired side is a faded burn mark, warping his features to look intimidating. But in no way does the burn take away from his handsomeness, and I feel a light blush dust over my cheeks when I take in his lean muscles and tall stature.

“Maybe I wanted to collect my thoughts before walking into class.” I smile up at him and open the door. “But please, don’t let me stand in the way of learning.”

He stares at me for a couple seconds before walking in the mostly empty room. The only people here so far are Bakugou and Iida, who are on opposite ends of the classroom and looking at me with mild surprise. The interesting boy goes and sits in the back, and before I can follow him Iida shoots up and rushes to my side.

“Rina-san, I must say I am terribly sorry for the way I acted during the exam. The way I dismissed you as uncaring when you clearly knew much more about the exam then I did was very wrong of me.” Iida gives a bow. “Please accept my apology and, if you don’t mind, explain how you got first place.”

My eyebrows shoot up and I immediately grab onto his hand. “Iida-kun, don’t worry about it! We were all stressed during the exam.” I drop his hand and give his cheek a gentle squeeze. “I got first place because I helped my friends, that’s all. With my villain and recovery points combined my score was 82.”

Iida turns red under my fingertips and backs away with a nod of his head. “Thank you! I hope to talk to you soon!” He rushes back to his seat and I chuckle at his cute behavior.

I turn my focus back to the bi-colored boy, who is currently looking at me with a small frown on his lips. My heart drops when I catch his frown and I immediately search his aura to learn more about him. His extremely powerful aura catches me off guard and I suck in a breath at its brilliance. One half is orange, reminiscent of a wildfire on a dry summer day. The other half is sapphire, twirling throughout his aura like frost taking over a lake. They clash together at random points in sparks of deep violet; each conflict seeming to harbor incredible pain, trust issues, and resentment.

Without fully realizing it I’m walking to the back of the classroom and sitting in front of him, turning around in my chair to continue my staring. I finally snap out of it when he waves his hand in front of my face rapidly.

“Your staring is making me uncomfortable. Please stop.”

I shake my head slightly and focus on his physical body instead of his spiritual one. “Heh….sorry about that.” I smile sheepishly at him and hold out a hand. “My name is Rina! I didn’t mean to creep you out or anything, you just have an extremely interesting aura.”

His eyes flicker to my outstretched hand before landing back on mine with a raised brow. He shrugs slightly and gently-but firmly- grips my hand and shakes it. “My name is Shoto Todoroki. I overheard that you got first place in the entrance exam. Impressive.”

My insides melt at his compliment but I keep my cool and give him what I hope to be a charming smile. “Thanks! I didn’t see you at the exam though.”

“I got in on recommendations. But then again-so did you, correct?”

My expression falters at his question. He half-smiles at me and leans a little closer. “So tell me, Rina, why did you decide to try out? What were you trying to prove?”

I narrow my eyes at his question and lean in closer as well. “If you must know, I wanted to prove to myself and my peers that I deserve to be here.”

He clicks his tongue and leans back in his seat, shooting me a small smirk. “Are you sure you didn’t just want to see some more ‘interesting’ auras?”
I can’t help the loud laugh that pours out of me, startling Todoroki so much he lets out a quiet chuckle as well. “Oh, I see. You have jokes disguised as personal questions. Well, two can play at that game Todoroki-kun. You better watch your back!” I give him the ‘I’m watching you’ gesture and the tiniest sliver of a smile appears on his light pink lips. His next words sent a pleasant tingle up my spine.

“I’ll be sure to become extra observant around you.”