Screaming metal echoed through the mock city of Battle Center B. Dust kicked up in thick, choking plumes as massive faux-villains rolled down the simulated streets. Aspiring heroes leaped, blasted, and smashed their way through the mechanical horde, desperate to secure their future. Amidst the chaos, a striking figure darted between the shadows of towering mock-skyscrapers. Long, snow-white hair whipped around her face like a wild storm, contrasting sharply with her sleek training outfit. Reina Kurokawa was a creature of pure instinct. Her green eyes, bright as freshly cut emeralds, possessed slitted pupils that dilated with every sudden movement. Sharp, elegant, and possessed of a playful grace, she moved with the silent fluidity of a hunting cat. "Out of my way, gorgeous!" a boy with physical augmentation quirks shouted, charging past her to tackle a one-pointer. She chuckled, her voice a low, teasing purr. "Oh, my. So eager to show off? I do love a man with drive." Her eyes were already locked on her next target, a massive three-pointer that had just turned the corner. Deep inside, her heart hammered against her ribs, not from fear of the machine, but from the terrifying silence of failure. If she didn't pass this exam, she would remain an outcast. She would stay the 'cursed girl' who brought misfortune to everyone she touched. "Target locked," the three-pointer droned, its red optic visor flashing. A massive steel arm, heavy enough to crush a car, swung toward her with terrifying speed. Reina Kurokawa, a blur of ebony and emerald, dodges an incoming robot's arm, her 'Bad Luck' quirk causing its internal wiring to spark violently and short-circuit, narrowly missing her during the U.A. entrance exam. A thrill of pride mixed with familiar anxiety washes over her as she realizes she's almost out of time, her greatest fear of being left behind bubbling to the surface. Time was slipping through her fingers like sand. Her score was barely scraping the passing threshold, and her muscles burned from the physical exertion. Looking around, she saw the sheer scale of her competition. These kids were prodigies, wielding destructive powers that could level city blocks. Suddenly, a loud explosion rattled the pavement beneath her feet, nearly knocking her off balance. Sparks flew, accompanied by the scent of burnt ozone and sulfur. Katsuki Bakugo tore through a group of three-pointers like a rabid beast. His palms crackled with lethal orange light, his face twisted into a snarl of pure, unadulterated fury. His crimson eyes flicked toward her for a fraction of a second, filled with intense disdain. "Get out of my way, extra!" he roared, blasting himself forward with a concussive shockwave. Smirking softly, Reina watched him work. Her tail-like instincts twitched in amusement. "My, what a fiery temper. You really know how to light up a room, don't you?" she teased. With a feral grin of his own, he ignored her completely, diving headfirst into another cluster of mechanical targets. Heat flared against her skin, leaving a prickling sensation that made her hair stand on end. She shivered, not from cold, but from the raw, untamed power radiating from him. He was a storm, and she had always been drawn to the weather that threatened to tear things apart. "Wait up, hothead!" she called out, though she knew he wouldn't listen. Her flirtatious banter was a shield, a way to keep people at arm's length while simultaneously begging them to look closer. She wanted to be noticed. She wanted someone to see past the silver hair and the slitted eyes and see her. Instead, she was left with the settling ash. She shook her head, focusing back on the concrete expanse. A stray piece of rebar caught her foot, but she adjusted her weight mid-air, landing with a light, silent tap. Her feline agility was a natural gift, a stark contrast to the chaotic curse of her bad luck. Her mind drifted to her childhood. Other kids played tag, laughing as they chased each other through the park. Whenever Reina joined, things went wrong. Swings would snap. Slides would suddenly develop jagged edges. A simple game of catch would end with a stray ball shattering a nearby window. Eventually, the invitations stopped. The parents whispered. The children turned away. "She's bad luck," they said. "Don't play with the black cat." Those words had burned themselves into her soul. She had spent years trying to prove them wrong, trying to show that she could be helpful, that she could bring joy instead of ruin. But her naiveté often blinded her to the cruelty of others. She believed people when they smiled, even when those smiles were mocking. She wanted so desperately to trust. Cursing her own hesitation, she leaped onto the hood of an abandoned car. Another robot, this time a two-pointer, lunged from an alleyway to her left. Leaping into the air, she performed a flawless mid-air twist. Her sharp claws extended from her fingertips, glinting in the sunlight. A microsecond of contact was all she needed. She swiped at the robot's sensor array, letting her misfortune bleed into the machine. Misfortune was a funny thing. It didn't need a heavy blow to destroy. It just needed a tiny nudge in the wrong direction. Its gears jammed instantly. A loose bolt within its neck mechanism sheared off, causing the massive head to spin uselessly before snapping off completely. "Yes!" she cheered, landing on her feet with a soft, feline thump. Yet, the thrill of victory was incredibly short-lived. Glancing at the giant digital timer mounted on a nearby tower, her breath hitched. Only ninety seconds remained. Panic, cold and suffocating, clawed at her throat. She had barely accumulated twenty-five points. That wasn't enough to guarantee entry, let alone place her in the top ranks. Desperation drove her forward. She ran down the main thoroughfare, her eyes scanning the wreckage for any active targets. Shouts of terror suddenly erupted from the front lines. Ground beneath her trembled violently. A colossal shadow fell over the entire mock city, blotting out the sun. Tremors rattled her teeth as the colossal machine took another step forward. The sheer wind generated by its movement whipped her long white hair into a tangled mess. She could feel the heat radiating from its massive exhaust ports, smelling of heavy oil and burning rubber. Around her, the other students were screaming. Some had tripped, their faces dirt-streaked and tear-stained. A girl with purple hair was struggling to drag a classmate out of the path of a rolling tread. Empathy flared in Reina's chest. She wanted to help them. She wanted to be the hero who kept everyone safe. But as she took a step toward them, a piece of a crumbling brick facade fell between them, cutting off her path. "No!" she gasped. Misfortune seemed to follow her everywhere, even when she desperately tried to do good. It was a cruel irony. The more she wanted to connect, the more her power seemed to isolate her. Students scrambled in every direction, their faces pale with sheer panic. "Run!" someone screamed. "It's too big!" Standing frozen for a second, Reina stared up at the zero-pointer. The sheer scale of the machine was overwhelming. Beside her, a piece of a ruined building groaned under the massive vibrations caused by the titan's movement. She turned to run, her feline agility kicking into overdrive as she bolted alongside the crowd. Behind her, the zero-pointer slammed its massive fist into a concrete structure. Debris rained down like a deadly hailstorm. Diving beneath a collapsing awning, Reina rolled tightly to protect her head. Dust enveloped the street, turning the bright afternoon into a choking gray haze. She coughed, waving her hand to clear her vision. "Time is up!" Present Mic's voice boomed over the loudspeakers, his energetic tone contrasting sharply with the destruction on the ground. An agonizing screech of the final buzzer began its long, exhausting wail. Squeezing her eyes shut, Reina felt a wave of despair wash over her. She hadn't gotten enough points. She had failed. The loneliness she feared so much was waiting for her, ready to swallow her whole. Then, a faint, desperate sound pierced through the ringing in her ears. *Meow.* Her green eyes snapped open. Her slitted pupils dilated in instant recognition. As the final buzzer screams, a section of the collapsed building shudders, and Reina spots a tiny, terrified kitten trapped beneath a precariously balanced girder, its wide eyes mirroring her own impending doom.

Chapter 1: A Black Cat's Debut