It rained the day she met Shinobi's father. The sky rumbled ominously all day. She wanted to chase the clouds away, but she didn't believe in playing with Mother Nature unless she had to. The weather fit Shinobi's sullen mood perfectly, though. She begged him for weeks to take her to meet his father, to see the company he would inherit. Reluctantly, he agreed to do so.
He sped down the highway without saying a word. His eyes clouded so darkly they looked black. She held her breath as he maneuvered the slick roadways. He always drove fast, but at that moment, he was driving as if he really did want to kill both of them. His mood improved somewhat when he gave her a tour of the company, but it darkened again when he introduced her to his father, which was the last thing he did.
He led her into a large office where his father paced the floors. "And this is my father," Shinobi said with little emotion, "Sebastian Shaw." His father stopped pacing long enough to look at the two of them.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Shaw," she said meekly. She didn't like the way Shinobi's father looked at her. It was as if he wasn't truly seeing her at all. He eyed her as if she prize livestock. She recoiled from his stare, finding Shinobi's hand for comfort.
"How long will this one last?" Mr. Shaw said, flicking his wrist Ororo's way. She didn't like it when people talked as if she weren't in the room, and just what did he mean by that question?
Shinobi's grip tightened on her hand; it was almost painful. The tension that passed between them made her heart ache. It snaked around them, gripping their hearts maliciously. "I really like Ororo, father." His voice was warmed death.
"That's what you said about the last one, the one before that one, and the one before that. So, I want to know. How long will this one last, Shinobi?" he asked again. Sebastian turned to her abruptly. "You're just another pretty face among many, my dear. You don't mean much to him."
She felt her eyes sting, and she pulled her hand away from Shinobi's, bolting from the room before he could see the first tear drop from her eye. She could understand why he despised his father.