Dual Fates

Chapter 11: Obstacle race!

"Hmmm...?" the familiar, ominous, and mechanical voice hummed in question as a pair of pale fingers wiggled frantically, almost as if it were an eager gesture. "She may be far more useful than I thought, I'm beginning to get the hang of the controls.~ I can't wait...to test out her own...personal...weapon...~" his voice resonated throughout the dark room as it showed his backside's silhouette shivering with delight and allowed muscly, robotic giggles to escape.

Figures of cords could be seen in the dark room, connecting to his head and the many slots to the computer. There were playbacks of the single test he attempted by making her fight the robot and many videos to the side of the screen, exposed the very animated images he sent into her mind. "I just need a good opportunity..." lower, more sinister words left his mouth after he spoke the last part and not long after, those lips of his was showed in side-view smirking. Pale, grinning, lips and it was quite difficult to make out the rest of his face.

~~~Elsewhere~~~

Across the land they ran, although Uviel could hardly keep up with Haru, the brunette was catching up to Todo with her long strides and snake-like speed. "Come on, Uviel!" Yukimura tried to encourage her best friend to pick up her speed, she didn't need to focus her hearing on the cyber-girl's footsteps to know she was behind her a few feet away.

It didn't take long at all for them to catch up to the multi-eye colored boy who froze those infernos with ease, what helped them catch up was when he halted just before the large crags that were specifically designed for the obstacle course.

Both of the girls stood before the huge clearing that not just anyone could get across. A few minutes later did the other students catch up and many became nervous at the sight of the drop, a lot of kids profusely sweated in their jumpsuits in the process. Hey, hey! The first barrier's a piece of cake?! Then what about the second?! the announcer exclaimed with so much energy that he'd out-energize the energizing bunny, at this point... Ochaco and the others stood with gaping mouths at the sight as doubt began to fill many students' minds. If you fall, you're out! If you don't wanna fall, then crawl! It's 'The fall!' adding to his enthusiastic words, the announcer finished and caused many kids to question their own fear of heights.

"When did they build this stage?" Uraraka's nervous question met Mina's ears and the other two girls who stood next to them, until they all watched a frog girl jump high to land on a tight rope.

"She's fast!" Mina's exclaimed words made Yukimura grin and listen closely to the many inaudible words of other students. Hearing them say how it'd be impossible to walk across the rope, or how they're never going to get past those tall rocks, and even mentioning that they'd lose if they tried.

"Yeah, no kidding..." Uviel mumbled to Mina's statement and blinked her blue hues at the sight, that was, until laughter caught everyone's ears.

"Hehehehehe...~" That familiar laugh caused her gaze and everyone else's to peer behind them, just to see eyes that sparked with eagerness behind a pair of goggles. "Here it is, here's my chance to show off...! It's time for my support items to be in the limelight! Uviel, use your rocket boots, show everyone how great they are in a situation like this!" Hatsume's voice rose after she spotted the cybernetic girl not too far in front of her. Soon, her arms rose after she stood up straight from her leaned-over posture and gained everyone's attention around her. "Look, all you support companies across the country! Wire arrows and...hover soles! The Decennial Tremor of Saito's and her rocket boots! Glitter!" the girl announced and kept her arms outstretched above her head, nothing but excitement laced her voice. I couldn't bring all of my babies with me, so I'm happy she agreed to use them in the course! Now, I wonder when Yukimura will use her dagger!~ her monologue echoed with just as much enthusiasm as her previous speech.

"You're from the support course?!" Ochaco questioningly yelled and Mina followed up with her own comment right after.

"What?! It's okay to bring in items?!" the pinky asked with utter shock on her face, she could've sworn no one was allowed to bring weapons or gear into the festival.

Uviel faintly gasped at Mina's words and moved her blue gaze down to her retracted rod, which she held securely inside her jumpsuit that she zipped back up not long ago. The Decennial Tremor...and these boots, they're for advertisement. Well, hopefully, she'll let me keep these in the end; they're actually pretty useful. Saito spoke in her mind with an appreciative smile forming, if it wasn't for Hatsume she wouldn't have been able to get very far with just her cybernetics alone and she was grateful for it.

"The hero course undergoes combat training regularly, right? In order to keep things fair, we are allowed to equip items and costumes, as long as we developed them ourselves! Or perhaps I should say..." the girl trailed off with a swift movement of her arm and shot something from her waistline, sending it across the large opening in front of them. "For those of us in the support course, this is the place to show off our ideas and skills to companies! Hahaha!" As she explained, her boots began to hover into the air and soon made the girl soar across the land high above the huge fall. "Come, take a look, all you companies! Especially the big ones!" her outburst caught a lot of eyes from the many students and the two best friends soon watched her fly over the rocks, landing on one of the flat-head pillars. Her laughter filled their ears and not too much longer did the girls hear Uraraka mumble out a word of impress.

"Wow..." that was all the shorter brunette said and took off running after mentioning I can't lose!

"That's some misplaced equality!" Next, it was Mina whose irritation could be heard in her voice and sprinted after those pillars of rock. "Guys, let's go!" Over her shoulder, she gestured to the two best friends with a quick wave of her hand and picked up her speed.

"Go ahead, UV-Ray! I'll meet you on the other side, hahahaha!" Yukimura's enthusiastic words reached the redhead's ears and bolted after the pillars with a cocky smirk plastered. Something inside her made her expression grow dark, after overhearing some students mention her blindness and how she was going to even be able to get across. Amusement could be seen on her dark grin during her sprint and Shinso saw it for only a second, before watching her race across the tight rope rather skillfully in the form of a rogue. Smooth, appearing weightless, and not much of a stir from the rope occurred as the brunette sped across it.

That smirk again... his mumbled monologue echoed as his purple eyes remained glued to her backside. Though despite his thoughts, his grin not once faltered when he saw Hatsume and Haru race across the rope with such ease. "Nice..." He watched her swerve and move like a snake across the rope and pillars, the display of their skills just made his grin grow. What he didn't expect was for Saito to suddenly take to the sky with her rocket boots and fly over the next course with little to no effort, practically catching up to her best friend.

A lot of different people are working hard for their chance, huh, Eraser Head?! the announcer questioned the said teacher, who only grew angry at the students for abruptly stopping.

What are you idiots stopping for...? Aizawa irritably asked those over his mic, who weren't even trying to get across the next course.

Haru kept on her toes with her speed and came close to Todoroki's backside as he slid across a tight rope using his ice, she, however, used his ice to her advantage. The girl was literally tailing his back and once he sprinted after the large, red staircase ahead of the course her shoulder nearly touched his.

His multi-colored eyes glanced over his shoulder at the dirty-blonde in the sky, seeing as he used his explosions to soar. Though, upon noticing a certain brunette with a dark, snake-like grin on her lips, the sight of her made his eyes light up with astonishment, and chose to pick up his speed. Looks like he's getting fired up... A slow starter? And the girl, how did she catch up to me so quickly? mentally asking himself, he did his best to make sure that Haru was right behind him instead of practically touching shoulders.

Right behind Bakugo was Uviel, the redhead caught up to the blonde and her focused hues stayed locked onto her best friend to make sure she didn't lose sight of her; lest she gets left behind and alone. That guy's ice powers are pretty cool... Man, I seriously wished I had powers like that, or powers at all... People with quirks are so lucky... those mental words echoed and hummed in thought until the girl saw how close she was getting to the dirty-blonde.

"Damn it!" Infuriated, enraged, Bakugo did his best to push out as many explosions as possible so he could keep up. From his peripherals, there he saw the very redhead race alongside him and an irk mark throbbed on the side of his head at the competition. "Get outta my way!" his scream and hysterical expression caught Uviel's attention during her flight, just to earn an annoyed comment from the cyber-girl.

"Why do you have to be so loud?! Gah!" Greatly annoyed by the boy who screamed her way, the girl descended and landed softly on the ground after getting past the opening, not long did Saito continue in her sprint.

Bakugo blinked confusedly, just for his fury to grow more at her words and comedically spew out colorful words in her direction. The audience began to speak about the students after Ida was put up on the screen, showing his mechanics pushing him across the tight rope. The lead pack is a step ahead, but below them, everyone's clumped together! They haven't announced how many people will make it through, so you can't relax! Push forward! the announcer exclaimed as the two best friends raced their way to the next course, who were still a little ways behind Todoroki.

I need to keep my speed to a minimum, I can't show off too much. Staying behind Todoroki will make me look believable, I can't show anyone that I've had training before attending U.A...my dad would probably kill me. Yukimura's mental words seemed rather uneasy at the thought, as a couple of beads of sweat rolled down her tanned face and remained leaned over like a rogue during her sprint.

Right behind her was Bakugo and Uviel, a relieved smile spread across her lips after spotting her best friend running nearly side by side with the angry blonde. Good job UV-Ray, keep this up! You got this! Don't let anyone discourage you! The brunette was cheering her friend on and faced forward once more, though abruptly stopped at the sight of a large field full of mines. Not too far from her side was Todo who stood next to a large danger sign, of course, she couldn't read it but she knew there was a large object near him.

And now, we've quickly arrived at the final barrier! The reality here is... a quick pause in the announcer's speech ensued and soon continued after the battlefield was before everyone's eyes when they caught up. That it's a minefield! It's set up so you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So you have to exploit your eyes and legs! By the way, the landmines are for games so they're not powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants! Finished the teacher, who was followed up by Aizawa with his nearly inaudible comment.

Haru grinned triumphantly since she knew better than anyone else, that all mines give off a specific scent. With their smell, the brunette would be able to avoid them all rather easily but what concerned her, was the puffs of smoke that many students ended up dispersing into the air each time they'd step on one and her best friend who barely managed to catch up.

"Uviel, use your boots to fly over these mines! I got some skills to show off...~" Yukimura cooed and giggled at the thought of showing her snake-like abilities off to the audience.

"Sure..." The redhead simply nodded and looked at her boots, before kneeling down to look at the energy gauge. Half-empty already?! Sheesh, Hatsume wasn't kidding about the over-consumption of energy these boots have! her mental thoughts irritably exclaimed when one eye twitched. Standing straight once more, the girl did the same as before with her boots and soon took off across the minefield, earning a quick glance from Ida on her way by. Her blue hues met dark ones for but a second before she passed him and a new, determined look washed over the boy's face; he wasn't about to get out-sped by a pair of rocket boots... Though, during his sprint, all of the mines behind him continued to erupt into pink smoke, causing the boy to fall back from all of the quakes the explosions made.

Quickly he rushed, getting back up on his feet to keep going, and watched as she soared above the mines. His newfound determination allowed him to hurry through the mines and did as before, making them all erupt behind him. He hoped he could outrun the mine's reaction time, so he pushed himself further to try and steer clear of their quakes.

However, Haru, kept that grin plastered as she took a mental note of all the students rampaging through the field. Separating, differentiating the smells in the air so the brunette could locate the mines' specific scent, before the smoke eruptions. "Ah, I get it! They each have a set time of reaction! I sense a pattern! This is a cakewalk for Uviel since she can just fly over everything.~ Heeehehehehe, a heightened sense of smell comes in handy in times like these.~" giggles left her lips before she took off running.

Left, right, zigzag, half-circles, the snake-girl ran across the field like a rogue and kept herself low to the ground so she could keep her nose on the mines' scents. Though it would've been faster if there were no mines, all of the zigzagging and sharp turns slowed her down compared to the previous tight-rope course.

What made every student halt in their place, except for Uviel since it'd be a waste of energy to stop and go, was a large explosion that sent out faint airwaves across the field and a gigantic cloud of pink smoke in its place. Everyone had to shield themselves from the blast, including Haru who managed to keep her feet on the ground in the harsh force.

There's a huge explosion at the back?! What's with that force?! the announcer screamed in surprise until a familiar green-haired boy flew out of the smoke, with one of the robot's metal pieces being used as a sled. Was it an accident, or did he do it on purpose?! Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast! he exclaimed, that was until Izuku flew over everyone, with a long stream of pink behind and got ahead of Todo and Bakugo. Actually, he's taken the lead!

The announcer kept going on and on as the students stood in awe at the sight of Midoriya using the mines to his advantage, even Yukimura was impressed. It didn't take long for the main ones who were in the lead before, to give chase. "Hahahahaha, this is so fun! Dude, that was seriously genius!" the brunette's excitement beamed on her face after she continued to dash through the mines as she did before, eventually catching up with the boys.

Uviel, on the other hand, was dumbstruck at the sight of the explosion behind her and saw Izuku soaring quickly in her direction with the sternest face she's ever seen on him. Even though with all of that speed, the boy began to descend, and gradually the two boys previously in the lead were about to run past him, aiming to get ahead of Uviel who managed to get past the boys after their little halt from the explosion.

With Saito, Midoriya, Bakugo, Yukimura, and Todoroki far ahead of everyone else, who will reach the top?! The one who soars effortlessly across the sky? The snake girl whose skills and flexibility outmatch many on the field to avoid the mines? Or maybe the boy who burst far ahead into the course with pink, cloudy flair?! There are many guesses as to who'll arrive on top! Eraser Head, your class is amazing! What are you teaching them?! the announcer's question left every person in the audience on the edge of their seats as their eyes glued themselves to the lead runners.

I didn't do anything... They got each other fired up on their own. Even my new students are encouraging each other... Aizawa replied with little to no interest and kept his stern gaze upon his class.

Now that the girls got past the minefield, they ran through a long tunnel a bit behind the boys who managed to pass Uviel. The redhead had to turn her boots back off and sprint through the halls much like everyone else, however, Yukimura ran alongside Bakugo using her snake speed; avoiding the explosions that are used to make himself race faster through the hall.

Now, the cyber-girl was behind everyone and reluctance began to weigh on her shoulders at seeing the boys and even her best friend, get ahead of her. A sigh left her lips, discouragement grew inside and the sense of competition made her feel more defeated than what she already felt. I'm not gonna win... Haha, no one's gonna want a freak like me as their pupil. What kind of outdoor, happy life comes from being a Hero anyway...? Well, if I don't make it then my parents can at least admit that I tried. I'm happier playing games in my room, playing Stargazers Online, but nooooooooooo! I just had to accept Har-Har's terms! Damn it, I'd probably be at S-rank by now! her mental rage gradually began to show on her face and the anger was what pushed the girl harder during her sprint.

There she managed to catch up, her stern blue hues glared at the end of the hall with determination as her shoulders nearly brushed against Izuku's. Midoriya glanced over to her and surprise lit up his face for only a moment before choosing to pick up his pace. If getting through this festival hell will let me play more Stargazers, I'll do it! The sooner I'm done with this crap, the better. her fists clenched at her monologue and raced through the hall.

Right now, the first person back in the stadium is that man...who's a few inches ahead of Yukimura and Saito, Izuku Midoriya's made a huge splash! the exclaiming announcer made the crowd go wild at his energetic speech.

Yukimura and Saito both managed to catch up to Izuku, who was seen leaned over trying to catch his breath. "HAHAAAAAAA! WE DID IT!" Haru beamed with happiness and ran around the boy with a risen hand, all five fingers waiting for a high-five. "Great job dude, that was a badass blast in the back!" the girl laughed hard from excitement and the sense of adrenalin continued to rush through her veins.

The boy simply gave her a few exhausted chuckles before giving her the high-five she asked for. His green eyes viewed the audience around him and not once had his stern face faltered. Tears began to brim his gaze, after he lifted a fist that clenched tightly in triumph, and in the background, the brunette tackled her best friend to the ground.

"You did it UV-Ray, I knew you could! WOOO, hahahaha! I'm so proud of you!" A toothy, bright grin not once ceased and Har-Har continued to lay on top of a chibified cyber-girl, whose cheeks flushed at the attention from her friend. The rest of the students managed to catch up and now everyone stood to take a breather, even the darker redhead panted harshly.

"She- She's not fair, Saito flew over all of the obstacles! Hatsume made her wear those rocket boots and use that staff for advertisement, that girl should be disqualified!" One of the people in the audience grew angry over the redhead, who rose to her feet and faced her best friend.

"Guys, you got here first?! You two were great! Yukimura, where did you learn to move like that?! Saito, you trained hard to use that staff, didn't you?!" A certain hard-bodied quirk-boy exclaimed with so much excitement, that it could even outshine the stars or the sun itself. Stars of awe sparked in his red eyes after he ran up to the girls and rose his fists.

"Uh, it's a long story! Uviel trained hard through the remaining weeks so it's no wonder why she knew how to use the Tremor!" Haru's strong hand patted the cybernetic girl's shoulder and felt her jump from the sudden touch, she could definitely sense heat spreading across her cheeks.

"Y- Yeah, um..." Saito began and nervously averted her stunning hues to her shoes, the girl didn't want her red face to be seen by the boy and pondered on why it even mattered to her if he did. "About that..." her heart began to race ninety miles an hour when he saw his eyes glued to her frame and that overly friendly grin of his.

"That robot hit her, so it was obvious that she had to fight back, right? Nothin' out of the ordinary there.~" Yukimura spoke for her friend and cleared up any kind of suspicion from other students, who may or may not have questioned her sudden, emotionless behavior.

"You...did great too, Kirishima..." those mumbled, embarrassed words met his ears, and hadn't realized the embarrassed, shocked eyes of his.

"Haha, thanks!" he took her praise to heart when his beaming grin grew more and pink tainted his cheeks at her nervous behavior. "We still have more to go through, though. I wouldn't get too laid back just-" Right when he was about to finish his sentence, a harsh voice interrupted and a heavy foot planted onto the ground.

"You!" a voice, familiar, loud, and strict. It was Tetsutetsu with his metal quirk activated, his strong stomp that was made not but a couple of feet away from the three, gained their attention. The boy huffed out steam from his nose when his strict, black eyes met red ones and faint pink painted his cheeks. "Saito, right?!" he questioned rather loudly and clenched his metallic fist.

"Yeah...why?" the brighter redhead blinked confusedly at his statement and fully faced the metal-head, tiredly might I add. Both her best friend and Kirishima stood wide-eyed at the sudden outburst of the boy.

"You used Hatsume's gear to get through the obstacles and advertised them! I'd call it cheating, but you did it to help someone out. So, I decided!" he began, stepped closer, and glared daggers at Eijiro only to meet her blue ones again. "I decided that I like you and I won't let him get in my way!" he finished with a point of his finger in her direction then gritted his sharp teeth into an open frown, not once did those pink tints fade; in fact, they deepened in color.

All three of them stood shocked at his words, though Eijiro's red eyes stared into black ones confusedly... He didn't understand why he kept getting glares from the boy and his frown remained, an odd sense of competition fell over him after hearing his declaration of war.

Though, despite the metal-head's words, the same teacher with a small whip spoke over a mic and announced the rankings. Yukimura's ranking came after Bakugo and then it was Uviel after her, followed by Ibara Shiozaki. The rankings continued through the list during Haru's excited squeal of triumph and comedic death-hugs.

How...did I even...manage to attract a guy...? I'm a freak... Self-conscious, depression could be heard in Uviel's disembodied voice after the scene faded to black.

~~~Elsewhere~~~

"Hm...so his daughter made it within the first few ranks, interesting. I saw a few moments when her dark side appeared for only a second...why does she keep fighting it...? Of course, there's the exception of her staying in hiding so she'll remain in U.A..." A man's calm, contemplative voice sounded, as the back of his head was shown and viewed the festival on a few monitors. Nails scratching at his skin, thinking about many things including Midoriya and Yukimura. "She's certainly an interesting girl...~" his fingers stopped clawing at his skin after his last words and the image of the brunette in the stadium was stuck in his mind.