BNHA: Dual Fates
Chapter 27: Driving Test?
In the Principal's office sat the redhead with her schoolbag on her lap, Uviel stared into beady black ones across the desk confusedly. Nezu was sipping at his drink, a pleased smile formed after setting it down to question the student and intertwined his fingers to get more comfortable. "Hello, hello! Before you ask, I can assume you're here since I didn't show up last night, correct?" he watched as her eyes lit up with surprise, from there he knew he was spot-on.
"Yes! I- I didn't know why you weren't there. You don't seem the type to really, go back on what you say," Saito grew quieter the more she talked and couldn't help but frown at the thought. Though, a bit relieved that he didn't show, it felt a bit concerning to her.
"Forgive me! I had to speak with your internship, Kamihara. I had to inform him about your situation so he could keep an eye on you while you're with him; since I cannot do it myself during that time. He is now fully aware of your sudden lack of control during odd times, so there is nothing to fear or hide as he is quite understanding!" With a paw raising, his lips curled into a bright smile before seeing pure excitement fill her eyes.
"K- Kamihara?! S- So, he knows about..." a moments' pause ensued when her mouth was left agape, just to close with and avert her eyes to ponder. "Then he knows about my shy nature and Haru," the girl assumed and frowned at the thought. She had hoped nothing would be revealed. I suppose, it'd be best if he did know, at least then he won't attack me if I lose control or something. Her thoughts echoed quietly, however, Nezu's next words made her head perk up.
"Fear not! Also, did you bring your costume for the personal training with Kamihara?" his question made the girl gasp.
"Yes, I brought my costume but- I'm going to need to talk to Hastume about my rocket boots, they play a big part with my outfit. Haru...helped me design it and spice it up, I can't just not wear it, it'd more than likely upset her," sorrow engulfed her blue hues at the mention of her best friend. It didn't go unnoticed by the Principal, just seeing her saddened face made his own smile lower.
"Wonderful! I'll inform Mr. Aizawa of your lateness, hurry along now before it gets any later," with another beaming smile of his, a paw gestured for her to leave in a rush and so, she did. A quick nod was received before she collected her bag and hurried through the door, astonished at how late she is.
~~~Later~~~
After the trip to Hatsume, she was finally ready and stood with the rest of the students who were surprisingly still there at the train station. Thanks to quick directions from Ochaco when she texted her for urgent help, it took almost all morning to find it.
With sprinting feet, her shoes clacked against the hard floor of the station and reached the backside of the class with a panting breath. "Hey, am I late?" a quick whisper between breaths to Midorya, made the said boy glance at her from his peripherals. He wasn't expecting to see her in that situation, a gasp escaped when he flinched at her exhausted and bent over position.
"N- No, we just got here too! Don't worry," the boy whisper-yelled to the redhead who looked as though she had run a marathon.
A soft smile formed when he reassured her and stood up straighter, she was relieved, to say the least. "Good, thanks to Hatsume, she refueled my boots earlier so now I can fly again but..." trailing off at the end, her attention moved to the floor in thought. "She managed to upgrade it a bit. I can fly a little longer than I did in the sports festival, I just hope I don't use up its fuel during training with Kamihara," mumbling quietly so only Izuku could hear, she didn't notice him blink with a nervous smile.
"It's fine, I'm sure if you tell him about the fuel, he'll under-" before Izu could even finish his sentence, Aizawa's voice caught everyone's attention.
"You all have your costumes, right?" his question fell upon all ears in front of him, as the students stood with their hands holding their bags. "Remember, you aren't allowed to wear them in public. Don't drop them or anything," As soon as the teacher explained, Mina burst with energy with a loud Yessir and a raise of her container. "Speak clearly! It's yes, sir, Ashido." he watched the girl pout after hugging her container when he scolded her. "Make sure you mind your manners with the heroes at your internships! Off with you, now," as if on cue, everyone in unison, replied with a yes, sir, and conversed about how excited they were.
They all made their way onto the train, except Uviel. The girl lifted her hand to her mouth and with tinted cheeks, she yelled. "Good luck Midoriya and Ochaco!" Despite it being truly embarrassing, the girl wanted to cheer them on. When her eyes opened to their backsides in the distance, they both looked over their shoulders with a bright smile. A couple of waves from their hands was all she received, Uviel could see appreciation in their gazes before they continued on.
She never expected a quick hug from behind, I surprised her, feeling a strong arm wrapping around her shoulders made the girl stiffen up. "Good luck, Uviel! I wish I could see the hero costume you have, I bet it'd look awesome!" As enthusiastic as ever, Kirishima grinned his sharp, beaming smile when he leaned past her other shoulder.
"T- Thanks! You...too!" Embarrassment was an understatement at this point, Uviel was flipping out about the contact and could smell cologne wafting up to her nose. The sweet smell would have made anyone feel like they were surrounded by scented candles. "L- Let's text, on our phones, maybe?" hesitant, a genuine nod came from the boy after that as he let go and backed away.
"Sure! See ya!" he was eager to do so, talking with her was fun and gaming with her was even more so. As he ran with a wave of his hand, Saito couldn't help but do the same with her own sweet smile growing.
~~~Later~~~
Time passed and she watched as the sceneries flew past the window she sat next to on the train. Her hues reflected in the pane with memories of Haru bringing sorrow back to them. If only I was able to stop her... her saddened thoughts echoed.
We will be arriving shortly at the next station, please gather your belongings. Over some speakers, a feminine voice reached everyone's ears, until, her peripherals picked up movement and nearly jumped out of her seat. A spider had crawled across the top of the seat from a web it dangled from, it nearly made her squeak. With a panicked movement and pulling her shoe off to smash it, someone came over.
A pair of hands scooped it up, before quickly opening her window to let it fly past the moving train. Astonishment would be an understatement as she watched a mysterious man hover over her tiny frame, a short man whose eyes locked onto hers.
Like a fish, her gaping mouth opened and closed to try to put words together, but all that came out was... "E- Edgeshot?!" Uviel certainly wasn't expecting her idol to show up, especially on a moving train.
Donning traditional ninja attire, a blue mask that hid his mouth as his sharp, pointed, gray hair covered one eye. A red shinobi shozoku beneath a blue robe and his arms were covered in a thin, dark cloth that tucked into his white forearm sleeves. Red straps attached to his belt and a gold mask that was on his shoulder. His signature red scarf that features a white patch attached to the front of it, complemented his attire. With a finishing touch to his costume, blue socks and yellow zori sandals could be seen on his feet.
The sound of her heart could be heard in her ears as she gazed upon the man in awe, pure excitement welled up inside and it was hard for her to contain it.
Regardless, she did, with a gulp and twinkling eyes of admiration, she watched him give her a nod before he sat across from her. "I'm assuming your Uviel Saito, yes? Given the description Principal Nezu gave me last night, you stand out pretty distinctly," With his smooth voice, confidence could be heard as he took a moments' pause. A simple nod from the astonished girl was enough to tell him to continue. "I decided to catch the train instead of waiting for it, I wanted to meet my internship sooner. Especially after your interesting situation regarding the lack of control over your cybernetic system," his speech was fast and calm.
Uviel still couldn't believe her eyes that she finally got to meet her favorite hero since childhood. Seconds turned into minutes as he watched her awestruck face snap to realization, it surprised her to know how patient he was with waiting for her to answer.
"Y- Yes, he told you that... I forgot he did, for a minute. Um-" the girl trailed off for a moment from pure embarrassment, not being able to stop her cheeks from heating up. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her school uniform's sleeve and kept her eyes lowered.
The conclusion made itself known when Kamihara blinked at her behavior, it was enough for him to know that she was shy. He couldn't help but smile behind his mask, so with a fold of his arms and a leg over the other, he spoke. "I've prepared a lot for your training later, but I wish to know you a bit more so I'll know how I can make the training effective," Straight and to the point, he saw the cybergirl's eyes light up with awe at his words.
He's going to train me, but how when I don't even fight like a ninja or whatever? I want to show him as much respect as I can, maybe... Maybe I can make a difference, to show people that he deserves more love than what he gets as a hero! In her mind, thoughts of him swarmed like bees before her eyes met his. "I...never trained in the ways of the ninja, I have cybernetics so I don't know if I'm even capable of it," hesitant at first, the girl averted her attention to the window and pulled her bag over her lap.
"My training isn't to teach you the way of the ninja, but mental discipline and other qualities you'll need to be a hero," after he explained, the sound of the train skidding its wheels to slow down, rang through the air. Shinya's gray eyes bore into hers before he continued. "I was similar when I was your age; shy and distant, but my teacher taught me something important," Just when everyone on the train stood to prepare themselves, he studied her before continuing. "Shyness will only cause you hesitance when you face a villain. Reluctant to move when spoken to if confronted by a villain, will only allow an opening for them to kill you... A millisecond is enough for your life to be over, one must never hesitate and should always keep their guard high when you're facing danger," finishing his sentence, he too, rose to his feet before making his way down the aisle.
"W- Wait!" The girl hurried to pick up her bag and bolted for the hero. Not too much longer her steps slowed so she could keep at his pace, it was amazing to see even the backside of Edgeshot before her eyes. "I was supposed to look for you at the station, how'd you get here so fast?" A bit hesitant, her own tongue betrayed her when it made her speech stumble.
Over his shoulder, those gray eyes glanced at her small frame that was only a few inches shorter than him. "I was...eager, to say the least. I don't send offers out very often, only on rare occasions," his answer made her mouth gape before his attention returned to the front of him.
Past the railings and down the steps of the train, they both wandered past citizens who kept gushing over the number five hero. It surprised her to know that he had more fans than she realized, those that she passed by were a group of school nerds who tried taking pictures and calling their other friends on their phones about him.
"Your training will take place somewhere secluded. Peace will help you concentrate on the tasks that I'd give you, so you may wear your costume if you wish. Training while wearing your costume will help you feel more comfortable in it," As clear and smooth as before, he told her.
When they were about to scale the many stairs that led up to the surface, he faced her with a smile behind his mask and gave her a short bow of his head. "It's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Uviel Saito," After that, a long silence befell between the two for the longest time, and not once did her gaping mouth close.
"S- Sorry! Um-" Saito felt so embarrassed and awkward, she truly hoped she didn't give him any bad impressions. So, with a deep, respectful bow, the girl answered with an excited outburst. "I look forward to your training!" Her eyes couldn't help but shut as tight as possible in her bow, it may have been downright embarrassing but she didn't want to be shy about how ecstatic she felt.
"Wonderful! I see you're catching on, very good; now..." Shinya trailed off when he looked up at the top of the stairs. "I would carry you to the secluded area, but, that would be inappropriate. So I brought a vehicle instead, it's waiting just at the top here," after he finished, his gray eyes looked back down at her tiny form and watched her raise her head.
"It's not...your vehicle?" her question only made his head shake, it was baffling to know he wasn't using his own car- Well, if he even had one for the matter.
"No, I don't believe in laziness. Transporting groceries is understandable, but otherwise, it's a lazy and limited way of heading to your destinations," During his answer, they both began to make their way to the top. Step after step, his eyes took notice of her pale hand softly sliding up the rail as they went. Something about the way she held it told him something else that he figured he'd have to help her work on. She's holding onto the railing gently. It's a sign of insecurity of herself or a tiny bit of fear. Not because she's afraid to fall, but, for being out of her comfort zone. Most adults usually never hold onto the railings since they have a lot of confidence in their own footing. In his mind, he concluded, before moving his attention ahead again.
Once they made it to the vehicle, Uviel saw its beautiful red sheen and gawked at how new it looked. It was magnificent, so modern, in fact, she's never seen such a cool car before. "Does that mean this car's rented?" her quiet voice questioned the ninja, who walked around to the driver's seat. "Hold on, if you don't believe in laziness then why are you driving?!" Pure panic rose when she saw the man fasten his seat belt and place his hands on the wheel.
Quickly, as fast as her hands could, Uviel opened the passenger door to place her bag on the floor. "I always wanted to drive," As plain and simple, the whole moment seemed a bit silly and worrying to her. Seeing him staring through the windshield with a bit of a twinkle in his eyes, made the girl see an image of a little boy playing with a toy stirring wheel and making vroom-vroom noises.
The very image almost made her burst out laughing but was thankful that she managed to cover her mouth and giggle. To see her favorite hero sitting there and saying that, never in her life did she imagine a stern ninja like him to have a tinge of silliness; or, at least she thought he was being silly. "Do you even know how?!" Pushing her shyness aside, the girl sat into the seat and went to reach for his hands from panic.
"This was a test," As soon as those few words left his lips, her hands halted just above his. Those gray eyes bore into blue ones to look for any sign of recognition, which was, written all over her face.
Surprised, this was certainly something she wasn't expecting...of all things. "Of- what?" When Saito asked, she saw his hand press a button to the side of the steering wheel to bring the engine to life.
"Your shyness; to see if you're willing to ignore it even for a moment, to rush into something serious. You've concluded that I don't own a car and safely assumed I couldn't drive since I didn't have one. So you fear both of our safeties in this matter, jumping for the wheel to break my hands from it; however..." his head turned to face hers with an accepting look in his eyes, before using his hand to switch gears. "I have gained my license just in case, it's not difficult to learn how to drive," his answer made relief wash over her body like rain.
With a quick close of the door, Uviel was floored, her slumping her shoulders back and gazing upon the road beyond the windshield was enough to say she was shocked. "Okay, then," her blue hues watched as the car pushed forward, gradually picking up its pace.