BNHA: Duel Fates

Chapter 58: Persuasive Tongue

A/N: I'm so sorry for how long this chapter is. It's long for a reason though! The reason is- the fanfic is coming to an end kinda soon-ish! :D

I'd say maaaybe between 8-10 more chapters! 3

But yes, I'm happy that you guys decided to stick with this after so long, this is the second longest fanfic I've ever written, aside from my Bleach: Rise of the Descendant, which is 75 chapters XD!

After a long night, the sun rose over the horizon and revealed the city waking from its slumber. As the birds flew through the sky with their cries and the vehicles drove across the roads, heavy boots quickly walked past the many groggy people. Swaying from side to side, broad shoulders giving away a lot of his mass, Wani Kyoshi wandered to U.A and ignored the countless skeptical stares from everyone.

Those piercing crocodile slits could barely be seen past the hood on his cloak, but the lack of vision didn't slow him down, for he continued to trek and would peek up to see where he was going. There, to his left, stood the grand gate of U.A in all of its glory. "Heh... I must be early then," To the side of the gate were students familiar to him, Bakugou and timid Midoriya, who kept his hands up to ward off the temper of the other.

All he did was watch with deep contemplation. Stirring, conflicting emotions about heroes and villains all but made him reluctant to even approach them despite them being children. With a tight fist inside his cloak, his gaze averted to the metal on the gate and hoped they'd open soon. "Kyoshi!" That voice, feminine and cheerful, made the Crocodile whip his head around to see Yukimura and Hitoshi.

"Kyoshi, how's it going dude?!" With a raise of her hand, all five fingers sprawled, she waited for a high-five and kept that bright smile present. She could feel his weight shift and the next thing she knew he returned the gesture with a quick slap. "School's about to start, so what's up?" Her tan hands clamped onto her hips after she asked, curious as to why the hulking giant in front of her had decided to visit.

"I'll tell ya later... Anyway- where's your cyber friend?" Wani wanted to change the subject, the thought of having to tell her everything about what Principle Nezu wanted to do for him, he knew it'd only cause drama or embarrassment.

"Oh! She spent some bonding time with her new Dad! She was so happy she was crying, she even achieved the highest ranking in the game she plays! I'm so proud of her, hahaha!" The brunette hadn't noticed that her sunshiny smile made the Croc stiffen and blush, she was too busy pondering about Uviel's experience last night.

"So- she's going to be late?" As soon as Shinso questioned the girl, the school bell rang and the gates opened for all to enter.

"I doubt that, her Dad's the friggin' fifth-ranked Hero. I bet he used his quirk to get here," Wani answered just before Bakugo and Midoriya ran in with a wave in their direction. He watched Haru return the gesture, albeit not facing them but nonetheless acknowledging the greeting. His feet and the other two made way for the school behind the boys up ahead of them.

"That's true... Edgeshot's pretty quick, they could be taking their time eating breakfast right now and could arrive at school any second," Shinso remained as close to Haru as possible with his shoulder nearly touching hers, those purple eyes gluing to the double doors of U.A. Subconsciously, jealously was bubbling when he saw the Croc move around and walk next to her other side.

Moments later, after they entered, there before them stood Edgeshot and Uviel. Astonishment filled their eyes, save for Haru, because of how accurate Shinso was with the hero's speed. "Hey, UV-Ray!" Quickly, the snake girl's feet trudged past students in the lobby and halted next to her best friend's side. "Hitoshi said you'd get here before us! Did you take your sweet time this morning?" With a nudge of her elbow to the cybergirl's ribs, she could sense that her friend's nervousness kicked in when she stiffened up.

"Y- Yeah... He told me to, because, he said he could get me to school in time regardless," Faint tints of pink dusted her cheeks, for she couldn't bring herself to look at her best friend with any ounce of seriousness. He's so cool! Shinya is so awesome! Inside, the cybergirl gush over how great of a hero he was, especially as a Father.

"Uviel, I'll be seeing you. I'm going to go help find that woman with the Gatling gun, considering Aizawa will be busy with your classes. Be safe and remember to think about the offer I gave you last night," With a gentle rub on top of her reddish-orange hair and a content close of his eyes, he vanished with the use of his quirk.

The said girl couldn't prevent the smile that crept onto her upper-black lips, full of appreciation and awe in her eyes as she kept them glued to the spot he once stood. Finally, she faced the others until she saw the hulking Croc hiding behind the large cloak. "Oh- Hi, Kyoshi," With a wave of her hand she greeted him, confused and curious as to why he was here in the first place.

Quiet, no answer was given only a simple nod and a grunt before he wandered off towards Principle Nezu's location. "Um, where's he going?" With a point of her finger toward the Croc, Uviel's curiously blinking hues watched his backside turn a corner and leave.

"Don't know. Anyway, come on or we'll be late!" With haste, the snake girl gave Hitoshi a pat on his shoulder for a goodbye and ran past the lighter redhead, who gave a shy giggle.

"I'll catch up! I'm waiting here for Kirishima!" As soon as she exclaimed to the now distant brunette, those blue hues watched her best friend whip around and give her a thumbs-up.

"You go, girl! I'm off to visit Hatsume's homeroom to see if she's alright. That girl's got guts of steel so I know she's not gonna let those injuries slow her down any!" Albeit in a hurry, some steps backward allowed her to show she was still listening to Saito. Her signature bright smile not once faltered, she wanted to be sure that the shy girl was going to be alright waiting there by herself.

""O- Okay! Um..." For a moment she trailed, uncertainty filling her mind when she gave her close friend a wave goodbye and saw her whirl back around to leave.

Although, it was only a second, before Haru was completely out of earshot she picked up words of belittlement from some nearby students. Inaudible whispers that no one else except her could hear, whispers that could gnaw and chew up anyone sensitive about their insecurities.

"Hey- It's that cyber chick, the one that's being watched every second. How could anyone let a walking disaster into the school?" A boy's voice reached the snake girl's ears, followed by the scent which she picked up, on her way past. "What a freak," His voice full of disgust and venom, hadn't gone unnoticed.

That was it. Haru halted right then and there, after she nearly passed him, feeling lucky that the boy was heading upstairs. Those filmy green eyes peeked in their peripherals, pierced through the shadow of her bangs, and paid attention to the small vibrations of his steps. She could tell another boy followed his side and paid his friend no mind or gave any comment, to say she wasn't relieved about that would be a lie.

Kill him... Kill... Kill, kill, kill! Fight poison... With poison! Sluggish, her feet were, as she followed the two up the steps. I don't want to kill him! No... No! In her mind, the girl argued and rebelled against her own darkness. No... I don't have to kill him. An ominous grin curled up the corners of her mouth and exposed those snake fangs.

Hitoshi, who was about to head towards his homeroom, couldn't help but notice the sudden turn of the brunette. His knitted brows showed his confusion when he saw her tail two boys with that very familiar wicked grin. Haru?! Wait... That smile. She's going to do something to them! I have to stop her! As fast as his feet could carry he rushed past Uviel, who stepped back in a hurry so as to not get trampled and pushed students out of his way.

"H- Hitoshi?! Hey, what's up?!" Saito's hand stretched out in an attempt to catch his attention, but it was soon grabbed by a strong hand to her side. That very action caused her face to bloom as red as roses on a summer day. Next to her, stood Kirishima, the whole reason she waited there and could feel embarrassment stiffen up her form.

"Uviel, hi! Is everything okay?" Purely innocent and concerned, his red eyes met her blue astonished ones, and safely secured her small fingers inside his manly hand.

"O- O -Of course! Why wouldn't I be?! Uh- Hitoshi just sort of... Ran off, I don't know why. Haru said she was going to see if Hatsume's in her homeroom so I'm just guessing Hitoshi went with her just in case. Maybe he's worried she'll end up doing something again," Nervous, she was when she answered. The lovely scent of his cologne and his bright sunshiny smile only made her heart pound more. "OH right, I almost forgot," Suddenly, her hand yanked out of his when she lifted her bag and rummaged through it.

"H- Huh? What did you almost forget?" Curious now, his smile fell when he watched her search, and became very confused when she pulled out a container. He made sure to pay close attention to her red face, for subtle quivers in her hands and the shaky breath she had, made it much clearer how nervous she was.

"I... Made something for you. I h- hope you like it!" Shyly, the container was pressed against his chest. The girl dared not look at him, she was too worried about seeing a negative reaction but none came. It was quiet, he remained still, so when she finally peeked at him she noticed how taken aback he was by her sudden gift.

"You... made this?" He was flabbergasted and looked at the amazing décor of the box, with its beautiful tie around the center. Wow, she did this? For me? It looks too nice to open! Incredibly moved and nervous, his heart raced like NASCAR on a speedway. Tears almost brimmed his eyes if he hadn't shaken his head to snap himself out of it. "Thank you so much, I love this! What's in it?!" Even though reluctant, he untied it and quickly opened it to see something he's never seen before. Those red eyes lit up with wonder as he stared upon the crystallized sugar and its stunning orange color. Five pieces lay neatly inside, wrapped with tiny red ribbons around the sticks of the Rock Candy.

"Rock... Candy. It's something I always loved growing up, a childhood sweet of mine. Ever since I had my first one, I wanted to learn how to make it and I've known how to ever since then," elated, and overjoyed she was, Uviel's shy smile and crimson cheeks all but showed how embarrassed his reaction made her.

No hesitance, he popped one in his mouth and couldn't stop himself from moaning at the wonderful orange taste. It was so sweet, flavorful, and more, it was enough to almost make him drool. As soon as he pulled it out, he screamed with sheer delight and raised his arms as if he were in a football stadium. "Wooooooo, that's the tastiest candy I've ever haaaaaad!" Everyone in the area stopped to stare, even for a short moment, before continuing their way.

Beet-red, Uviel froze from his outburst until it merely worsened, when he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug most people would probably suffocate from. "Thank you, Uviel, I love them! Come on, let's head to class before we're late!" Without further ado, he grasped her hand after he stuffed the candy in his mouth, closed the container, and dragged behind him an incredibly, speechless, flustered cyber-girl.

~~~~Haru~~~~

Calmly, quietly, her feet followed behind the two boys up the stairs and kept her blind hues directly onto the back of their heads. She waited patiently as other students passed them by and paid no attention to the wicked grin on her lips. When they rounded a corner, so did she, however, a distant voice echoed through the area but it was barely enough to snap her out of it.

"Haru!" Past students, pushing and shoving to get through, hollered the violet-haired boy with all seriousness in his eyes. I have to snap her out of it! She's going to kill them! What did they say that made her like this?! Panic rose in his mind when he did his best to get through the crowd.

Just when he finally reached the floor she and the boys were on, he couldn't find her. The boys, Yukimura, were gone and there were no signs of the wandering students who might have seen them, for they all acted as though nothing happened.

"Hey, Hitoshi- What's wrong?" Midoriya, whose eyes bore worriedly into purple ones. Clearly, he was heading to class, but when he saw him frantically searching for who knows what, he couldn't help but ask.

"Go tell Mr. Aizawa that Haru's missing! I followed her all the way up to here, she was following two unknowing students... I'll stay out here and keep looking," As fast as he could, he ran towards other classrooms and down the halls without so much as a glance towards Izuku.

Moments later, as fast as his feet could run, Midoriya burst into his homeroom with heavy breaths and his serious but panicked eyes met dark ones. "Mr. Aizawa! Yukimura is missing and Hitoshi said he followed her up to here but she disappeared!" The entire class, aside from Bakugo, gasped and gawked at the green lad from concern.

"What do you mean by, 'she disappeared'?" Behind his desk, he fully faced the green bean, confused and clearly not in the mood for anything. Those bags under his eyes and the sleeping bag that was prepped beneath his desk, all proved how tired he was.

"Hitoshi said he followed her all the way up here and she was tailing two students. I'm afraid she might do something again!" Without so much as waiting, he bolted out of the room and left everyone else there.

"Alright everyone, stay here while I go look for her. If she's out to kill, I'll have no choice but to bind her- so stay put," With a groan from his lips, reluctantly he marched his way out of the classroom and left his class behind for the time being.

"We should spread out and help find her!" Kirishima stood from his seat with a bang of his palms on his desk, however, the whole class stood silent when Uviel sprinted from her seat and left the room with pure devastation in her sapphire hues. "Uviel!" The darker redhead cried out her name, before he too, ran for it.

"Why should we? Mr. Aizawa will find her so why waste our damn energy hunting her down?" Bakugo, who clearly wasn't thrilled about the interruption, simply leaned back in his seat and plopped his feet on his desk.

"Bakugo! She's from our class, she's our friend! We can't just let her attempt to kill someone, especially in U.A! She needs us more than anything!" Up from her seat shouted Uraraka, as balled fists and stern eyes bore into annoyed ones.

"Tch- damn it!" Next, he too, stood from his chair, followed by the many others, and did the same as Uviel. Everyone ran out of the classroom, leaving nothing but dust in the air from how quickly they were to move.

~~~~Haru~~~~

On the rooftop, bursting through the door was one of the two boys who were followed. The kid skidded across the surface and barely stopped at the edge whereas, his friend, ran out of the doorway after him.

Devastated, he kneeled down to his pal and helped him back to his feet. "Come on, hurry! We need to get away from her! Let's go find one of the Teachers!" The kid who helped his friend hurriedly wrapped his arm over his other shoulder for support and did his best to run.

"No- she'll get us both if you're trying to help me! Go! I'll slow her d-" Before the wounded one could finish his speech, his striking blue eyes were soon filled with fear when he saw Yukimura chilling on top of the stairwell's roof. Mouth agape, barely audible sounds escaped his quivering lips when he stared at the menacingly grinning girl. It wasn't long until his friend who supported him saw her too and was forced to gawk in fear.

Eerie, snake eyes pierced through the shade of her bangs, Haru watched them with a glint of amusement as she giggled and fiddled with her dagger. "You know... It's not very nice to make fun of someone. Especially, if it's my sweet friend Uviel.~" Up and down, in her hand, the blade spun with an easy catch each time. Within seconds, her raw speed made little to no stir in the environment.

Her whereabouts were what startled them the most, for the faintest sound of her breath behind their necks was what made them scream and whip around. "Now now, don't scream. All I want you to do is deliver a message for me..." After a moment's pause, her wicked grin never fell nor worsened and remained close to their faces. Those intimidating, fear-casting slits were keeping them from running away.

They were too scared to so much as speak, their entire bodies felt numb and unresponsive as if someone had paralyzed them. "I want you... And everyone else who has made fun of my friend to drop out. She has done nothing wrong, in fact- she's the victim here. So unless you want to taste iron in your mouth, I'd suggest you pack up and leave," Her malicious grin and her quiet words only worsened the fear they felt until her snake eyes filmed back over, to conceal her quirk.

"AAAAH!" Soon, they both ran with a nod of their heads and wobbly apologies. However, something sliced one of the boy's arms, for a long line of crimson trailed down the back of his bicep and trickled blood all the way to the stairwell.

The victim hardly cared for the cut, the panic and adrenaline pumping through his veins all but kept him focused on escape whether than the wound he received.

Although it wasn't noticeably painful, he still held onto it with his other hand and scaled the stairs.

Haru's slow steps made their way towards the broken door to retrieve her blade which was stuck in the rubble and unaware of a pair of distant red eyes, hidden away in the trees outside of the front gate.

"Damn... I did it again," Yukimura seemed a little relieved that she didn't kill them, but the dagger she held shook from the tight grip, as frustration that gradually built up made her drop to her knees and began to stab the pieces of the door she had busted down. Repetitively breaking the fragments into smaller ones, she knew there was no other way to relieve what she felt other than to want to kill something since Shinso wasn't around. "Why... Why can't this go away!? WHY?!" After a loud twang echoed across the rooftop, her dagger was knocked out of her hand and landed a foot away.

What happened? No one else is up here except me! Then what could've done that?! Astonished, speechless, she shook in her spot. There was no need to look where her blade landed, for she knew just by the sound of it where it went.

"You're lucky Midnight let me borrow a spare of the same kind of spray that Hitoshi used before... What did you do to those boys? And Why did you hurt one of them? At U.A we do not tolerate that kind of violence, it could get you expelled," The long scarf from Aizawa was pulled back towards him as he strode further up the steps and kept his quirk activated. Now, standing beside her shaking frame, kneeled down next to her and laid his elbows over his knees.

"They... They were talking bad about Uviel. Calling her a freak and saying that she's a walking disaster... I couldn't just let them get away with that!" Tears trailed down her tan cheeks, she knew if she kept it to herself then all would have gotten worse for her and would cause more drama.

"No... You're right, it was wrong for them to say those things. But that doesn't mean you should hurt them. What else did you do?" Aizawa's red eyes squinted for a moment when he felt something else a little off, his instincts screamed that she did something which could cause a major dilemma. She's hiding something else, otherwise, she wouldn't have been as willing to tell me at first. She wasn't the least bit reluctant. For a couple of seconds, his thoughts echoed, and not once did his quirk falter.

"I... I told them to... Drop out and tell everyone else who has spoken badly about her, to do the same. I just thought- if I force them to drop out, it'd be a better alternative than having to kill them!" Her now balled fists clenched tighter and wrapped around her scaly arms in hopes to calm the shakes she has.

I knew it- I knew there was something else off about her... I need to inform Principle Nezu before anything else happens! Quickly, he used his cloth to bind her and she made no effort to escape or fight against his hold. With a swift grab of her dagger, he hurried toward the stairs with the wrapped brunette and was about to leave when he saw Saito stare in concern.

~~~~Nezu~~~~

"So- I spoke with the others and they decided to forgive your antics. Seeing as they were in the wrong and the citizens were the ones to misjudge you, everything will be wiped clean if you accept private lessons and training," Fluffy paws neatly pressed together on top of a desk when beady black eyes bore into Crocodile ones. "I gave you some time to think it over, so I appreciate you coming back," His friendly smile and positive vibe only made the hulking giant in the chair across from him, huff.

"Yeah, yeah..." Reluctant, Wani's rough voice answered with a fold of his arms. "I... I'll take the lessons. It'd be better than having to live in a shit hole in a back alley," Anger laced his words, followed by a faint annoyed growl.

"Excellent! I'll provide private tutors for you then. Hm?" Nezu blinked when he heard a faint buzz inside his drawer. Curious, his paw pulled the drawer out and there he saw Aizawa's name. "How strange... He wouldn't call in the middle of school hours unless it'd be an emergency," Without any hesitance, he clicked on the call button and lifted it to his round ear. The news he heard made many expressions form, from surprise to concern and back to happiness. "Okay then, please take care of it. Thank you for notifying me," After a simple click on the phone again, he laid it down and returned his attention to the now-confused Crock. "Forgive me- but it seems Miss Yukimura has caused a bit of trouble," From his seat, he stood to make his way over to the office door. Despite the friendly smile, behind it, he was worried about the issues the girl may have caused.

"The hell's going on? What trouble?" This time it was Kyoshi's turn to stand upon the mention of Haru. He too was concerned for her, it doubled up and made him want to sprint out of the room to go look for her.

"I doubt you need to know that. Since this is a school-related matter, you don't need to interfere. So, please, have a lovely day today and prepare for your tutors when they arrive. I'll set up a proper home for you so you won't have to live in that tiny space outside, be safe!" With a raise of his paw and a gleeful beam of joy radiating around him, he waved goodbye before he left.

~~~~Uviel~~~~

"W- Wait! I... Understand she possibly caused some serious trouble but, I don't think calling Principle Nezu was necessary," As fast as her small hands could move, she pulled out her phone from her bag and was seconds away from contacting Uraraka. "I'll just give Uraraka a call and have her tell everyone else what happened," Just before she could press call, Kirishima's voice reached her ears from down the stairwell.

"Hey, did you find her?!" Heavy thunks from the steps resonated as he ran up the steps, fearful of what Haru might've done. "Uviel, is she-" Before he could finish, there ahead of him was a wrapped-up Haru and Mr. Aizawa.

"She's fine... Let's return to class, the next one's about to start," When his quirk stopped, those red eyes returned dark and met Eijiro's who appeared purely worried over the cybergirl's friend. "We're going to do some training today," With that, he passed the two and peeked over his shoulder to give them a quick glance. I hope those two are the only ones who left, I told them to stay put... Annoyed, he was, as a sweatdrop trickled down his head before continuing on his way.

~~~~Minutes later~~~~

It wasn't long until everyone made it back to class, thanks to several notifying calls on Ochaco's part. However, it was no happy ending since the students returned to a very grumpy and glaring Shouta. "I told all of you to remain seated, didn't I? Any of you could have been hurt or worse if it were a different situation!" His furious frown, deep and clearly unhappy, was sure to be imprinted into everyone's minds when he kept his sharp stare upon each student.

"W- We're sorry Mr. Aizawa! When Saito and Kirishima ran out, I didn't think it was right for us to sit around either," From a deep, respectful bow, Ochaco apologized. The redness on her face proved her embarrassment and shame for disobeying their Teacher, but when she heard a sigh her brown hues peeked up.

"Whatever... Let's just get this over with. Anyway... Apparently, Yukimura demanded the boys she followed to drop out and threatened them to tell others to do the same if they talked badly about Saito... That could be very few to a large sum of students who have probably done that to her behind her back, so the loss of students could vary. Yukimura has very persuasive skills and if she caused a chain of drop-outs then it'll be very detrimental to our school's reputation and scare people away from so much as applying," From his desk, he picked up sheets of stacked paper and began to pass one out at a time, across each row of desks. "That's a matter Principle Nezu will have to take care of. For now, let's focus on the next task. Everyone will be sent to a whole new training ground but it will not be for practicing rescues and the like. Instead, you will be strengthening yourselves through various workout methods to improve your overall endurance and stamina," As he explained in detail, each sheet was placed in front of a student until he reached the end of the room.

Questions arose and confusion stirred in the air when he took a moment's pause, it was enough to have someone raise their hand. "Mr. Aizawa? What methods are you talking about, exactly? What are we going to do, to improve our endurance and stamina?" It was Ashido this time, with her pink arm high above her head. Apparently, it wasn't just her who wondered the same thing, for quite a few other students whispered among themselves agreeing to her question.

"Think of it... As extreme weight lifting and cardio, only without the weights and cardio machines. To do cardio, you all will be running throughout the new training ground we prepared, to your fullest. With lifting weights, you will be moving various obstacles that are in your way, out of your path. Everything else- I will explain later and the rules to them. Finish your worksheets and we will head to the training ground," After he explained, a swift glance to Uviel was given before he wandered back to his desk. "Saito, is your robot on standby while outside?" The particular robot had come to mind, curious if it somehow made it inside without the Teachers knowing.

"Y- Yeah, he's waiting for me. My... Dad brought me here faster than Kage could keep up, but yes he's outside," From the side, concern for her best friend showed in her blue hues when she gave Haru a quick peek and noticed the pained look in her blind ones. I hope she's alright... The very thought of how Haru acted only made her upper black lips frown, concern only seemed to have worsened when she caught a glimpse of a brimmed tear around her eye.

~~~~Elsewhere~~~~

"Hehehe, that will be fun.~ It'd be a perfect opportunity to try out my new invention! Let's see..." A pair of red cybernetic eyes watched through Uviel's eyes and darted between one screen and then another. Fingertips twitched and moved to navigate all the monitors around him, however, when a faint light behind him emerged he looked over his shoulder and saw his own creation give him an empty stare.

"Looks like you got away pretty easily, huh? But you failed..." For a moment, he trailed and turned sideways to get a better look at his monster. "Heatwave... You failed to kill that girl. Were you being chased? If so, by whom?" For once, his sharp toothy smile fell with displeasure and his form slouched over so his fingers could check the giant cords attached to his back.

Silence, not a sound nor whisper could be heard. A quiet conversation between minds was the only thing noticeable, for his once wide eyes sharpened with anger after learning of the news. "I see... A dead woman, huh? And she knows of me? She was chasing you because she was trying to get answers? Well then..." Soon enough, his menacing grin returned and high-pitch chuckles resonated throughout the room. "We can't have her finding anything out, now can we?~ Let's forget Hatsume for now and focus on your pursuer! Kill her, it'll be a kindness compared to what I'd do.~" Countless fat cords between him and Heatwave could be seen, as the screens flashed subtle lights past his frame.

Slowly, Heatwave turned around and made his way out of the soft lights from the monitors. His own barely lit up the surrounding space, but nonetheless, he left as quietly as he came and made little to no sound.