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...
How long has it been?
Nestled within Mother Nature's womb, a quaint little house that blended into the shades of evergreen sat idly as it had for many moons and nights. The windows were slightly cracked on the front face of the shack, bringing in the cool drafts of wispy wind and the scent of flowers flowing throughout its interior. Ambient noise floated from the TV, replaced on the cabinet and wood floor that had also been refurbished. The dust was clear, the porcelain and silverware restocked and placed back into their respective areas, and the chandelier and lights glowing just as homely as they had before the accident had occurred.
It was almost normal, save for the plethora of mechanical beeping and whirring of medical equipment clustered around the large, pulsating mass that still occupied most of the space available.
A lone man sat on a newly fitted couch for the room, his tired eyes peering past a curtain of dark hair. His gaze occasionally glanced at the massive accretion, before turning his head away. It was hard for him to look at it. One of his students...no...more than that, had been lying dormant in there for much longer than what should have been. Those Umbrella Scientists were all wrong about their conclusions.
They said you would be out in no time. That it was just a stage in the parasite's evolution, and it would be over nearly as soon as it had started. They had explained it was some sort of chemical reaction within your body from constantly spiked adrenaline levels or some other enzyme activating bizarrely in your body; Aizawa could not stay long on the details.
"What a load of crap," He muttered, shifting his position on the couch once more.
This was one of the few times he could get away from the city and the business that awaited him there, but this was barely any better. So much had happened, it was hectic to process it all; he couldn't show it of course. He still had to set an example for his students. They relied on him. Especially all that they had gone through as well.
It was a doozy telling the students of a cover-up condition you had, hiding your true status behind the metaphorical curtain that Umbrella had asked him to construct. Most students accepted it fairly easily, though still concerned for their classmate, but it was Midoriya who had pulled Aizawa after class one day and asked further questions, as he usually does. He would have to accept the fact that Aizawa had nothing more to say about it.
Most of their final exams had gone stupendously, while others did...less promising. Yaoyorozu had finally awakened her leadership skills that Aizawa knew she had within her, reassuring him that she was going to become a promising hero.
Sometime later, the Quirk Training Camp had commenced, the thought making him grimace. It had started well; The students underwent their training and got through Pixie Bob's earth elementals looking like zombies by the end of it. Nonetheless, they pulled through. It had only been a day or two before all hell broke loose.
His mind still remembers it all so vividly. The blue flames that had appeared at his side when trying to find the others. Maybe there was something different he could have done, but he stopped himself. No point in focusing on the past. From some of the other heroes who had more contact than Eraser in the current situation, he had heard news of Yayorozu waking up very soon. A large group of some of the top heroes were devising a plan to get back Bakugo once she awoke, that much Eraser knew when another student from 1-B said he had attached some odd button Yayorozu had him plant on one of the creatures' backs.
The League of Villains is becoming stronger. The words caused a shiver to go up Aizawa's spine. Ragdoll had gone missing, large patches of velvet that littered the forest floor and part of her headwear the only evidence in their possession. Pixie-Bob had received a terrible blow to her skull: Aizawa was there to see the paramedics hastily load her into the ambulance before speeding off.
The remote slightly creaked in his hand, and he gritted his teeth at the shitty situation of it all. Yes, they had captured and apprehended three dangerous villains, but at what cost? The executives were able to keep it quiet for now as a write-off for some major fire, but word would eventually get out.
With an angered yell, the TV remote flew across the room, banging off the walls before eventually banging off the giant lump. It jiggled slightly, a vicious liquid moving around in the pustules around it. The tentacles and webs attached to the walls and roof showed no signs of weakness, but Aizawa still cursed himself for acting like a fuming child.
Aizawa watched slowly as the orange liquid continued to swirl. Over his ragged breath, he began to perceive the slowly accelerating beep on one of the monitoring machines. When Aizawa went closer to investigate, he realized the mass was vibrating. The beeping was melding into a symphony of other blaring noises coming from adjacent apparatus that was starting to cause Aizawa to worry. He grappled for his phone in his pocket, dialing in the numbers Umbrella had informed him to in case of such an emergency, before throwing the phone on the couch and listening and looking in dismay as the walls began to vibrate as well.
There was a sloshing, nauseating sound followed by the sound of something similar to fabric being ripped that began to emanate from the top of the trembling clot. Tiny, finger-like tentacles the size of blades of grass began to poke and prod the air around it. The opening of the tentacles began to creep down the face of the blob, like a pallid stitch being reopened, followed by more of the minuscule fingers. The pustules surrounding the mass and along the large webs attached to the wall began to ooze their bright sunset color, coating the floor and slightly splashing on Aizawa's boot.
The words to explain the phenomenon before him could not get past his throat. All he could do was watch in half-amazement, half-distress as a process that could only be described as a twisted metamorphosis developing before him.
The fracture was nearing the bottom by the time Aizawa got confirmation that Kanble would be there as soon as possible. The top had begun to fold outwards like a blooming flower, a large quantity of light-green liquid surging from the folds to add to the orange ooze below. The rhythmic yet fast-paced beeping was still ever present until it all suddenly came to a stop.
The small tentacles had simultaneously gone limp as well. The oozing began to clog, and the vibrating stopped. The heart monitor flatlined, and Aizawa's own heart seemed to drop in his chest.
Aizawa plopped a wooden chair next to the now-stagnant mass, hurriedly hopping atop the chair to gaze inside.
He had nearly screamed and fell off the chair when a slimy hand began to breach the surface.
It trembled slightly, bathed and shining in the artificial life, each finger twitching inward as though trying to grab the air. Aizawa, after catching his breath, slowly wrapped his own digits around the wrist, steadily but surely beginning to pull.
With the sickening suction of air, more of the arm began to split the sludge and bask in the glow from the lights above while the seam began to fold more and more outward like someone dissecting a carcass. It was when the definition of muscle that made up the shoulder came into Aizawa's view that the whole blob ripped the full way through, splattering amnion and other chunks that Aizawa didn't recognize across the floor.
With a deep thud, the body of none other than Aizawa's favorite student lay slumped on the ground, face in the floorboards, chunks of the shell thankfully covering his private parts. Aizawa quickly realized the situation, ran into one of the bedrooms, and yanked one of the blankets from the bed, sprinting back to drape it over the young hero's shoulders.
"C-cold..." You muttered, feeling a soothing hand on your shoulder blade, instinctively pulling the fleeting warmth tighter around you. After many moments, you dared to open your eyes, blinded by the harsh flash before the detailed floor came clearer into view and the goop that coated the top of it.
"Yuck..." you grimaced, slowly standing to full height before your gaze focused on a mop of black hair. You looked down on him with a slight air of confusion; did you always look at him from this angle? You definitely seemed, if anything, slightly taller.
"Hey Aizawa," you grumbled, as though it were any other day. "What did...what did I miss?" Mind still slightly hazy from awakening, it took a second for your mind to get back on track and the details to rearrange themselves back into order.
The conversation with Shiguraki. The aftermath that had followed.
"Oh."
You looked down at your arms splayed out in front of you, noticing new muscle definition that had not been there previously. New veins that had been pushed through to the surface pumped and flexed as you slowly twirled your arms around.
"Huh..." You noted before the mop of black hair crashed into you.
"Woah, Aizawa, I'm okay, I'm okay! I promise!" You reassured. Now somewhat at equal height with Aizawa, you could see the grit in his face as he hugged tighter.
"Three months! Three. Months! Do you realize how long that is waiting for someone?!" Aizawa thundered, pulling away and staring at you angrily.
"Three...three months?" You spoke in a hushed tone. Had...had it really been that long?
He's not wrong, an all-too-familiar voice thundered in your head. It had been a long, long while, but it was unmistakable.
"It's been a while," You told the open air, to which Aizawa's rage quickly subsided into confusion.
"You're kidding me, it's back?!" Aizawa huffed, before your arm involuntarily stuck out a hushing finger.
"Let the big boys talk. A-B conversation," A voice that was not yours rumbled from within your throat, causing Aizawa to stop mid-sputter. You mouthed a quick sorry before asking the lone-gone organism that inhabited your body what had happened to them.
Why, I have been fixing you. I was getting annoyed at constantly reconstructing your body. It answered, as though it were casual conversation.
"You what?"
Your quirk? Had you forgotten you had one? Your "resistance" was constantly breaking down your body, which was becoming a nuisance to constantly recreate. In short, I have altered your DNA to rid yourselves of the drawbacks. However, it did require me to take greater hold of your brain stem and other bodily functions.
"...So, you can just...take control of my body now?" The idea made you feel like sickly sludge.
If I wanted to, it said, your arm jerking forward under its own possession and swiping the air before falling back to your side. But why would I? Seeing humans interact naturally is exciting. And insightful.
"Great..." What else could you say? You focused back on Aizawa, smiling slightly at the new disposition. The thought of losing yourself flashed through your mind before quickly being squashed between more present thoughts. You still felt you, after all.
"What is it now?" Aizawa asked, back to his normal composure after taking a moment. You gave him the quick rundown, watching his face turn sour at each detail.
"You're just full of surprises..." He grumbled before his head perked up and he sighed even harder. The deep rumble of an engine coming closer
"You're friends are here," He threw a thumb to the door before it was blasted off its hinges and a pair of familiar scientists scrambled into the room.
"No need to fear Aizawa, help is..." John Kanble announced dramatically before his eyes fell on you standing straight in the room. His mouth gaped and his glasses drooped, and as Ness shuffled in behind him she too mimicked his look.
"Wha, what...what happened here?" Kanble seemed to be struggling for air as he stumbled closer to you, snatching one of your arms in the blink of an eye before poking and prodding at it. He pulled out a measuring tape from out of thin air, pulling it across the length of your shoulders with an excited nod. He ran the tape from the floor to your head shortly afterward, eyes wide and bright like a giddy child. Blurs of his white coat flashed in your visions as he pranced around taking more measurements; arms, head, leg, and one too slightly close for comfort. You snatched him out of the air before he could write down more.
"How did this even happen?" He smiled giddily, still suspended in the air by the neck of his white lab coat. "Increased muscle density, slightly increased height, wider frame, and so much more with more tests! How did this even happen?!"
Aizawa glanced down at the remote on the floor and softly kicked it under the couch out of view.
"Let's keep the tests small for now, yeah? I did just wake up." The voice inside bristled to say more, but you quelled it. Kanble cleared his throat and regained his cool composure.
"Right. Just a blood sample then." It was in and out before you could feel it, stuffing the contents in his coat pocket before Ness made herself more known.
"How are you feeling otherwise?" She asked, her vibrant eyes passing over your features. You pulled the blanket tighter around your body at the woman's inspection, fighting a blush that was slowly rising to your cheeks.
"I feel...refreshed?" You answered, rolling your neck and hearing a joint pop. It was a different feeling, deviating from what you would call energized. It was something that flowed through every fiber of your being and felt like it could explode into power at a moment's notice.
It felt nice.
Your mind had truly yet to process the amount of time you had been dormant, or that the voice was back, but you focused your attention on Aizawa once more and asked what you had missed.
"Well, you've got a Mid-Term and a Final Exam to make up, along with your Practical Exam. You missed out on the summer training camp, but maybe that was for the better."
"Why's that?"
"The League of Villains showed up again. This time, they were successful in their mission of capturing Bakugo. We captured a few of them in return, but many of our students and faculty were injured."
"Those guys again? Speaking of, they paid me a visit before I...y'know," You gestured to the parasitic lumps of flesh and machinery around you.
"So it wasn't Wesker that visited you that night?" Kanble questioned, a flash of fear crossing his face. "What did they come for?"
"The same reason they took Bakugo, I'm guessing," Aizawa huffed, crossing his arms. "No offense (Y/N), but if I'm honest, you're a bit of a loose cannon. They might be thinking they'll be able to turn you to their side."
An uncertain look passed over both Kanble and Aizawa's faces, which made you feel a certain type of sadness. Could he really not trust you fully? His reasoning wasn't invalid, but still...
You couldn't ever hurt Aizawa. Right?
"I could never," you confessed aloud, in part to make sure the words were true. "You have given me a new life. A new purpose. I owe my life to you, Aizawa."
You glanced at the two Umbrella associates for a quick second. "And I guess you guys too."
Ness smiled. "Well, that's always nice to hear."
Suddenly, Aizawa's phone rumbled from within his pocket. He excused himself before walking out onto the porch with a hushed voice as the door clicked tight behind him. Left in the room alone with the two Umbrella officials, though on somewhat friendly terms with them, set your nerves slightly on end.
"While Aizawa is busy, I would like to go over some things with you," Kanble said, putting on some professional bravado he had most likely practiced for others as well. "With recent events, including old faces showing up, we're going to be implementing more security on you. U.A. High will also be getting some added safety procedures as well. It still baffles me how the League of Villains were able to get in here. Unless they have some electrical disabling quirk, but we haven't seen that from any of them."
"They portaled in here, if that's what you mean," You explained. "I'm not sure how the power works, but they came in right over there."
"Interesting...The League of Villains hasn't been a threat to Umbrella Corporation personally, but I'll look into what I can and see what I find."
The door opened hastily once more, Aizawa's mouth set in a determined line before he addressed the small crowd.
"Your classmate's awake, (Y/N). The heroes have tracked the coordinates she gave them to some place in Kamino Ward. It's also become apparent that there are two possible hideouts, as reports from a high-ranking member of the police force have described reports of a man looking like the villain "Dabi" entering some sort of bar. There's going to be two teams; one for each, while I'm supposed to be a distraction on the news. Which means..."
Aizawa stepped forward and poked a finger into your chest, looking you dead in the eyes. "You're going to be under the highest security from Umbrella while I'm busy. No funny business. Got that?"
"Yes sir," you spoke without a second thought. He turned to Kanble and Ness with a fire in his eyes.
"If anything happens to him, so help me god..."
"Don't worry, that actually fits perfectly into the point I was going to make. We'll pick him up tomorrow morning, run some physical tests to see how strong he has become, and keep him with us until you're safely back, yes?" Kanble asked.
"I hate the circumstances, but yes, that'll do." Aizawa relented.
"Wonderful! We shall take our leave then. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow Mr. (L/N)," Kanble called out as he began to leave, Ness in tow. Once the door had shut tight behind them, both you and Aizawa let out a long-awaited sigh in unison. Looking at one another, you both smiled.
"I'll be on the porch. I'll let you get changed and have a nice shower. We have a lot to talk about. Especially that little friend of yours."
You grinned even harder.
"Yes, we do."
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(A:N) Hey Y'all, been way too long (I'll leave a note in conversations as to why). As always, let me know if certain details don't add up: I hope I'm doing the timeline right. Any comments are greatly appreciated <3
- Toilet_Waturr