This is a crossover of two things that no one would expect to put together, so I'm amazed that you had ended up here at all (how did you find this? haha). I had to decide which timeline and which group of Avengers to use for this fic, and I went with post-Endgame. I wrote this purely out of my own interest in what would happen if the concept of Parasytes were introduced to the MCU, but if you like what I have here, of course I appreciate that.

Know Your Enemy (1)

The Arrival

Blissful, slumbering peace spread like a blanket over the world. People thought that sleep would come easily to them tonight. Thinking that was a mistake. A scattered shower of green spores drifted from above unannounced, undetected. Those spores snuck into any surface that they could find, with the sole exception of a certain African nation whose sophisticated barrier provided protection from even the smallest and insidious of enemies. Once the spores had a safe place to land, they popped open, and out came its occupants searching for the nearest host to inhabit. They too slipped in and slithered about without a sound, or any warning.

The Parasyte terror had been unleashed. The world would not know that yet until the morning.

Shinichi set down the tenth bulky box he had been lugging around and rubbed his sore back. "There, I think that's the last one," he announced with a gusty sigh. "Thanks for helping me move in, Murano."

"Sure, no problem," came her cheerful reply not too far behind him. She had held open the door to his new university dorm, and after Shinichi stumbled in with the box, she closed it behind her. "Nice little place you got here," his girlfriend remarked. "So far away from Tokyo, though. You sure you'll be okay out here?"

"Yeah, I gotta be. Kyoto University's the only place that accepted me." Shinichi wanted to settle into his new dorm early before the term started. He felt bad about leaving his dad alone in Tokyo, and felt even worse about having to study away from Murano, who would attend college back home. Maybe they could make a long distance relationship work, if they put effort into it. Maybe either of them could transfer. As for his dad, the fact that his son was going to college perked him up from his usual beer-fueled stupor since his wife's death. He had insisted that he would be fine back home, as long as Shinichi called at least once a week.

Shinichi still couldn't believe that his summer had gone by quietly, without any incidents, without so much a peep from Parasytes stirring up trouble. The Parasytes were adapting, evolving, improving in their integration into human society. If that meant more peaceful, civilized Parasytes, that was fine with Shinichi. Poor grades and failing out of college should be the only things to worry about, not the life-and-death, dog-eat-dog struggle to survive. Those days were over. Migi could take a long rest now.

Shinichi stared down at his right palm, half expecting it to contort and morph into the single eyeball on a stalk and lips he was so used to seeing. Damn it, he missed the little bugger. Just as he was starting to grow fond of the Parasyte that took over his right hand, Migi had to leave. The Parasyte would always be a part of Shinichi, yet Migi felt so far away, out of reach. Shinichi would make new friends in college, sure, but he would never have another friend quite like Migi. That Parasyte could have lent Shinichi a hand in moving his belongings into his dorm.

"Hey, earth to Shinichi. Trying to read your palm, or what?"

Murano's interjection and hand wave in his face jerked him out of his reverie, and he shoved his right hand into his pocket.

"Sorry, just spacing out."

"You've been doing that a lot lately. You okay?"

"Yeah, just a lot of things to think about before college starts. I haven't even decided my major yet." Shinichi wasn't exactly lying.

Murano chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out. Freshman year is a bunch of core classes we all have to take before we focus on our majors, anyway." She leaned against his bookshelf. "Well, I'm wiped out. How about we go grab some boba tea down the block?"

"Sure, boba tea sounds great right now."

Murano puffed up her cheeks in a pout. "Boba tea's always great. What are you talking about?" She dashed down the stairs to meet him at his car parked outside.

Shinichi fingered at his keys, and after giving his aching back another rub, he made to follow her. He didn't go beyond two steps. A ring rimmed with golden sparks opened up beneath him. He looked down and gasped. "What the-" Then he screamed as he plummeted through. His stomach shot up into his throat. He tumbled through a void with no hand or foothold. Only one thought ran through his mind without pause.

I'mgonnadieI'mgonnadieI'mgonnadie-