When it comes to surgery, I. Know. Nothing. So excuse my flaws in this chapter.
Sometime before Inko and Kayama's meeting...
Hizashi Yamada was considered talented in many things. He was a very popular pro hero, a famous DJ and radio host, an amazing singer (rap, disco, hip-hop, you name it!), a fantastic friend (even if Shota wouldn't admit it), an excellent motivator, an astounding hairstylist, a uniquely fun fashion guru, and a handsome man that knew how to boogie.
What he was definitely lacking in, was cooking. But that's why take out existed. And Shota, he made really good takoyaki when he was feeling inspired.
Oh! Did Hizashi mention that he was incredibly smooth with kids? Well, he was. And today was his lucky day! After all, he got to have the little listener all to himself. Sure, it was to take him to the Commission, but no way was Yamada going to waste the opportunity.
'I mean, even All Might got to spend some one and one time with him! Sure it was to get punched in the leg, but still! It's time for Uncle Yam to wow the crowd!'
Note to self, Uncle Yam made him sound like an old vegetable, a grumpy grandpa, a stiff old grouch... yeah, better to use Uncle Mic instead.
Hizashi took a peek at the white-haired little listener on the backseat through the rearview mirror, the latter currently invested in watching the many passing signs that whizzed by. His eyes, for the first time in three months, weren't as blank as they initially were. They had more curiosity, more light, and the green orbs watched every sign, pedestrian, car, and building as they whizzed past. Emphasis on watch, not analyze.
Hizashi lifted his foot off the gas just a little. Hey, if the kid wanted to watch the city life, then who was he to deny him? Besides, it let him have more time with the cinnamon roll before he was sent into a room for god-knows-how-long to do god-knows-what.
Deciding to make the most of their time, Hizashi began to talk. "So Little Listener, you decided to stick around with us huh?" began the blonde. He was out of costume and wore more casual attire; a dark dress shirt, khakis and loafers, and tied back hair, though he still kept his signature funky spectacles. "That's great! It'll be really hard for those Commission agents to cop you now! But tell me, what made you do it?"
Izuku continued to observe the outside world, his green eyes darting around the environment that surrounded him. The little listener sure was observant, that would definitely prove useful if he ever decided to become a hero. Then again, with the way Nemuri had excitedly blubbered over the phone over what just happened, the thought was more or less a sure-fire hit.
"Mother, Superior Aizawa, All Might, Superior Nezu, and you, Superior Mic, have all been fighting for me since the day you found me at Apotheosis. I have been pondering about how all that Mother does is for my sake, and how others view her as a hero. All of you have spent so much time, energy, and effort into giving me a new mission, a new opportunity to become something more. And after seeing how the others were frightened when those terrorists attacked at Kashyyyk, and how mother had no hesitation in defending them, risking herself for them as she has done for me, it... inspired me? Is that the word, Superior Mic?"
Hizashi gave him a wink, "You bet, little man! And you gotta call me Uncle Mic now, same with old EraserHead, I can't wait to see his reaction when you do! But I'm proud of you, really I am! This is a new step in a new direction for you, kiddo, and I can't wait to see where it leads for you! It makes me want to go yeaaaaaah!"
Izuku turned to the blonde, and offered a small attempt at a smile. It wasn't All Might worthy, but it wasn't like Shota's either. It was safe middle ground, and it was adorable.
Hizashi was so going to gloat about getting to see the winter-head smile first.
The pair soon arrived at the gates of the Hero Public Safety Commission's tower, and Hizashi switched off the ignition and exited from his car, Izuku doing the same. Both stood at the entrance, slightly disappointed at having to return to the site, but eager to get it over with.
"Su… Uncle Mic?" began Izuku, a little more quietly than usual.
"Wassup kiddo?"
"Do you... do you think someone like me can become a hero?"
Hizashi turned to the boy and squatted so he could be at eye level. "I sure can. Why? Having doubts?"
Izuku nodded as he looked on towards the building, "Yes, they make me seem like something uncontrollably dangerous. It's understandable, the general ability to create and kill Quirks is something that has never been witnessed before, not to mention it being the perfect bringer of instability into society and the world… but it is I who possesses HardDrive. It is my Quirk, and I have proved to Shira and her superiors that I am in total control of its functions as well as my emotions and rationality. And there are limits; I can't really go creating Quirks on the spot, as they must be compatible with each other and with me in order for there to be a successful creation, so it is not an almighty power. But again, their wariness is still understood."
"So, what's bothering you?" asked Hizashi.
Izuku frowned, "Why haven't they trusted me yet? Haven't I proved to them that I am willing to change? Apotheosis is dead, and I have a new goal and a new purpose. I want to become a hero like my mother, like All Might, like EraserHead, and like you. I have made the goal clear, as I proclaimed it aloud to mother, and… oh, that is why."
"Why what?" inquired Hizashi.
"That's the reason why they haven't trusted me. I have yet to declare my new goal to them. Well, let's go, Uncle Mic, I need to make sure that they are crystal clear on what my intentions are."
With a determined huff, Izuku went ahead and walked through the gates. Yamada smiled as he followed the determined little boy, "Hey! If you're gonna let the world know what you plan to do, then make sure to yell it nice and loud! Like All Might!"
The boy gave him a confused look, "Really? I was taught that only fools reveal their plans to the enemy so loudly." Hizashi pouted. "...But then again, the Commission is not my enemy exactly. Very well, Uncle Mic, I'll shout my proclamation."
Hizashi winked at the white-haired boy, "That's the spirit!" Seeing Shira approaching, he mischievously ushered the boy to shout, "Quick! Here she comes!"
"Ah, Present Mic. How nice to see you again-"
"I AM HERE! TO CLARIFY THAT I AM NOT A WEAPON AND THAT I WILL BE STAYING WITH MY MOTHER! OKAY?! OKAY!"
The entire floor went quiet as Izuku screamed at the top of his lungs. The blonde, being used to the constant deafening shrill (Shota's words, not Hizashi's) of his own voice, merely grinned while Shira flinched and rubbed at her ears. "He has quite the lungs on him." Shira turned and addressed Izuku, "While I congratulate you for your brave claim, in the end, you must realize that the Commi-"
A firm slap to her wrist from Hizashi shut the silver-haired woman, who backed away with a hiss of pain. "Come on, don't ruin it for the little man," he chastised.
Shira nodded, "Apologies, I have been known to be a bit too blunt for other's liking," She gave a polite nod to the boy, who alternated from looking at Shira proudly, to staring at Hisashi in confusion over the previous slap, to observing around the building with a defiant look in his eyes. "I wish you the best of luck with that endeavor."
Izuku spun to look around the building level, unaware of the stares he was getting from the other workers as they continued on their way. "Endeavor is here? Where? I'll tell him who I'll be from now on. And if he doesn't call me by that, Mother says that she will kick him in his 'overheated balls' so that he can loosen up and learn to look people at eye level."
Shira gave the blonde an amused look. Hizashi smiled sheepishly, "Heh, Nemuri's always been one for breaking 'em."
Shira nodded and walked away, motioning the other two to follow.
"Uncle, have you ever been kicked in the... balls?"
"ME?! No way, not this man! But c'mon Little Listener! The stage awaits, gimme a YEAAAAAAHHH!!"
"Um… yea-YEAAAAAAHHH!!"
If the entire building's occupants gave them annoyed looks, they didn't notice.
"Woah, hold up! Surgery? As in brain surgery?! Does Nemuri know about this? She did tell me that the Commission was tight-lipped on what the exact test was, but you guys didn't actually keep her out of the loop did you?" Hizashi questioned.
"I was told that she was generally informed on what the exams entitled. Do not worry, I will personally enact and supervise this examination so as to ensure Young Kayama's safety," Shira responded.
Hizashi was still unsure of what to do as he glanced at the boy, who was ruffling his white locks. The requirement of having to shave his head had openly been rejected by the boy, Izuku's reasoning being that of him not wanting to lose his Mother's adoration towards his hair. Especially her hair-rufflings, he had grown fond of those.
"I don't want to do it," the winter-head said.
Shira rose a brow, "You do understand that this is a requirement of the Hero Public Safety Commission, correct? We have to make sure that there is no potential threat to both yourself and others that that device we found from our scans can cause. Please, just follow along, it would make things that much easier for you to have a smoother trial."
"Trial? Have I committed a crime? Besides the illegal Quirk usage from Kashyyyk, I have committed no crimes. So why am I having a trial?"
"It is not that type of trial. Please, Present Mic, can you help him get prepped?"
"I'm kinda the wrong guy for you to ask when it comes to that," Hizashi commented, "I don't know squat when it comes to brain-drain work."
Shira only sighed, "Not that, just… get him to comply, please. The less difficulty we can go through with, the better."
Hizashi raised a skeptical brow, 'It's a surgery, woman! Of course the kid's gonna be nervous! Geez, you really are too blunt! Even Shota has more ways with words!' Hizashi mentally exclaimed. Seeing Shira walk away -presumably to get herself prepped- without any more debate, the blonde realized that she was right. The Commission was very strict on following protocol. And despite his excitement for Izuku taking a stand for himself -regardless of how ill-placed it was at the moment- he needed to make sure Izuku complied so that the buzzards could stop squawking.
The pompous suits, not a casual dude like himself. They were the annoying squawkers, he was the excited babbler. The Commission higher-ups were the buzzards, not him, he didn't squawk, he entertained. ...And if Hizashi had to be compared to a bird, then he would be a cockatoo, nothing else. He had his pride after all.
"Hey Little Listener, I know you might not like this, but she's right. The sooner we get this done, uh, ...the sooner we can go get some ice cream!"
Izuku tilted his head, "Ice Cream?"
'Geez Nemuri! Almost three months and the only things he knows about fast food is hamburgers?!'
"Yeah, if you do good for your awesome Uncle Mic, then we'll go and get some ice cream."
Izuku put a hand to his chin, appearing to be deep in thought. It was only after a while that Hizashi noticed the boy's mouth moving ever so slightly. 'Is he mumbling?'
"Mumble mumble mumble -reasonable-, mumble mumble -frozen cream?- mumble mumble mumble -ice is frozen water, but- mumble -crunchy water?-"
'Wonder who he got that from...'
Izuku soon caught himself in his little bubble and gave an apologetic look towards the blonde man. But unlike before, there was no disappointed chastisement in his eyes, only a small but happy acceptance. 'He really is learning to be himself.'
"Very well, Uncle Mic. I will do it. I'll go do surgery, and you go get the ice and cream."
Hizashi gave a large beaming smile, "Alright Izu! Now let's get you out of those cool clothes and into some wrinkled scrubs!"
"But, I don't want to look wrinkled."
Despite her rather neutral expressions and mannerisms, Shira rather enjoyed her work. Sure, many called her an emotionally blank, blunt workaholic, but gaining knowledge was something that she needed to do if she was to stay ahead in her profession. And with Izuku Kayama, she was practically sitting on a gold mine. Don't get her wrong, Shira's intentions were genuine, but the silver-haired woman couldn't help but be enthusiastic about such a study. Just how different was Izuku Kayama's brain? As a neurosurgeon, she had performed quite the number of operations, but this was an entirely new field. Shira was operating on a genetically bred and modified being.
Despite the others emotional insistence, facts were facts, and Izuku Kayama being a biological superweapon was a fact, this was the blunt and straightforward side of her thinking. However, she did see the amount of future potential the boy could generate under the environment the adopting heroes had planned to raise him in. Though he would need to gain a quick understanding of how certain emotions and mannerisms worked in the real world for it to work. Emotions were powerful things after all.
But that was something to think about for the future, after the operation.
Shira hummed at the thought as she looked through the device strapped to her eyes, two tube-like cameras currently feeding her information from inside Izuku's skull. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot more space than what a regular human's brain stem would allow. Shira didn't complain though, it gave her more room to move and observe.
Other nurses and surgeons calmly but diligently paced around her, some making sure the vitals of the boy were stable, others taking notes as they wore their own headsets, and others making sure all equipment was in its proper place and in order. Izuku Kayama, their subject, was currently laid on the table, his hair shaved, his skin split and held apart by threads, his skull missing a chunk that had been drilled through, and under a deep sleep.
"There."
The metallic organ stood out by quite the large margin while surrounded by so much flesh. Even as the brain pulsed ever so slightly because of the blood flow, the metallic brain stem remained unmoving, only it's neon-like veins shifting in glow every so often. Dimming, lighting, dimming, lighting, repeat, repeat, and repeat.
Shira motioned towards another surgeon. "Bring the scope."
The man nodded as he reached up and lowered a large VR-like machine from the ceiling, a tube at the bottom and a pair of viewing sights on the side facing Shira. After having the machine lowered and placed in front of her, Shira leaned forward and began to observe the mecha-organ through the scope. 'Amazing, absolutely amazing…"
The veins that protruded from the stem seemed to have even smaller veins of their own. Only instead of them being metallic, they were more tube-like and seemed to contain a neon-purple liquid that traveled from the brain stem and out into the rest of the organ. "Prepare to extract samples of the liquid. Syringe with 30G needle. Surgeons one and two, hold the camera. Three and four, ensure the skin flaps are secured away from the entry. Five, six, and seven, continue to monitor vitals. Go."
Like clockwork, every surgeon immediately went and performed their duty, after a nurse dabbed her forehead to remove any sweat, Shira handed the cameras to the other surgeons and took the syringe, never once taking her eyes away from the scope. She zoomed in closer, closer, and closer until the tubes were practically invading her eyesight. Shira activated her Quirk: Delicacy, to ensure her hands were moving as steadily yet quickly as possible. The needle tapped against the tube, and soon was able to enter. Shira began to extract the liquid as slowly as possible. They had no idea if the boy depended on the strange liquid, and removing too much could prove risky. Like previously stated, this was new ground, and Shira had no intention of damaging anything.
Beep Beep Beep!
"Doctor, his blood pressure is lowering," informed one of the surgeons.
'So, this is the substitute for blood… How odd, I have barely extracted 3 milliliters. Not even half an ounce. Is this why his body structure is so advanced? Can he not afford to bleed?' Shira stopped her extraction, and gave the syringe to a nurse. 'Well, we'll just have to make do with what we get. But what exactly is this brain stem for? It's abundantly clear that besides its normal functions, there are other abilities that it possesses. Is it a second heart perhaps?'
Shira zoomed away from the veins and onto the brain stem itself, the metallic organ dimming and shining ever so slightly. But there was something more, something faint. Shira zoomed closer. There.
Inscribed on the organ's metal coating was a logo of sorts. A slanted "A" with a dragon surrounding it. The Apotheosis logo no doubt.
"Doctor, we're getting some sort of energy reading from the brain stem, it's interfering with our monitors."
"An electromagnetic pulse?" inquired Shira.
"I… do not know. But it's definitely a type of radio signal."
Shira hummed, "Then perhaps we-"
"Doctor, the incision is closing."
Shira looked down and found that the opening in the boy's skull was starting to heal. New bone began to grow from the hole's edges, tissue and muscle began to reform, and the light from the organ began to glow brighter. 'Ah, his healing factor, it's kicking in. Seems the bigger the wound, the longer it takes. We'll have to start over,' Shira sighed and ordered the tube-cameras to be removed, and had the pliers removed as well. Then the- oh, oh no.
"Doctor?"
"The tweezers, they're stuck."
The surgeons began to move a little quicker, a male stepping up and using his Quirk to X-ray through the bone. "We're in trouble here doctor. The bottom of the tweezers have been locked in place by reforming bone. It's like a lamppost stuck in cement. And it's still grasping brain tissue."
"Alright. You, get me a Quirk neutralizer. You decrease the level of oxygen. If we can slow down his body functions, then the healing factor should slow down as well. You-"
"Doctor, it's not stopping or slowing, the tweezers are being locked in."
"Doctor, the neutralizer isn't working, he's still healing at the same rate."
"If we don't extract those tweezers now, they'll be jostled by the left incoming bone and possibly damage the brain. Doctor, we need to get them out now."
"You act as if I don't know that. Quick, get me the drills we'll have to remove the growing bone on the left at a constant rate and drill through the right to get the tweezers. Go."
The doctor's got to work. The nurses drilled through and removed chunks of growing bone as quickly as they could while Shira drilled through the right in an attempt to retrieve the tweezers. It was working, slowly, but it was working. That is, until the healing factor sped up.
"It's… it's adapting?!" a nurse hissed.
"Quick, drill through this section here. We cannot risk any bodily harm to our patient!" The surgeons in the room were rushing now, desperately but efficiently drilling through large chunks of Izuku's skull as the growth of the bone sped up. "There! We got it!"
Shira tugged at the tweezers, and to her horror, she found that they were still grasping on the brain tissue as an alarming shrill sounded off from their devices. "Curses!"
Izuku's body convulsed, the signals from their machines went wild, and the healing process sped up even more. "Damn it! Get me a pair of pliers! I need to hold off the regenerating flesh! And hold him down!"
"Here Doctor!"
Shira swiped the pliers and dug through muscle and flesh as carefully as possible. There was sweat now, and it threatened to seep into her eyes, "Nurse, swab me!"
Too late. A droplet stung at her eye, and the pliers thudded against the metallic brain stem.
All at once, the veins glowed, Izuku's body sparked, their machine's readings went wild, and his eyes flew open.
End of Chapter 9...