*looks at fic I haven't updated in almost 4 months. Looks at me finishing this chapter at 1:30am today*

Listen, holiday hours in retail really suck, and I had other obligations like weddings and family events to go to. (And I played a lot of Whispers in The Walls and Genshin but that's besides the point. That's technically research for the fic.) WITW was really great, as was the Fontaine Archon quest. Obviously my fic will have major deviations from WITW's canon and future Warframe updates since it was conceptualized before any of that was made. It is what it is. Surprisingly some of the stuff in WITW somewhat validates small parts of my story lmao. Still going to be different though. I'm glad Wally's getting more characterization however minor, even if I'm not going to use it in my fic.

I'll try to have more frequent fic updates that don't take almost ¼ of a year. You can all just forget you saw that (•̪●)=/̵/'̿̿ ̿ ̿ ̿ ̿

CW: Body horror in codex header. (aka a medical condition that can happen to children of stand users/quirked people.)

==========================VI==========================

Epidermodysplasia ossificans progressiva

For the disease that affects connective tissue see Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Epidermodysplasia ossificans progressiva (/ˌɛpɪdˈɜːmədɪsplˈe͡ɪʒə ˈɑːsɪfˌɪkənz pɹəɡɹˈɛsɪvə; abbr. EOP) also known as "the rock disease" or "eleazar" is a rare Epithelial tissue disease in which the Epithelial tissue hardens into rock-like scales over the course of the disease's progression. The scales are a mixture of tumors and ossified skin.

EOP is caused by a mutation in the Plus Alpha gene responsible for the development of quirks. Symptoms typically emerge between the ages of 10 and 20, beginning with dry and cracking skin. As the disease progresses, the skin and layer of flesh beneath it will begin to ossify. Patients will start to experience bouts of dizziness and nausea. Eventually, the skin will harden to the point where movement is impossible without causing cracks or tears. At this stage, the hardened surface will begin to develop ulcers and begin to necrose. Following that, the patient will typically begin to experience nerve damage and organ failure, leading to death.

EOP currently has no known cure. A medicine extracted from certain Egyptian lotus flowers has been shown to slow the progression of the disease, but not stop it entirely. Patients diagnosed typically have a life expectancy of 10-20 years.

Curiously, the disease is passed down specifically in families with External Autonomous Quirks, a rare subtype of sentient quirks that manifest externally. Typically patients have one or more ancestors who possess that type of quirk.

==========================VI==========================

[Musutafu General Hospital, June 1st, 2242]

Most people would realize in hindsight that letting Hunhow, a man whose opinion of humanity was "worth less than bugs", talk to the nurse at the front desk wasn't the best idea.

Luckily, Nezu wasn't most people and had called ahead to let them know they would be arriving. Bless his driver for being perfectly punctual.

"Ah, Principal Nezu, Mr Tau! Welcome!" The nurse stood up and bowed in greeting. "Please, follow me." She turned and began to lead them down the sanitized halls.

Erra was being held in the Hero Ward, which was normally reserved for heroes and emergency service workers. Of course, being a large donor to the hospital granted Nezu certain privileges, although he rarely used them unless the situation was dire, Erra's case being one of them. He was paying the elder Tau sibling's medical fees entirely out of pocket as well, not that it made a dent in his private finances.

They took an elevator up to the second floor, room 2-19 in the ICU. Once they arrived at the room, Nezu turned to Hunhow. "I'll leave you to discuss things with the nurse. Take as much time as you need." He turned and pattered back toward the visitor section.

Hunhow followed the nurse into his son's room. He could hear the constant thrumming of the ventilator and the beeping of the machines monitoring Erra's vitals. The nurse pulled up a chair for him next to the gurney, pulled a clipboard off the wall, and sat down across from him.

"My name is Chihara Ayumi, I'm the nurse overseeing your son's care." She flipped to the first page of the clipboard. "When he was first admitted, Erra was treated for intense burns on most of his body." She gestured to Erra in the bed, whose body was still mostly covered in bandages. "We've been removing them slowly, and there will be some scarring. Our healers could only do so much to regrow his skin, along with whatever passive cellular regeneration his quirk possesses."

Hunhow absorbed the information, tapping his finger against the chair impatiently. "I am aware of his injuries. Why has he not awoken yet?"

Ayumi shuffled awkwardly in her seat. "We… believe his body has gone into hibernation while he heals. His brain activity is low, but he's not in a vegetative state. Erra is… a unique case, and we aren't entirely sure how to handle attempting to wake him. He's proved highly resistant to any medication we try on him, which fortunately includes any illnesses, so all we can really do is use our healing quirks and supply him with nutrients."

"... I see."

Ayumi swore she could see a faint red aura surrounding the man. It gave her goosebumps like she could feel the raw power and barely contained rage. Hunhow's watch started to beep and the feeling diminished.

"So be it." He muttered. These human doctors would be useless in treating Erra. Getting upset over their incompetence would accomplish nothing.

She recovered from his blunt response fairly quickly. "Has anyone in your family ever gone into hibernation to heal before? We weren't provided any medical history."

Hunhow had gone into hibernation, to stave off death via decay following the damage he purposely took during his last stand. Had he the energy, he could've possibly healed down there. But now? Things were different.

They were… he felt bile rise in his throat, human.

Fleshy, brittle, disgusting humans.

Natah and Erra even looked like them now, although his son leaned more toward his former form with his new mutations. Hunhow was the only one who still remotely resembled his former form.

"Not that I am aware. The records were… unfortunately lost to us." He lied, of course. There were no records. He had no ancestors save for the tiny machines that had linked together to form his body. Even that information was pointless considering he was no longer a machine.

Before, he could've touched Erra and instantly known what ailed him, networking with his son's consciousness to bring him back from the brink of death.

But he couldn't anymore in his new form. He'd felt it when Natah hugged him beneath that accursed hero school.

Absolute silence.

To a Sentient, it was like having a fundamental part of yourself torn from their body. Everything they made was connected to them, including children. When a fragment was destroyed, it could be felt.

But he felt nothing from Erra. Nothing from Natah. It was as if he was experiencing what humans called "phantom limb" syndrome, without the limb ever existing in the first place.

"I was… never mind." Hunhow stopped himself. "When do you expect him to fully recover?"

The nurse pursed her lips. Discussing comas with the families of a patient was a delicate subject, especially in cases where the patient's health was uncertain, but stable for now. "Ideally once he fully recovers he could wake up on his own." She explained delicately. "While he is technically in "hibernation", I mean that in the lowest sense of the word. The equipment in this room is the only thing keeping his condition from deteriorating."

"What do you mean?"

"Normally, when an animal goes into hibernation, their body temperature and heart rate go down, which isn't happening with Erra. His body is operating on the bare minimum to keep him alive and healing, but only on his body." She took a deep breath. "It's entirely possible that while his body heals, his mind will not."

An Eidolon. That's what Erra was becoming, or at least that's what his body thought it was doing. Erra wasn't awake to perceive what he had become. Hunhow understood now. Erra's body was actively rejecting its new nature. No wonder the doctors had absolutely no clue what was wrong with him. Even knowing this information meant nothing, as even if he could share it with the doctors it wouldn't assist in his recovery.

Even with the power to level cities, he couldn't do anything to help his son.

How worthless.

"Sir?"

Hunhow turned his attention back to the nurse, ignoring her question. "So it's possible he might not recover?" He asked curtly.

Ayumi gulped, Hunhow's eyes boring into her. "Y-yes, it's a possibility. In cases where the outcome is uncertain, we try to give our patients' families as much info as possible so that they are prepared for the worst…"

Hunhow gripped the edge of his seat, noticeably denting the metal armrest, an impressive feat considering the chair was reinforced to accommodate people whose mutations made them heavier than normal. Ayumi wisely didn't comment on this.

"Nurse Ayumi, you're needed in room 2-31!" A voice called out from the hallway. "I'm sorry, I have another patient to attend to. Uhm… take as much time as you need." She bowed quickly before darting out of the room.

Once the nurse was a few doors down, she leaned against the wall and shuddered. 'Thank god… that man is terrifying! I get being concerned about your child… if that happened to my daughter, I would be upset too, but still!" She took a deep breath and continued on, relieved that she didn't have to talk to Hunhow anymore.

==VI==

Hunhow had moved the chair closer to Erra's bed and watched as his son's chest rose and fell.

"All that effort, colluding with that Orokin," his top left eye twitches at the thought of Ballas, "and this is what you have to show for it?" Erra, of course, didn't respond. "What a foolish son I have…" He sighed and slumped in his chair. "But I suppose you get that from me, seeing as you repeated my mistakes."

Hunhow slowly reached out and took Erra's hand. He'd never… actually touched his son before. Not like this. His children had walked or flown around inside his chassis, just like they would a Murex. He looked down and noticed his hand was ever so slightly shaking. "The Tenno, she saved your sister. She lives, but…" He glances down at his free hand, opening and closing it. "... we were both wrong about Natah. The Tenno never did anything to turn her against us. If only… if only I'd seen it sooner…" Hunhow paused. "She always was too kind for her own good."

He never should've allowed her to come to the Origin system. Of course, she would've tried to follow them across the gap between galaxies no matter what. Nothing short of sealing her away, the irony of the idea not lost on him, would've stopped her from following her family.

Hunhow had originally intended to depart with only Pazuul, Amar, Boreal, and Nira as his vanguard. While Praghasa and himself forged them, the beasts did not consider themselves to be their children. The Four Beasts were only concerned with their duties as peacekeepers. Conflicts between the Sentient lords of Tau were infrequent, which gave them free time to grow as their own beings.

Natah and Erra, ever the curious children, had sought out their elder "siblings" as mentors. Sentients were born fully aware but lacked the experience time had brought. Natah had gravitated toward Amar, who taught her to use her powers and the art of infiltration. Meanwhile, Erra studied under Pazuul and Nira.

Maybe that's why Erra turned out the way he did. They took the flames of hatred of organics that Hunhow had lit under his son and stoked them into a raging inferno. He was always the impressionable one. That would explain what he became after serving under Ballas.

"You probably would hate what we've become. I don't know how Natah can stomach living among these… people." He murmured, barely able to say it. "But I guess she's used to working with humans after all these years."

Hunhow turned his wrist over and stared at the quirk activation monitor. That's all it was, a monitor and glorified tracker. No other defensive measures. "It would be so easy. I could level this city within minutes. I feel just as powerful as the day we arrived in the Origin System, perhaps even more so…"

"Swear it, on Mother's name. On Tau's name. Swear that you will try and let it go."

"But I can't do that to Natah. Not again. We've taken so much from her already. As much as I hate it here, she has a point. These humans with their… quirks… are not the same ones that wished our destruction. For some reason they showed us kindness, and offered us a home, even knowing what we did. I don't understand it." He let go of Erra's hand, placing it back on the bed. "Sometimes I think it would've been better if we died. At least then she could mourn us as we were, and not live with what we became. We don't belong in this world, but we have nowhere else to go. The Tau here is barren, and far out of reach."

Standing, he walked over to the window. "I don't know if she will ever come to visit you. I wouldn't blame her, after what you did. Maybe the fact that you are still alive is proof she does, or maybe she feels like this is a well-deserved punishment. I hope that you wake up one day, and maybe she will find it in her heart to forgive you." He lowered his head next to Erra's. "But if you hurt her again, I won't hesitate to kill you myself."

==VI==

He'd gotten used to the constant beeping of the life support machines by now. Spending hundreds of years underwater had a way of… numbing one to background noise.

Hours had passed while he sat motionless, staring at his son's comatose form. He was only interrupted by a random nurse coming to check in on Erra and getting startled when she noticed him, which was slightly amusing.

Only slightly.

Was this what he was supposed to do? Sit here helplessly and hope things get better? What was the point of all this? It wasn't like sitting here would help Erra recover faster. Since their biology changed, he couldn't just infuse him with enough energy to revive Erra.

Seeing his son like this was far more painful than believing him to be dead all these years.

Why did the animal bring him here? He could tell Nezu wanted something. There was no other reason to bring him out here early. Was it to hold Erra's life above his head? No… he could tell from his brief interactions with the Principal that he wasn't an idiot.

Very few people crossed Hunhow and survived. Those who attempted it usually possessed a type of bravado usually reserved only for the suicidally overconfident or the deranged. He knew Nezu was neither of those things. Ordan? Definitely the latter.

The Principal wouldn't dare to intentionally draw Hunhow's wrath. He seemed like a creature of cold logic, and there was no benefit to angering someone who could destroy an entire country within a day. Could it really be as simple as wanting to let Hunhow see his son? Natah wasn't going to visit Erra anytime soon, not after what he'd done to her.

Nezu made it fairly clear that Hunhow was under much scrutiny from the people who ran things behind the scenes, which was smart considering the damage he was capable of. He remembered something about concessions to those that were too powerful to get rid of easily, maybe this was one of those? A way to keep him happy by allowing him more access to his family?

It bothered him more than he'd like to admit. He wasn't offended by the notion. Appeasement was a valid way to earn the favor of powerful people, as long as it had limits. What he was more concerned about was Nezu's reasoning. From the story the Principal had told him, he had just as much of a reason to dislike humans as Hunhow.

So why…

Why was he working alongside humans? He even ran a school dedicated to creating "heroes". Hunhow scoffed. What could've changed his outlook so drastically over the years he would be willing to help humanity?

He needed to know.

==VI==

The sun had already set by the time they left the hospital. Hunhow could see the moon slowly creeping over the night sky. It was one of the little things that reminded him of how different things were here. The moon was pristine, untainted by the garish gold and porcelain-colored spires of the Orokin. From what he could tell from human documentaries, space exploration wasn't a concern compared to quirks. It baffled him. They had all this power and limited themselves to one planet? They hadn't even been back to the moon in over two centuries.

Well, those wars probably had something to do with it. Humans killing humans. What else was new?

They both entered the limousine, Nezu immediately offering him another cup of tea, which he accepted. "I take it you weren't satisfied with your visit?" He asked as soon as the door closed.

"No," Hunhow grumbled before pouring half the cup into his mouth. "Having to deal with humans is… exhausting."

The principal shrugged. "I suppose it's an acquired taste, considering your… prior predicament I wasn't expecting it to be pleasant. You haven't talked to many humans, have you?"

"Considering that most who were close enough to hear me speak would die immediately after, no." Hunhow admitted. "They were beneath my notice. The only ones I have held conversations with were Ballas, some Cephalons, and my Shadow, though he was debatably human at that point."

"Are you forgetting young Tenno?" Nezu inquired.

"That brat… isn't human." The alternate version of her? She was definitely human. Untouched by whatever lurked beyond in the Void. But the child? That thing wasn't even close.

Nezu narrowed his eyes. "We ran her DNA through the quirk registry."

"Biologically human, maybe. Or just close enough that you can't tell. The Orokin called them devils for a reason." He rested his chin on his hand. Nezu didn't look pleased with that statement.

"I don't think any of us should be able to judge her on that, considering what we are, don't you think?" Hunhow actually flinched at that response, surprisingly. "Seeing as how neither of us are or were human."

Hunhow stared at Nezu for around a minute, silently ruminating on what the Principal said. "What exactly is the point of the conversation? You want something, so go ahead and say it." He declared.

Nezu placed his tea in the cupholder, bracing himself as the limo made a sharp turn. "I suspected you would treat my abrupt visit and offer today with some skepticism." He clasped his paws together. "Would you believe me if I said that my intentions were mostly altruistic?"

"No," Hunhow answered bluntly.

Nezu shrugged. "Fair enough. It does seem too good to be true, doesn't it? Giving you all this and with conditions heavily in your daughter's favor? I'll let you know I fully intend to honor it to the letter, as long as she and Mr. Karris do the same."

"Because you want them to serve you." He added.

"Work for, not serve." Nezu corrected. "And I want them to work for me because of the large quantity of knowledge and experience they possess. Things they can use to train the next generations of heroes."

Hunhow snorted. "So you say. Considering I decided to believe you on that point, what does that have to do with me? If you want me to teach at that," The Sentient raised his hands to make finger quotes, "hero" school of yours, I refuse." Why would he want to teach a bunch of sniveling human brats? What could he even teach them?

"Nothing of the sort. I know that you can't stand humanity in general, so I wouldn't ask you to force yourself to interact with them. Let me lead my proposal to you with this: What do you want to do when your house arrest ends?"

"What I want… is inconsequential, and impossible. If it were, I would've already left this miserable planet and its people behind." He looked toward the night sky, through the open roof. Light pollution blocked most of the stars, unfortunately. "My home doesn't exist here. I've read that the galaxy exists, just as it did in our universe. It would take thousands of years if I tried to go there myself, and I'm not sure I would survive the journey with this new… human body."

"And you are staying because you have nowhere to go, and your children can't or won't leave." Nezu summarized.

"That is the simplest way to put it, but yes. There is nothing out there for me, and what I have left wants nothing to do with me. Despite how Natah feels, I will not abandon her to go and die, but I won't do anything to break her promise either. My happiness is irrelevant. I will not destroy what happiness she has built. She deserves that much at the very least."

Nezu blinked. "So you have… no plans at all?"

"I spent more than one thousand years under the seas of Uranus."

"A fair point," the white-furred chimera conceded. "But that does seem a bit dull."

"If boredom is the price I pay for the safety and happiness of my children, so be it."

Nezu smiled internally, his suspicions confirmed. "What if I told you there was a better way to ensure that happens?" Time to cast the bait.

Hunhow looked out the window. Yep, he had no idea where the hell he was. "Seeing as you are my ride home, I'll humor you." He grumbled.

"You've learned a lot of this world's history, from all the television you've been watching, haven't you?" Of course the rodent was watching him. He wasn't particularly upset about the breach in privacy. It wasn't like he had anything to hide and Nezu did own the house.

"I am aware of some of it. Your quirks, your wars, the monotonous flow of hero and villain. I don't particularly care for it. It seems that humans are the same in any universe: greedy, self-destructive, and stupid. With the power the ones here possess I'm sure they will end up destroying themselves within a century or two if certain theories are to be believed."

"I won't argue with your assessment, because that is how most humans are."

"And yet you work with them despite what they did to you."

"Because not all humans are bad. Some of them are my best friends after all." Nezu mused. "Given your… limited interaction with them, I'm sure it's difficult to accept. I'm sure your daughter has a different opinion than yourself on the matter?"

"Natah always had a soft spot for the weak." Hunhow retorted, somewhat believing what he said.

"And is that a bad thing?" Nezu pressed a button on the armrest, revealing a set of mahjong tiles which he pulled out and started to place on the tray. Hunhow watched him with narrowed eyes. "Protecting the weak is an admirable thing. Heroic, one might say." He placed a set of five tiles down. "And it's part of the reason I became a teacher and a hero… along with a promise I made to a young woman." He flashed Hunhow a toothy smile before placing a tile down.

"London, England; 2008."

"Florida, United States; 2011."

"Dunhuang, China; 2222." Two more tiles were flipped up.

"Moscow, Russia; 2234, and finally almost a month ago, Japan, 2242." Five tiles were lined up.

"I'm assuming you recognize some of these dates?" He inquired.

Hunhow thought for a moment, deciding if he cared enough to answer. Nearly a month ago… was when they arrived, wasn't it? Interest piqued, he nodded. "The London one and Russia I know of. Mass loss of human life to terrorism and a quirk disaster." He paused for a few seconds. "I fail to see a connection with our arrival."

"Each of these events," Nezu continued, placing more tiles around the five. "Were caused by supernatural or unknown elements."

"So quirks… wait… no…" What did that documentary series about the dawn of quirks say? 2050 was when they first appeared, with rumors of people possessing abilities beforehand. The first publicly known quirk was some glowing human child in… China? What a pathetic power. "Two of those dates are before the emergence of quirks."

"Correct." Nezu beamed. "The common thread of all these incidents is that they were caused by powers besides quirks or non-human entities. Of course, there are many more than this. I only chose the ones I believed you would be familiar with as examples."

"... so there are other powers besides quirks in this world and intelligent creatures than humans… and yourself." Hunhow surmised. "And this is all kept secret, since this wasn't mentioned in the television I watched… besides some odd conspiracy shows those Americans have."

Giving the household international TV was a blessing after all. Nezu's genius knew no bounds.

"Right again!" Nezu exclaimed. The principal pulled more tiles out, stacking them horizontally on top of the others."The organizations that classified you are the ones that cover up these kinds of threats and make deals with the less hostile entities." He placed another tile off to the side. "They serve alongside the leaders of their countries, oftentimes off the books." Another tile off to the side. "Under them are people like the HPSC, the military, and leaders like myself." Two more tiles were placed next to the structure. "And finally, there are the heroes and local law enforcement. The police handle the criminals, the heroes handle the villains. Heroes with enough clearance are sometimes rarely called upon to handle supernatural threats as well. All of this, of course, is handled with utmost discretion."

Hunhow pondered the information for a minute. "I don't understand with the advent of quirks why all this remained a secret with humanity developing their own powers."

Nezu's grin grew larger and he snapped his claws. "Now you're getting it. The Dawn of Quirks was an extremely chaotic time. Wars, civil unrest, people with 'meta abilities' were put in camps and executed. It was also an opportunity for monsters to exploit the chaos. With the world in disarray, governments collapsed or held on by the skin of their teeth. Organizations tasked with the preservation of the status quo were overwhelmed. They couldn't tell the difference between monster and quirk user, and some didn't care."

This was why organizations like the Iscariot didn't exist in their former form. The members that hadn't deserted out of disgust from the Vatican's 8th section had gone on to commit horrible atrocities against early metahumans. Their influence could still be seen in terrorist organizations like the Creature Rejection Clan and Humarise even now.

"The fact that people couldn't distinguish between monster and quirk made it easier to cover up the former. I don't disagree that it helped dismiss some of the panic about quirks. After all, it's far easier to accept scientists telling you humans are developing superpowers than it is to accept the reality that things from fairy tales have been living among you."

"And yet they do exist, and some people do believe they do."

Nezu nodded. "In the modern era, with all the cell phones and surveillance cameras around it's become increasingly hard to cover up everything. Even if someone does see something supernatural they simply blame it on quirks. Of course, there are conspiracy theorists who see through that facade, but they are a minority. Some humans will always come up with outlandish theories, they just so happen to be right about some of them."

"And from what I'm understanding, you don't agree with that decision." Hunhow guessed.

"I do not, and I'm not the only one." The principal affirmed. "The system we have, albeit flawed, works. Monsters are eliminated if they pose a threat, those that are peaceful live among us. This is essentially the same system we use to handle villains. Sometimes something powerful slips through the cracks and causes an incident like I mentioned, but they are covered up and treated as disastrous attacks or quirk accidents. People, for the most part, accept this and move on. It doesn't happen often enough to be in the forefront of people's minds."

"Your point?"

"Yes, yes. I can tell you are losing interest. My point is that recent events have shown just how fragile the system is. Namely: the arrival of several thousand otherworlders, something that has never happened before."

"As far as you know." Hunhow scoffed.

"Yes, as far as I know. The records I have access to date back several thousand years and no mention of people from other universes have ever been confirmed." He placed another tile down. "We were incredibly lucky, you know. This incident was only isolated to Japan, and it seems that a majority of those who survived your universe's destruction have decided to lay low."

Nezu had seen the news reports of some confused-looking "Grineer" and "Corpus" being arrested for acts of villainy with their new quirks. At the very least, they were F to B-ranked villains at best. How much of that was due to inexperience with their new powers was left up to the imagination. Some of them seemed to have a better grasp than others. If Karris's theory was to be believed, some of the new arrivals' quirks were based upon abilities or technology they previously possessed.

"But if it happened once, it can happen again. What happens if more arrive, from a different universe?" He placed a final tile down. "All it takes is one outside variable." The principal tapped the final tile with a single claw. "One incident that we can't prepare for, or cover up." The tile wobbled, then fell. "Until the foundation collapses?"

CLACK

CLACK

CLACK

CLACK

CLACK

The last tile collided with the tower he'd made earlier, sending it crashing to the ground.

"It's only a matter of when it happens, not if. Something will happen outside the scope of our capabilities to cover up, or maybe more otherworlders will come and we won't be prepared. Regardless, the outcome will be the same, chaos on par with the dawn of quirks." Nezu finished, sliding the tiles off his tray.

"If it is going to cause so much suffering why would you want it to happen? Revenge on the humans? It doesn't seem very heroic of you to do that." Hunhow scoffed. "Of course, I wouldn't blame you, but it doesn't sound in character for you based on what you told me earlier."

Nezu clasped his paws together, tapping his claws together one by one. "Modern heroism is very black and white. Good versus evil. I do understand the principles of heroism as humans see it, but I have my views as well. It's true that if the supernatural world were revealed, there would be massive loss of life and conflict. However, that's in a scenario where the release of the information is uncontrolled."

Hunhow sat back, gaining a bit more interest.

"In a few years, I planned to create a situation that would force the Council of Seven to reveal the existence of the supernatural. The only way that is going to happen is by force. No one is going to flat out admit that magic and monsters exist unless they are given no other choice."

After all, that would be political suicide. No government will flat-out admit that they have been lying about something this big for hundreds of years. If Nezu were to come out tomorrow and reveal it even with evidence he would be discredited, ridiculed, and then disappear.

And by disappear he means locked up never to see the light of day again. Not an ideal outcome.

"But your arrival has changed things. An anomaly that required the creation of a new threat ranking. Someone beholden to no faction. You, Mr. Tau, are the most powerful person on the planet." He paused. "And I want you to help me change the world."

Hunhow stared at him for a few seconds, before he started to shake. There was a low rumble, and at first, Nezu thought the limo's engine was having issues. The noise grew and he realized it was coming from Hunhow. It started as a low growl, growing to a steady and uproarious laughter.

"Ha! You- you honestly expect me to help you?" Hunhow slapped his knee, cackling madly and making the vehicle shake. "Why in the Void-forsaken hell would I give a single shit about your asinine human politics. You expect humans to get along with other species? They can't even co-exist with themselves."

Nezu continued to stare at Hunhow, unperturbed and even taking another sip of tea, calmly watching the man laugh.

"Even if I wanted to help you, I hold my promise to my daughter in a higher regard than I ever will a human life. What reason could you possibly give me to aid you."

Nezu set his cup down. "It seems you are under the impression that I need your power, Mr. Tau. I don't. What I desire is the illusion of allegiance to my cause. I don't expect you to help, nor is it necessary. The implication that someone of your power is working for or with me would be enough, and of course you would be compensated for your trouble."

Hunhow pondered the chimera's words. Did this creature really think that he would follow along with this plan? He found himself intrigued by the prospect, more than he thought he would. If he accepted he wouldn't be breaking the terms of the agreement, and it would increase his standing with the humans that feared him if he allied with someone they trusted.

Nezu would gain more out of this than Hunhow would though. He would just be using Hunhow's backing to achieve more power and fulfill his goals. However, he could tell that Nezu was sincere about wanting to change the world.

What an idealistic naive fool.

He'd seen this world's history, how humans turned on each other over the slightest perceived differences. It wasn't any different than the Origin System.

Humans were all the same. Grineer hated everyone for not being them. Humans feared the quirked when they appeared. They couldn't even stand those with different colored skin or in this day and age, mutation quirks. The Orokin were no better, despising those of the lower class and especially the hating the Tenno they used.

They deserved to wipe themselves out. If he couldn't do it himself he would sit back and watch. At least he could enjoy something about being trapped on this wretched planet.

"Dinner is ready," Ordan called out. Haylee and Natah already sitting down at the table, clearly exhausted from training.

Hunhow grabbed a bowl and plate off the counter, sharing a quick glare with Ordan before leaving to eat by himself in the living room. The less he had to deal with Ordan and Haylee, the better. Natah probably didn't want him too close anyway.

"So, how is training with Mr. Yagi and Midoriya going?" Natah asked.

"Ish fnre I gersh." Haylee responded with a mouth full of rice. Swallowing before she continued.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Ordan chastised, pouring sauce onto his food.

She rolled her eyes. "It's going fine I guess. It's more exercise for me since I don't need more training to get stronger. I just need to make my abilities… less lethal."

Hunhow tuned out the rest of the conversation, turning his attention to the muted television and his admittedly tasty food. The news was going through the daily hero report, and currently was showing All Might saving people from a burning building. According to the caption not a single person lost their lives. Hrmph.

Noises from the kitchen caught his attention, and out of the corner of his right eyes, he could see everyone smiling and laughing. The other two didn't matter, but he could see Natah was happy here.

…

'Natah is happy here…' Hunhow realized. 'And Nezu wants to make this a world where people like us would be accepted. And…'

He realized something.

Despite the anger he felt toward Nezu's comments, the annoyance, and confusion about the Principal's kindness towards humans…

He didn't dislike being around him.

There were only a select few organics that Hunhow could respect, but that didn't mean he tolerated them. The Tenno girl and her variant, for saving Natah. All Might, for being the antithesis of everything he hated about the Orokin. Lastly, and he would rather kill the man than say it, Ordan Karris. Not for the imbecile's attempted slaughter of the Orokin, but because of the man's unflinching loyalty to his daughter.

Hunhow had been burned before. A burn he saw coming, Ballas was never to be trusted in the first place, but a burn nonetheless that had cost him everything. The look in Nezu's eye was one of sincerity. Hunhow was no fool. Nezu had the eyes of a schemer, but one that wouldn't harm an ally. Maybe he considered allies his territory, or part of a pack. He could understand that on some level. His people were the same way with their collective consciousness.

And here he was about to throw it all away purely out of spite. 'And after I told myself I wouldn't destroy her happiness. If… If this creature goes through with his plan, it could give her a life where she can be free. Free to live as a human from another world.' His thoughts flashed to Erra and himself. 'Or a Sentient.'

He hated that Nezu was right. He hated himself for even considering it more.

Damn that chimera.

==VI==

Nezu sighed internally. Hunhow had been silent the past few minutes. This whole gamble was a long shot. He was banking on Hunhow's familial connections being stronger than his hatred of organics, humans in particular.

Perhaps he miscalculated. Nezu wasn't stupid enough to think about threatening Hunhow's children by withdrawing his support.

When Ms. Tau had first told them of who exactly the man they'd locked in the basement, Nezu was internally panicking.

He brought that man to his school, thinking he was a villain they could contain.

The school where his students attended.

Faculty, and friends that he trusted.

He'd brought a sleeping wolf into a barn full of sheep.

Even with Hunhow's weakened state, he'd been slowly powering through the electric restraints they used to shock prisoners in Tartarus, and Midnight's quirk. Adapting, even while being fed limited food and water.

Hunhow was terrifying. A so-called "destroyer of worlds" that Nezu wasn't sure he could kill even with All Might there. Natah was a gamble before he did something drastic, as she was the only one who stood a chance of stopping him. Even then, he wasn't entirely sure that she would've been able to kill him. The risk of him surviving the first blow and getting a second wind was far too great.

The Council, of course, was furious when he relayed the decision he'd made. For a threat this great, Hunhow should've been executed on the spot. The only thing that saved Nezu was two of the council members agreeing that the cost of failing to kill Hunhow would be unacceptable.

He didn't mention the part that he was going entirely off instinct and calculations he'd made about the potential benefits, along with his own curiosity. It was fate that all of this worked out in a way that didn't see him imprisoned or dead.

Realistically, there was no way to stop Hunhow. The Council was not happy that the only guarantee they had was Hunhow's word that he wouldn't attack humanity. Unfortunately, by the time they learned of this, they didn't have much of a choice.

If Hunhow ever did anything to break his promise, and Nezu was still alive in the aftermath it would be on his head.

He didn't regret the choice he'd made. If Hunhow didn't want to cooperate, he'd only the cards he'd played concerning the existence of the supernatural and his own plans for the future. Judging from Hunhow's words, he didn't care enough to tell anyone and would likely find it amusing if Nezu failed in its implementation.

Hunhow's silence ended. "Perhaps… I was too hasty in my decision. I will help you, under a few conditions."

This was unexpected. "And they are?"

"I will back you, but I will not allow you to order me around. You will treat me as an equal, not a subordinate."

"Easily done."

"I will not help you physically. My backing is in presence alone. If they see you as a threat and call your bluff about my participation, it will be your head."

Nezu thought for a second, then nodded. "That fits with what I had in mind anyway."

"The only reason I am agreeing to this is because of Natah and Erra. Personally, I want nothing to do with something that would benefit humanity. I'm only interested because there is a net benefit to them in the long run if your plan works. If this arrangement ceases to be beneficial I reserve the right to back out at any time."

That… was a hard ask. Then again, he did hold most of the power. This would be Hunhow's way of balancing the scales. It was an acceptable risk. Plus a little positive emotional manipulation disguised as favors could help endear Hunhow a bit more. He'd picked up that Hunhow wasn't ignoring him like everyone else the Sentient had talked to.

He saw more of himself in Hunhow than he liked to admit. Could this have been what Nezu could've turned out like, had he not been rescued by her? Hating humanity without learning to appreciate the kinder side he'd never seen in the labs?

Hunhow's hatred had stewed for hundreds of years. Nezu understood, he'd seen even Yagi's eyes turn murderous when they heard about the Orokin's vile atrocities. It didn't excuse Hunhow's actions extending to the rest of humanity, but in all honesty, he would've done the same. It boiled down to one of the simplest rules of nature: kill or be killed.

"I'll allow you to exit our arrangement at any time if you wish. Is that all?" Nezu asked.

"You have yourself a deal." Hunhow replied.

Nezu extended a paw to shake on it, leaving Hunhow briefly confused for a few seconds before he realized what was happening.

That night a deal with the devil was struck, though one could question which of the two was the devil.

"Now that that is out of the way if you ever decide you want to chat or arrange another visit to the hospital, I've sent my contact info to your phone. Also," He tapped a few buttons on his phone. "I've set a limit on the quirk monitor to allow you to use it at low levels in your home without raising an alarm. It will begin to beep to warn you if you encroach that limit. I'm very interested in learning about what my new friend is capable of." He flashed Hunhow a toothy grin just as the limo pulled up to the Tau household. He exited th

"Help you? Of course. What are friends for?" Hunhow remembered his words to the Tenno variant. A mocking gesture at the time. He turned to watch Nezu's limo pull away, slowly vanishing into the night.

'That feeling again… what is it?' He shook his head and opened the door. Removing his shoes, he lumbered further into the house, eyes adjusting to the darkness. A slight snore alerted him to the presence of someone else in the living room. He was able to make out the sleeping form of Natah under the blanket. A child-sized lump in the blanket next to her crowned by unkempt tufts of blue hair slumbered next to her, wrapped in his daughter's arms.

His disgust vanished for but a moment. The rigid grimace that seemed to never fade softened ever so slightly at the sight of their content smiles. As he stepped onto the hardwood floor, Hunhow stopped as the floor let out a quiet creak. Remembering Nezu's words about his powers, he began to float, exerting just enough of his quirk to levitate the rest of the way to his room.

==========================VI==========================

Hunhow continues to be one of the dads of all time. He's giving it his *flips through notes* best effort? Don't worry guys, we can fix him without potential world-ending consequences. Nezu is making plays to get him on his side and get more tea-drinking sessions with him. Nezu's faction will be revealed at a later date during Hunhow's first meeting with them. I'm sure that will go well. On a side note, I've got more art coming in upcoming chapters from Feerocomics and Symptom99 that I commissioned on DA so look forward to that! (AO3 Exclusive bc Fanfiction doesnt let you do embeds sadly)