Five years later,
In these last few years, the Saionji Group had begun shifting its assets secretly, gathering a team of the most prominent Quirk-related Scientists from around the world.
Somewhere in Japan, deep underground on private land within a forest, there were a series of labs branching out, covering hundreds of metres.
It housed a team of a hundred personnel, including over a score of scientists.
Within its neat, white corridors, Luke walked a step behind his father, Nyx perched up on his right shoulder. He had dyed his blond hair black and for his eyes, he was wearing contact lenses, turning them black as well.
At 14 years old, Luke was a tall boy of 170 cm.
Nyx looked still the same, though, her head high as if she was sitting on a throne.
As they kept walking, their steps echoing against empty walls, white lab-coat-wearing people gave them a wide berth. However, they all held a very reverential and admiring expression on their faces for the man in a black suit and pants.
For Luke, their eyes burned with passion and expectations.
"Look up," Mr. Saionji said, still facing forward.
Luke looked up, avoiding all gazes.
"Hey, Charles!" Nyx cawed at a scientist coming toward them. "Still fucking Elia?"
"Nyx!" Luke gasped.
Mr. Saionji frowned as he saw the horror on Charles' face. He kept walking, ignoring the bird's obvious way of distracting Luke from the unnerving situation.
When they were alone in the corridor again, Reijirou asked, "Do you hate it?"
Luke looked around him and shrugged. This place was practically his home. How could he hate his home?
For the last five years, Luke had been going outside for a day or two before returning to this place where the scientists did… tests on him and on his Quirk... Bioalchemy, they called it. A Quirk he didn't even know he had it before coming here.
After each test, both he and Nyx would get books and comics to read. So it wasn't that bad, he guessed.
Also, if he hated it, his father would send him back to the orphanage, no?
"I like it, father," Luke replied with a smile. "Everyone here is our friend…"
Nyx bobbed her head to look at Luke before looking away.
Mr. Saionji just nodded his head. "I didn't mean this place," he corrected, taking a turn. "Do you hate… it… the things that happen here?"
Luke's steps faltered.
Mr. Saionji stopped.
They had arrived in front of the lab with Subject Minus One written over its entrance.
The man in a black suit turned around. His black eyes held the same expectations Luke had been seeing on the faces of others… others…
"You already know why I adopted you, Luke," Mr. Saionji said. "Your Quirk… is unique. Marvelous. And dangerous, if the true extent of its capabilities remains unknown. Remember, everything that happens here is for the greater good of mankind. You will understand one day.
"Also, as long as you help us in figuring it out, I will allow you to make friends outside."
A redness surfaced on Luke's cheeks. "Really?"
Mr. Saionji smiled.
…
Office,
Chief Scientist
"Ren," Chief Scientist, Donald, asked, looking at Mr. Saionji's frown, "is there something troubling you?"
Donald had been a Villain in the USA before Reijirou extracted him to Japan, hiding him here. He was one of the best minds in the world when it came to research on Quirks and their evolution.
He was bald but had a white beard on his face, and his brown eyes seemed red behind the glasses' reflection.
"My Quirk's been acting up… again," Red admitted, leaning back on the chair. "I am getting more and more revelations…"
Donald frowned. "All related to Minus One?"
Mr. Saionji stared at Donald. "Don't call my son that."
"Haha!" the Chief Scientist laughed, getting up from his chair. "If someone learned that you have such a soft spot for the subject… Tch-tch! Alright, alright. Luke…"
Mr. Saionji didn't know if it was because of the dreams, but he had been feeling more and more attached to Luke. It wasn't like he had no children of his own, either.
But the zeal Luke carried in his eyes, after everything that the kid had been through here… anyone else in the boy's place would have already crumbled a hundred times over.
Luke didn't… Even if he hated being here, the boy never admitted it.
For a man who had climbed to the top of the social ladder by himself, Ren admired such a trait in anyone, much less a boy. And a bird, yes.
"Any progress?" Ren asked, seeing Donald's quirky smile.
The Chief Scientist's smile widened. "I have something to show you. Look."
Donald switched on the wall-sized LED screen.
Luke was standing at the center of the screen, surrounded by many scientists. In front of Luke, there was a table with a black-colored cat sitting on it. There were many books on different anatomies on the table as well.
Mr. Saionji noticed the extreme frailness on Luke's face, but he brutally ignored it.
On the screen, Luke touched the cat for a few seconds and then backed up.
One of the scientists stepped forward, held the cat, and then dropped it in a tank full of water to the brim before covering the top.
The cat began drowning.
Then Luke snapped his fingers.
A shine passed over the cat as if someone from very far away had reflected a mirror on it. It was so clear that even those who were watching it on screen picked it up.
In the next moment, the flesh around the cat's throat mutated, becoming gills.
Simultaneously, Luke coughed out blood and passed out.
Donald paused the video.
"The subject…" the Chief Scientist paused, noticing the look on Reijirou's face. "The kid can grant Quirk Factors to Quirkless living organisms, except humans. Human subjects didn't work even if they were Quirkless.
"Luke must touch the animal or plant, first. Then, he can remotely activate it whenever he wants within a 10 metre radius.
"The process drains his stamina. And the more complex the nature of mutation, or let's say, Quirk, the more stamina Luke loses. But that's not the main problem here.
"For it to work the best, Luke must know the biology of the organism in and out… along with the nature of mutation and how it will act out.
"For this experiment alone, we made him study for hundreds of hours… Good thing the boy's a natural…"
Ren processed the information and closed his eyes.
Only to Quirkless organisms? He asked himself, remembering his dream. In the revelation, Luke had mutated the bird, who possessed a basic-intelligence-based Quirk of her own as confirmed by Donald.
Was it influenced by the boy's feelings? No. Maybe… the bird wasn't even alive when it mutated… Hmm…
For now, Ren refrained from sharing his doubt with the Chief Scientist. He looked at Donald. "What do you mean by the complex nature of the mutations?"
Donald grinned, playing another video.
On the screen, Luke was standing against the same cat, but its gills had disappeared.
"The Quirk Factor vanishes after some time even if it's not activated," Donald explained. "The simpler the Quirks Luke bestows, the lighter the load on his stamina, and the longer it lasts before activation."
Ren looked as Luke touched the cat again… for many seconds this time.
Then, one of the scientists again dropped the cat in a water-filled tank, closing the top.
Something was different this time, though. Luke's hand was up, but it was trembling. It was as if the boy was afraid of snapping his fingers.
A hand landed on the boy's shoulder. It was Donald's, Ren recognized.
Luke's entire body jolted and he snapped his fingers.
In the tank, after the mirror-like reflection, the cat's entire body bulged. Its flesh boiled, tumors growing exponentially.
In the next moment, those tumors took the shape of bat-like wings.
The cat grew as well, becoming as big as a tiger, long canines made of steel jutting out of its mouth.
And it was still mutating!
On the other side, veins slithered over Luke's face. The white sclera of his eyes became red with blood. Streams of blood ran down from his ears.
Then, with a boom, the abomination within the tank exploded.
Luke let out a soundless scream and passed out as well.
Donald paused the video. "Don't worry," he told Ren, returning to his chair. "We heal him every time after such experiments. But I need more time.
"For each experiment, Luke must study for hours… even if the boy's smart, it's a time-consuming process. Just shift him permanently here. He likes this place anyway."
Ren ignored the suggestion and the blatant mockery in Donald's words. "What about the bird?"
Donald shrugged. "We just give it a few… books to read. It doesn't make a fuss."
After the first time when they had tried to separate the boy and the bird, Donald had decided against it himself.
The boy had almost died, ending all research on the spot.
"Donald…" Ren said, looking at a passed-out Luke on the screen, "… I brought you here because of the revelation, too. I don't care about your views on Quirk Singularity. But… if that's why my Quirk, Soothsayer, brought you to me, then…"
For the first time, Donald's face held a serious, dark expression.
"It's true, Mr. Saionji," he said, leaning forward on the table. "One day… the Quirks will grow so powerful that humanity will go extinct. This Quirk… Bioalchemy… can very well be the only way to prevent that from happening."
Ren knew what Donald meant.
A Quirk that could bestow Quirks to Quirkless plants and animals… didn't sound like much of a humanity's salvation. But, if it was combined with the ability of creation…
"Let me contact Dr Kyudai Garaki," Donald said. "That man's a genius. I have tried everything to somehow copy the kid's Quirk, but I failed despite my expertise. If something happens to him… can we really afford to lose our only hope?"
Ren stood up, following a script. "This was my latest revelation about, Donald."
The Chief Scientist's brows shot up. "What did you answer?" he asked, licking his lips.
Mr. Saionji took a last look at Luke's bloody figure and shook his head before walking out of the office.
…
Despite what Reijirou Saionji wished, fate had other plans for Luke, it seemed.
That very night, the tycoon dreamed once more… of the coming of the most terrible man. A man who could steal quirks. A man who brought even All Might to his knees.
A man who lost, but then returned, stronger than ever — All For One!
When Reijirou woke up, he found himself trembling.
Yes, the dream was terrible… Yes, the threat was unavoidable… But that was not the main reason behind this tremble.
Reijirou Saionji hated nothing more than going back on his words.
He trembled because he knew he must break a promise…
He trembled because —
— this time when he took Luke to the labs, the boy wouldn't be coming back.
*********************
AN: Image of the Bioalchemy in action is available on my P -atre0n
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