I didn't like that feeling.
Not one bit.
"…Someone was definitely watching you," Kaito said as we walked.
"…Yeah," I replied quietly.
Beside us, Shota Aizawa kept his hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded—but sharper than usual.
"…Then we find them," he said simply.
And that's exactly what we were doing.
Following the Trail
"Based on the direction Ren pointed out," Izuku Midoriya said, flipping through his notes, "there's an older industrial zone nearby that's been mostly abandoned."
Mina shivered slightly.
"…Why is it always abandoned places?"
Kirishima cracked his knuckles.
"…Because that's where the bad stuff happens."
"…Great," I muttered.
We moved through the quiet streets.
Buildings getting older.
Windows broken.
Paint peeling.
Until—
"…There," I said.
The Lab
A building stood ahead.
Half-collapsed.
Dark.
Silent.
"…That's it," I said.
Aizawa stepped forward first.
"…Stay alert."
Inside
The door creaked as we pushed it open.
Dust filled the air.
The smell—
Old.
Metallic.
"…This place hasn't been used in years…" Midoriya whispered.
But something felt wrong.
"…Not abandoned enough," I said quietly.
Exploring
We split slightly—still within sight.
Looking.
Searching.
Broken equipment.
Old desks.
Scattered papers.
Then—
"…Guys?"
Kaito's voice.
We turned.
He stood near a wall—
Half-hidden behind a fallen cabinet.
"…You need to see this."
The Files
We moved closer.
And froze.
Folders.
Stacks of them.
All labeled.
PROJECT: REN
"…No way…" Mina whispered.
My chest tightened.
"…Open one," Aizawa said.
Kaito handed me a file.
My hands felt heavier than they should've.
I opened it.
Inside the File
Photos.
Of me.
Younger.
Wires attached.
Machines around me.
My eyes widened.
"…What… is this…"
Midoriya leaned over, reading quickly.
"…Test subject logs… spatial response tracking… neural adaptation…"
"…Test subject?" Kirishima said, confused.
I flipped the page.
More images.
Me—unconscious.
Floating slightly above a table.
Space warping faintly around me.
"…No…"
The Truth Starts Breaking Through
Another page.
"Subject displays abnormal spatial distortion capabilities beyond expected quirk limitations."
Another.
"Further testing required. Subject may be key to cross-dimensional manipulation."
My grip tightened.
"…This is about me…"
More Discoveries
"Ren…" Mina's voice shook slightly.
She pointed at another board nearby.
Pinned up—
More photos.
More notes.
And then—
Others.
Different people.
Different subjects.
Some crossed out.
Some marked "FAILED."
Some marked "TERMINATED."
"…What the hell…" Kaito muttered.
Midoriya's voice was quiet now.
"…This wasn't just research…"
Aizawa finished it.
"…It was experimentation."
Ren's Reaction
I stepped back slowly.
My head felt… heavy.
"…I don't remember any of this…"
But something deep inside—
Felt familiar.
Too familiar.
The Final File
Aizawa picked up one last folder.
"…This one's newer."
He handed it to me.
I opened it.
Inside—
A single page.
A photo.
Recent.
From earlier.
Me.
At the training field.
"…He's still watching…" I whispered.
At the bottom—
A note.
"Subject progressing faster than predicted.""Initiate Phase Two."
Silence
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because we all understood what that meant.
"…We're not done with this," Aizawa said.
"…No," I said quietly.
I looked at the photo again.
At myself.
"…He's not done with me either."
Final Scene
Elsewhere—
In another hidden location—
The scientist watched another screen.
The feed from the lab.
Watching us.
Watching me.
"…Good," he murmured.
His finger hovered over a control.
"…You found it."
A faint smile formed.
"…Now let's see how you handle the truth."