[Temporary Hiatus]Echoes Of Rebellion: Reign Of Puppetmaster

New Beginning's

Izuku slowly opened his eyes, expecting the cold, sterile walls of the lab to surround him. The pain in his head still lingered, but when his gaze flickered to the side, he was met with something unexpected.

Nezu was asleep, sitting beside him in a chair, his tiny body curled up with exhaustion. Izuku's heart skipped a beat-this wasn't the usual scenario. It wasn't the lab. He wasn't hooked up to anything. He wasn't in a cage.

For a moment, Izuku simply stared at Nezu, taking in the sight of his exhausted friend. Nezu had always been there, always looking after him-even when it felt like the world was falling apart. Slowly, Izuku sat up, wincing a little as he moved. His muscles felt stiff, but the thought of seeing Nezu awake and okay was enough to keep him going.

Nezu stirred, his ears twitching slightly before his eyes blinked open. The moment his eyes landed on Izuku, a smile-soft and genuine-spread across his face. Without a word, Nezu pulled Izuku into a tight embrace, his arms wrapping around him with an unspoken relief.

"Izuku... you're really here. I thought... I thought I lost you," Nezu whispered, his voice filled with emotion.

Izuku hugged him back, feeling the tension in Nezu's small frame. "I'm here. I'm okay." He pulled back slightly, wiping his eyes, surprised to find them wet. "What happened? Where are we?"

Nezu took a deep breath, composing himself. "You've been through so much. We're safe now. We're not in the lab anymore. This is... it's a new beginning, Izuku."

Izuku's heart beat a little faster. "What do you mean?"

Nezu leaned back, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "After everything that happened, I realized the world we were in... it was a prison. So, I made sure we'd be free from that. I brought us to U.A. You know, the school where the heroes are trained? I'm the principal there, Izuku."

Izuku blinked, confused but curious. "U.A... but how are we safe there? What about the lab? What about... Kaito?"

Nezu's expression darkened, and Izuku immediately understood. "We found Kaito," Nezu began slowly. "But he's still... in stasis. They put him into some sort of deep sleep, an unbreakable stasis. We couldn't wake him up. But we're not giving up on him, Izuku. He's alive, and we're working on a way to get him out."

Izuku's heart twisted at the thought of his friend, still trapped in that eerie state. "He's alive?" Izuku whispered, a mix of relief and sadness washing over him.

Nezu nodded firmly. "Yes. But it's going to take time. We'll find a way. And in the meantime, we need to move. We'll be staying at U.A. Not in the main building, though. I've set up a secure underground home-a secret place where only you and I can access. It's safe, and it's ours. It's not just a hideout... it's a home."

Izuku couldn't help but smile at the idea. A home. Something real. Something that felt safe. "I'm glad... I'm so glad, Nezu. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Nezu smiled softly, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "You won't have to, Izuku. We'll take care of each other. And we'll take care of Kaito. Together."

Izuku's gaze softened. "And we'll bring him back, right?"

"Of course," Nezu said, determination in his voice. "We'll do whatever it takes."

The room was quiet for a moment, the weight of everything that had happened and everything yet to come hanging in the air. But there was something different now-a sense of hope. For the first time in a long while, Izuku felt like he wasn't alone. Nezu was with him, and so was Kaito, even if he was still lost in a state of stasis.