(A/N: So this is the first chapter of my Rehabilitation and Integration AU anthology fanfic inspired by Chapters 9, 30, 7 and 34 of Ferric's Teratogenesis. Post!6: Essentially with the advent of the C-virus and its capability to mutate its host while maintaining the host's full faculties if directly injected fighting bioterrorism became more complex as civilians get their hands on the virus and used it for various reasons and viral agents and B. becomes more common to the point of being a fact of life. Some purposely infect themselves, others by accident, while others were forced to be used as living weapons or experiments. With the rise of sapient infected either rescued or captured. A Rehabilitation program for sapient and sane B. . was created. This fic will follow their lives as they adjust to their new bodies and how society will change around them.)

CH 1. Open House

Summary: It is open house at Parker elementary school, one of the first schools to integrate infected and uninfected students. Sarra, a mother of an infected worry.

Sarra drove up to the school's drop off/pick up crescent moon shaped ramp and set her van into park, it usually wasn't allowed for anyone to park in front of the ramp, but exceptions were made due to the high volume of people coming to Parkers Elementary school and too little parking spaces. Sarra looked out the tinted windows of her van, there were parents with their children walking excitedly by them ready to meet their new teachers. It would have been an ordinary sight if it wasn't for the four Blue Umbrella and four BSAA guards patrolling the ramp and the 8 ft tall muscle bound trench coat-clad behemoth with muscles that would put heavyweight bodybuilders to shame. Ever since the BSAA and Blue Umbrella found and secured one of old/red Umbrellas labs that were used to store tyrants, there was much debate on what to do with them. Some argued that they should be destroyed because they are too dangerous others debated that the genetically altered creatures were living beings and should not be thrown away so callously instead they should be rehabilitated so they could integrate into society and help with fighting bioterrorism or perform other tasks. After much debate, it was decided that the Tyrants would be split up evenly and put under the care of the BSAA and blue Umbrella. So far based on what Sarra saw on the news and such, they weren't much trouble just a little slow and not big on critical thinking.

But the guards weren't the problem. The problem was the ones they were guarding against a good size group of protestors at the edge of the school property men and women mostly consisting of those ranging from earlier 20s to possible late 40s. They were holding picket signs with slogans such as 'A good infected is a dead infected', 'You were supposed to teach our children about hygiene', 'I don't want my children to pop up eyes on their shoulders', 'Say no to infectious privilege.' and others that were utterly more vulgar and shouting similar slogans. Sarra's hand tighten around the steering wheel, she understands why the protesters have such sentiments many of them were likely had family members that were victims of bioterrorism and BOWs or just fearful parents who just want to protect their family, but it didn't make hearing their vulgar chants any easier especially for a person in her situation. Sarra let in and let out a deep breath trying to calm her nerves combing a hand through her blond hair, she was nervous and scared/terrified, but not for herself, but for her son because of those that hate him because of his 'unique' condition. Worse of all, there will be more coming on the first day of school, and such large groups tend to attract more violent individuals.

Almost a year ago, her son, Micheal, was infected with the C-Virus by a needle bomb planted by a new age cultist during a school trip. After a few months of observation and through checkups he was cleared by the BSAA and was put in a Rehab and integration program for children who are in similar condition. As part of the program, children were allowed to go back to school to show that infected individuals could integrate into society, but as shown with the protestors not everyone was onboard. Many parents didn't want their children to attend a school that has infected/BOWs as students. Many of them had to go to new schools due to the principles bowing to pressure from anti-integration groups.

"Mom?" said a voice with the word cutting off with resonating buzz and clicks.

Sarra looked behind her at the child sitting in the middle seat, at one point her son was a pale-skinned 8-year-old boy with black hair and black eyes both he inherited from his late father, but now ever since the terrorist attack during a school trip by some new age cult supplied by Red Umbrella he changed. His body was no longer human in the traditional sense. His skin was now a blackish blue with parts of his body covered in glossy black chitin armor particularly his hands, arms, legs, chest, legs, back and along with his spine which act as anchor points for his four insect-like appendages currently folded on his back each 'leg' ending with two-fingered hand. His main hands remained the same except covered in chitin with each of his fingers ending with claws. His feet changed a more insect-like quality with three large 'toes' ending with talons and his legs changed in such a way that he walks on the balls of his feet giving him a digitigrade stance. He still had his shoulder-length black hair and his face remain largely unchanged except his eyes were completely black and glossy like a spider's, his mouth went farther back with insect mandibles on the sides with muscles and bones having shifted to accommodate his new mouth structure. He wore a black shirt with a white spider on the front, a design based on some comic book character called Venom Sarra believed, and some black shorts that went to his knees. Both items of clothing had to be specially tailored to accommodate his new body. With the shirt needing four holes in the back to accommodate his new back appendages and both clothing needed to be slightly bigger, so the chitin parts of his body don't get snagged while moving.

Sarra remembered when she first saw the videotape of him emerging from his chrysalis when the BSAA took her in. They were trying to prepare her to meet her son in his new form. The agent explained that he still, all in all, he acts like a human child and not a ravenous barely intelligent monster like with the infected of early to mid-2000s outbreaks, but it did little to alleviate her fears. At the time she worried not that her son changed mentally, no based on the behavior described to her by the agent he was still the same boy she raised who loved superheroes and comic books seeing his new body as 'cool' and 'awesome.' What scared her was herself. She always said that she would love her son no matter what, but she never otruly took intaccount for if he ever got infected. She was afraid that out of instinctual fear she would hurt her son emotionally. She heard stories of parents abandoning their children because they were infected. She didn't want to be like that, but there was always a possibility that for a moment she would hurt her son that way and cause a wound that would take a long time to heal. Then she met him and saw the same boy she always loved just with a few extra bits and a slight increase in height(he now reach her shoulders.), and a few additional needs like help with shedding his chitin armor and custom clothing.

Unfortunately, that was the easy part telling the rest of the family was more difficult. It was a mixed bag; some were quite accepting others were not so, and heated words were exchanged, and some were in between/apathetic. Hopefully, the upcoming family reunion would help smooth things out. At least she hoped that would happen, but she knew there will be those who will always see him as a monster. She is lying if she said that she didn't feel a little resentment towards those parts of her family. Why couldn't they see that despite his appearance this was the same Micheal they knew for the last 8 years?

"Mom," said Jason causing Sarra to wake up from her trip down memory lane. "Are you alright? You're staring." Jason mandibles clicked together and twitch slightly. A tic that Sarra learned he did when he was nervous/worried.

Sarra gave her son a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Micheal, I just got lost in thought."

Michael nodded then stared out the window at the group of protestors, he then looked back at his mom; his black eyes crestfallen. "Mom, will they be there the whole time?"

Sarra's heart dropped at the way her son said those words with such worry and fear, but as much she wanted to tell a comforting she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to him. "Yes, they will, and there will likely be a bigger group on the first day of school. Just remember what I taught you to do in such situations."

"Ignore them, and unless they get violent don't engage them. They are just afraid and just need their fears put to rest." Michael recited, he then looked back at the protestors. "But why are they so afraid, I am not like the BOWs used during the outbreaks, most of the people met in the program aren't like that! It's unfair!" Michael's mandibles twitched with a clicked together a sign of frustration.

"I know that, but they don't. They are just ignorant once they see that their children are in no danger, they will come around." Sarra smiled. "Now come on let's go meet your teachers and take a look at your new school."

That brighten his face, and his mandibles spread in his equivalent of a smile. "Yeah, I also want to see the tyrant!"

Sarra chuckled at her son 's enthusiasm, nothing can bring him down for long. He always was a half-full sort of boy always finding something to be happy about. "Alright, just don't bother them too much, they still have a job to do."

"Alright, Mom," he said.

Saraa smiled before unlocking the doors and getting out along with her son. They walked towards the entrance of the school ignoring the curious glances directed towards them. Sarra noticed that were other infected children she spotted one child who was a human-shaped swarm of wasps and another who had scorpion tail like appendage and scorpion claws on her back. Once they got to the entrance, Michael went up to the tyrant and the Blue Umbrella security officer guarding the door before Sarra could stop him.

"Hey, my name is Michael, so are you with Blue Umbrella?"

The guard smiled while the tyrant just looked down at the child cocking his head to the side. "My name is Angelo, and this is Mister Bubbles, we both work for the Blue Umbrella, and sorry about my friend he still doesn't quite got the hang of interacting with people yet," said Angelo pointing at the tyrant.

"That's ok, but why is he call Mr. bubbles?" asked Micheal.

Angelo chuckled. "A little in-joke, it is a long story. If you want to hear it."

"Micheal, I know you want to talk to them, but we have to go meet your teachers, and these men have a job to do." Sarra lightly admonished before he could answer.

Micheal groaned before nodding his head. "Yes, Ma'am. Sorry for distracting you."

Angelo waved off the apology. "No problem, it's always nice to talk to someone besides my partner over here. As you can tell, he is not very talkative." Angelo pointed at the tyrant who merely looked at his surroundings ignoring them. "Anyway, go inside. Don't want to keep your teachers waiting."

"Alright, oh, Mom can I show Mr. Angelo my trick before we go," asked Michael.

Sarra shook her head. "I Think we already took up enough of their-"

The guard lifted his hand. "It's alright, ma'am. We can spare a few seconds." he then turned his head towards Michael. "Go ahead little guy show me what you can do." he encouraged.

Michael smiled his mandibles opening up, the insectoid legs on back stretching out before they touched the ground and lifted him up until his feet no longer touched the ground and was tall enough to be at chest level of the tyrant. Michael stepped back then forward using his insectoid legs.

"Well, lookie here. We got ourselves a spider version of . Now go on in, we kept your teachers waiting long enough. Everyone's meeting in the cafeteria," he added.

Michael folded his legs, and Sarra gave a 'thank you' before going inside the building. It was an average looking school completely standard with the school's emblem painted in its colors of white and gold hanging on an archway and three glass cases displaying achievements and rewards for all to see lined the wall across from the main office. And on their left was the front office and outside the office were a couple of parents and their two children one was uninfected and the other was a B.O.W. with slick purple skin, purple hair, fins on his back and forearms, gills on his neck, his hands were slightly oversized and webbed and a shark tail. He wore blue jean shorts with a white tank top(a victim of the CT-abyss virus variant). They were talking to a lady who seemed to be in her late 20s-early 30s. She wore jeans and a purple blouse on the blouse a gold name tag.

"That must be one of the teachers." thought Sarra.

Sarra followed by Micheal walked towards the group who seemed to just got finish talking the lady wearing the shirt. After the parents and their children left going down the hall then turned right around a corner, the teacher then turned her head spotting Sarra and Micheal walking towards her.

"Why hello, there I'm Mrs. Carla Jean one of the third-grade teachers," she said with enthusiasm sending out her hand for a handshake.

Sarra took her hand, recognizing the name as her son's assigned teacher. "Nice to meet you, My name is Sarra Cruz," she then grabbed her son's shoulder. "And this is my son Michael. I believe you're my son's teacher."

Michael waved his hand. "Hi,"

"Oh, so you're one of my students! Nice to meet you, Micheal. I am looking forward to being your teacher." she said making Micheal smile.

"You seem pretty calm about having a B.O.W as a student, Mrs. Jean?" said Sarra.

Mrs. Jean chuckled. "I admit I wasn't the most excited about it, and I will be honest, I was a little scared. As you guessed I wasn't trained to teach B. , and I didn't know what to expect, and I am sad to admit I took what some of the other teachers said with too much consideration, but after meeting my future students, I see they're no different than my other students in the past. Sure, two of my students is a swarm of wasps and an amphibious shark, but they are still children and deserve an education." After her little speech, a sad smile crossed her face. "Unfortunately, most of the teachers resigned or transferred because they didn't want to teach infected students. Some were simply too old and couldn't handle the stress of having such unique students and others were… afraid to put it mildly. Let just say some believe this situation is a ticking outbreak time bomb. We are getting new teachers, but they are a little wet behind the ears, but they are very good at teaching and with students."

Sarra let out a sad sigh. "I heard that been happening with a lot of the integrated schools. I understand why they feel the way they do, but as a parent of an infected I find it frustrating."

Mrs. Jean nodded. "I understand, but I will do everything I can to make sure all my students get a quality education. Anyway, I believe it's almost time for the presentation in the cafeteria to start. Follow me, Principle Perry has many announcements to make! Not to spoil too much, but one of them is, in fact, the grand opening of the aquatic center for those infected by Abyss variant of the C virus. And many other accommodations."

Saraa smiled following Mrs. Jean as she continued talking about school programs designed for infected individuals with her son beside her. Her hope for the future burning a little brighter. She hoped that the world sees what she and Mrs. Jean sees in her son. An energetic and good-natured little boy with a few extra bits.