Chapter Text
The quiet embrace of a Saturday morning flooded the Midoriya household. Izuku's room, adorned with All Might-themed decor, was awash in gentle sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a warm and cozy glow. In this serene atmosphere, Izuku lay peacefully nestled in his blanket, lost in slumber.
Suddenly, a soft knock on the door shattered the silence, followed by a tender voice calling out, "Izuku, sweetie, it's time to wake up."
Feeling groggy, Izuku instinctively drew the blanket closer, cocooning himself within, emitting faint snores. The door creaked open, and Inko peeked in, her loving gaze falling upon her sleeping son. She couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at the sight. She expected Izuku to be awake, eagerly anticipating his 4th birthday. Stepping into the room, she knelt by his bedside, gently shaking him through the blanket. "Come on, birthday boy. It's a beautiful morning. You wouldn't want to spend your special day asleep, would you?"
Slowly rousing from his slumber, Izuku felt a strange sensation enveloping him. Initially disoriented, he rubbed his eyes and noticed his mother staring at him with wide eyes. "Mom, is everything okay?" he asked, sensing her unease.
Struggling to find the right words, Inko finally blurted out, "Izuku, you have a quirk!"
In shock, Izuku looked down at his arms, only to find them and his hands covered in green fur, with his fingers transformed into thick digits. Confusion and excitement raced through his mind before peeling the blanket away. He discovered that his legs had also undergone a startling transformation as his hands and arms, resembling the hind legs of a jackrabbit. Overwhelmed with disbelief, he leaped out of bed and stumbled out of the room, Inko closely following to ensure his safety.
"Be careful, Izuku!" she called out as he stumbled, eventually reaching the bathroom. Facing the mirror, Izuku gazed at his reflection in awe. Long rabbit ears protruded from the top of his head, and lifting the back of his shirt, he found a fluffy green rabbit tail on his lower back. Overjoyed, he realized that he had developed a quirk. Thrilled, he let out an exuberant squeal, startling his mother, who struggled to keep up with his rapid speech.
Dancing in jubilation, he lost his balance and fell, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the toilet. Inko, letting out a sigh, knelt by his side, gently urging him to be cautious. After helping him up, she mentioned that she had prepared breakfast and a surprise for him.
Despite his soreness, Izuku's excitement was uncontainable as he eagerly awaited the surprise, his tail wagging beneath his shirt. Grabbing his mom’s hand, they made their way to the dining room, Inko noticing her son's unsteadiness and making a mental note to buy him new sneakers to accommodate his newfound quirk.
In the dining room, a savory aroma filled the air as Izuku's eyes lit up, and his mouth watered at the sight of the delicious meals spread across the table, accompanied by his rumbling stomach. He could tell his mom put a lot of effort into making this meal special for him and he couldn't wait to dig in. The sound of the hungry growl made Inko chuckle, surprised that her son's new quirk didn't affect his appetite.”Dig in sweetie!” She encouraged.
Without hesitation, Izuku released his mom’s hand and scurried to his seat at the table, his heart brimming with joy. He then chortled and gathered large helpings of food onto his plate before eagerly savoring mouthfuls of the array of flavors. Inko watched with a smile as her son partook of his meal before taking a seat across from him and proceeding to prepare her plate.
Amid the celebration, Inko is curious about the origin of her son's unexpected quirk and ponders its implications for their family history while her husband is away working overseas. Perhaps the doctor could answer her questions about the mystery of her son's quirk when she scheduled his check-up. Izuku soon finishes his meal, licking away the remaining scraps from his lips before turning to his mom with a smile.” I'm ready for my surprise!” He chimed, wiggling in his seat. Inko smiled and nodded to her son before standing from her seat. “I'll be right back with your present.” With that, she left the room to retrieve her son's gift.
Watching his mom leave the room, Izuku ponders on what gift his mom had for his birthday. He had an idea of what said gift pertained to, as a majority of the birthday gifts he received were based on his favorite hero, All Might. However, he wondered if it was the latest Bronze Age All Might action figure he'd wanted for quite some time. Izuku immediately dismissed the thought. He recalled his mom mentioning that a specific toy was too expensive with the current budget she had, so it would probably be something cheap such as notepads.
While waiting for his mother's return, Izuku couldn't contain his excitement to test out the abilities of his new quirk. With a mix of trepidation and eagerness, he stood up from his seat and lowered himself to the floor on all fours, stretching out his limbs. Taking a deep breath, he put a bit of force into his legs and propelled himself forward. His first attempt at hopping was a bit clumsy, and he nearly injured his wrist when he lost his footing and fell onto his side upon landing. Undeterred, he stood up and made another attempt, hopping four times, but still wobbly with each landing.
However, just as he was about to continue practicing, a sudden wave of nausea overwhelmed him, and his stomach churned, making him instantly regret not waiting for his meal to settle before testing out his quirk.
He slapped a hand over his mouth to suppress a gag as his stomach lurched without warning, panting heavily to resist the urge to vomit. Just then, his rabbit ears picked up the sound of his mother's footsteps returning to the dining room, possibly with his gift.
Recomposing himself, Izuku retreated to his seat at the table, careful that the sudden movement wouldn't irritate his stomach further. Inko stepped into the room with a smile, carrying a present wrapped in shiny red wrapping paper over to where her son was seated and setting it down in front of him. "Here you go, sweetie," she said.
Izuku wasted no time as he eagerly tore into the wrapping of his present, sending strips of paper flying across the table. Once the remaining paper was removed, Izuku's jaw dropped in disbelief, his eyes twinkling, and his tail rapidly wagging when he saw his gift: the Bronze Age All Might action figure, the very toy he had dreamed of owning.
Overwhelmed with joy, he jovially leaped from his seat and into his mom's arms for a hug, expressing his gratitude.”THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!! T-” However, before he could finish, he was immediately cut off by another lurch in his stomach and turned away to vomit on the floor.
—
In the late afternoon, Inko and Izuku visited the local downtown mall. Izuku wore thick socks on his feet, as his old sneakers no longer fit due to his new quirk. The mall offered clothing and footwear for mutated quirks at affordable prices, much to Inko's delight knowing that she didn't have to overspend purchasing new items for her son.
The pair attracted the attention of mall patrons, some praising Izuku's quirk while others criticized his choice of footwear. Uncomfortable with the scrutiny, Izuku sought solace in his mother's presence. Inko comforted him, and they continued their shopping, unfazed by the stares.
—
The sun rose on a new day, and Izuku felt a surge of excitement as he laced up his new augmented shoes. He was eager to show off his quirk to Katsuki, his childhood friend. Despite a nagging feeling at the back of his mind, Izuku shook it off, brimming with anticipation for a great day ahead. As he stepped outside, the vibrant park greeted him with the sound of children playing and laughter filling the air.
Determined to find Katsuki, he weaved through the bustling crowd of kids, careful not to disturb their games. A few children paused their activity when Izuku passed by, their eyes widening in disbelief at his transformed appearance courtesy of his quirk.
"Wait, is that... Midoriya?" one child asked, astonished.
"He has a quirk?!" exclaimed another child, their jaw-dropping in shock.
"No way! Those gotta be fake. Come on!" A third child remarked before leading his friends to follow after Izuku. Soon, more children directed their attention to Izuku as other children followed him, their eyes lit up in fascination with his quirk.
"BUNNY!!!! They screech in unison before running after him as well. Izuku immediately halted in his tracks, blinking in confusion while his rabbit ears swiveled at the sound of children screeching. Before he could react, his head was suddenly yanked back as a child grabbed one of his rabbit ears and tugged on it harshly, eliciting a pained cry from him.
"Ouch! That hurts! Please let go!!" He begged, desperately trying to wretch the sensitive appendage from the other child's grasp. However, the child ignored Izuku’s pleas and tugged on the appendage harder in an attempt to pull it off, earning another pained cry from the green-haired boy.
"It won't come off!!!"The children yelled, gritting their teeth in the struggle to pull.
"Pull harder then." Says another child before harshly grabbing Izuku's other ear to pull on it hard, eliciting another pained yelp from the green-haired boy. Despite the pain, Izuku's anxiety skyrockets as more children race over and surround him. Thick tears rolled down his face, feeling their hands poke and prod him as well as pick at the fur on his arms and touch his tail; their laughter drowned out his pleas. At that point, Izuku gave up screaming; his throat grew too sore, seeing that it wasn't much help to stop the crowd.
He closed his eyes, silently praying for someone to rescue him from this torment. " HEY! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?!?" A rather angry voice explodes over the crowd, halting their actions into silence. Izuku couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as a familiar voice reached his ears, looking up to see the crowd of children looking around in confusion.
"Oi! Up here, losers!" The voice yelled with anger and annoyance. The crowd diverts its attention to a hill in the park where Katsuki is perched on top, his arms crossed over his chest, and red eyes glaring at the crowd below.
Izuku couldn't help but smile upon seeing his friend, his tail wagging. Fear immediately swept over the crowd in the presence of Katsuki. The blonde-haired child had a rather violent reputation due to the quirk he had. Katsuki unfolded his arms, small sparks emitting from his palms as he made his way down the hill toward the crowd. The crowd around Izuku as flinch as the blonde-haired boy headed towards them and quickly scrambled out of his way, unconsciously loosening their grip on Izuku in an attempt to avoid him.
Katsuki just rolled his eyes and scoffed as the crowd retreated, finding it pathetic. Izuku was relieved once the grip on him slackened before jogging over to his friend, wiggling with giddiness. "Kacchan! I'm so glad you’re here. I was looking for you!" He rasped, wincing from the tenderness of his throat. He was eager to know what his blonde-haired friend thought of his new quirk.
Katsuki extinguished the explosions when Izuku approached him, his eyes widened in shock, staring at the green-haired boy. His gaze roamed Izuku's form, inspecting every change and detail his new quirk made before his expression returned to a glare, not amused with what he saw." You look fucking ridiculous."
The blonde's snide remark earned a chuckle from the crowd watching the interaction between the two, some even agreeing with him. Izuku's tail wagging ceased when sadness overwhelmed him, his smile replaced with a frown while his ears flopped in response. He didn't understand. He thought Katsuki would be happy now that he had a quirk." T-That's mean Kacchan..." He whimpered, resisting the urge to cry as tears filled his eyes.
"Aww look. He's crying. What a baby!" A child amidst the crowd teased, eliciting a chuckle from the others. Katsuki glares daggers at the green-haired boy.
"What?!" He growled before snatching one of Izuku’s rabbit ears, earning a pained yelp from the green-haired boy as he forced him to look directly into his angry eyes."You think that just because you have a quirk means you're suddenly cool now?" Tears were now leaking from Izuku’s eyes, lips quivering at his friend's harsh words.
Katsuki couldn’t help but smirk as he watched Izuku reduce himself to a blubbering mess. He gave the green-haired boy's ear another painful tug. “You're so pathetic! Whether you have a quirk or not, you're still useless, Deku!” He emphasized, tightening his grip on the sensitive appendage before yanking it again.
Izuku emitted a pained cry as his tender ear endured more abuse from his blonde-haired friend. “Kacchan!!! It hurts! It hurts!!! Stop!!! Please!!!!!” he begged, his fur-covered hands desperately trying to pry his ear free from Katsuki's grip. He glanced over at the crowd that had tormented him earlier, hoping they would help him.
Unfortunately, the crowd did nothing but enthusiastically cheer Katsuki on, pointing and laughing at Izuku as he struggled to break free. Katsuki snorted in response to Izuku's pitiful cries. “Make me, you damn nerd.” He leaned closer to Izuku’s other ear, breathing heavily. “I dare you…”
Small explosions ignited from the palm that held Izuku’s ear. Suddenly, Izuku’s eyes went wide as the sensation of white-hot pain spread through his ear, the scent of burning fur and flesh filling his nostrils. For a moment, Izuku's mind went blank; his fingers flexed inward before he swiped at Katsuki.
A pained howl erupted from the blonde-haired boy, and the crowd went silent. It didn't take long for Izuku to regain his senses. His eyes widened in panic, and he breathed shallowly as cold sweat dripped down his face. His ears swiveled, feeling the pressure gone from one of them, though the burning sensation remained.
Just as Izuku was about to inspect his wound, he sensed that something was off. He looked at the crowd. Some stare at him in shock while others murmured among themselves. Confusion flickered briefly in his mind before clarity struck as he glanced at his fur-covered hands.
His heart froze at the sight: one hand was soaked in blood, and sharp claws protruded from his finger stumps. Panic welled up inside him as he stared, biting his lip in disbelief at the realization his quirk had given him claws. What made matters worse was that he had inadvertently scratched his friend. Trembling, he nervously swallowed before glancing over at Katsuki.
The blonde-haired boy stood hunched over, his face contorted in pain as he pressed his hand to his cheek, blood seeping through his fingers and forming a small puddle at his feet. A few children in the crowd rushed to Katsuki's side, concerned about his injury, only to be shoved away by the blonde boy.
Izuku's ears drooped as a wave of guilt washed over him. All he wanted was to impress his friend by showcasing his quirk, he didn't intend to hurt him.
Approaching Katsuki, he could feel the glares of the children around him as he reached out with concern. "Kacchan... Are you alright?" he muttered. Katsuki's eyes snap open at Izuku's call, filled with intensity as he locks his gaze onto the green-haired boy. Alarmed, Izuku takes a cautious step back. “Ka...chan?” he stammers, his voice trembling as he shivers intensely.
A low growl emerges from Katsuki's throat as he clenches his fist; sparks and smoke emanate from his free hand. “Deku…” he growls, removing his other hand from his face to reveal five bleeding gashes on his cheek.
Izuku flinched at the sight of the wound and shivered at the tone of his growl. Feeling a sense of danger, Izuku slowly backed further away from the angry blonde. "K-Kacchan! I-I didn't m-mean it! I-I swear." He whimpered, holding out his hands in an attempt to placate his friend. However, this only further enraged the blonde boy as the volume of his growls increased, barring his teeth at Izuku as he stomped toward him.
A few children cackled as they continued watching the spectacle while others remained silent, anticipating what would happen between the two friends. Without warning, Katsuki broke into a sprint as he charged towards Izuku, explosions erupting wildly from his palms." YOU DAMN NERD!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!!!" He screeches.
Izuku's eyes widened in alarm as his friend charged at him. Instantly, he tried hopping away but his efforts were cut short when he lost his footing and fell. The crowd erupted into a fit of laughter at the sight of the green-haired boy's failed escape.
Regaining his composure from the fall, Izuku’s ears perked up as he noticed a looming shadow overhead. He looked up to see Katsuki standing over him, his red eyes blazing with unmistakable fury. Tears filled Izuku’s eyes, ears flicked back watching Katsuki raise his arm in preparation to strike, explosions to continue erupting from his palm. "Please...don't..." He silently begged, hoping it would be enough to persuade his friend from hurting him.
Unfortunately, Katsuki scoffed at Izuku's pleas before slamming his explosive palm down on the green-haired boy. A pained cry escaped from Izuku as white-hot pain spread throughout his body, causing him to slip into unconsciousness.
__
When Izuku regained consciousness, he immediately recognized that it was evening and he was alone in the park. He winced in pain as he sat up to assess his injuries. To his dismay, he noticed that his new sneakers were missing.
Someone had clearly stolen them while he was out cold. It wouldn’t be surprising if Katsuki had taken them to get back at him, or if the onlookers had decided to snag them during his moment of weakness. Izuku buried his face in his hands, frustration boiling inside him.
His mom had just bought those sneakers, and he knew she would be furious if he came home without them. He realized she would probably have to spend more money to buy new ones for him.
Overwhelmed by anger, Izuku found himself trembling as he struggled to catch his breath. Frustration boiled over, and in a fit of rage, he punched the ground, berating himself for his foolishness. Memories of the incident flashed through his mind, fueling his fury as he unleashed a series of wild punches.
He couldn't shake the feeling of foolishness for believing that coming here to impress his friend would yield positive results. Deep down, he realized that no amount of kindness he showed to Katsuki would ever be enough to earn a genuine response from the blonde.
Tears filled Izuku’s eyes, but he fought to keep his composure. His punches started to slow, and his breathing was heavy from the exertion. His hands throbbed from the repeated impact, a reminder of the effort he had put in. There was no denying it: his mom was not going to be pleased. He had lost his sneakers and now had to bandage his wound. He steeled himself for the inevitable lecture he would receive from her, knowing he would face it head-on.
Izuku flinched in pain as he slowly stood on his long feet. As he wobbled away from the park, tears that he had suppressed fell down his face as Katsuki's harsh words lingered in his mind.