Work Text:
Early morning, almost afternoon at the center, was tiresome and boring. They had some checkups on sick hybrids, some were getting adopted, and Vets checked up others on for their bi-monthly appointment. Overall, it was a boring Saturday morning in the center. Coffee was brewing in the kitchen; lunch meals were heated, others ordered. Some conversed; others stayed solitary; finishing work reports and filing out supply reports.
Katsuki was stuck in his office, pager, and a walkie-talkie on his desk as he filled out files of Izuku's and other blood work tests of the big cat's blood work and other tests that have been coming back negative through the extensive tests they conducted and took longer to get results. He was halfway through a meatball sub when his phone buzzed, a notification popping up on his background. (A photo of Izuku asleep, face hanging off the platform along with his freckled toe-beans!) The notification was from Kirishima, or 'shit hair' in his phone. The photo was of Kaminari, who had obviously run into a wall, face squished into the grey walls with the caption, 'he fell asleep there' sent below the photo. Katsuki snorted softly before returning to his paperwork, another boring day...
until the quarantine ward was filled with bellowing roars of one angry big cat, Kaminari, who had woken up from his wall nap (dubbed by Mina in the center GC) was playing in the halls, bouncing around and playing while Kirishima kept an eye on him, nearly lept out of his skin when the first roar echoed like thunder after a flash of burning lightning stuck. He skittered off to Kirishima, who was also alarmed. Kaminari climbed Kirishima like a tree, hiding in the hoodie pocket Kirishima had on.
Kirishima clicked his pager, a code Manta, and spoke on the vet and trainer channel on his walkie talkie, "We have a code Manta down at the quarantine ward, it seems like something happened to Izuku," Within a few minutes, Katsuki, Yagi, and Aizawa all came running, unlocking the ward doors and booking it in. Kaminari and Kirishima followed after.
Swerves and turns, hallway upon hallway, habitats filled with sick or quarantined animals were passed as they made it to Izuku's habitat. It had been almost two weeks since they seized Izuku from the drug ring; the big cat had been mostly docile or hissed if they tried to step into his territory. Although Izuku was reluctant to eat, on the third night of being at the center, he started to eat his food and put on weight. He wasn't boney anymore and was getting his fat reserves and muscle back.
They finally make it to Izuku's window, seeing the big cat with blood trails on his muzzle and paws, canine teeth stained red as claws ripped into the concrete below. Two vets stood outside the closed and locked door, one clutching a bleeding arm, sobbing and the other looking angry. Katsuki saw red. "What the hell are you doing?!" Katsuki seethed, voice low and angry. The vets startled, looking at Katsuki. The one who wasn't clutching a bleeding arm spoke; Tokage Setsuna, a vet in the center, spoke, "We were supposed to run more blood tests on the asshole, but he attacked Tsunotori!"
She exclaimed, pointing to Pony Tsunotori, a vet who came from the US and was still fully learning Japensese. One of the reasons she was accepted is because she was top of her class in Hybrid ethics and care, along with her being half Hybrid, her father being a human, and her mother was a horse Hybrid. She had great grades, a kind personality, and got along well with most herbivore hybrids.
"First, Izuku isn't fucking ready for that! If you read his paper, he was not cleared for blood work or any vet work!" He growled, pointing an accusing finger at Tsunotori, who flinched at the movement, "Second, she's a fucking herbivore hybrid; what bright idea fell out of your dumbass mind thinking it was okay to put a prey hybrid with a predator who is fucking WILD?!"
Katsuki growled, veins in his hands bulging as he had to hold himself back from throttling the two of them. "And why did you go alone?! He's at high risk for aggression and unprovoked attack! Did you not read his fucking paperwork?!" Katsuki roared, seeing Tsunotori flinch back as Tokage grind her teeth, looking to the side, anger prominent in her eyes. Katsuki pinches his brow bone, one hand rubbing his temple. They were progressing, watching Izuku's personality bloom, but they probably set his progress back to zero! Katsuki disregarded the girls for a few minutes as Aizawa helped stop the bleeding but was chewing them out with choice words, while Katsuki focused on Izuku.
The hybrid stared through the glass, slitted eyes watching, tracking their every movement, even the way they breathed. His claws slid back into his paws, a dark pink tongue with black freckles and spots on his tongue darted out to lick the blood off his muzzle and paws, still watching. Katsuki could see the way Izuku's pupils dilated slightly from their dagger-like form at the taste of prey hybrid blood. He could also see the fear swirling in Izuku's radioactive green eyes, swirling like a dangerous whirlpool of fear, trust issues, and suspicion. Izuku's eyes glimmered with what looked to be unshed tears before the big cat blinked them away, pink tongue wrapping around the side of his muzzle with one last lick before disappearing into the strong jaws of the big cat.
Izuku was traumatized, it was easy to see if you knew how Hybrids work, and since Katsuki has been working with them for over ten years and graduated top of his class in Hybrid care and veterinary school, he could see the signs. Katsuki felt bad for Izuku, who clearly was terrified and went with his base reaction; attack.
Tuning back into the real world, he slotted his gaze away from the hybrid and back to the girls. Tsunotori's arm was no longer bleeding, and her tears seemed to subside. Tokage seemed to be arguing with Aizawa, "He attacked us! We were doing our job, and he attacked us! Shouldn't he be fucking put down for attacking us?! YAGI?!" Tokage turned to Yagi for backup, who sported a dark expression, fists shaking behind his back, knuckles white.
"Izuku is traumatized and clearly not in the wrong here. It would be best if you had looked into his files and would have seen that. One, you were not assigned to his case and should not even be in his habitat in the first place. Secondly, if you were not authorized by Mei's team to be here, which you most likely weren't, I could have you fired." Yagi hissed in a low growl, making everyone flinch. (Katsuki and Aizawa hid theirs, but looked at Yagi bewildered) "I-uhm-..." Tokage stumbled and tripped over her words, and Tsunotori was sniffling.
"He's right, you know," A voice echoed from the end of the hallway Izuku's habitat was located in, making everyone startle at the voice, looking over. A white-haired, middle-aged man with glowing red eyes stepped out of the shadows; scarring traveled from his jaw into his shirt collar—All for One, or Hisashi Shigaraki, the co-owner of One for All Rehabilitation center. Katsuki and Aizawa showed their respect for the man, dipping their heads in respect as Shigaraki made his way around Tokage and Tsunotori, standing by Yagi.
Hisashi stared at Izuku, who stared back, green eyes gleaming with confusion and curiosity, but the fear was still there. "Beautiful," Hisashi whispered as Izuku's ears perked up, hearing the soft-spoken compliment before looking away, almost shying away from the compliment. Carefully, Izuku stood, and nobody moved, all watching for the feline's next move. Izuku wearily approached the glass, staring at a wiggling and hyper Kaminari, who wagged his tail.
Kaminari was over the moon; could this hybrid be a new friend?! Before Kaminari could even think of making a sound, Izuku's paws slammed into the glass, startling everyone. Izuku's paws squished against the glass, bright pink paw pads with freckles as dark as night splattered over his toe beans, staring at Kaminari.
(somewhere, in the back of Katsuki's mind, he wanted to poke the freckled toe beans)
Kaminari and Izuku made intense eye contact, stopping Kaminari's wriggling as he stared back at the large feline. Izuku's tail flicked amusingly, yawning as his canines glowed in the artificial light from the ceiling, freckled tongue stretching out and curling before he shook his head, retracting his tongue and closed his jaw. Izuku's paws slid off the glass before he lowered himself to the ground slightly, shoulder blades rolling under his skin, head turned to the side as he prowled to where Tokage was kneeling over a sitting Tsunotori.
Tsunotori and Tokage were staring at the large feline with mild fear, waiting for something. Izuku's eyes glassed over with rage, teeth grinding together as his lips curled. Izuku's shoulder blades poked out from under his baggy skin, still putting on weight. He turned, jaw opening as a bellowing roar blazed and echoed in the habitat, making Tokage and Tsunotori's ears ring from the sound.
Deep, thundering growls followed the roar, claws starting to unsheath. Lips curled upwards; he flashed his pearly white teeth still dripping with rose-tinted saliva, slipping from his pink (and freckled, like holy shit?! he has so many!! freckles!!) gums, saliva drooling onto the ground as he growled, his throat bobbing from the vibration. Tsunotori's tail twitched with fear, her prey instincts screaming to run.
So, she did. Her hoofed feet skittered for purchase on the tile floor, booking it as tears shed from her eyes, tail flicking with terror. Izuku watched her go, watching Tokage sputter something unintelligent before racing after the fading figure of Tsunotori. Izuku watched with a barely hidden glee, tail flicking behind him.
The remaining group watched Izuku with mirth swimming in their eyes, happy to see Izuku didn't rip Tsunotori's arm off or tried again. Izuku snapped out of his glee-filled moment, turning to see the group smiling at him. He hissed, ears tilted backward as he scaled the bolted in scratch post to a higher platform, growling lowly. Katsuki peered into the habitat, seeing Izuku's bowl was licked clean, water trough filled automatically once it was under a certain line with a sensor. All of the blankets they provided for Izuku's were missing from the floor, which Izuku most likely built into a nest on a higher platform.
Shredded pieces of the rope laid around the scratch post, clear signs Izuku was enjoying it. (If the giant gashes of tiger claws and many missing layers of rope was anything to go by, Katsuki could 100% say Izuku liked the scratch post) Other enrichment was torn to shreds or lay untouched. The large, feline play ball had white marks in the thick rubber, along with bite marks around the handle. The giant stuffed teddy bear Izuku had in his habitat was also missing.
Katsuki could think of two fates of the bear, one; it was in Izuku's nest, or two its was gutted and dismembered on a platform that they couldn't see. (He picked (read: wished) for the latter, seeing he found no teddy bear guts around the edges of the habitat viewing window) Katsuki dragged his hand down his face, veins thrumming with blood, making his irritation spike.
Katsuki peered out from the spaces in his fingers from his hand on his face, watching Yagi and Hisashi walk off, both sporting dark expressions. Aizawa followed after, muttering something about 'proper punishments' or whatnot. Katsuki turned, looking at Kirishima, who held a snoozing, dead asleep Kaminari, the ferret's head jiggling softly as Kirishima readjusted him in his arms. "Paperwork?" Kirishima asked in a soft voice, smiling sheepishly at the pissed blond, "Paperwork." Katsuki dejectedly sighed, walking with Kirishima down the ward hallway, dreading the paperwork that would come out of this incident.
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Izuku watched the two go, fading into the soft grey hallways and disappearing around the turn. His head slowly rose back from where it was peering out from above the platform. Turning, his paws squished into cozy blankets; tail gracefully and fluidly swerved with his full-body turn. Carefully crawling into his warm and cozy nest, Izuku's hind legs slid out from under him, his right hip making contact with the nest before he lowered himself down. His head laid carefully in the warm teddy bear's furred lap, radioactive green eyes dimming with exhaustion. The teddy bear faintly smelled of spice and caramel musk. It was oddly comforting to the hybrid, allowing it to lull himself to sleep as the lights dimmed, the warm UV lights from the lights overhead dimmed with Izuku closing his eyes and allowing sleep to take him.
He was scared, seeing those unfamiliar people in his territory. Nobody had tried to come into his home (is it a home? or a cell? he doesn't know) like that and sneer at him like he was trash. They tried to approach him with what looked to be needles, and he attacked. He didn't really mean to; he kind of blacked out and reemerged when their scents were staring to stale in his habitat; the loud sound of locks slamming and locking shut knocked him out of his instinctual rage.
The smell of fresh blood (hybrid, or half hybrid blood at that made his instincts fry and go haywire again, but he calmed down) in his nose urged him to take in his surroundings. He could hear shouts and sobbing. Once the buzzing in his ears subsided, he was growling lowly, and his vision no longer swam; he could see the blond (Katuchi? Katsu... Kacchan was it? he can't really tell from the thick walls) yelling and chewing out the sobbing and seething pair of vets? Is that what they're called? Izuku didn't really know or care enough to figure it out.
Knowing himself, he'd figure it out at a later date. From there, it was a bit of an adrenaline rush, and his memories were a bit fuzzy. He didn't really care about it, laying in his soft nest, cuddling the large teddy bear that smelled of what he now familiarized the scent with home. It was warm and brought a fuzzy, almost static feeling in his chest that buzzed away like busy bees.
He didn't think much about it, finally falling into dreamland, curling closer to the warm spicy scent of the teddy.