Alley Cat (Ch 1) (Patreon)

Today we’re going to the doctor to figure out my quirk. Everyone else in my class is already showing signs of what theirs are going to become, like Kachans! He can make sparks from his hands like his dad, but all the adults say that when he gets older, he’ll be able to use his sweat to make explosions! It’s so cool! A great quirk for a hero!

Though… he has started to be a bit mean to the other kids. Even though some of their quirks would be good for heroics too. Like Tsubasa! Flying quirks are so cool! Oh, oh, and Honowei Henka! She can change her fingers so they become fire! But when she gets older she might be able to do that to her whole body! Anyone can be a hero, that’s what All Might says! So Kachan telling people that they can’t is mean!

“Oh, honey!” My mom shouts at my dad as she hops out of the bedroom while putting on one of her shoes. “Sorry, but I got called in for an extra shift. Would you mind taking Izuku to the doctor for his quirk check-up?”

He smiles at her as he nods. “Sure thing dear. It’s in an hour, right?”

She nods, going up and giving him a kiss and ruffling my hair. I cross my arms and pout at her. She’s ruffled my hair so much that it can’t even change! “That’s right. But it’s in Jaku so you’ll have to leave soon to be there on time.”

“Huh? But why don’t- and she’s gone.” Dad sighs as he watches mom leave before turning to me with a smile and putting his hand on my head. “Well kiddo, there’s not really a reason for us to go so far out just for a check up. How about we check if anyone is available a bit closer to home?”

The doctor is going to help me figure out my quirk and I get to spend time with dad? This is the best day ever!

`~`

“Apologies, but your son is quirkless.” The doctor is a woman with long pink hair tinged blue at the end of her ponytail. And other than her lab coat, she doesn’t really give off the feeling of a doctor like the one I’ve been to before. But does that really matter right now? She just said I’m quirkless!

But… but I can still be a hero, right? I don’t say the words, swallowing them down when I see the expression on Dad’s face. When we got here, he looked so happy. But now, he’s frowning. I think he’s angry. Is… he angry at me?

“Are you sure? I’ve heard that some quirks don’t register on the equipment that scans for them. Could it just be that?” I perk up. Could it be that I just have a super special quirk that doesn’t show up? That’s amazing!

But my hopes are crushed as soon as they rise. She shakes her head as she pulls up an x-ray of a small foot. My foot. “Sorry, but no. You see here?” She opens up one of those sticks that get longer and points at the pinky toe. “He has a second joint in his pinky toe. Even with quirks that don’t register, we can be assured that they do have a quirk since they only have a single joint. But your son… doesn’t.”

Dad’s lips tighten, and I look down. But… All Might always says that anyone can be a hero. Anyone. Sure, having a quirk would make it easier to become one, but it’s not needed to do it. It will be hard, but I can just become a quirkless hero!

I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Dad hits the wall with his fist. “Fuck! This… How did this happen!?” He looks up and covers his face with his hands. “What am I supposed to tell Inko?”

My heart drops. Do… do Mom and Dad not like it when someone is quirkless? Is it bad that I am?

“Perhaps…” The doctor makes a noise that gets both my and Dad’s attention, and we both turn back to her. Seeing us looking at her, she waves a hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t mind me. Just, thinking out loud.”

“About him being quirkless?” Dad’s eyes light up and he takes a step towards the doctor, who’s nose crinkles and takes a step away. “Can you do something to fix him? Make him normal?”

I look back down. I feel like crying. I’m not normal? Being quirkless is wrong?

“Well…” The doctor trails off leadingly. “I do have a personal project that might be able to help. Though it is still in the testing phases…” She pauses then smiles when Dad nods enthusiastically.

“Please! Take him! You’d be a lifesaver if you actually could do something about this! I don’t think I could handle having a quirkless kid.”

Oh. It looks like I couldn’t stop myself from crying. I thought that my parents would love me no matter what. That’s what they always say. But Dad is making it sound like he doesn’t love me anymore because I don’t have one. Does that mean that Mom won’t love me anymore? But this lady can give me a quirk? If she can, will Dad and Mom love me again?

The doctor’s smile brightens. “Perfect! Oh, and just so there aren’t any problems-” She reaches inside her coat and pulls out a stack of papers. Why did she have them there instead of in her desk or something? “I’ll just need you to sign this. Just a standard contract stating that you approve of what I’m doing, and won’t cause problems if things don’t work out. On the bright side, since this is the testing phase, you’re entitled to monetary compensation! Even if there’s no progress in the project, though I find that to be unlikely, you’ll be being paid upfront so you don’t lose out!”

Dad is so excited that he’s losing control of his quirk, flames licking at the edges of his lips. “That sounds amazing! I love science!” He chuckles, a small burst of flames leaking out. “The money helps, of course.”

She smiles tightly before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a stack of cash even bigger than the pile of papers she had him sign. “Of course. Though I feel I should warn you that the child will need to stay with me until the process is complete. I trust that won’t be a problem.”

Dad snorts. “Hardly. Keep him as long as you need! As long as he comes out with a quirk, it doesn’t really matter how long it takes.”

And he…leaves. Just like that. He doesn’t even look at me when he does. Doesn’t say goodbye. Doesn’t wish me luck, or say he’ll miss me. He just pockets the money and leaves me behind.

I’m pulled from my shock when the doctor taps me on the head. “Paying attention now? Good. Come along kid, we have places to be.” She turns around and walks to a door in the back, probably to take me to where she’ll give me a quirk? But after I get up and follow her I slip on something, my butt painfully landing on the floor. I get up and rub the spot that hurts but pause when I feel something wet and sticky. I move my hand so it’s in front of my face and pale at what I see.

Blood.

I open my mouth to scream, tears already leaking from my eyes, but before I can the doctor is in front of me with her hand over my mouth. “Shh. Shh. It’s ok, you aren’t hurt. That’s not blood. Don’t scream, or you’ll get in trouble. You don’t want to get in trouble before we even leave, now do you?”

I swallow the noise back down as I look down, seeing that she’s right. The red stuff isn’t coming from me, instead it’s leaking from one of her cabinets. But if it’s not blood, then what is it? Seeing the question in my eyes replacing my panic, the doctor slowly pulls her hand away, tension leaving her shoulders when I don’t yell. Like she said, I don’t want to get in trouble. And the pain in my butt is already fading. I guess I was more surprised than hurt then?

“You see, while I wait in between patients, I like to paint. And that cabinet is where I keep my painting supplies! But it looks like the red paint spilled somehow.” She shrugs. “But what can you do? Sometimes, that’s life.” She grabs my wrist and starts pulling me, and behind the door we go through is a set of stairs leading down. “Let’s get out of here before someone comes in. I’d rather not be here when that gets found.”

I giggle a little, because that sounds like what some of my classmates say when they make a mess. She’s moving a bit fast though, so I start hopping down the steps two at a time to match her after she lets go of my wrist. Soon enough we’re in a parking garage and she takes me to one of those cars Dad is always complaining about being for wimps. A pri-us or something like that.

Normally I wouldn’t get in a stranger’s car, but Dad left me with her, and even agreed with everything she said!

If you can’t trust the doctor your parents take you too, then why would they take you to them in the first place?

`~`

I don’t know where we are since I got tired in the car, but when I wake up I’m strapped to a table in a bright white room. I have to squint my eyes against the glare, but the only thing I can see is what looks like a window along one wall. But I can’t see anyone on the other side.

I fidget nervously as I try to move, but the straps across my legs and chest are keeping me from doing anything. At least I can tap my fingers against the table. This is not a nice way to wake up. Especially since there’s no one here!

I don’t know how long I wait, but I count one hundred taps five times before I hear the sound of a door opening. I twist my head, and thankfully the door is about even where my head is on the left wall, so I see the doctor walk in holding a needle filled with a clear liquid. I swallow since I’m not very good with needles. But then again, neither is anyone I know. Even Kachan cried when he had to get a shot! Of course he denied it and told me that he’d punch me if I ever told anyone, but that’s just Kachan being Kachan.

“Oh?” The doctor seems surprised to see I’m awake before shrugging. “I suppose I was a bit to conservative with the dose. But it shouldn’t matter.” She walks towards me as she pushes a bit of the liquid out of the needle and flicks it to shake off the loose drops. “Now, I did want to do this while you were asleep since I believe it will hurt. But don’t worry, if my calculations are correct, the pain should be over with quickly.”

I swallow nervously, wishing that Mom or Dad were here to hold my hand like they usually do when I get a shot. But big kids don’t need to do that, and I’m going to be a big kid after she gives me a quirk! …This shot is going to give me a quirk, right?

“U-um, this s-s-shot will give me a quirk, r-r-right?”

She nods absentmindedly as she lines up the needle with my shoulder. “That’s correct. This should give you a boost to your intelligence, or at least your processing ability. Though should it not, I have quite a bit more formulas to test out. And my own quirk will ensure that your body won’t reject them as that senile old man’s experiments do.”

“Old man?” I question, only for the needle to go in, my question forgotten as I feel the liquid pushing into me. I…don’t think I’m supposed to be able to feel it.

But like she said, soon enough the sensation fades into the background and she pulls out the needle, wiping it clean on a sterile wipe before pocketing it. I give her a smile. “You were right, that barely even hurt!”

But contrary to what I thought, she gives me a sympathetic look. “Apologies kid, but that was just the needle. The formula hasn’t even started yet.”

Before the worry about her words can set in, I feel it. The formula. I can feel it moving inside me. Going through my blood. Going towards my head. The room is loud, and I don’t know how long it takes me to realize that I’m screaming. But it doesn’t help the pain.

I can feel it reach my brain, something that I shouldn’t be able to feel! It seeps in, and my eyesight turns blurry. I’m still screaming, but it’s quieter now. My throat hurts. The pain is still there, and there’s bright lights hurting my eyes so I close them.

I don’t know how long my eyes are closed, but eventually I hear a voice. It sounds familiar, but I don’t know why. When I finally open my eyes, squinting against the glare reflecting off the too-white walls, I see her.

It’s a woman wearing a lab coat -what’s a lab coat?- and she has dark pink hair tinged blue at the bottom of her ponytail. She leans over me, blocking out the light and shadowing her face. “So kid, how do you feel?”

I open my mouth, pausing as I feel like something’s missing. But I can’t think of what it is, so I move past it, answering the woman honestly. “My head hurts.”

She nods as she smiles, showing her teeth. “That’s to be expected. Gaining a quirk, especially a mental one, is bound to give you a headache.”

Oh, so I got a quirk? Cool! But… “What’s a quirk?”

Her smile freezes before slowly turning into a frown. She moves, and the light is back to shining in my face. I can hear her moving, and I try to push myself up so I can see her easier, but I’m strapped to the table. I can feel myself start to panic, waking up in a strange place with a strange woman. I want-

What do I want? I feel like it’s something important, something that would make me feel better. But I can’t remember what it could be! That just makes me panic more and struggle against the restraints even harder. At least until the woman comes up to the table and slaps her hands against it. “Stop!”

I flinch, then she starts talking in a quieter and softer tone, still out of my sight. “I apologize kid, but I need to ask you some questions, and I need you to answer them honestly. Nod if you understand.”

I nod, swallowing past the lump in my throat. I want…someone. Someone who…was there for me? Someone who can make me feel better.

“Good. Now, can you tell me your name?”

I think about it, I really do. I know what a name is, and I know it’s important. But if it’s important, why can’t I remember mine? Do I even have one?

“I…can’t. Do I have a name?”

She ignores my question, going on to the next. “What about your parents? Can you tell me anything about them?”

Parents. The word is a whisper in my mind, and I realize that that’s what I want. I want my parents here! But…what are they? I know that them being here would make me feel better, but what are they? “Parents…make you feel better when you’re scared?”

I say it like a question, and the woman hums. I wish she would move where I could see her. Am I answering her questions good? Bad? Does it matter? I feel like it should matter, but I’m not entirely sure why.

She’s quiet for a long time, and I think the silence is worse than the questions I’m not sure I can answer. Thankfully though, she eventually speaks. But not to me. “Interesting. So the formula does affect the mind or brain, but instead of increasing their mental prowess, it wipes their memories.”

There’s another moment of silence, but then she speaks, and I feel a shiver of fear go down my back. “That means I don’t have to be nice.”

The first chapter of the Neko Izuku from Variety!