Chapter Text
Midoriya Izuku was a kind-hearted child, known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve and dreaming of becoming a hero. In a world filled with quirks, he didn’t seem to stand out much at first. But with his fluffy green hair, matching emerald eyes, and freckles that resembled constellations, he was undeniably adorable. His smile could rival the brightness of the sun, melting even the coldest hearts.
Izuku’s kindness knew no bounds. He offered it to everyone—no matter who they were or what they looked like. But despite his best efforts to always do good, the world had a way of dealing him a harsh hand.
“It’s alright now. Why? FOR I AM HERE!”
“Izuku, dear, if you don’t calm down, you’re going to fly out of your seat,” his mother’s gentle voice cut through the booming sound of his favorite hero. The contrast between her soft tone and All Might’s grandiose entrance was stark.
“But, Mom! He’s so cool!!!” Izuku’s eyes sparkled as he began ranting about his favorite hero. “He’s the strongest Alpha ever! No villain could ever beat him!!! And when I get my Quirk, I’m going to be a hero just like him!” His enthusiasm was infectious. With a tight grip on his All Might toy, he raised it high above his head and swung it side to side, mimicking the hero’s trademark laugh.
His mother chuckled, shaking her head at his antics. She gathered the toys that had been scattered across the floor during his recent playdate with Bakugou. A few had scorch marks—reminders of the small explosions Bakugou had set off, now that he was officially an Alpha. “Of course, you will, honey. Now, turn off the video and wash up for dinner. Remember, you have the appointment with the Quirk doctor tomorrow.”
Reluctantly, Izuku obeyed, shutting off the computer. As he hopped down from the chair, a small thud echoed in the room. But his gloom was fleeting, replaced by the same cheerfulness that defined him. He rushed out to help his mother set the table.
“Well, your son definitely has a Quirk, but that’s all I can tell you for now. You’ll just have to wait and see what develops. If nothing happens in a month, bring him back, and we’ll run some more tests to see what we can uncover.”
“So, did you finally get your Quirk, Deku?” Bakugou’s question rang out. It had only been a week since the doctor’s visit, and barely a month since Izuku’s fourth birthday. Late bloomers were not unheard of, but Bakugou continued to ask, almost daily.
“Not yet, Kacchan! But I’m sure it’ll come soon!” Izuku answered cheerfully, though the repetition of the question was starting to wear on him.
Bakugou wasn’t satisfied with that response. “You know what I think? I think you’re lying, and you’re actually quirkless. That would be just like a worthless Deku, huh?” Sparks began to flicker in his hands, small but enough to show he was riled up. “Hell, you’re probably going to be an Omega, too. A quirkless Omega loser. You’ll never be a hero if you’re that weak.”
Izuku felt his throat tighten as his eyes welled with tears. “That- That’s m-mean, Kacchan!” he stammered, the sting of his friend’s words cutting deeper than usual. “I’m not lying! The doctor said I’d have a Quirk. I just have to figure out how to activate it!” His voice trembled as tears began to fall. “And Mom said I’ll probably be a Beta like her…” His body shook as sobs wracked his small frame, the stress of his uncertainty about his Quirk overwhelming him.
Bakugou scowled, his patience gone. “Whatever,” he muttered, turning his back on Izuku and storming off.
Izuku tried to follow, his heart heavy and his vision blurry from tears. “W-Wait, Kacchan!” he called, but his voice cracked as he struggled to wipe his eyes.
Bakugou didn’t stop. Not until the screech of tires filled the air.
Izuku froze. The sound of the car braking too late reached his ears. His eyes cleared just enough to see the car speeding toward him. He knew, somehow, that it wouldn’t stop in time.
“STOP!” He screamed, his voice raw with fear.
But there was another voice too. Someone yelled his cruel nickname but the sound of the car's horn droned it out. Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.
But. The impact never came.
When he opened his eyes, everything was different. The world around him had turned a dull gray, as though the universe had hit pause. The car was only inches away, the driver frozen in panic, still trying to brake. Above him, birds hung suspended in midair. Around him, people stood motionless, their horrified expressions locked in place.
Izuku stumbled back, away from the car, his legs unsteady. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening. As he moved toward Bakugou, his head spun, and dizziness washed over him. He didn’t make it far before his legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the asphalt.
Pain shot through his stomach like he’d been punched, and a dull throb pressed against his head. His vision blurred again, but this time, he was certain it wasn’t from crying. He realized, dimly, that he had somehow moved out of the car’s path. But the pain was too much for him to focus on that.
In the distance, he heard a voice screaming, but it was muffled and indistinct. Hands shook his shoulders urgently, pulling him upright. They were small and warm like Bakugou’s hands had been when he first received his Quirk.
The last thing Izuku remembered was being lifted and laid onto something hard and flat. Then, everything went dark.
________________
Waking up was the hardest part. After drifting in peaceful darkness for what felt like an eternity, the sudden pain that came with consciousness made him wish he could stay asleep. His head throbbed as if someone had slammed a hammer into it, his eyelids felt too heavy to lift, and his body ached as though he'd run across all of Japan without stopping. The last thing he remembered was running to catch up with Kacchan... but after that, everything was a blur.
He forced his eyes open, only to be blinded by the overhead light. Wincing, he squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain to subside. Keeping them closed for now, he tried to listen for anything that might help him figure out where he was. Gripping the rough covers beneath his hands, he realized it wasn’t his All Might comforter. He wasn’t in his room at home. The only sounds were the occasional footsteps passing by, and considering how many he heard he must’ve been in a place with a lot of people.
With little else to go on, he let out a quiet groan of frustration and slowly raised one hand to shield his eyes. It took far more effort than it should have, but the small bit of shade helped him open his eyes just enough. A plain white room came into focus. He lay in a small white bed with metal bars on the sides, likely to keep him from falling out. A small TV was attached to the wall across from him, and a chair sat next to the bed, with what looked like his mother’s purse on it. "At least I’m not alone..." he thought with a quiet sigh of relief before continuing to scan the room. There wasn’t much; just a single window across from him, but the view was blocked by a building. Still, the sunlight streaming through told him it was day. The faint smell of disinfectant filled the air, and he noticed the hospital gown he was wearing. He didn’t question why that hadn’t been the first thing he’d noticed.
Before he could think much more, the door swung open.
The moment Inko saw her son was awake, she practically threw herself at the bed. "Izuku! You’re awake! How are you feeling? Do you need anything? You were out for so long!" She paused, catching her breath. "Oh! I should get the doctor now that you’re up..."
Izuku blinked, surprised at how much his mother was talking. He had always thought that habit came from his absent father, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. "Mom! I’m oh- okay, ple- please calm dow- down," he croaked. His voice was rough, dry, and cracked in places, but it was enough to snap Inko back to the present.
"Oh! Let me get you some water, then I’ll call the doctor," she said, rushing off to fetch it. Moments later, she returned with a clear plastic cup and carefully handed it to him.
Gratefully, Izuku took the water and drank deeply, realizing just how thirsty he was. The cool liquid seemed to ease some of the soreness, and a small smile tugged at his lips.
Once he finished, Inko took the cup from him and sat down in the chair next to his bed. They sat in silence for a moment before Izuku gathered the courage to ask, "Mom, what happened?"
Inko tilted her head, seeming to consider his question before answering. "There was an... accident, at the park. Or, there was almost an accident..." Her voice wavered slightly. "You... you almost got hit by a car. The driver didn’t see you coming. Katsuki said you somehow teleported out of the way. But then... you collapsed."
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Izuku’s chest tightened with concern as he watched her wipe them away. "B-but! I’m ok now, right? The car didn’t get me, and I... I got my Quirk!" He forced a wobbly smile, trying to comfort her.
Inko returned a fragile smile of her own before letting out a small laugh. "Your Quirk is amazing, honey. I’m sure it’s something special." Her tears slowed as she spoke.
Izuku’s smile grew more confident. "Yeah! I bet I can be a great hero with a teleportation Quirk!" He shouted with excitement.
Inko’s smile faltered, and she hesitated. Before she could speak, the doctor finally entered the room. "Good morning," he greeted, closing the door behind him with a small smile. He was a plain-looking man with short black hair and purple eyes, holding a paper packet at his side.
"I’m glad to see you up and moving around already. You gave us quite a scare. Fortunately, you only came in with bruised knees and some Quirk exhaustion," the doctor said.
Izuku gave a sheepish smile and lowered his head. "Sorry for the trouble," he mumbled.
The doctor gave him a patient smile. "There’s nothing to apologize for. Just remember to look both ways before you cross next time, alright?" After Izuku nodded, the doctor continued. "Now, I’ll be your doctor for the rest of your stay. My name is Koizumi Aijiro, and my Quirk allows me to check people’s vital signs, but only if they have water on them."
Izuku’s eyes widened as the doctor flipped through the papers in his hands. "Now, I’m sure you’ve been dying to know about your Quirk. We had a chance to look into it while you were unconscious, and I think we’ve got a good idea of what it might be. I just have a few questions to confirm things."
Izuku eagerly nodded, his excitement making his head spin. "Ok!" he exclaimed, nearly bouncing in his bed.
The doctor cleared his throat and continued. "Can you tell me how you activated your Quirk? What happened around you when it activated? I know it was a stressful situation, but even small details might help."
Izuku furrowed his brow in concentration, puffing out his cheeks as he tried to recall the event. The memory was blurry, and it made his headache just thinking about it. But his excitement pushed him through the discomfort. "I... don’t remember much. I think I screamed something..." His face lit up suddenly, and he clapped his hands together. "I yelled 'Stop!' And the car did! But then everything else stopped, too! My head got fuzzy, and my stomach hurt..."
The doctor nodded thoughtfully, glancing at Inko, who had been quiet throughout the conversation. "Well, looks like I owe Ms. Tomiko lunch…” he muttered butterfly white writing something briefly on the chart in front of him.
“Excuse me,” Inko said indignantly, looking about ready to scold the doctor.
Seemingly realizing that he’d spoken allowed in front of a patient he quickly cleared his throat, “Oh um, what I meant was, it seems Ms. Tomiko's theory was most likely correct. You didn’t teleport—you stopped time.” He regained his composure, still avoiding Izuku’s mother's eyes, as she clearly wasn’t too pleased with him. He continued, “That’s an incredibly powerful Quirk, young man, even if it only lasts a couple of minutes. I’m sure it’ll grow stronger with time!"
Izuku's face broke into a huge grin. "That’s so cool!!!" he shouted. His mind raced with ideas about how he could use his new ability to be a hero. So many ideas filled his head that he started mumbling them aloud, though too quietly for anyone to understand.
Breaking out of his reverie, he turned to face his mother, who had been talking to the doctor. She looked distressed, but he was too caught up in his excitement to notice. "Do you think I can be a hero now, Mom?"
The room went silent at his words. Tears welled up in Inko’s eyes again, but Izuku didn’t understand why. He had a Quirk—an amazing one, according to the doctor. Shouldn’t she be happy for him?
The doctor, too, seemed confused. "Oh, you don’t know yet. I suppose you were unconscious when you presented..." He glanced at Inko, as though seeking confirmation.
Izuku blinked in confusion. "Aren’t I a Beta?" His parents were both Betas, so why was Mom still so upset?
The doctor paused, sensing his mother’s hesitation. He continued gently, "I’m afraid you didn’t present as a Beta. It’s unusual for it to happen between two Beta parents, but it’s not impossible."
Inko’s voice trembled as she finally spoke the words that echoed in Izuku’s mind.
"You’re an Omega."