[Oneshot]
Uraraka Ochaco wasn't quite sure what she'd been thinking when she volunteered to help out with a 'pet project' for a friend.
She fidgeted nervously in the metal chair, trying not to think about the thick metal restraints currently bound around her wrists and feet. Before her stood Hatsume Mei in all her glory, clad in her usual tank-top and overalls combo.
"U-um, Hatsume-san." Ochaco squeaked. "This isn't gonna hurt or anything, r-right?"
"Hmm? No, of course not." Mei jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at another menacing looking chair. "That's the one that hurts."
"This isn't making me feel any better…"
"Your concerns have been noted." Mei said nonchalantly, her eyes focused on a handheld holotab. "Now, then. Activate your Quirk on my mark, please. Three. Two. One. Mark."
Ochaco did as she was told, pushing her soft fingertips against depressions built into the armrests of her chair. A pink glow flowed from her hands and into the strange device, Mei's eyes lighting up in excitement as lines of scrolling data started to manifest across her holotab's screen. The brunette watched as the Support Course student started to type, performing advanced calculations and writing equations on the fly. It was a sight to see her at work, especially when she didn't have an intelligence-related Quirk. Ochaco wondered how she did it.
"Fascinating. I can't thank you enough, miss floaty girl." Mei grinned, tapping away at the device.
"It's Uraraka Ochaco. At least remember my name, Hatsume-san…"
"Sorry, I'm just so excited! The data you've provided me will be absolutely essential in the construction of my new Gravity Drive."
"What do those do again?" Ochaco asked, distracting herself from the machine's incessant hum.
"Reverses, increases, or decreases the gravitational field of an affected area in a specific radius."
"That's great—"
"Think of the military applications!"
"Hatsume-san, please don't use my Quirk to build weapons."
"Awww. I was going to call it the 'Gravity Gun' too. It would have been awesome." Mei pouted, then glanced at her tablet again. "Alright, that should be enough."
The restraints unbolted and Ochaco let out a sigh of relief as she climbed out of the chair. This wasn't how she imagined she'd spend her Saturday, but since the pink-haired girl had practically begged her to come help…
She glanced over at Mei, who had a great big smile on her face while her fingers flew over her keyboard in glee.
Well, it was worth it to see a friend smile.
Mei was a blur of motion when she suddenly rushed forward, engulfing Ochaco's hands in an enthusiastic handshake. The brunette let out a surprised eep when Mei started floating, but the pink-haired inventor didn't even seem to notice it.
"Oooh, thank you! With this data I'm gonna make sooooo many babies!" Mei laughed. "I'll make sure to wire the royalties to your account if my patents go through."
"U-um, thanks?" Ochaco said, gently guiding the other girl down. "Just don't build anything that can be used to hurt people."
"Between you and me, that's subjective. A frying pan isn't built to hurt people, but you can use it to cause a ton of damage." Mei told her, guiding Ochaco towards the exit of U.A.'s workshop. "If you really think about it, isn't a toaster just a miniaturized death ray?"
"Have you been building death rays, Hatsume-san?" Ochaco asked suspiciously.
"Noooooooo?"
"Was that a question mark I heard?"
"Definitely not."
"Hmm." Ochaco blinked when her eyes landed on a large machine on a tripod that looked like a raygun with… cat ears. "What's that, then?"
"Oh, that?" Mei's eyes lit up with glee, scampering over to the device like an excited child. "Come on over, I'll give you a live demo."
"Um, I don't think that's necessary—"
"Behold!" Mei cackled like a madwoman and tossed a tennis ball into the air before aiming the device at it. "The power of SCIENCE!"
There was a strange, undulating whine when she pulled the trigger, a brilliant ray of rainbow light bursting from the device's barrel and striking the tennis ball mid-air. Ochaco shielded her eyes when the impact produced a small but dazzling flash, the effect dissipating moments later when the tennis ball dropped to the ground.
Ochaco blinked the stars out of her eyes, dazed and confused until she noticed the ball. It had grown… cat ears and a tail?
"Eh."
"Amazing, isn't it?!" Mei got right up in Ochaco's face, her smile wide as ever. "Baby 6125! I call it… the Neko-nator!"
"I… I don't understand." Ochaco admitted.
"Well, the effect's simple! Anything hit by my baby grows cat ears and a tail! Inorganic material, organic material, anything!" Mei babbled, lifting the Neko-nator off the tripod and wielding it like a light machine gun. "Observe!"
She laughed like a maniac and opened fire before Ochaco could get a word in, hip-firing to spray beams of rainbow light all over the workshop and Neko-fying various inventions she had lying around. A suit of power armor hanging from a rack grew cat ears and a tail. So did a cardboard cutout of Power Loader and a fridge in the corner.
"Hahahahaha! Get some, get some! Yeah, yeah, yeah!"
"U-um, Hatsume-san…"
Mei continued her rampage, turning more of the workshop into a feline-themed catastrophe with every burst. When she finally stopped, most of the room looked like it'd been decorated by an over-eager cat lady. The pink schoolgirl let the terrifying weapon rest atop her shoulder, a satisfied grin etched across her face when she turned back to Ochaco.
"Well? Whaddya think?" she smiled.
"...Why?" Ochaco asked, truly stumped beyond belief. "Why would you do this?"
"Because I can. The question is never 'why', Uraraka-san. It's 'why not'. Besides, the effect wears off in a couple of hours." Mei let the weapon fall into her grip once more, its barrel still smoking. "Wait, wait, wait, lemme show you the best part."
To her horror Mei set the Neko-nator down and pointed the barrel at herself. Ochaco immediately sprinted at the other girl but it was too late when she pulled the trigger, unleashing a burst of rainbow light that struck her right in the face. Mei stumbled back, her entire head eclipsed in a shroud of white smoke while Ochaco rushed in to catch her.
"Hatsume-san!" Ochaco gasped, terrified. "Oh my God, are you okay?! Wait, lemme get a first aid kit—"
"No need for that, girl. Check. It. Outtttttt~!" Mei exclaimed, raising her arms in triumph.
Ochaco didn't know what to think when the smoke cleared and a pair of pink cat ears wiggled atop the other girl's head. Mei giggled and twirled around, showing off a long, pink tail that sprouted from the base of her spine and swished from side to side playfully.
"I'm a kitty!" Mei laughed, mimicking a cat by curling her fingers into claws and pawing the air. "Ain't that something, nyaa?"
"Don't s-scare me like that!" Ochaco stammered, letting the tension out of her body in a light shiver. "I mean, are you really okay?"
"Chill. I've done this before." Mei held out a hand and tossed her hair back, showing off her feline features. "Besides, I always field-test my babies and push them to the limit."
"Is that why they explode so often?" Ochaco asked dryly.
"Eh, maybe? They're works in progress." Mei hoisted the Neko-nator up again, careful not to muzzle-sweep Ochaco. "Wanna try?"
"Why would I ever want to?"
"Remember, not 'why'. 'Why not'." Mei giggled. "Having four ears gives you awesome hearing. Having a tail is really neat, too!"
Ochaco eyed her friend's tail, raising an eyebrow. It was clear that Mei had full control over it and her ears. She could even make them twitch.
"U-um. C-can I touch them?" Ochaco asked meekly, glancing at the twitching ears. "Y-you know. For science."
"Sure, go ahead!"
Mei lowered her head for Ochaco to get a feel, the brunette lifting her pinkies to avoid applying her Quirk's effect. Ochaco let out an impressed hum as she felt the cat ears, marveling at how soft and warm they felt. The appendages weren't just some dead, fleshy growths but actual ears that functioned, somehow linked to the blonde girl's brain. It was inconceivable. Technology like this could revolutionize the medical industry and rewrite the textbooks, but Mei was using it to make things… cat-themed.
Sometimes Ochaco didn't know whether to think her friend was insane or a genius. Probably somewhere between the two.
"Ah, um, they're rather sensitive." Mei coughed.
"O-oh! Sorry." Ochaco quickly let go, embarrassed. "They were really soft and fluffy…"
"If you like them so much, why don't you give it a try? It's temporary so they'll just vanish after a few hours."
Ochaco bit her lip. She really shouldn't. It was dangerous, irresponsible. A general rule of thumb was to never use a support item you weren't familiar with. But those fluffy cat ears were so tempting…
"Okay, why not." Ochaco gulped after a long moment of hesitation. "Hit me!"
"You asked for it." Mei smirked and pointed the weapon at her.
It all happened within the blink of an eye. There was a bright flash and Ochaco felt a tingling atop her scalp and near the small of her back, and when she opened her eyes she'd changed. A pair of auburn, feline ears with the same shade of her hair wiggled cutely atop her head. Ochaco spun about, catching a glimpse of the long, prehensile tail that peeked out from under her skirt.
"Oh wow!" Ochaco exclaimed, laughing and feeling her new cat ears. "Wow! They're so fluffy!"
"I know, right?!" Mai laughed, placing the Neko-nator back onto its tripod. "Check this out, you can get your tail to grab stuff for you!"
She demonstrated by sticking her butt out, her tail coiling around a couple of screwdrivers and tossing them into the air. Mei started juggling the tools, Ochaco watching them sail through the air with wonder. Then the brunette noticed how sharp her senses were, now able to smell the burnt stench of motor oil where it'd been absent before.
"Wait a minute. Do we get cat senses too?"
"Eh, that's one of the side-effects. Like I said, work in progress, so I'm still working out a few kinks." Mei did a perfect backflip onto the table, as graceful as an Olympic gymnast. "It's more of a plus, really."
"Wow…" Ochaco breathed, pulling out her phone to take a few selfies.
She posed and took a few choice shots, Mei even joining in and laughing as the two girls had their fun. Ochaco giggled, planning to show them to her friends and parents. It wasn't every day that one got to have actual cat ears and a tail, even if they were temporary.
Wait 'till Deku-kun sees this…
Ochaco paused, blinking. Strange. Why had she thought of her green-haired friend in particular out of nowhere? It took a few seconds to notice that her cheeks were warming up rapidly. She was… blushing?
The brunette imagined her best friend Midoriya Izuku seeing her with those cat ears. She imagined him telling her how cute and adorable she was, just like a real kitty. How he'd love to pet those ears and play with her tail.
"Uwaa…" Ochaco breathed, a sudden feeling of embarrassment rushing over her.
She didn't realize she'd placed her hands atop her cheeks until it was too late, all ten fingers making contact. The girl's body lit up with a soft glow as Zero Gravity activated, floating into the air.
"Heh. Would you look at that?" Mei chuckled. "Ground control to Major Tom, can you hear me Major Tom—"
A spark of pink lighting branched off Ochaco's body.
"Eh?"
"Hmm?"
Before either of the two girls could react dozens of lightning bolts started racing from Ochaco's body, shrouding the entire workshop in a localized thunderstorm. Somehow the Nekofication effect was reacting with Zero Gravity's effects, causing an unstoppable chain reaction. The brunette began to panic, but Mei immediately deployed countermeasures by shouting out a command at the room's automatic safety system.
"Computer, deploy X-9 lightningrod!"
A long spike of thin metal erupted from the ceiling, but Mei was taken aback when it didn't conduct the pink lightning like she planned. The support student reacted quickly and slammed her fist down on a nearby button, flooding the room with a fire-suppression powder. To her shock the lighting branched atop the powder itself, the storm intensifying tenfold.
"Oh no! Ohnononono—" Ochaco cried out, spinning chaotically and trying to deactivate her Quirk. "I can't stop it!"
"Uraraka-san!" Mei yelled, running toward her with an insulated fire-resistant blanket. "Ochaco!"
She leapt into the air and tackled the other girl, wrapping the sheet around her. Neither of them noticed how the pink glow extended to Mei, lightning creeping across her body like hundreds of strangling vines.
There was an earsplitting crack that split the air, and the world went dark.
[x]
Ochaco groaned, trying to sit up but immediately falling onto her hands. The world around her was blurry, unfocused. She found herself with her face against the floor, a strange feeling of dissonance causing her to stumble. The schoolgirl quickly shook her head and attempted to stand, only to fall right back down again.
"W-wha… huh?"
No matter how hard Ochaco tried she couldn't stand up again, falling back onto her hands with every attempt. That was when she noticed it. Her hands. They were… paws.
"No." Ochaco began in horror. "No, no, no—"
She twirled about, finding the oversized remnants of her school uniform and undergarments all around her. The girl noticed how big everything was, only to come to the realization that she was the one who was small. Her tail dropped unconsciously, ears pressed flat against her skull. It couldn't be. She was unclothed, her tiny body covered in fur. The cold floor raced up to meet her when she tripped again, unfamiliar with her new quadruped range of motion.
"Hatsume-san, heeeeeeellllllppppp!" Ochakitty wailed. "I've turned into a cat!"
No response. Dread pooled in Ochaco's belly as she wandered around the room, looking for her fallen friend. The last she remembered was Mei sprinting towards her with the insulated blanket, desperately trying to save her. Ochaco gulped. Mei… what if her friend was…
Keep it together, Ochaco. What would a hero do?
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Ochaco leapt onto a nearby table with her newfound agility, catching a reflection of herself in a nearby sheet of chrome. She was an adorable little kitty with auburn brown fur, a pair of eyes with the same shade blinking back at her in surprise. The feline quickly refocused and looked around from her vantage point, finally finding the blanket Mei was holding earlier. Something squirmed and thrashed under it, Ochaco quickly hurrying over to pull it away and free the trapped entity within.
"Fwaaaaa!" Catsume exclaimed as she was finally freed from her insulated prison. "Thanks, Uraraka-saaaaaaa—oh shoot. That's a big-ass cat. Computer, activate anti-neko defenses, we've got a code blue!"
"Hatsume-san, help!" Ochaco exclaimed in panic, getting right up in the other girl's personal space. "We got turned into cats!"
"Uraraka-san?" The fluffy pink cat blinked, then took a quick glance at herself. "Oh. Ooooohhh, so that's what happened."
"How can you be so calm about this?!" Ochaco cried, nearly in tears. "Change us back right now!"
"Okay, chill, chill! Lemme think." Mei sat down on her hind legs. "It's a little hard to operate the Neko-nator with no opposable thumbs, but it should still be possible with the two of us. Then again, I'd love to document the effects of this transformation—"
"MEI!"
"Okay, okay!" Mei huffed, getting up. "Relax. Remember how I said the effect only lasts for a few hours? The transformation is probably the same."
"I-I don't wanna stay as a kitty, I wanna change back!" Ochaco sniffed. "How do we do it?"
"Oh, that's easy! All we have to do is get to the Neko-nator and access its flux capacitor to reverse the wave polarity. After that, we shoot ourselves with it." Mei said. "It'll take ten minutes, give or take. No, make that fifteen since I don't have thumbs to use a screwdriver."
"Really?! That's great! Now let's—"
The door burst open with a tremendous bang, and one of U.A.'s mono-wheeled robotic service robots rolled into the room. Ochaco brightened up and moved towards it, yelling with all her might.
"Heyyyy! Over here!" she shouted. "We need a little help!"
"Great. I can re-wire that bot's control system and use its hands…" Mei grinned.
"Unauthorized lifeform detected. " the robot boomed, causing both of them to stop in their tracks. "Neutralizing."
"W-wait, what? Hey, we're U.A students!" Ochaco trembled, all of her kitty senses telling her to run.
"Custodian bot, commence immediate shutdown! Deactivate, code XB-008!" Mei demanded, her back arching. "I repeat, deactivate!"
The robot didn't listen. It didn't understand them… because all it heard were meows. The machine raised its right arm, mechanical fingers folding inwards while a cannon popped out.
Then it started blasting.
Thankfully none of its ordnance was lethal, nets and globs of hardening foam launched towards Ochaco and Mei's general direction. Ochaco squealed as she narrowly dodged a glob of foam, the capture solution hardening on impact with the wall. Mei wasn't so lucky and tripped when a glob landed only centimeters away from her, causing her to tumble and land right into a tangled mess of cables.
"Hatsume-san, run!"
"Crap, I'm stuck—"
Ochaco sprinted over, dodging a few more capture items and buying herself precious few seconds when the custodian bot reloaded. Her claws managed to pry off the cables holding Mei down, but by the moment her fellow feline got free and turned about the two of them were staring down the barrel of the robot's arm cannon.
"Aww, man. Shouldn't have given Power Loader Sensei those upgrade designs." Mei grumbled.
A net burst from the weapon, wrapping around the pair as they let out a simultaneous meow of indignation. Ochaco and Mei struggled for a moment before coming to their senses, realizing that this might be their way out after all. Surely the robot would bring them to one of the teachers and they would be able to help!
Alas, that didn't happen. The custodian bot instead wheeled itself to U.A's main gate, then dumped them just outside of it unceremoniously by releasing them from the net.
"What the—hey!" Mei yelped when she landed on her bottom, wincing. "I'll have your servomotors for that, you useless bucket of bolts!"
The pink and brown cats attempted to run back into the school, only for the U.A barrier to slam shut and seal them off. It was an impenetrable wall designed to ward off even the strongest villains, and neither of them were getting in now that it didn't recognize their biometric signature.
"Well, crap. There goes Plan A." Mei groaned. "No way we're getting back in there."
"We could wait for a student… or a teacher?" Ochaco suggested timidly.
"It's a Saturday, girl. No one's coming, and the last teacher on patrol, Hound Dog, left before we began playing with the Neko-nator. Midnight could still be there, but she might be coming out late because I heard her complaining about overtime." Mei said, sitting down. "Okay, gimme a moment to think."
The pink cat closed her eyes and began to brainstorm. Meanwhile, Ochaco was worried sick about the current state of affairs. Somehow her Zero Gravity Quirk had boosted the effects of Mei's invention, increasing its power until it turned them into actual cats. If the original effect lasted for a few hours, how long would this boosted one last? Days, weeks?
Months?
Ochaco grimaced. Ochakitty. If only her parents could see her now. Wait, parents!
"Hatsume-san, does your mom and dad know you're out? They'll realize you're missing soon!"
"Nope." Mei said with her eyes still closed, popping the 'p'. "They're overseas, I live alone. What about you?"
"My mom and dad live in another city… so no one even knows we're out here." Ochaco gulped, realizing the severity of the situation. "Our clothes and phones are still back in the workshop… oh no… What do we do? Should we… try to get someone to notice us?"
"We're more likely to get thrown in the pound if we do. They'll think we're strays." Mei speculated. "If they realize we're intelligent? They'll probably think we're Quirked animals, capture us and try to sell to the highest bidder. I mean, look at me. I'm pink."
Ochaco winced. She'd heard tales of how poachers and animal traffickers prized Quirked animals as the ultimate jackpot, with horrible stories of how the rare creatures were stuffed into small spaces and smuggled across international borders. In some places they even ate poor things, believing the act of doing so could 'strengthen one's Quirk'. It was all nonsense, but it didn't stop people from trying it anyway.
"I've got it!" Mei stood, eyes lighting up. "Okay! I'll need a smartphone, some copper wire, a radio antenna, and a quartz watch!"
"Wait, what? Why?" Ochaco asked, puzzled.
"I'm going to make a baby." Mei announced confidently.
The two cats began wandering around the city, searching through parks and back alleys for the parts they needed. Unfortunately neither of their Quirks worked, but the pair managed to find most of the items within trash bags in the backs of electronic stores Mei frequented. Dumpster diving wasn't exactly what Ochaco had in mind for her Saturday afternoon, but she was willing to do anything to turn back into a human as fast as possible. Thankfully it was all e-waste, so there wasn't any rotting food or garbage that they had to dig through.
The smartphone was the hardest item to find. Nobody would throw a working one out, so they were stuck with searching through multiple bags and scavenging what they needed. Ochaco considered just stealing one from a nearby civilian, but that would have been immoral and incredibly difficult with their tiny cat bodies.
"Alright, alright, alright. Let's see what we've got…" Mei hummed, splaying out the scavenged smartphone parts in front of her. "I'll call you baby 8823. Icepick."
Ochaco did her best to help out, the two cats re-building a smartphone from scratch using parts that should have been unusable. It wasn't easy, especially with how their paws weren't dexterous enough to handle the fragile components. They instead relied on their claws and teeth to manipulate the smaller parts, doing so with utmost care. Mei did most of the work, showing an innate understanding of both electrical engineering and computer science.
The afternoon sky was dyed a deep orange by the time they finished, Mei carefully lifting the Frankenstein device she'd cobbled together with her mouth.
"We have to make it back to U.A before sundown." Mei explained with a muffled meow, the two of them racing back towards the school. "Come nightfall the school's lockdown protocol will engage, and there's no way my tiny little baby's getting past all that ICE, Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics."
"I see the school, we're almost there!"
The pair pushed their tiny kitty bodies to the limit, huffing and puffing when they finally reached the U.A barrier. Mei set down the device and began pushing buttons, writing a program to crack the barrier's electronic locks. Ochaco watched with bated breath, feeling a little relieved. It would all be over soon. All they had to do was make it past the barrier and past the custodian robots, then sneak back into the workshop to access the Neko-nator. Mei could get it up and running, and they'd turn back into humans.
"Damn it!" Mei hissed. "One second, a hidden firewall booted me out. Re-routing access point. I just need to—"
The pink cat paused, frowning.
"I just need to… huh?"
Ochaco stiffened, the hairs on the back of her neck rising. Something was wrong. Mei was trembling, looking at the Icepick's screen with an expression Ochaco had never seen before. It was pure confusion mixed with dread, the pink cat seeming to pale as she finally turned to face Ochaco.
"I… I don't know how to write the program anymore." Mei whispered. "What's wrong with me?"
Oh no.
"It's my brain. My kitty brain is… overwhelming my human mind." Mei realized, eyes widening in terror. "No, no, no! I can't, I have to…"
Both cats began to panic, Mei leaning over the Icepick's screen and tapping at it frantically. Her movements were slower, more muddled. More animal than human now.
"Why isn't it working?!" Mei wailed, clawing at the screen. "I can do this! I just have to… Multiply, carry the two… No, wait, that's wrong!"
Ochaco could do nothing but watch as Mei tried her hardest to make it work. The sun was setting, darkness looming over the horizon. By the time Mei finally finished writing her program time was almost up, the two of them running up to the huge metal barrier and pressing the Icepick against it.
"Come on. Work, damn it!" Mei hissed.
The device lit up, scrolling lines of code flickering across the cracked screen. For a moment it really did look like it was going to work… until there was a spark and thick white smoke rushed out from the battery. Ochaco and Mei leapt backwards instinctively when the device self-destructed, crumbling into a thousand pieces.
Ochaco and Mei simply stared at the sad mess on the ground, not quite sure what to do anymore. The sun had set, and with it, so had their chances of turning back into humans today.
"Well, shit." Mei mumbled. "Time for Plan C."
"And what exactly is Plan C?" Ochaco ventured.
"I haven't exactly thought of it yet."
The rumble of a motorcycle caught their ears and a tuft of familiar blonde hair came into view when the rider took off their helmet. Present Mic pulled up beside the sidewalk, patiently waiting for someone. Ochaco immediately ran over to him, trying to get his attention.
"Mic-sensei! Help, help! It's me!" Ochaco cried.
Her meowing must have caught the man's attention, because he bent down and gave her a quick pet on the head. Ochaco tried to write something on the ground with her claws, only to reel back with horror when she realized she couldn't remember how to do so.
I can't write. I can't even remember what the kanji looks like.
Midnight came jogging around the corner, clad in her civilian clothing. Ochaco and Mei both meowed at her too, but the woman simply smiled and gave them each gentle rub. Meow, meow, meow, went the two cats, but their pleas went unheard.
"Look at these two cuties." Midnight cooed. "Shota would love them, don't you think?"
"Heh, he probably would." Present Mic agreed. "He already has enough cats, though. Any more and his apartment will turn into a petting zoo."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Midnight stood and got on the bike. "Come on, let's ride!"
"No, don't go!" Ochaco begged. "Midnight-sensei, it's us!"
The motorbike pulled away with a powerful roar, leaving both Ochaco and Mei in the dust. The pair were left sitting on the sidewalk again, trying to figure out a plan to get back into the school. Ochaco began to despair. She could feel herself getting more catlike, her human intelligence slipping away by the hour. Mei was the same, and from the look on her face she could tell that the other girl was desperately trying to find a solution before they succumbed to their animal brains. Ochaco wondered if they would even be able to change back.
"O-okay, I've got it. First priority, survival. We need to find food and shelter for the night." Mei tried. "You can wait 'till morning, I'll spend the night making a baby that'll be able to help us out. A Morse code flashlight. Maybe an RFID wave transmitter. I… I'll make something."
"Y-you can't! Hatsume-san… Mei, I can tell you're exhausted. You need to rest!" Ochaco protested.
"I got us into this mess." Mei admitted, gritting her teeth. "I'll find us a way out. After all, that's what an inventor does. If there isn't a path, I'll make one. Necessity is the mother of invention."
The two cats reluctantly headed back into Musutafu City, searching through the back alleys again for more spare electronics. Throughout the search Ochaco could practically feel Mei deteriorating, utilizing more brainpower than what her feline mind was built to handle. They'd gotten a drink from a nearby bucket of rainwater earlier, but none of them had eaten.
Ochaco's stomach growled, and she stumbled. She was so hungry…
"Hey. Uraraka-san."
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry." Mei sniffed.
"It's alright…" Ochaco began.
"No, it's not. I shouldn't have played with things I didn't fully understand." Mei said. "I-I never really got along well with others. I understood machines, but not people. So when you became my friend, I… I…"
Mei paused to look back at her, sniffling.
"I was so happy. So excited to show you all that I've built. I never had a friend before. You, Midoriya-kun, and Iida-kun were the very first I ever made." Mei admitted, hanging her head shamefully. "And now I've messed it all up."
"No, you didn't." Ochaco drew closer, rubbing against her fellow feline in a little side-hug. She trembled, the other cat's body so very soft and warm. "It wasn't your fault."
"I'm sorry…" Mei sniffed. "I know it's selfish of me to ask, but… are we still friends?"
"Of course we are, Mei." Ochaco sighed, hugging her tighter. "It's ok."
"No, it's not. I turned you into a cat. Both of us, into cats. And I don't know how I'm going to fix it."
The icy fear returned, and it felt as though Ochaco had swallowed a frozen rock that dropped all the way down into her stomach. What if Mei really couldn't find a way to fix them? They'd stay as cats… forever…
Ochaco gulped. No way she was going to let that be the end of her story. She was a hero, and a hero had to be strong. Brave even in the face of complete hopelessness.
"It's alright, Mei. We'll find a way out of this." Ochaco declared. "I swear it!"
"Really?"
"Yeah! Someday we're gonna look back on this and laugh!"
"Wan!" a loud bark behind them agreed.
The two cats froze, tails rising in fear. They slowly swiveled around to face the source, only for their eyes to travel up, up, and up.
A massive jet-black German Shepard Dog was staring at them, its tongue lolling out from a mouth full of razor-sharp dagger-like teeth. It was panting heavily with its leash ending in a coil on the ground, having somehow got away from its owner.
""NNNNYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!"" Ochaco and Mei let out simultaneous meows of terror.
They turned and bolted, running for all nine of their little kitty lives. The Dog bounded after them, only coming to a stop when the pair scrambled up a nearby tree and hid within its branches. The beast wasn't about to give up that easily, sniffing around the base of the trunk and hopping against it.
"Wan!" it barked, pacing around the tree eagerly. "Wan, wan!"
Its deafening barks caused both cats to tremble, their claws digging into the tree branch they were perched on. Ochaco thought to use her trademarked Gunhead Martial Arts on the dog, but held back after realizing it obviously wouldn't work. Mei on the other hand was busy looking around to see if there was anything around them to throw at their pursuer, only finding leaves and branches. She threw some down anyway, but they simply fell far from their target.
It's gonna eat us! Ochaco thought, panicking. IT'S GONNA EAT US!
"Curse these fluffy, adorable paws!" Mei yelled angrily, clawing at the air. "Shoo, mutt! Back off!"
"Shoo! Away, shoo!" Ochaco tried as well, hissing and unsheathing her claws. "We don't taste good!"
"Koko~! Koko, where are you?" A little girl's voice called out.
The dog paused at that, looking around happily.
"Koko~!" Another voice said, this one a male. "Oh look, there she is!"
Ochaco's eyes widened. That voice. It was—!
Their hero came into view, green-haired and freckled. Midoriya Izuku was leading a little blonde girl by the hand, his bright smile seeming to light up the night like an angel descending. A grocery bag was in his other hand, bouncing with every step. He pointed at the dog, and the little girl let go and started running towards it. Dog and owner met in a loving hug, the child crying out in relief now that she was reunited with her pet.
"I found you, Koko!" the little girl cheered. "You scared me, why'd you run off?"
"Wan, wan!" the dog barked, then looked up at the tree where Ochaco and Mei were still hiding. "Wan!"
"Oh, you saw some cats! No, no, bad! Don't go scaring them." the girl wagged her finger. "I know you just wanted to play, but they probably think you want to eat them or something. Come on, let's go home!"
"Nice to see that she's alright." Izuku smiled, receiving a long, friendly lick of gratitude from the canine when it stood on its hind legs. "Easy, girl. Do you need me to walk you home, Yumiko-chan?"
"Nah, it's fine. I live just over there, near the Police station!" Yumiko pointed, then started to jog away with her dog. "Thanks again, onii-san! Bye-bye!"
"Wan!" the dog barked.
"Don't mention it. Goodbye, Yumiko-chan, Koko-chan." Izuku waved. "Now then… hmm?"
"Deku-kun, help! It's us!" Ochaco cried.
"Broccoli boy! Up here!" Mei yelled.
Izuku looked up to find two cats meowing at him incessantly, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. He soon realized they were stuck in the tree from the way they were shaking, unable to get down. The boy put his groceries down and started climbing without a word, easily reaching them in a few short seconds.
"Hey, hey." Izuku whispered, keeping his voice low while he offered his arm to them. "It's okay…"
Ochaco shook, her cat instincts telling her not to trust a human. Humans were terrible creatures that big and scary and—
Scary. Get away!
The brown cat hissed, clawing at the air in fear. She swiped at the green human, terrified of what he'd do when he got his hands on her. But…
But…
Deku-kun wasn't just any human. He was her friend.
"There we go." Izuku said slowly with a small smile, gently guiding her into his arms. "There we go…"
Ochaco came back to her senses when she saw red under her claws. Blood. She'd accidentally scratched him.
"D-deku-kun! I'm… I'm sorry…" she whimpered as the boy placed her atop his chest. "I didn't mean to."
"Okay, now it's your turn." Izuku said to Mei.
He reached out to her and she flinched, clearly wary of him. After a few seconds she approached him tentatively and leapt into his arms, the boy holding her tight. The pink cat began sniffing, and Ochaco knew the waterworks were going to start any moment. Izuku landed with a thump and picked up his groceries, careful not to jostle the cats in his grip too much.
"Don't cry." Mei was saying to herself, tears already beading at her little kitty eyes. "Don'tcrydon'tcrydon't—"
She couldn't help it anymore and began to cry. All the stress and expectations of the entire day came crashing down, and for the first time she broke character and allowed herself to be scared. Mei bit her lip, a part of her still determined to stay strong despite the tears. Ochaco's lip trembled and broke down a moment latter, pushing her face into Izuku's shirt. The crushing fear of the dog, the existential crisis, the body horror of being turned into a cat, all resurfaced and struck her mind like a hammer. She sobbed, and Izuku hugged her and Mei tighter in response.
"D-deku-kun… I was so scared!" she wailed.
"It's alright." Izuku said, his voice a mere whisper. "I am here."
[x]
A few minutes later Ochaco and Mei found themselves within a warm and comfy apartment, a short, plump woman greeting Izuku when he opened the door.
"I'm home!"
"Hello, sweetheart—oh my." Izuku's mother, Inko, gave the two cats a puzzled glance. "What's up with these two little cuties?"
"I found them by the side of the road after they got chased by a dog." Izuku explained, still holding the girls tight. "The two of them looked like they needed help, so I offered a hand."
"Ahh…" Inko smiled warmly, getting a closer look. "Alright, lemme prepare some food for them. Get yourself cleaned up, dear."
Izuku nodded and began making his way to the bathroom. To both Ochaco and Mei's embarrassment he took off his shirt after placing them on the ground, and for a single, terrible moment it looked like he was going to spray them with the hose.
"Nonono, not the hose!" Mei yelped, preparing herself for an incoming blast of cold water.
Ochaco squeezed her eyes shut, only reopening them when the sound of running water was directed away from them instead. The boy was filling the bathtub with warm water, making sure he tested it first before turning to them.
"Okay. Here we go…"
Izuku slowly wrapped his hands around Ochaco's tiny cat body and lifted her into the air, gently placing her into the tub. She squealed, and his brows furrowed in worry.
"Is the water too hot?" he asked, concern clouding his features.
"N-no." Ochaco answered instinctively.
All Izuku heard was a small 'meow'.
"Alright." the boy grinned, his smile bright as the sun. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. I can't use human shampoo on you or it'll damage your fur. As for you, you can wait your turn."
"Okay." Mei said timidly, looking down at her little paws.
Ochaco seemed to turn into a block of ice when the green-haired teenager began bathing her, careful to avoid her belly as much as possible. She wondered if he'd owned a cat before, but those thoughts drifted away when he started running his fingers through her fur. It felt absolutely amazing. No wonder cats loved being petted so much. Then she quickly regained senses, realizing the situation she was in.
Oh my God, my guy friend is giving me a bath.
His fingers move to the base of her spine and her tail, gently massaging her. Ochaco melted in the tub, lying down and feeling the tension flow out of her. It was okay, she was safe, she was clean. The murky water pooled around her before Izuku quickly washed it away.
"Oh my. You've got quite a bit of dirt on you." Izuku remarked, hovering the showerhead over her. "Aww, you're so patient. Any other cat would have scratched me six times by now."
"Mmm…" Ochaco mumbled.
After wrapping the towel around her like a baby he dried her off quickly with the hairdyer, not wanting her shivering and wet. He then turned to Mei, wiggling his fingers at the pink cat.
"Now it's your turn…" he smiled. "Come here."
Mei gulped and obeyed, allowing him to pick her up and put her in the tub. Izuku repeated the bathing process, running his fingers through her fur as well while she mewled and squirmed.
"Sorry, is that uncomfortable?" Izuku whispered, loosening his grip. "Sorry, sorry."
Ochaco leapt up onto the sink and watched, not quite sure how to feel. The black dirt was slowly coming off Mei's fur, the two of them only just realizing how dirty they'd gotten running around the back alleys.
"There we go, good girl!" Izuku laughed when Mei stretched in the water. "Good girl… hmm? This pink dye isn't coming off…"
"It's not a dye!" Mei meowed in protest, squirming in his grip.
"My bad, my bad." He wrapped her in a towel and began drying her as well, just like he did with Ochaco. "I thought someone played a nasty prank on you and turned you pink."
The boy frowned as he examined her closer, taking a good look at her skin. He picked up a fallen strand of her fur from the tub, letting out an impressed hum.
"Oh, it's your natural color?" Izuku mused, bending down to pet Mei. "Aren't you a special little kitty, so cute~!"
"A-ah." Mei didn't know how to respond so she simply accepted the praise. "Um, t-thanks."
He brought both Ochaco and Mei to the living room and set them down on the couch, making sure they were nice and dry. More grooming followed when he got a fine-toothed comb and started combing their fur, ensuring that he went nice and slow.
"Uraraka-san." Mei whispered. "Can you write?"
"No…" Ochaco whispered back. "I… I can't remember how."
"Okay, I've got a new plan. First, we sneak into his bed—"
"WHAT?!"
"Let me finish! We sneak into his bed, be as cute as possible, and hopefully he takes some pictures and puts it on his social media."
"How is that going to help?"
"Here kitty kitty. Pspspspsps." Izuku said, waving a feathery toy in front of them.
"Principal Nezu has an algorithm in place that monitors for Quirked animals appearing on social media. You could say he's a supporter of animal rights." Mei said. "Anyway, now that we've established a safe zone for us to rest, someone on U.A's security team should have noticed that two students checked in, but never checked out. Power Loader revoked my right to stay more than one night about three months ago, so I'm betting that someone will notice and check the workshop's security footage. I'm hoping they'll make the connection."
"R-really?" Ochaco sputtered, pawing at the toy unconsciously. "That's great! You're a genius, Hatsume-san!"
"Thanks. Now we just have to hope that our minds aren't overwhelmed by our cat instincts." Mei pawed at the toy as well.
"O-okay. How do we do that?"
"We focus on something that reminds us that we were once humans." Mei tilted her head at Izuku. "Him."
"Deku-kun?" Ochaco asked while Izuku scratched her behind the ears with love and care.
"Yep! Focus all your feelings and memories on him, both the good and the bad!" Mei told her, letting out a purr as Izuku tickled her under the chin.
Both girls did so while Inko finally came with the food, a plate of steamed chicken for each of them. It tasted absolutely heavenly, and Ochaco wondered if it was because she was starving or due to her new cat tongue.
She focused on Izuku while eating, remembering all the times they spent together. The first time they met outside of U.A. Day one of Class 1-A. The Battle Trials afterward. USJ. Teaming up with him in the Cavalry Battle. Deku-kun was her precious friend, and there was no way she was going to forget that.
Mei did the same, focusing on her thoughts and feelings. The first day she met Izuku at the U.A tournament. The way he'd accepted her request and how he marveled at her babies. Their glorious battle as Team Midoriya. The smile on his face when he came to visit her workshop, and the way she smiled back.
Bedtime came sooner than expected, and Izuku fetched a large basket lined with fluffy cloth for them to sleep in. At first the two girls protested, meowing and complaining. Their entire plan would be ruined if they didn't get into his bed, but eventually they relented after realizing that it would be easier to just sneak there than to pester him. To their embarrassment he placed a collar with a cute little bell on each of them, making sure they weren't too tight before he went to bed.
So it was that Ochaco and Mei cuddled together, curled around each other in the large wicker basket. They waited until Inko had fallen asleep before executing their plan, the clock displaying the time as 01:00AM when they tiptoed around the house.
Opening the door to his bedroom was a little tricky with no hands but they made it work, eventually getting in after some fumbling. Ochaco was a little startled to see All Might's face plastered on every wall, letting out a small sigh at her friend's ultra-fanboy demeanor.
The two of them leapt onto Izuku's bed, and Ochaco felt as if she was committing a crime. Sneaking into a boy's room in the dead of night to snuggle with him? Unthinkable. Mei looked like she felt the same if the way she was trembling slightly was any indication.
"Deku-kun. Heeyyyyy~" Ochaco mewled, pressing her little pawpads against his face. "Deku-kun, wake up~"
"Broccoli boy!" Mei sat down on his chest, meowing softly. "Up and at 'em!"
"Hmmm?" Izuku mumbled, his eyes cracking open just the slightest bit. "Kitties?"
"Deku-kun—eek!"
Ochaco let out a surprised cry when Izuku drew her into a hug, wrapping his muscular, defined arms around her. Mei soon followed suit, the pink cat squeaking as the boy held her close. With the way he held them they could smell him, feel his heartbeat…
Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump
"Mmmm." Izuku closed his eyes, still groggy. "C'mhere."
The pair were pressed against him, too stunned to move. Izuku began mumbling, and Ochaco wasn't sure if he was sleep talking or semi-conscious. Probably both.
"I had a cat like you two once. His name was Nyako…" Izuku whispered. "And I loved him."
The girls froze in his grip, a slight pang of pity resounding in Ochaco's heart. So that's how he knew how to take care of cats.
"Don't worry, you two. I'll bring you to the vet tomorrow and see if you're chipped. Get you back home." Izuku continued. "And if you don't have one, I'll take care of both of you. I promise."
Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump
Ochaco couldn't tell if it was her heart beating or his. She tried to squirm her way out of the hug, but his arms were so big, strong and gentle. She felt her mind melting. Mei was completely frozen, her breathing quickening.
"D-deku-kun… It's me…" Ochaco whispered.
"I love you." Izuku mumbled, and kissed both cats on the top of their heads.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Ochaco felt her body go slack, relaxing in the boy's grip. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mei do the same, both of them defeated by the boy's affection. They purred unconsciously, lying on top of him as if he was a giant bed.
"O-oh." Ochaco stammered. "Hey, you can't j-just say that!"
"Y-yeah! We're… We're…" Mei tried to back her up.
Izuku's only response to their meows was to curl around the two of them, hugging them closer. Ochaco and Mei could do nothing but accept it, eventually hugging him back.
To them, the boy was like a rock. Strong and solid, a foundation that held them together. Ochaco leaned into his chest, feeling how warm he was. How safe she felt.
Maybe… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be his.
Her eyelids drifted shut and she fell into a deep slumber. There, she dreamed. She dreamed of being Izuku's alongside Mei, the three of them living together happily.
The night was long and quiet.
[x]
The bell on her collar jingled, Ochaco yawning as she pressed herself against her dearest friend. The dream was rather pleasant. She'd gotten her human body back, but still retained some of the feline traits. Her hands and feet were giant mittens of fur, ending in claws and soft pawpads that ran across Izuku's chest.
Mei shared the same traits, letting out a low growl as she pulled herself closer and pressed her bare body against Izuku. She snuggled with him, a great big smile on her face while she wrapped herself around his left arm. Ochaco pouted and did the same, not wanting to lose out.
Izuku stirred, still in deep sleep. Both girls held him tighter, each staking their claim on the boy. Ochaco let her long tail coil around his thigh, smirking when he mumbled. Hugging him was… nice. It felt amazing when he hugged them back, wrapping one arm around each of their waists.
"Hmm?" Izuku blinked slowly, finally waking up. "Uraraka-san? Hatsume-san?"
"Deku-kyun, nyaa~" Ochaco giggled.
"Midorinyaaaa~" Mei smirked.
"Huh." Izuku let his eyes close again. "What a nice dream…"
The morning sun was peeking through the curtains, tiny rays of light illuminating the bedroom. Both hands came up to rub their heads, fondling the girls' fluffy ears while they let out simultaneous purrs of delight. His hands ran across their smooth backs, and Izuku began to frown. A girl's skin was so warm and soft, and it was as though he was touching velvet. Both Ochakitty and Catsume were peppering him with little kisses, and it felt great until they began to lick him with their rough tongues. There was a slight pain when they scraped across his skin.
Pain? In a dream?
"This isn't a dream, isn't it." Izuku asked himself slowly, eyes still closed.
Ochaco and Mei blinked, their heads swiveling about to face each other. Then Mei extended her paw-hand and gave Ochaco a light pinch on her mochi-cheeks.
"Ow." Ochaco said, eyes widening. "Oh."
They finally came to their senses when Izuku's eyes shot open, throwing the blanket off himself to find two naked catgirls hugging him tightly. He screamed like a little girl, and so did Ochaco after both of them quickly let him go. Mei raised her arms and pumped the air in victory, simply glad to be human again.
"Yeaaaaaahhhh! We're back, baby!" she hollered. "Well, maybe about 80% back."
"Hatsume-san, wha—" Izuku yelped, his cheeks burning bright red. "U-uraraka-san?!"
"D-d-d-deku-kun, it's not what you think!" Ochaco stammered, blushing and raising both her mitten-hands. "I, um, we were just cuddling, no wait—"
Aside from the ears, tail, and mittens on her hands and feet, both girls had bodies that were lined with spiraling strips of fur that protected their modesty, making sure nothing important could be seen. If anything, it looked like they were wearing special, fur-covered pasties that barely covered anything and left a vast expanse of skin exposed. Unfortunately Izuku got an eyeful of both of them, burning the sight into his memory unconsciously. He yelped and covered his eyes, but not before turning an even darker shade of red.
"I didn't see anything!" Izuku lied, covering his face. "U-um, what's going on?!"
"Izuku, what's wrong?" Inko knocked twice before entering anyway, swinging the door open. "I heard yelling—oohhhh mmmMMMYYY GOOOODDDD!"
"Wait, mom!" Izuku yelled, inadvertently putting down his hands and getting a full view of both girls again. "It's not what you think!"
"I'm so sorry, you three carry on!" Inko said quickly, whirling about and slamming the door shut behind her.
"Mom!" Izuku yelled after her.
It was too late as she disappeared, leaving the three teens to their own devices. Ochaco's cheeks were scarlet while she wrapped Izuku's All Might blanket around herself nervously, Mei preserving her modesty by hugging his pillow. It took a few moments before the three of them calmed down, with Izuku averting his gaze until they were ready. Their cat ears twitched, tails swishing about in the air playfully.
"Okay." Izuku paused, taking a deep breath with his eyes still closed. "Can I open my eyes now?"
"Mm-hmm." Ochaco said timidly.
"Go ahead." Mei agreed.
"Alright." Izuku opened his eyes, blinking as his gaze landed on the two of them. He turned red almost instantly, but quickly began to analyze the situation with interest. "You two look… amazing. W-wow! Wow! Are those ears real? They were really fluffy."
Ochaco wilted in shame, heat warming her face. He'd felt those too?! And she kissed and licked him earlier… She wondered if Mei was able to build a machine that erased memories.
"A-ah, sorry. Would someone please explain what's going on?" Izuku asked, puzzled.
"Um, well." Ochaco began, glancing at Mei for backup. "It's a long story…"
[x]
Ochaco stared at her hands, turning them over to make sure she was 100% human again. Reversing the polarity of the Neko-nator had worked! They'd finally made their way back to U.A with Izuku's help, managing to reach the workshop and reverse their Nekofication.
"There we go!" Mei exclaimed, stepping away from the device. "Back to normal!"
"Thank you so much, Hatsume-san!" Ochaco sprinted up to her and wrapped her in a crushing hug. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you~!"
"Don't mention it." Mei smiled, hugging her back. "I think we've all learned an important lesson from this harrowing experience."
"Never test gene-altering tech on yourself, no matter how many times you did it before?" Ochaco suggested.
"Always have a friend on standby, and a backup plan!" Mei cackled, then calmed down and looked Ochaco in the eye. "And um, sorry. For everything."
"It's alright. I have to admit it was scary at times, but Deku-kun managed to pull through in the end." Ochaco looked around. "Deku-kun, are you still there?"
"I am here." Izuku stepped out from behind one of the safety barriers, his eyes roaming over Ochaco's body. "Oh, you're back to normal! That's great, Uraraka-san!"
"Ah, um. Thank you." Ochaco blushed, noting that she and Mei were still clad in Izuku's oversized clothing since they didn't have anything to wear. "Oh, um, one more thing, Deku-kun!"
She turned to Mei, and the two girls nodded in unison. They raised their hands in rough imitation of cats, both of them pawing at the air cutely.
""Thank you for saving us, nyaa~!""
Apparently the combination of two attractive girls dressed in his clothing and mimicking his favorite animal was too much for Izuku, because he turned a shade so red they could have sworn he was about to blow up. The events of yesterday finally caught up to him, with Izuku realizing he'd given them a bath, slept and cuddled with both girls.
Then blood spurted from his nose as he got a nosebleed, the boy collapsing backwards onto a nearby couch.
"Huh. I guess we went too far." Mei smiled. "You okay, Midoriya-kun?"
"Deku-kun, you alright?" Ochaco exclaimed, concerned.
Izuku's only response was to give them a weak thumbs up, sinking back into the couch.
Catgirls are awesome, he decided.
[The End]
Thank you for reading!
This is a oneshot that I suddenly felt like writing, hope you liked it.