Izuku ate his katsudon at a record pace, anxiety alighting his nerves like liquid fire. His mom chided him softly. The past few hours had been a blur of emotions, filled with lots of crying and heartfelt confessions. In the end though, she appeared to finally accept his dream of being a hero.
That fact alone brought a comforting warmness to his chest, one that he admitted he wasn't very familiar with.
He still had no idea what to expect from the Omnitrix, other than that it could apparently transform whoever wore it into different alien creatures? Obviously aliens hadn't made contact with humans yet, so he just had to assume it was commonplace wherever Tennyson and Paradox's universe was located. What did they look like? How many were there? They must've been pretty powerful considering if Tennyson had been honest when he said the Omnitrix made him the greatest hero of Earth— scratch that— the whole universe. What secrets did it hold?
The anticipation was starting to get to him, as he waited impatiently for his mom to go to bed for the night. Yes— he was dead set on taking the Omnitrix out for a test drive mere hours after having it bestowed upon him. But he couldn't help it! He was quirkless in a world of quirks— an area he'd been sorely lacking in his entire life, whilst he'd been forced to watch as others his age grew to do things he could only ever imagine being able to do himself.
An image of his long-time tormentor flashed through his head, but he quickly dispelled away any notion of the explosive blonde. He wouldn't easily forgive him for suicide baiting him. He had pushed his boundaries before, sure, but the implications were still unnerving. Telling him to off himself was crossing the line.
Izuku stood as rigid as a statue while he listened closely for the click of his mom's bedroom door shutting closed, signifying she was turning in for the night. Sneaking as stealthily he could manage, he went and collected the Omnitrix from his room, before layering himself with a coat and scarf to protect against the cold as he snuck out of the apartment complex.
His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest upon hearing the smallest of noises, adrenaline amping him up like an addictive drug. He'd never done something like this before— leaving without telling his mom where he was going. He wasn't going to be gone for very long— he hoped— and really, he had all night to see how things would turn out, seeing as it was barely half past ten.
Tennyson had suggested he stay away from densely forested areas if possible, and preferably he transform in a secluded area where no one could easily walk in on him. Thankfully, he knew the perfect place to go: Dagobah Municipal Beach Park.
The beach had been a dumping ground for mountains of junk for close to over a decade now, and Izuku didn't remember a time where it hadn't been cluttered with trash. The stench kept most people away, as even the homeless actively avoided it. Exactly the kind of place to test out an alien device from another universe!
His breath condensed in front of him as he trotted past the private access sign entering the coastal junkyard: No one took it seriously any way.
After finding a decently open section in the middle of the garbage heap, one surrounded by rusted out car frames almost forming a sort of protective castle wall from anyone viewing inside— did he wrench the watch from his coat pocket. The moon was bright enough that he could just make out the buttons on the device.
He slapped it on, flinching when the material merged together to fully wrap around the circumference of his wrist.
A beat passed.
Suddenly, without any warning a surge of energy erupted forth from the Omnitrix, green in color, causing him to gasp as it briefly blinded him. Blinking the spots out of his eyes, he returned his focus to the device, which was now glowing dimly, the hourglass symbol on the central dial more prominent than ever.
Acting more based on instinct than rationale by this point, he experimentally clicked on the two diametrically facing buttons on its sides, flinching yet again, as the dial shot upwards, revealing a hologram. Knowing there wouldn't be any turning back now, he surveyed the area once more, making sure he was absolutely alone.
"Here goes nothing!" He squeezed his eyes shut as he pushed down.
In a fraction of a second, Izuku's DNA was completely reconstructed, fitted with new genetic material. His cells divided and multiplied, copying and deleting in the necessary areas. His body felt like it was being ripped apart— but it was being pieced back together faster than he could register the pain. Every inch of his skin was enveloped in a strange slick/rubbery substance, followed by a distinct static sensation.
When it was over, his first indicator that he wasn't human anymore were the four arms— no, tentacles— he corrected himself, that splayed out in front of his face. White with an arctic blue hue, along with a passive bioluminescence, generating a thin veil of light around him. Gazing downwards at his chest, he recognized the familiar hourglass symbol of the Omnitrix. Almost immediately, he found standing atop his oblong legs to be rather difficult. He struggled to maintain his balance, swaying back and forth, nearly colliding with several leftover appliances.
"OK- oh! My voice! I-it's… weird?" He blubbered, unused to the separate set of vocal cords now at his disposal.
'Alright Izuku, don't panic. As long as you stay calm, and turn back to human soon- wait, how do I turn back!?' He was in the beginning stages of having a panic attack, and in his mental haze, he somehow managed to find his way out of Dagobah.
"I need to get back home before someone finds me like this!" He willed his wobbly legs to carry him faster, but found even that to be too taxing an effort.
'How is this guy supposed to do anything useful if the simple act of walking is going to be an issue for him!? My whole body feels like it's made of jelly!' He thought disgruntledly, before accidentally crashing into a nearby outdoor table and set of chairs, flopping on the pavement with a loud slap.
"Oh man… what would mom think if she saw me like this?" He groaned, trying to find the strength in his tentacles to wrench himself upright into a standing position.
"Excuse me, Sir! Are you in need of assistance?" A stoic voice called from behind him.
'Wait! That voice- it couldn't be!- It's-'
Kamui Woods appeared behind him, tilting his head in a questioning manner.
"Hello?" Izuku garbled out incoherently, ever so slightly star-struck, despite having seen the pro hero just yesterday- oh, right. The sludge villain incident happened yesterday, and Kamui Woods was one of the main heroes on the scene throughout the whole event. It only made sense that he was still in the area.
"Sir," The wooden hero started again, "are you ill? Perhaps you are in need of medical attention?"
Unable to talk without making a fool of himself, he did his best interpretation of what he thought shaking his head may have looked like, but the hero wasn't deterred, as he approached the obviously still frightened teen.
"I must say, that is certainly one of the most odd mutative quirks I have ever seen." He commented, reaching out to hoist the alien boy on his shoulder.
"Wait, don't touch me!" Whether it was a trauma induced or a knee jerk response to physical contact from anyone not named Inko Midoriya— in the end the result would've been the same— Izuku threw his tentacles in front of himself to prevent the hero from coming any further.
What he didn't anticipate, however, was the blast of electricity that slammed the pro square in the chest— rocketing him backwards into a mailbox.
"I AM SO SORRY!" Was all the alien boy managed to squeak out before Kamui hopped back to his feet, an intense glare being leveled his way. He looked cross.
"Illegal quirk usage against a professional hero… that's a damning offense…" Smoke billowed off his now cracked and splintered costume.
"... Villain."
'You have got to be kidding me! I knew from stories I heard that Kamui Woods was serious about his job, but this is flat-out ridiculous!'
"Lacquered Chain Prison!" The pro announced his iconic super move, as branches shot out in front of him, overlapping and quickly converging on the helpless jelly-abled alien. He grunted as he felt the wood squeezing him in a vice-like grip, restricting any usage of his tentacles, and any hope of escape.
"Gah! I didn't mean to hit you! You've got to believe me! It was an accident!" Izuku pleaded with the pro, gaping as he shook his disapprovingly.
"Hitting me with one of your strongest attacks isn't an accident."
"That wasn't even my strongest attack, at least I don't think-"
"- So you are openly admitting to attacking me?" Kamui Woods sighed.
"What!? Now you're just twisting my words around! You know that's now what I meant!"
"Regardless of your intent or not, you should have a firm grasp of how to control your quirk out in public. Especially at this time of night." He flexed some bark off his bicep, watching as the pieces clattered to the curb.
"We're going down to the station to set you straight."
"No-no-no-no-no! You can't take me there!"
"...Oh? Why would that be? If you are as innocent as you claim to be, then you shouldn't have anything to worry about."
"I am not a freaking villain!"
"Would have convinced me otherwise." The pro snorted with no lack of amusement.
'Crap! He isn't going to budge! Nothing I say will get him to let me go! If I'm found guilty of assaulting a pro hero- I'll never be allowed to enter UA! My dream will be over before it even starts!' Izuku's head was a turbulent funnel of negatives, with each path necessitating an undesirable outcome.
'Think! Izuku, think! Hero analysis journals don't fail me now!' He thought desperately as he searched the inner recesses of his young mind, hoping to recall any useful bit of info he could to turn this situation in his favor, or more accurately, an opening.
'Wood itself isn't conductive, but more specifically, it's the water that is stored inside it that can be problematic. That's probably why my electricity was so effective on him earlier, despite this fact, since Kamui Woods is a living person, and his quirk Arbor being an extension of his own physical body it's logical to assume the wood he generates has some water in it as well! But I can't go all out here or I'd kill him due to the voltage. I actually have no clue exactly what my limit is since this is my first time ever having any kind of power-'
"Are you still blabbing back there? Frying me won't do you any good in the long run."
'He's right. I have no fighting experience as it is, I'm lucky as it is that he hasn't called in backup!' He growled frustratedly. 'If only I could just get out of these branches, I might stand a chance of getting… away?' His slanted green eyes widened as he felt his body begin to fizzle and soon shift… passing through the wooden entrapment with ease.
'I have intangibility!?' He didn't have time to gawk at this newfound ability, however, with the pro hero stopping upon feeling his prisoner escaping his hold.
"What!? How- !?"
"I have no idea!" Izuku admitted, jumping a little when he registered that the wooden man was sprinting towards him, determined to bring this supposed villain to justice.
Turning on his nonexistent heels, he forced his tentacled limbs to work in tandem to simulate what may have been considered running. He was horribly off-centered, careening to the side as he sensed wooden tendrils homing on his back like heat-seeking missiles. Tapping into that fizzling feeling once more, sweating as he phased directly through the pro hero, watching as he stiffened up a bit, before the wooden extensions from his hands cracked the concrete below them.
Realizing this was the opening he'd been looking for, he flimsily slipped into a darkened alleyway, slowing down as he noted the tall brick wall that cut him off from reaching the other side. The sound of boots skidding on pebbles and pavement indicated that Kamui was back on the hunt, much to his chagrin. Inhaling, he held his breath as he charged forward, praying for the best.
He gasped shrilly as he felt himself emerge on the opposite side of the wall, safely out of the hero's field of vision. He didn't have a lot of time to celebrate, unfortunately, as the pro's resourcefulness made itself apparent, when he used a makeshift wooden pole to vault himself up and over the height of the wall.
'This guy doesn't quit!' Izuku thought, growing more and more desperate as he felt his options of escape were becoming fewer.
He quickly scanned the location, they were still in an alleyway, but this one was far more wide and open-ended than the other side. His eyes caught onto the moonful glint of pipes and old rusted fire escape ladders travelling up the surface of the building. Frantically beginning to climb, utilizing his stretchy tentacles.
He barely made it past the initial set of stairs as Kamui sent a flying barbed hook up the side of the fire escape, nearly impaling his face, stabbing into the hard material. Peeking down, he felt his adrenaline rise drastically as the hero reeled themselves up. Each step consisted of him having to either dodge or phase entirely through one of the pro's attempts to restrain him, as the pair danced around each other, neither making direct contact.
Swinging himself over the ledge of the roof, Izuku made another break for it, before stopping dead short. The next closest building was too far of a jump, and he didn't think he was durable enough to survive a fall from this height.
"You've got nowhere left to run." Kamui stalked behind him, like a predator watching their prey before they pounced.
"Would you believe me if I told you I got my quirk just today?" Izuku deflected, turning to face the pro.
"That's ridiculous and you know it." He crossed his arms. "If you come quietly, we can see about minimizing a few of your charges."
'That's a load of bullcrap.' Izuku thought loathsomely. 'But I have no more escape routes. I'm done for…' He spared a glance at the open air, unsure if this alien could produce tears or not.
'If only I could fly.'
As he pondered this, he felt an unmistakable pulling sensation in his gut. It felt like his body was attempting to lift itself up, without him meaning too. Wait— there wasn't— this alien had already demonstrated two incredibly useful powers, electricity generation and intangibility— was it possible there was one more potential ability that he had been neglecting this entire time? Could it be— ?
As if the pro sensed his dilemma, he put his hands up placatingly, walking towards him slowly. Izuku's head rotated between him and the ledge of the roof. Was this gut-tugging feeling just misleading and he would fall to his doom like an idiot?
"Hey! Don't do what I think you're going to do! There is always another way!" The hero recognized what Izuku had been planning on doing, but the teen paid his words no mind.
'...It's a leap of faith.' Tennyson's words came back to him now.
"...A leap of faith…" He breathed, but not loud enough for Kamui to hear him clearly.
"I'll never know unless I try!" He suddenly declared, running for the edge.
"Wait! Stop!" The pro's instincts kicked in, as both his arms were already converging on him, in one last desperate attempt to restrain the alien.
He focused on the tugging sensation in his gut, compounding the message to the rest of the alien form that he needed to fly now. The branches whizzed towards him, slashing about him harmlessly as they harmlessly phased through his body.
His feet left the ground.
Izuku hadn't noticed at first, but the feeling of weightlessness wasn't from him falling— more accurately, it was from him rising. Surveying his surroundings, he could only gasp in astonishment as he hovered comfortably above the city, with Kamui Woods but a blot in his vision now.
Then giddiness.
"I CAN FLY! HAHAHA!" He shouted joyously, doing a few mock spins and loops through a low hanging fog.
He had dreamed of having a flight quirk for as long as he could remember, but now, almost a decade later, his childhood fantasy had been fulfilled. He tried amping up his speed, but found it difficult to make any sharp turns. He figured his air maneuverability would improve the more he trained in this form.
"To think I thought this guy was useless…" He hummed amusedly, before reality came back to smack him in the face.
"Oh no- how long have I been gone!?" He internally panicked, experiencing faint vertigo upon realizing just how far he was above the ground.
He had no way of knowing other than the moon's slow descent across the black sky. Willing himself to zoom at a steady decline, Izuku picked apart the buildings that he had memorized, using them as markers for how to find his way back to his apartment complex. Floating beside his bedroom's window, the irony of how he'd be entering his room wasn't lost on him as it was similar to how Tennyson and Paradox had done earlier that day.
After a few experimental jerks at the window he facepalmed as he remembered he literally could phase through solid objects. Hovering inside his room, he blinked owlishly towards his reflection in his mirror. Now he had to figure out how to transform back into his human form.
"Turn back." Nothing.
"Human." Nothing.
"Ok, um… please turn me back into a human?" Nothing.
'Alright, so it's not a voice command.' He thought. 'Maybe it's a mental thing?'
He focused on wanting to transform back into his normal self, when he heard a knock at his door.
'AGAIN!?' He thought unbelievingly, unwilling to accept that his mom was potentially interrupting another life-altering moment so soon.
"Izuku? I was grabbing some water when I saw that your light was on? Are you alright?"
"I- uh-!" He flinched at the sound of his voice, knowing it did not sound like his usual self.
"I was just so excited about training to be a hero!" He started, attempting to mask his voice so it could be passed off as being muffled through the door. "I've been up all night working on one of my hero analysis journals that you know I love! But I promise I'll go to sleep now because I'm super tired!" He fibbed, praying she would accept that half-baked reasoning.
"...Well, alright- but no more staying up this late again! You hear me mister!? You need to be awake enough to go to school this morning!"
"Yes mom! Thank you!"
He listened for her footsteps trailing away, before letting out a huge breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"That was way too close." He sighed, staring down at the Omnitrix badge on his chest, when an idea occurred to him.
He poked at the hourglass symbol, wondering if there was some sequence he could initiate that would transform him back. He tried tapping it twice, thrice, circling its outer circumference— nothing seemed to do the trick. Finally, though, as he held the badge for a short duration, the familiar green light surrounded his body.
He blinked, looking down at his now human hands. He flopped onto his mattress, the events of the night hitting him full force. So he fought a pro hero. That wasn't exactly something he had on his bucket list but he had to hold out on hope that Kamui Woods would give up on searching for him. Honestly, he kind of doubted that happening, judging by how tenacious the man had been. He opened his phone, seeing that it was almost one in the morning.
He sat up, leaning over to grab a pencil along with his charred/water-damaged hero analysis journal. Flipping through the pages, he stopped at All Might's signature. The man had explicitly stated that someone without a quirk couldn't be a hero. His idol's words would taunt him, he was sure, but now a different kind of fire blazed to life in his heart.
A scorching desire to prove him wrong.
On a new blank page, he pencilled in: Izuku Midoriya, future hero— successor of Ben Tennyson, wielder of the Omnitrix.
He had work to do, and only ten months to do so— the UA Entrance Exams were essentially right around the corner. Sketching the alien he had transformed into, he thought of what name to assign to the jellyfish-like creature that could emit electricity.
"How about… Jellytronic?"
Yeah. That was a good name.
