Dirt kissed Izuku's nose. It smelled overpowering. Everywhere ached dully. Izuku tried to get his legs under him and stand. But he had four legs, not two. Coordination became a problem. He collapsed backward, panting. His feet were covered in green fur. He glimpsed his image in a puddle of water. He looked like a green corgi puppy with pert ears and a wet black nose. His belly was lighter green and dark green spots like freckles ran down his snout. Adding insult to injury, he looked like a puppy. He was too small to see very far out of the hole he lay in.
The past came back to Izuku in flashes. His class had been attacked at the U.S.J. One of the villains had been firing off blasts of light from his palms in random directions, turning a tree into a teapot and grass into porridge. Izuku had pushed Tsuyu out of the way of a blast and gotten hit. They'd both gone flying in different directions. Izuku had landed in this pit.
Presumably, the villain had a randomized transformation quirk, and Izuku had gotten stuck as a dog. It was better than a teapot at least.
How was he going to explain this to his mother? Inko would withdraw him from U.A. when she found out. He'd barely gotten started as a hero. Assuming he could be a hero now he'd turned into a corgi puppy. Who knew if this could be reversed or not? What a depressing thought. Izuku's ears drooped. What if All Might wanted his quirk back? Unthinkable!
The world seemed full of smells to Izuku. The dirt intermingled with blood, sweat, grass, and many other scents, making him dizzy.
The sound of explosions above reminded Izuku that his classmates were still in trouble. He pawed at the pit, trying to climb out. The dirt was wet and muddy. By digging in his paws, he climbed halfway up. Then he slipped and fell down.
Izuku landed on a pointy stick. It drew a line of blood down his leg. He yelped. (How strange, to hear a dog's bark coming from his throat.)
Sudden footsteps pattered over. The creepy "hands over his face" villain peered over the edge. Hadn't he introduced himself as Tomura Shigaraki?
Tomura gasped. Then he leapt into the pit. He yanked gloves over his hands. Approaching with his palms raised nonthreateningly, he spoke in a sing-song voice. "There, there. You're adorable! Are you hurt?"
Izuku growled and backed away. Having seen what those hands could do, he had no intention of letting them touch him. He bared his teeth. Or rather, his one tooth. Apparently he wasn't even old enough to have more than one.
Tomura yanked the severed hand off his face. "I'm not a scary guy. I want to help you." The babying tone of voice sounded jarring compared to his usual rasp. Tomura even attempted to smile. It looked terrifying.
Izuku wasn't sure if he believed the villain's good intentions, but he didn't want the Decay user near him either way. His leg throbbed. He growled warningly.
"Oh, no, that cut is dirty. Without a healing potion, it will get infected." Tomura sounded sincerely panicked. "This might be a bit scary, but I need you to come with me." Tomura took off his coat, then threw it around Izuku.
Izuku kicked and clawed, but he was too small for it to have much effect. The jacket was tougher than his tiny claws and one tooth.
Tomura cooed. "What a little fighter! Your DPS might be low, but we'll have you leveling up in no time."
Izuku barked at the top of his lungs, hoping to attract a rescuer.
Tomura shouted, "Kurogiri! Our mission objective has changed. Get me of here!"
Izuku twisted inside the jacket. Eventually it opened, dumping him out on a steel table. This place looked like a medical laboratory. His heart pounded frantically. What if the villains planned to dissect him?
A familiar head of shaggy white hair loomed over him. Tomura spoke in a low, coaxing voice. "I'm going to put some antiseptic over that cut of yours. This will sting, little guy. I'm sorry." He dumped the bottle over Izuku's injured leg.
Izuku had been through far worse pain every time he broke a bone. He didn't react.
"You're a stoic one." Tomura frowned. "I wonder how much pain you've been through." He stroked Izuku's back as he tied a bandage around the cut. Izuku was so surprised, he forgot to bite.
From outside the door, sounds of arguing drifted in. Kurogiri cried, "All for One, please just give me a moment to talk to Tomura before you—"
The door slammed open, hitting the wall. A man with a scarred, eyeless face strode into the room. He wore a dark grey suit. His shiny black shoes clacked on the tiles. Izuku's ears flattened back instinctively.
All for One seemed to look Tomura over despite his lack of eyes. He grunted. "You don't look injured. Why did you return?"
Tomura said, "Because I achieved the rarest of achievements, Sensei."
All for One recoiled. "You killed All Might? I never thought you'd actually—amazing job. Did you bring back the body? I have plans for the body."
"Oh, no, not the lesser achievement. This loot drop is much better." Tomura picked up Izuku and held him up eye level with the villain. "I adopted a new dog."
Slowly, All for One said, "Instead of dead All Might, you brought me back a green puppy."
"My puppy, not yours, Sensei," Tomura said. "I'm going to love him and protect him and dote on him and name him Mon-chan Junior."
All for One pinched his forehead. Then he smiled in a very fake way. "Tomura, if you kill All Might, then I'll buy you a truckload of corgi puppies."
Tomura gasped. "Mon-chan Junior can't be replaced! It's irresponsible to get more pets than you can care for, Sensei. Please don't do that."
"You've been plotting your revenge on All Might ever since your family died and you were abandoned by society!"
Izuku's ears perked up. This sounded like an interesting story.
As if stating the obvious, Tomura said, "I have bigger priorities than All Might now that I'm a dog dad."
All for One's expression turned sourer. "You've developed bigger priorities than killing my—I mean, our archnemesis."
Tomura nodded. "Yes, I must rescue this abused corgi puppy."
There was a moment of silence as All for One digested this. If Izuku could talk, he would have said, Yeah, I'm surprised too.
All for One looked at Izuku in a way that made Izuku involuntarily whimper. Then he said, "Tomura, villains are too busy for pets."
"Then I'll quit as a villain," Tomura said.
The temperature of the room turned freezing. Red light crackled down All for One's arm. Tomura didn't even seem to notice. He poked Izuku's paw, and then giggled.
All for One growled, "I suppose you think that you can force me to allow you to keep this animal with a ridiculous bluff—"
"It's not a bluff, Sensei. Adopting a pet is a commitment. Pets are family." Tomura rubbed behind Izuku's ears. It felt nice. Izuku sighed involuntarily. "Nothing in this world is more important to me than Mon-chan Junior's health and happiness from now on."
Izuku blinked. Wait, Tomura's reign of villainous terror could have been stopped right away if someone got him a corgi? I wonder if that would work on other villains.
All for One twitched. "I was only joking. Of course you can own a dog and still be a villain. I'm sure this—" His glare flayed Izuku "—charming fluffball will make a wonderful attack dog with some training."
Izuku growled. He'd never work for villains.
Tomura cradled Izuku closely. "Sensei, you're scaring him. As if I could use an itty bitty thing like him as a tank! He's very jumpy. Humans must have mistreated him in the past. I must insist that you leave." Without waiting for a reply, he pushed All for One out the door and slammed it in his face.
From the hallway, Kurogiri's voice said, "All children go through a rebellious stage. That's just parenting. Don't let it get you down, Sensei."
All for One's reply was too low to be heard, but it sent Kurogiri running away. The villain stomped after his minion.
Tomura set Izuku back down on the table. "Don't worry about that big old meanie. I still have his credit card." He whipped out a gold card from his pocket. "I'll buy you everything you need."
At this point, it occurred to Izuku that although at least he'd survived, he was still stuck in a villainous hideout. It was great that Tomura had found new and improved life goals, but Izuku didn't want to be a villain's pet. All Might and his mother must be worried sick about him. What if this quirk transformation wore off while he was surrounded by villains? Worse, what if it never wore off? He whimpered.
Tomura kissed his nose. "Aren't you cute? Yes you are!"
This couldn't possibly be the rest of Izuku's life. He had to escape.
Tomura must have spent a ridiculous amount of money on expedited delivery, because the pet supplies all arrived within a few hours. Boxes spread across the bedroom floor, containing everything from a dog bowl made of pure gold to a squeaky toy. Tomura approached Izuku holding a collar studded with diamonds. "Come over here, Mon-chan Junior."
Izuku backed away, growling and flattening his ears.
Tomura stopped. "Are you scared of collars?"
Izuku nodded.
"You're a very smart dog," Tomura said.
Izuku's heart skipped a beat. Sweat dripped down his paws. Was he about to be caught? What would Tomura do if he realized his new pet was actually one of the hero students he hated?
Tomura burst into tears. "Your previous family must have hurt you so badly! No wonder you're scared of collars! I'll protect you from now on! You'll never have to wear a collar again!" He glomped Izuku and showered him with pets.
Hmmm. No surprise at all that a dog had answered his question. Either Tomura had already realized that Izuku wasn't a normal animal (which would make sense given he had green fur) or Tomura was so poorly socialized that he didn't realized most animals couldn't understand human speech (which would make sense given that All for One seemed like the kind of crazy bastard who would lock a child up in the basement for years and raise him up as a savage hero-hating NEET). Either way, Izuku felt relieved not to be forced into a collar.
In a charitable mood, Izuku nuzzled Tomura, attempting to dry his tears. Tomura scratched his ears. "Want to play a game?" Tomura asked. He picked a rubber toy dog off the floor and pressed its stomach. It squeaked.
Izuku snorted.
"You don't like that? It's not very interesting for such a smart boy." Tomura dragged over a catalogue. "Point to whatever you want, and I'll buy it for you."
Izuku flipped the pages with his nose. He was mainly interested in supplies he might use to escape, but this catalogue only had toys for children and pets. He stopped at a picture of an All Might action figure. He didn't have that one yet! Without even thinking, he nudged it.
"Seriously?" Tomura asked.
Izuku gave a dog-shrug.
Tomura sighed. "I hope you chew it to pieces." He was already placing an order on his phone. "I'll get half a dozen of them so you'll have spares. Ugh, now All Bitch is even charming innocent dogs with his smiley wiles."
Izuku wandered around Tomura's bedroom. It was spartan, except for the gaming station and shelves of video games. He nudged one over to read the cover. Apparently Tomura played everything from violent post-apocalyptic games to fantasy to dating sims.
"Do you want me to teach you how to game? I'll show you the superiority of 2D." Tomura placed Izuku in his lap and sat in front of the computer. "I'll give you a pencil to hold so you can press the keys with your mouth."
Tomura definitely had some strange ideas about what the average dog was capable of. At least this was better than playing with squeaky toys. When Izuku worked in a team with Tomura, they could press buttons twice as fast between the two of them. Tomura was so pleased about leveling up that he doubled the order of All Might figurines. Izuku would happily accept that deal.
For dinner, Tomura placed a hamburger on a golden plate and offered it to Izuku.
Not dog food? Izuku wasn't complaining. He would have felt strange, eating dog food. Tomura even got Izuku a stool so he could eat at the table.
These were close to ideal living conditions for a dog, but Izuku wasn't a dog. He still feared turning back into a human at any moment, then getting decayed. He resolved to escape.
That night, Izuku waited until he heard snoring coming from Tomura's bed. Izuku had a lovely new dog bed piled high with purple cushions. He hopped down and walked toward the door. It was shut. It hadn't been locked, but of course he couldn't reach the handle.
Izuku tried to activate One for All. He couldn't run on a broken leg, so he only reached for the tiniest amount of power. But nothing happened.
The beloved quirk he'd been waiting for his entire life was gone. And he was still stuck as a dog. Dog-dammit.
Wait. He felt a little something. A hint of green light crackled down his fur. Izuku strained, but then it was gone.
It was too early to give up hope. Perhaps it would take his new body a little while to adjust to his quirk. As soon as he could use One for All, he could bust down this door and escape.
The next morning, as Tomura left his room, Izuku wedged a squeaky toy in the doorway to stop the door from completely closing.
Tomura didn't notice. He leaned down to pet Izuku, chuckling. "You're sad to see me gone, aren't you? I'll be back soon, I promise. There's plenty of water in your bowl. I'll return to feed you lunch. I won't let you get lonely. I know socialization is important for a puppy."
Izuku certainly wasn't lonely, but he had started to like Tomura. He was easily bribed by anyone who gave him All Might merchandise.
As soon as Tomura was out of sight, Izuku nudged open the door. It opened into a steel corridor. Tomura's room seemed to be part of a villainous compound. Nothing for it but to explore and look for the door to the outside. The white-painted walls and metal floor offered no place to hide. At least if Izuku got caught, he could pretend to be a dumb dog.
The steel felt cold under Izuku's paws. This got him off on a tangent wondering about what had happened to his clothes (they'd disappeared when he'd transformed), if he'd be naked when he turned back, and more importantly how to turn back. If he could find the villain who'd done this, maybe he could apply a paw to the throat until cooperation could be achieved. But he was fairly certain most of the League of Villains had been captured at U.S.J. when Tomura had bailed on them, so they would be in Tartarus. First, Izuku needed to escape this place and communicate his problems to his friends and teachers back at U.A.
Unfortunately, this building was a labyrinth. When Izuku finally found a giant metal door that looked like it led to a garage, it was covered in lasers with cameras in the corner. He did not like his odds of busting out. He kept wandering.
Izuku stopped before a steel door marked with a yellow hazard sign. Door knobs: his mortal enemy. This one had a fingerprint scanner, so he had no chance whatsoever of making it inside. These days, he didn't even have fingers.
Izuku heard footsteps approaching. He rolled up into a ball in the corner and tried to look invisible.
A bald doctor in a white lab coat passed without noticing him. The doctor leaned over and scanned his eye. The door opened.
Izuku darted forward, hoping he could follow the doctor inside without being noticed. A lab seemed likely full of useful escape tools.
Staying a few steps behind, Izuku followed the doctor down the stairs. After only two steps, the doctor stopped. He sneezed. "Is there a dog in here?" he growled. "Damn fur shedders. I'll use it as experimental material."
Allergies. Dammit. Izuku turned and made a run for it.
The doctor whirled around and grabbed for him. Izuku dodged the oversized hands. He tangled with the doctor's feet. The doctor fell backward. He rolled down the stairs, hitting the bottom with a sharp crack to the back of his skull.
Izuku ran down the stairs and sniffed the unconscious man. Unfortunately, as soon as the doctor woke up, he'd want revenge.
Since he was already doomed, Izuku decided to go out doing what he loved most: being a hero and thwarting villains.
Izuku sprang on top of the metal table, knocking over a computer. He butted a shelf with his head until it fell down, smashing glass vials. The chemicals on the floor ignited.
The large supercomputer in the middle looked important. Izuku took that as a challenge. He wasn't strong enough to knock it over. Instead, he dipped a wooden chair leg into the fire, then carried it over in his mouth. When the flames licked the circuits in the back of the supercomputer, they made a satisfying crackling sound.
From the floor, the doctor groaned and sneezed again.
Izuku urinated on his head. Then he escaped up the stairs.
All for One stood with his arms crossed. "Dr. Ujiko demands that you turn over your furry little monster at once. He wants a new pair of fur gloves as compensation for his ruined laboratory."
Tomura gasped. "Fur gloves?" He kissed Izuku's nose. "Don't worry, Mon-chan Junior. I'll protect you! I'll never let that nasty Cruella De Ville rip-off touch you!" He raised his chin to glare. "Sensei, how could you even suggest such a thing? Mon-chan Junior is an innocent. He had no idea what he was doing. He's just a cute little puppy."
"He destroyed several years of Nomu research and nearly killed Dr. Ujiko!"
"That would be a small loss." Tomura sniffed. "Mon-chan Junior has never done anything wrong in his entire life, ever. I bet that mean, nasty doctor tried to kick him."
Izuku batted his eyes and tried to look innocent. He'd never expected Tomura to defend him so ferociously, but he was rolling with it.
"Aw. Just look at him." Tomura held up Izuku. "Could you say no to the cute face?"
"Yes," All for One growled. "I mean, no. Speaking of which, why aren't you wearing your hands on your face?"
Tomura said, "They scare Mon-chan Junior, so I got rid of them."
All for One stared. He rubbed his forehead. "Would you care to explain why I have charges for All Might figurines on my credit card?"
"For some reason, Mon-chan Junior likes the smiley final boss. Inexplicable, I know." Tomura sighed. "But dogs are always right, so if Mon-chan Junior likes All Might then I guess I can't kill him."
Izuku nodded frantically.
All for One pinched the bridge of his nose. "This must be a joke. You can't possibly be giving up on your lifelong quest for revenge because an overgrown rat likes to use All Might figurines as chew toys. Is this because I didn't give you as many Nomu as you wanted? You can have all the Nomu."
"Don't call Mon-chan Junior a rat. You'll hurt his feelings." Tomura scratched Izuku's ears. "He's so soft. Just give him a little pet. Then you'll see how lovable he is." Tomura held up Izuku closer to the villain's face.
Izuku saw a once-in-a-lifetime chance to destroy Japan's greatest villain. He leapt forward and fastened his one and only tooth into All for One's throat.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" All for One shrieked as he staggered backward.
"Sensei, he likes you! You'll be best buddies in no time," Tomura exclaimed happily as Izuku did his best to sever the villain's jugular vein with the sole tooth he had to work with.
Despite Izuku's best efforts, eventually All for One managed to free himself. The villain left to seek medical treatment, using a hand to stem the bleeding from his neck. He cast a murderous look over his shoulder before he left.
Now that Izuku had realized what great influence he apparently had over Tomura, he wondered if he could persuade Tomura to quit villainy entirely. If they left this place, it would be easier for Izuku to get into contact with U.A. Such complicated requests were difficult to explain as a dog, though.
Tomura took Izuku to the bathroom and wiped the blood off his mouth. "Now, I know that Sensei can be insufferable, but don't nip him too hard. You might hurt your cute little teeth." Tomura spoke in a sing-song voice. He scratched at his neck. A bit of blood trickled down, on top of old scars.
Izuku climbed up Tomura's chest. He nudged the bottle of body lotion on the sink. Step one of his Tomura redemption plan: get Tomura to look after himself more.
Tomura caught the bottle before it fell. Izuku barked at him, jabbing the lotion with his paw.
With a small frown, Tomura asked, "Do you want me to put this on?"
Izuku barked again.
Tomura sighed. "There's no point. It never stops itching, no matter what I do."
Izuku widened his eyes.
"Don't look at me like that. Those eyes are a cheat code. Fine, I'll try." Tomura put some lotion on his neck.
Izuku wondered if he could pantomime getting Tomura into therapy. That one might be a challenge.
Since Tomura had surrendered complete and total power over to his dog, Izuku had free reign to terrorize the base. He ripped anything he could get his paws on to pieces. He started fires. He tripped Dr. Ujiko down the stairs three more times. It would be the holy grail if Izuku could manage to trip All for One, but for a blind man, the villain had amazing reflexes.
Izuku had his eyes on the Nomu laboratory. Dr. Ujiko carefully guarded it, especially since a dog had been lately sabotaging him. But Izuku had a plan.
Tomura could be persuaded to buy almost anything for Izuku, except objects potentially hazardous to his health. He wouldn't purchase poison or explosives. However, Izuku had persuaded Tomura to buy a rare Endeavor figurine on an online auction. Only Izuku knew the action figure was rare because it had been recalled after it had turned out to have a defect causing it to explode. (Seriously, what idiot had thought it a good idea to make a figurine that breathed real fire?)
Izuku had carefully collected all his shed fur and gathered it into a pile. He used a ripped-up T-shirt to drag the bag behind him to the laboratory. Then he planted the fur around the door crack. Finally, he nudged a paperclip into the corner of the door.
When he heard footsteps, Izuku hid around the corner.
Dr. Garaki approached. He scanned his thumb on the door and started to open it. Then he sneezed. He doubled over, wheezing. Eyes streaming, he growled, "You're not tripping me this time, you evil mutt." He pulled out a taser and stalked down the hallway, looking in all directions.
Izuku darted forward. As he'd hoped, the paperclip had prevented the door from completely closing. He carefully nudged it open with his paws. Then he ran into the laboratory.
Creepy black corpses with exposed brains floated in tubes. Izuku carried his Endeavor doll in his mouth. He looked around for the perfect place to cause an explosion. He didn't just want to destroy one Nomu—he wanted all of them.
The glass tanks had thick tubes connecting to a main power generator in the back. Izuku ripped out the panel with his teeth. Then he wedged the doll among the wires. As he squashed it, the figurine uttered a scratchy sound, then cried, "Prominence Burn" in a squeaky voice.
Izuku bit through the fabric and plastic, finding the box that was supposed to make the figurine spew fire. In practice, the explosions had proved far larger than the designers had intended. As soon as Izuku saw the first spark, he ran.
Behind him came a massive boom.
He was fast, but not fast enough. Metal fragments dug into his back paw and tail. He winced, but kept running. Heat scorched his back. He made it out the door and around the corner barely ahead of the blazing wave of fire.
Once safely away, Izuku panted. This time, he'd crossed a serious line. He knew full well that he'd die if All for One or the doctor caught him. He'd formed an escape plan to hide in a supply truck. It had low chances of success. But if he fell in the line of duty, then so be it.
Izuku turned, then ran into Tomura's leg.
"Mon-chan Junior! I came looking for you when I heard the explosion." Tomura scooped Izuku up. "Your leg is injured!" Tomura sounded close to tears. He ripped off his sleeve to wrap up the injury. Izuku squirmed. He knew Tomura meant well, but he couldn't afford to stay here and get caught. Tomura petted his ears. "You poor, poor baby. Shhh, it's okay. I'll take you to a vet at once."
Immediately, Izuku stopped struggling. A visit to a veterinarian meant he was getting out of here.
Tomura carried Izuku into a living room, where Kurogiri sat drinking wine and reading a book. Tomura cried, "Please, I need you to open a portal to the nearest veterinary office."
"Oh, dear, look at his leg." Kurogiri pulled out a phone. "Let me find an address."
"Thank you." Tomura stroked Izuku's fur. "You're such a brave boy. You're going to be just fine."
All for One threw open the door. Low growls came from the back of his throat. "Your oversized rat just destroyed more Nomu than every hero in Japan combined!"
"Don't shout. You'll scare him." Tomura patted Izuku's back. "Mon-chan Junior is a good boy. I'm sure he had nothing to do with the explosion. The doctor is framing my puppy to cover up his poor safety standards."
"That dog is a hero spy," All for One growled.
Tomura laughed. Even Kurogiri snorted. Izuku sweated. At least if he died, that might be slightly better than being stuck as a dog forever.
All for One pointed. "The mangy flea factory has crossed my line. Tomura, get rid of the dog or I'll get rid of you. Make your choice."
Tomura raised his chin high. "I pick Mon-chan Junior."
The villain went deadly silent. Clearly, All for One had not anticipated this answer.
Blissfully oblivious, Tomura continued, "I've already been thinking I need to quit villainy in order to focus more on Mon-chan Junior's recovery from his traumatic puppyhood. He's my family now. I'll still be rooting on your endeavors, Sensei. Even after I move out, I'll call regularly and we can meet up for dinner every week."
All for One pinched his scarred forehead. "Oh, fine. I suppose All Might will suffer enough from the sight of your corpse after I tell him that you're Nana's grandson. It's just such a waste of nearly two decades of brainwashing."
"Sensei? What do you mean?" Tomura asked.
Izuku tugged on Tomura's sleeve and barked. He understood quite clearly. He'd been willing to die himself, but he'd never wanted to take Tomura down with him.
All for One's arm swelled up. Lightning crackled around it. "Simple. I'm about to kill you, and your little dog too."
Tomura stood frozen. His jaw hung open and his eyes looked wide and scared, like a child. He stared at his oncoming death without resisting, as if he couldn't seriously believe his sensei would do this. Izuku felt sorry for him. The sympathy crystalized into rage. How could All for One care so little about someone he'd raised from a child? Tomura clearly loved his sensei. He didn't deserve this treatment. The rage solidified into a desire to protect. Green sparks ran down Izuku's paws.
The power of One for All flowing through him, Izuku leapt. He slammed into All for One's oversized arm, knocking the villain sideways. Izuku's front leg broke.
"Mon-chan Junior!" Tomura cried, finally springing into action. He grabbed Izuku before he hit the floor.
Kurogiri seized Tomura by his back collar and dragged them both through a portal.
They landed in a jumbled pile in a filthy alleyway. Tomura's head bounced off a trash can. He groaned. Kurogiri lay flat on his back with his arms spreadeagled. The Nomu muttered, "I just defied years of programming. I feel strange."
Izuku sprawled on top of Kurogiri, his broken paw screaming in pain. Through the agony, it took him a moment to notice another tingling spreading through his body.
His legs elongated. His face shifted. His broken front leg turned into an arm with a pop that made him scream. The agonized cry came out human. The transformation had restored his hero costume, and now blood dripped onto it. Izuku scrambled off Kurogiri because he was crushing the dazed Nomu.
Tomura stared. Clutching his head, he sat up. "Are you…Mon-chan Junior?" he asked in a small voice.
Izuku realized that since he was wearing a hero costume, his identity had been thoroughly exposed. How would Tomura react to his beloved puppy revealed as a hated hero? How would Tomura feel, knowing that he'd given up his old life and nearly died for someone who'd deceived him? Izuku's heart twisted with guilt.
Even though his head still spun with pain, Izuku grabbed Tomura's arm with his good hand. "It's me. Thank you for saving my life. My real name is Izuku Midoriya. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you the truth sooner. But for what it's worth, I think of you like family, too."
Tomura's eyes widened. Slowly, he said, "I knew you weren't a normal dog when you beat my top score at League of Heroes. So you finally unlocked your transformation ability? Good for you." His gaze snapped to Izuku's broken arm. "You're injured! You got hurt saving me! Kurogiri, wake up, we have to get to a hospital!"
The pain finally became too much for Izuku, and he passed out.
Nezu sat behind his desk with his paws folded. Izuku sweated as the principal's gaze swept over himself, Tomura, All Might, Aizawa, and Yamada. Finally, Nezu landed on Kurogiri. "You're Oboro Shirakumo?"
Kuroguri nodded slowly. "I believe so. My memories are starting to come back." He wore a black suit with no mask. Shadows obscured his face.
Aizawa clung to Kurogiri's arm like a limpet. "He's definitely Oboro. No relation at all to the villain who attacked U.S.J."
Yamada gripped Kurogiri's other side. "He had amnesia after his accident. He's been in the hospital for years. He's an innocent."
Nezu raised an eyebrow. "Coincidentally, he has the same quirk as the villain Kurogiri."
"Total coincidence," Aizawa insisted, hugging Kurogiri even harder.
Nezu turned to Tomura. "Just like how this young man resembles Tomura Shigaraki."
All Might laughed loudly. "Nonsense! This is my nephew, Tenko Shimura. They're clearly different people. This particular NEET gamer doesn't have a hand over his face. And he has better skin."
Izuku nodded, pleased that someone had recognized his efforts in improving Tomura's health.
Tomura didn't even look up from the game he played on his phone. "I'm just here to make sure that this school is an appropriate and safe environment for my pet—"
Izuku coughed.
"I mean, little brother," Tomura finished. They'd settled on little brother since Izuku objected to being referred to as a baby.
"I'm so happy that you two see each other as brothers, my boy." All Might wiped a tear from his eye.
Tomura scowled. "Don't call me that. I might have promised not to kill you for Mon—Izuku's sake, but that doesn't mean I like you."
"Of course." All Might wilted. "I'll take the time to slowly get to know you better." He twisted his hands, his fake cheer not managing to hide the hurt in his voice.
Izuku coughed. "Big brother, we talked about this. No bullying All Might."
Tomura shifted in his chair and scowled. Izuku wished he could turn back into a corgi. It had been easy to make Tomura do whatever he wanted when he'd had literal puppy eyes.
Responding to his desire, his body started to shift. Clothing warped into fur. Izuku fell forward onto his paws with a startled bark.
Tomura caught Izuku before he hit the ground. "Little brother, are you okay?"
Izuku nodded. It had been so easy this time. Just a stray thought had been enough. But he'd never been able to change into a human before, no matter how badly he wanted to. What had happened?
All Might patted Izuku's head. "One for All must have stockpiled the animal transformation."
Izuku barked.
"I'm not sure how either. It's a very strange quirk." All Might scratched behind Izuku's ears. Izuku whined happily.
"People who are liked by corgis can't be bad people. I guess you're not so horrible after all." Tomura held up Izuku to let All Might pet him some more. "I should have realized sooner that All for One was no good. Dogs never liked him."
Izuku sighed, pleased to have that settled and at all the petting. But he'd better make sure that he could transform back. He leapt out of Tomura's arms and landed on the floor. It only took a wish, and he sprang up into full human size.
Tomura clapped. "You've leveled up! Can you transform at will now?"
Izuku grinned. "Yes, it was easy. I don't even feel tired. Hmm, this will be such a useful hero ability. I can get into small places, I can serve as a spy, I have an improved sense of smell…" His fingers danced in the air, writing in an imaginary notebook.
Aizawa muttered something that sounded like, "Even more problems…"
A booming laugh came from Nezu. The principal rocked back and forth, shaking with merriment. "This seems like fun! I'll arrange for legal identities for Oboro Shirakumo and Tenko Shimura at once. You can both have jobs at U.A. if you want." He winked at Izuku. "Consider it a favor to one of my own kind. Please come to me if you require any assistance learning to use your animal form."
Izuku beamed. "Thank you, sir." He nudged Tomura. "Say thank you too, big brother."
"Thank you…huh, your principal's fur looks very soft," Tomura said, staring longingly.
Nezu smiled. "Ha-ha, thank you! Fair warning, if you touch me then I'll remove your arm."
Izuku got them all out of the office before Tomura tried to pet Nezu.
OMAKE TIME!
Omake: Must Love Dogs
Tomura Before Meeting Corgizuku: I'm going to destroy Hero Society.
Tomura After Meeting Corgizuku: No thoughts in my brain, only corgi love.
#
Omake: NEET Common Sense
Tomura: Mon-chan Junior is such a smart boy. He understands everything I say. I wonder if he's too shy to talk to me in return.
All for One: Dogs don't talk!
Tomura: But there are loads of talking animals in my games.
All for One: Maybe I should have let him out of his room more often as a child.
#
Omake: Pet Therapy
Izuku: Big brother, I made an appointment with a psychiatrist for you.
Tomura: All my free time is booked up playing video games.
Izuku: Do it and I'll let you pet me. (Turns into a corgi.)
Tomura: Suddenly I feel like talking about my feelings with a licensed doctor.
Kurogiri: While you're at it, could you get Tomura to eat fruits and vegetables too? Thank you! You're amazing! I should have gotten him a dog years ago.
#
Omake: Plan B
All for One: Tomura has failed me. It's a good thing that I secretly faked Hana Shimura's death and kept her cryogenically frozen so that I could use her as a back-up successor.
Later:
Hana: I'm here to murder All Might! Hey, wait, is that a corgi puppy? He's adorable.
Tomura: That's my little brother. Do you want to pet him?
Hana: Boy, do I ever!
All for One: Dammit.
Author's Note: Thank you to Goofy_Boss for this prompt!
2000DragonArmy drew the lovely cover art for this fic, which shows Tomura and Izuku competing with Dabi and Shouto for best brother pair. The drawing of Shouto rescuing Dabi comes from my fic "The Lebowski Gambit" where Dabi fakes holding himself for ransom. Delete the spaces to get the link to the full picture:
2000dragonarmy.
tumblr.
com/
post/679562222721269760/katydid
