Mustafaru, Japan July 15th 2210 20:30
Izuku Midoriya, freshly four years old, had just had the best day of his young life! Today had been his birthday and not only had his mom invited all his friends from preschool, but his daddy had been able to come home from his work for a few weeks! Kaachan, Tsubasa, and the others had come and given him presents—Endeavor and All Might action figures—while Auntie Mitsuki and uncle Masuru had given him a certificate for a set of clothes every year until he became an adult. He didn't quite get what that meant, but his mommy had said it was a great gift. His daddy had gotten him a notebook filled with autographs from a bunch of American heroes like Electroplant and Cow Lady Captain Celebrity and Star & Stripe! Of all the gifts he had gotten that day, he considered that notebook to be the best.
It had been a fun day, but now his mommy and daddy were telling him it was past his bedtime and he needed to go to bed. After a quick bath, his daddy told him a story about an old fictional hero that had the ability to combine things together to make new weapons to fight against the bad guys. Before too long, Izuku fell asleep and, as was common for most kids his age, he dreamed of heroes.
That particular night, he dreamed of the kind of hero he wanted to be. His daddy had always told him that a hero needed to be not just smart, but wise. Heroes like All Might didn't just fight with their muscles or their quirks, but with their brains.
UNIQUE SKILL"SAGE"...
ACQUIRED
CONTINUING
"SAGE" WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO EXTRA SKILL "GREAT SAGE"…
SUCCESSFUL!
Of course a hero needed to have a powerful ability, like the flame hero Endeavor, who seemed like he could walk through even the hottest fire and withstand the coldest cold.
"HEAT RESISTANCE " ACQUISITION…
SUCCESSFUL
"COLD RESISTANCE" ACQUISITION…
SUCCESSFUL
ACQUISITION OF BOTH COLD AND HEAT RESISTANCE RESULTED IN THE ACQUISITION OF THE "THERMAL FLUCTUATION RESISTANCE" ABILITY.
A hero also needed to be tough. He had seen a video of All Might dealing with a bad guy with a sword a few weeks back and it had been amazing! The blade had just seemed to bounce off him! In fact, it had ended up cutting the bad guy. That part had grossed him out.
"PHYSICAL ATTACK RESISTANCE" ACQUISITION… SUCCESSFUL
"BLADE RESISTANCE" ACQUISITION...
SUCCESSFUL
"PROJECTILE RESISTANCE" ACQUISITION…
SUCCESSFUL
"PAIN RESISTANCE" ACQUISITION…
SUCCESSFUL
ACQUIRING BODY THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE BLOOD... SUCCESSFUL
A hero also needs to be adaptable, able to change strategy on the fly when what they were doing wasn't working. Like that hero his daddy was telling him about. What was his name… Elric?
UNIQUE SKILL "DEGRADATION" ACQUISITION …
SUCCESSFUL
He remembered Kaachan saying that the most important thing a hero did was beat and capture bad guys. Izuku had to agree a bit, even if he thought that Heros needed to make those around them feel safe, which meant talking to people. Like that big girl his mommy had told him about that All Might had talked out of hurting herself badly.
UNIQUE SKILL PREDATOR ACQUISITION … SUCCESSFUL
SKILL "SPEECH" ACQUISITION … SUCCESSFUL
EXTRA SKILL "UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR" ACQUISITION… SUCCESSFUL
The rest of the night was spent dreaming about the awesome adventures he would have as a hero, fighting alongside all the other heroes he had thought about that day.
05:30 July 16th
When Izuku awoke, he knew something was wrong. It was completely dark, and when he had gone to bed, his Endeavour nightlight had been working. Beyond that, he couldn't feel the way he usually did. He felt the blanket over him and the bed linen under him, but he couldn't feel those things on his arms and legs. For that matter, why couldn't he feel his legs! At this point Izuku began to panic as he tried to figure out what was happening as best he could, doing what he could not to panic because he was a big boy now and big boys don't panic. Heroes didn't panic. Unfortunately for him, he came up with nothing and with no options left, he panicked. In a fit of fear and confusion, Izuku did the only thing he could.
"MOMMY, DADDY! HELP ME! PLEASE HELP ME!"
Now it was a well known fact that neither Inko nor Hisashi Midoriya had a speed enhancement quirk, but an outside observer could be forgiven for thinking this was not the case as the panicked cries of their son had both adults up, out of bed, and in their son's room in mere seconds. Inko was slightly faster than her husband, and when she turned on the light in Izuku's room, instead of seeing her son on the bed or injured on the floor as she had feared from his cries she didn't see... anything.
Starting to panic, fearing that her son had been abducted, Inko screamed out, "IZUKU, HONEY, WHERE ARE YOU?"
By that point Hisashi had caught up and hearing his wife's words sent him into his own panic. As he walked in he called out,"BUDDY, ARE YOU HERE? COME ON, SPEAK TO ME!"
Both parents' cries ceased when they heard Izuku's cries coming from the bed. "MOMMY, DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU? I CAN'T SEE YOU!"
Hisashi was the first to move and tore the blanket off of his son's bed but instead of seeing his boy, all he saw was something that he knew due to his fantasy gaming as a teenager and early twenty-something: a dark green slime. Throwing caution to the wind and forcing his panic down so that he could speak softly, Hisashi knelt down and put his hand on the green ball of goo.
"Izuku, is that you?"
Izuku, feeling a hand against his body and hearing his father's calm voice, tried to calm himself down as he spoke. "Daddy, is that you? I can't see you?"
Hisashi took a moment before replying. "Yeah, it's me, buddy, and your mom is here too."
Inko, seeing what her husband was doing, followed suit and placed her hand on her son's "body" as she clamped down on her own panic and spoke as softly as she could. "I'm here sweetie. I promise everything will be okay."
While Izuku was still upset about not being able to see or feel his limbs, his parents' words calmed him down a bit. "What's going on, mommy, daddy?" Izuku whined as he was held in his mothers arms. Hisashi was the first to respond.
"We're not sure yet, but as soon as the doctor's office opens you can be sure we are going to find out so that we can help you."
As it so happened, Izuku's normal pediatrician Doctor Tsubasa (the grandfather of his winged friend) was on a month-long retreat; so they were referred to the Pediatric Quirk Unit at Mustafaru Central Hospital. Unfortunately, they couldn't get an appointment until noon, so for the next couple of hours, they helped Izuku figure out if and how he could move in his current state. As it turned out, he could move by either bouncing or scooting along the ground, but without being able to see he would collide with things in the apartment.
A little later, after realizing Izuku hadn't eaten anything since a before-bed snack, Inko attempted to feed him. That ran into a snag when they realized his current form didn't have a mouth. Hisashi thought about it for a moment before he recalled something from his gaming days. Grabbing an apple from the counter, he placed it in front of Izuku before speaking. "Buddy, I want you to roll forward over the apple I put in front of you and think about eating it."
Izuku, always eager to please, obeyed without question. Hisashi and Inko watched, fascinated, as the apple disappeared once Izuku moved past where it had been. Happy that his theory had proven true, Hisashi congratulated Izuku. "Good work, buddy."
If Izuku still had a mouth, he would have smiled widely. As it was, he responded verbally. "Thanks, Daddy!"
After that, they tried a variety of other foods, veggies, meats, and candies. Izuku seemed to be able to consume them all, and Inko couldn't help but be reminded of not too long ago when they were trying new foods with toddler Izuku to see what he would eat. The only downside was that he apparently couldn't taste anything.
The biggest surprise came just before they left for the hospital, when Izuku accidentally rolled over and consumed a metal and plastic spoon. They were still concerned, but Izuku hadn't noticed anything.
Eventually, it was time to head to the hospital to meet with the doctor there. Upon arrival and check in, they were ushered into the Pediatric Quirk Unit waiting room before they were led to a large examination room where a young woman with green eyes and pink hair wearing a smart-looking blouse and knee-length skirt with a lab coat was seated at a table looking over some paperwork. Upon their entrance, she looked up and rose from her seat. "Good afternoon. My name is Doctor Sakura Uzuki." She gave a small, polite bow that was returned by the Midoriyas.
With the formalities out of the way, Dr. Uzuki looked down at Izuku, who was nestled in his mother's arms. She spoke softly as she bent down to get a better look at him. "And you must be Izuku. How are you today?"
Izuku, a bit shy at meeting a new adult even if he couldn't see them, could only respond with a quiet "okay." Dr. Uzuki smiled.
"I'm glad to hear it. From what I've been told, you got your quirk last night. Congratulations! My job today will be to help you figure out how your quirk works so that you can live a good life. Before that, I want to see how healthy you are by using my own quirk."
That got Izuku's attention. "Your quirk? What is it? What does it do?"
Smiling at Izuku's curiosity washing away his shyness completely, Dr. Uzuki responded, "My quirk is called Diagnostic Touch. It allows me to receive a complete reading of your physical health with just a touch, including things that even modern medical technology has trouble detecting, like how the chemicals in your body are acting."
She paused before giving a slight laugh. "Of course, how useful my quirk is depends on my ability to understand and interpret the information I receive."
It was at this point that Inko spoke up. "That must be a really useful quirk for your work. Is that what made you decide to become a doctor?"
The young doctor looked at Inko before responding with a soft smile and a shake of the head. "Yes and no. Like most kids I wanted to be a pro hero when I was young, but a leg injury when I was twelve made that impossible. They were able to fix my leg, but it was never as strong as it was, which would make me a danger to any teammates I might have. Or civilians I might try to help. So I decided to go into medicine. And once the nature of my quirk became known, I was pushed to get my quirk use license and was allowed to help during disasters and large-scale hero battles performing triage." Looking down at Izuku, who had actually extruded a pseudopod in the shape of a question mark, she clarified, "That means that I tell other doctors and nurses who is hurt the most and needs help first." Izuku, if he had had eyes and a mouth, would have been wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. As it was, the adults present were treated to what seemed to be the front of his body mimicking the actions, causing them to chuckle a bit.
"However, it's always good manners to ask if it's not an emergency. So, may I use my quirk on you, Izuku?"
Izuku, now more comfortable with the young woman, gave the best equivalent to a nod he was capable of. "Yes, Doctor Uzuki."
With a nod to the elder Midoriyas confirming their consent, the doctor activated her quirk, causing both her hands to glow blue before putting them on Izuku's body. Inko and Hisashi were treated to the sight of the doctor's pupils disappearing, leaving only her bright green irises. This lasted for several seconds before her pupils returned and she slumped forward, the glow on her hands fading. Taking a breath before sitting up again, she spoke. "Mr. Midoriya and Mrs. Midoriya, you will be happy to know that your son is very healthy. By my readings, your physical body is completely healthy, just as it should be." The elder Midoriyas were happy to hear that despite his body no longer being humanoid, he was still a healthy boy.
Looking down at Izuku, the doctor smiled and patted him. "Now I need to have a boring adult conversation with your parents for a few minutes. Would you be willing to be put on the table on the other side of the room for a little bit?"
Hisashi and Inko shared a look of concern at that request, but Izuku, ever eager to please, agreed. So Inko placed him on the table before returning. When she was seated, Dr Uzuki spoke, a serious expression on her face.
"As I said, Izuku is healthy, at least by the standards typically found in people with this type of mutation. What I need from you is your family's quirk history. What quirks do you and members of your family have or have had?"
Inko and Hisashi looked at each other before they began talking. Hisashi's quirk was Fire Breath, and while his mother and her parents were all quirkless, his father had had Fire Breath and his paternal grandparents had had Fire Control and Fire Breath. On Inko's side, her family had expressed emitter quirks that either manifested in some kind of minor telekinesis or telepathy.
Dr. Uzuki looked at the Midoriyas as she took this new information in. "So taking your family's quirk history into consideration, it's very clear that Izuku's quirk is aberrant." At the adult Midorya's blank looks, Uzuki elaborated further, "When a child is conceived by two parents with different quirks, one of three things tend to happen. One, the child is born with one of their parents' quirks. Sometimes it will be stronger, sometimes it will be weaker. Two, the child will have a quirk that is a fusion of the quirks of their parents. This can lead to a stronger quirk in the child, but as often as not can lead to incompatibilities depending on the quirks involved. And third, the child will be quirkless. This is rare these days, but can still happen.
"Now, sometimes in very rare instances, a child will be born with a quirk that has nothing to do with either of its parents' quirks. To use a metaphor I heard once, it's like a fresh pull at the Superpower gachapon." Seeing the Midoriyas' nodding, she continued, "As I mentioned earlier, aberrant quirks are very rare, to the point where it happens to maybe one percent of the global population. Where this becomes a problem is that there is no real basis for how to help Izuku understand his quirk. While there have been quirks before that have rendered their users amorphous, none of them that I have witnessed have made them look like Izuku or have acted in the way you described his consumption of both biotic and abiotic objects. That being said, I will do everything in my power to help you and your son."
Izuku was bored. The doctor had said a few minutes, but it felt like it had been forever since his mommy had set him on the table. He had heard them mention quirks a few times, but that made sense since the doctor was somebody who dealt with quirks. He really wished he had someone to talk to just now.
"GREETINGS, IZUKU MIDORIYA."
Several decades later, Izuku would say that he didn't scream, but when pressed all involved would say that he did scream, and very loudly at that.
"MOMMY, DADDY, DOCTOR, I JUST HEARD A VOICE!"
For the second time that day one could be led to believe that the Midoriya adults had a speed quirk as they seemed to clear the distance between them and their son almost instantly, though to their credit they did clamp down on the fear and panic Izuku's words caused almost instantly. This time Hisashi was first to react. "What do you mean, son?"
Izuku paused, trying to calm himself, and said, "I heard you talking to Doctor Uzuki, and I wished I had someone to talk to. Then I heard a voice."
Uzuki's eyebrow raised in curiosity and asked, "And what did this voice say, Izuku?"
Izuku turned himself in the direction of her voice. "Gre-gre-greetings, Izuku Midoriya," he stumbled over the unfamiliar word.
Dr. Uzuki remained silent for a moment before responding "Izuku, could you ask the voice who and what it is?"
Izuku responded with a nod and a quiet, "Yes," before understanding that he had heard his thoughts before so maybe he should try doing it again.
'Hello? Are you still there?'
AFFIRMATIVE, IZUKU MIDORIYA. I AM STILL HERE."
Izuku clamped down on his fear before responding.
'The doctor wants me to ask who you are and what you are.'
It was silent for several moments before the voice spoke again.
I AM GREAT SAGE. I AM A CONCEPTUAL INTELLIGENCE UNIQUE SKILL GRANTED TO IZUKU MIDORIYA AT HIS REQUEST. MY PURPOSE IS TO ASSIST IZUKU MIDORIYA WITH HIS QUIRK IN WHATEVER WAY IS REQUIRED.
Izuku tried to process what the voice, now named Great Sage, had said to him. Some of the words were beyond him, but he still had to try. Focusing outwardly again. Izuku spoke to the three adults in the room.
"It says its name is Great Sage and it is a Ca-ca-con-ce-ce-cep-ton-ton-al In-in-in-tel-ege-egence uni-que skill gran-ted to me at my re-qu-est. And its pur-pose is to a-ssist me with my quirk in whatever way it is re-qui-erd." It took him a bit to recite what had been said due to the unknown words he was saying.
The elder Midoriyas looked at each other for a moment before looking at Dr. Uzuki, who looked deep in thought for another moment before she spoke to the Midoriya parents. "From the sounds of it, your son's quirk is, at least in part, sentient. While it's not exactly rare, it's not common either." Looking down at Izuku, Dr. Uzuki said, "Izuku, could you ask this great sage if it could speak to us?"
Izuku thought for a moment. "I'll try, Doctor Uzuki." Once more focusing inward Izuku called out to Great Sage.
'Great Sage, my parents and the doctor would like to talk to you. Can you do that?'
There was a long pause before Great Sage replied. AFFIRMATIVE. I CAN SPEAK USING YOUR BODY, BUT IT REQUIRES YOU CONSENT. DO YOU CONSENT TO ALLOWING ME CONTROL OF YOUR BODY TEMPORARILY?"
It took Izuku a minute to understand the context of what had been said. If he understood it correctly, it could speak to his Mommy, Daddy, and Doctor Uzuki if he allowed it to. Not really considering the consequences of his sudden decision he said 'Yes.'
Outside of his mindscape, Inko, Hisashi, and Dr. Uzuki were treated to the site of Izuku's slime body stiffening before he spoke with a voice that both was and wasn't his own.
"Greetings. I am Great Sage. Izuku Midoriya has said that you wish to speak to me."
The three adults looked at each other before Dr. Uzuki spoke for the group. "Yes. Thank you. We understand that you are a part of Izuku's quirk. Can you explain to us how you came to be and, if possible, tell us about the nature of Izuku's quirk?"
There was a pregnant pause before the Great Sage spoke. "Affirmative. I came into being on July 15th at 22:00 when Izuku Midoriya's quirk activated. This activation was expressed in such a way that Izuku Midoriya was allowed to make requests regarding skills and abilities. Since Izuku Midoriya was asleep, his requests were derived from his unconscious mind, specifically his dreams. I was acquired when Izuku Midoriya wished to be a wise hero. Other skills were added in the same way."
Doctor Uzuki was silent for a moment and raised her hand to urge Inko and Hisashi to be silent as well. After a moment she said, "You said other abilities. Can you explain what they are and how they came about?"
Great Sage remained silent for a moment before it spoke again.
"Affirmative. 'Thermal fluctuation resistance' was acquired when Izuku Midoriya's thoughts on the hero known as Endeavor caused him to acquire both "heat" and "cold" resistance.
"'Physical attack resistance,' 'blade resistance,' 'projectile resistance,' and 'pain resistance' were acquired when Izuku Midoriya dreamt of a battle involving the hero All Might. During that same dream, Izuku Midoriya felt unease regarding blood that had been spilt during that battle, so a body that did not require blood was acquired.
"'Degenerate' was acquired when Izuku Midoriya thought that a hero must be adaptable like the fictional hero Elric."
At this point Dr. Uzuki interrupted Great Sage and said, "Degenerate? Could you please explain that one. Most of the others have been fairly self-evident, but degenerate breaks that trend.
Great Sage faced the doctor's direction and remained silent for a moment before speaking. "Degenerate is a unique ability that allows the user to combine two separate targets into one or to separate something into its component parts. This can be used on skills, abilities, or physical objects."
Dr . Uzuki quickly wrote down the description before indicating for Great Sage to continue.
"'Speech' and 'Universal Translator' were acquired when Izuku Midoriya dreamt that a hero needs to make those around him feel safe and came to the conclusion that that meant talking to people.
"Predator was acquired when, during that same dream chain, Izuku Midoriya thought about Katsuki Bakugou's assertion that a hero needs to catch villains."
Inko and Hisashi looked at each other as Great Sage made that pronouncement. That definitely sounded like the explosive tyke they knew. Dr. Uzuki also smiled at the concept of heroics that was common in boys Izuku's age. Unaffected by the musings of the adults, Great Sage continued.
"Predator is a unique ability that itself is the combination of five sub abilities. The first is Predation. Predation allows Izuku Midoriya to absorb targets into his body, be it biotic, abiotic, or energy. In the case of an active target, the success of predation can fluctuate. Anything consumed by Izuku in this fashion or any other will impart energy akin to what nutrients do for a biological body.
"The second aspect is called Analysis. Once absorbed, the target is analyzed and studied. In the case of items, if the required materials are present, Izuku Midoriya can recreate them. In the case of a biotic target, once they have been analyzed, any unique skills, buffs, or abilities they possess can be copied into Izuku Midoriya's ability matrix or, with the use of 'Degenerate,' be added into existing skill trees.
"The third facet of this ability is called Stomach. Any items created or materials consumed by Izuku Midoriya will be stored in his slime stomach. In the case of impure materials, such as ores, they will be refined by "Stomach" for later use. There is no known storage limit.
"Fourth is the Mimicry aspect. Once a target has been analyzed, "Mimicry" will allow Izuku Midoriya to replicate the appearance, skills, and abilities of that target. Moreover, Izuku Midoriya is not tied to the size of the target, and with the expenditure of energy can be smaller or larger than whatever is being mimicked.
Finally, Isolation will ensure that any harmful materials consumed or created by the refining process will be stored away to be consumed for energy and thus disposed of without risking those around Izuku Midoriya."
Hisashi let out a low whistle and tried to imagine a character, be it player or npc, from the games he used to play with this predator ability and couldn't help but think just how gamebreaking that ability alone could be. And to think his boy, his son, had an ability that was OP as hell. While neither Dr Uzuki or Inko had Hisashi's familiarity with fantasy gaming, just how theoretically powerful Izuku could be wasn't lost on either of them. Dr. Uzuki, however, was a professional and had another question for Great Sage.
"Great Sage you indicated to Izuku that your function is to aid Izuku in the use of his quirk. Can you explain how you do so?"
Great Sage thought for a second before speaking. "As stated earlier, I am a conceptual intelligence created to support Izuku Midoriya through the use of logical computation and the various sub abilities that are a part of my ability matrix. They are as follows:
"'Thought Acceleration.' When active, this allows Izuku Midoriya's thought processing ability to increase by a thousand times.
"'Analytical Appraisal.' This allows me to aid Izuku Midoriya by performing a detailed analysis of the scenario, including the location, the target, and any primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, quinary, senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, or denary objectives that may be involved.
"Complimentary to that is 'Parallel Processing.' This ability allows Izuku Midoriya or myself to detach thought processes and analysis from being the primary thought process to what one might call a background process. While running, it will also be subject to "Thought Acceleration"
"'All of Creation.' This allows me to comprehend any unconcealed information in the world. Depending on Izuku Midoriya's understanding of the subject, additional information can be inferred.
"Finally, there is 'Auto Mode.' When requested by Izuku Midoriya, I can assume direct control of his body and complete a task given to me. Typically, this will be in a way that minimizes harm to Izuku Midoriya."
Once again, all three adults found themselves a bit stunned. Not only had they found out that Izuku had the potential to be very very powerful, but also very, very smart. Inko recalled Izuku's preschool teachers saying that Izuku was showing signs of having a very analytical mind, and if that was the end of it, Inko would have been one proud Mama! But this was something else entirely. Inko hated herself for thinking this, but she knew that they needed to keep Izuku from getting a big head. She had read countless articles about kids who were considered to be geniuses or had powerful quirks that were considered good for heroes who, as they grew up, made the lives of those around them miserable. More often than not, those kids collapsed under the pressure they and others put on them.
She hadn't said anything to Mitsuki or Masuru, but she was already starting to see the signs of it in Katsuki. A look at Hisashi and Dr. Uzuki showed that they were all thinking on the same wavelength. After a few moments of contemplation, Dr. Uzuki looked back through her notes before speaking.
"Since he transformed into his current form, Izuku has been blind. Would any of the abilities he has or some combination thereof be able to restore his sight?" Great Sage sat silent for several seconds before speaking.
"Affirmative. The use of Predator upon a target with particularly enhanced vision will grant Izuku Midoriya the ability to see."
Hisashi was the first to respond. "That's great, now all we need to do is find an animal that fits that requirement!" he said, half sarcastic and half excited. Dr. Uzuki's eyes took on a faraway look for a moment before she spoke.
"I believe I may have a solution. If you will excuse me for a moment." With the adult Midoriya's leave, she walked out of the room, returning roughly five minutes later with a gurney, atop which was a large glass aquarium filled with water. When she placed it in front of the Midoriyas and Great sage, the Midoriyas were greeted by the strangest looking creature they had ever seen. A quick glance and a basic understanding of marine biology would indicate that it was a crustacean, but beyond that they were lost. Noticing this , started explaining.
"This is a Odontodactylus Scyllarus, more commonly known as a Rainbow Mantis Shrimp. As a species it is known for two things: its far greater than human vision and its striking power." Hisashi, entranced by the explanation, motioned for her to continue. "Humans that don't have certain vision quirks perceive the world in three channels of color: red, green and blue. Other species and, on occasion, those with quirks that mimic those species can sometimes perceive more or fewer colors. In the animal kingdom, the mantis shrimp can perceive at least twelve known forms of color. In addition, they are capable of detecting things in the ultraviolet and polarized light spectrums, which makes them excellent hunters. As far as their striking power, due to the nature of their body, they are capable of packing a punch with as much force as a .22 caliber bullet. I admit I'm not sure how either of these things would or will filter down to Izuku, but at least it seems to fit the requirements for restoring his sight. The question now is, do Izuku and yourselves wish to try?"
Inko and Hisashi looked at each other for a moment, a silent conversation going on between them, before Hisashi spoke for the two of them. "Doctor, if it wont hurt him and it will give him his sight back, we're all for it, but we think that Izuku needs to agree."
Dr. Uzuki smiled.. "Of course, but I wanted to get your approval before I spoke to Izuku and Great Sage about it." She then turned to the waiting slimy form of Great Sage. "Great Sage, I assume you have heard what we have been talking about. Could you ask Izuku if he would be willing to try, or give him back control so that we can tell him what we want to do?"
Great Sage remained silent for a few seconds before responding. "Izuku Midoriya has been observing the discussion since handing off control. While Izuku Midoriya has not been able to understand everything that has been discussed, Izuku Midoriya understands that consuming the Mantis Shrimp may restore his ability to see. As such Izuku Midoriya consents to consuming the Mantis Shrimp but requests that I perform the operation. Is that acceptable?"
The three adults looked at each other and Great Sage for a few moments before Dr. Uzuki spoke for the whole group. "That would be fine. Now, how do we go about this? What do you need us to do to assist you?"
"Place me upon the Container holding the Mantis Shrimp and I will handle the rest."
Nodding Dr. Uzuki scooped up Izuku Midoriya's slime body and placed it upon the large tank. The adults waited in quiet anticipation before Great Sage suddenly declared, "Activating 'Predator!'"
The three adults could only watch in shock as Izuku's body seemed to collapse and expand, covering first the tank and then the gurney that was holding it before contracting, leaving his body sitting on the floor. What happened next was just as shocking as from Izuku's form, a voice emanated; but it wasn't Izuku or the version of his voice that Great Sage had used speaking. Was there a third aspect of his Quirk that was sapient?
"ANALYSIS COMPLETE. SKILL 'VISION' ACQUIRED.
EXTRA SKILL 'ENHANCED VISION' ACQUIRED.
'ENHANCED VISION' WILL BE LOCKED UNTIL IZUKU MIDORIYA HAS ATTAINED NECESSARY MENTAL MATURITY.
SKILL 'QUICK STRIKE' ACQUIRED.
SKILL 'HARD STRIKE' ACQUIRED.
SKILLS 'HARD STRIKE' AND 'QUICK STRIKE WILL EVOLVE INTO EXTRA SKILL 'DIRE STRIKE'.
'DIRE STRIKE' WILL BE LOCKED UNTIL IZUKU MIDORIYA HAS ATTAINED NECESSARY MENTAL MATURITY.
SKILL 'MIMIC MANTIS SHRIMP' ACQUIRED."
While all three adults were amazed at what had just happened and what had been pronounced, Hisashi couldn't help but wince at what the tank and gurney were going to cost them. Inko was just happy that the use of Predator had seemed to work and that her baby boy would have his sight back. Dr. Uzuki, meanwhile, was going over her notes again, this time going over what had been said about 'mimicry.' She had a theory, and for Izuku's sake if nobody else's, she hoped she was right.
Taking the initiative during the lull in speaking, she began following her line of questioning. "Great Sage, you said that Izuku could use mimicry to take on the form of anything he consumed. With that in mind, would it be possible for him to take his own human form?"
"Affirmative. As the human form of Izuku Midoriya was consumed during the transition into a slime, that form still exists as the template for the 'Mimic Human' skill."
Inko, while she would have loved her son regardless if he had remained stuck in slime form for the rest of his life, was overjoyed to learn that he could be human. However she was concerned with one thing she had heard. Drawing up her courage she said. "When that other voice was speaking, it mentioned Izuku's mental maturity, but what about his physical maturity? Will his body be a four-year-old's forever?"
"Affirmative. Without any intervention, the current human template for Izuku Midoriya would remain unchanged. However, if desired, a minor amount of processing power could be used to create a prediction of how Izuku Midoriya will grow based upon his genetics, and alterations can be made to the template as necessary." Great sage paused for a moment as if listening to a voice nobody else could hear before speaking again. "Izuku Midoriya has expressed interest in the human growth project. As such, I have begun an analysis of his genetics to facilitate the most ideal expression of them as they relate to his stated goal of the title 'hero.'"
This made Inko happy. While a part of her wanted Izuku to remain her little boy, she didn't want him to be a little boy forever. Hisashi was happy to hear it but he had his own concerns. "You've been talking to us for a while and I gotta ask how Izuku's doing in there?
Great Sage turned and looked at Hisashi before replying. "Izuku Midoriya is currently in a positive state of being due to being able to see again. He is currently undergoing what might be called a tutorial in the basics of his new abilities. At his current pace he will finish in two minutes. Are there any more questions before I return control to Izuku Midoriya?"
The three adults looked at each other before Dr. Uzuki spoke. "Great Sage, can you explain the skills gained when you consumed the mantis shrimp, and why they were blocked?"
Great Sage turned to face her before speaking. "'Enhance Vision' is an extra skill that is the basis for several related skills that Izuku Midoriya may or may not gain as he develops. In its base form, it will allow Izuku Midoriya to see in spectrums outside the range of most humans. It was locked until such time as Izuku Midoriya has achieved sufficient mental maturity to deal with the additional sensory data.
"'Dire Strike' is an extra skill derived from the skills 'Hard Strike' and 'Quick Strike.' When active, it will allow Izuku Midoriya to strike targets with the maximum amount of force Izuku Midoriya is capable of at the maximum amount of speed Izuku Midoriya is capable of. The speed and strength output of 'Dire Strike' will be dependent upon several factors, such as what skills and abilities he has acquired and how they boost his physical parameters. It was locked, as it was judged that Izuku Midoriya does not yet possess the maturity to deal with the consequences of an accidental or ill thought-out intentional use of it.
Hisashi and Inko would have liked to argue about Izuku's maturity but they knew that even Izuku was prone to making the same mistakes all four year olds did. Dr Uzuki looked like she was going to say something else when Great Sage spoke again.
"Izuku Midoriya has finished his basic training and wishes to resume control. Returning control in three, two, one..."
Much like when it had taken control earlier there was very little evidence that any sort of change had taken place. It was only when Izuku spoke that they realized that it happened.
"Mommy, Daddy, doctor, look at what I can do!"
They watched him bounce for a few moments before, almost in an instant, his body expanded outwards, transforming into his prior human form, even wearing the exact same bed clothes he had worn the night before. All three adults loudly clapped for the feat performed even as Inko began tearing up at seeing her baby back in the form she knew so well. Izuku, in a bout of showmanship, took a bow.
Smiling, Doctor Uzuki said, "That's very good, Izuku. I'm so happy you've adapted to your quirk so quickly."
Izuku gave her a toothy grin. "Thank you doctor!"
In response, Dr Uzuki smiled before speaking again in a bit more serious tone. "Now if you could sit with your parents, I need to talk to you three about something."
Izuku looked around the room for a child-size chair and, not finding one nearby, shrugged and transformed back into his slime form before hopping on his mother's lap to her mild shock and amusement. When everybody was comfortable, Dr. Uzuki started speaking to Izuku. "Izuku, Great Sage informed us that you want to be a hero, is that true?" At his emphatic reply of "YES," she smiled indulgently. After all, at his age most kids wanted to be a hero. It would have been more unusual if he didn't have dreams of being a hero. Continuing, she nodded. "That's a very honorable goal, Izuku. And as you grow up, if you continue to wish to be a hero, I hope you become a good one."
"With that being said, here are my recommendations. In the short term, trying to find things that Izuku can consume. Great Sage indicated that he can consume essentially anything, so play to that strength. Carefully experiment and see what triggers gains. That is, whether it needs to be whole creatures, like the mantis shrimp, or just parts, such as, say, a chicken breast or pork tenderloin. When it comes to building up Izuku's energy, that gets a bit trickier since the most plentiful source for him would be places with large amounts of things people no longer use, like junk yards or scrap yards. Normally that would be something I wouldn't ever suggest to a patient. However, it seems that his energy levels are based upon what he consumes, and his predator skill seems to filter out anything that might possibly harm him and turn it into energy. Additionally, I would like for Izuku to come back every month or two. Diagnostic Touch gave me a baseline for him, but I would like to see how he develops from here." The three Midoriyas nodded their agreement before the doctor continued. "I should also inform you that the National Diet has finally seen some sense and sometime in the next year will be opening youth quirk training centers all over the country."
Hisashi interrupted. "So those old geezers finally figured out that basically restricting ninety-nine percent of the population from practicing their quirks is a bad idea about da—darn time!"
"Indeed," quipped Uzuki, smiling at Hisashi's self-edit before continuing. "While Izuku may not need it as of yet, as he grows and develops new abilities he may well need their services. Not only that, but it will help him acclimate to how his quirk interacts with other children's." Left unsaid was that it would also allow Izuku the opportunity to make friends who wouldn't ostracize him for his new abilities, as sometimes happened with mutation quirks.
As I listened to my parents and Doctor Uzuki talk about what my immediate future would look like, I didn't realize at the time, but I was on my way to becoming the world's most powerful Hero. This was the start of my story.
