Chapter Text
Dabi snatched the kids wrist, grip tight even as the boy thrashed and struggled. The little thief had seriously thought he could get away with pickpocketing him of all people. He would’ve been amused at the ballsy move, if the kid hadn’t actually run off with his wallet, forcing Dabi to chase him down.
His breaths came out ragged, scars aching and lungs burning from the effort of running. He hated his shitty body.
“I believe-“ he started, glaring down at the kid, ”-that you have something of mine.”
“Let go of me!” The kid didn’t relent, trying to twist his arm out of Dabi’s grasp.
“Not until you give me back my shit!” Dabi grit out, yanking the boy closer.
The kid had been putting up such a fight that it caught him off guard when all the struggling abruptly ceased. His brows furrowed in confusion when he watched the previously angry expression turn into a mix of fear and anxiety, only then did he notice it himself. The kid's skin had started to glow where Dabi’s hand was holding onto him.
Dabi didn’t even have time to let go or ask what the hell was happening when he was suddenly blinded with a bright flash. What he felt next was indescribable, a feeling so strange and unnatural he didn’t think a single word in existence could describe it. Like he was falling and his entire being was being twisted at the same time. Everything around him blurred.
When he came back to his senses he was on the ground, and the kid was gone. It took him a second to realize that something was different, wrong. The wind and birds sounded louder, the scents of the city stung his nose like it never had before.
He opened his eyes.
Then immediately shut them again.
What the fuck. What had the kid's quirk done to him?
Dabi slowly blinked his eyes open once more. The alley looked strange, everything around him seemingly having grown taller. Or maybe he’d gotten shorter. But he had a feeling it wasn’t just a size thing. His eyesight was… warped, distorted, disorienting.
Only… it wasn’t just distorted. He could see more. More than he ever had before. He could see around and above, even almost behind him, all at the same time. Like someone had taken his eyesight range and widened it.
“What the hell.” He whispered. Or tried to whisper. Instead of words, what came out was a guttural growl, verberating from his throat and echoing in his jaw.
Dabi recoiled at the sound, short stubby limbs attempting to push himself away from the noise he’d just made. He froze again. It was strange, only needing to shift his head a little to see behind him. To see the long reptilian tail attached to him, to see the scale plated back, the short legs, the massive body.
He was more than short, he was a fucking reptile. A big one too. His body was heavy, yet when he tested his movement he had no trouble with it.
What stood out the most to him though wasn't what he was, it was what he wasn’t. He wasn’t in pain. His scars were gone, his lungs no longer burned from running earlier, though he didn’t know how long it’d been since the chase. Still, Dabi never had a day where he wasn’t in pain, where he didn’t ache, where his lungs didn’t feel like they were about to give out, where his staples didn’t pull at his skin. It was impossible.
He blinked.
Pinks and oranges streaked the sky as the sun started to set. It snapped Dabi out of his stunned trance. As cool as not being in pain was, he was still a massive lizard in a bad part of town. Dabi knew from personal experience this place wasn’t safe once the sun set.
Though he wasn’t out in the open, he wasn’t really hidden either. One look in the alley and you’d be face to face with whatever the hell he currently was. He swung his head a little to look at the alley entrance. Noting he could no longer see anything directly in front of his nose. Snout?
There were a few people walking by, but no one was aware enough of their own surroundings to notice him. He backed up a little, the ground scraping uncomfortably against his underbelly as he tried to stay further out of sight. He just needed to wait until there were no more people around, then he could try and find a proper place to hide.
As it turned out, having night vision was very cool. Whatever lizard he had been turned into had eyes better suited for dark environments. Seeing everything so clearly was new to him, he’d known his eyes were shit, but this was something else entirely. If he was physically capable, he would be smiling. Though he really hoped it wasn’t permanent, he still had plans he needed to get done.
Dabi didn’t know how long he let himself linger in the alley, staying perfectly still, almost like a statue. He knew hours had passed though, and finally he let himself creep towards the sidewalk in the open.
Walking was strange, requiring him to wiggle his body a little to help his stubby arms and legs push himself forward. It was uncomfortable too, debris and litter scraping his underside. A discomforted hiss escaped him at the sensation.
A displeased grunt sounded from his throat when he finally stopped moving only a few steps away from the sidewalk. He needed to figure out how this body was meant to move, because there was no way he was going to drag himself like that for who even knows how long.
Where was he supposed to go anyway? There was a park with a small lake nearby but it didn’t have very many spots that weren’t out in the open. Though at the moment it seemed like the only option.
With his mind set on a destination, Dabi pulled his legs closer to his body and tucked them in a little before pushing up. It was difficult, but not as much as he initially assumed. He almost tipped over at one point, and carefully widened his stance. The strain on his legs was surprisingly manageable, and with enough time wasted he started forward.
One webbed foot in front of the other. It was certainly a lot faster than what he had been doing. A lot more comfortable too. Though he probably looked weird as hell with the slight waddle he was doing and the rough concrete was uncomfortable.
Still, it worked. That was what mattered.
He took a little to figure out which direction the park was in before heading off, waddling through empty streets on legs one would assume were too short to feasibly carry something this large with such ease. The scents and sounds of the city almost called to him. It was all so clear. He could smell meat, trash, dust, smoke, people. Could hear inside the houses where people or animals were still awake.
Dabi was just happy it was late, almost no one was out and about at this time. The people who were, however, never were out for good reason. With his luck it was only inevitable he’d run into some people eventually. Which was why he wasn’t surprised.
“Holy shit, dude, look at that. On the sidewalk.” He heard someone whisper. Though he didn’t let his steps falter, Dabi was immediately on guard.
“… is that a crocodile?” Another man asked, disbelief clear in his voice.
“No, Idiot. That’s an alligator.”
Ah, so that’s what he was. Dabi picked up his pace a little to the best of his ability, but he could hear three pairs of footsteps following him from behind. The clack of shoes on pavement echoing in his ears. The smell of cigarette smoke strengthened, making him want to curl his lip in distaste. If only he had lips still.
It stayed like that for a bit, Dabi slowly making his way to the park while three idiots trailed behind him. He attempted to tune out most of their conversation, pretending he couldn’t see them with his new eyes and hoping they would have their fun just following him before moving on.
“Think we could catch it?” Dabi almost paused when he heard the question, but no, he wanted to keep them thinking he was unaware or didn’t care.
“Catch it? Dude, that thing’s like thirteen feet, what would we even do with it?”
“Don’t know, but there shouldn’t be any alligators around here. Someone might be missing it. Might be willing to pay a pretty penny to get it back too.”
“Say we catch it, where exactly do we put it?”
“We can chain it in Kay's backyard or something, I dunno.”
Being referred to as ‘it’ was rubbing Dabi the wrong way more and more, the audacity to talk about ‘it’ as if they weren’t only a foot or so behind him. Did they think he was deaf? And he most definitely was not being chained anywhere.
“You guys have fun with that, I’m staying back here.” The only smart one in the group said, backing away from the others.
“Ok, I’ll grab its tail, you try and hold its jaw shut.” The man whispered.
“Are you insane? I’m not stepping a single foot near that thing’s teeth.”
“Fuckin pussy, fine, grab the tail with me.”
What their exact plan was, Dabi would never know. As soon as he felt hands grabbing his tail his body moved on instinct. A loud guttural hiss escaped him as he thrashed his tail, slamming it into one of the men and knocking him off his feet.
The other managed to hold on, but only for a few seconds longer before Dabi swung his head around and snapped at him, massive jaws clacking as they shut on empty air. He let out another hiss, and charged, surprisingly fast even on his belly.
It was satisfying watching them scramble away, though the yelling was a bit grating on the ears. A low rumble echoed from him as they stumbled to their feet and fled, shouting at each other the entire way.
He swung his head around again, making sure to check every blindspot for any witnesses or people disturbed from sleep. There was no one in sight, no sounds or smells of other people either. Lingering wasn’t smart though, and Dabi quickly pushed himself back up and hurriedly dragged himself away.
Dabi slowed his pace when he was sure he’d left the area completely behind, his limbs feeling heavy from exertion. Finally the park was in sight, and a sigh of relief escaped him when his webbed claws touched cool grass. Dabi flopped back onto his stomach, resting his head on the ground. He never thought he’d ever be this excited to lay in grass, yet here he was.
Even if Alligators were built for night, Dabi’s sleep schedule wasn't, and he soon felt himself drifting. He was only planning on closing his eyes for a second, of course that’s how it always was. It never went according to plan.
Enhanced hearing came in handy once the sun's rise was near, the sounds of people reaching him before they were in sight and pulling him out of his rest. No one would be in the park this early, but he was still out in the open. Hiding was his next move, but as the sounds drew closer he realized he hadn’t bothered looking for a spot before sleeping.
The water of the lake glinted under the setting moon. Dabi knew Alligators were semi-aquatic creatures, yet the idea of hiding in a massive body of water unsettled him. He’d never been a good swimmer, and tried to avoid getting wet at all costs. The dirty water of rain and lakes weren’t the best for open wounds.
It wasn’t like he had much of a choice at the moment though, and just as the first person started walking down the sidewalk next to the park, Dabi slithered forward and pushed himself into the water.
The small splash may have attracted attention, but if anyone had bothered to look, they wouldn’t have seen a thing.
Dabi was shocked at just how easy navigating the lake was, all his fear washing away as he smoothly glided through the water. His eyes were open and observing, yet the liquid surrounding him didn’t sting them. Though he was caught off guard by how bad his eyesight under the water was, what really startled him was his physical sense.
Every fish’s flicker, every plant's sway, every turtle's movement was all rippling around him, bouncing off his scales, letting him pinpoint their locations and moves. It was dawning on him just how powerful these reptiles were. If someone had an alligator mutation, how powerful would that make them?
Would they have jaws to crush bone? Eyes to see almost every inch of their surroundings, a tail to knock opponents off their feet, and senses to tell them the location of any possible enemy? It felt overpowered. Dabi found himself wondering how strong he could’ve been had he been born with a mutant quirk instead. Though he certainly didn’t envy the quirkism they face.
Even after he discovered he couldn’t breathe underwater, he had no urges to breathe, not yet at least. Instead, content to just drift, swimming in slow circles throughout the water. Diving deep to the bottom where the rising sunlight failed to reach and the water chilled. Then swimming back up to bask under the strengthening rays of the sun when the need to breath finally crept up on him.
Hours passed, not much happening. Dabi drifted through the lake, chased a few fish, felt the splash of children playing. The urge to jumpscare someone was strong, but the consequences for that would not be worth it. He was bored, not stupid.
He took a nap while floating on the surface out in the middle of the lake, where he was sure no one could see him. But the sun setting had him swimming down again, a burning hint of anxiety digging into him. He was still a lizard. How long would he be stuck like this? Surely it couldn’t be permanent.
Dabi knew he needed to find that kid, both to reverse this and to get his damn wallet back. Not like he had much in it but it was the principle of the matter.
As it turned out, finding the kid was the easiest part of the whole ordeal. The boy came to him.
The rippling of water in the shallows startled him out of his bored daze. All the kids had gone home hours ago, the sun far out of sight and the moon staring down. He swam up, letting his eyes gently breach the surface of the lake.
There was a kid, purposely splashing the water. Drawing attention to himself. Yet it was what he was saying that really got his attention.
“Dabi? I know you’re in here somewhere, please don’t kill me.”
The kid called his name again, and Dabi let the rest of his body surface before swimming slowly to the edge where the boy stood.
A gasp escaped the kid as he stumbled back and quickly scrambled out of the water. He didn’t run however, instead stared at Dabi’s approaching form until the big reptile was only a few feet away.
“L-listen I’m-“ The fear radiating from the boy was so strong Dabi could almost taste it.
“It was an accident, I really didn’t mean to turn you into an animal! I just have trouble controlling my quirk sometimes and it’s not permanent I promise, just please, don’t kill me? I have your wallet, I didn't know who you were, really!”
Dabi tilted his head ever so slightly at the kids' nervous rambling. He’d never planned on killing him, Dabi was a murderer but he wasn’t a child killer. The kid snapped his mouth shut at the movement.
“…You can talk, uh, I can understand you.” The kid admitted awkwardly after a moment of silence, which had Dabi wondering how often this had happened.
“I’m not gonna kill you.” Dabi rumbled, trying not to outwardly react to the sound he produced.
The kid's eyes widened with shock, “Really? You won’t?”
“No. Why would I?” Dabi knew exactly why he would. If he wasn’t a kid, he probably would’ve gone to his usual burn first strategy.
“I’d give you a list but I’m not feeling very suicidal.” Oh great, the kid had jokes.
“You said this isn’t permanent, how long?”
“Ah, I’m not sure?” A low growl escaped Dabi’s throat and the kid rushed to explain.
“I can usually choose but since it was accidental I uhm… I have no idea.” The boy looked ashamed, or embarrassed, as if it was his fault no one bothered to help him control his quirk.
Dabi blinked slowly, “Give me an estimated guess.”
“A few days?” If Dabi didn’t have advanced hearing he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to decipher the mumbling.
Stuck. As an alligator. For days. For once he was actually happy he had no one who would miss him, because how would he explain that he was turned into an Alligator without looking stupid as hell.
Though it was also depressing. If it had been permanent, Dabi would’ve been stuck as a lizard forever, and no one would care. No one but a boy he didn’t even know would be aware of his existence. Of the fact that there was someone missing.
It was then he noticed the wallet in the boys shaking hands. His wallet. Despite everything, Dabi didn’t think he was a bad kid. He’d had an accident when pickpocketing, Dabi would be a major hypocrite if he judged him for that. You did what you had to to survive.
He let out a sigh, feeling his long dead heart twist with emotion.
Empathy was supposed to be dead to him, yet looking at the scared kid in front of him he couldn’t help but relate. That had been him once. If he’d had someone to help him even just a little bit, he wondered if maybe he’d be better off today. Besides, he could definitely get something out of it.
For years Dabi had been in pain, ever since he woke up from his coma in that hospital he’s been nonstop plagued by aches and pain. Not today though, today he’d been painless. It was something he didn’t know how much he’d missed, and even if he needed to be human for his reveal, a little pain relief never hurt anyone. It wasn’t like he was going back to hardcore drugs or anything.
He’d be back to human soon, and if he let this kid leave now he’d probably never be painless again.
“What’s your name?” Dabi growled, it was impossible to not sound menacing when he was a giant scaly beast.
The kid startled, maybe Dabi had been silent longer than he’d realized.
“Suzuya,” he said after a moment of hesitation, “Suzuya Ren. Why?”
Dabi ignored the question, “And you turn people into Alligators?”
“Not on purpose!” Suzuya exclaimed defensively, “and I can turn people into any animal, not just Alligators.”
If Dabi could, he’d be grinning like a maniac. It was probably for the best that he was physically incapable of that at the moment.
“Why are you interrogating me? I brought your wallet back.” The boy's eyes were narrowed at him with suspicion.
“You could give me my wallet back and go, or I could give you something better.” The offer was out, now all the kid had to do was bite.
“Better? Better like what?”
“Food. Shelter. Protection.”
“…. What’s the catch?” The kid was smart, good. Dabi wasn’t offering this out of the kindness of his heart. He’d prefer not to have an annoying brat to look after. But the reward was big enough for it to be worth it.
He tried not to feel weird as he admitted, “You use your quirk on me again.”
Suzuya physically startled, taking a step back out of surprise. “What! Why?”
“You see any scars on me right now?” The boy shook his head, “That’s why.”
There was a moment of silence, Suzuya staring at him with a look of contemplation. While Dabi didn’t have much food or shelter he was sure he could find more if he tried hard enough. He’d never bothered for himself because he wasn’t really planning on sticking around. Plans change however, and Dabi could change with them.
Finally Suzuya nodded, “I can do that.”
“Good. Now what the hell do Alligators eat?”