The Quirkless Hero - Rabbit (Deku)

Chapter 4

#PREVIOUSLY#
Izuku went forward, "sorry about them. They don't usually act as such apart from with my close friends and family. My name is Izuku Midoriya, what is yours?"

"Shoto Todoroki. Nice to meet you too, Izuku."
#NOW#

"Todoroki?" Izuku asked, mildly surprised. This boy must be Dabi's brother, the one that Endewhore wanted. So, this is the boy that is going to be molded by his father, if he allows it.
Shoto looked confused, "You know me or my family?"
"You could say that, I'm close friends with one of your siblings."
"Who?"
"I won't say!" Izuku said playfully. He needed to know if he was trustworthy before revealing anything to him. But, Aki and Haru did like him so there is a possibility that he is good.

Izuku showed him to a seat and gave him a menu. Shoto ordered and Izuku promptly gave him his iced black coffee and mushroom pasta Alfredo. After Shoto was done, he paid the bill.
"That was the tastiest meal I've ever had!" Shoto said, with as much emotion as he could show.
"Thanks!" Midoriya replied, giving Shoto his change.
"Do you need any help? I don't mind helping for free now." Shoto asked, wanting to stay in his new found heaven as long as possible.
"Well, the cafe will be quite empty soon since the usual lunch time rush is over, so mom can handle the last few customers. I'll have to take care of the animals right now. You could help me. Just give me 15 minutes so I can was the dishes."
Shoto nodded and patiently waited for 15 minutes.

15 minutes later, Izuku emerged out of the kitchen and signalled Shoto to follow him. They went to the other end of the first floor, a section that was slightly hidden away. Izuku washed his hands, face and gargled at the basin near the place and told Shoto to do the same. Shoto noticed that the hand wash, face wash and gargle was all medically prescribed. Midoriya then put on some gloves and a medical mask and gave Shoto the same. Then, they entered.

To say Shoto was surprised was an understatement. He had seen the animals outside, but he never saw these many animals in one place? Something was off though, on the outside it looked like a tiny room but on the inside it was massive. He asked Midoriya who said, "This is made by someone's quirk. I went to many interior design places to find if someone could do this, and finally found one. Took about a month. It would have taken longer to make - since they have to get permits and special materials - but that person sped up his process when I told him what it was for. Turns out, he adopts strays too so he understood why I needed it." Shoto could only nod.

Shoto saw how comfy the animals were, but then saw that some of the animals are sick and some are injured. "Is this a place to treat them?"
"Yep. Another key element about this room is the division. Based on what happened to the animal, they would be put in a certain area where the temperature is perfect and the aroma, which is usually therapeutic oils made for healing, matches the problem they have. Also, the division helps so that no animal catches the disease of another."
"But, there are no barriers? No walls?"
"The division is invisible, so that the animals feel that they have more space. When they walk into the division, it acts as a portal and brings the animal out through another division of that room. This doesn't cause harm to the animals. Animals are smarter than people give them credit for, I talk to them sometimes and explain the situation to them and they understand every word. So they know that they are in a place of healing, so they are calm."
Shoto looked around, there was a long of greenery in the room and a mini water fountain. A soft, soothing melody was playing, which the animals seem to enjoy. Most of the animals here looked like strays. He asked Izuku if most of them were, and Izuku nodded his head.
"This little guy-" he pointed at a black stray dog "- got run over on his front left paw. The driver never turned back to help, but luckily Aki, Haru and I was there. I found this white kitten next to her mother's body, with scratches on her body. Her mother seemed to have been shot by a gun and passed away when I came to help. This kitten's scratches are almost healed but she is still traumatized. Not as much as when I got her, since she is with other stray kittens. That ferret was beaten by the owner before abandoned. His case was one of the worst considering this happened during winter so, apart from getting the flu and another disease, his wounds also got infected since he was thrown in the dumpster. He was half-dead when I found him, and I only found him due to his soft wailing. The animals at the back are the ones that are quite ill so I keep regular tabs on them while trying to help them. That's why this ferret is at the back. Most of the animals here have faced animal cruelty by humans, which is the reason I hate humans. Not all humans, but most of them."

Shoto looked around and saw that, near each division was a small desk with herbal medicines and oils and whatnot. He got closer to one and saw some neatly written notes with instructions as to how to treat the animals of that particular division. Izuku saw him and said, "Sometimes, my mom and my close friends want to help out but don't know how to. So the instructions there are for them to know what to do."
He went to the back where Izuku seemed to be nursing a half-burnt rabbit. Izuku was sitting on the floor near the rabbit and started to talk, "Hello Caru. You look better today, you and your family. Looks like the process is going well. Don't worry, you'll be healthy in no time, I promise!" Izuku kept talking to the burnt rabbits there and, while they couldn't move much, they showed that they were paying attention to everything Izuku was saying. Izuku applied some medicine on the burnt parts of each rabbit. It was so sad, seeing a whole litter of rabbits like that. Shoto could only ask one word, "How?"
Izuku's face darkened, "This is because of Endeavor. He blasted his flames, regardless of these little guys there, in order to get a villain. When reported came to see Endeavor in action, no one cared for the burning rabbits. I came just in time and saw all of this. I quickly picked up the rabbits and huffed out the fire on them. I brought them with me. I couldn't save 2 of them. Quite a few of the animals here are because of the ridiculous nature of Heroes."
Shoto was at a loss for words, he felt tears coming out. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"For what my asshole of a father did. I hate him because he was horrible to my family, my mother and siblings especially since they were 'failures' according to him, but seeing this makes me hate him more. I hate him, and I hate my left side too."
Izuku softened, he brought out his hand and Shoto held it confused. Izuku pulled him down, into a sitting position, and sat him in front of the rabbits. Izuku took Shoto's hand a put it in front of a rabbit. The rabbit sniffed for a bit, before trying to hop on Shoto's hand. Izuku helped the rabbit. Shoto brought the rabbit closer to him and started to pet it. The rabbit seemed to enjoy this.
"See what I mean. You are not your father, the rabbits know that too. If you were, this little one would have tried to run away. Aki and Haru also like you, meaning you're a decent person. A good-natured boy. I can't tell you to not hate your dad, since I hate him too, but don't hate your left side. It's your quirk, not his, so you don't have to hate your right side. Your sibling, my close friend, hated his quirk too since it was similar to Endeavor. He soon accepted it when he felt the actual difference between his quirk and Endeavor's. Now he is fine with it. He loves it, actually."
Shoto could only cry.

After a while, Shoto asked Izuku if he was planing to become a hero. "Yep, but for animals, not humans."
"Then I'll become an animal hero too. Also, do you mind if I stay here? I don't wanna go back home."
"No problem, there's a room available here. We should ask mom first, although I'm pretty sure she wouldn't mind. But you'll have to help around here too."

They 3 discussed Shoto moving in for a while, deciding when and all that, and it was finally settled.
Before Shoto left, Izuku asked him for an autograph.

Before sleeping, Izuku hung Shoto's autograph next to the empty space near Dabi's. Now there were 9 human autographs, 1 being his own.