Chapter Text
For Sero it was a toss up, both of his parents were quirkless, but nearly everyone else in his family had some kind of quirk. Still, his parents didn’t want to get his hopes up only to crush them later. As such, as soon as he was able to understand quirks and how they worked Sero’s parents made sure to tell him it was very likely he would never have a quirk, and not to get his hopes up. As such Sero spent the first three years of his life expecting to be quirkless, but that didn’t mean he didn’t dream about what quirk he could have one day.
In fact the young boy idolized an american hero he’d seen when they’d visited his family in the States last summer named Spiderman. As soon as he saw him swinging over his family’s heads the little boy knew that if he ever got a quirk he wanted one that would let him fly through the sky just like the hero. For months afterwards he would draw pictures of himself with rope arms or some other oddity that would allow him to mimic his new idol. Little did he know he’d get just what he wanted a few months later when he was about three and a half.
For the first two weeks he barely noticed it, just a slight tingling itchy feeling around his elbows. Sero’s mother would softly pull his hand away from his elbows as she asked him if he was absolutely sure he didn’t roll around in some poison ivy, with a gap-toothed grin he’d promise her he didn’t and then go straight back to scratching at his itchy elbows.
The itching feeling slowly escalated until one day when he woke up screaming in pain. Slamming open the door Sero’s mother rushed in to hold him close, the fear in her eyes evident as she checked him over for any injuries. Hovering over the kneeling woman his father was the first to ask him what was wrong. Sniffling the boy tried to point to his elbow without moving his other arm leading to him limply waving his hand in the general direction of the opposite elbow. His mother held out her hand, patiently waiting for him to put his arm out, concern causing her voice to shake as she spoke “It’s okay mijo. I just need to make sure you’re okay. It’ll only take a moment.” With snot dripping down his nose he held out his arm for his mother to take. She gently brushed her fingers against his elbow, stopping when she got to an oddly circular ridge that had begun to form on the side. “Honey…” She looked back up at her husband gesturing for him to touch the spot. Reaching out he gasped and pulled his hand back as soon as it brushed against the ridge.
“Do you think it’s his quirk?”
The woman looked up at him, a small smile wavering across her face as her eyes watered, “I think so. Looks like he takes after the rest of the family.” The moment was cut off by another wail from the boy as he curled over, clutching his arms as another wave of pain shot through them. “Oh oh no. It’s okay baby, we’ll take you to the doctor first thing tomorrow morning i promise.” Without another word Sero’s mother wrapped him up in her arms, picking him up and carrying him to his parent’s room, his father close behind holding the stuffed fish Sero slept with every night.
The next morning was a blur to the now exhausted three year old. He remembered a nice lady doctor checking him over and sticking his arm in a machine that would let her look at his bones. The next thing he remembered was being seated in between his parents. There the doctor explained he was going through the early stages of bone mutation. The X-ray showed his elbows fracturing and simultaneously growing new parts. The little ravenette tuned out the doctor as he clutched his now numb elbows, fingers tracing the bone as his eyes traced the image of what was happening inside of him. He came to just in time to hear the doctor say “The pain will get worse.”
Softly rubbing his son’s shoulder Sero’s father asked the doctor, “Is there anything we can do to help him, any pain killer for children or a quirk user to help numb the pain?”
“I’m afraid not Sir. Because mutation quirks change the physical state of the user’s body we can’t risk giving him something that might affect the natural growth of the quirk. Give him the wrong thing and it might prolong the process or cause a further and more dangerous mutation.”
His father shot forward at the doctor’s last words, “More dangerous? Are you saying developing his quirk is dangerous for him?”
The doctor quickly shook her head, but made sure to maintain a calm expression. “No, nothing like that. The body will always be capable of handling whatever mutation comes as long as it is genetically meant to be, but if we were to alter what the mutation was by accident then he would be at risk.” The doctor observed the Sero closely before looking back at both of his parents. “Usually the worst of it is over in about two months, from there the quirk may not finish developing until around age four or five. The best thing for him now will be a balance of rest and exercise to ensure he keeps his strength up but gives himself time to heal. I’d suggest one of you is at home at all times, just to make sure he’s taken care of.”
Per the doctors orders the toddler was never alone for too long after that. Anytime the pain became unbearable one of his parents would scoop him up, humming and singing songs to help calm him. Ironically enough even though Sero was in excruciating pain a lot of the time he couldn’t help but enjoy the time spent with his parents. Whenever the pain subsided he would play catch with his dad and run around the house like any other kid his age. It was the moments like those, between the bouts of pain when he was playing with his parents or snuggled up on the couch between them that let the little boy know it was going to be okay, and it was during those moments of never ending pain the child knew his parents would always be there.
Three months later the pain finally began to fade, his elbows now had odd circular knobs at both sides and what felt like a thin slit covered by skin at the back of them. He knew his parents were trying to figure out what his quirk could be, the two of them pouring over family records late at night to try and prepare for whatever might manifest. One night Sero caught the tail end of their conversation as he came down the stairs to get some water.
“It could be a cosmetic change like Cousin Hana?”
“Honey. She has a horn where her nose should be…”
“And?”
“Last time I checked it’s only his elbows, and those don’t exactly look cosmetic. If anything it might be like Grandma Rose, remember how she could shoot small amounts of glue from her fingertips?”
“Yeah.”
“Well maybe that ridge at the back of his elbow will open up and something will…” His mom paused, cringing in disgust.
“Something will come out?”
“I think so?” Before his parents could figure out he was there Sero crept back up the stairs, hopefully they’d all find out what it was soon.
Luckily they wouldn't have to wait much longer. A week later Sero’s parents woke up to him shrieking in terror. Slamming open the door they were shocked to find him hanging from the ceiling shrieking in joy rather than fear as he swung from two strands of tape stuck to the ceiling. “Sero!” The child looked over at his parents, grin falling as he fell to the ground with a THUNK, the tape disconnecting from the ceiling. Looking around the room his parents now realized his entire room was covered in tape, half of his bedsheets were stuck to the wall, a small spattering of blood at one corner. Everything that was supposed to be on the wall was either strapped to the ceiling or the floor. “What is the meaning of this young man?” Huffing his dad walked over to him and tried to pull the tape off of him only to realize with a sudden gasp that it was coming out of his elbows. The blood at the corner of Sero’s sheets had come from where the skin had burst, revealing a thin slit with serrated edges on one side similar to a tape dispenser.
Walking up behind the two of them his mother bent down to look at his elbow, taking the tape that was still connected she tore it down along the serrated edge, removing the tape with ease. “So you were just having fun with your new quirk?”
Sero nodded, his grin returning as he pointed at the ceiling where his stuffed fish was now dangling, “I made Mister Fishie into a flying fishie!” unable to contain himself he began to giggle as his parents both shook their heads, a small smile on both of their faces.
“First…” As he spoke Sero’s dad picked him up and headed down to the main floor, “Let’s get these booboos cleaned up, you can sleep with us tonight and we’ll clean your room tomorrow.”
“Then can I try and swing from buildings like Spiderman?!”
Stifling a laugh as his father nearly fell down the stairs Sero’s mother responded with a soft, “Let’s try something a bit easier first.” Seeing a small pout begin to form she reached out to pat Sero on the head, her smile growing, “I’m sure you’ll be swinging around in no time my little hero.”