Actions

Work Header

Full Moon Hero

Summary:

When Midoriya was 4 years old he was diagnosed quirkless. A year later he's attacked by a villain with an infectious quirk. One he inherits in the wake of his father's death. Reeling from the loss Izuku has to navigate the intricacies of having a werewolf quirk.

Pretty much the whole story, as if Izuku was a werewolf. And how that changes everything, and at the same time nothing.

(Canon Compliant)

Chapter 1: One Moonlit Night

Summary:

Izuku's childhood dream gets crushed

Chapter Text

When Midoriya Izuku was four years old he learned he didn't have a quirk. After going to every doctor and specialist in his hometown this was the conclusion. It crushed his dreams. At four years old it felt like his world had ended.

He knew his mother had tried desperately to keep his spirits up. But what could she say? He didn't have a quirk. There was no possible way he could be a hero like All Might. His friendship with Kacchan began to suffer. The explosive boy's view was narrowed on his own growth. Izuku knew the other boy would be an amazing hero. But once Izuku was proven quirkless there would be no fight to the top between them. They wouldn't get to battle side by side like Izuku had wanted.

It was after that fateful diagnosis he stopped being Izuchan to Kacchan, and instead became Deku. Useless, weak, extra. But seeing Kacchan push him aside, was just the wakeup Izuku needed. If Kacchan treated him like he was nothing it was because he was acting like he was nothing.

Izuku became determined. He would be a hero, and he would rise up to stand at Kacchan's side again. He was going to fight for his dream. His first step was compiling notes, he started his hero analysis notebooks. Drawings and stats picked up quickly on his way to school, or out shopping with his mother. He would drag his mother to fights when they were on the street. He was wide-eyed and excited to see any heroes apprehending villains and criminals for the police, rescuing citizens left and right. And when he was at home he poured over as many videos as he could find. It was his lifeline. 

His mother was as heartbroken as he was determined. So, during that year she got into contact with his father. Often, she waited for him to finish work on the oil rig and came to shore. But this time she contacted him first. So, the plan was set in motion for Midoriya Hisashi to come home and spend the summer of Izuku's fifth year with them.

When the time came the Midoriya family was reunited in tears and smiles. Having his father home was exciting for Izuku. He knew his father worked hard out on the ocean. And he knew that his parents loved each other. So, it was just what he needed to get his mind off of being quirkless. Off of Kacchan's bullying. 

They played all day while his mother was at work. They discovered Hisashi was a disaster in the kitchen. They played heroes and villains. His father snuck fireworks onto the balcony despite his mother's harried panic. He didn't have to play with Kacchan, he had his dad. Izuku learned what it was to have his father home for an extended time. For the first time he could remember they had a real father son relationship.

A few weeks into the summer Inko got some time off of work and they took the train out to the mountains for a camping trip. Izuku had never camped out before. But he was excited by his father's enthusiasm. According to his mom that was how they spent their honeymoon. Camping and hiking to shrines and across trails.

It was different from the little copse of woods Izuku hunted bugs with Kacchan in. Bigger, quieter, and more open. Izuku was awed by the size of the trees, the way the sun streamed down through the towering canopy. He walked between his parents as they hiked out to the camping site.

There were other families around. But not so close Izuku felt they would cut into his personal family bubble. His parents pitched a tent and when lunch came around his mother unpacked bento boxes for them. It was the happiest he'd been in his whole life. Being quirkless was far from his mind. As the sun set Hisashi took his son out to the cliffs to watch the stars come out. It was here Izuku saw his father's smile fall.

"Izuku, I know you want to be a hero. And finding out you're quirkless must have been a hard blow." Izuku didn't say anything. His stomach knotted up and tears filled his eyes. Hisashi tugged him against his side. "I never wanted to be a hero, but I could see that you did. I don't ever want to be the father that tells his son to give up on his dreams. So, you just be the best version of you, you can be Izuku. That's going to be my hero."

His father's smile under the stars, was as binding as All Might's was. It struck Izuku and the hard ball of despair and hurt in him dissipated. He gaped a moment more before hugging his father tight. The warm chuckle above vibrated his smaller body, replacing all of his hurt with hope and love. They watched the stars a little longer before heading back. Izuku spared a long last look at the full moon before grabbing his father's hand and following him.

It was as they were entering the camp that Izuku saw something was wrong. The camp was destroyed, and when they turned a scream rang out. Izuku looked around his father to see the rest of the campers gathered together holding large sticks and poles from the tents. Was there a villain here? 

"Hisashi! Izuku!" His mother yelled from the group. "Run!"

Izuku's father yanked him up into his arms and sprinted for the trail leading to the main road. Izuku cranes over his father's shoulder trying to set his mother. "Mom! Mom!"

"She'll be alright Izuku!" His father yelled as he ran. What Izuku hadn't allowed himself to see then (but saw in his dreams) were the three bodies lying in the destroyed camp sites. Ravaged by claws and mauled to ruin. Izuku just remembered seeing flames licking into the dry undergrowth from trampled fire pits.

As his father put distance between the camp site and them, he saw finally what his father had. A man was running towards them. Lumbering as his body seemed to change with the activation of his quirk. It had to be a quirk; how else could he move the way he did? It reminded Izuku of Hound Dog. A wretched scream came from the man as he lurched onto all fours. A break in the trees revealed him. He looked like a wolf human hybrid. Not like Hound Dog at all, this wasn't a hero! 

This villain had a mutation quirk, Izuku had never seen one that could activate like this. Slavering jaws and wild gold eyes bore into them, with his focus Izuku's curiosity was replaced with fear. There was madness in those eyes. Evil. He screamed and his father faltered a moment. He twisted on his feet and breathed fire at the monster. It bought them a few extra seconds. But the monster surged past the fire once Izuku's father sucked in a breath.

It bowled them over and Izuku was tucked into his father's body as they rolled painfully across the ground. Wild growling sounded and a sharp yell tore from his father. Hisashi pushed him out from under his larger body and twisted wrapping his arms around the monstrous creature. "Run back to your mother Izuku! Now!"

Izuku got a few feet away before he froze when his father screamed. Then a rush of fire lit the area. He turned to see the monster tearing his father's torso to bloody ribbons. "Run-... Izuku!"

Izuku looked around frantically. He snatched a branch up before he really thought about it. In fact, his brain was frozen with horror and fear. But one thought fought tough the paralyzing panic. Heroes didn't run away. He ran back towards the villain with a wild scream and swung his branch at the monster. It broke across the beast's head on impact. It twitched and whirled on him. He gaped as the creature launched at him. Jaws latched onto his shoulder and claws grabbed at his arms. He screamed and jerked back. His father rammed into the side of their attacker, forcing it to let go of Izuku's body. "Inko!"

"Izuku!" His mother's voice screamed. A sudden weightless feeling caught him before he could hit the ground. He was jerked through the air and flew into his mother's arms.

"Dad!"

His father coughed up blood before he pressed his face against the monster. Then he breathed fire and an unholy howl of pain roared up into the air. His mother tore down the path sprinting as Izuku screamed for his father. They hit pavement and his mother started screeching for help. Izuku felt his vision blur at the edges as the pain started to sink into him. He looked at his mother and she was spattered with blood. Her concerned watery eyes set on him.

"Izuku? Izuku!"

Black edged in and he couldn't respond. He just wanted to sleep. He closed his eyes and slipped into the comfort of the blackness.

*