Work Text:
Quirk inspired by wolf's rain.
...
A cold rain pelted Shouts on the back as he stood outside of the crime scene. It was a small-time robbery. They had been stealing food in a group of five when Kage caught them. The Underground Heroes were usually fairly lenient when it came to food thefts. Somehow however this group had injured a hero.
Kage was a young hero in his early twenties with black hair and green eyes. His quirk was Shadow Manipulation and normally kept him from getting injured. So how did he get that large bite mark on his shoulder? By the teeth impressions, it was a large dog bite. A very large dog bite.
"What happened to you, Kage?" Asked Shouta as he watched paramedics tend to the injury.
One paramedic took samples from the wound. DNA evidence. It was most likely caused by a quirk from one of these men. No one would meet Shouta's eyes. They were clearly unhappy with being caught but he had the feeling that at least one would flip on the others. Injury to a hero was a felony. They would spend a lot of time in jail if they didn't take a plea.
Kage growled, "There was another criminal with this lot. A man, he..."
Here Kage paused his brow furrowing in confusion. Silence reigned for too long.
"He, what? Kage?"
Kage looked up at him with wide green eyes, "I don't remember what he looks like."
"What do you mean you can't remember him? How can you have forgotten him so easily?"
One of the criminals gave a choked laugh before Kage could answer him. It was the youngest of the group. A brown-haired man with dull brown eyes and a scraggly beard forming. He was painfully thin and looked as if he could use a few good meals.
"No one can remember him after he walks away," laughed the man, "He's not human. Half the time people don't see him even when he's right there on top of them. They walk right around him. Seen 'im steal a hot dog right in front of the shop owner and they did nothing."
"Like a ghost," muttered another.
A ghost? Shouta doesn't believe in such superstitions. No ghost could create such an injury on a hero. No, it was a person or an animal with a quirk. Still, he was intrigued by the unknown person. If only because he was
...
A ghost was an apt description Shouta found two weeks later. In that time all of the heroes including Kage, the police, and the preparators had forgotten about the missing criminal. Kage had forgotten it by the time he got to the hospital. The paramedic's report named it a dog attack as did Kage's.
Shouta could not understand it. How were they forgetting someone so easily? Ghost was not possible. There was no such thing. Yet a quirk didn't make sense either because as far as he could find there wasn't a quirk like it in the world. So he continued to patrol the city looking for a man only remembered existed.
Much to his annoyance there was nothing. No hide or tail of the mysterious man until his day off. He was walking the city looking for Christmas gifts for Hizashi and Nemuri. He was walking with Naomasa as they were searching for gifts for the same people.
As they walked towards the end of the street snow began to lightly fall. Feeling a shiver run down his spine. He hated the cold and couldn't wait for spring to arrive. Naomasa pulled his coat closer around him. As he did so he caught the scent of hotdogs hit him.
Without really thinking about it he turned his head to the side and caught sight of the hotdog cart. There standing next to the cart was a young man in his mid-twenties with a hotdog in his hand. What made Shouta pause was the young man wore a thin t-shirt and jeans. It was entirely too cold to be wearing that.
What the fuck? The cart owner didn't seem to see the man either. He continued to talk to the people around him. People parted around the young man like he wasn't even there. Like a ghost.
The thought hit him like a ton of bricks. Could this be the man who bit Kage? Shouta elbowed Naomasa and indicated with his chin about the man.
Naomasa's dark eyes widened at the sight as he leaned close to ask, "Who is that? How is he not freezing to death in this weather?"
The man's head shot around and blazing green eyes searched the crowd. Shouta's heart stopped in his chest. Those eyes were like nothing he had seen before and for him to hear them. If Shouta didn't think his quirk was something suppressing the senses around him he would have thought it enhanced the man's senses.
Shouta decided to move in. He had to know what was going on. The green eyes widened even further with surprise. Naomasa swore under his breath but he followed the hero.
Once Shouta was close enough to be heard he asked, "Are you okay? It's freezing out you shouldn't be out here like that."
This man was in his early to mid-twenties Shouta realized now they were close. There weren't any signs of hypothermia. Shouta couldn't see a blue tint and something in him screamed that he should look away and ignore this man. The quirk he realized so he pushed the thought away.
Next to him, he could practically see Naomasa doing the same. They shared a knowing look and discretely Naomasa reached a hand into his coat pocket. Shouta then turned his full attention back to the man.
"You can see me?" Questioned the man in a low hoarse voice.
Naomasa's hand came back out and lay against his leg. Silent communication had been built between them over the years.
Carefully Shouta replied confused, "Of course, I can see you. Why are you surprised by that? Are you okay?"
The boy took a step back away from him, "You... You aren't like me."
Naomasa tapped the outside of his right leg indicating that it was the truth.
What? He didn't understand. What did the man mean he wasn't like him? Was it because of his quirk?
"If it's because of a quirk we can help you," tried Naomasa, "It's not the first time I've had to deal with a strange quirk. I'm a detective with the Musutafu Police Department."
Green eyes shot around uncertain. That's when the two men noticed he was getting odd looks from those around them. It was as if the passersby thought they were talking to themselves. What in the fuck?
The man took a step back. His nostrils flared as if he was trying to catch a scent in the air. Then Shouta caught the barest flicker of amber in the green eyes. Shouta was immediately reminded of a book he read on the extinct creatures known as wolves.
Amber was the sign of a wolf. And the old man he had met at a bar just the week before. The old man who had said he was hunting wolves.
"I tell you now the words of "Red Moon." From the great spirit was born the wolf, and man became its messenger. In other words, the human race was created from wolves. So says the author of "
The Book of the Moon."
That... That was impossible. Right? Yet Shouta knew there was something deeply wrong here. Green eyes with swirls of amber that hadn't been there before furiously searched the crowd a hint of fear and desperation on the face. It made Shouta want to reach out even if this was the man that attacked Kage.
"I think I should go," he tried in a soft voice. His head was still on the swivel and was taking air in at nearly hyperventilating levels.
Shouta reached out and the man flinched. He stepped back into the hotdog cart nearly knocking it over. That caused the owner to swear and yell at Shouta and Naomasa. Like the bystanders, he didn't seem to see the man. This allowed him to step into the crowd and disappear.
...
The air condensed in front of Izuku as he stood on a rooftop staring out over the city with tired green eyes. Hunger ate at his gut as he hadn't eaten since the day he ran across Eraserhead and a detective. Izuku wasn't stupid he recognized the men for what they were. He was however caught off guard by them being able to see him.
At the age of 12, over fifteen years ago now, Izuku had stopped being seen by the world around him. On that day he had shifted for the first time from human to wolf. It had been painful and the taste of blood still sent him into flashbacks of that first night. To survive he stole food little things that wouldn't be missed. Even if someone saw him they would forget almost immediately. It was a lonely existence but he got by.
Izuku was admittedly floored that day. He hadn't known how to react to people acknowledging his existence for longer than a few moments. How their eyes had followed him when he disappeared into the crowd. From what he knew of Erasure it was shown by red eyes and only lasted about twenty seconds before he had to blink. So it couldn't be a quirk allowing them to see him. What did then?
That was a question that plagued him even on Christmas Eve. Izuku leaned on the railing on the edge of the building. The lights of the city made it so that the stars were gone. Still, it was beautiful even to the man who spent walking it.
He didn't feel the cold, he was warm far warmer than he had any right being. While he couldn't explain it he thought it might have to do with the wolf. It only started after the first time he shifted into it. Shifting was at will after the first time unlike the stories of werewolves so he was sure if this was a quirk or something more.
The sudden burst of cold wind hit him from behind. Izuku barely acknowledged it as he didn't feel cold like a normal person anymore. It was more a shift of air than anything else. On the air was the scent of an animal.
Or a mixture of animals? A chimera? Bear, rat, dog. But that would mean... Izuku turned and standing only a few feet behind him was a white creature in a suit. Just like its scent, its features were a mixture. The scar across one eye was a telltale feature. Nezu, Principal of UA Highschool, and his eyes were staring into Izuku's very soul.
Izuku's world was rocked for the second time in just a few weeks. There were those who could actually see him? Not just look through him? Did that mean Eraserhead and the detective remembered him?
There was a twitch of Nezu's tail as if he could read Izuku's thoughts. Izuku wanted to shift and escape. Seeing the wolf side of him always made people forget that he existed. At the same time, he almost didn't want to be forgotten. The loneliness that had been eating at him for over a decade called out to the one who saw and remembered.
"It seems the rumors were true," quietly said Nezu.
Izuku blinked. Pardon him?
"A man," Nezu's dark eyes pinned him where he stood for a moment before trailing to something to his right, "And a wolf. You are the same yet separate."
How?! How could he possibly know that?!
Nezu said not acknowledging his silence, "Those who stand both as a person and an animal can see you as you are. Though there are few left even amongst those with mutated animal quirks."
"How did you find me?"
And why had he not told anyone? Wolves were thought to be extinct for hundreds of years. There would be an enormous reward for anyone who turned him in.
Looking in the chimera's eyes he did not think that Nezu would do so. In fact, he was almost positive about it. Above them, the clouds parted slightly and the moon came out. Inside Izuku the wolf began to stir. He barely was able to suppress the need to shift. It came out as a hard shudder and a brief flare of his senses. Then he was back to just his slightly enhanced human senses.
Nezu answered calmly, "A wolf in this city even an unseen one is not hard to find. Just like you my senses are stronger than any humans."
Izuku cocked his head to the side as the shadows to their left shifted. A familiar figure stepped out his hand on the cloth around his neck. Eraserhead, he should have known.
"And I may have had some help," finished Nezu, "You can hide from almost all of the heroes but not this one."
Unable to hide within a crowd and be forgotten Izuku froze. What to do now?
...
Shouta stared at the man in front of him. There was true fear in his eyes as he looked at them. Why did he fear them? Was he thinner than the last time they met? If he only ate street food when he couldn't be noticed that would make sense. Shouta feared for the young man. If this kept going he would die of starvation before long.
The man asked quietly, "What do you plan on doing then, Nezu?"
"I'm here to offer you a home in UA," answered Nezu honestly, "As it stands now you're on the brink of starvation. If you continue as you are you will die but with our help, you can do more than just survive."
"Wha... What do you... Why?"
Shouta took a step closer causing the green eyes to flicker over to him. To his horror there seemed to be tears forking in them. Wait, was that a hint of amber in the eyes? No focus. He could figure out the man later. For now, they had to convince him to trust them.
Nezu held up a hand when Shouta took a step forward. There was the barest hint of a shake of his head. The man's eyes caught it though they tracked the movement silently.
Every bit of his body language screamed that he was ready to run. All he needed was one moment of distraction. One moment and he would be gone like he was never there. Again.
"Why?" Asked Nezu sounding genuinely confused, "You are someone who is in pain. You have been alone for a long time. Let us help you. We are heroes and we help people no matter who they are."
Slowly Nezu reached out a paw to him and said, "Let us help you."
...
UA was as big as he remembered. When he was younger Izuku would walk past dreaming of becoming one of their students. His dream had been and still was to be a Hero. He was given an apartment in the teacher's dorms. Given the time of night, the halls were empty of students and teachers alike. Even when he arrived in the warm teacher dorm common room there was only one person awake. It took him a moment to recognize the man as his hair was down and he wasn't wearing the typical leather of his costume.
"Present Mic?"
The man turned around and said with a warm smile, "That's right, Listener. You have a good eye for being able to recognize me outside of my hero costume. Who are you? You look too old to be a student."
"Izuku Midoriya," he answered gruffly and gave a quick glance at Eraserhead who walked around him, "Eraserhead and Nezu have offered me a place in the school. My quirk..."
How to explain it without sounding like a lunatic? Eraserhead had seen it for himself and explained it to Nezu. Would anyone else believe him?
Eraserhead grumbled, "Leave him alone, Hizashi. His quirk is something else. I'm sure Nezu will call a meeting in the morning about it. He's staying here. Midoriya."
Izuku looked up.
"Follow me," he ordered, "I'll show you to your rooms. Unless you want something to eat?"
Izuku shook his head. There was no way he would be able to eat anything right now. His stomach turned at even the thought of food. Eraserhead gave a sharp nod and led him up the stairs to the second floor. Halfway down the hall, they stopped at a door labeled 3.
"This is your apartment," said Eraserhead handing him a key, "Only Nezu and I have the master keys to this door in case of emergency. It is the same way in the student dorms. Number Four is my apartment if you need anything or want to talk. I'm sure Nezu will be by in the morning with clothes for you."
"Clothes, Eraserhead?"
Eraserhead sighed, "My name is Shouta Aizawa. You can call me Shouta or Aizawa whichever you're more comfortable with. And yes clothes. We wouldn't let you continue to walk around in your current outfit. You'll freeze to death."
Izuku didn't mention that he didn't feel the cold. The wolf side of him kept him warm except in the worst of the winter. The apartment was nicer than anywhere he lived before. A half kitchen allowed him to make some light food and a full bathroom was close by. The bedroom had a king-sized bed that he immediately fell into. The scents of it were neutral and did not set off the wolf inside. Before he knew it he was asleep.
As promised the next morning he was brought clothes mostly baggy sweats and hoodies but he didn't complain. They were warm and things he liked. A specially made breakfast of rice and boiled chicken was left at his door. For someone who was surviving on mostly street food, it was delicious.
After eating he changed into a black hoodie and pants before heading to the common room. Sitting in the living room were several recognizable heroes even outside of their costumes. Ectoplasm, Cemetnos, and Midnight were exchanging presents not noticing his entrance.
For a moment Izuku was confused about the presents but then he saw the Christmas tree hidden away in the corner. Right, last night had been Christmas Eve which made today Christmas. Maybe he should head back to his room so as not to interrupt their festivities.
He stumbled forward when a gentle nudge pushed him forward. Aizawa grumbled, "Don't just stand in the doorway, Midoriya. Go introduce yourself."
At the sound of Aizawa's voice, the others looked up. Ectoplasm's eyes not hidden by his costume mask went hazy in a familiar way. However, Cementos and Midnight's eyes stayed clean.
It was Midnight who broke the ice, "Well hello you must be Izuku Midoriya. I am Kayama Nemuri the Pro Hero Midnight and I teach Art History here."
Aizawa moved around him and into the kitchen. The smell of coffee filled the air a moment later and Izuku wondered if he could get a cup.
Cementos snapped out of his staring and replied with a smile, "I am Ken Ishiyama, the Pro Hero Cementos and I teach Modern Literature. It's very nice to meet you."
Izuku gave a short bow as he said, "It's nice to meet you both. I am Izuku Midoriya, my quirk... Is the reason I'm here."
Midnight nodded as she said, "Nezu mentioned something like that. Hopefully, we can help you with it. Shou is probably the best option. We all will try for those who it doesn't work on."
"It seems to work on Ectoplasm," mentioned Izuku.
That had even Aizawa turning to look at him in surprise.
"How can you tell?"
"Can you choose who it affects?"
"Hey, Ecto you okay there buddy?"
Aizawa caught his eyes and raised an eyebrow in question. Slowly Izuku nodded. Might as well see if his quirk would work on this. If they planned on helping him then it was a question they needed answered.
Black eyes flashed red as they looked at him. At that moment he knew they had made a terrible mistake. Izuku bit into his lip hard enough to draw and taste blood. The wolf in him seized that moment to lunge forward in its confines very nearly breaking free of Izuku's control. Green eyes flared amber with the wolf.
Amongst the heroes the reaction was instantaneous. They jumped to their feet even Ectoplasm who was finally able to shake off the haze of Izuku's quirk. Or it was Erasure Izuku wasn't sure which but he couldn't focus on that now. He was too busy wrangling control over his wolf's back. As he did his senses fluctuated between heightened and normal in speeds that made him dizzy.
Then Aizawa blinked and his wolf snarled in frustration and settled back within him. It left Izuku breathless and weak. What in the fuck was that? The energy that he previously had suddenly left him and his knees buckled. He collapsed back only to be caught by Aizawa.
"Nemuri go get Nezu," barked Aizawa before he tapped Izuku on the face, "Stay with me, Midoriya. What the hell was that? No one has ever reacted to Erasure like that."
Izuku pressed his hand into his chest as he replied, "That was my other side deciding it wanted free. Its never reacted like that. At least we know now though using Erasure is an absolute no."
Aizawa slowly nodded his acceptance of the words. Nezu arrived a few moments later and listened as the others explained what happened. Izuku stayed back watching with cautious green eyes.
"Let's not do any more experiments without myself and Recovery Girl nearby," ordered Nezu, "As tempting as it may be we don't know the extent of Midoriya's quirk. If you agree Midoriya?"
"Yes," agreed Izuku breathlessly, "Call me Izuku."
Nezu gave him a respectful nod.
...
Two weeks passed with Izuku falling into a comfortable routine. His mornings were spent alone most of the time. He would spend it either running on the grounds or laying in the sun. The first he did so students who had just come back from break gave him strange looks. The teachers had warned them about his presence so no one tried to confront him about it.
In the afternoons he spent time with Nezu and Recovery Girl. Occasionally when Aizawa didn't have classes he would join them. Even when he didn't Aizawa would bring Izuku food that was easy on his stomach. More often than not they shared their spare time together. Izuku read while Aizawa would be grading papers or checked case files.
One afternoon Izuku walked past Aizawa as he took his bowl to the sink when he caught sight of the case he was working on. It was a criminal who had an unknown quirk. One of the criminals Izuku had run with to get some food. Like with most of the population, the man had forgotten him within an hour of Izuku walking off. It was obvious Aizawa was trying to work out his quirk.
Without thinking about it Izuku leaned on the back of the chair Aizawa was sitting on. He leaned over so that he could read the file better. Aizawa froze but Izuku didn't pick up on it.
"Oh that Natsero," said Izuku offhandedly, "It's hard to believe you haven't figured out his quirk."
"What do you mean?" Questioned Aizawaz sharply.
He tilted his head back to look Izuku in the face. Izuku kept his eyes on the file.
Izuku gave the barest flinch before hiding it as he answered, "His quirk is called Half Step. Unless you have a speed or erasure quirk you won't be able to grab him. It's an evasion quirk that allows him to boost his speed and evasive capabilities but only within about a step of himself. The only danger with using it is rolling and breaking an ankle. A speed quirk would be the easiest way to counteract it."
Aizawa blinked at him in surprise and asked slightly teasing, "Are you sure you don't have an analysis quirk?"
Izuku blinked at him surprised by the question before a light went up the back of his neck as he answered softly, "When I was little up to when my quirk came in at 12 I was obsessed with analyzing quirks. Hero, Villain, civilian it didn't matter. If the quirk caught my eye I would analyze it until I knew everything I could about it."
"Well that's not something we see every day," said Aizawa with a chuckle, "You could make good money with analysis if you're good at it. You wouldn't even have to meet others to do it. There are plenty of analysts that do everything remotely."
Well, there was a thought. He would be able to live on his own and make money legally. It would be a change that he would appreciate. Though it wouldn't stop people from looking right through him on the streets. Even here, several of the heroes had to focus every time he was around to see him.
Aizawa saw the way his face fell at the thought and asked, "Hey remember, remote is possible."
Izuku took a breath to calm the fear that formed and said, "Your right. Thank you, Aizawa."
"You might as well call me Shouta. Everyone else does."
Izuku blinked and looked down at the hero in surprise. Then a shy smile crossed his face as he said, "Shouta then. You can call me Izuku too if you want."
It was the second time he had offered this. The first time he had done so directly. A grin appeared on Ai... Shouta's face and he nodded.
...
The first snow fell in late January. Shouta watched in amusement as Izuku in his wolf form bounced through the snow. Since coming to UA he had watched the younger man slowly come out of his shell. While Izuku was still wary of the other heroes he had warmed up Shouta and Hizashi.
They had learned that Izuku had a love for drawing when Hizashi found him practicing on the window sill. Even those who could see him without Izuku concentrating for his quirk to have less of an effect when he was quiet he went unnoticed. It was why it took an hour for anyone to notice the drawing. His drawing had been of the heroes that were in the common room at the time.
After finding out about his hobby they bought him supplies. Tears had sprung up behind the green eyes and for a moment Shouta wondered if they had done something wrong. Only for them both to receive a bone-crushing hug. It had been surprising as Izuku wasn't overly affectionate towards anyone. The warmness that was gathering was slow but progressive. According to Nezu however, it was faster with him. Shouta didn't believe it but it was a nice thought.
Shouta could not understand Izuku's love for the snow. Personally, he was freezing and would rather be inside nursing coffee. Still, he could not help the small smile that twitched on his lips watching the wolf going through the snow.
Only for him to lose sight of Izuku. His blood froze in his veins. Where did he go? Only for Izuku to jump from the snow his front paws hitting Shouta in the shoulders. He was unable to stop himself from falling back into the snow hard. He let out a pained grunt as his head hit the ground and he saw stars for a brief moment.
Izuku was admittedly much heavier than he looked now. The emaciated wolf and man they had met more than a month ago was beginning to fill out. Then just like that wolf became man again and he was grinning like a loon.
"I got you, hero," rumbled Izuku, "What will you do?"
Shouta twisted them around so that positions were reversed. Izuku let out a little "oomph" as he hit the ground.
Leaning in close Shouta whispered, "It seems actually I have you, little wolf."