Chapter Text
At the dawn of the age of quirks, was a group of individuals. Some with quirks, some without. These individuals were known as the Avengers. Their alliance predated the present-day hero system most of the world has adopted.
After having grown to an astonishing number, these Avengers took all the known Infinity Stones on Earth for safekeeping. However, upon hearing of a powered individual strong enough to challenge even their combined power, the Avengers decided the Infinity Stones were too great a danger to be kept together on Earth. With the help of the Asgardian Thor, they scattered these stones across the galaxy, out of reach of all who would use them from evil.
Soon after, they met their demise at the hands of this same individual; and their story sank into the realm of legend.
“May I ask what your and your husband’s quirks are?”
Inko glanced at Izuku who remained blank-faced and frozen in shock. “Nothing much: I can attract small objects to myself” she floated Izuku’s dropped toy “and his father . .” she bit her lip. “He . . . doesn’t have a quirk.”
The doctor nodded in sympathy, “If he were to going to develop a quirk, he would already have begun showing signs of some variation of your quirk or his father’s parents’ quirks.” He tapped the x-rays on display, “Usually I would say that the presence of the extra toe joint means he almost definitely won’t develop a quirk, but a scan of his internal organs shows he may have already developed a mutation quirk. His internal biology seems completely different from a normal human’s.”
Inko shook her head, “I don’t think that’s part of a quirk, he was born like that. And, if it was a mutation quirk, wouldn’t he have immediately been able to use his abilities?”
The doctor frowned, “That is the case usually. If he hasn’t shown any signs of a quirk, then this phenomenon could be just that: a phenomenon.”
Tears welled up in Izuku’s eyes. I’m already a freak because I don’t have a quirk; and now I’m even more of one because my body is weird?
Inko softly knocked on her son’s door and opened it partially. She heard the faint sounds of sniffling over All Might’s digital laughter. “Izuku, dear? I know- I know what the doctor said, but-”
“Mom?” she stilled and entered the room fully, looking to him with pain in her eyes. “Do you think I can still be a hero?”
Fear lanced through her. Without a quirk he’d be in so much danger! He could- She thought of his father, and lightning sparked through her eyes and heart, “Yes. Yes you can, sweetie. You know how I know? Because you are just like your father. You’re both so strong. You care for others and believe in them even when they don’t believe in themselves. And you both laugh when most people would cower in fear. Did I ever tell you that he’s just like All Might?”
Izuku’s eyes widened in awe, “He- he is?” He sniffled quietly, almost scared to believe what she was saying.
She nodded, walking closer and kneeling in front of his chair. “You know how All Might saved those hundreds of people in all those videos? Well your father saved an entire city once. Even an entire planet.”
Izuku gasped, “Like Thor?! When he saved New York?”
Inko hugged him close and choked out through her tears, “Yes, exactly like Thor. He was always so noble, like a king. Do you know what that makes you? My Little Prince. You’re royalty, Izuku; and princes fight to protect people.” She squeezed him tighter, “You can be a hero.”
Izuku didn’t tell the other kids about his lack of a quirk. Only Bakugou knew, and he hounded him every day after school, “C’mon Izuchan! We were supposed to get our quirks at the same time! Don’t make me beat it out of you.” He spoke aggressively, but Izuku could hear the undercurrent of anxiety in his voice.
Izuku stood tall and put his fists on his hips, “Don’t worry Kacchan! I’m definitely going to be a hero!”
Bakugou crackled his palms, “You better. And your quirk better be extra powerful so I can beat you and prove I’m the best!”
Izuku smiled as Bakugou stomped toward home. Yeah, even if he didn’t develop a quirk, he would still be a hero with his best friend.
Six months after the doctor’s appointment, Izuku was sitting in the family room, writing in his hero notebook and watching a video on his phone. He still hadn’t developed a quirk, but he wasn’t worried. Some of the Avengers—the earliest heroes—didn’t even have quirks, and they kept up with the best of the best! That’s why he was studying old footage of them. He grabbed his phone but yelped and dropped it when it sparked, little bits of electricity arcing over it. In seconds it was ruined. Before he could fully process what had just happened, someone knocked at their door.
“Izuku, dear, could you get the door?”
“Sure, Mom!” He jumped up and ran to the door. He opened it partially and peeked into the hall, before slamming the door shut and undoing the chain. “Mom! There’s a big man at the door!”
She came out of the kitchen grinning and drying a plate, “Could you be a little more descriptive?”
“He looks just like Thor, but with an eye-patch!”
She dropped the plate.
“Mom?” Izuku opened the door again, fully, and revealed the tall, blond man looking at him stunned. The man’s eye flickered between Izuku and Inko rapidly, his face alternating shocked and awed expressions.
The man opened and closed his mouth several times before he blurted out, “Hello Inko! Er, can we . . talk?”
Izuku had been sent to his room while Mom and the big man talked. He tried to distract himself, but with his phone fried and no access to a computer, he found his thoughts repeatedly returning to that man. Who was he? He was obviously very close to Mom if he was calling her by her first name. Izuku blinked as he realized he had unknowingly been sneaking toward the living room to listen in.
“-know I broke things off with you,” Izuku frowned, were Mom and that man together before? “And I still stand by my reasons, but I didn’t expect you to just disappear! Five years!”
“There were many things that demanded my attention. My sister sought to assume control, and a madman— I’m sorry. That’s still no excuse.” Silence hung thick in the air for several moments before the man spoke again, “Were you- Is he-?”
“Yes, he is. I didn’t know until after you left and at that point I had no way of telling you.”
More silence, then, “What is he like?”
“I think- I think you can find out for yourself. He’s both of ours; I won’t try to keep him from you.”
“Thank you-“
“But if you hurt him- If you disappear on him without an explanation, I don’t care if you’re immortal, I will hunt you down and show you pain.”
Izuku gasped a little too loudly, drawing the attention of the adults.
Some shuffling preceded his mother’s calling out, “I know you’re there, Izuku. You can come out. There’s someone I would like you to meet.”
Izuku shuffled forward and found his mom and the stranger standing a few feet apart; he moved to hide behind his mom. “H-hi, I’m Izuku.”
The man smiled with tenderness and safety. He looked to Izuku's mom with an unspoken question which she apparently confirmed, because he turned back to Izuku and gently said, “Hello, Izuku. I am Thor, your father.”