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Chapter Text

Izuku was four years old when he learned that not all men are created equal.

He was five when he officially resigned himself to not getting a quirk.

“What if it comes in late!?” He would say to his mother desperately, all he ever got in return was pitying looks.

It didn't take long for those looks he received to turn resentful, especially after his father left when he was six. Izuku knew it was because of his Quirklessness, even if his mother didn't tell him this until later. Mom wasn't outright abusive, at least not physically, but even in his young age, Izuku knew she wasn't doing nearly enough.

A small portion of food once a day- enough to make sure he didn't starve, though too little to give him enough energy for a normal child. She spoke to him in curt sentences, all information, nothing of substance or caring. Little Izuku’s mind began to wonder if she was becoming part robot.

It was when he was seven that she stopped talking to him altogether. She had slowly been spending more and more time at work, leaving informative notes for Izuku when needed. Now- it was her only form of communication with her son.

‘Breakfast on the counter’

The seven year old read the note attached to the fridge, and turned to his supposed ‘Breakfast.’ It was a singular granola bar and an apple. Izuku sighed and pocketed the two food items, making his way out the front door.

He decided to quell his stomach with the apple, munching on it as he made his way to his favourite playground in walking distance to his apartment. Once arrived, Izuku throws the apple core in the public trash can, and takes a seat on one of the swings.

Izuku has about ten minutes of peace and quiet to sit and think, when a loud bang sounds from a few yards away. He doesn't even bother lifting his head, Izuku already knows that it is Kacchan, what with the noise and the sickly sweet smell wafting in the air.

“Aww, is the useless nerd hanging out all by himself? Not stalking anyone right now?” The blond taunts- and Izuku can hear cruel giggling sounding from behind the boy.

Great, his goons are with him, Izuku thinks.

“I'm just sitting here Kaccha- URK!” Izuku is unable to finish his sentence as an explosion reverberates in his face, knocking him off of the swing set.

“Shut up!” The blond shrieks, “No one said you could talk, shitty Deku!” 

Izuku looks up at the gang of children standing over him, Kacchan at the front with his arms crossed, and a smug look on his face- though Izuku is wondering if he imagines another look in the blond’s eyes. 

Worry? No, Kacchan doesn't worry about anything… It's more like a bit of regret, but that can't be right either… 

He feels tears prick his eyes, a stinging sensation all over his face, and when Izuku brings a hand up to his cheek to touch it, it feels raw and sends a painful jolt through his body. He looks back up to Kacchan, fear bubbling to the surface of his chest.

He has never hurt me this badly before… 

Before Izuku could say anything, Kacchan seemed to have broken out of whatever stupor he was in,

“Well? Get running Deku!” he growled, though his voice sounded a bit more muted than usual, Izuku wasted no chances and booked it into the nearby small forest.

It wasn't a natural forest, just a bunch of trees and shrubs planted by the city to create more of a natural atmosphere or something, but Izuku knew it as one of Kacchan’s favourite hunting grounds. The boy had many- the school, the school playground, the parks, and any small group of trees. Kacchan did his best to do all his tormenting outside of prying eyes (aside from those of his lackeys).

It was a regular occurrence for Izuku to be running from Kacchan’s group- as well as other kids from school, so fortunately (or unfortunately), Izuku already knows the drill. He weaves through the trees fairly effortlessly, hearing the loud pops and bangs coming from Kacchan behind him, as well as the laughter the group was letting out.

Luck seemed to be on Izuku’s side today, as he heard a small struggle behind him, before a very disgruntled sounding Kacchan shouted at one of his companions,

“Dammit you extra! You tripped me!” followed by a grunt and an explosion.

Izuku didn't stop to see what was happening, just kept running until he thought it safe enough to dive behind some bushes and hide. For once in his life he thanked whatever deity was out there for his luck in having green hair. It made camouflaging in shrubbery a much easier task.

He watched as three small sets of feet flew past him, with Kacchan's shouts of rage slowly getting farther and farther away. Izuku allowed himself to catch his breath, sitting down, and trying to physically stamp down his shaky breathing with a hand to his chest.

Izuku once again lifted a hand to his face, feeling the sting of the burn. It hurts, and he doesn't want to think about it right now- that Kacchan has graduated from blasts that don't hurt as much as they blind and deafen. The boy was now causing genuine harm to Izuku, and the thought brings tears to his eyes more than the sting itself.

Pushing all those negative thoughts down- as he has been doing for the past three years, Izuku stands up and brushes off his clothes, looking around to see exactly where he had ended up in the trees. It looked vaguely familiar, he had been here many times in the past, and Izuku began to make his way out of the foliage, and onto the actual path. 

Something stopped him in his tracks though. A smell of burning- not sickly sweet, like the burnt sugar smell of Kacchan's explosions, but a smoky scent. Izuku found it much more pleasant than what he was used to. Absent-mindedly, he began to make his way to where the smell was coming from. Not noticing his feet taking him further away from the path, and deeper into the trees.

Is someone having a campfire? Izuku wondered as he continued, but realized that wasn't the case upon nearly stumbling into a crater. It's a wonder he had missed it at all- the thing wasn't very big, but as Izuku looked into it, he could see small puffs of smoke coming from something smoldering in the middle of it.

It was black and goopy, and Izuku wasn’t entirely sure if it was liquid or not. The substance moved ever so slightly, almost as if it were alive. In fact, after a few seconds, Izuku was sure it was alive as it began to move towards him much more rapidly than it had been moving a few seconds ago.

Izuku only had time to yelp in surprise as the goo suddenly crawled up his leg and disappeared . He stumbled back, falling onto the ground with a thump. His ears were ringing, and it felt like all of the blood in his body had come alive, moving around in his veins at a rapid pace. It wasn't painful, but a distinctly odd feeling that left Izuku reeling.

Then, because of course Izuku wasn't actually lucky- it must have been a fluke- Kacchan and the goons came hurtling through the trees a second later, all of them looking very annoyed.

“I got you now Deku!! Now you-” Kacchan stopped suddenly, a confused look covering his face, “What the hell?”

Izuku was watching his ex-friend fearfully.

What? What's wrong? Why isn't he attacking?

“The hell did you do to your face, Deku!? Where are your eyes!?”

You, Izuku, wanted to yell, you did this to me.

Though, the eye comment did throw him off, considering Izuku could see perfectly well, and was pretty sure he hadn't lost his eyeballs in the last few minutes.

Then, something really strange happened. 

Izuku’s mouth split into a smile, a deadly, feral grin that he hadn't even commanded his body to do, and a deep guttural voice that was not Izuku’s came from his mouth,

“Leave. If you want to keep your heads.”

It was almost comical, the speed at which Kacchan’s goons ran out of there, screaming about a ‘monster.’ Kacchan himself however, stood gaping at Izuku, an unreadable expression in his eyes that he was pretty sure was fear, before he too took off.

Izuku just stared at the spot the other boys disappeared into. Mind whirling.

What just happened.

On his walk home, Izuku had decided it was best to try and forget everything that had just happened. This was no easy task, considering Izuku felt better than he ever had. His body felt strong and secure, and his mind clear. 

The weirdest thing about all of it was that his face was completely healed. Though Izuku couldn't be sure of that until he looked in a mirror, his skin felt smooth again, and no longer stung to the touch. 

He tried to push it out of his mind as he made his way to the apartment door. Izuku pushed his way inside, ready to be-line his way to his room right away, when a voice grabbed his attention.

“Izuku, come in here.” his mothers voice rang out, and oh this can't be good. It's been months since she verbally uttered even a single word to him. 

Izuku meekly moves to the living room, and looks at his mother, who was on the phone.

“Yes Mitsuki, thank you, I will. Talk to you soon.” She finishes and hangs up the phone as he wanders over, and turns to him, a wild look in her eyes.

“So?” She asks sharply, her tone a complete one-eighty from the soft voice she used on the phone with Aunt Mitsuki.

Izuku shuffles his feet, he can guess what this is about. Though it's odd, Kacchan had never told his mother about their confrontations before, in fact, Izuku was sure his pseudo-Aunt thought he and Kacchan were still best friends.

His mother seemed to have no patience at the moment,

“Do you have a Quirk or not?” She asked, rage burning in her eyes.

What? A Quirk?

Confusion swamped Izuku. He was Quirkless, extra toe joint and all. The Doctor, as well as his mother had made it extremely clear that he would not be getting a power.

But what happened in the forest?

Izuku let himself think back to everything that had happened this morning. Being chased, hiding, finding the odd crater, and that black sludge that had seemingly disappeared into his body. He also recalled the reactions from the other boys when they saw him after all of this. 

Fear. 

‘The hell did you do to your face, Deku!? Where are your eyes!?’

But his Mom hadn't made any comments about his eyes yet, so what happened.

“I got a call from Mitsuki. She says that Katsuki witnessed you showing signs of a Quirk. Show me.” She said, a dangerous glint in her eyes.

“I- I uh..” Izuku replied stupidly, not really sure what to do or say in this situation.

“Allow me.”

Izuku startled at the deep voice that reverberated in his head, it seemed that his mother didn't hear it, as she just raised an eyebrow at his sudden jolt. 

Before Izuku could comprehend what had happened, a tendril made of something inky and black, shot from Izuku’s mid-section, and across the living room. It moved almost silently around the wall and into the kitchen. Only a moment later, it retracted back to him, now carrying a steak knife. The tendril dropped it into his hand, and Izuku finally looked up from it to see the wide, and fearful eyes of his Mother.

“You can take this one. As long as I get her head.”

That same voice from before rang in his ears, and he doesn't even want to know what it means by that. Izuku drops the knife in fear, looking into his Mom’s eyes.

“Mom, I-”

“Get away from me!” She shouts, activating her Quirk, and pulling the knife on the ground to her hand, “What was that!?”

Despite the circumstances, Izuku feels an odd warmth forming in his chest.

I really have a Quirk?  He wonders, Why is it scaring everyone?

“Not quite.”

The voice says, Izuku is certain only he hears it.

A sentient Quirk? Those are rare…

“I just said I'm not a Quirk, foolish child.”

His mother seemed to have regained her composure slightly, her harsh breathing slowing down as she pointed the knife in his direction.

“Go to your room. Don't come out until I tell you.” She spits at him.

Izuku does as he's told without argument, not willing to test how far she will go with that knife. He feels the weight of the situation fully start to dawn on him. Midoriya Inko was a neglectful mother, Izuku knows this, but seeing her so angry felt like a foreign concept. She had never threatened him with violence before, and now that he has a Quirk, she does?

It doesn't make sense! He thinks frustratedly, I thought she hated me because I was Quirkless.

“It was only a matter of time before something like that happened. I just happened to speed it along.”

Izuku startled yet again, at the voice in his head. He ponders what it said though, would she have hurt me eventually?

“Yes child, I could see it in your memories. You are too naive yet to see the signs.”

Mom doesn't care for me much, but she wouldn't really hurt me. He affirms to the voice, feeling the need to at least defend the person who gave birth to him a little bit.

“You are a strong and perfectly matched host, but you are still young and learning.” It responds simply, and Izuku’s mind whirls further.

“Host?” he asks out loud this time, because that word doesn't make any sense, he's not a host, he's a boy. “You say you aren't my Quirk, so then what are you?”

Instead of a response in his head, Izuku feels the tendrils before he sees them slither out of his shoulder, and meld together into what only Izuku can describe as the head of a monster.

It grins at him, all sharp teeth, stretching across the inky face, milky white eyes stare him down, they're big and take up the majority of the head. Izuku trembles, pushing himself into the corner of his room, trying to get away from the beast. This ends up being futile, as it is still attached to him, and moves with his own body.

“We are Venom,” The thing says- out loud this time, “And you, are mine.”

Chapter Text

“Hungry.”

“No.” Izuku echoed for what felt like the hundredth time.

It had taken only a couple of days for Izuku to come to terms with his new Situation. He had gotten pretty much all the information he needed on that first day. After Venom had first made himself known (and one panic attack later), Izuku had been able to ask the questions he needed.

It turns out that Venom really wasn't a Quirk that manifested a couple years late, but an alien. A real, honest to god alien- that's called a Symbiote. Said Symbiote explained to Izuku that he had ‘crashed’ in the forest (and refused to further explain how he got there), and was lucky enough to come across the ‘perfect’ host.

Venom needs a human host to survive on this planet, and Izuku matched him perfectly. Something to do with DNA, he's not entirely sure how it all works yet. To be completely honest, Izuku isn't sure how he feels about the whole thing. Sure, it's like he has a Quirk now, but based on all of the ramblings of Venom in his head, the alien is probably murderous, and he really does not know how to deal with that.

Izuku suspects that Venom is still keeping a lot of information from him, but finds it doesn't bother him too much, he doesn't wish to be burdened with that (at least for now). Overall however, aside from his mother’s reaction, nothing too bad had happened yet, despite being an alien inhabiting his body, Venom wasn't bad company.

“Food.”

Never mind, he was a horrible nag.

“Not now, Venom, Mom will bring something soon.” Izuku replied out loud absently while drawing in his notebook.

It was true, his mom had been bringing him food once a day ever since she locked him in there. This wouldn't have been a problem for Izuku before, but it seems to be a building problem now, since Venom is always hungry.

“I need Brains. Or chocolate.” Venom growled, unrelenting in his mind.

An odd combo, but Izuku decided not to question it, and hoped there would be some way to get his hands on some chocolate soon. He’d have to go to school sometime soon right? His mom had called the school, saying he was sick for the time being, but he couldn't be ‘sick’ forever.

“We could eat your mom. She looks tasty.” 

This was not the first time Venom had suggested this, and as always he thought, No! As hard as possible, You aren't eating my mom’s brains.

“No fun.”

Becoming used to his new normal, Izuku just rolled his eyes, going back to his drawing. He allowed his mind to drift off for a while, dutifully colouring in the lines for the Snipe sketch he had just made. After a while (and peaceful silence from Venom thank god), Izuku heard his mothers raised voice.

He stood from his desk, and made his way to his bedroom door, pressing his ear against it to listen. It sounded like she was arguing with someone, though Izuku could only hear her voice.

“She is on the phone.” Venom supplied him easily.

“I don't know  Hisashi! It just happened!” his mother yelled into the phone, “I didn't- you know he’s yours-”

Izuku had a feeling this phone call was about him. He wondered who she was arguing with, but he had a guess. Midoriya Hisashi, his father. The guy that up and left when he found out Izuku was Quirkless.

“Don't you dare!!” She was full on screaming now, and Izuku felt himself shaking. “Don't you dare come back here. You have no right, after you left me here alone with him! ” 

She spat the last part of her sentence with so much vitriol that it left Izuku reeling. She really hated him that much. He felt tears spilling from his eyes, and did his best to push down the sobs that were threatening to rack his body.

Suddenly, violently, the door to his bedroom is wrenched open, and his furious mother is standing right in front of him. Izuku had lost balance when the door was abruptly opened, but Venom had seamlessly pulled him up with a couple of tendrils.

“Spying on private phone calls Izuku?” Her tone is taunting, cruel, and the phone in her hand hangs limply at her side. He can see that the call is no longer connected, so she must have hung up. Suddenly, she grabs his arm, pulling him to his feet. She begins to drag Izuku to the living room, Izuku having a mental battle with Venom all the while, trying to convince the Symbiote to not eat his mom.

She deposits him harshly on the couch, then stands in front of him, crossing her arms. Mother and son watch each other for a few seconds, the air sparking with tension. 

“You are Quirkless.” His mother speaks after a few moments, voice monotone, yet holding no room for argument. 

What?

“What-” Izuku begins speak his thoughts when his mother cuts him off,

“You are Quirkless, ” she seethes, “I don't care about that freaky shit, you are to act as you did before- boring, normal, useless. Understand?” 

Izuku feels the tears begin anew. None of this makes sense. Why is she so angry?

He got his answer pretty quickly,

“Your father is under the impression you are not his son. Your Quirk is nothing like his, not much like mine either.” She says, “I do not want anyone else under this impression. Understand?”

And Izuku did. Their neighborhood had always been quite gossipy, and even at this age, Izuku knew most people would talk. But apparently he didn't give her an answer fast enough, because what she did next was something he never actually expected her to do, something Venom told him would be coming.

She slapped him. Or, she tried to at least, because before Izuku could even comprehend what was happening, an inky black, huge, clawed hand reached out with lighting speed, grabbing his moms wrist. Izuku had only a moment to realize that it was his hand, when his whole body became enveloped in something.

He closed his eyes, having a feeling that what was about to happen next would not be pretty. Izuku felt himself moving, though not having any control. He heard the distinct sound of screaming, the sharp tang of blood, and then nothing.

“You can open your eyes now Izuku.” Venom said out loud, and despite his worry, Izuku did open his eyes.

It was an immediately odd sensation. The first thing he noticed is that he was much taller than before, and his vision was also much better. The second thing he noticed was that he was standing in his kitchen. Izuku tried to turn his head to the living room, to see what carnage lay there, but found he couldn't move at all. 

You’re in complete control right now? Izuku asked the Symbiote in his head.

“Yes. And you do not need to see all that blood, child.”

He didn't know if he wanted to scream or cry. You killed her. It wasn't a question.

Venom chose not to respond, simply moving to the stove in the kitchen. He began to turn the knobs, and Izuku noticed how the alien seemed to flick back at the heat. 

What are you doing?

“Do you have any gasoline in the apartment?”

What!? No! Don't burn down the apartment! Izuku cries in his mind, This is a bad idea!

Venom ignores him entirely, and begins milling about the apartment, evidently looking for a flammable substance. Eventually, and to Izuku’s horror, he finds the utility room, which to Venom's luck (and Izuku’s misfortune), a half filled jerry can of gasoline. Izuku can hear in Venom’s voice as he says,

“Perfect.”

Izuku is not thinking about it. He is decidedly not thinking about the fact that today had been the absolute worst day of his life. And he feels like that is saying something.

The two of them were sitting in an abandoned warehouse. Well, Izuku was sitting in an abandoned warehouse, Venom now retracted back into his body. 

Venom had brought them here after lighting the apartment on fire, high-tailing it out of there as quickly as possible. He had found it after an impromptu swim in a river (in Venom's words “We needed to cool off” ).

“Don’t be mad.” The Symbiote said, and Izuku was surprised to hear actual remorse in the deep voice. Though it didn’t stop the anger welling within.

“Don't be mad!?” Izuku yelled out-loud, 'cause, well, who's gonna hear him here? “You killed my mom and burnt my home down. I'm a little mad.”

“OK, that's my bad. But I never claimed to be the good guy.” He replied, almost sheepish, “But she was going to hurt you, Izuku.”

Izuku couldn't help but feel a little touched at that. Nobody had cared for him in that way before. Well, perhaps his mom had, before his diagnosis, but Izuku hardly remembers.

“OK…” he says, deciding he doesn't want to talk about her anymore, “...But the apartment?”

Venom decides to pop his head out of Izuku’s shoulder for this conversation, fulling facing him, just as he has a few times before over the last couple days.

“Destroying evidence,” the alien says with a toothy grin (is that the only expression he can do?), “I may not be tied down by something as trivial as human laws, but you are, child.”

“Oh.” That makes sense, “But how do you know so much about humans? I thought you were an alien?”

“As soon as I enter a host, I become knowledgeable about everything they have been. I see their memories, and read every one of their thoughts.” The Symbiote says simply, and Izuku can tell by the tone that it is all the information on the subject he will get. 

He decides to drop it for now, knowing that if he is going to be with Venom from now on, he would learn it all eventually. At least he hopes so. Instead, Izuku decides to focus on the now, because he has no idea what he is supposed to do. He voices these concerns to his companion, despite knowing that he could already hear his thoughts,

“What do we do now?”

“The way I see it, Izuku, we can do whatever we want.”