Empath Quirk Chapter 1 (Patreon)

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Empath Quirk

Izuku Midoriya always wanted a quirk, but he got one very overwhelming. His Quirk Empathy allows him to feel the emotions of those around him. It got so bad he had to go to a special clinic until he learned to control his quirk. Izuku has dreams of becoming a hero, and learns a special trick with his quirk. He can use the quirks of others if he's channeling them through touch. He feels their emotions, their thoughts, even their souls. A cute trick, but one that catches the eye of All For One, he orders his kidnapping during the training camp arc, but is the boy a threat more than he realizes.....When AFO tries to kill All Might...Izuku moves without thinking and does the unthinkable, he uses his quirk on the seed of evil....

Chapter 1 Past and Future

Izuku’s Pov

The world had evolved, and society along with it. With the discovery of quirks things were changing. Government agencies focused funding on the study and understanding of the phenomenon known as Quirks.

Those with these powers began to change the world, for better or worse. There were those cast off from society and those with wicked hearts; who used their powers for evil and to do harm. This darkness was met by those who trained their powers and used them for good and became heroes. I admit maybe I was a bit naive...

Our lives became something straight out of a comic book. Quirks were growing, changing, and evolving, from a young age I was mesmerized by them. I loved heroes, I studied them and wrote down everything I could for the day I would get my quirk.

Though as the years passed, I started to worry if I was ever gonna get one. My mom had the power to move small objects, she could attract them to her. My dad could breathe fire. I tried day after day, to use their powers, or find some hybrid of them. Nothing…

Kids at school made fun of me, calling me Quirkless. I wanted to be a hero even if I was quirkless, that just made them laugh more. Every year for my birthday I wished for a quirk, so I could become a hero like All Might!

You know that old saying be careful what you wish for….yeah I learned that the hard way. Not all quirks are kind, some take a toll on the user, some don’t resonate with the user’s body or they aren’t mature enough to handle them. Mine was a mutation, not connected to Mom’s or Dad’s, that did happen as rare as it was.

Empathy!

The standard definition of it was the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another.

When my quirk manifested I felt things, everyone in a medium sized radius. All of their feelings at once, it poured into my head...ALL AT ONCE!

So many emotions; Enjoyment, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, Trust, Anticipation, Friendship, Love, Shame, Kindness, Pity, Indignation, Envy, Anger, Surprise, Lust, Pride, Satisfaction, Nostalgia, Hunger, Boredom, Calm, and so many others…some felt so similar it was hard to tell the difference between them.

I thought I was going crazy, just before I snapped, I blacked out.

When I came to I was in a padded room. Mom took me to the hospital; she was so Scared, Upset, and Worried. I could feel it even with the quirk suppression drugs they gave me. A doctor came in and asked me questions, and we figured out what my quirk was.

My quirk was strong, the suppression drugs could only do so much, it shortened my range but I still felt people. The doctor eventually had to convince my mother to put a quirk suppression collar on me...yeah like the ones criminals get in prison.

I couldn’t be around people otherwise. My quirk made me feel what they felt, and the closer they were the more I felt them. When I touched someone I got more; I could not only feel their emotions but hear their thoughts.

It took five years...five LONG years. There was testing, practice, exercises, trials, I felt like a lab rat at times. Some of the tests they put me through were strange and scary. One doctor wanted to see if I could force my emotions on others. I didn’t think much of it at the time, plus I couldn’t do it anyway.

Mom had to visit me at the hospital, she came every day during visiting hours. She brought me my homework so I could keep up with schooling. It was hard on her, she wished I never got such a scary quirk. Empathy was hard for even some adults to grasp for such a quirk to force it on a kid.

It was fine, that’s what I kept saying. I worked hard so not only I could become a hero one day, but so I could come home.

After training my body and my mind I could control my quirk’s range, and created a filter around my mind, so I could still feel emotions without them overwhelming me. That was scary; to feel someone’s emotions so much I couldn’t tell it wasn’t me...

It was a start, and I learned if I focused on someone within range I could hear their thoughts. My quirk was growing… Since my quirk was a mutation there was no basis for it, some  professionals wondered what kind of power my quirk would become.

Before I could go back to school, there was quirk therapy. Mom signed me up for martial arts training, even though I had a quirk I was her baby and she wanted me to be able to defend myself. My goal was still to become a hero after all.

I wasn’t expecting a warm welcome when I returned to school almost six years later. Deku was back and had a quirk. It was a surprise. I don’t know what I was expecting really I didn’t have many friends, and time had marched on while I was in the padded room. “Oi Deku!” A familiar voice.

Bakugou Katsuki aka Kacchan had heard about everything, Mom confided in her best friend Mitsuki; who was Kacchan’s Mom. He crossed the room and met me face to face.

“So, you finally got control of your quirk?” He crossed his arms. I nodded. “Good, looks like you got a pretty rough quirk. If you wanna become a hero, you gotta work twice as hard.” He said before walking off. “Don’t disappoint me!”

Kacchan was acting tough, but I could feel his emotions. He had missed me, he was happy to see me, he was relieved that I was back and okay. The hospital I was at only allowed family visits. I hadn’t seen him in so long, he was looking good, with his explosive hair style, his burning red eyes, he got his mother’s good looks. Kacchan really was amazing, he was tough, smart, and had a flashy & powerful quirk.

We had been so close ever since we were kids, we grew up together until my quirk manifested. He was a bright and shining star within my reach. “Kacchan, do you still…” I fidgeted. “I mean...do you remember the promise we made?”

“Huh?!” He snapped, looking angry.

“I’m sorry, of course you don’t, it was a promise we made as children of course you don’t remember it.” I began to mutter and scratch the back of my head sheepishly.

‘You are still the same Deku!’ Izuku blinked, he had picked up on the blonde’s thoughts. “Stop muttering ya damn nerd!” He growled. ‘Of course I still remember!’

“If I recalled some promise, you need to prove you can stand in the same ring as me!” Is Kacchan a tsundere? I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe this quirk wasn’t so bad. “What you smiling for huh?!”

“Nothing, I’m just...happy to see you again after so long.” He blushed and I felt a new emotion coming from him.

-x-

Getting into UA that was the goal, it was the top hero school in the country. So many amazing pros came from this institution. Kacchan has been helping me train, though he can be scary...he takes fights very seriously. I’ve come home with a couple extra bruises and scorch marks after a sparring match with him. He really doesn’t go easy…

Over the years we got closer, Katsuki could be loud and scary, but having a look at what he was really feeling helped keep us on the same page. We studied together, trained together, and we got into UA together.

I’ve trained my body, working out every day, going to my self defense classes, and practicing with my quirk. I felt I was ready, but Mom was unsure. She was worried I got that, but I’d work even harder to ease her mind.

At UA the entrance exam was intense, the teachers were even more intense. They had to be, they were training the next generation of heroes. They’d help me get stronger, and my quirk would grow. I’d discover a unique ability my power had, though I probably shouldn’t have tried so hard.

I caught the attention of the League of Villains, and became their target. The Kamino Incident was the day everything changed, and I got a front row seat to the evil of the world.

All For One tried to kill All Might, he had come to save us, but the mastermind was waiting. He was trying to break the Symbol of Peace. When I laid eyes on the leader of these villains I was shaken to my core. His mind was just as twisted as his appearance.

I couldn’t let him have his way, my body moved on its own….my mom may have been right it may have been better if I was quirkless...but in the moment I acted without thinking...in this moment I touched the seed of evil…

To be continued...UA Exam!

Izuku Midoriya’s unique quirk has a lot of growing to do as does he, before he becomes the target of villains. He joins UA and starts making connections.