Howls the Wolfwalker (A Wolfwalker! Deku Story)

Chapter 8: Saving a Tormentor

Bakugou pulled against the restraints of the villain and let out another explosion to try and shake him off. 'As if I'd let this mud-man take control of my body!'

Said Mud-man smirked and shifted to restrain the kid. 'What power!' The villain thought. 'I've hit the jackpot! With this quirk, I'll be able to take my revenge on him!'

The heroes were struggling to get to him. Mt. Lady being too big, Kamui evacuating everyone else and trying to get out of the way of the fire, Backdraft putting out the fires that were close to the civilians, and the rest not knowing what to do.

Bakugou admitted something to himself as the heroes told him to 'hold on' and 'wait for a hero with the right quirk to show up'.

I'm scared.
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Izuku walked through the alleyways of the street, thinking back to what All Might had said, along with many others.

You need to be realistic.

Even as a third year, he still can't face reality!

It's time to start thinking seriously about your futures!

"Even the best of the best said it..." Izuku muttered to himself as he felt his canines begin to sharpen and grow. He needed to hunt something to calm down...

Izuku then heard a loud explosion, his ears humming slightly from how loud it was. He shot up and looked around, pin-pointing it before rushing towards the sound. He pushed himself up against the side of a nearby building only to stop short of what he saw.

"Kacchan?"

Bakugou looked to be fighting for his life against the sludge villain, trying to wring free of his grasp.

As Izuku watched from the dark alleyway, he could feel his nails sharpening into claws. He had to do something, but what?

Bakugou looked over at Izuku in the alley and he stared back. Bakugou was crying. He looked scared. Scared of dying. He was pleading for Izuku to help him.

He was scared.

Izuku didn't know what possessed him, but he then closed his eyes and let himself fall limp against the wall, turning into the black wolf.

The sludge villain smiled eagerly until he saw the same black wolf from earlier, running towards him and growling. It began to use its paws to claw at the sludge that trapped Bakugou within him.

"Oh no, you don't!" The sludge villain yelled as it planned to bring his hand down to squash the wolf, who quickly dodged. Izuku then ran onto a car and jumped up, using his claws to damage the villain's eye. The villain screamed in pain.

Once he heard Bakugou coughing for air, Izuku darted forward and used his teeth to pull Bakugou away from the villain's grasp. He just hoped he wouldn't accidentally break the skin.

Once Bakugou was out, Izuku stood in front of him and growled at the villain, daring him to try and take Bakugou back.

'I need to get outta here!' The villain thought as he started to hightail it, only to stop short in front of All Might. "The lesson I left you with," All Might started, before pausing to look at the crook and raise his fist. "I should practice what I preach!" He shifted into a fighting stance as Izuku and the twins covered Bakugou's body with their own to shield him from the backlash. "A hero should always be ready to risk their life!" He leaped forward and aimed the punch at the middle of the criminal's body. "DETROIT SMASH!"

A splash of water hit Izuku on the top of the head. He looked up to see what was a clear sky, change to a rain cloud.

"No way. The air pressure...the rising current..."

"He changed the weather with a single punch! Amazing! That's...All Might!"

The crowd started cheering as All Might stood up. Izuku smiled as best as he could in his wolf form, until he saw Bakugou walk his way and kneel down before him.

"Thanks," Bakugou said reluctantly as he raised his hand to pet Izuku, who flinched back until he realized it was a pet. He let himself be pet by Bakugou, who smiled slightly as a few heroes came over.

"A dog?"

"No way, can't be. Paws are too big."

"I'll call animal control. Come on, kid. Let's get you over to authorities."

Izuku decided to hightail it out of there once animal control was mentioned. He slipped back into the alleyway where his body was sleeping and hopped back into it, waking up and standing up. Izuku then began his walk home.

He was completely unaware of All Might seeing what he had just done with wide eyes.
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As Izuku made the trip home, he was stopped by All Might in his signature pose. "I AM HERE!" He shouted.

"All Might? How? Weren't you were surrounded by reporters?" Izuku asked and watched as All Might grinned in triumph.

"You're not the only one with tricks up his sleeve! Shaking them off is nothing to me! After all I am All-" All Might cut himself off by coughing and reverting back to his miniature form.

Izuku sighed gently as he watched All Might coughing up blood, for which All Might apologized for.

"Hey kid." All Might started, catching Izuku's attention. "I've come to thank you and revise what I said earlier. I also have a...proposal."

Izuku tilted his head in curiosity and nodded for him to continue.

"Without you...if I hadn't heard your story..." All Might sighed and the trio knew the conversation turned serious. "I'd have been nothing but fake muscles and insecurity. So thank you!"

Izuku shook his head quickly. "That...no. It was my fault from the start! I got in your way, all to ask a stupid question I knew the answer to and I dared to ask you..."

"Exactly!" Now that got Izuku's attention. "Of all the people on the scene...it was only you, timid and scared, who acted!" Izuku watched in awe as All Might continued to explain. "You spurred me into action!"

"Oh, thank you. I- wait, huh?!" Izuku stood dumbfounded. "H-how did you-?!"

"I saw that wolf jump into your sleeping body," All Might explained.  "I had to assume that was what you meant by 'I only suck in my gut until I fall asleep'?"

Izuku hesitantly nodded, looking away as All Might continued his speech.

"Most of the top heroes show signs of greatness even as children...many of them claim that...their bodies simply moved before they could think!"

Izuku bent over and let out a sob before tears flowed down his face. He wasn't upset that he got discovered or anything like that. In fact, he was relatively happy.

"That's what happened to you back there, yes?"

Izuku nodded and smiled up at All Might. All Might grinned and said the sentence that Izuku wanted to hear all his life;

"Yes! You can be a hero!"