Guidance, or To Help (those in need) by orionchildofhades / shwwmf

7. they were left alone and scared

Izuku did end up thinking about all of it. Maybe a little too much.

But after spending so much time avoiding the question of what he was supposed to do, to be, in the future, as he gave up on his hero dream, he was forced to face it all. The teachers had already taken the applications for highschools and Izuku had written only hero schools, with UA as a first choice. They would probably let students change it if there was a real need but certainly not for the quirkless kid who thought too big of himself. If Izuku wanted to try out only for heroes and he failed, society would finally get rid of him. Izuku was almost sure that the fact that he intended the school was bad for its reputation, unofficially of course. But once he had caught a teacher complaining about their pay decreasing because of the quality of the students. They had looked at him particularly nastily that day and had added a few derogatory comments during class that his classmates had enjoyed repeating as an excuse for the beat up of the day.

So here was Izuku, looking through the tabs open on his computer, trying to think of what to do.

Again, his mind was kind of split.

A part of him still wanted to try for heroism but it was such a small part of him that Izuku didn't even bother listening. It was a stupid dream and no one would take him seriously. He had seen first hand what people thought of quirkless people and what they'd do to him if he ever got the chance (but was it really one?) to join the hero course. Knowing his luck, the entrance exam wouldn't even be fair and would favor strong and showy quirks instead of something to actually test someone's will to help, if they had what it took to be a hero.

Izuku had done some research since joining the league and had seen how the heroes coming out of the biggest school tended to be the most show-off and were more willing to join social events and conventions rather than fights and investigations. Some were even downright dangerous in their endeavors, such as Endeavor (pun intended) who tended to do more harm than good once he joined a fight.

Another part of his mind was trying to convince Izuku to still do something qualified as good. All Might had talked about policemen, even doctors. Izuku was smart and could help on crime scenes and put together clues to resolve a case. He could still help, even if the impact would lessen, and this was not so bad.

But he also knew that on so many application forms, to enter schools and universities, he needed to give his quirk, to add it to the equation which would determine his life. And to have a quirk considered weak was one thing. To lack one was another.

A voice, oh so similar to Sensei's, kept telling him that he could do more, that Izuku couldn't just settle for 'not so bad', for okay and surviving. He deserved better, whatever the bullies said. He could do better and who cared if most didn't believe in him?

That was the third part of his mind. The one actually winning the fight even if Izuku's inner child was heartbroken by the decision. But Izuku's inner child was naive and hopeful, stupid in other words, he hadn't seen much of the world and didn't know what would come for him.

He would prove them all wrong. Society decided to keep him out? He would explode its walls and dig himself a place by force if he had to. They were all so set on not helping, on seeing him fail, so sure of his uselessness and stupidity, underestimating him.

And he knew that they were others like him. People whose quirks weren't fitting for society, people with difficulties due to their quirks or uprising. Powerless people because they weren't allowed to empower themselves.

Well, Izuku was going to give them the opportunity.

After spending so much time on forums who complained and accused society of turning a blind eye on their situation, Izuku had seen enough to know what was done and what wasn't. He knew of names and situations that nowhere else he could've heard about. He knew of things that repulsed him so much that he sometimes felt disappointed to be part of the human race.