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

8. barbecue?

The very next day, a man was waiting at the bar, holding a drink and checking his phone.

Shigaraki wasn't there, but Kurogiri was waiting at his usual place, ready to serve.

The man turned around when Izuku came in, he put down his phone and stared at the teen with keen eyes. Kurogiri stayed motionless, and, tentatively, Izuku went and sat on the stool beside the man.

He kept his gaze low, the man's face just in the corner of his eyes. He didn't know who that was, why he was there and he knew how to avoid a blow if he saw one coming. He wouldn't take any chances.

"So you're the kid who wants to learn hacking?" The man asked out of the blue, judging Izuku's height and hair, his freckles and stance with a mindful gaze. "Why?"

He was sure what to answer. He couldn't really say 'to spy in UA' to this random stranger, whoever he was.

"Useful skills to have. You never know." He simply answered.

The man snorted. He finally stopped looking at him and took his glass in his hand once more. "Well, I can't say that it isn't true. But, if you have the money you can always ask the right people to do your dirty job."

"Relying on others is a liability and I'd rather pay the right people to teach me how to do it myself."

"Well. If you have the money, anything is possible really. Do you?"

"He does." Interrupted the low voice of Sensei. The man looked a tad startled but quickly found his footing again.

"Sure, I won't pry." He turned back to Izuku. "I'm Giran." He extended a hand toward Izuku.

Quickly, he tried to find information about the man's quirk. He had no exterior sign of it, he wasn't wearing any kind of accommodation or items to protect himself or others of his quirk. Attentive to the man's reaction, Izuku reached it and shook it.

He didn't feel any particular effect, any weird impression or pain. "I'm...I'm just hoping to offer some guidance to those in need."

Giran shook his head knowingly before he smiled. "Well, Guidance then, since you wish to stay anonymous. I'll leave." He turned toward the screen after downing his drink. "I'll contact you when I find someone willing to take an apprentice. See ya."

And there the man went, out of the door.

Kurogiri took his empty glass and went to work as Izuku glanced at the screen.

"Well, Guidance... To each their own, I suppose. It is an interesting name. You'll probably have to stick with it now. You'll follow those hacking classes, with whoever Giran sees fit. You can trust him, to some extent. He works with a lot of people in the underground and his reputation relies on the fact that he doesn't ask questions and doesn't answer them. And before you ask, his quirk is called Muddled, it causes minor amnesia. He uses it if he's in trouble only. I would recommend you to stay guarded if you ever end up alone with him, you never know who can be looking for him. As for your other... project, I'm currently working on it. I'll let Kurogiri know when you can come and visit our... facility, yes. Until then, Izuku, take care of yourself. And thank you for Kurogiri's quirk analysis, some of your advice shall be followed."

—

The next day at school was interesting to say the least.

Before class even began, the bullies had fun taking away Izuku's lunch and throwing it in the fish pond as they did for his notebook on this fateful day a few weeks ago. Izuku was still at the window, crying for his lost food, when the bell rang and the teacher came in. He was screamed at, shamed for not knowing his place and following the rules like his so-well-mannered peers and should be ashamed of himself for bringing them down by his sole presence.