Mastermind: Strategist For Hire

The Job Search

Most of the applications Izuku filled out were submitted online, but he found a few that wanted him to drop them off in person, so that's what he dedicated his saturday to doing. He was feeling pretty confident in himself. He'd filled out almost two dozen applications and the economy wasn't bad due to All Might's presence, so there was no way that he wouldn't be getting a job. He hadn't even been all that tempted to log into his villain account since he decided to find other employment. He smiled as he walked in the door of the McDonald's he was applying for and was promptly knocked down.

"What are you doing here you useless Deku?"

Izuku looked up to see one of Bakugo's followers, the one who could stretch out his fingers. What was his name? Bakugo always just called him fingers. He caught sight of the crinkled application in Izuku's hand and laughed.

"Oh you're applying here too? Why would they hire a quirkless idiot like you when they could have someone normal like me who actually has a quirk?"

Maybe because I have better grades and a better work ethic, not to mention a better record. I happen to know for a fact you've got a few marks on yours from getting into fights with kids from other schools. Izuku didn't say that out loud. Instead...

"Well, there's no harm in trying..."

Fingers just smirked. "We'll see. May the best man win." He brushed past Izuku, letting his knee hit Izuku's head on his way out. Izuku scowled as he watched him leave, then took a deep breath and got up, brushing himself off. He unwrinkled his application as much as possible by rubbing it flat on the edge of one of the tables before heading toward the office to turn it in.

Izuku hung up the phone in despair, wishing he had one of those phones he had seen in pre-quirk era movies just so he could violently slam it down in the receiver. It had been two weeks since he'd started looking for a job and so far, he'd only had one interview. Almost everywhere else had either never called him back, or simply let him know that they didn't feel he was 'the right fit for our company.' The one interview he'd gotten was with one of the only companies that didn't ask about his quirk on the application. The interview had been going really well and the people in charge had seemed to like him, at least until they finally asked what his quirk was. The interview hadn't lasted long after that. He didn't even know why it still hurt so much that he didn't get the job, it wasn't like he hadn't been expecting it. He sighed and crossed them off the list with red pen. There were still a few companies he hadn't heard back from, maybe it was time to hit the pavement and follow up. Show initiative.

Or maybe it's time to give up. At least the villains let your skills speak for themselves.

Izuku calmed his breathing and let his panic fuel his determination. If there was anything he was good at, it was not giving up. He scanned his list, skimming past all the lines crossed off in red until his eyes picked up one company. McDonalds. He'd had to drop off the application in person, so it made sense to follow up in person. He hurriedly grabbed his keys and put on his shoes, looking in the mirror on the way out the door to make sure he looked presentable.

"I'm heading out Mom!" He yelled back into the house.

"Ok honey!" She yelled back, "Be home for dinner! Be safe! Don't go chasing too many hero fights!"

He chuckled and locked the door behind him.

Izuku stood shock still, mind turning as it tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Fingers stood behind the register in full uniform, the bright yellow m on his hat standing out mockingly against the black. He didn't have a trainer shadowing him, so it wasn't even his first day. He caught sight of Izuku standing by the door and smirked before turning back to the customer at the register. Izuku didn't bother going back to the office to ask about his application. If they'd hired Fingers who applied the same day, it was obvious they'd already made their decision. He walked out the door in a trance. Stupid discrimination. Why? Why did it have to be this way? Why wouldn't they even give him a chance?

He arrived at the internet cafe before he even realized where he was going. He hesitated for a moment. Yeah, discrimination sucked, but was he really ready to walk head on into villainy? He wouldn't be able to justify it this time by saying he didn't know how the person would use the info he gave them. Was he really ready for this? He remembered the smirk that Fingers shot him when he dropped by McDonalds. He remembered Bakugo burning him and calling him useless while the teachers watched and did nothing. He remembered being told to kill himself.

Izuku pulled up his hood so security cameras wouldn't catch his face before walking into the cafe with his head held high and paying for an hour. He signed into his villain account and went straight to his inbox. He hadn't received any new messages in the weeks since he'd signed into that account, but the three from before were still unread. He read over them quickly, a minor hero, a sidekick, and, oddly enough, a bank robbery for Izuku to plan. This would be interesting.

Pro-Hero Stretch Found Dead Near Favorite Cafe.

Sidekick at Edgeshot Agency Killed in Villain Fight, Suspect Still at Large

Tokyo Gold Bank Down 10 Billion Yen After Bank Robbery

Izuku tried to bury his guilt as he read the headlines. Afterall, the world had put him through hell his whole life...

It was about time he returned the favor.