If Izuku was never brought home

The fallen hero

Izuku Midoriya was once a promising UA student, even interning with the World Heroes Association. That was all before he defected to become a vigilante. After the mass jailbreak, Izuku became a lone hero. He arrested dozens of escapees but he neglected his basic needs in the process. Class 1-A attempted to bring him home, but he escaped, saying nobody could keep up with him. Continuing to travel with Endeavour and Hawks, Izuku oversaw the battle between Stars & Stripe and Shigaraki. During the fight, Izuku paralysed his arms and failed to save his nemesis before the American hero killed him.

With Izuku stuck in hospital, Stars took charge of defeating the League. There were casualties on both sides, including Stars killing All For One. As a contingency for his death, the top villain leaked a video about One For All's transferable nature. Needing to flee from endless villains, Izuku was unable to return to UA High. He interned with the World Hero Association to avoid staying in one place. Izuku struggled to adapt to each country's regulations and didn't want them to restrict his rescue work. Eventually, Izuku disobeyed the Association's orders to do his own vigilante work. At the same time, his isolation and expectations were wearing down his mind. Izuku began to struggle to control One For All, especially blackwhip. After his rampage, Izuku was finally arrested and institutionalized. This is an overview of the patient.

Psychological profile:

Being bullied as a quirkless child, Izuku was an insecure, polite and shy nerd. He has an awkward energy about him, getting flustered easily, mumbling and crying a lot. He had a strong admiration for heroes, wanting to be one when he grew up and generally being a fanboy. He has a natural instinct to help others, even if the odds are stacked against him. This goes as far as saving the worst villains and people who tell him to mind his own business. He is very hard-working and strong-willed. Though Izuku lacks self-preservation and he'll damage his body for others' sake. Potentially, he valued himself less due to internalised bullying. During his first year at UA High, Izuku learned better social skills, a practical fighting style and independence from All Might. As a hero, he swore to lend a helping hand to everyone and have the skills to achieve his goals like Bakugo. On the battlefield, Izuku can create logical plans within moments. Though he'll be pushed into a righteous rage against the most despicable villains.

Though Izuku still struggled to find himself as All Might's successor. Occasionally, he had imposter syndrome and wondered if someone else should take the mantle. After the vestiges explained he had to be the last holder, Izuku forced himself to live up to the quirk's full potential and not let it be "wasted on him". He didn't know whether he should mimic All Might or find his own path. Izuku adapted his own fighting style for his health and he was gradually building up to his mentor's power level. However, he seriously lacked the immense charisma of All Might. While his mentor could rally an entire nation, Izuku froze up on camera. Since charisma is more dependent on someone's natural personality, it was unclear if Izuku could ever catch up. Though Izuku had all of high school to figure it out and discover what kind of symbol he wanted to be.

However, Izuku never ended up having those three years. All Might's retirement and All For One's uprising brought the sixteen-year-old to a breaking point. He gave up on being a team player and became a lone hero. He left UA High and tirelessly wandered the streets to round up escaped inmates. He lost faith in his individual qualities, so he only saw himself as a vessel for One For All. His mind didn't feel like his own anymore due to the vestiges constantly speaking to him. He neglected his basic needs such as sleeping and eating. He was paranoid about attracting danger to his loved ones, so he became colder and asked them to stay away. Though he tried to maintain some of his ideals, asking villains about their motivations. After multiple villains ignored him or died afterwards, Izuku began doubting his methods.

After paralyzing his arms, Stars & Stripe took over Izuku's mission against the League. There are casualties on both sides, including Stars killing Shigaraki and All For One herself. As a contingency for his death, All For One spitefully realised a video explaining One For All's transferable nature. With an upsurge in villain interest, Izuku was transferred to a secret hospital and very few people could visit him. Bed-bound and isolated, Izuku was left to fester with his thoughts. Initially, he was insulted that Stars considered herself as All Might's successor despite being a killer. However, Izuku questioned himself when Stars pointed out All Might almost killed All For One. This sparked an existential crisis within Izuku, as he failed to fulfil One For All's original purpose. He no longer had a clear vision for his future.