Being Quirkless in a world of heroes and villains honestly sucks. Every day, he tries to just get through it all: the bullying, the detested glares of the teachers and students, the jeers from passerbys. All of it. Even his best friend turned against him when he was 4. It made him truly alone. Everyone else has a dream to be a hero... but I can't? It's just unfair... That was his thoughts as he slowly walked home, having just received the worst advice anyone could give him. To hope reincarnation was real, and jump off a building. In comparison, it wasn't the worst thing he'd heard... but it hurt a lot more knowing who it came from. His previous best friend, and promising hero student. As he was thinking about what to really do, he strode carefully under a bridge, and a villain made of sludge attacked, launching itself from a nearby sewer manhole. Unable to breathe, his instincts kicked in, as he tried to grasp anything that might pull him away. His thoughts pleaded for help as he struggled, and... unfortunately, the sidewalk beneath his feet was smooth, and the villain had too good a grasp. The roar of blood in his ears, exentuating his rapid heartbeat, silenced the approach of a hero loved by all. He couldn't see him, but the faint "Texas Smash!" could barely be heard, and he was knocked out by the sheer force of the blow. The next thing he felt was the sensation of someone slapping him gently. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by Allmight trying to wake him up. His voice boomed as he sighed in relief, "Thank Goodness you're alright!" Stunned at seeing his hero, his idol, relieved at his condition, he smiled reflexively. The man's smile was infectious, part of the reason why he was, indeed, the number one hero. "Allmight?!" Words nearly failed the greenette as he struggled to express his gratitude "T-T-Thank you!" "No problem!" This being a once in a lifetime opportunity, Izuku was about to ask, "Can I..." "I already signed your notebook!" A little miffed about being interrupted, he started again, trying to remain calm. "Uh, cool, but not what I was going to ask..." The hero acknowledged that he had only one question, or seemed to sense it. "You have to be quick, I'm needed elsewhere!" Izuku nodded frantically, remembering that every moment that he kept Allmight there, the less people he would be actively saving, "Right! Can I be a hero if I'm quirkless?" That made Allmight pause. The pause built up Izuku's own fear. Today had been far from his best day, but if... if even Allmight said no... the greenette didn't know what to think. "If you had the intelligence to make gear for yourself, or the knowledge on how to counter quirks without one, you could be a promising hero. But I wouldn't want to advocate you rushing headlong into danger against villains you can't possibly defeat. I would advise going into detective work if you want to be a hero, as many of them save lives too!" Downcast, he couldn't meet the man's iconic blue eyes. "Oh... ok..." However, as if sensing a great weight on the boy, Allmight declared, "Don't give up hope! There is always something you can do that will help others! It's a good instinct to have, and is heroic at its core!" He seemed a bit paniced as he said one last thing: "I must go now, but please, pick a realistic career! There are any number of jobs which you can partake and become a hero in! Not just pro heroics! Chase a new dream!" As Izuku watched his... former idol bound away, he thought to himself: At least he's still trying to give hope. He's not one of the bad heroes like Endeavour... he would have probably told me to give up entirely... When he arrived home, far later than he should have, his mother leapt onto him, crying a literal river. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was so worried!" Bashfully, he tried to explain why he was late, "Sorry, I was caught up in a villain attack... Allmight had to save me..." She was shocked, until the part about Allmight. Because he always saved the day. She smiled, thinking that Izuku was happy that he finally got to meet his favorite hero. "At least you're alive... I don't know what I'd do without you." With that, they both went back into the apartment. Later that evening, Izuku was taking a break from his studies. It, of course, had to do with what he was told earlier: "Chase a new dream!" But what could he do? He'd focused so much of his energy on heroics, he didn't give a second thought to anything else. Opening up his computer, he sighed, What will I do? Even Allmight doesn't think I can be a hero... but he still wants me to do well? I just don't know... Browsing the internet out of boredom, he found a link to an old movie. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark? Clicking it, he found himself amazed by the pre-quirk era film. Amazing feats of the Archeologist as he navigated ancient tombs, fought nazis and their sympathizers, and collected artifacts of profound historical significance really drew him in. His fear of snakes reflected the fact that he was only human, and the fact that Indy couldn't do a thing at the end of the movie except not look really showed that he was just human, and couldn't do everything... Just like me... I'll have to look into to archeology. Over the next few months, Izuku did indeed "look" into the field of archeology. Well, more like an in depth analysis of every single excavation and groundbreaking discovery he could find. While not nearly as action packed like the movie he watched, it was still a fascinating field, and one that is in high demand. After the loss of most history during the quirk rebellions... I'm not surprised there is a big demand for competent people to piece our history back together. During these months, he also found a game called Tomb Raider. It showed the story of an archeologist in training discovering a lost island of the Yamatai... and her struggle to survive in a hostile land. It only reinforced his determination. He withdrew his application to UA's hero course for an application for UA's general education. At least, that was the initial plan. While his teacher expected this, he no longer gave him any nonsense, as he realized Izuku was taking his future seriously now. Bakugo... on the other hand... hated that Izuku now blatantly ignored him. Hell, he was better in every way, yet he ignored him! Him! Izuku used to fawn over heroes and him... but now he didn't. Hell, he carried a new notebook. It was named differently as well... Ah well, it wasn't about being a hero, so maybe he resigned himself to the fact that he is just a quirkless deku. A pebble on the side of the road, as he should be. However, he wanted to know... even though he hadn't been friends with that... loser for years, he still... cared? No, he wouldn't care for a nobody like him. Izuku was leaving the last day of school. Everyone had noticed the change. He wasn't doing hero analysis or trying to apply to the hero course. He was applying to UA's general education, which made sense when everyone thought about it. Why not try for some of the best education in the country? However, he was stopped by Bakugo. "What do you want?" "I thought I told you not to go to UA, nerd?" "Katsuki... listen. You are going to the hero course. I am going to gen ed. I'm not competing against you and..." He swallowed a bitter metaphorical pill, "...never will. I conceded. Why aren't you happy with that? Do you really want me to fail at life, too?" "I..." He was shocked at what he said. Deku never had that kind of backbone, but it was a resigned confidence. That nothing he did mattered to the blond, and the both knew it. Instead of letting him speak again, Izuku simply said, "Save it. It's worthless to try to talk sense into you. Just leave me alone." He left the room, bumping past him on the way out. This would be the last time they would see each other in a long time. After that encounter, Izuku decided he wasn't going to UA. After all, if he had to run the risk of seeing him again, it would be a very unpleasant experience, and he wouldn't want to tarnish UA's reputation. Honestly, that excuse was, at this point, just a screen for what he really wanted to do. To follow up on a myth that was still prevalent. A myth that had far reaching implications, his own "Ark of the Covenant": The myth of the 'Lifeseed'. An object so powerful that it could, theoretically, cause catastrophes in the wrong hands, and had major religious and mythological significance. Izuku managed to narrow down possible locations to the US Rockies, and he had vowed to go, just to find out if it was true or not. He saved money, and in his free time, he'd completed a few historical courses from major universities like Harvard, Yale, and others, just to be able to claim credentials if his hunch was proven right. Sure, he never graduated high school, it was highly likely that he would get fame and fortune, but that wasn't important to Izuku. What was important was the reclamation of history. Especially of an era that focused on people like him. Quirkless people. Inko fretted as the two of them approached the airport. "Are you sure of what you're doing?" The greenette nodded, "Yes. This will be far more rewarding than hero work. Not by fame, but by reclaiming lost knowledge. It's... it's my new dream." Meanwhile, she whispered as they pulled over, Izuku pulling out his bag, "I'll miss you..." Placing it down, he turned to her, smiling, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm going to be back by the end of the month." However, his mother still fretted, worrying over the small details. "Are you sure you have everything you'll need? Sunscreen? Bug repellant?" He nodded back, "Yes. I've done the research, I've planned the trip, accounted for expenses, now I just have to board the plane and go." She embraced him in a deep hug. "Call me when you arrive, ok?" He made a vow to do so. "I will." He waved back at her as he went through the gate and onto the international flight to Denver International Airport. Inko, his mother, didn't know that she would have good reason to fear for his safety
