Hello readers and welcome to my new fic. So, as you can tell from the summary, this is a combination of both the quirkless hero Izuku trope and Izuku being a father/older brother figure idea. It's been an idea that's been stewing in my head for a while, though more specifically the former. While there are plenty of fics where Izuku is quirkless AND a hero, very few of them managed to catch/retain my interest. Solution? Why not make my own?

I decided to make it a Dadzuku fic as well, after reading "I Don't Run An Orphanage". As the creator pointed out himself, there aren't that many fics that do the idea; and after reading his fic, the desire to do my own take on it was produced. One where Izuku doesn't give up his dream, and balances both hero-life and fatherhood.

How well will I do compared to others? We shall see, won't we? At the very least, I hope this will be enjoyable for many of you.

Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia.

Chapter 1: Prologue of the Warden

It was at age four that Izuku Midoriya found that the words "All men are created equal" was a complete lie.

Some are stronger. Some are faster. Some, smarter. Some had more charisma. Even in the pre-quirk era, it was clear that people were different, in both abilities and level of skill.

It became even clearer in the era of quirk. Some could topple buildings. Some could wield the elements. Some could fly. Some could out-paced the fastest vehicles.

And there are those that could never achieve that level of power. Those with quirks that are lesser in strength. Those that only have quirks that change their appearance slightly. Those who's quirks cripple them. Those who just don't have a quirk at all.

Izuku was in the second category. The very bottom of the power structure. Quirkless.

And because of that, he was told countless times that he would never reach his dream to be a hero. That would be lucky to be hired at a third-rate restaurant. Year after year after year, it was constantly pressed into his head - beaten into him even - that he was useless in the eyes of society.

So, how did a quirkless, bullied, outcast of a power-filled world… grew to become both a revered hero and a loving father of powerful orphans?

XXXX

Izuku didn't know how long he'd been standing up on this rooftop; just… staring. It could've been hours. Could've been minutes. Seconds even. But the thought of time didn't matter to him. Not with what he's been just told in his mind.

"No, I don't think you can be a hero without a quirk."

Honestly… should he really be surprised? Ever since he was diagnosed as quirkless, everyone has told him that being a hero was a pipe dream. His classmates. His teachers. Kacchan. His mother, even. Each and every person he came to know has told him the exact, same thing; that it was impossible to become a hero without a quirk.

Why should he expect the number one hero, All MIght, to be different? What made him even hope that he would be the exception to everyone else?

'You knew it was a pipe-dream, Izuku…' The boy thought to himself. 'Deep down, you knew that it wasn't possible. That no one would truly believe in you. I just kept running from reality.'

But then… what could he do? Should he just be a police offer, like All Might? Take up less dangerous roles that'll still help others? It would be something, at least.

But… would a quirkless nobody be accepted into these fields? Would a useless Deku be accepted into any field? Quirkless people, after all, are less likely to be hired versus those with a quirk; especially if that quirk is useful for that field. What are his chances, if the world already deemed him as useless? Is he just setting himself up for disappointment if he attempts to become an officer? Or a doctor? Or anything that involves saving others?

Is it worth it to even try? Or should he just…?

For a moment, Izuku turned his eyes downward towards the street; Bakugo's last "advice" to him flashing in his mind.

But that moment quickly passed, and the quirkless boy stepped away from the edge of the roof. A shaky brief left his lips, realizing where his thoughts were going. He needed to get out of here. Get away from the roof, find somewhere else to think.

XXXX

Since he didn't feel like going home at the moment, Izuku just wandered around the city. He walked mindlessly, not really paying attention to where he was going or what time it was. Just moved around like an emotionless robot.

Eventually, he found himself stopping somewhere. And that somewhere was…

"Dagobah beach…" Izuku muttered in realization, looking around the trash-filled beach. His eyes gloomily went back downward. "Figures that I'm here, of all places…"

This was once a beautiful beach that everyone would go to. However, trash kept getting swept in from the ocean, with others taking advantage of that by dumping their own trash; leaving this place to become a garbage dump.

A place fitting for someone viewed as trash by the world.

Tears started falling down Izuku's face, as he began processing the day he had. He was laughed at by his entire class, when his teacher revealed his plan to enroll in UA. He was ridiculed and threatened by Kaachan as well, being reminded that he'll never become a hero. If it was just those things, he would call it a normal day for him.

Then the suicide bait came. Then the near death to a villain. Being saved by All Might, and meeting for the first time. Asking if he could become a hero without a quirk. Finding out All Might's secret.

Being told by his favorite hero that he doesn't have a chance.

All in all, the worst day he ever had.

'...What should I do now?' Izuku asked himself, as he looked across the sea. Should he finally give up his dream? Accept that without a quirk, he can't become a hero?

It would be the smart thing to do. After all, there are other fields that he would have a better chance at, even with his quirklessness. Careers that he could still do some good, save others in less flashier ways. It wasn't completely hopeless.

Giving up now would be better for him. That's what he told himself. But despite his own thoughts, no matter how many times he tried repeating this in his head…

'I don't want to give up.' Izuku declared to himself, a fresh wave of tears trailing down his cheeks. 'I still want to be a hero! To save others with a smile on my face!'

Despite being told by All Might, the number one hero, the man he grew up idolizing, telling him that he doesn't have a chance… there's still this part of him that yearns for that dream. That still believes it's possible.

'But… what can I do?' Izuku wondered. Without thinking, he began pacing around the beach. 'Without power, there's always gonna be a villain you won't be able to beat! Someone always above my level! If there's someone that's able to permanently injure All Might, what chance do I have to-?!'

"Agh!" Suddenly, the boy bumped into one of the trash piles by the shoulder, causing him to yelp and stumble. Some of the junk that was piled on fell to the ground, littering the beach even more so.

Biting back a groan of pain, Izuku turned to the pile he bumped into. And in that moment, he spotted something amidst the fallen pile.

'Is that… a support item?' Curious, he bent down and picked up the support item. Said item in question was a glove, made of a combination of leather, cloth, and metal. Curious, he put the item on, wondering what it could do.

He got his answer immediately. With no warning, the glove pulled itself into one of the junk piles, dragging a startled Izuku with it. Letting out a yelp, the boy found himself stuck in one of the pieces of metal junk.

"A magnetic glove…?" Izuku muttered in wonder. From what he could guess, this must've been made to scale metal buildings or interiors. Potentially useful in certain situations, though it could give far more versatility if it was capable of sticking on any type of surface. If a hero lack any quirks capable of freely moving around areas, such as flying or high-jumping, then this would potentially offset that-

And that when something clicked in Izuku's head. 'Perhaps… could I use support items to shorten the gap? Get the power I lacked?'

While it wasn't common with the more popular heroes, there have been pros that use support items to cover for their weaknesses. There were even those that used those items to use their quirks in ways that they couldn't in their based forms.

Why didn't he think of this before? This could be the way he could match those with quirks!

'But… would it be enough?' The pessimistic side of him couldn't help but wonder. 'There's still those that could match the likes of Best Jeanist, Endeavor, Edge-shot, even All-might. Would support items really be enough for me to become a hero?'

No one else could believe he could do it. Not any of his classmates, not his teachers, not his former friend, not All Might, not even his mother… so why should he continue deluding himself into thinking that he's able to-?!

'Can't I just be able to believe in myself for once?!'

That one, strayed thought stopped all other cynical musing to a halt. Did he… had he ever truly believed himself? Was there ever a time where he could confidently say that he could become a hero? Made any sort of attempt on that path?

'I've always told myself that I had to believe in myself, even if no one else did.' Izuku mused to himself. 'But… did I ever take that statement to heart?'

The answer? No. No he hadn't.

He never seriously trained himself physically. Never pushed himself to learn some form of martial arts. The idea of using support items only just now came to him. And while he created his hero journals in the hopes that they would be useful… honestly, it was merely to distract himself from the pain.

But why? Even though becoming a hero was his dream, why had he never actively moved to that dream?

The answer came quickly. Because the world continuously screamed, even beaten into him, that he couldn't.

And that's when a resolution formed in his head.

'Just this once.' Izuku declared to himself. He clenched his glove-covered hand, grim determination now fueling his eyes. 'Just this once, I'll believe in myself. For once in my life, I'll work and aim to become a hero.'

At this point, he doesn't care if no one would believe in his dream. Doesn't care what the world says about his chances. Doesn't care that he would be surrounded by people abundantly stronger than he was. Don't even care if others try to physically stop him.

All he cared about was becoming a hero that saves those with a smile on his face. That's all he ever wanted in his life.

'For once you're in a miserable life Izuku, believe in yourself…' With those thoughts in mind, he looked around the beach-turned-junkyard' plans forming inside his head as he scanned for anything and everything. 'Prove the whole world wrong!'

*1 Month Later*

A lot quickly changed when Izuku found his inner resolve.

For one, he was now home-schooling. While there was still a part of him that was reluctant to leave Aldera, the new part of himself knew that he couldn't stay. That it was not healthy for him to be there while he still holds onto his dream.

Cause, as much as he valued his former friendship with Kaachan, it was just that; a former friendship. His childhood friend didn't hold that same value, if he ever did, and was determined to beat it into his head that he would never be a hero. It was the same with the rest of the school. Plus, home-schooling would give him more time to work on becoming a hero; and he was smart enough to study by himself.

The next thing was moving into a new apartment. He wasn't foolish enough to be certain that Kaachan wouldn't just hunt him down; despite hating his very existence, he really did make it a mission to make his life as miserable as possible. So for safe measures, the change of address was needed.

Thankfully, he managed to do both without explaining to his mother why he wanted to. She was worried, yes, and likely had her suspicions; but she didn't push and adhered to his selfish requests.

Finally, he made moves to actually give himself the strength to save others and face villains. From strength exercises to build muscle mass, to any form of combat training he's able to study and practice; he did all he could think of to prepare himself for the U.A. entrance exam.

That also included delving into creating support items…

"Okay, let's see if this'll work this time…" Izuku muttered, strapping a pair of boots to his feet. Said boots were clearly metal, though looked to be sleek and slim. "Hopefully, I won't crash into any of the trash piles this time…"

The boy also had on him a pair of gloves, a pair similar to the glove that he found a month ago; along with a pair of gauntlets, with one of them containing a mini-screen across the front. Finally, he had on a camo hoodie along with camo pants.

Once he made sure the boots were strapped on tightly, Izuku got up and proceeded to dial in something on the mini-screen of his gauntlet. He then placed his arms down, bent his knees slightly, and jumped.

Which got him six feet in the air.

"WHOAAA!" Izuku screamed out, flailing around in the air. He ended up making a clumsy landing, hitting the sand with both his hands and knees and nearly crumbling altogether. Panicked breaths left his mouth, as while the gear did what he wanted, he was far from being used to being in the air.

Even counting the failed attempts from before.

Despite the rush, or maybe even because of it, a smile entered the teen's lips. The test was successful! Not only was he able to boost himself in the air, he's able to control the height to which goes up! Some refinement is likely needed, sure, but this was a big success!

"That's another piece of equipment in my arsenal…!" Izuku muttered to himself, taking out a journal and writing in it. "Now, I should look into adding more offensive gear…"

Dagobah beach is proving itself to be a treasure trove for makeshift support gear. After finding that glove that day, he's been searching and cleaning through the ruckage in order to make his own gear. While it was a tough search, the reward was bountiful, with quite a few equipment now in his arsenal.

A grappling gun that can help him move around more quickly; magnetic gloves now capable of sticking onto any surfaces, not just metal; a set of camouflage hoodie and jeans that blend with the environment; all this he managed to find and/or create from the thrown away piles of junk.

'Who knew I could find a variety of support gear from the junk pile…?' Izuku mused to himself, as he gathered some of the garbage around the area. Another thing he's been doing was cleaning up the area as he goes, as a way to get some physical exercise, with the added bonus of doing some community work. 'I mean, a lot of the stuff here is incredible! Why would anyone just throw them out?'

It was something Izuku could hardly understand. Many of the gear he managed to find and build have a lot of practical usage in hero work; why throw them away, and not find those who could use them?

'Well, if no one else can find use for these equipment, then I will.' Izuku thought in determination. As someone lacking in everything, he'll find ways to make use of them.

After a bit more cleaning, the green-haired boy began walking home. As he weaved through the crowd of people, he looked over his journal of support gear. 'The shock gloves would be tricky. I need to make sure the voltage doesn't end up hitting me…' Izuku analyzed. 'I'll need to ensure that the volts only go to the glove, and not on any part of my body or clothes. Hmm, maybe I should move to range weaponry instead? Maybe a gun that shoots out volts of electricity. Again, I need to be careful with the voltage, less…'

As he was walking, he was mumbling out the thoughts in his head. There were a few weird looks coming from those around him, but other than that, no one bothered him; so he remained in his thought bubble, not paying much attention to his surroundings.

However, he was brought out of that bubble when he felt something hit him by the waist.

"Woah!" Unprepared for the sudden impact, Izuku ended up falling on his butt. Immediately, panic entered his eyes as he searched for the one who tackled him. 'Was it Kaachan?! Did he find me?! Is it someone from school?! What-?!'

All panicked thoughts stopped when his eyes landed on the likely culprit. A little girl, likely six or seven, with long white hair and what looked to be a horn across her forehead. The girl had on a white shirt that looked too big for her, along with bandages wrapped loosely around her arms. She also had red eyes, eyes that were clearly filled with panic and desperation.

"Are you okay?" Immediately, sat up on his knees to check on the girl, his eyebrows creasing with worry. "What's wrong? Were you running?"

Rather than answer him, the girl latched onto one of his arms, the desperation in her eyes now clear across her face. "Please! Help! Don't let them take me!"

"Who?" Immediately, Izuku was on alert, trying to catch sight of anyone that looked to be after her.

"Bad guys! V-Villains! T-They… bird masks!" The girl answered frantically, her voice in a whisper. "Please don't leave! Please!"

That's when Izuku caught sight of them. Two adults, likely men, wearing plague masks that covered their entire faces and trench coats. If he would pick among the crowd who was looking for the girl, then those guys would be his top pick.

They weren't too close, to where they could see them amongst the crowd. In fact, they were fairly far, the plague masks being the things that made them distinct out of the crowd. So they had time to run.

So with no hesitation, Izuku gathered the girl in his arms, and headed the opposite direction of the masked men.

It was that one act, that immediate call to help this girl, that shaped Izuku's destiny. As a hero… and a guardian.

And that's the end. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Izuku's rescuing of Eri probably won't be entirely different from Kyudon's "I Don't Run an Orphanage", but I hope there's enough to make it distinct. While my aim is to not copy many of the plot points and characters from his fic, there'll probably be a few things here and there that'll be similar. Especially if he continues to create who knows how many OPCs (No offense to him or anything, just saying that he already made a good amount of overpowered children. So creating a child with similar powers may just happen at some point).

Anyways, while I'll try my best to update this, posting of chapters will likely be sporadic (Speaking out of experience with my other fics). It's one that I intend to continue though, with plans in my mind for what I want to do with this fic, so I ask for patience. Review, favorite, and follow, and I will see you later.