Chapter Text
Izuku Midoriya wandered through the Musutafu Museum, away from the Hero section, towards older history, away from his explosive friend… Friend is a kind way to put it, he supposes. He may only be 14 but Izuku knew a lot in his opinion. He knows about Kant’s thoughts on lies, He knows Voltaire’s beliefs of freedom and his work, he knows many of Shakespeare’s sonnets by heart and could perform his plays at will, he knows the names and location of every bone, every muscle, lymphnodes, He knows how to read in multiple language and could speak half of them fluently…
He knows Kaachan isn’t really his friend… Not anymore. Maybe once, but not since Kaachan got his quirk and Izuku… just didn’t…
After that, Izuku… fell…
Izuku fell into books, into knowledge, into an ever deepening need to learn and know. Izuku spent more time in books and libraries than he did playgrounds or with other kids his age. He still ran around, but not usually by his choice.
Kids can be cruel… Life can be cruel…
Izuku turned his thoughts away from that and towards this new exhibit, a 1-5th replica of an Egyptian Pyramid with it’s original golden capstone. It was created with actual Pyramid stones of the area, a recreation of an absolute wonder of engineering that still stands today.
“Deku!”
Izuku did not have much time to consider the amount of research and effort went into recreating the pyramid before he was pulled into the group of students, the field trip was ending soon, and Izuku was being sent away from knowledge and towards pain… Again.
Izuku opened the door to his home with his mom, who was working on some paperwork, filing some injunction for her new client. She looked up with a smile on her face.
“Ah! There’s my brilliant boy has returned from a long day of getting even more brilliant!” She said with a smile.
“H-Hi mom…” Izuku said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment at the compliment. “I’m just gonna go to my room…” He said, quickly heading to his room and shutting the door. He didn’t see her face drop at Izuku’s mood. She gave him some time alone before lightly knocking on his door. “Come in.” Said Izuku through the door. She gently opened the door to see Izuku sat on his bed, books surrounding him.
“More books.” Inko said with a small smile.
“These aren’t just books, mom.” Izuku said, picking up a book to show to her. “It’s Aristotle, Voltaire, Jung, Mulligan.” He said, showing a different book per name. Inko walked forward to sit next to her son on his bed. “These are slices of the ultimate truth from the greatest thinkers of all time! It’s like they speak to me.”
“They speak to you?” Inko said with a small smile. Izuku looked over to her. “Do they tell you to do bad things, set fires?” She said, a small joke by the smile on her face Izuku rolled his eyes and stood up and left the room. “Where are you going?” She asked as she followed him towards the front door.
“I’m going to the bookstore, see if they have that reprint of Science Of Logic by Hegel that I asked about.”
“Izuku, you can’t just keep your head in books your whole life. You have to talk to people!”
“I talk to the lady at the Library and the lady at the bookstore occasionally!”
“You need friends, Izuku.” She said walking up to her son, tears in her eyes as she could only think of how she failed her son. “You cannot think your way through Life!” She said, tapping Izuku’s temple. “It must be felt… Here.” She finished, poking Izuku’s chest, where his heart is. Izuku, with sympathetic tears in his own eyes, let out a small laugh at the situation.
The two broke down into sobs together, eventually stopping once they realized that his Mom had papers to fill out and that the Book Izuku was gonna go to the bookstore to get was to be delivered.
Later on that day, Izuku was doing his homework diligently next to his bookshelf despite knowing that his teachers would drop his grade simply because of his lack of Quirk. Inko opened the door quietly and slowly, putting his mail on top of the bookshelf he was next to before quietly shutting the door.
Izuku, despite his sunshine appearance, was capable of anger. He had large tanks of anger, stored up from years of mistreatment by his teachers and fellow students, the lack of intervention from anyone, the fact that he had to dumb down his work so that it would actually be graded and he wouldn’t be accused of cheating. It was all bullshit in his life that would fill him and occasionally bubble up into action. Which is why Izuku threw his textbook across the room and swiftly leaning back into the bookshelf. This caused some books to land around him. In confusion, he looked above him before covering his head as another wave of books fell, and then a third, before finally an envelope, brought in by his Mom, fell gently to his side.
Izuku sighed in annoyance at the cleanup of this accident before the envelope caught his attention. It was addressed to him specifically, not just a thing that was sent to his mom relating to him. Izuku quickly opened it, curious at what was inside, pulling out a blank white piece of paper. Izuku was a little confused before quickly dropping it in surprise as the paper glowed with light as ink began to appear on it’s pages.
“You have been selected to interview for a prestigious position with the Metropolitan Public Library.”
The address was in Musutafu.
“How did you do that? A Quirk? Hidden Ink quirk with a timed reveal? Maybe until the intended Recipient Sees it? Maybe only the intended Recipient sees it…” Izuku began mumbling, before stopping in shock. “Do I have a Job interview?!” He said in shock before rushing out to his mother to show her the paper, and to help make a Resume, a CV, everything he may need.
Izuku walked into the Library, occasionally asking for directions for where the interview would take place. It had wonderful architecture with beautiful 20th century designs, taking designs from Britain, France, Germany, Prague. It was almost enough for him to not notice the long line of other Interviewees that went down 2 flights of stairs to where he was, the ground floor.
“NEXT!”
“Never been treated so badly in my entire life.” Mumbled a man walking down the stairs, having presumably not gotten the Job. Izuku’s heart was beating faster and faster. He recognized that guy as a Tenured Professor from Tokyo! The man had over a dozen degrees! Oh god why was he here?! It doesn’t make sense for him to be invited! He’s not that smart! Sure, he knew things, but anybody with enough time and boredom could learn the same thing! He’s not special, right!? He’s just…
“Stupid, Useless Deku!”
He’s Izuku Midoriya… That’s what he is…
“NEXT!”
Izuku’s heart was beating faster and faster as he saw the person who had been in front of him for the past 45 minutes walk out of the interview room crying, dabbing the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief she had. She passed him as the interviewer from the interview room let out another yell.
“NEXT!”
Izuku stepped back in shock, bumping into the person behind him as his eyes gained tears both in sympathy of the person crying that passed him and with the sudden realization that he is a 14 year old child, going for the same position as hundreds of others who all look between the ages 27 and 60! Why was he here!?
“I-I-I can’t. I-I have to go.” Izuku said, walking out of the line and beginning to head down the stairs when the voice rang out again.
“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING!?” Went the voice. Izuku looked back and, very confused and shyly, pointed up at his face, asking if it was directed at him. “YES YOU! GET IN HERE PLEASE!” The voice yelled, prompting Izuku to swiftly enter the interview room, closing the door behind him.
It was a nerve wracking walk to the chair, every step echoed loudly throughout the room. He glanced around, taking in anything of note. It was huge in here. The few steps were just beginning to feel like an eternity by the time he had sank into the chair. He felt the woman’s cold gaze burrowing into him as he took a deep breath and slowly forced himself to meet her eyes. She was blonde, hair pulled back in a bun. She wore dark clothes, had a rigid posture. Military background, Izuku thought. Something like that anyway. He couldn’t imagine many other lines of work would employ the use of space as an intimidation technique. Only the best of the best would get this job.
“That’s not you, Deku…”
Izuku knocked those thoughts from his brain and focused on the facts. This was strange for a normal librarian job, something must be different about it but what?
“Why do you think you deserve to be A Librarian?” Said the woman, looking over some papers on her desk from a file. A flicker of green on the inside indicated that there was a photo on the inside, likely of him. Where did they get that?
“I know the Dewey Decimal System, I can set up an RSS feed, I’m good at memorizing layouts-”
“Everyone else knows that too, They’re Librarians. What makes you different?” She said, closing the folder and turning her eyes onto him. Izuku couldn’t speak for a moment before he finally gained a bit of courage.
“I… Like books?” Izuku said, confused. She rolled her eyes before a ding let out. She checked her phone, a text message from someone important seemingly. She looked between the phone and Izuku himself before asking another question.
“Why don’t you tell me something that nobody else could tell me?” She said, setting the phone down. “Show me what you can do, Mikumo.” Izuku’s eyes widened. Mikumo was the name of his analysis blog, separate from him so he could actually be taken seriously. He focused on heroes of the past, already dead so they could not be put into danger. They did a lot of research for this, didn’t they?
She’s asking for him to analyze her, isn’t she? Okay… He could do this. He stood up, slightly shakily, from his seat and began to get closer, stopping when he was close enough to lean onto the desk.
“Look over everything Izuku, Find the puzzle pieces.”
Rigid, straight posture. Suggests Military or Police experience. Wide space as an intimidation technique leans towards the Military. Police interrogation strategy focuses more on friendliness and claustrophobia. Military is less kind. There are calluses on her hands, indicating skill with melee weapons, and it’s unlikely to not be proficient in guns when in the military. She’s married, going by the ring on her finger. There is a chain around her neck, hidden by the dress shirt she wears, just barely peeking through. Her phone is still open. It shows the text that was sent to her from one “Flynn Carsen” with a heart emoji. “Ask him to show what he can do”. A colleague as well as a Husband. There’s a lack of any distinguishing quirk characteristics, which is strange as even those who are quirkless have mutations, such as his own green hair, which indicates Lineage.
“You’re ex-military, in some division that requires use of interrogation techniques, going by your rigid posture. You’re skilled with melee weaponry, if the calluses on your hands are saying what I think they do. Likely also proficient in guns, if you are military. You’ve been out of the military long enough to feel comfortable with a ring on your hand, but see combat regularly enough that you’re prepared to put it on that chain around your neck. You’re married to a colleague at the library who’s listening in to the Interview right now, Hello Mr. Carsen. You also come from a line of people without quirks, and either have a Mental quirk, or you don’t have one yourself.” Izuku paused for a moment. “Did I get anything wrong?” He finished, suppressing the small smile on his face from no longer having to hide his brain. Eve simply smiled.
“Fantastic, knew you could do it Kiddo.”
“What… is more important… than knowledge?” Said a voice coming from seemingly everywhere. Izuku spins around in shock, searching for the voice.
“... Mr. Carsen, I assume?” Izuku said, turning back to the lady.
“Just answer the question, Midoriya.” She said. Izuku nodded and was silent as he thought and deliberated over his answer.
“One cannot think their way through life…” He said, partially to himself. “They must feel it…” He said, placing his hand over his heart. “Here…” He finished, echoing his mother to himself. Out of a double door behind the woman entered a man with formal clothing, the dress shirt a bit unbuttoned at the top, a cravat, a vest, a suit jacket with a handkerchief, and a golden chain of is assumably a stopwatch.
“He’s it.” Said the man.
“He’s one! We’re still going through the rest!” Said the woman. The man walked up and gave her a kiss.
“You’re still going through the rest! I must introduce our newest Librarian to The Library!” The man said with a smile before turning back to Izuku. “Hello Midoriya! I’m Flynn Carsen! I’m the Library’s Caretaker.” He said, holding out a hand. Izuku reached out and shook it.
“W-Wow… Okay… Can I ask what I did right? Y-Y’know, f-for the next t-time.” Izuku said, causing Carsen to laugh aloud.
“Oh Midoriya! There is no next time! … If you accept.” He said, quickly slinging an arm around Midoriya. “You have an offer in front of you, Midoriya.” He began, leading him out of the Interview room as the Lady called for the next person to interview. “You can accept and live a life of Mystery… and Misery.” He said, showing Izuku into a large room, lined with bookcases that went to the ceiling. He unlatched his arm from Izuku and moved into the room, walking backwards to face him. “Of loneliness… And adventure!” He spoke with a smile, his love of The Library more than evident on his face. “More than that… I’m offering you the opportunity to make a difference… and to save the world every other week.” Izuku’s mind crashed at that, taking a bit to reboot. “Are you in?”
“What do you mean saving the world? How is being a Librarian mysterious? Why would I be miserable?Howadventurousisbeingalibrarianandiwanttohavefriendsidontwanttobelonelyand-”
“Slow down Midoriya. Breath in.” Izuku inhaled. “Breath out.” Izuku exhaled. “Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Are you feeling better?” Izuku nodded. “Good. If you accept… You’re going to join a line of unsung heroes. People who fight and learn to protect the world and, occasionally, reality. People who fight, not with brawn but with brains. The Library chooses the Librarian, the Smartest People in the world. It has chosen Egyptologists, Mathematicians, Architectural Experts, Art Experts, and even Thieves. But it decided to choose you. A blank canvas. Someone who so perfectly embodies The Library’s goal. Seeking knowledge, and keeping your heart.” Carsen said. “I believe that you could be one of the greatest Librarian’s in the Library’s history. So… knowing all that. Do you accept a position as A… possibly The Librarian?”
Izuku was silent for a while, his brain moving a mile a second as he debated in his brain, before finally, he spoke.
“I Accept.”