History RefusalOfTheCall / FanWorks

* PlayedWith in ''Fanfic/ErasedPotential''. Izuku ''wants'' to be a hero, but is determined to become a ''[[BadassNormal Quirkless]]'' Pro Hero. So when Toshinori asks him to become his successor, he not only refuses but is heartbroken by his idol's lack of faith:

[[AC:''Franchise/SpiderMan'']]
* In ''Fanfic/UltimateSpiderWoman'', Mary Jane Watson's best friend Kitty Pryde refused to join the ComicBook/XMen, and she also refused to join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or the Acolytes of Magneto. She considers her phasing powers to be [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway useless]], and would really prefer to be [[IJustWantToBeNormal free to live her own life and otherwise be left alone]].

* ''Fanfic/AsNApproachesInfinity'': When Uryu was born, his mother Kanae confessed to her husband that an Incubator approached her while she was young, trying to get her to become a magical girl. While she considered making a contract, she ultimately turned it down, and was grateful that she was. At the time, Ryuuken [[CassandraTruth dismissed her confession]], but after learning more about the matter, decides that he owes her an apology.

** Lelith admits that she has the potential and knowledge to become a second Anathema, even claiming it's likely she's the only living being who could survive the trials. However she will not as she considers the price too "monstrous" and the rewards too lacking.

* In ''Fanfic/ReluctantHero'', Zuko is horrified to learn he's the new Avatar, as the Avatar is decried in the Fire Nation as the supreme enemy to their goal of world domination and has to be killed on sight or locked away for life. Unfortunately for him, the Spirits are desperate for ''someone'' bringing balance back and refuse to let him commit suicide to escape his fate. Then the Northern Water Tribe abducts him in order to start his training and he's forced to go along while waiting the moment to escape.

* In ''Fanfic/{{Eternity}}'', the shipgirl Yonaga, formerly Enterprise, doesn't answer the initial call to battle against the Abyssals. It is partly out of giving the returned Imperial shipgirls the chance to prove and redeem themselves, and partly out of fear that she will regress to her Pacific War-self of near permanent RoaringRampageOfRevenge (which also alienated her to nearly all US ships at the time) and kill the Japanese shipgirls.

* In ''Fanfic/LoveHinaLikeItCouldHaveBeen'', once Keitaro realizes that Granny Hina was trying to set him up, he's ready to turn right around and leave. Haruka convinces him to meet with the Hinata girls, giving them a fair chance; when the majority make clear that they don't want a ''guy'' there, regardless of what Granny Hina desires, he's more than happy to comply. Things subsequently get awkward when his part-time job in construction means that he has to spend time renovating the Hinata Inn, after the girls have learned the consequences of turning him away.

* In ''Fanfic/PowersOfInvisibility'', Juleka is offered the Turtle Miraculous and the role of Guardian by Master Fu, but she refuses in part because she's seen how Ladybug and Chat Noir keeping their secret identities from each other is tearing them apart. When pushed, she later acknowledges to herself that the reason is that she's afraid of failing, of letting down her friends with disastrous consequences. But by this point, with Adrien, Marinette and Rose incapacitated by Madusa, she knows that she is their best hope, and she accepts the role.

* In the ''Fanfic/BlackFoxSeries'', Toshinori approaches Izuku and tries to convince him to become his successor... after having dashed his dreams in the past, telling him that he couldn't possibly become a hero without a Quirk. Izuku went on to become a successful Quirkless vigilante, and is none too pleased by the offer, rejecting it and telling Toshinori to leave him ''alone''.
* After some consideration in ''Fanfic/DekuIThinkHesSomePro'', Izuku refuses an implied offer to be given One For All, declaring that while he might not be capable of becoming the top hero in Japan like he dreamed, he can be an inspiration for other Quirkless kids dreaming of becoming heroes themselves.
* PlayedWith in ''Fanfic/ErasedPotential''. Izuku ''wants'' to be a hero, but is determined to become a ''[[BadassNormal Quirkless]]'' Pro Hero. So when Toshinori asks him to become his successor, he not only refuses, but is heartbroken by his idol's lack of faith:

* ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsMagicalGirls'': Rarity becomes aware of the SecretWar between the mahoushoujo and the Changelings when she first sees Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie fight and destroy a Parasprite swarm, then later fights alongside them when Trixie steals their Elements. However, when Spike tries to talk Twilight into giving Rarity an Element of Harmony of her own after the latter, Rarity refuses, as she doesn't want to be involved on a regular basis. [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive This doesn't last long]], however, as she gets dragged into the fight again when Princess Pupa attacks the group; seeing that she can't just sits on the sidelines, Rarity accepts the Element of Generosity and becomes one of the team.

* ''Fanfic/AbsolutePowerSucksAbsolutely'': Maxine avoids responding to the call as much as he possibly can. It takes [[spoiler:the Split World killing off millions of children]] to convince him to reveal himself in order to [[spoiler:offer to resurrect all of the kids that died during the event]].

* Marinette in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/43473279/chapters/109289322 Thanks, but no]]'', turns down the Ladybug Miraculous to face off against Hawkmoth, especially as she already has a lot on her plate and isn't happy having to deal with the villains on her own, so she secretly tosses it to Alya since she knows she will [[JumpedAtTheCall jump at the call]]. Much of the story afterwards is Fu trying to assign a Miraculous to Marinette as he sees she could be a potential Guardian and Marinette handing them to her classmates that she knows will benefit from them.

]]

* Marinette in ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/43473279/chapters/109289322 Thanks, but no]]'', turns down the Ladybug Miraculous to face off against Hawkmoth, especially as she already has a lot on her plate and isn't happy having to deal with the villains on her own, so she secretly tosses it to Alya since she knows she will [[JumpedAtTheCall jump at the call]]. Much of the story afterwards is Fu trying to assign a Miraculous to Marinette as he sees she could be a potential Guardian and Marinette handing them to her classmates that she thinks will benefit from them.

** Lelith admits that she has the potential and knowledge to become a second Anathema, even claiming it's likely she's the only living being who could survive the trials. However she will not as the considers the price too "monstrous" and the rewards too lacking.

[[AC:WesternAnimation/{{Amphibia}}'']]

* In ''Fanfic/{{Eternity}}'', the shipgirl Yonaga, formerly Enterprise, doesn't answer the initial call to battle against the Abyssals. It is partly out of giving the returned Imperial shipgirls the chance to prove and redeem themselves, and partly out of fear that she will regress to her Pacific War-self of near permanent RoaringRampageOfRevenge (which also alienated her to nearly all US ships at the time) and kill the japanese shipgirls.

----
* Isa of ''Fanfic/GoddessRebornChronicle'', which is a [[AntiAntiChrist very good thing]]. She was supposed to play the part of Lillith.
* For most of ''Fanfic/OriginStory'', Alex Harris refuses to become a superhero, saying that she only wants to be left alone. She flees every attempt made to engage her in active superheroics. And then one night, she spots a helicopter that is falling out of the sky...
* Invoked in ''Fanfic/AvengersInfiniteWars'', but ultimately defied; after most of the active Avengers have gone missing, Tony Stark attempts to recruit Matt Murdock for the new team, but while Matt initially rejects the offer that he join the Avengers as he prefers to operate on the street fighting for the people the Avengers might overlook, he changes his mind when he learns that most of the original Avengers are missing.
* In the ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' novel, Empath refuses to permanently deal with Gargamel once and for all when he angrily tells his fellow Smurfs to StopWorshippingMe. Then Gargamel comes and nearly destroys the village and takes half the Smurfs with him to create his Philosopher's Stone, leading to the moment where he reluctantly accepts his role as their savior.
* ''Fanfic/FriendshipIsMagicalGirls'': Rarity becomes aware of the SecretWar between the mahoushoujo and the Changelings when she first sees Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie fight and destroy a Parasprite swarm, then later fights alongside them when Trixie steals their Elements. However, when Spike tries to talk Twilight into giving Rarity an Element of Harmony of her own after the latter, Rarity refuses, as she doesn't want to be involved on a regular basis. [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive This doesn't last long]], however, as she gets dragged into the fight again when Princess Pupa attacks the group; seeing that she can't just sits on the sidelines, Rarity accepts the Element of Generosity and becomes one of the team.
* ''Fanfic/AHistoryOfMagic'' has a number of historical figures that refused to contract with the Incubators and become Puella Magi. Among those named were Cleopatra's maid Charmain, Elizabeth I of England, Teresa of Avila, Queen Victoria, and Alice Liddell. At one point so many girls were refusing the call that the Incubators arranged for the publication of [[spoiler: ''Literature/AliceInWonderland'']] to get them dreaming again.
* ''Fanfic/BeatTheDrumsOfWar'': TheAlliance tries to get the Vaadwaur to join in the war effort against the Iconians, but Overseer Eldex refuses. Thanks to recent events he barely has enough ships to hold his ''own'' territory, and he's still fighting the Borg.
* In ''Fanfic/{{Eternity}}'', the shipgirl Yonaga, formerly Enterprise, doesn't answer the initial call to battle against the Abyssals. It is partly out of giving the returned Imperial shipgirls the chance to prove and redeem themselves, and partly out of fear that she will regress to her Pacific War-self of near permanent RoaringRampageOfRevenge (which also alienated her to nearly all US ships at the time) and kill the japanese shipgirls.
* In ''Fanfic/PowersOfInvisibility'', [[WesternAnimation/MiraculousLadybug Juleka]] is offered the Turtle Miraculous and the role of Guardian by Master Fu, but she refuses in part because she's seen how Ladybug and Chat Noir keeping their secret identities from each other is tearing them apart. When pushed, she later acknowledges to herself that the reason is that she's afraid of failing, of letting down her friends with disastrous consequences. But by this point, with Adrien, Marinette and Rose incapacitated by Madusa, she knows that she is their best hope, and she accepts the role.
* In ''Fanfic/ReluctantHero'', Zuko is horrified to learn he's the new Avatar, as the Avatar is decried in the Fire Nation as the supreme enemy to their goal of world domination and has to be killed on sight or locked away for life. Unfortunately for him, the Spirits are desperate for ''someone'' bringing balance back and refuse to let him commit suicide to escape his fate. Then the Northern Water Tribe abducts him in order to start his training and he's forced to go along while waiting the moment to escape.
* In ''Fanfic/NeitherABirdNorAPlaneItsDeku'', Izuku refuses to inherit One For All, believing it to be wasted on him thanks to his existing alien SuperStrength on top of all of the other ComboPlatterPowers he possesses. All Might is notably bummed out about this and Izuku himself feels terrible for turning away such a gift.
* In one of the snippets for ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/12712254/chapters/30441342#workskin Siberian Variations]]'', every superhero refuses to join Tony or Steve in the "Civil War". Reasons vary from Aunt May refusing to let Peter go to Shuri convincing T'Challa to let the authorities handle things to Sam refusing to leave a suicidal patient's side.
* Xander in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13064230/48/And-Now-Yet-Again-Still-Even-More-Fragments Sons and Daughters of Sineya]]'' refuses to get tangled in the plot of ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'' whenever he's in Narnia, telling any talking animals he meets to "fuck off" when they try to bring him to safety.
* After some consideration in ''Fanfic/DekuIThinkHesSomePro'', Izuku refuses an implied offer to be given One For All, declaring that while he might not be capable of becoming the top hero in Japan like he dreamed, he can be an inspiration for other Quirkless kids dreaming of becoming heroes themselves.
* ''Fanfic/ADiplomaticVisit'': During chapter 7 of the sequel ''Diplomat at Large'', it's mentioned that Princess Celestia made overtures toward the yaks to help in the war effort, but they refused to hear her out.
* ''Fanfic/TheWeaverOption'':
** Cegorach offers to make Lelith the [[spoiler:incubator and later avatar of a new Eldar god]]. She refused, preferring to continue her own path.
** Lelith admits that she has the potential and knowledge to become a second Anathema, even claiming it's likely she's the only living being who could survive the trials. However she will not as the considers the price too "monstrous" and the rewards too lacking.
* Mirio firmly rejects receiving One for All and becoming All Might's successor in ''Fanfic/TurningANewLeaf'', wanting to be himself instead of just a copy of All Might.