Izuku and Mr. Aguilar were on their way to the former's house after a small celebration where Izuku met Momo and her parents. They promised to keep in touch to see how he was doing.
"So, you practically live alone, right?" Mr. Aguilar asked.
"I'm trying to be an independent kid, but I'm really bad at cooking, and my 'classmates' take my money," Izuku replied.
Mr. Aguilar parked the car near Izuku's house, ruffled his hair, and got out with him.
"What's your favorite dish, Izuku?" he asked.
"Katsudon," Izuku answered while opening the door to his house. "Please, come in."
"This is a nice house, and it's in a good area. At least your parents care a little," Mr. Aguilar remarked.
"Sure, a little," Izuku thought sarcastically.
"Where's the kitchen?" Mr. Aguilar inquired.
"This way," Izuku led him through the house to the kitchen, which was medium-sized, about 3x3 meters.
"Perfect. I'll make some delicious Katsudon for both of us. You relax, as the last couple of days have been tough for you."
...
About 45 minutes had passed since Mr. Aguilar started preparing the Katsudon, and he was now serving it. Izuku, who was in his room filled with All Might figures and other memorabilia, smelled his favorite dish and rushed downstairs, astonished.
"Wow, it smells amazing," Izuku exclaimed with excitement.
"Go ahead, Izuku. I did my best."
They both sat down, thanked each other for the food, and ate quietly.
After eating, Izuku stood at the door, saying goodbye to his guest and future mentor.
"Okay, kid, what time do you usually wake up?" Mr. Aguilar asked.
"Uh, usually around 6 a.m. Why?"
"Good. Tomorrow, they'll come to pick you up at 7:30 a.m. They'll take you to the company's office here in the city. We'll meet there at 8:00 a.m., and I'll put you to the test."
Mr. Aguilar walked to his car. "Oh, and don't worry about food. We'll feed you at the office."
"Thank you so much!" Izuku replied, closing the door and heading inside, feeling overjoyed. His life had taken a turn.
Mr. Aguilar got into his car and made a call, putting his phone on speaker.
"Good evening, Mr. Aguilar. How can I help you?" someone answered.
"I found a kid. He's interesting, smart, and has good values. I want you to come to the address I just sent you tomorrow, please."
"Yes! Are you going to test him?"
"Of course. I want to see if he could be a good successor. Be there at 7:30. His name is Izuku Midoriya Yagi. Green hair with blond streaks, easy to recognize."
"Understood, sir. I'll prepare everything for tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Izuku was lying on his bed.
"I have a feeling my life has completely changed," he thought before falling asleep.
...
"Stupid quirkless."
"Climb a roof, jump, and pray for a quirk in another life."
"Useless."
"Burden."
It was 3 a.m., and these were the thoughts haunting Izuku's mind. Nightmares and memories of all the abuse he had endured swirled around. It was clear, no one could stay positive forever.
He woke up, tears streaming down his cheeks, sobbing lightly. He hugged himself, trying to calm down.
It took exactly an hour for him to fall asleep again, and fortunately, nothing disturbed him during the remaining two hours.
...
Izuku was already prepared, waiting for the agreed time for his ride. He had washed his face, trying to hide the clear traces of tears.
"Good morning, Mr. Midoriya. I'm here to take you to the Monarch offices," someone said through the door.
This snapped Izuku out of his thoughts, and he cautiously approached, opening the door to find a tall man with a compact build, about 50 years old, with black hair lightly streaked with gray.
"Good morning, sir..."
"Ramírez, Francisco Ramírez. I'm Mr. Aguilar's assistant," he introduced himself, extending his hand to Izuku.
"A pleasure, Mr. Ramírez. I'll be in your care. And please, don't call me 'sir.' I'm too young for that and haven't done anything to earn your respect yet. Call me Midoriya or whatever you prefer," Izuku responded, shaking his hand and smiling.
"Perfect, young Midoriya. Please follow me. They're waiting for us."
Izuku left his house, locked the door, and followed Ramírez to a luxurious black vehicle.
...
Izuku stood in front of a building in the central area of Musutafu, a 45-story office of Monarch Inc., Mr. Aguilar's company, and one of the most influential firms in technology and support tools. It also had significant scientific advances and its own private army.
Without further delay, Ramírez entered the offices with Izuku following behind him.
"Good morning, Mr. Ramírez," said a receptionist. "Who is the boy with you?"
"He is Midoriya Yagi Izuku. Mr. Aguilar will take him on as a pupil," he responded elegantly.
"Oh," the receptionist stood up from his seat and approached the boy. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Midoriya. I am Tanaka Ryu."
"A pleasure, Tanaka-San. Please don't call me Mr. I haven't done anything to earn that respect yet," Izuku responded timidly.
"Very well, young Midoriya. Mr. Ramírez, Mr. Aguilar is waiting for you in the main office. Please go ahead."
"Thank you very much, Tanaka-San. I'll be in your care," Izuku said as he was led to the offices by Ramírez.
Both entered the elevator and went up to the top floor, which could be considered a home on its own, with several rooms, a tech room, and the office.
"Oh, you're here already. Izuku, thank you for bringing him, Francisco. You can rest now."
Izuku instantly recognized who it was.
"Mr. Aguilar, good morning," Izuku responded with excitement, bowing respectfully to his teacher.
"Good morning, Izuku. Come in, you're just in time for breakfast."
He followed his now mentor into a room with a large table, various dishes served, and a fresh atmosphere.
"To be honest, I'm concerned about your build at your age. It's clear you haven't had the best nutrition, so I'll take care of that. As your teacher, my duty is to look out for your well-being at all times."
"Thank you, Mr. Aguilar. I promise I won't disappoint you."
"I'm sure you won't disappoint me, Izuku," Aguilar thought, looking at Izuku devour the food with his eyes.
"Thank you for the meal!" exclaimed Izuku, starting to eat with excitement.
...
They had eaten, and now they were in Aguilar's office. Izuku was seated on a two-seater sofa, with a small table in front of him and several sheets of paper.
"These are to test your knowledge. First, I need to see how capable you are currently."
Mr. Aguilar was reviewing as Izuku finished each set of questions. To say he was surprised by Izuku's ability was an understatement; he was truly excited. He realized the boy could be more than just the figure of a "hero" who saves everyone, and with the right guidance, he would become a leader and pillar of human society. Aguilar was more committed than ever to achieving this.
"Your analytical ability is enviable. With just a brief description of a quirk, you can find ways to use it that even the person with the quirk wouldn't imagine. Not everyone can do that," he said while reading a section of questions asking how to use a quirk most efficiently to solve a certain situation.
"And you really have basic subjects well mastered. You're incredible, kid, and you're only ten years old. Without a doubt, you can be someone unbeatable."
"You're...you're flattering me too much," murmured the boy, completely nervous and blushing, trying to cover his face with his hands.
Aguilar found it amusing to see this. The boy might be a genius, a first-rate analyst, but he was also shy and nervous, something he had never seen before.
"I flatter you because you deserve it, so get used to it." He smiled and patted the boy on the head, to which Izuku responded with a nervous laugh.
"I'll try to get used to it." He ran his hand over his head and laughed awkwardly. "It will probably help me be more confident."
"By the way, I invited some people to lunch with us. You already know them, I hope you don't mind."
"The Yaoyorozu?" Izuku asked.
"Exactly, they are good friends of mine, besides being my business partners here in Japan."
"By the way, Mr. Aguilar, what is your quirk?" Izuku asked, completely excited, with a certain childlike sparkle in his eyes.
"You see, Izuku, I have two quirks. The first is the quirk I was born with." Aguilar smiled and, using his quirk, generated an air current that he then used to form an eagle, which moved nimbly around the office until it landed on his shoulder. "I can manipulate the air in the environment, although it was very difficult at first. It wasn't until I started meditating that I could control my quirk more cleanly."
"Meditate? What does meditation have to do with controlling your quirk?" Izuku asked while taking his notebook and making notes of everything he heard.
"A calm mind, a serene heart, and a peaceful power."
"What?" Izuku didn't understand what his now teacher meant.
"You'll understand later, Izuku. Let's assume it's an extra test for you."
"I see... But, you said you have two quirks. What is the other?"
"The other is the power that all those who become president of Monarch Inc. inherit. It's a power that has been passed down through many generations. It is known as 'Monarch,' and I can do things like this: Arise." He said, generating an invocation beside him, a sky-blue knight with a great armor and a sword, bowing to Aguilar. "Although, unfortunately, I haven't been able to unlock the full capacity of this power. In fact, no one except the first person who had it has been able to use its full power."
Izuku, curious, approached the knight. Aguilar thought the knight would just ignore him, but both were surprised when it stood up, looked at Izuku, and bowed to him just as it had to Aguilar.
"This boy..." Mr. Aguilar thought, watching the scene in astonishment. His only invocation had bowed to Izuku, when it usually only did so to him.
"Incredible, but... why does he bow to me too? Did the teacher ask him to?" Izuku thought, a little nervous and surprised by everything that just happened.
"Uhm... Master, did you order him to do that?" Izuku asked.
Aguilar cleared his throat twice before speaking. "No, I don't know why he did that. It hasn't happened before."
"Does your invocation have a name, master?"
"Of course, it's called Igris."
"Uhm, Igris-San, could you please not bow to me? Please? I'm not comfortable with this. I'm not your master to deserve such a gesture." And as if it were an order, the invocation now known as Igris stood up, nodded, and disappeared.
"Wow... 'Igris obeyed him. Without a doubt, you're amazing, Izuku.'"
The office phone rang. "Sir, your guests are already on their way up to your office."
"Understood. Thanks for letting me know, Tanaka."
Shortly after, a bell rang, indicating the elevator had reached the floor, so both headed to it to greet their guests.
"Mr. and Mrs. Yaoyorozu, it's nice to see you again, and your daughter as well," Mr. Aguilar said naturally, approaching to give a cordial handshake to both.
"Mr. Aguilar, young Izuku, the pleasure is ours," they both responded kindly.
"Midoriya-Kun/Yaoyorozu-San," their greetings mixed, and they laughed a little while bowing slightly with nerves.
The adults laughed at the scene and started a conversation among the three, while Izuku and Momo only exchanged "discreet" glances occasionally.
"Uhm... Midoriya-Kun, how is it being a student of Mr. Aguilar?" Momo asked, trying to break the silence and with considerable curiosity.
"It's interesting. He has me solving various questions and situations with different quirks. It's really all very good."
They started a fluid and warm conversation, getting to know each other a bit more and becoming closer, while the adults watched them with a smile.
"Aguilar, how is young Izuku as a pupil?" Mr. Yaoyorozu asked.
"He is a gem. Observe this," he took the papers with the tests he had given Izuku.
He looked at the tests related to subjects for his age. "It's clear he's a diligent student. He probably has the best grades in school. With higher-quality education, he would undoubtedly be elite." He started examining the quirk tests. "This... This is crazy..." He kept observing, astonished by the analysis and solutions to each problem. "He has lived without his quirk, but he has an amazing ability."
"Really impressive... 'Poor boy, he's a gem, but the world has limited him to believe otherwise,'" Mrs. Yaoyorozu intervened, watching her daughter laugh with Izuku.
"Yes, I hope to guide him correctly. If all goes well, I can give him a high position in the company when he turns 18, and in the future, when I retire, leave him in charge."
...
"It was a pleasure to see you. We're heading home now. Aguilar, Izuku, take care."
"Thank you,
likewise, take care," Mr. Aguilar responded.
"Have a good one. Take care, Yaoyorozu-San," Izuku said with a smile.
"You too, take care, Midoriya-Kun," Momo responded with a slight blush.
Thus, the family left via the elevator, leaving the pupil and teacher alone again.
"Izuku, I have a task for you," Aguilar said, searching among his books. "Here you are, little one!" He took out a book titled "Basic Economics."
"Do I have to study that?" Izuku swallowed a bit. The book in front of him was not the definition of "small," and he was sure it would take him at least two weeks to read halfway and understand it.
"Of course, you have three weeks to do it. After that, I'll give you an exam to see your progress," he looked at Izuku, seeking a gesture indicating he was backing down.
But all he received was a determined look. "I'll do it."
And he smiled. Izuku would be the greatest gamble of his life, and he knew he would win with it.
"Perfect, I'll take you home now."
Izuku nodded and headed to the elevator, accompanied by his teacher.
...
The trip was calm, silent, and comfortable.
"Izuku, take this." Aguilar handed him a golden card with his signature. "It's a card. Whenever you want, you can come to the offices. If they don't recognize you, just show it. Besides, I'll be giving you an amount of money there, ¥500,000."
Izuku turned pale. "Isn't that... too much? I wouldn't feel comfortable feeling like I'm abusing your kindness, master."
Aguilar smiled. "No, you're not. Now take it, it's for you," and he patted him on the back. "Now, we're in front of your house. See you later, Izuku. Take care."