Chapter 48: Enter Rikiya Yotsubashi

Izuku and Kizuki were riding in a sport car.

"I'm really thankful for this opportunity, Chitose-san. It's not every day you get a chance to meet someone so important."

"It's the least I could do for you after you got me that promotion, Tiger. Rikiya is a good friend of mine, so he always has time for me and my associates. And you don't have to be so formal with me. Call me by my name."

"Okay. How do I make a good impression on Yotsubashi-san?"

"He believes that existence of villains as a whole is a collective fault of society. People with villainous or psychologically damaging quirks are cast aside in favor of appealing meta abilities. As long as you don't voice such gross opinions, you should be fine. The man himself suffers from a short temper due to his quirk, so don't be surprised."

"What is his quirk?" It was perhaps Midoriya's number one question.

"My lips are sealed." She made the appropriate motion with her hand. "You'll have to satisfy your curiosity by yourself."

"Fair enough."

"By the way, have you ever blown yourself up with the pussycat? I did it all the time when a moron got too close for comfort. I had to request a transformable wristband to better control my quirk at melee range."

"No, Killer Queen has always had great control over explosion radius."

"This is so unfair!" She let out an exaggerated sigh.

The boy left the car and thanked his friend once more. He was greeted by Rikiya Yotsubashi, an eccentric CEO of Detnerat (and an Ugly Nose according to DIO). They took an elevator to the boss's office. It offered a nice view over Deika City. As two of them admired the sight, the adult started their conversation.

"I've heard many great things about you, Izuku Midoriya."

"Me too, sir! Most of the support gear at my school is made by your company."

"Well, I can't all take the credit. There are engineers, designers, testers and many other people that contribute towards the success of our company. You, on the other hand, appear to be a self made prodigy. Mother Nature has granted you with a quirk that defies foundational laws of nature. That is the reason behind your hero alias, correct?"

"Yes, sir! Although, calling me self made would be wrong. I needed help of many professionals to hone my quirk and maintain mental health. I won't name them, but they are very important."

"Hm, very well. In your interview with my friend, you've mentioned how vigilantes are a systematic failure. I happen to have a similar view on villains. Most of them are this way because they were ostracized and tossed aside to rot on the sidelines of history."

"I agree, sir. There is a guy at UA who can mind control, and apparently people were scared of him because they view his quirk as evil."

"Correct!" The CEO almost screamed. "Apologies. Another example is my quirk: Stress. I can accumulate stress as an energy to gain power. Unfortunately, it makes me prone to rapid mood swings. My peers ridiculed me for my meta ability, called me a raging freak." Izuku could hear the man's teeth grinding.

"This guy uses the term Meta. I guess he and Kizuki are fans of Destro."

"A lesser man would have either committed suicide or gone down the dark path, but I didn't succumb. I've dedicated my whole life to making sure people with difficult quirks can live their full life."

"That is a commendable goal, sir."

"Thank you. Young Midoriya." Rikiya kneeled and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I believe that together we can make my dream come true. Our society looks up to top heroes like All Might and Best Jeanist and takes whatever they say as gospel."

"Yeah, yeah, people are sheep, that much is obvious." The devil was annoyed. "He talks to you like you're a toddler, Midoriya."

"My analysts predict that you will be in a top five hero within 5 years of graduating. I have a partnership offer for you. In exchange for testing some of our experimental gear and propagating our message, you'll get access to all resources of our company. All of your wishes will be fulfilled, including deeply personal ones." He went to his desk to bring a paper.

"I doubt he can offer anything that the rat can't."

"Look for fine prints!"

"Something about this guy feels wrong. He's definitely hiding something."

"You suspect everyone, uncle Diavolo."

"Don't call me that!"

"Midoriya?" The kid snapped back to reality.

"Oh, sorry, I spaced out for a bit. I'd like to ask you a question first. What is your stance on quirkless discrimination?" He noticed Yotsubashi tensing.

"Quirkless… They are a soon to be relic of the past. In each generation their ratio goes and lower and lower. While their discrimination is unwarranted, attempts at preventing it aren't worth the pay off. They will naturally die out in a few decades."

"Melissa would kill him for that."

Izuku frowned.

"Sorry, sir, but I can't accept that point of view. People without quirks deserve as much help and respect as anyone else."

"WHY, YOU…" The man took a deep breath. "You are being irrational. Effort is a finite resource. We should spend where it matters the most: on people who have a future."

"Are you saying that a person has no future just because of their quirk situation? In that case, you are no better than those who called you a freak."

CEO sent a giant arm towards the teen. King Crimson managed to punch it to the side, but its (and green head's) fist cracked in the process. The giant hand shrunk back down.

"*Gasp* It happened again! My apologies, young Midoriya. It was highly irresponsible of me."

"I've been through worse. Regardless, while I acknowledge your good deeds, I'm not going to align with your ideology. Tossing quirkless aside is unacceptable to me."

"What a shame. Hopefully, all the villains you encounter and learn about make you see what's actually important. Goodbye!" He was still angry.

The boy was riding the elevator down.

"Crap! I should have asked for an autograph before the talk! Now it would be too awkward."

Sensation: How did it go?

Tiger: He offered me a good deal, but we disagreed on a topic of quirkless folks.

Sensation: Oh no, did he attack you?

Tiger: Yes, but I let it slide.

Sensation: Why do you care about those people in the first place? You have a bullied friend or something?

Tiger: It's not that. I believe that every person deserves respect and care, no matter the quirk.

Sensation: Boring.

Tiger: Well, my reasoning doesn't have to be exciting.

Sensation: I hope you'll see the error in your ways and reconsider. In the meantime, I got myself a new apartment thanks to a better salary. How about we spend some quality time together?

Tiger: Wait, does this mean you won't go you-know-where anymore?

Sensation: I don't really need to. If you want, I can come directly to you home for play sessions.

Tiger: I think my mom wouldn't appreciate that. She wants at least some semblance of normality at home.

Sensation: Fine, the old place it is then. So, will you come to me?

Tiger: Sorry, I've already promised my friends a lot of things, so we'll have to do it later.

Sensation: Me and my hands will miss you!