Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - the Source of Heroism
The girl called in English, bouncing off of her contraption only to be caught by AllMight and pulled her into a hug.
"Melissa!"
AllMight seemed delighted to see her. She hugged AllMight tightly and giggled like a child. If the girl didn't call AllMight, uncle then people would mistake her for being his daughter as both had blonde hair.
"Long time no see, Melissa! I almost didn't recognize you!"
The girl, Melissa, pulled back from the hug but AllMight was still easily carrying her into his arms.
"Hehe, I'm sixteen now, Uncle Might! Aren't I a little bit heavier?"
"Never, my dear! Even with this muscle of mine, You're still the same darling child I used to carry in my arms!"
They laughed, and All Might set her down gently. The others were silently watching from the side as the three women were looking at her and knowing Izuku would immediately strike a friendly conversation without realizing the conclusion.
"Where's Dave, that old rascal?"
"Papa's in his lab, waiting for you. He couldn't come get you himself, so he sent me instead. It looks like he was finishing the last stage of some research he began years ago. You're just in time to see it."
"Hahaha is that so. What was the research about?"
"Confidential. He wouldn't even tell me but I heard it was about the evolution of animals having quirks."
Izuku understood it since he was the one who helped hypnotize the possibility of animals having quirks. The only known one is the principle of UA, Nezu. Even then no one knows what race that Rat god is.
"That damned Dave, keeping things from his daughter like that. I'll be sure to give him a talking to for you."
"That's right! You tell him, Uncle!"
Melissa pouted in faux anger. All Might patted her head before motioning at his student that made Melissa curious to see them.
"Melissa, I want you to meet my students! I have been training them for the last 5 months months! I've decided to bring them here to continue their training for the next 2 months."
"2 months!? Does that mean you're staying here for the time being!"
She grew excited to have more time to spend with her Uncle who rarely visits her.
"Got that right! This is the best place I can think of teaching them!"
Melissa smiled and turned towards them with a curious look. All Might coughed and gestured for them to get closer.
"Katsuki Bakugou, It's nice to meet you...I guess."
Bakugou spoke in English that had a hard accent but enough to strike a few conversations.
"Come on, Now Kacchan! Give some spirit into it!"
"Hey fuck you, Deku! I'm not a damn nerd like you so I give jack shit!"
"Bleh! That's sound gay man."
"You want a fight, Deku!?"
"Stop it, you two!"
The two began to quarrel, making AllMight give an apologetics expression while Itsuka enlarged his fist to give them a smack, surprising Mellissa. Izuku instinctually evades her while Bakugou follows suit and barely dodges.
"Not today, big hands!"
"Oh you've grown faster, Kacchan."
"Are you two done!?
"Yeah, Sorry about that."
"It's fine but aren't you two friends? Why are you fighting?"
"That's what friends are! We bicker but don't have hard feelings."
Melissa was confused, she never was close to many people and those around her tended to make her uncomfortable. It was her first time interacting with different people.
Not only that, her contact with other people her age is very limited since she spent most of her time in her workshop, or in the lab where she was surrounded by middle aged people working as a scientist or engineers
It doesn't help that she skipped grades and doesn't feel quite comfortable with her classmates.
"Hey girls, can you please get along with Melissa. She doesn't have many friends her age or even female friends."
All Might whisper to the three young girls nodding as they sympathize with her knowing how lonely it is to be surrounded by nothing but machines and tech never to experience the outside world.
"Anyway, I'm Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you, Melissa Shield. I've heard a bit that you helped make some Pro Heroes costumes, is it true?"
"It's nice to meet you too and yes, I did help but Papa mostly did the work for them."
"You know, I'm sort of a scientist myself. I made some tech and here let me give an example. Gideon, if you may."
Melissa was a little bit surprised when the speedster created a holographic image of a woman. For someone who lives surrounded by it was her first time seeing another artificial intelligence.
[Greetings, Melissa Shield, I am Gideon, A Super Artificial Intelligent ready to assist Izuku at any command.]
"Oh wow! You made this? How long did you program her? What type of materials did you use??"
She took his hands without hesitation to have a better look at the watch, surprised at her bold action. Melissa lacked common sense and personal space after being engrossed about tech.
The other girls were a bit jealous that Izuku got relatively closer to her just by showing some tech.
"It took me 2 years to develop as I started when I was 10."
"Wait, how old are you now?"
"14?"
"Wow you're smarter than me! I can't even program this complex!!"
The two got lost talking about tech until AllMight interrupted their sweet moment getting their attention.
"I don't want to ruin the fine but we should get going."
"Oh right, Follow me! Papa would be delighted to see you!"
They continued their introduction along the way getting close with the other girls. The three agreed that she was innocent to have any bad intention for Izuku.
"Can I ask what your quirks are?"
"Mine is simply enlarging my fist and can't make the other part bigger. "(Itsuka)
"Fascinating! How about you, Jiro?"
"Earphone jack lets me plug into any surface and hear the vibration while also using a speaker to transfer the sound of my heartbeat."(Jiro)
"That is useful for knowing the enemies location. Then you, Yaoyorozu?"
"I used lipids as materials to create anything besides living things and depending on my understanding of the chemical structure of the items."(Momo)
"Thank you for answering! I would have loved to make you guys tech but maybe Midoriya already did that for you guys?"
"He did."(Itsuka)
"How about you, Melissa-san? What is your quirk?"(Jiro)
An awkward silence followed as AllMight glanced towards them and felt slightly guilty for not giving his quirk to her but the danger that comes with it is too much for her to handle.
"I'm actually Quirkless."
They pale in horror while Izuku perks up hearing that she was quirkless.
"Sorry that I asked…"(Jiro)
She felt guilty for asking the question knowing how painful it is to be quirkless since Izuku had told them about his own experience. Melissa shook his head.
"I don't mind. I've already moved on from becoming a hero and decided to be like my papa instead!"
"You can always be a hero, though? I, myself, had been treated quirkless since my quirk came late but kept my dream. I even thought of becoming the first quirkless hero. Perhaps you're like me? A late bloomer?"
Melissa hearing his words somehow reignites her dream of being a hero herself, someone like her Uncle who smiled while saving people.
The three girls inwardly sighed knowing that another addition was added without the speedster realizing it.
"Even if you're not a late bloomer and are quirkless, who can say technology can't beat Quirk? Intellect itself can be a quirk!"
'Young man, you truly are someone to be an inspiration. A pillar of hope!'
AllMight thought of hearing his successor's speech. Melissa wondered if it was possible to be a hero without a quirk.
"Can someone quirkless be a hero, Uncle might?"
"Of course! Quirk is a tool but not a source of heroism. Instead it is here and here. When both combined, that's what makes a hero."
AllMight pointed at her heart and mind showing that without being logical then it would just throw your life away while without a heart you would be nothing but a machine. Melissa smiled hearing her uncle started to lean to being a hero.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone