Peace At Any Cost

The R-7000

Melissa Shield's life was one of mixed reactions. Most were very supportive of her, due to her high intelligence and promising future. Though some, even those who support her, put her down due to one factor. Her lack of quirk. She was quirkless, always has been, always will be. In the eyes of many, she would never amount to much more than an inventor. Or perhaps engineer. Even those jobs were now dominated by quirks. 

Her father, David Shield, was a genius inventor. Even his weak, very niche quirk gave him an edge in his field. He had always supported Melissa, and claims he always will, but even he was hesitant to let his daughter seek a career in heroics. Even as a support agency engineer. It was to dangerous, he says. Even the ones in the background get attacked by villains. And she was quirkless, so she was in even more danger, he says. 

"But Dad, quirks won't matter there, they legally can't use them against anyone anyway, not even villains. I'll be in no more danger than any of the others."

"Melissa you don't get it. I won't have you putting yourself in danger just to prove people wrong. Just because people think you can't doesn't mean you should!"

"But what if I had someone with me. I'll befriend hero students, work with them as pros. Every support worker has hero connections."

"You really think many will associate with someone quirkless?!"

Melissa fell silent. She fixed her eyes on the floor, and tried not to cry at the words her father had just said. All her life she was put down because of her quirkless status. By strangers, classmates, teachers. And now, it seemed, it was her fathers turn to get in on it. She turned to leave.

"Melissa, I-I didn't mean..."

Too late. She had already left the room. David sat down, head in hands. He truly had not meant to say it like that. He got too far into the protective side, and had degraded her instead. He only wanted to keep her safe. But he had just become what everyone else on the island already was. Just another voice telling her she couldn't do it.

Melissa left the room in a hurry. The tears she tried so desperately to hide now flowed down her pale cheeks. She didn't stop running until she reached her workshop. The one advantage of her father being a famous inventor. 

"Athena, activate project Ravager."

Her AI friend, Athena, was someone Melissa designed to assist in her work. To provide information, support and generally make life in the workshop easier.

Athena did as asked, and a panel opened in a section of the workshop. A whirring noise echoed, and a large figure was presented to the room. It was a huge, menacing figure. It stood at around 6 foot 4, it's torso resembling a ribcage. It was silvery grey in colour, with purple outlines and a purple spine. It had no mouth, had a white protective cover over his main face and black wires that come down from the back of his head that mimic a mane of hair. It's dark grey and black limbs hung loosely as it was lowered to the floor, and it's eyes lit up, like a machine powering up. A deep, robotic voice resonated from it's form.

"Miss Shield, how may I be of assistance?"

"I-I need to be with someone at the minute, R-7000. You were the only one I could come to."

"I am honoured, Miss Shield, to be the one you think of. I suppose Athena has no physical form, though."

A robotic laugh that sounded a little too human sounded. Even Melissa laughed a bit, to which the R-7000 was pleased.

"I suppose not R-7000."

"So tell me, Miss Shield. What bothers you?"

"I-It's my father. He... said something just now that, well, got to me. He implied that no-one would want to be my friend, because I'm quirkless."