[UP FOR ADOPTION] Nozomu (A My Hero Academia fanfic)

Chapter 29: Establishment

And with that, she returned to her workshop and began to collect her things. Her fragile hand hesitated over the blueprints. What use were they now? Especially since she was now deprived of the ability to produce their designs; they were surely pointless. Not one of her fellow students had undertaken this project in particular. Even when she originally asked for the blueprints, the administration expressed their confusion since she was also the first to ask about it after its original creator passed some years ago. They only kept it around as a memento of a bygone era. 

The inventor: one Akira Hano, was a pioneer for his time, known for his often outlandish and utopian ideas. Surprisingly, they were actually within the realms of both possibility and affordability. The weather machine was his most promising invention yet. Unfortunately for Hano, it was to be his last. When quirks made themselves known, most if not all of governmental attention was diverted to it and the support items used in tandem. Therefore, technological research was effectively defunded almost instantly, including for the likes of the poor inventor. Devastated, the man died soon after, surrounded by the very people that caused his downfall.

His revolutionary work was relegated to obscurity for the longest time while those who did know of Hano deemed his ideas not worth investing in. They had quirks that could accomplish half of what he created anyway, so what was the point?

Ultimately, Melissa grabbed the paper and stuffed it back into her satchel. She would rather it have a chance of being useful than being doomed to sit in a chest of drawers until it inevitably withers away just like its maker before it.

On her journey back from the citadel where Haiteku was located, she noticed some things that she supposed she herself had neglected to realise prior. For every sympathetic glance she received, Melissa noted at least ten malicious ones digging into her back. As soon as she would look their way however, said people returned to their prior actions like their actions had never transpired. It was clear as day what reason they had to do it. Because of the most recent changes it meant they no longer had to hide their prejudice behind the veil of the internet and closed doors.

Eventually, she reached her house: a medium sized residence on the outskirts of the island. She and her father lived there alone for the most part. Sometimes, one of his work friends would stay over for a night or two on some random assignment. Opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of her father head deep in his work as per usual. 

She would later recall the significantly more tense atmosphere that clouded the room that evening.

David Shield was certainly a dedicated man. He had spent his entire working life in the presence of quirks, fascinated by their unique applications. He was himself responsible for quite a few of the most common support items used by heroes today. Though this sheer commitment took its toll on his psyche as time went on. His social interactions outside of his work was practically nonexistent; he claimed to always be 'in the middle of a breakthrough' or something like that whenever someone invited him to so much as a night out. Heck, he would only really converse with two people.

The first was obvious, All Might was not someone people just have a friendship with, he's the number one hero for crying out loud! Melissa was pretty sure the man treated her more like a daughter than her own father at times. The other person was his wife, a beautiful woman who he fell in love with from the moment he first laid eyes on her. Although she did not share the same passion for tech as he did nor did she even possess a quirk, David loved her regardless, which is why it hurt him so much when she died in childbirth. Afterwards, he concentrated his efforts on raising the final reminder of her legacy: their child.