Dispatch x My Hero Academia crossovers are hilarious because it immediately shuts down the whole "Can a Quirkless/Powerless person become a hero?" question with a solid "Fuck yeah."
Mecha Man going to public conventions and panels for the first time in forever, at the behest of Mandy, to drum up support for SDN in other regions.
This is where he discovers that the Powered-to-Unpowered ratio in a lot of places is more lopsided. Japan for example; has only a quarter of their population be without powers or mutation - and that's heavily leaning towards the older population.
SDN is asked to send representatives to a special Q&A panel at Musutafu Hero Con. Apparently the event planner believes that showing a more community-focused approach to superheroism will help steer people away from the oversaturated agency market.
Blazer agrees wholeheartedly - offering to send the Z-Team and other SDN employees on a fully-paid trip to Japan while the Torrance branch is being rebuilt.
The Z-Team don't even try fighting the offer - a vacation "just" to speak for a few hours at a convention? Sign them up!
(Depending on how strict air travel is in this universe - the planes are fitted with power-dampeners to prevent... incidents.)
Robert is asked to appear as Mecha Man - as non-powered supers are exceedingly rare in Japan, even in the modern day. Robert agrees, as long as he can bring the Mech Suit + doesn't have to attend the dispatcher's panel.
Robert underestimates how big a deal Mecha Man is in Japan.
When Mecha Man Blue hops on stage at a con and is introduced as THE Quirkless Super Hero!?! The crowd goes nuts. There's a massive crowd of fans wearing Mecha Man merchandise from across different eras, licensed and fan-made. There's older people waving Mecha Man Prime banners, and families dressed as different generations of Mecha Men.
Robert is honestly a little overwhelmed?
When it finally comes to the Q&A portion Mecha Man is asked;
How was he trained? - "Home school and a lot of self-teaching."
Is the Mech Suit the same one as Astral's? - "Not entirely. Since my dad's suit was damaged in an explosion almost a year ago, a fantastic technician helped to design the new suit while using materials from the older model."
Were you born Quirkless, or was your Quirk taken away? - "Still getting used to the Quirk terminology, but I was born without powers of any kind... And I'm pretty sure I never picked one up along the way."
Who is your toughest foe? - "Besides Shroud? I'd say a certain arsonist I now work with." ("You flatter me, Mecha Dick.")
It's the final question, asked by a nervous little boy wearing an All-Might hoodie, that gives the hero pause.
Izuku: "Can I still become a hero? Even if I don't have a Quirk?"
Robert looks at the question asker carefully. The kid has restrained hopeful look as if he's preparing himself for disappointment.
Robert looks over the crowd of fans once more.
Back in the States - Mecha Man was "just" a legacy hero. Grandpa Bobby was the first of his kind, and many more followed.
The people here have yet to have their own Quirkless hero rise up.
Robert: "Yes. But only if you work hard at it. Not having powers will put you a great disadvantage yes, but you're foes will never know what next trick is up your sleeve. I'm at a slightly unfair advantage as the third in the line of Mecha Men - but I know how it feels when you think you're powerless. So yes, you can become a hero without a Quirk."
(*awed silence fails over the crowd. the little boy's eyes well with happy tears.*)
Robert: "And if anyone says otherwise, I will personally kick their ass."
His closing statement makes the room erupt into laughter and cheers.
The little boy is blubbering thank yous as the mic operator has him step back into the crowd.
Robert spends the rest of the convention signing autographs and meeting people who've always admired Mecha Man - in any form.
It's the kids that really get him though.
The little boy with the All-Might hoodie will later ask Mecha Man to sign so many posters and toys (Robert didnt even know they made plushies), and introduce himself as Izuku Midoriya aka Deku.
Robert: "Deku? Oh! Like the cool shrub guys from Legend of Zelda! I'll make sure to keep an ear out if I ever hear that name on the airwaves!"
The boy faints from joy, much to Robert's surprise.
Mecha Man isn't the only hero with his own fanclub.
Sonar and Golem are nearly mobbed by people with obvious mutations and hybrid traits. A little boy with a covered face and membraned arms tells Sonar that he's his hero. Sonar is so proud that he turns Megabat.
A boy with a rocky face asks Golem in a whisper if he likes animals. Golem smiles wide and tells him of the time he babysat a tiger.
Malevola is taking a selfie with a little girl with pink skin and horns. A girl crowned with thorns asks her religious questions, and is puzzled when the demoness says she's Atheist.
Coupe is showing a pair of children (one physical, the other confined to shadows) how her wings work. A little girl with sharp teeth and a wild expression asks her if she needs blood to fuel her power - Coupe answers calmly "Infrequently. Mostly I enjoy the taste."
Punch Up is showing off his strength to a number of people born with height deformities.
Flambae nearly gets in trouble for telling an explosive child to "Don't talk about people like that, you little shit!" - after the kid said a derogatory term for Quirkless people.
Waterboy meets a froggy little girl that compliments his wetsuit. And a swarm of children with life-altering Quirks say he inspired them to become a heroes. He's so flustered that he can barely speak.
Prism records a mini music video with the daughter of musicians. She tells her that they can collaborate whenever she wants. A little blonde boy shows off his Prism-inspired hero outfit, with her approval.
Invisigal nearly collides with her first super-fan - a little girl who's body turned permanently invisible when she was very young, and wishes she could control it like her. Visi wheezes with pride.
Many of Phenomaman's fans are people who feel "alien" in some way, not just physically.
Overrall, it's a very eye-opening experience.
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