Twenty Chapters, finally...
To everyone taking the time out of their day to read this little fic of mine, thank you, really. This is a simple past time for me, writing and all, and the fact it's getting such warm reception is pretty amazing. Thanks everyone.
Tensions rise as our Heroes face against the dreaded Robot Inferno!
"He's insane! Have you folks ever seen anything like him?! I certainly haven't! 1-A's Son Goku's a complete monster! Trashing our designated zero-pointers like they're nothing! How radical, dude!" The Pro-Hero shrieked through the speakers. As the nearby, turbulent crowds roared in their seats with frenzied exhilaration at the events of the obstacle race, Present Mic, sitting above in the announcer booth with Eraser Head, only edged them on, stirring up a loud commotion in the U.A. stadium as he continued detailing the ever-changing current events, play-by-play.
Meanwhile, the students of U.A. watched with disbelieved eyes and open lips as one-by-one, mechanical behemoth after mechanical behemoth fell to Son Goku's fists and kicks, disassembled, torn, and ripped to shreds. Chunks of scrap metal, wiring, and oil, spewed from whatever remained of the tall robots, as students watched in terror as the debris flew everywhere in direction, crashing into the ground like the pieces of a collapsing skyscraper.
"Holy crap, that guy's insane!" Someone exclaimed. "Wow! Watch it!" Suddenly, another student shouted. Some of the participants screamed, dodging the raining, incoming debris. Unexpected destruction now cluttered the race pathway, and students now had little choice but to act accordingly. This was a race, not a battle royal.
"Wow… he's really amazing…" From their seats, Bulma and Yamcha watched Goku up on one of the stadium screens as he continued to pulverize each and every one of the massive robots he could get his little strong hands. "He was crazy strong when we last saw him, but this is unreal…"
"You kiddin'?" Master Roshi sat back in his chair. "This is nothin' for him. He's barely even using an ounce of his true strength. That's for later down the road."
"It's a wise tactic, indeed." Tien agreed, watching the screen above with all three eyes, keenly. "Compared to Goku, those machines are like paper tigers caught in a unyielding storm. Truth be told, those students are nowhere near Son's level, which makes me wonder why he decided to attend a hero school to begin with."
Master Roshi smiled as he spoke about the boy similar to a parent watching their child graduate from school. "It mind sound strange, but Goku's undergoing a different kind of training here at U.A. He's already plenty strong as is. Only one a year ago, when he trained under me, with a hundred pound shell on his back, Goku was able to push a 800-ton rock and even swim halfway across the earth in a single day."
"That's," The young genius returned her attention to the big overhead screen, watching Goku's confrontation with the great machines, "amazing…"
"Indeed, but what Goku needs right now isn't more strength and power."
On screen, the monkey boy leapt agilely onto the top of another zero-pointer's head, digging his hardened fist deep into the machine's green metal armor, tearing out it's circuits with his bare hands.
"He simply needs more competition…"
As the crowds continued watching the action unfold, Present Mic persisted with his verbal tirade: "The first event is the obstacle course race! It's a lap around the stadium made just for today! According to the rules, anything's fair game so long as our contestants stay in bounds. It's a harsh game of chicken! And all the action is brought to you by the camera robots at each location!"
"Huh, didn't expect that." Ignoring his monkey-like, supernatural classmate, Todoroki reignited his quirk, sending forth a frosty glacier storm by throwing up his arm. KRAK! The barrage of ice spewed ahead and froze two of the massive zero-pointers, solid in their tracks, creating a temporary pathway to slip through the proclaimed Robo Inferno.
Immediately, other students were quick to take notice of the opening. "He stopped 'em! We can get through that gap!" Swiftly, a good portion of the students charged through the frosty hallway after Todoroki.
"Bad idea. I froze them in pretty unstable positions…" He peaked back at his pursuers, as the frozen titans overhead began to violently shake, almost as if they were both responsive to his words. "So they'd fall."
With relative ease, Todoroki cleared the danger zone, as the weakened structural points gave in, and the two frozen behemoths collapsed under their own weight, crashing back down onto the ground, causing yet another massive tremor to shake up the course. CRAASSH! Instantly, a flurry of Ice and dust, alike, clouded the students' peripherals.
"1-A's Todoroki! Busting through and sabotaging the others in one move! This guy's cold!" The announcer screeched into the microphone. "Amazing! He's way ahead of the pack! Almost feels… unfair! Makes ya wonder, will 1-A's Son Goku try and catch up with him, or continue focusing on the endless supply of zero-pointers!"
"Tch…!" Midoriya glanced up at the incoming massive entourage of backup machinery, still blocking the pathway for him and the others. "Think, dude! Think…" Another massive green-painted zero-pointer loomed high above, as smaller infantry-tasked robots entered the fray to make present matters worse. Quickly now…! Gotta find a way past while dealing with these robots…! What now?!
"Yes! Aim for the humans' legs!" One of the smaller robots hollered through its speakers. "Smash the humans!" There was no immediate way out.
Around him, some students began to panic and shout. "H-Hey, there're kids pinned under there!" Thanks to the destructive nature of the arena, several participants were now trapped under the fallen wreckage of the robotic corpses.
"They've gotta be dead!" Someone screamed. "I didn't know we could be killed during this thing!"
"Wait," another person exclaimed, "do you hear that?!"
BANG! BANG! Suddenly, an ostentatious, audible clanging struck away from under the piles of destroyed material, growing louder and louder amidst the screaming, flabbergasted students. "Dead?! As if!" The trapped student bellowed from his chest as he burst through the green armor plating like a prairie dog spurting from the dirt ground.
"1-A's Kirishima was crushed!"
Thanks to his quirk, Hardening, Kirishima was able to turn his body rock-hard—the ultimate combination of an offensive and defensive build—and thankfully survive the massive robots that collapsed on top of him. "That bastard Todoroki!" He cursed his classmate. "Timing their fall like that! I'd be dead if it wasn't me!"
Eijiro Kirishima quirk: Hardening. His body turns hard as a rock! It's the ultimate offense and defense!
"Class A's just full of jerks, huh…!" Suddenly, another student, covered in steel shining skin, tore their way out the rubble too. "I'd be dead if I wasn't me!" He angrily shouted, staring down the range at Todoroki, the student in lead.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu quirk: Steel. His body can turn as hard as steel! It's the ultimate offense and defense!
"The dude from class B!" Kirishima exclaimed, surprised by the unexpected competition.
"Class B's Tetsutetsu was also flattened! Ouch!" Present Mic, again, howled over the announcement. Similar to Kirishima's very own quirk, Tetsutetsu could turn his body hard as steel by generating a protective, natural reinforcement over his body.
"You copycat!" Kirishima shouted, his pride wounded, as he jumped out of the man-made crater and took off in an immediate sprint. "I'm generic enough as it is!" He whined, tailing after the students in the race's lead.
"Lucky… they can just smash though without worrying about being crushed." Kaminari frowned, trying to formulate together a plan of action. Unlike his other fellow classmates, excluding Midoriya, he couldn't control his quirk without disadvantaging himself. Surrounding him, however, a number of other students were stuck together as well.
"Hey," a random from class B turned to Kaminari and the others, "let's team up for now so we can carve a path through!" He honorably proposed, likely thinking the same thing as the others. At this rate, without taking action, they weren't going to get anywhere with this race.
Kaminari glanced at a few others, then nodded. "Alright, let's—"
BOOM! Without warning, a student blazed past the others, his hands both discharging an explosive blast serving as extra propulsion and velocity, charging headfirst towards the massive robots onward. Can't let anyone—especially that two-face guy—get ahead of me! Bakugou changed his trajectory, lifting off into the air. KABOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Increasing the strength in his firepower, the scowling student soared high into the air, scaling the massive, hulking zero-pointers like it was child's play.
"Down low didn't work for 1-A's Bakugou, so he took the high road! Clever!" Hearing the announcer's excited commentary, a sharp grin formed across Bakugou's expression as he passed over the great machine. He relished in the rush and exhilarating thrill of a challenge, unafraid of the challenges both present and to later come.
"With your personality, I was sure you'd bust your way through." As gravity began to drag him back down, Bakugou glanced over his shoulder to identify the speaker of the close voice. Close behind him, Sero and Tokoyami passed over the great zero-pointer's head. Sero grinned with all his teeth. "But you avoided a fight! HEHEH!"
Hanta Sero quirk: Tape. He shoots a tape-like material from his circular shaped elbows! He can use it to wrap things up! He can even detach it and lay down traps!
"Allow me to follow in your wake." Tokoyami spoke to Bakugou, then glanced back at the manifestation of darkness carrying him. "We're landing." The ethereal creature nodded, following his master's command. "Gotcha!"
Fumikage Tokoyami quirk: Dark Shadow. He harbors a shadow beast within him that can materialize and morph at will!
The distinctive Pro Hero, Present Mic, nearly blew out the surrounding speakers as he shouted: "The current leaders of the pack are overwhelmingly from Class A!"
"How interesting." Back in the seating of the stadium, Tien commentated on the Hero's recent statement. "Class B and even the others aren't bad. It's just…"
"You've noticed, huh? Class A knows there's little time to hesitate." Master Roshi snickered from under his white facial hair, then glanced up at the faculty booth where All Might and the other instructors sat. "I talked to one of my old students, presently an instructor here at U.A., and he provided me with some insight."
"These kids've been exposed to the outside world, up close and personal. They've already had that fear planted into em'. And they've endured it, overcome it, and each has grown from that experience…" A vestige of the past, the Old Man thought back to when Son Goku first started his rigorous training. "…And forgotten how to hesitate."
Meanwhile, returning to the scene of the obstacle course, Midoriya just barely sidestepped a wild lashing from one of the smaller infantry bots, ducking his head under its massive metal-clubbed fist. Pulsating with sheer adrenaline, Midoriya slid his body on the gravel below and kept his pace going, looking for something, anything that could assist him in this current predicament. Suddenly, he spotted something up ahead.
Lying on the ground, a metal remnant of one of the clobbered zero-pointers. It's an armor plate from one of those giants that Todoroki and Goku have been taking down! Without wasting the opportunity, he dashed for the spare part, wrapping both his arms promptly around the makeshift shield. This contest's only just begun! As he sprinted and strenuously dragged along the heavy slab of discarded metal, Midoriya glanced upwards at his classmate, Goku, airborne and fighting. I can't rely on One For All just yet!
Baring down onto his tail, one of the infantry machines from earlier quickly drew up close to attack from behind. Midoriya grit his teeth, sprinting with all the leg power he could muster. They made 'em pretty tenacious! The robot was locked on, refusing to let up. But Midoriya knew he could use that too.
"C'mon!" Anticipating the attack, Midoriya pivoted his foot sideways, bringing his whole body around with the large shield in tow. KRAK! The armor plating smashed through the robots armor and sliced apart its insides, shredding the mechanical purser clean in two. Works as a shield too. This thing's real handy, actually! Holding onto the piece of armor for dear life, Midoriya continued running forward, down the trail leading eventually to the finish line.
Move! Keep moving! No matter what, he knew first and foremost that he couldn't stop now. All For One was not an option to use just yet, otherwise he'd be left to meander the remainder of the obstacle course, half-dead. "Next, I've gotta get past—!"
"Pierce the blue sky," A rush of intense heat stopped Midoriya dead in his tracks, just as a gale of super hot air forced him backwards, making him fall onto the ground, along with the other nearby students— who cried out and winced from the sudden change in temperature—and neighboring infantry robots, "flames of purgatory."
Above, dangling from atop one of the zero-pointers, Goku swiftly took notice to the unexpected buildup of heat and raw power, turning his head to look down below.
Calling it an intimidation of force would be a grave understatement. WHOOSH! A sea of bright crimson flame, taking shape of a great, unrelenting serpent, descended upon the midsection of the obstacle course, melting and incinerating anything and everything directly in its the way. The great, accumulated fire enveloped several of the countless machines like the waves of a typhoon swallowing a beachside, turning all into ash, then nothing. The students and audience, alike, went mute as the great destruction outspread before them. Even the remaining robots struggled to avoid the scorched, decimated earth as best as possible.
"What an unbelievable sight to behold! Why try and squeeze past the competition when you can just blow it all away!" Eventually, the huge sea of flame dissipated into the sky, leaving behind a crude pathway for its original conjurer. Outlined in a vivid orange-red aura, bright as the sun, the same fiery hue as her feisty ruby-red eyes, Stella Vermillion, a genuine, bonafide princess, strolled through the clearing with impudence and unshakable authority, her crimson ponytails swaying side-to-side after each step.
Stella Vermillion quirk: Laevateinn. A golden broadsword with red markings on the hilt and is clad in the Dragon Breath's flames. Super hot and dangerous, it's the ultimate powerhouse!
"Huh," she did a quick glance around, noticing equal terror and shock in both her fellow peers and the remaining slightly autonomous machines, "maybe I overdid it?" The fire coating her golden blade flickered out, and Stella patiently waited.
Suddenly, falling back to the earth, from somewhere in the sky, the young classmate who'd caught her most sincere keenness immediately came, as she'd secretly hoped he would. "Wow! You trained a lot, huh?!" Son Goku landed before her, grinning from ear-to-ear. Despite having destroyed a great number of machines, too many to count, he'd barely dropped a lick of sweat.
"You were watching?" She smirked, feeling a tad high and mighty. "I'm flattered, but do not think me a fool, even for a second. Son Goku, I can tell that you're hiding your true strength. Todoroki, Momo, and that idiot, Bakugou, aside, I'm certain you will be the toughest opponent I eventually face." Though the race was still going on, the robots paid them no heed, fully aware of what these two, specifically, were capable of.
She's good, all right! Goku, suddenly, found himself giggling, giddy with innocent excitement. His Master, Muten Roshi, told him that there would be strong, talented fighters, students wanting to prove themselves eligible for the Pro Hero market, here at U.A., and Goku was hyped to face them all. And he could tell, without a shadow of a doubt, that this girl was pretty darn strong.
"Don't try and push your luck. You're tough, but don't let that strength get to your head." Stella sheathed away her golden weapon, then turned around to continue running down the racecourse at a hassle-free pace. She didn't look back.
"Okay… if you say so!" He watched his classmate disappear from view as the last, remaining group of robots surrounded the lingering students. KABOOM! The intimidation factor was short-lived, and the remaining zero-pointers exploded into a thousand jagged pieces, raining down metal and oil all over the track way.
"Piece of cake!" A beautiful teenage girl, showing off her bare stomach and sporting a uniquely spiked ponytail, Momo, proudly declared aloud as she destroyed the remaining zero-pointers with a makeshift artillery cannon, created from her very skin. BOOM! The metal cannon fired once more, tearing through the last of the remaining robots.
Momo Yaoyorozu quirk: Creation. She has the ability to create any non-living material from her exposed skin through the molecular manipulation of her fat cells!
"Hey, a path's opened up!" Everyone, Midoriya included, made a break for it, rushing past the defeated robots. "That zero-pointer fell on its ass!" Someone laughed.
"How's everyone beating zero-pointers so easily…!" Sato kept his head down as he ran alongside his fellow classmates. Everyone finally made it through the Robot Inferno, quickly entering the next stage of the race.
Above in the teachers' booth, watching over the many participating students, Pro Hero Snipe talked over with All Might. "You're better off dodgin' these fellas in the exam, but they're just slow hunks of metal if ya try takin' 'em down. Long as you find a weak point, that is…" His attention shifted over to Midoriya. That kid knows how crazy this is, but he keeps busting through by the skin of his teeth! Go on! Just keep going!
Next time on Gotta Heed The Call Of Magic Dragon Balls: The Fall! A Winner Decided! And A Devil Maiden's Heart Is Finally Answered?! Till next time, see ya!