The Symbol of Peace and Justice

Chapter 4 – Top Dog

The sun shone brightly above U.A. High School, its gleaming rays reflecting off the building's windows and bathing it in a welcoming light. A scare few clouds floated across the sky, making for a pretty picture that added to the wholly pleasant atmosphere in the air.

That atmosphere was promptly ignored by two bickering high school students as they hurried down the sidewalk towards U.A, expertly weaving through a crowd of people.

"Come on, Sato, hurry it up! We're going to be late!" Gohan grumbled to his friend, speed walking around a corner and stamping his foot impatiently.

Sato raised an eyebrow in response and maintained his steady pace, unfazed by Gohan's words. "And whose fault is that exactly?"

Gohan mumbled something under his breath and looked away sheepishly, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. Sato grinned at the sight.

"Ha! That's what I thought!" he exclaimed haughtily.

"Well… you didn't have to wait for me to buy those waffles when you saw how big the line was," Gohan protested, swivelling his head back to glare lightly at his friend. "If you'd gone ahead of me you'd probably be in class by now."

Sato shrugged. "Meh. It wouldn't have felt right to make an entrance without my sidekick by my side."

"I'm touched that you think so highly of me," Gohan deadpanned, sweatdropping at the remark.

"Don't mention it," Sato chirped jauntily. "I'd clap you on the back but I don't want to ruffle that school uniform of yours. Can you believe it? We actually have nice uniforms for once!"

"I never understood your fascination with school uniforms," Gohan replied, eyeing Sato with a weary gaze. "They're just clothes."

"Is it a crime to want to look nice after years of looking like crap?" Sato fired back, pouting at the demi-Saiyan. "Just because you have the fashion sense of a dinosaur doesn't mean I should too."

"Dinosaurs don't wear clothes, Sato," Gohan responded in a level tone.

Sato facepalmed at the remark. "That's not what I- you know what? Forget I said anything."

Gohan chuckled inwardly, basking in a brief feeling of triumph. It wasn't often that he got under Sato's skin, as his friend was a lot more banter-savvy than he was, so he made sure to relish the few times it did happen.

Truth be told, Gohan did agree that the U.A. school uniforms looked nice. The white dress shirt contrasted nicely with the light grey jacket, and the dress pants were a nice shade of dark green – a colour he'd always liked. The red necktie topped off the ensemble by giving it a classy look befitting U.A.'s high standards, without looking overly formal.

The uniform really was pleasing on the eye, and it was a welcome change from the ghastly outfit they were forced to wear in middle school. Gohan just didn't want to give Sato the gratification of knowing he was right.

Having finally reached their destination, Gohan and Sato stepped through the giant white arches that led into the campus, only for the former of the two to come to a sudden stop when something slammed into his back.

Surprised, Gohan turned to face the source of the disturbance, and his eyes widened when he saw a frail-looking boy sitting on the ground, a pained grimace on his freckled face as he rubbed his curly green hair.

Quickly putting the pieces together, Gohan panicked and held out his hand to the downed boy. "Hey, you okay down there?" he asked worriedly.

The green-haired boy clasped the offered hand and allowed himself to be helped to his feet. He gave Gohan a shaky smile and bowed gratefully. "I'm f-fine. This is nothing. Sorry for running into you."

"Ahh, don't worry about it, I'm just glad you're alright," Gohan exclaimed, scratching the back of his head and gazing uneasily at the other boy, unsure whether to believe him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

The green-haired boy chuckled nervously and looked away. "Ye-yeah, I am. I'll admit, that hurt a bit, but I've taken much worse."

Sato whistled appreciatively. "Damn, that's impressive for a guy your size. Son here is as sturdy as a tank," he explained, patting Gohan on the shoulder. "He's been known to put people in the hospital just by running into them, so you got off lucky."

"Hey, don't make up stories about me!" Gohan protested, angrily crossing his arms. "That only happened once, way back in the fifth grade, and it was a complete accident! I'd never played rugby before! Besides, Suguru said he had no hard feelings since he got to miss a week of school."

"Still counts," Sato retorted, flashing a wide grin at the green-haired boy, who looked distraught at the revelation. "Anyway, where are my manners. I'm Sato Rikido, and this here is my sidekick, Son Gohan!"

The green-haired boy ignored Gohan's indignant sputtering and bowed once more. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Midoriya Izuku." He raised his head and gave the two boys a nervous smile. "I'm sorry. I'd love to stay and chat, but I really have to get to class. It's my first day of high school."

"Oh, so you're a first year like us," Gohan stated, smiling warmly. Midoriya certainly looked the part. "That's neat. What class are you in?"

"Ahh, I'm in Class 1-A," Midoriya revealed.

"Just like us," Sato exclaimed, his grin widening. "Talk about a coincidence. Why don't you stick with us while we find our room?"

"Oh! You sure? That's really nice of you guys! Thanks!" Midoriya bowed once more before falling in step beside Gohan and Sato.

The trio of teenage boys strode down the orange-bricked pathway and entered the main U.A. building through the middle of the three giant doors at the entrance. They then set off down the giant corridor, continuing their conversation from earlier.

"So, do you guys know anyone else who might be in our class?" Midoriya inquired, his tone carrying both a hint of curiosity and a tinge of apprehension.

Sato shook his head. "I didn't get to know anyone during the entrance exam, but Son here made a new friend."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. That was the first he was hearing about it. "I did? If you're talking about that girl I helped, I didn't get her name."

"I'm not talking about her; I'm talking about your buddy, Blasty McSplode!"

Gohan's face quickly morphed into a scowl. "Oh. That guy. Yeah, we became real chummy," he muttered sarcastically.

Midoriya recoiled at the sudden change in Gohan's tone. "Umm… who's Blasty McSplode?"

"Just some guy who was in the same battle centre as me," Gohan revealed, calming his features. "He had a major attitude problem."

"Not to mention an explosive temper!" Sato added jokingly.

"Yeah, that too," Gohan reaffirmed with a sigh. "Unfortunately, he did pretty well in the exam, so I have no doubt he passed. I just hope he isn't in our class."

Midoriya nervously adjusted his necktie and eyed Gohan warily. "Y-yeah… I'm with you on that."

Before the conversation could continue any further, the three boys found themselves in front of a comically oversized sliding wooden door, which had a red '1-A' painted on it.

"This seems a bit excessive," Sato commented, visibly stunned at the sight.

"Maybe it's for accessibility?" Midoriya pondered out loud, equally as surprised. "There are a huge variety of Quirks out there, after all."

"Good observation," Gohan admitted, smiling at the green-haired boy, who flushed at the praise. "Well then, are you guys ready to meet our new classmates?"

Receiving two nods of confirmation, Gohan slid open the door, and was instantly treated to the sight of two students arguing about table etiquette of all things. After hearing the door open, the squabbling duo stopped their bickering and turned their attention to the trio who had just entered the classroom.

A momentary silence engulfed the room as Gohan locked eyes with a familiar head of blond hair, who matched his stare with a furious gaze. When it finally dawned on him who he was looking at, his eyes bulged in shock and he pointed a finger at the boy, who mirrored his exact actions.

"YOU!" they shouted in unison.

"Me!" Sato chimed in randomly.

Gohan groaned and buried his head in his hands. "Of course I end up in the same class as Blasty…"

"W-wait!" came Midoriya's stunned voice. "Kacchan is Blasty McSplode?!"

Gohan lifted his head and stared at the green-haired boy with a gaping mouth. "Blasty's name is Kacchan?!"

Sato erupted in a fit of laughter, but Gohan ignored his friend in favour of gaping at the volatile blond now identified as Kacchan, who was trembling with so much rage that it seemed like steam was wafting off him.

"Deku, you worthless shit! Why the fuck are you with that gym teacher bastard?!" Kacchan roared at a trembling Midoriya, shooting to his feet so vigorously that he almost flipped over his desk. "And my name is not Kacchan, you fucking retards!"

"G-g-gym teacher? Wha-what?" Midoriya sputtered in confusion, turning to face Gohan. "Is he referring to you?"

"Alright, alright, settle down, everyone!" the tall boy who was arguing with Kacchan boomed, waving his arms as though directing traffic. "Such crude vocabulary has no place in the hallowed halls of this prestigious institution, which has been a bastion of hero education for decades! Just what would the distinguished alumni who had sat in these very rooms say if they heard you speaking in such a horrendous manner?"

The boy's robotic hand movements, as well as the glasses he was wearing, allowed Gohan to identify him as the stern Soumei student who had chewed out another examinee during Present Mic's presentation at the entrance exam. The demi-Saiyan could do nothing but sigh in exasperation. At least the class was unlikely to be boring with such colourful characters in it.

Gohan rubbed his temples wearily as the Soumei student jogged confidently towards them. Somehow, miraculously, his words had an effect on Kacchan, who kept his mouth shut in favour of fuming silently in his seat. He definitely didn't look pleased about it, though.

"I'm from Soumei Private Academy. My name is Iida Tenya," the bespectacled boy announced with aplomb.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you, Iida," Midoriya greeted in return, his voice quivering slightly.

"I'm Son Gohan," the demi-Saiyan stated, giving Iida a nod.

"Sato Rikido," his friend added with a small wave.

Iida bowed his head slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He then turned to face Midoriya and stood ramrod straight. "Midoriya, you realised there was something more to that practical exam, didn't you?"

Gohan raised an eyebrow at that. So Midoriya realised the truth about the entrance exam too? That was impressive. The green-haired boy didn't exactly exude the aura of a confident hero, but Gohan could already tell his intellect was nothing to scoff at. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly his classmate's Quirk was.

"I had no idea," Iida continued, shifting his hands into an unusual position and grimacing like he was in pain. "I misjudged you. I hate to admit it, but you are better than me!"

"Oh, that curly hair! You're the plain-looking one!" a bright and cheerful voice called from behind Midoriya, interrupting the conversation.

The four boys turned towards the source of the noise, where they saw a short girl dressed in the female version of their school uniform. She had shoulder-length brown hair with two locks framing her face and big, round, expressive brown eyes that exuded happiness. She was definitely pretty, Gohan had to admit, and she seemed quite nice as well. She also looked to have taken a shine to Midoriya, which caught the demi-Saiyan off guard.

"You passed, just like Present Mic said! Your punch was amazing!" she exclaimed to the green-haired boy, punctuating her words with an admittedly cute punching gesture.

"Come on, Son, let's go sit down," Sato said softly, having sufficiently recovered from his earlier outburst of hysterical laughter.

Gohan nodded his agreement and started moving, ignoring the vicious glare Kacchan was sending his way. Class was about to start anyway. They ended up finding two seats in the back row, with Gohan's being in the corner.

As he watched Midoriya blush and stutter his way through a conversation with the bubbly brown-haired girl, Gohan couldn't help but wonder once more about what the green-haired boy's Quirk was. He had initially assumed it had something to do with boosting his intelligence; perhaps in the analytical sense. However, the mention that he had an 'amazing punch' suggested otherwise.

Midoriya didn't look the part of a powerful fighter, but Gohan knew better than anyone that looks could be deceiving when it came to strength. Furthermore, the green-haired boy had already shown an impressive amount of durability.

Gohan was never the kind of person to toot his own horn, but he had enough self-awareness to accept that his Saiyan DNA gave him a fair few biological advantages over regular humans, one of which was a much sturdier body composition. If Midoriya managed to mostly shrug off running into him face-first, then that was something to take note of.

When the commotion at the front of the room ceased, Gohan was broken from his musing, and craned his neck so that he could see what had drawn everyone's attention. His eyes then widened when he made out what looked like a human caterpillar resting before the doorway.

Gohan blinked, then rubbed his eyes to make sure they weren't deceiving him. Upon closer inspection, the human caterpillar was actually a man in a yellow sleeping bag, which was thankfully nowhere near as disturbing, but still incredibly bizarre.

"This is the hero course," the man spoke in a drab, uninterested manner.

He wiggled his sleeping bag and brought a juice packet to his lips, which he quickly drained. He then stood up and started unzipping his sleeping bag.

"Okay, it took eight seconds before you were quiet," he droned, emerging from the bag as though exiting a cocoon. "Time is limited. You kids aren't rational enough."

Now that he was able to get a proper look at this person, Gohan could make out a tall and slender man with messy, shoulder-length black hair and an unkempt goatee, as well as a giant grey scarf wrapped around his neck. He had a pale face and half-lidded black eyes that made him look like he barely slept, and his ragged black outfit only contributed to his exhausted, world-weary appearance.

'Yeah… he's got to be a teacher,' Gohan surmised with a frown.

Having gone to a lower-end elementary and middle school, he had borne witness to several teachers who were so consistently stressed by the day to day rigours of dealing with ungrateful, unruly children, they simply stopped caring about their job and personal appearance. It was quite tragic, and Gohan sympathised with their plight.

The dark-haired man cast his tired eyes over the class. "I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shota. Nice to meet you."

'Nailed it,' Gohan thought, unamused.

Aizawa withdrew from his sleeping bag a blue tracksuit with a red trim and white stripes made to resemble the letters 'U.A.', and held it out to the class. "It's kind of sudden, but put this on and go out onto the field."

"That is one sexy looking gym uniform," Sato whispered beside Gohan, making him roll his eyes in minor annoyance.

"You have issues," Gohan grumbled to his friend, who simply smirked in response.


After everyone had gotten changed, Aizawa led the class to a large athletics field located between the main school building and a similarly gigantic gymnasium, and proceeded to explain what was on the agenda for the day.

"A Quirk assessment test?!" was the unified shout from Class 1-A at the revelation, many of the students taken aback by the news.

"What about the entrance ceremony? The orientation?" the cheerful girl who had greeted Midoriya earlier questioned.

"If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events," Aizawa explained stiffly, turning to face the girl. "U.A.'s selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are. That's also how teachers run their classes.

"You kids have been doing these since junior high, right?" he asked, pulling out a smartphone-like device that listed numerous physical activities. "Softball throwing; the standing long jump; the fifty-metre dash; endurance running; grip strength, side-to-side stepping; upper body training; seated toe touch – physical tests where you weren't allowed to use your Quirks." He paused momentarily as though expecting a reaction, but all he received was silence. "The country still uses averages taken from results from students not using their Quirks, which is quite honestly irrational. The Ministry of Education is procrastinating."

Aizawa then stepped back and cast his gaze on Gohan, catching the boy off guard. "Son, you finished at the top of the practical exam, right?"

Gohan felt his cheeks heat up when his classmates turned their eyes on him, and scratched the back of his head. "Ahh, I guess," he mumbled reservedly. Truth be told, he didn't care too much that he'd finished at the top of the rankings; he was just relieved that he and Sato both passed.

"In junior high, what was your best result for the softball throw?" Aizawa continued.

Gohan averted his gaze and his blush deepened. "One hundred and thirty-six metres."

Aizawa stared at him unflinchingly, while the other students gasped in shock. The teacher narrowed his beady eyes ever so slightly. "And that's without using your Quirk?" he pressed, a hint of scepticism seeping through in his tone.

"Yes, sensei," Gohan responded stiffly.

He remembered being tested on his softball throw in junior high school, and he did try and hold back as best he could. Unfortunately, he couldn't make it too obvious that he was holding back as that would've raised further questions, so his resulting throw was a tad further than he would've liked, much to his chagrin. He figured it would come back to bite him in the ass one day.

Aizawa held his gaze for a few moments longer before his expression returned to its neutral state. "Very well. Try using your Quirk this time," he ordered, throwing a softball to Gohan.

The demi-Saiyan caught the ball and let out a relieved sigh, then shuffled towards a painted circle on the ground, much like the ones he'd seen in Olympic throwing events. As he walked, he kept his eyes facing forward, ignoring the stunned stares of his peers.

Although he'd managed to stay under the radar in elementary school and junior high, save for a few minor slip-ups, he knew he couldn't keep that act up forever. While he still wasn't the biggest fan of being the centre of attention, and doubted he ever would be, he understood he'd have to get used to being in the public eye if he wanted to be a pro hero.

"You can do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle," Aizawa explained once Gohan reached his destination. "Hurry up. Give it all you've got."

Gohan did a few basic arm stretches and scanned over the vast field before him. If he really gave it all he had, he could probably hurl the softball into orbit… but that would be overkill. Fortunately, now that he was allowed to use his 'Quirk', he could make more of a spectacle of it while still holding back most of his strength.

With that thought in mind, he wound back his arm and flared his ki ever so slightly, generating a light wind around his figure. His hair swayed from side to side in the breeze, and the dirt on the ground was blown away by the force. A faint white glow sprang to life around his right hand, which housed the softball, and the collective breaths of everyone in the vicinity seemed to hitch.

Then, with a mighty heave, he flung the ball into the distance with the force of a rocket, watching with bated breath as it whizzed into the sky and out of sight.

Another round of gasps resonated among the other students, but Gohan paid them no heed, and stared resolutely at the spot where the ball disappeared. He pursed his lips. 'I hope I didn't overdo it…'

"Know your own limits first," Aizawa stated after a few seconds of silence, just as the measuring device he was holding beeped. "This is the most rational way to form the foundation of a hero," he added, showing the class the number displayed on the screen.

3205 metres.

The students' jaws dropped, and Gohan couldn't help but wince. On the bright side, at least the ball didn't fly past the boundaries of the school grounds. That would've been dangerous.

"S-seriously? That's crazy!" a spiky-haired blond boy mumbled breathlessly.

"That's all? I thought it'd be a lot higher," Sato teased cheekily.

"Wow! This looks fun!" a pink-skinned girl chirped enthusiastically.

"We can use our Quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course!" a boy with strangely-shaped elbows cheered.

Much to Gohan's surprise, that was the catalyst for the mood on the athletics field to shift dramatically. The gaping, awestruck expressions on the faces of his peers were gone, and in their place were eager, excited grins. Despite his initial worries, he couldn't help but be swept into the jovial atmosphere, and even registered a small smile.

"This looks fun, huh?" Aizawa muttered darkly to the pink-skinned girl, his stern tone of voice putting a sudden halt to the jubilance. "You have three years to become a hero. Are you going to keep up that attitude the whole time?"

Gohan could see where Aizawa was coming from. From an early age he'd witnessed some of the very worst evil had to offer, and he knew the depths of depravity some villains could sink to. Even in a world without nightmarish beings like Freeza and Cell, who were capable of genocidal destruction on an intergalactic scale, the hero profession was not one to be taken lightly.

Aizawa then grinned menacingly. "Alright. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential… and will be punished with expulsion."

Gohan faltered where he stood, and the rest of the class gasped in unison. He furrowed his brow. Aizawa wasn't being serious, was he? High standards of U.A. notwithstanding, to expel someone on the first day of school after they'd worked so hard to get accepted just seemed unnecessarily cruel.

Gohan cast a sympathetic eye over his peers, surveying their reactions. Some of the students had recovered from the shock announcement and were staring determinedly in Aizawa's direction. Others – notably Midoriya – looked downright distraught.

"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students," Aizawa continued, lifting his bang to show his forehead – a strange intimidation tactic of some sort, Gohan figured. "Welcome to U.A.'s hero course!"

"But it's the first day of school!" Midoriya's female friend protested frantically. "No, even if it wasn't the first day of school, this is too unfair!"

"Natural disasters, big accidents and selfish villains… calamities whose time and place can't be predicted," Aizawa droned sagely, catching the class' attention. "Japan is rife with unfairness, and heroes are the ones tasked with reversing it. If you wanted to spend your time after school relaxing with friends at McDonald's – too bad. For the next three years, U.A. will push you to your absolute limit, and do all it can to give you one hardship after another." He paused for what seemed like dramatic effect, then smiled while waggling his index finger unsettlingly. "Go beyond. Plus Ultra. Overcome it with all you've got."

Gohan let out a deep breath. Despite his monotone manner of speaking, Aizawa certainly raised some good points in his monologue. Hopefully it would fire up the rest of the class.

"Alright. Demonstration's over. The real thing starts now," Aizawa stated, beckoning everyone to the running track.

Gohan walked up to Midoriya, who was trembling and sweating profusely, and clasped a gentle hand on the green-haired boy's shoulder. Midoriya jumped in fright, but quickly calmed down when he saw who it was.

"O-oh! It's you, S-Son!" he stammered shakily. "That was an awesome throw!"

"Thanks," Gohan replied with a kind smile. "Are you okay? You look really freaked out."

Midoriya chuckled nervously. "That obvious, huh?" When Gohan nodded, he continued. "The truth is, I'm not that good at controlling my Quirk yet! That's why I'm worried about what Aizawa-sensei said! I don't want to get expelled! I have people I can't let down!"

Gohan sighed. "Believe me, I know the feeling." At Midoriya's raised eyebrow, Gohan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I don't consider myself an expert on the topic, but the best advice I can give you is to not dwell on the thought that you might fail. Think about the people you'd let down if you fail and try to use those fears as motivation to succeed. From what I've seen, I can tell you're a smart guy, Midoriya. I have faith in you."

Midoriya looked contemplative, then flashed Gohan a small but still shaky smile. "Thanks for the pep talk, Son. I'll try and keep what you said in mind."

Gohan grinned. "No problem! I'm happy I could be of help."

Truth be told, Gohan didn't know whether the advice he gave was any good or not. He based it off his own experiences, and what worked for him. He wasn't exactly friends with Midoriya – yet – but he found the quirky green-haired boy rather endearing and couldn't stand to see him in such a sorry state.

Excited chatter drew Gohan's attention to the rest of his classmates, who were being directed by Aizawa to line up in pairs before the running track. He cast another glance at Midoriya and nodded approvingly when he saw the determined gleam in the green-haired boy's eyes. His hands were still a bit twitchy, but Gohan was sure the nerves would go away once the activities got underway.

He genuinely hoped Midoriya passed Aizawa's test; it would be a real shame if his journey had such a premature ending.


The fifty-metre dash was a fascinating experience for Gohan. The usage of Quirks among the students was against the rules in elementary and junior high school, and the vast majority of villains he faced as the Golden Blur were neutralised within mere seconds. As such, he'd never had the opportunity to see such a wide variety of unique Quirks first-hand.

Some Quirks, like Iida's calf engines and Blasty's explosions, were quite handy in a running race, and it showed in their results. Other Quirks, like the posh blond Aoyama's goofy-looking Navel Laser, gave the rest of the students a good laugh. Then there was Todoroki, whose frosty exterior was perfectly complimented by the formidable ability to actually generate ice.

As luck would have it, Gohan was paired up with Sato for the fifty-metre dash, and his friend couldn't pass up the chance to trash talk before the buzzer sounded.

"Son, you may be a genetic freak, but you don't stand a chance against ninety-five kilos of raw awesomeness," he declared, punctuating his boast by proudly puffing his chest out. "I suggest you give up now and spare yourself the embarrassment."

Gohan smirked at the verbal jab and decided to play along. "Since you're so confident, care to make a wager? If you win, I'll gladly accept a role as your sidekick. I'll even wear that ridiculous outfit you thought up, too. But if I win, you treat me to an all you can eat buffet the next time we hang out. You down?" Sato sputtered indignantly and looked away, muttering something under his breath. Gohan chuckled. "Thought so."

The buzzer then sounded, and Gohan darted down the track like a bullet, crossing the finish line in the blink of an eye and skidding to a screeching halt.

"2.92 seconds!" the mechanical voice of the nearby timing machine beeped.

Gohan nodded. That was a reasonable number. His onyx orbs scanned over his classmates, many of whom looked impressed by his feat. However, the main thing that caught his eye was the odd, somewhat unsettling look Aizawa was giving him. Unfortunately, because of the man's perpetually neutral expression, Gohan didn't have a clue what to make of it, or whether he should be concerned.

Before he could ponder this further, Sato came bundling past the finish line as well, huffing lightly.

"7.20 seconds!" the timing machine chimed.

"Damn, Son! You're on a whole other level," Sato grumbled, albeit with a slight smile.

Gohan had the decency to look bashful and scratched the back of his head. Even though it was technically true, he didn't like dwelling on the thought as he had an unfair advantage in the form of Saiyan genes.

"I must concur," the booming voice of Iida announced from behind him, startling the demi-Saiyan.

Gohan turned around and met Iida's gaze, the tall teenager staring at him with something akin to respect. "Iida?"

"At the risk of sounding stuck-up, I thought I wouldn't have an equal in the speed department, as that is what my Quirk specialises in," Iida admitted, sighing pensively. "However, your exemplary performance in the fifty-metre dash shattered my expectations, and your time of 2.92 seconds is significantly better than my time of 3.04! As such, I humbly admit your superiority in this regard. However," he added, clenching his fist determinedly, "I must implore you to not rest on your laurels, for I will be working extra hard to surpass you, and such an achievement will be worthless if you are not at your best!"

Gohan was shell-shocked by the spirited speech and couldn't help but back away slightly, finding the bespectacled boy's enthusiasm a bit overwhelming. "Th-that's nice. Good luck, Iida," was all he could mumble in response.

"If you guys are done chatting, can you get a move on?" Aizawa called out, his eyes narrowing disapprovingly. "You're holding up the students who haven't had a turn yet."

"My deepest apologies, Aizawa-sensei!" Iida exclaimed sorrowfully, bowing in the direction of their teacher. "Come, Son! We can converse later!"

"Sorry, sensei," Gohan added before following Iida to the rest of the spectators, Sato trailing behind them.

"Not even an hour into the first class, and you've already found yourself a rival," Sato whispered in Gohan's ear, the amusement in his tone almost tangible. "You sure work fast."

Gohan didn't know how to respond to that, so he kept his mouth shut. Something told him to expect a lot more of this kind of thing as he gradually revealed the scope of his powers to his peers…


The next seven activities were all adventurous in their own right and allowed Gohan to learn a good deal more about his classmates. On top of that, he became genuinely curious to see just what else they were all capable of, because Quirks as a concept allowed for a lot more diversity than the ki manipulation he and his friends from home were so adept at.

For the grip strength test, he scored slightly above the six-armed Shoji, whose hulking size, muscular physique and multiple hands made him an imposing figure. However, after exchanging a few complimentary words with Shoji, Gohan found him to be quite friendly and approachable, and looked forward to getting to know him better.

The standing long jump was the perfect stage for people like Aoyama and Blasty to shine, as their Quirks gave them the ability to temporarily hover above the ground. Were Gohan to equate it to anything it'd be an extremely impractical version of Bukujutsu.

Nevertheless, Aoyama took the opportunity to make a spectacle of his performance, and Gohan honestly didn't mind. He thought the flamboyant blond was quite funny. Flatteringly enough, Aoyama even called Gohan's performance 'dazzling' after the demi-Saiyan narrowly edged ahead of his long jump record with a mighty leap.

Gohan thought that sustained side-stepping was somewhat of strange activity, but it was simple enough to excel in. In some ways, it was similar to the afterimage training he did with Piccolo so many years ago, only at a much more sedate pace. He also didn't have to dodge large rocks in the process, which was an added bonus.

The softball throw was perhaps the most exciting activity of all, and some of the Quirks on display were truly breathtaking. Because Gohan already had his throw recorded from his earlier demonstration, he was allowed to sit out and spectate, much to his approval.

Uraraka, the girl who befriended Midoriya, managed to surpass Gohan's throw distance by scoring an infinity. Her Zero Gravity Quirk made the softball completely weightless, and as a result she was able to make it float permanently. Gohan honestly didn't mind being bested; on the contrary, he was ecstatic. It was actually a liberating feeling, knowing there were some things his ki manipulation simply couldn't accomplish.

Another noteworthy occurrence was when Yaoyorozu, a pretty, black-haired girl, created a literal cannon from her body and fired the softball from it. It made for a most entertaining sight, and in the end her 'throw' ended up being the third farthest in the class, behind Uraraka and Gohan.

When it was Midoriya's turn to throw, he ended up getting his Quirk removed by Aizawa, who revealed himself to be the pro hero Eraser Head – someone Gohan had never heard of before. Aizawa's argument was that if he let Midoriya continue using his Quirk as he originally intended to, he would end up incapacitating himself, and such a debilitating side effect was unsuitable for a budding hero.

It fit with what Midoriya told Gohan about his Quirk, and while he sympathised with the green-haired teenager, he also agreed with Aizawa's sentiments. As far as he was aware, this world didn't have senzu beans or a Dende who could heal injuries within seconds, making safety a top priority. Still, that didn't stop him from hoping with all his heart that Midoriya would find a solution to his problem.

Fortunately, Midoriya pulled it off at the very last moment, channelling whatever strange power he had into his index finger and launching the softball into the sky like a missile. It was a tremendous showing, and his recorded distance came out to 705.3 metres. Unfortunately, he ended up breaking his finger as a result, but the injury could've been a lot worse had he gone all out.

Knowing that got Gohan thinking about Midoriya's Quirk, and he inwardly resolved to try and help the green-haired boy safely harness its potentially extraordinary power. All he needed was some more information about it, which he was sure he'd figure out in time. Perhaps along the way he'd also figure out why Blasty – which was a much better name than Bakugo, in Gohan's honest opinion – loathed Midoriya so much.

The endurance running, upper body training and seated toe touch failed to match the excitement of the softball throw and passed by without too much fuss. In keeping with the standard he'd set, Gohan comfortably finished ahead of the others in the in first two events without standing out too much, earning him congratulations from most of his peers, a knowing smirk from Sato, an inquisitive stare from Todoroki, and a disdainful glare from Blasty. The excitable pink-skinned girl, Ashido, scored higher than him in the seated toe touch, as her flexibility was something he couldn't hope to match.

With all the activities completed, Aizawa gathered the class in front of the gymnasium and stood before them in that bored demeanour he embodied so well. Quite a few students looked tense and jumpy as they waited, anxiety wafting off them.

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results," Aizawa began, lazily holding up his smartphone-like recording device. "The total is simply the marks you got from each test. It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."

He pressed a button on the device, and a holographic screen came to life in front of him, eliciting a few shocked gasps from the students.

Gohan immediately noticed that he was ranked first, with Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Blasty coming second, third and fourth respectively. Registering that bit of information with a disinterested shrug, his eyes scanned further down the list before reaching the bottom, after which his heart sank.

'Midoriya…'

Just as Gohan was about to go and comfort the green-haired boy, Aizawa spoke up again. "By the way, I was lying about the expulsion." He shot them all an ominous grin. "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."

"What?!" several students – Midoriya included – screamed in unison, freaking out over the revelation.

"Of course it was a lie. It should've been obvious if you just thought it through," Yaoyorozu spoke disapprovingly.

Gohan furrowed his brow. Whether it was an obvious ruse or not, Aizawa certainly played his role convincingly. He glanced at the teacher out of the corner of his eye. Whatever the case, the pro hero Eraser Head was certainly not someone to be underestimated.

"With that, we're done here. There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom, so when you get back, look over them," Aizawa explained, walking up to Midoriya and handing the boy a pass. "Have the old lady fix you in the nurse's office. Tomorrow will be packed with even more rigorous tests. Prepare yourself." His beady eyes then locked onto Gohan's, startling the demi-Saiyan. "Son, follow me for a bit. I want to discuss your results."

Gohan suppressed the urge to gulp and went after Aizawa, who had gone around the side of the gymnasium.

"Dead man walking," Sato taunted good-naturedly as he clapped Gohan on the shoulder, chuckling lightly. "Or maybe he just wants to commend you on your results."

"Maybe," Gohan responded, although he highly doubted it. The vibe he got from their teacher wasn't a congratulatory one. "You don't have to wait up for me. I'll see you in class."

"If you say so, Son. Hope you come back in one piece; I'll be sure to pray for you!" Sato exclaimed with a wave as he set off towards the school building.

When Gohan caught up to Aizawa, the teacher was leaning back against the side of the gymnasium, his arms crossed and an even deeper frown than usual adorning his weary features.

"You wanted to see me, sensei?" Gohan said hesitantly.

Aizawa stared at him for a few moments before opening his mouth. "Son, how much longer do you intend to keep deceiving your classmates?" he asked sternly.

Gohan's jaw dropped and his heartbeat quickened. "I-I beg your pardon, sensei?"

"You heard me, Son," Aizawa added coldly. "I had my suspicions after the fifty-metre dash, but the other events confirmed it. You were holding back. A lot."

Gohan's mouth flopped like a fish. Was it that obvious? He thought he was being pretty stealthy. When he saw Aizawa's brow furrowing further, he sighed. This man was incredibly perceptive, and lying some more wouldn't do him any favours. "I was holding back," he admitted.

Aizawa's expression didn't soften. "Do you remember what I said after you threw the softball?" Gohan nodded, but Aizawa continued regardless. "I said to know your own maximum first. Do you know why I said that?"

For the first time in almost a decade, Gohan felt like a small child being scolded by his parent. The only difference was, Aizawa was a completely different and far more unknown quantity than Goku or Piccolo. He shook his head. "No, sensei."

"Our profession is one in which the slightest misstep or bit of misinformation could lead to death or disaster," Aizawa explained darkly. "As heroes, it is our duty to put our lives on the line to save others, knowing full well that we may die in the process. As heroes, we must be prepared to work side by side with other heroes at the drop of a hat, so that we may better combine our strength. As heroes, we parade ourselves, and our powers, in the public eye, so that we may act as symbols of hope for those who are unable to defend themselves, despite it putting us at a disadvantage against villains."

Aizawa took a deep breath. "That, Son, is why it is important to be truthful to your comrades, who you might have to team up with in the spur of the moment. Keeping them in the dark about your full capabilities is only doing them a disservice and can have grave repercussions in a life or death situation. Furthermore, while U.A. prides itself on having the best hero course in the country, it also prides itself on having a healthy competitive environment. Students are encouraged to develop friendly rivalries, and to try and one-up each other, as that drive will only help them improve further as they strive to become proper heroes."

An image of Iida flashed through Gohan's head, but he cast it aside for the moment. Aizawa's speech was hitting him hard, and he was transfixed by what the man was saying.

"Do you understand what I'm getting at, Son?" Aizawa continued. "I don't know why you were holding back, and I don't care. I just want you to be aware of the potential consequences of your actions. It doesn't matter if you have an incredibly powerful Quirk, or if you're a once-in-a-generation prodigy; if you don't have the right attitude towards becoming a hero, you should just give up now and spare us all the trouble."

Gohan's expression was rigid, and he took a few moments to process what he'd just been told. Eventually, he nodded. "I understand, sensei."

"Good," Aizawa replied, having lost some of the edge in his voice. "I rarely say this, but you have the potential to be something great, Son. Don't let it go to waste."

"I won't, sensei," Gohan assured, bowing to his elder. "Thank you for telling me this."

Aizawa nodded. "Get to class. I'll see you tomorrow."

Gohan was contemplative as he got changed and made his way to class. Being chewed out by Aizawa was a wholly uncomfortable, but also enlightening experience, as well as a real shock to the system. While part of the reason he held back in the Quirk assessment test was because he didn't want to stand out, he also didn't want to hurt his classmates' feelings by blowing them out of the water.

However, he now realised that was incredibly naïve and selfish of him. By sparing them from potentially feeling inadequate, he was also subconsciously looking down on them, and not treating them with the respect they deserved as part of the lucky few special enough to be accepted into U.A.'s hero course. It made him sick to his stomach.

He sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. Starting tomorrow, he would stop hiding. He would show his classmates who the real Son Gohan was. Granted, his alien heritage, Super Saiyan transformation and secret identity were all off-limits, but he could still be himself even without revealing that information.

He just hoped no one was clever enough to link him to the Golden Blur. Despite Aizawa having raised some excellent points about keeping secrets, that was one he planned on keeping a secret by any means necessary. If word got out about who he really was, the consequences would be catastrophic.

It was this concerning thought that plagued Gohan when he stepped into his classroom and took his seat at the back.

"Son! You're still in one piece!" Sato cheered from beside him. "I'll have to call and cancel those funeral arrangements I made, but on the bright side, at least I have my sidekick back."

Gohan chuckled reservedly and swatted away Sato's hand as it was about to pat him on the shoulder. "You joker."

As though picking up that something was wrong, Sato frowned and prodded Gohan in the arm. "What's up? What did Aizawa say to you?"

"Don't worry about it," Gohan replied, trying to put on a smile that looked genuine. "He just gave me some useful advice, that's all."

Sato stared at him for a few seconds longer, then shrugged and leaned back into his seat. "Alright, if you say so. But if there's anything you want to talk about, don't hesitate to hit me up."

This time, Gohan smiled for real. "Thanks, bro. I'll keep that in mind."

The next thing Gohan knew, something pink, grey and green slid onto his desk and almost made him jump out of his seat in shock. He placed a hand over his beating heart and looked up at the culprit, surprise etched on his face. "Ashido?"

"That's me!" the pink-skinned girl chirped cheerfully, casually using his desk as a makeshift chair. "I was wondering how long it would take for you to come back to class."

Gohan gave an uneasy chuckle and scratched the back of his head. "Umm, I'm flattered that you were waiting for me, but I don't really know why you'd do that."

"We just wanted to talk to you, man! No harm in that right?" another voice chimed in from beside Ashido, this one belonging a grinning boy with razor-sharp teeth and spiky red hair.

"You too, Kirishima?" Gohan asked, unsure what to make of the sudden intrusion into his personal space.

"Damn straight!" Kirishima replied, flashing a thumbs up. "We thought your performance earlier was super manly!"

"Yeah, that was some seriously impressive stuff!" Ashido added with a grin of her own. "You're like, super strong already, and the school year's only just started."

Gohan's cheeks turned as crimson as Kirishima's hair, and he looked away bashfully. "Geez... umm, thanks?"

"You ain't seen nothing yet!" Sato exclaimed, leaning over and butting into the conversation. "Just wait until we do a combat exercise! Son's a goddamn monster, I tell ya!"

"Seriously? Nice!" Kirishima stated, butting his fists enthusiastically. "We should spar sometime, Son. I wonder how I'd do against you."

"Y-yeah, sounds good," Gohan responded, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"Hey, if you guys aren't doing anything after school, how about we all go hit up the arcade?" Ashido asked. "It'll be a good way to cap off our first day of school, and we can get to know each other better."

"I'm keen," Kirishima grinned.

"Me too," Sato added, turning to face Gohan. "How about you, Son?"

Gohan swallowed thickly as three eager faces bore into him, their anticipation palpable. While he wanted to go home after school and reflect on what Aizawa told him… he'd feel like a heartless ogre if he turned this trio down given how excited they looked.

In the periphery of his vision, he could see his other classmates engaged in their own little conversations and interactions, save for Blasty and Todoroki, who kept to themselves. Aside from those two, the others seemed like a really cool group of people, and he was legitimately excited at the prospect of getting to know them all better over time. Perhaps there was no harm in getting a head start.

With that in mind, he took a deep breath and grinned at Ashido and Kirishima. "You guys any good at Street Fighter?"


AN: This chapter came out a lot later than I ever intended due to a myriad of problems I had. Work being a massive pain in the ass, illness due to shitty weather, wisdom tooth extraction, a nasty injury to my left hand that I'm still recovering from, computer issues… it was like the world suddenly decided to take a massive dump on me, and I can't say I enjoyed it.

In any case, I hope this chapter wasn't too close to canon for people's liking. I hate transcribing dialogue from the anime/manga, but it's necessary for scenarios like this. Thankfully, the longer the story goes on and the bigger an effect Gohan has on the MHA world, the less I'll have to do this. In any case, I hope you enjoyed Gohan's interaction with the rest of Class 1-A and their delightful teacher.

On the topic of Erasaer Head, I'm curious as to whether any of you guys have seen the movie Eraserhead. I had to watch it for an Experimental Film class at uni several years ago, and it messed with my head. I've seen a lot of creepy ass films in my time, but to date no movie has managed to freak me out more than Eraserhead. David Lynch is an absolute madman. If absurdist body horror is your thing, I highly recommend checking out Eraserhead.

I'm sure someone will mention the absence of Mineta, so I'm going to address it here. I know he's a polarising figure in the fandom, but I would've included him in Class 1-A if I was able to. I think I could do some interesting things with his character, especially with Gohan being around to influence him, but unfortunately, there just wasn't any space for him. Gohan had to take someone's place to keep the class number even and matching with the 20-student limit, and Mineta made the most sense. Mineta's not completely gone, however. He's still around… just not in Class 1-A.

To end this AN, I'd like to thank everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this fic to date. The sheer amount of feedback I've received has been genuinely overwhelming, but also extremely appreciated. You guys are the best, and I hope you keep it up.

Until next time!