The Symbol of Peace and Justice
Chapter 5 – Baptism by Fire
Panicked wails of absolute terror reverberated through the walls of the Ratharu National Bank, the hapless people inside it scurrying around its interior as they desperately sought a way out. These escape attempts were instantly quelled by the explosive sound of gunshots striking solid concrete, and their shrill voices were subsequently silenced.
From the six balaclava-clad intruders who were the source of the terror, a hulking brute of a being with scaly reptilian skin stepped forward and pointed a pistol at the weeping receptionist. A few words were exchanged between the two, before the sobbing bank worker shuffled out from behind her desk, her legs trembling, and led her assailant towards the giant metal vault embedded in the wall on the far side of the room.
While this was happening, the lizard-like criminal's comrades took to taunting the rest of their captives, some going so far as to dangerously wave their guns at the hostages. Tears streamed down some of the victims' faces, while others were too shell-shocked to even react, and were instead left with ashen faces and wide, unblinking eyes.
Atop a building on the street across from the bank, Gohan pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. "Six armed assailants, thirty-three hostages – none of them children, thankfully," he listed off with a steely voice, his hair turning gold and his eyes teal. He shot a quick glance at his watch and sighed. "It's only the second day of school and already I'm at risk of running late. I hope this doesn't become a habit…"
With a determined expression, Gohan's body morphed into a golden blur, and he rocketed down the building and through the door of the bank, the sheer speed he was moving at shattering the nearby glass. With the world around him moving in slow motion, he zipped from one criminal to another, crushing the tips of their guns and lightly tapping them on the nape of their necks to subdue them.
Once the five criminals in the main area of the bank were dealt with, Gohan blitzed towards their ringleader, who he noticed had swatted the receptionist aside and was about to step foot inside the now-opened vault, into a large room stacked full of solid gold bars.
Giving the man a venomous glare, Gohan caught the falling receptionist before she could make contact with the hard floor and gently set her down on her back. He then darted in front of the scaly-skinned villain, cleaved his assault rifle in two with a knifehand strike, and struck him in the chest with a gentle palm thrust.
Having now taken care of all the criminals in the bank, he turned around and closed the vault for good measure. 'You'd think in a world full of superpowered beings, big banks would have better security in place,' he mused internally.
With his heroics done, Gohan evacuated the premises in a flash, leaving behind the golden trail that had become synonymous with his alter ego, and booked it towards U.A. in his Super Saiyan state. Normally he would've found a hidden place to revert to his base form, but he really didn't want to be late.
Not far from the scene of the crime, Gohan spotted a grimacing All Might in mid-stride, dressed in a striped yellow suit and with a briefcase in hand. He seemed to be sprinting in the direction of Ratharu National Bank, and much to Gohan's astonishment, the famous hero's limbs were in clear motion instead of perpetually still – extremely slow motion at that, but enough to be noticeable. To further compound his surprise, he could've sworn he saw All Might's eyes subtly shift towards him as they passed each other.
Once he deemed himself far enough from All Might, Gohan banked left into a secluded alleyway and slumped against the wall, trying to calm down his rapidly beating heart. That was a real shock to the system, and one that majorly caught him off guard. Ever since he was ripped from his own world and thrust into this one, he hadn't encountered a single soul who could match even a fraction of his Super Saiyan speed.
Then there was the possibility of All Might potentially reacting to his presence, which was a genuinely frightening prospect. No wonder the man was so highly regarded by friend and foe alike.
Before he could ponder this further, Gohan's watch beeped, making him cringe. "Crap! That's the first bell! We're supposed to be in class by then!"
All Might's grinning visage vanished from Gohan's mind, and Aizawa's distrustful glare shimmered into existence. Within moments, the alleyway was abandoned, the only sign of someone's presence being a faint golden trail that quickly evaporated.
Gohan stormed into class with as little force as he could muster and hastily speed-walked to his seat, ignoring the curious stares of his peers. Upon sitting down, Sato raised an inquisitive eyebrow in his direction, causing the demi-Saiyan to groan. "I slept in," he mouthed to his friend.
Before Sato could respond, the door creaked open and Aizawa walked in, trudging towards his desk with the uncanny combination of both purpose and resignation. When he reached it, he paused momentarily, then cast his weary gaze to his students, some of whom averted their own. He sniffed the air twice, then narrowed his beady eyes. "I smell truancy."
Gohan gulped, a trail of sweat rolling down his temple. A few seconds of silence passed, his dread slowly building at the prospect of being ratted out. He glanced at his classmates out of the corner of his eye, desperately hoping they would keep their mouths shut.
Fortunately, no one snitched on him, so Aizawa eventually sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, whatever. I still get paid whether you come to class or not, so you're only hurting yourself in the end," he drawled, taking a seat at his desk and opening up a folder.
Gohan let out the deep breath he had been holding and leaned back in his seat. That was way too close for comfort. He made a mental note to thank his classmates later; were it not for their silence and Aizawa's lethargy, he would've surely gone on his teacher's shitlist for the second day in a row.
Aizawa's next move was to take the class roll, then place a stack of papers in front of him. "Yesterday was meant to ease you in to school life; an orientation day, if you will. The real hard work starts today," he explained, grinning menacingly. "I have here your timetables. They're the same for everyone, so come up and collect a copy. Read it through thoroughly and prepare yourselves accordingly. You're going to need it. If you have any questions, just ask."
With that out of the way, he sunk into his seat, snuggled into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes. This drew several odd looks from his students, but they did as they were told regardless.
After collecting his timetable and returning to his seat, Gohan looked it over. The school day would start at 8:25 a.m. with ten minutes of homeroom, which would be followed by four fifty-minute periods. Lunch was at 12:30 p.m. and also lasted fifty minutes – Gohan's stomach rumbled at the thought. After lunch, there would be two more periods until school finished at 3:10 p.m.
Most of their classes were regular subjects like Japanese, English, History, Maths and Literature, much like in a traditional high school. However, the class that stood out more was Basic Hero Training, and from the mumbling Gohan could hear throughout the class, that was what his peers were looking forward to the most. He concurred.
"Having Sunday be our only day off is gonna be rough," Sato grumbled, shaking his head at the timetable. "I thought Japan stopped having six-day school weeks decades ago."
"I guess U.A. has higher standards than regular high schools," Gohan reasoned.
"I guess, but it's still hard to get enthusiastic about it," Sato sighed. "School is school after all."
That elicited a raised eyebrow out of Gohan. "No one ever said learning to be a hero would be easy."
"True," Sato remarked. "Still, I'll admit I'm pretty hyped for that Hero Training class. Who do you think is going to teach it?"
Gohan paused at the question and stroked his chin. Whoever U.A. assigned to teach Hero Training had to have an intimate knowledge of what being a pro hero entailed. Being a public figure grand enough to inspire entire generations of budding heroes would also be a valuable trait.
The demi-Saiyan's eyes then widened as he remembered the acceptance letter he received from U.A., and his mouth morphed into a small smile upon recalling who exactly he'd crossed paths with earlier this morning.
Sato furrowed his brow in his friend's direction. "You know something I don't. Spill it."
Gohan simply chuckled and leaned back in his chair, resting his clasped hands across the back of his head. "And spoil the surprise? Where would be the fun in that?"
English under Present Mic's tutelage had proved to be a dreadfully dreary and monotonous way to start the day. That sentiment was shared by the vast majority of Class 1A, save for Yaoyorozu Momo and Iida Tenya, who were eager to engage in all the activities their teacher had set up. Gohan didn't mind the class, but he found it hard to focus as his mind was preoccupied with speculating on what studying under All Might's tutelage would be like.
History was taught by the flirtatious, seductive and extremely alluring Midnight, commonly known as the 18+ Only Hero. Many of the males in the class were entranced by her beauty, and even Gohan couldn't help but blush and avert his gaze when she met his eyes and gave him a wink. Her teaching style was highly unorthodox but strangely effective, and proved an interesting contrast to Present Mic's.
Ectoplasm and Cementoss, who taught Maths and Literature respectively, were far more traditional in their teaching, and their classes passed by without too much fuss. However, the fact that lunch was next, with Hero Training coming afterwards, meant that the students were overly reckless and fidgety.
Lunch was held in a giant cafeteria filled with tables arranged in neat rows. At the very front of the window-walled room was the serving area, where students went to order and pay for their food, which was prepared by the incredibly talented Lunch Rush, one of Gohan's favourite heroes.
Said demi-Saiyan found himself sharing a table with Sato, Midoriya, Iida and Uraraka, the latter three of which were staring dumbfounded as he devoured his meal like a trash compactor on steroids. 'Man, this food is great!' he thought gleefully.
"W-where does it all go?" Midoriya murmured breathlessly.
"Don't question it. Just accept it as one of those mysteries we're never going to have an answer for," Sato replied sagely, sprinkling some sugar over his curry.
Gohan put down his fork, wiped his mouth, and scratched the back of his head while grinning nervously at his classmates. "Don't listen to him. He's just talking nonsense," he explained, shooting a glare at his best friend. "My Quirk uses up a lot of energy, so I have to eat a huge amount of food to make up for it."
Iida nodded enthusiastically at the explanation. "Is that so? How fascinating! I look forward to seeing what else your Quirk is capable of!"
"That sounds like it'd be really expensive," Uraraka chimed in. "How do you manage it? Do you come from a wealthy family?"
Sato stopped eating and gave Gohan a concerned look, but the demi-Saiyan brushed it off with a smile. "I'm actually an orphan," he replied, making Uraraka gasp and cover her mouth. "I've been living on my own since I was nine. I receive a fortnightly allowance from the government provided I keep going to school and don't cause any trouble, but it isn't enough to cover my dietary needs, so I frequently go out and hunt game."
Uraraka bowed her head. "I'm so, so, so sorry for asking. I had no idea you were an orphan," she muttered dejectedly.
"Don't worry about it," Gohan reassured kindly. "Like you said, you had no idea. Besides, I've gotten used to living alone, so it really isn't a big deal. Honest."
The mood around the table was rather subdued from that point on, as everyone focused on their own meals. After a few minutes of this, it was Midoriya who surprisingly broke the silence. "I'm a bit surprised the government would let such a young child live on their own," he remarked. "I can't imagine being put in the same situation."
"Well, technically I have a legal guardian, but Doctor Shuzenji is a pretty busy guy and only visits once or twice a week to make sure everything's alright," Gohan explained. "It's not all lonely, though. Sato comes over pretty frequently, and I spend a lot of time at his house, too."
"Aww, the friendship you guys have is so sweet!" Uraraka beamed, much to the pair's embarrassment.
"Son's more of a sidekick than anything," Sato mumbled, a faint flush on his cheeks.
"In your dreams," Gohan retorted, digging in to what was left of his curry to hide his own reddening face.
This got a laugh out of the other three, and Gohan couldn't help but be glad that the awkwardness from earlier had vanished. He wasn't necessarily uncomfortable talking about unfortunate circumstances regarding his living conditions, but he also knew it wasn't the most pleasant conversation topic. The last thing he wanted was pity, or to make others miserable.
"It must be nice having such a close childhood friend go to the same high school as you," Uraraka commented, twiddling her fingers. "None of my friends from junior high or elementary school came to U.A."
"Nor mine," Iida added.
"I suppose it does make it easier to settle in," Gohan admitted. "I'd definitely be a lot more nervous on the first day if I didn't know anyone else."
"It was the exact opposite for me," Midoriya grumbled, picking at his rice with his chopsticks.
This caught Sato's attention. "What's the deal with you and Bakugo anyway? You guys look like you have some serious beef."
Gohan, along with Iida and Uraraka, gave Midoriya his full attention. Ever since their interaction yesterday morning, he had been genuinely curious about the history between the two.
The green-haired boy put down his chopsticks and sighed. "K-Kacchan and I used to be friends when we were little. But when his Quirk manifested, he just changed. He started looking down on everyone else. I… ahh… didn't get my Quirk until much later than normal, so I got it worse than others." He shook his head. "B-but that's beside the point! Students were in awe of him, and teachers encouraged his behaviour because they saw he had a lot of potential as a hero. That continued all the way through to the end of junior high."
Gohan frowned. Something didn't add up. Whatever issues these two had, it seemed a lot more personal than that. But, curious as he was, he didn't want to pry, especially since the others were kind enough to not pry into his own life. If Midoriya wanted to share, he would do so. If not, then he was entitled to keep that information to himself.
What was clear, however, was that Gohan found himself disliking Blasty even more. People who flaunted their power over those weaker than them reminded him too much of the villains he'd fought in his youth. Fortunately, he didn't think it'd be too long before Blasty was knocked down a notch. He was no longer a big fish in a small pond.
"You don't have to worry about Bakugo anymore, Deku," Uraraka said gently. "You have all of us to watch your back, right guys?"
"Damn straight," Sato stated.
Gohan nodded his agreement. Bullying was one thing he couldn't stand for.
"Well said, Uraraka!" Iida exclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm for emphasis. "There is no place for such impudent behaviour in the hallowed halls of this prestigious institution! As one of the fortunate few qualified enough to study at U.A., I pledge to do my utmost best to uphold the code of ethics enforced by our teachers!"
Iida's outburst drew a few baffled looks from the other tables, causing a scarlet-faced Midoriya to sink into his seat, his embarrassment palpable. "Th-thanks for the support, guys, but it really isn't necessary. I've gotten used to Kacchan's behaviour; it doesn't bother me anymore. A-and despite how he acts, he does genuinely want to surpass All Might as the top hero."
Iida jaw dropped comically. "Y-you've got to be joking! What kind of hero acts like a hooligan?!"
"N-no, really! I'm being serious!" Midoriya squeaked.
While this was going on, Sato squinted in Iida's direction and adopted a thinking pose. "Hey, since we're on the topic, I've been wondering about something. Didn't you go to some super elite private school?" he asked casually, instantly drawing the bespectacled boy's attention. "I'm surprised there aren't more of you guys at U.A."
Iida sputtered slightly, but quickly composed himself. He pushed up his glasses and gave Sato a stern look. "If you must know, many of my peers from Soumei weren't interested in pursuing heroism as a profession. As for the others, I wasn't close enough to them to ascertain their future aspirations."
"Oh. Fair enough," Sato responded, going back to his food and leaving Iida bewildered.
While the others around the table didn't know what to make of this, Gohan smiled to himself. Whether it was intentional or not, his best friend, in his typical blunt manner, had managed to successfully divert attention from the clearly overwhelmed Midoriya.
"Anyway, are you guys looking forward to next period?" said green-haired boy inquired, now visibly calmer.
Iida quickly snapped to attention, his previous confusion forgotten. "Of course! It's been my most anticipated class ever since I saw the timetable!"
"I wonder who's going to be our teacher," Uraraka pondered.
"I've been wondering that too," Sato added, giving Gohan a dirty look.
The demi-Saiyan pretended not to see it, choosing instead to open a packet of potato chips and start eating.
"Well, whoever it is, I have no doubt the class will be quite full-on," Iida stated. "However, I fully expect our teacher to give us a rather simple and straightforward introductory lesson, just to ease us into the subject."
"That would be the most reasonable approach," Gohan agreed, biting into a particularly curvy chip and savouring its salty flavour. 'Which is why I'm expecting the exact opposite to happen.'
"I am… coming through the door like a normal person!"
The collective breath of everyone in Class 1A hitched when All Might's hulking figure strode confidently into the room, his mere presence washing over them and putting them all at ease.
While his peers were expressing their astonishment, Gohan was beaming. He knew this was coming, yet it was still exhilarating all the same. All Might was the hero he looked up to most, not because of his strength, but because of his core values, inspiring disposition and ability to bring joy to even the most unfortunate souls.
"I teach Basic Hero Training," the Number One Hero boomed from behind the teacher's desk. "It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. Throughout your time here, this will be your most common subject!" He punctuated this statement by posing like a classic bodybuilder from an era long since passed, his rippling muscles bulging in his skin-tight suit. "Let's get right into it! Today we'll be doing… combat training!"
This revelation drew numerous excited gasps from the class, with a certain volatile blond being particularly enthusiastic.
"And to go with that are these!" All Might added, pointing to a wall from which several racks containing numbered cases slid out. "Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started." This drew another round of enthusiastic chatter from the students, and Gohan's grin widened. "After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"
"Yes, sir!" the class chorused.
"They say the clothes make the man, young ladies and gentlemen. Be fully aware that from now on… you are heroes!" All Might declared, finishing his speech with another spirited muscleman pose.
As Gohan collected his case and made his way down to the changing room, he reflected on the choices he'd made that led to him deciding what costume to wear.
The first idea that came to mind was a colourful ensemble reminiscent of the Super Sentai TV shows he loved to watch, complete with a helmet and cape. However, while he still loved the look of the costume in his head, it just didn't feel… right for what he was trying to accomplish. Perhaps such a costume would work in a world where superheroes weren't the norm, but that wasn't the world he currently inhabited. It just wouldn't have the desired effect on people.
The next outfits that he considered were typical martial arts gis he had worn in the past. The first one was a replica of the purple Namekian style gi he wore at the Cell games, while the second one was a copy of his father's orange gi. Even though the prospect of wearing the same outfits as his two mentors in an official capacity made him mildly giddy, they weren't appropriate for this world either. They were too simple, straightforward, and maybe a tad forgettable.
He had then bounced around ideas for several costumes based on what the most popular heroes of today wore, but they just didn't do it for him. Wearing only spandex felt uncomfortable on his body, and he didn't like how much it accentuated his nether regions either. That was Vegeta's thing.
So, after much meticulous planning, countless hours of internet research, and more trial and error than he'd care to admit, Gohan finally reached a conclusion he couldn't be more thrilled with.
As he stepped into an empty changing stall and opened his costume case, a fond smile spread across his features, and his heart briefly clenched as he picked up the outfit lying within.
He ran his eyes over the sleeveless, dark purple gi – a tribute to his first mentor, who had thrust him into the world of martial arts, rid him of his soft, spoiled nature, and infused into him a wisdom that may have been far beyond his years, but one that was necessary for him to survive the harsh reality that had befallen them. For that, Gohan would always be grateful. Though it may have been an insignificant, and perhaps even idealistic gesture in the grand scheme of things, the demi-Saiyan hoped that wearing his most treasured friend's colours would give him strength when he needed it most.
He trailed a finger over the orange obi, wrist bands and shin guards – a tribute to his father, who was someone he had always admired and tried to emulate. The times they spent together were among his most cherished memories, and not a day went by that he didn't long to experience them again. Goku was a different kind of teacher to Piccolo, but it was under his tutelage that Gohan had attained a level of strength great enough to protect the people and planet he loved when no one else could. He would never forget the complete faith his father had shown him in the bleakest of times, and hoped that the orange on his outfit would serve as an ever-present reminder of what he was capable of when faced with unsurmountable odds.
The costume was finished by black martial arts shoes and a replica of Piccolo's cape, because capes were badass and no one could convince him otherwise.
When he was fully dressed, Gohan felt a surge of confidence run through him, and was met with an approving nod from Kirishima when he exited his stall. "That is one beastly outfit, bro," the red-haired boy praised. "Don't be surprised if your balls drop a second time when wearing it."
Gohan blushed and scratched the back of his head. "Th-thanks Kirishima. Your costume is pretty cool too. The colours are nice and the… ahh… lack of shirt suits you."
Kirishima guffawed and clapped Gohan on the back. "That's what I was going for! Although it looks like I have some competition in that department, huh?" he noted, gesturing to the demi-Saiyan's exposed arms. "Do you eat raw iron for breakfast or something? You're ripped!"
"No, nothing like that!" Gohan responded, not used to such flattery. "I just train a lot, that's all."
"That's it?" Kirishima replied, raising an eyebrow. "We should hit up the gym sometime, dude. Whatever I'm doing in there clearly isn't working."
"S-sure, we can do that," Gohan acquiesced, a bead of sweat trailing down his temple. He didn't know how to break it to Kirishima that he'd never stepped foot inside a gym in his life. All his training was done in the wilderness.; the rest was down to genetics.
The red-haired boy grinned. "Sweet! I'll hold you to that!"
'Great…' Gohan mused in resignation. He'd have to ask Sato for advice on what some of the devices in a gym did, because he didn't have a clue.
Speaking of which, where was his best friend? His onyx eyes scanned the room for someone with a similar physique, but the only person he saw was a tall guy in a bright yellow spandex suit that covered his whole body, who was fiddling with his utility belt in the corner of the room. It took him a few seconds to recognise the spiky hair and massive lips, but when he did, his eyes bulged. 'Wait… what?'
Hearing Gohan's footsteps coming his way, Sato looked up and flashed the demi-Saiyan a grin. "Looking good, Son… for once in your life."
"For once in my-" He shook his head before refocusing. "What's the hell is that? You're always giving me crap about what I wear, but here you are looking like a giant banana skin!"
Sato pouted. "What's wrong with my suit? Haven't you ever seen Ultimate Muscle?" At Gohan's shake of the head, he frowned. "Well there's your first problem. I'm not going to waste my time explaining myself to a peasant who doesn't understand the glorious art of wrestling."
"Whatever you say, bud," Gohan retorted, giving his friend a wave as he set off for Ground Beta. "Just try not to make someone slip on your way out."
Ignoring Sato's indignant sputtering, the demi-Saiyan chuckled to himself. He was rather proud of that one.
It didn't take him too long to reach the tunnel leading to Ground Beta, where the rest of the class was gathering. While he waited for the stragglers to arrive, he took the time to survey the costumes his peers had come up with, some of which instantly caught his eye.
Iida wore what looked like a full-body suit of armour, only a lot more modern and tailored specifically for his Engine Quirk. It made for an interesting contrast to Aoyama, who was clad in a literal suit of medieval armour. Blasty's costume suited him well, as much as Gohan hated to admit it. The grenade-style gauntlets and flare-shaped cloth on his back fit his explosive personality to a T.
Regarding the females, the first thing that Gohan noticed was that all the girls in his class were quite attractive in their own way, and that was made all the more obvious by their costumes. Asui, Ashido and Uraraka, much to his surprise, all wore skin-tight outfits that nicely accentuated their curves. However, none of them compared to Yaoyorozu, who wore a revealing red leotard that showed off plenty of skin. Were it not for the utility belt around her waist, he'd think she was set to go swimming instead of training.
Nevertheless, Gohan made sure to avert his gaze from the curvaceous girl and her eye-catching costume, lest he give in to his base urges and let his eyes wander where they shouldn't. He wasn't a pervert.
Fortunately, he was given something else to focus on when his classmates started moving down the tunnel, through which the imposing figure of All Might could be seen waiting for them.
"That's great, everyone! You all look super cool!" the Number One Hero praised when they all came to a halt before him, his sparkling grin widening. "Now, you zygotes, shall we begin?"
Before the class could respond, the hurried pattering of footsteps was heard from the behind them. Curious, Gohan turned around, only to be greeted by the sight of Midoriya running down the tunnel wearing what looked like a green rabbit costume. It was certainly unconventional, but it was still a better outfit than Sato's. Uraraka also seemed to like it, which left Midoriya flustered.
"With that out of the way, it's time for combat training!" All Might announced, drawing everyone's back attention to him.
Unsurprisingly, Iida raised his hand. "Sensei! Since this is a battle centre from the entrance exam, does that mean we'll be conducting urban battles again?" he questioned.
"No, we're going to move ahead two steps!" All Might replied. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place out in the open, but if you look at the statistics, a lot of the most dastardly villains are apprehended indoors. Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals… in this society of ours filled with heroes, truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows. For this class, you'll be split into heroes and villains, and will have to fight two-on-two indoor battles."
"Without basic training?" Asui asked.
"This is a battle to help you understand those basics, only this time, there won't be any robots for you to beat up!" All Might declared.
"How will wins and losses be determined?" Yaoyorozu inquired, prompting a flurry of questions from a handful of other students.
Meanwhile, Gohan was pondering his teacher's reasoning. It was a bold approach, throwing a handful of relatively untrained children with superpowers into the deep end and making them fight each other. If they weren't careful, a lot could go wrong. Piccolo would approve of All Might's tactics, but that was because the Namekian was a socially-inept hardass whose own training methods were anything but conventional.
That said, Gohan could see the benefit of a baptism by fire. It was a great way to for a teacher to get an idea of what level his students were at, and as for the students themselves, they would receive a first-hand demonstration of what their peers were capable of. Ignoring the likely possibility of injuries, everyone taking part had something to gain. Perhaps drills like this were one of the reasons U.A. had managed to pump out so many exceptional heroes over the years?
"The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout," All Might explained, reading from a small book he had whipped out of his pocket. "The heroes are trying to dispose of it. The heroes need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapons back in the allotted time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes." When he was finished, he held out a box that had been at his feet. "Teams will be determined by drawing lots!"
While several students seemed pleased at this revelation, Gohan pursed his lips. The odds of him being paired with someone unpleasant – namely Blasty – were incredibly low, so he didn't think he had any reason to worry. While he was confident his powers would be more than a match for any of his peers regardless of who his partner was, he could really do without the attitude.
Before anyone could walk up to the box, Iida leapt in front of All Might and held his hand out to the class. "I know you're all excited to see who you get paired up with, but as students of this respected institution, we must do things in an orderly manner," he asserted sternly. "As such, I must ask you all to line up, single file, and await your turn."
"Good thinking, young Iida!" All Might praised, flashing the bespectacled boy a thumbs up.
Despite a few grumbles, everyone did as they were asked. Gohan found himself near the back of the line, behind Koda and in front of Todoroki. Even though he couldn't sense ki, he still could feel the heterochromic boy's eyes boring into his back, and had to suppress a groan. He understood why Blasty was pissed off with him, but what was Todoroki's problem? He'd never even talked to the guy before!
Fortunately, Gohan didn't have to dwell on this thought, as his turn quickly arrived. The number he ended up drawing was 5, which meant he'd be paired up with whoever had drawn 6. They would be on Team C.
"I guess we're partners," a pleasant voice said from behind the demi-Saiyan. Startled, he whipped his head around, only to be met with the beautiful smile of Yaoyorozu Momo.
"O-oh, so you drew number six?" he asked, to which the dark-haired girl nodded. Gohan's cheeks took on a slight tinge and he scratched the back of his head. "Ahh, th-that's cool. I'm pleased to be working with you," he added with a small bow, taking care to not glance at her cleavage.
"Likewise," Yaoyorozu responded smoothly, tilting her head in kind.
With the introductions out of the way, Gohan turned away from his partner and took a deep breath. What the hell was up with that uncool reaction? He hadn't felt that nervous around someone since introducing himself to his class on his first day of elementary school – and he was nine years old back then! Perturbed, he shook those thoughts from his head. With any luck, he'd quickly forget about this awkwardness.
With all the teams sorted, a grinning All Might dug his hands into a pair of boxes titled 'Villain' and 'Hero'. "The first teams to fight will be… these guys!" he exclaimed, revealing the letters D and A.
Gohan's eyes widened. That meant Blasty and Iida would be pitted against Midoriya and Uraraka. He eyed his green-haired friend and noticed that he was visibly stunned. An apt reaction, all things considered.
"Team A will be the heroes, and Team B will be the villains," All Might clarified. "Everyone else, head to the monitor room."
"Yes, sir!" the class chorused.
Gohan passed by Midoriya and placed a comforting hand on the freckled boy's shoulder. "Don't let him psych you out, and don't lose your head," he cautioned. "I know it's going to be hard to keep your cool, but remember, it's just a drill in the end. It's not worth getting hurt over."
Midoriya gulped, but nodded nonetheless. "I-I'll try and keep that in m-mind. Thanks for the advice, Son."
Gohan smiled. "Anytime. Good luck."
With that, the demi-Saiyan departed and took after the rest of the class. Before long, Yaoyorozu fell in step beside him. "Is everything okay?" she inquired. "Midoriya looked distraught."
"Ahh, nothing major," Gohan replied, waving his hand. "He just has some bad history with Blasty- Bakugo. All I did was give him some advice, that's all."
"That was rather nice of you," Yaoyorozu commented, smiling lightly.
Gohan averted his gaze, trying to hide his flushed cheeks. "Heh, it was n-nothing. Just looking out for a friend." Inwardly though, he cringed. There it was again! What was it about this girl that made him turn into a flustered mess every time she spoke to him?
This question swirled around in his mind until he reached the monitor room which, true to its name, contained a gargantuan monitor with multiple different screens. Each screen showed a different part of the battle area, which was simply a large industrial building with numerous narrow corridors. Unfortunately, there was no audio feed to go along with the cameras.
"Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D!" All Might spoke into a mini microphone, standing at the head of the gathered students. "You should all pay attention as well. You might just learn something from this battle."
Gohan steeled his features and stared resolutely at the monitor. Despite his ever-present worry that things would get out hand, he was genuinely curious to see what Midoriya was capable of. Out of everyone else in the class, the green-haired boy was the only one whose Quirk was a total mystery.
It didn't take too long for Midoriya and Uraraka to slip through a window on the bottom floor and proceed cautiously down a hallway. However, they didn't make it far before Blasty ambushed them, the volatile blond leaping out from another hallway and sending his two opponents to the ground with an explosive blast.
"A surprise attack? That was dirty, Bakugo!" Kirishima protested.
"A surprise attack is just another viable strategy," All Might chided. "You should forget about the concept of fairness in a fight where your life is on the line, for villains will take whatever advantage they can get!"
Gohan narrowed his eyes as Midoriya and Blasty traded barbs. Blasty then lunged forward with a huge right swing, but his arm was easily caught by Midoriya, who promptly flipped him onto his back. This drew several gasps from the rest of the class, while the demi-Saiyan let a small grin slide onto his face. The form on that throw was pretty good; he had no idea Midoriya knew some martial arts. It didn't look like he'd used his Quirk, either.
After Blasty recovered and rose to his feet, he and Midoriya engaged in another heated argument while Uraraka looked on, confused. Meanwhile, another screen showed a visibly irritated Iida standing by himself in the room with the bomb, which was made out of papier-mâché.
"What's Bakugo saying?" Kirishima queried. "I can't tell with just the fixed cameras and no sound."
"He's talking to his partner over a small wireless transceiver," All Might replied, pointing to a blue device attached to his own ear. "You can bring that, the building's floor plan, and this capture tape!" He withdrew a small roll of white tape from a container beside him. "Once you wrap this around your opponent, it shows that you've captured them!"
Ashido frowned. "The time limit is fifteen minutes, and the heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" she asked.
"Yes!"
"Then the heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here!" the pink-skinned girl remarked.
"They are, but that's what makes this kind of practice so important," Gohan spoke up, catching his classmates' attention. "It's true that the villains have the overwhelming advantage, but that just mirrors what it's usually like for the heroes. Oftentimes the villains have all the time in the world to make a plan, set up traps, and even escape before they get caught. The heroes, on the other hand, have to respond to villains' crimes in the spur of the moment, and think up their own plans on the fly. That's the unfortunate reality of the world we live in, and one of the biggest challenges we will constantly have to overcome."
This small speech had a lot of Gohan's peers staring at him with wide eyes, much to his discomfort, while Ashido looked sheepish. "Fair enough. It does make sense when you put it that way."
All Might simply guffawed. "Excellently put, young Son! Heroes should be able to turn the tables no matter what kind of predicament they find themselves in! That is one of the qualities we hope to teach here at U.A.!"
After that, the class returned to watching the match on the monitor. Midoriya and Blasty had started fighting for real while Uraraka ran off, presumably to go after Iida. Midoriya blocked a kick from Blasty, and attempted to wrap capture tape around the blond's foot, but an explosive punch that was subsequently dodged allowed him to escape unharmed.
"Not bad for a guy who isn't even using his Quirk," Sato praised, walking over to stand beside Gohan.
"Yeah, that Bakugo is no joke," Sero added.
"No kidding," Gohan grumbled to himself, watching with rapt attention as the fight between the two former friends turned into a tense game of cat and mouse, with Blasty being the aggressor. Meanwhile, Uraraka and Iida had finally made contact, and were involved in something of a standoff.
"By the way, that was a nice speech you made earlier," Sato whispered to Gohan. "If the whole hero thing doesn't work out, you might just have a career in politics."
Gohan gagged at the suggestion. "No thanks. I'd rather retire to the mountains and live as a hermit… maybe write a book or something."
"That'd work too," Sato replied with a chuckle.
"Young Bakugo, stop! Are you trying to kill him?!"
All Might's sudden shouting startled the two boys, and the next thing Gohan saw was Blasty pulling a pin on his grenade-shaped gauntlet and firing a torrent of flames down the hallway towards Midoriya. Glass shattered and the cement wall of the building was blown apart, the resulting explosion so great it was heard even in the monitor room. To further compound the severity of the damage, the ground rumbled as though beset by an earthquake.
When the shaking ceased, Kirishima was the first to say what everyone else was thinking. "That dumbass! Doesn't he understand that this is just a drill?"
All Might was now visibly panicking, his usual grin replaced by an pained grimace. "Young man! Young Midoriya!" he screamed into his microphone.
Gohan felt his heart race, but kept his eyes focused on the monitor, waiting desperately for the smoke to clear to see if Midoriya was alright. When it finally dissipated, revealing the green-haired boy laying on the ground on his back, he let out a deep breath. Midoriya was panting heavily and his costume was in tatters, but he was otherwise unharmed.
Still, seeing the sorry state his friend was in made Gohan furious, and he clenched his fist while narrowing his eyes. "Bakugo… you jerk, that's taking things too far!"
All Might agreed with this assessment. "Young Bakugo, the next time you use that, I'm stopping the fight and giving your team the loss," he scolded over the transceiver, his tone uncharacteristically grave. "Launching such a large-scale attack indoors defeats the purpose of protecting your stronghold in the first place! That's a foolish plan for both heroes and villains, and you'll be docked a lot of points for it!"
Fortunately, the telling off he got was enough to make Blasty calm down – by his standards at least – and the next thing he did was lunge at Midoriya with a ferocious snarl. However, before he could strike, he used an explosive blast from his hand to propel himself over his target. This allowed him a free shot at Midoriya's back, the resulting punch sending the green-haired boy sprawling to the floor.
"What the hell was that?" Kirishima gasped.
Gohan frowned. "He baited Midoriya into counter-attacking, then used an explosive blast to alter his trajectory in mid-air at the last moment, catching Midoriya off guard. That requires excellent reaction speed and motor control." It was a similar technique to what his father had used before he mastered Bukujutsu, albeit slightly more impressive given Blasty's skillset.
"To be able to land a telling blow while fighting against inertia speaks volumes about how good his control over his explosive powers is," Yaoyorozu added smartly.
Kaminari whistled, impressed. "The guy seems like a real asshole, but I have to admit, he's a beast in battle."
Gohan reluctantly agreed with the electricity user's statement. The fight between Blasty and Midoriya had now devolved into a one-sided beatdown, with the latter of the pair being thrown around like a ragdoll. Midoriya eventually managed to crawl over to a wall and lean against it, but the open space they were fighting in meant he had no cover from his opponent, who was advancing menacingly towards him.
"Damn, Bakugo sure is relentless," Sato grumbled. "Why hasn't Midoriya tried using his Quirk yet?"
Gohan was thinking the same thing. He knew Midoriya had trouble controlling his powers, but just how bad could they be to prevent him from attacking when backed into a corner like this? Midoriya had to have some kind of plan up his sleeve… right?
What happened next stunned every single person in the monitor room. Midoriya shouted something at Blasty, and then threw himself forward with his fist pulled back. A sinking feeling welled up in the pit of Gohan's stomach when he saw his green-haired friend's right arm turn red and glow ominously. Never one to back down, Blasty lunged forward in kind, prepared to meet this attack head on. A tense atmosphere suddenly enshrouded the room, with everyone present watching the spectacle with bated breath.
"Sensei! Please put a stop to this! Enough's enough already!" Kirishima wailed, his pleas to a trembling All Might breaking the silence.
The legendary hero gritted his teeth and moved his microphone to his mouth. "Both of you, sto-"
Before All Might could finish his sentence, Midoriya screamed something to Uraraka through his transceiver, and the girl grabbed onto a large pillar. He then fired a tremendous uppercut into the air, his fist stopping just short of Blasty's gauntlet, and generated a tornado-like pillar of wind that spiralled through the building's multiple floors and erupted through the roof, shooting well into the sky. Windows shattered, the ground shook and debris swirled around in the air, the sheer chaos of the scene making Blasty's earlier explosion look like a children's outing.
To Uraraka's credit, she remained composed enough to use her Quirk on the pillar she was holding to drastically reduce its weight. Her next move was to lift the whole thing up as though it was a mere baseball bat and swing it in Iida's direction, sending the errant rubble in the area flying towards him. While the armoured student moved to defend himself from the incoming onslaught, Uraraka took advantage of his distracted state to float over him and attach herself to the bomb, effectively ending the match.
When the reality of what just happened had finally set in, Gohan was speechless. Whatever kind of conclusion he was expecting, this was not it. He gulped audibly and wiped the sweat from his brow. To think Midoriya had so much power... raw, unrefined, self-harming, but nonetheless spectacular power. He then sighed sadly as he eyed the green-haired boy's mangled husk of a right arm, the skin on it all but torn off. That was a problem.
"Hero… " All Might whispered breathlessly as Midoriya's limp body slumped to the floor. "Hero team… wins!"
No one celebrated Team A's victory. For a few moments, no one even said a word. The view on the monitors was enough to paint a succinct enough picture of what happened: Midoriya had worked himself into unconsciousness as Blasty looked on, stunned, while a puking Uraraka was being comforted by Iida. A Pyrrhic victory, for better or worse.
"They lost the battle but won the war, huh?" the stoic Tokoyami observed, breaking the silence.
"This was just training, though," Asui added.
"I guess we're going to have to get used to this kind of stuff, being at U.A. and all..." Sero chimed in, letting out a nervous chuckle.
All Might cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention. "My young charges, please wait a few minutes while I check on young Midoriya and escort the others here."
As soon as he left, the rest of the class started paying close attention to the monitor, curious to see what would happen with the most injured combatant. As it turned out, he had to be taken to the medical room on an automated stretcher.
"Poor Midori really did a number on himself," Ashido sighed, looking rather glum.
"Yeah, but that Quirk of his is some next level shit!" Kirishima exclaimed, shaking his fist excitedly. "If he can get his power under control, he'll be a monster! Man, now I can't wait to show what I've got!"
Yaoyorozu crossed her arms and adopted a stern expression. "While you are right in saying that Midoriya has a lot of potential due to his Quirk, you have to consider the possibility that he may never learn to properly control his immense power," she explained, knocking the wind out of Kirishima's sails. Gohan, meanwhile, was taken aback by how callous his partner sounded. "Yes, Midoriya has a lot of destructive power, but just look at what it did to his body. A single punch broke his entire arm, and that's putting it lightly. Furthermore, that one punch left him unconscious."
She sighed and took a deep breath. "If we try to apply his current skillset to a real-life hostage situation, or a fight against a villain, he would be putting both himself and the people around him in danger. That aside, if we're looking at just the immediate future, imagine the kind of damage Midoriya could do to his body while trying to master his Quirk. One wrong step in training could leave him permanently disabled."
Kirishima by this point was visibly deflated. "Y-you have a point, but damn, I don't want to just assume the worst! It's depressing as heck!"
Yaoyorozu's expression softened slightly. "Neither do I. I'm just being realistic here. As heroes, we must always be vigilant of both the positive and negative outcomes of any situation, regardless of how unpleasant they may be."
Gohan wanted to butt in. He wanted to say that Midoriya had acquired his Quirk late and hadn't had much practice with it, but he wouldn't out of respect for his friend's privacy. He wanted to debunk Yaoyorozu's cold, calculated assessment piece by piece, but he couldn't find the proper words to express himself. As much as it hurt him to admit it, she was right, so he kept his mouth shut.
Before he could ponder this further, All Might returned, the three still-conscious combatants trailing behind him. Uraraka looked downcast, her face still pale from her earlier bout of illness. Blasty's eyes were hidden by his blond locks, his expression uncharacteristically neutral. Iida, unsurprisingly the most emotive of the group, looked downright miserable.
All Might led the trio to the front of the room and made them face the rest of the class. His mouth then split into a huge grin. "The MVP in this match was young Iida!"
The bespectacled boy's jaw dropped in shock. "Wh-what?!"
"It's not either of the winners, Ochaco or Midoriya?" Asui asked, stroking her chin.
All Might's grin widened. "Hmm, well, why is that? Does anyone know?"
Yaoyorozu raised her hand. "Yes, All Might-sensei. That is because Iida adapted the most to the concept of the training. From watching the match, it appears that Bakugo acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge. As you said earlier, sensei, it's foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors. In the same way, taking into consideration the damage he received, and the damage he inflicted on his surroundings, Midoriya's plan was also rash.
"As for Uraraka, she let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was too reckless. If she treated the papier-mâché bomb as a real weapon, she wouldn't have been able to do something so dangerous. Iida had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon, which made him late in responding to the final attack. The hero team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They were practically breaking the rules."
While Iida started shedding tears of joy, Gohan was flabbergasted. This girl meant well, but she was blunt to a T, and had the intelligence to back up her assertions. He actually found it mildly intimidating. Just what would she think when she saw what he was capable of? For that matter, what did she think of him right now?
Judging by the look on All Might's face, he was equally as stunned by the answer. "W-well, young Iida might also have been a bit too stiff, but excellent answer! Well done!" he praised, giving Yaoyorozu a thumbs up.
However, Yaoyorozu wasn't done. She placed her hands on her hips and faced the rest of the class, looking like she was about to address an assembly. "We should always start with the basics to develop good fundamentals. We must also strive to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to our training, or else we'll never become top heroes."
While the class stared at the dark-haired girl in awe, with a few students even giving her muted applause, All Might strode over to where the Hero and Villain boxes were set up and began addressing his pupils. "Alright, everyone, let's change locations and start the second match! Tackle this training after thinking over what we just talked about."
"Yes, sir!" was the response he got.
The Number One Hero thrust his hands into the boxes and pulled out two balls. "Match two! Team B are the heroes and Team C are the villains!"
Gohan and Yaoyorozu shared a surprised look, but quickly recovered from their shock and nodded confidently at each other. Whoever their opponents were, they would be ready.
It was then that Shoji and Todoroki stepped forward, the latter of the pair locking eyes with Gohan and giving him an icy glare that nearly sent chills down his spine.
Gohan, for his part, resisted the urge to groan. 'Oh bother.'
AN: Ho ho ho, dear readers. Consider this chapter my early Christmas gift to all of you. I didn't initially plan on releasing it when I did, but it was a welcome coincidence that the return of my muse coincided with the festive season.
I've received quite a few reviews and PMs inquiring about the status of this story, when it's going to be updated, and if it's been dropped. It hasn't been dropped. I'm not going to drop either of my two ongoing stories, not after I've already put so much thought and work into them. They will get done, one way or another, unless I find myself physically incapable of typing on a computer. In the extremely rare instance that happens, I will make sure you're all aware of it.
As for why I haven't updated in such a long time, all I'm going to say is that the past few months have been rough. For all my teenage readers, you should cherish your childhood while you still can. Being an adult sucks, and if I could have my way, I'd go back to being 19. Things were much simpler then. Anyway, let's move on to more positive stuff.
Gohan's hero costume is essentially his outfit from the official Dragon Ball coloured manga that he wears while training Goten and Videl, only with a Piccolo-esque cape like he wore in the Cell Games. If you want to see what it looks like, just google "Dragon Ball coloured manga Gohan training Goten". That aside, the panels from the manga make for nice phone wallpapers, so google them too if you're interested in getting some.
The only other things I have to say about this chapter are that it was somewhat of a pain in the ass rewriting the Midoriya and Uraraka vs Bakugo and Iida fight, even if it was from a different perspective. Unfortunately, it had to be done, as this fight is crucial for Deku and Bakugo's development. They may not be the main characters in my story, but they're still key characters. As for anyone who thought Gohan was acting weird in the second half of the chapter, I have one word for you. Puberty. Not even demi-Saiyans are immune to that awkward phase of life, and Gohan is smack in the middle of it. Expect hilarity.
That aside, I'd to thank everyone who's been supporting this fic up until now, whether by favouriting, following or reviewing. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. As always, I'd love to hear what you thought of this chapter.
Until next time!
