After some hours and several tests, Present Mic once again waltzed into the room. "Alright, you little superstars. It's time to begin conducting the practical exams, so if you'll all kindly line up outside, we will be boarding very soon!" He said, prompting everyone to step outside. Once everyone was accounted for, Present Mic directed for the group of students to board the bus before them.
"Where do you think we're going?" Bulla asked her friend, staring out the window as the world passed by in a blur.
"Who knows? From the information I read about this place, it's the most prestigious school in this country, possibly even the world. They basically do things however they see fit." Pan explained, resting her elbow on the armrest, followed by resting her head on her hand.
"Crazy place. I guess we won't be able to expect a regular school life out here." Bulla told her, focusing on different things as they passed.
Pan couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, but then again, when have our lives ever been 'normal,' Bulla?" She asked, prompting Bulla to smile back before returning to the window. The bus trailed for some time until it reached a massive dome-shaped building, where the students were directed to enter.
"Welcome to the 'Unforeseen Simulation Joint' - UA High's primary location for rescue training! This building here has several different zones to simulate any disaster that ol' Momma Nature may throw your way!" Present Mic explained. "For our practical exam, we're going to weigh the decisions of those who recommended you via an obstacle course around the entire facility, and you'll finish back here." He said as he directed six students to line up at a start line. Pan lined up with a couple of boring-looking boys, but next to then was a boy with what seemed to be exposed teeth of some kind. It was hard to describe with any word other than strange. Next to him was Yoarashi, followed by the tall boy with blue skin, and then the boy that Yoarashi had made an attempt to talk to prior. Past him, she couldn't see the next person down. "This isn't a race, so focus on showing off those flashy Quirks of yours."
Yoarashi saw that Pan was trying to look and waved to her with a smile, prompting her to wave back. "Alright, without further adieu, LET'S GET THIS STARTED!" The race began, and immediately, Yoarashi and the stoic boy dashed forward. While Yoarashi was engulfed in a ball of wind, the other boy rode a wave of ice forward, prompting Pan to power up and fly forward in an attempt to keep pace.
The first obstacle was a large dome-shaped facility with two single doors side-by-side. The three students that held the lead began to run, allowing Pan to catch up even further and hold the helm with her superior Saiyan stamina. Entering the building, the three of them were immediately met with an incredible torrential downfall. Pan stopped in place and held her arm over her eyes. "This is crazy!" She yelled over the sound of the weather. The icy cold rain felt as if it'd pierce her skin at any moment.
"I would expect nothing less of the very best! It's incredible, how much passion everyone is putting into this exam!" Yoarashi yelled. Suddenly, the boy from before entered the facility, holding his arm over his face.
"Get out of my way." He said coldly, fittingly enough, as he stepped forward and swung the arm the was held over his face, converting the downpour into a snowfall.
"A-Amazing...!" Pan said as the icy boy continued to run forward. "Who is that kid?"
"I believe his name is Todoroki, the son of Endeavor!"
"That's the world's second strongest hero, isn't that correct? The flame hero?" She asked, recalling her months of studying.
"Yeah...that's him..." For the first time all day, Pan looked over, and on Yoarashi's face was a stern scowl, and his eyes were cold and focused.
"Um, hey, is everything alright?" She asked, dragging him out of his fixated gaze.
In a snap, he was back. "O-Oh! Yeah, I'm just fine, thank you very much for asking, and I'm sorry to have worried you!" He said as he presented a hundred bows.
"Hey, hey, it's fine. We should get going." She said as the two carried on, meeting the exit of the facility. Todoroki wasn't two far ahead, and as the two finally caught up, he was just stepping on the surface of the water at the flood zone, creating a bridge of ice. Surprisingly, he seemed to be having trouble with the Flood Zone, the rough waves towards the center breaking apart his ice.
As Pan and Yoarashi flew across, they could see that he began stepping on the broken chunks of ice, creating a second layer of ice to reinforce his walkway with each step.
The two quickly blew through the Conflagration Zone and carried on to the Mountain Zone. As a field of stalagmites rising from the ground filled their view, they could see the shape of the stone spikes waver slightly. Not having thought much of it, the two continued to fly over before looking down. "Hey! That's the weird-mouth guy!" Pan said, pointing to one of her fellow contenders below them.
The student with the number 16 on his chest was swimming through the ground. "He must be incredibly passionate to have made it past us like that!"
"Passionate, my ass! Let's pick up the pace!" She yelled as the two began to push closer to their limits. Wait a minute... Why am I sticking by this guy? She though to herself, looking at Yoarashi's dumb, goofy smile. Maybe it's because that smile...and the way he acts... They're both a lot like Super Grandpa Goku.
The two passed over the stalagmite field and carry on over the Landslide Zone and through the Ruin Zone. Sometime ago, when they had passed the Landslide Zone, Todoroki managed to catch up, riding a massive wave of ice, once again.
As the began to hold the lead, much like they did earlier in the race, Yoarashi and Todoroki began to push past their limits. Although she made her best attempt, Pan couldn't find herself capable of passing them before they all reached the finish line, with Yoarashi at the front and Todoroki only just barely behind him. "Holy crap! Number 41 finishes in first by a hair!" Present Mic announced.
Pan finished right after the two of them and took to the ground. "DAMMIT!" Pan yelled. "Yoarashi! How are you so fast!"
It's the reward of displaying the true passion of a hero! You were really amazing, too!" Yoarashi responded, pumping his fists.
Pan watched as Yoarashi approached the ice-cold Todoroki. After only one conversation, his excitable expression faded away, and his head hung low. She jogged up to him and reached for his shoulder. "Hey, Yoarashi, are you okay?"
Instead of responding, he just walked towards Present Mic, speaking to him briefly before removing himself from the premises. Following his absence, Present Mic directed the next group to line up.
Bulla remained focus on what lied ahead, rather than what was around her. Just as Present Mic sounded for the race to start, she dashed forward. Unlike Pan, she didn't know how to fly, so she was forced to remain restricted to relying on her superior stamina. She passed through the torrential rain of the Storm Zone and around the waters of the Flood Zone, and past the flames of the Conflagration Zone.
The Mountain Zone's field of stalagmites proved to slow Bulla down, however. As she began unleashing Ki blast after Ki blast to clear small patches of stalagmites, the second-place contender, with dark green hair on a severed head, was flying through the field in pieces, closing the distance rapidly. The sight of her body in piece brought chills up Bulla's spine, but she knew she couldn't dwell on the image for long.
As she cleared the field, the girl with dark green hair matched her, as well as the third-place contender, a tall girl with tied-up black hair, propelling herself forward via metal rods protruding from her hands, one at a time. When did she get so close behind me!? Bulla thought to herself as she tried to formulate a sudden strategy.
Just as the severed limbs and the metal rods began to pass, Bulla's mind flashed back to the way that Nejire would fly through the air while using her abilities. As she began to focus on that mental image of the spiral beams leaving her mentor's feet, her arms instinctively raised behind her, and in a moment of pure brilliance, she opened her hand snd summoned all her strength. It took everything she had to keep herself on her feet as she unleashed two bright Ki blasts behind her, propelling herself forward.
Within minutes, Bulla took an overwhelming lead and blurred through the Landslide and Ruin Zones, quickly closing in on the finish line. "And with an incredible lead, Number 16 finishes in first place!" Present Mic announced as Bulla took a breather. A few more minutes passed by before the second and third-place students crossed, and the next group of six continued.
"So, Ms. Brief, where exactly did you come to Japan from? I noticed that both you and your friend, number 17, have some odd names." Principal Nezu asked. Following the practical exams, the students were invited one at a time to speak with the principal of the school, as well as a couple of the teachers, in mandatory interviews. One of the teachers was a very muscular man with white hair in a red costume, while the other was a scrawny man with messy black hair and tired eyes.
Upon seeing the principal, he instantly reminded her of Korin, who used to play with her and Pan as children. "Um..." She hesitated, and her hands curled into fists in her lap. "I'm really sorry, Sir. I'm afraid I can't say." Although neither of the teachers said a word, both of their eyes narrowed, focusing on her.
"It's quite alright. Here at UA, we're not too worried about where the students come from, but rather, where we are guiding them to. You were recommended by the Wild, Wild Pussycats, correct?" Nezu asked her with a smile.
"Actually, Sir, I was recommended by Ryukyu, the Dragon Hero." She corrected nervously.
"Yes, yes, I'm aware. I was just making sure that you were paying attention. Now, you've been training with one of our top students, Hado Nejire, for the last six months. She's one of the finest students that UA has to offer. At the same time, you seem to share a striking resemblance to her, not just in appearance, but in abilities as well." He explained. "Am I wrong to say that there is some form of relation between the two of you?"
"Yes, Sir." Bulla told him. "I came to Japan six months ago, while Ms. Nejire had been here her whole life. I only met her the day I came to this country."
"I see. I apologize if it seems like I was attempting to dive deeper." He said with a smile. "So, Ms. Brief, what exactly does being a hero mean to you?"
The question was so straightforward, and seemed to come out of nowhere, like being hit by a truck. Despite it seeming so clear, Bulla couldn't find an immediate answer. It was several moments of silence that had passed before she began to panic. Crap...! What would they want to hear?! If I say something too common will they reject me?!
"Ms. Brief, please speak from the heart. There are no wrong answers here." He spoke gently, bringing her stress levels down ever-so-slightly.
Just as she opened her mouth, her father flashed in her mind, powering up for the last time. "You know," her mother's voice spoke, "your father once came to this world trying to destroy it, or enslave it. However, after some time, he and your great-uncle Goku met again on Piccolo's world, and when met with the biggest threat to the world that they'd ever seen, which was the same Frieza that you see him sparring with from time to time, they teamed up."
She knew the answer. "A hero..." "Even after your father killed hundreds of people, after he retired from a life of destroying whole worlds, he gave his life to protect us. He risked being obliterated into nothing, a state of nonexisting, for us. For me, for your brother, and just after you were born, for you, Bulla."
Even though Uncle Gohan was the one who played superhero during his days in high school, even though her father was once a cold-blooded killer, she now knew the answer. "A hero is someone who will give their life to protect others. Someone who will always come out on the other side for the people they care about!" She said loudly, tears streaming down her face. "I remember this one time, just after you were born, your father was about to decimate my friend Yamcha, just because he made you cry!"
Following her outburst, Bulla began to calm down. "It's somebody who will do everything in their power to protect the smiles that they love. They'll do anything to push through, just so those people can continue to be happy."
With one last smile, Principal Nezu spoke. "Ms. Brief, why do you want to be a hero?"