-Chapter 10, Subchapter 1: Dragons and Energy Waves, the Internships Begin-
The day of the internships, the group of students meet up at the Tatooin Station.
"Hey, Momo!" Goku said with enthusiasm. "Where are you heading off to?"
"Hello, Son Goku! I've chosen to take my internship with Uwabami. I hope I can learn about Pro Hero work there!" Momo replied, chipper towards him.
"I'm going over to Ryukyu's Agency to hone my Quirk!" Goku said in an upbeat manner. This had caught Izuku off guard.
"Ryukyu, the Dragon Heroine?" Momo said, before she can't help but smirk. "She's one of the best Female Pros in Japan."
"She's the No. 9 Hero of Japan as of this day! It's absolutely amazing you got an internship with her! I even heard Tokoyami was able to intern under Hawks, whose No. 3, Bakugou chose Mirko, whose currently at No. 7, weird since he apparently had Best Jeanist as an option, who was No. 4..." the green-haired nerd chimed in before he started to mumble. Momo chuckles as she just lets him continue on his spiel uninterrupted.
"Either way, I hope it works out for you!" Momo replies, she boards her train.
"Yeah, same with you, Momo and Izuku!" Goku replied, her train now pulling out as Goku arrives at his train. "Hey, before I leave, where did Tenya choose to go?"
"He's going off to Hosu to intern with Manual... Which is weird, since being a family of Pro Heroes, he'd have better internships through his parent's connections," he commented, looking a bit worried. Yes, he seemed to say that he's fine, but it's clear that the Tensei incident was eating up the blue-haired teen.
"Hmm, I see..." Goku said, a bit hush. There's too many red flags, but Tenya had gone to Hosu before they could even intercept him. Soon, the Saiyan's train started to leave the station behind.
After the train ride, Goku grabbed his belongings and went to the cityscape of Kyoto, deep in the business district. Soon, he spotted the Agency with a lady with blonde hair and something covering her left eye and the words "Dracoir". While this weirded out Goku a little, it's likely just a side hustle if Hero work was too slow. He walks into the office, decorated with ornate, red furniture with gold trims. A girl with super long blue hair's waiting in the lobby, her face lights up as she spots Goku.
"Hey, Son Goku! Over here!" She waved, she's decked out in her hero uniform: a skintight blue and white outfit accented with light blue lines and curls on her hands and boots, with a spot of yellow. "Mr. Aizawa told me all about you, and I saw your Quirk at work in the Sports Festival! It really is quite similar to my Quirk!"
"Oh?" Goku's curiosity is piqued. "What's your Quirk?"
"Mine's Wave Motion! I can convert my vitality into an energy I can fire from my hands! My Nejire Waves goes in a spiral, but it's similar to your Kamehameha, right?" She looks as Goku finally gets it.
"Oh, so you're Nejire Hado, aren't you?" Goku remarked. He chuckles as he scratched the back of his head, embarrassed that he didn't get it immediately.
"You're spot-on, Goku!" Nejire remarked happily. "I'm curious, but how much vitality does your powers use?"
"Eh? Hmm... I've never used a full-power attack, though I know that my explosions and my Kamehameha use up some of my energy. Though it seems that I don't use that much energy with my flying, if any!" Goku remarked, Nejire nodding.
Ryukyu comes in, she softly smiles upon seeing Goku.
"So you must be Son Goku. You've piqued my interest with your demonstration during the Sports Festival, and upon seeing the replays, Nejire-chan was enthralled. I am the Dragon Hero, Ryukyu, and I hope I can see some of your Quirk in action during your week long internship," Ryukyu spoke. Goku looked at her details. So she's the Dragon Hero? He feels intense curiosity as he wonders what she looks like as a dragon!
"I think I know a way you can grow! You should try to see if you can expand your vitality like I have!" Nejire suggested, with Goku looking excited.
"Really?! That'd be of great help!" Goku said, happy about the entire thing.
"Great! Most of our plans will have to go through to Ryukyu-chan, but I'm glad we're on the right track!" Nejire said, happy about the entire thing. "Also, your Quirk goes under 'Monkey Boy', but you just go by "Goku" as your Hero Name! What's up with that?"
"It's a long story..." Goku mused, the trio ready to head out to train and to patrol the streets, where he gets to witness firsthand the amazing power of both Ryukyu and her Dragon Form, alongside Nejire fighting on par with her employer!
After day's end, Ryukyu took them out to dinner. Needless to say, that was a big mistake.
"Boy, oh boy! I'm famished!" Goku cheerfully said, as he started to eat at a rapid pace. He was clearing each and every plate of food in front of him with scary precision.
"Oh dear..." the Dragon Hero remarked to herself, not wanting to interupt him. "This'll take out a lot of money."
"Goku, why are you eating so much?" Nejire asked, more curious as to why this boy is eating a lot. This caught his attention as he finished a ramen bowl.
"I... don't know. I guess it helps me retain my physical fitness...?" He shrugs.
"I think it makes sense, Goku," the older Hero replies as she takes a drink. "When it comes to people with Quirks relating to super strength, a lot of the time, they will have to eat more than the average person. Compounding that with your ability to use energy in your attacks or movement, your body would require a massive intake of energy to replenish yourself. Though I will admit, the amount of food you're packing on a plate would put Fatgum to shame, yet somehow your frame is built closer to All Might's, if a bit slimmer."
"Ooh, that makes sense! Thanks, Ryukyu-chan!" Nejire cheerfully replied.
"That does sound reasonable... Eh, I still love eating all this delicious food," Goku appreciated all the food that was on the table. The Dragon Hero smiles again as the three enjoyed their dinner.
Son Goku has to be one of the most intriguing boys that 1A has to offer! Not only is he a studious young man, but he studies everything about Ryukyu-chan and my patrols! He is extremely serious about his internship. Apparently, because of the nature of his Quirk, both the strength and energy expelling portions, he requires a lot of food to be sated, roughly about five meals' worth at the minimum, but even then he has a nearly-bottomless stomach! Ryukyu-chan said that he could outeat Fatgum-chan and still have room for more. After we came back from dinner, Sir Nighteye called us, requesting him to spar with Mirio Togata. This will be an interesting battle, though I don't know how Goku will handle him. -Nejire Hado
Starting on the second day, Nejire and Goku began their first sparring match in an outdoor arena, with Ryukyu watching. To no one's surprise, Goku closes the space between the two. However, due to Nejire's superior maneuverability, she's able to avoid taking direct hits against the Saiyan.
"Your speed's pretty good, Goku! But you can't just expect to hit me with speed alone!" Nejire spoke out, as she uses her Wave Motion to help her weave between Goku's barrage, though with his precision, she still takes a hit. While it's clear he's holding back to not hurt her, it did actually sting.
"Man, you're actually pretty tough!" Goku said, a smirk forming on his face. "Unlike those thugs at the USJ, you're actually going to be a challenge!"
"Which is to be expected. Nejire-chan has pulled through again and again, sometimes in the most surprising ways," Ryukyu stated. "However, you have a lot of untapped potential, Son Goku. I anticipate to see how you'll pull through."
"Alright, you're not bad on the ground, but try to catch me in the air!" Nejire commanded, as she starts to fly, her boots firing the yellow energy spirals.
Goku, now on the learning end, starts to fly, as his white aura sparks upon lifting off. Actually catching the bubbly 3A student, however, was much harder. Not only was her aerial speed and maneuverability far surpassing the Saiyan's, but every time he was close, a surprise 10% Nejire Wave strikes true, forcing Goku to either block with his arms or take damage. It was like a game of cat and mouse, except the cat is Tom and the mouse is Jerry, and Jerry is trouncing Tom in everything but strength. One that had lasted for nearly twenty-five minutes uninterrupted.
Before the Saiyan got too frustrated, however, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing not on the physical environment, but rather, the energy signature of his opponent. Her life energy burned fierce, but it created a lot of ripples. He took a charge again at Nejire, but when she dodged out of the way, he bursts forth more energy and, turning on a dime, flying faster than he could have anticipated, finally capturing his opponent in a full nelson!
"Yeek!" Nejire was taken by complete surprise as she squirmed in Goku's grasp. "I hadn't expect you to actually catch me!"
"You are genuinely much better at flying than I am... Though because of your Quirk, if I focused enough, I can predict where you were gonna go next!" Goku remarked, as he lets her go, the two landing on the ground.
"Once you're done with your internship, Goku, you're going to be amazing!" she said.
"You do learn quite fast," Ryukyu commented. "Though your training is just beginning. Hmm, I wonder where Sir Nighteye's at... He's usually not this late." She
"Night... eye...?" Goku said, confused.
"Nighteye's my mentor!" a young man yelled behind the Saiyan, causing him to leap high while yelping.
"Oh, Lemillion!" Nejire called out. "I didn't even hear you come in!"
"Good to see you, Nejire-chan! So that's the 'Son Goku' that I keep hearing about!" Mirio replied, laughing as Goku crashed on his back, a Goku-shaped crater forming as he looks at the stranger.
"W-Who are you? And how'd you get here?" The Saiyan asked, as he scrambled to get back on his feet.
"Sorry for the surprise! This is Mirio Togata, one of my very best friends in my class!" the bouncy 3A girl said.
"You may also call me 'Lemillion'. Because I want to save a million lives one day!" the tall 3A boy boasted with confidence.
Just after his announcement, there was a chuckle at the entrance to the arena. Following Ryukyu was a man, looking amused as he saw Goku's startled face.
"You never cease to amuse me, Lemillion," The lanky man spoke, as he looks towards the Saiyan again. "It's a pleasure to meet you in the flesh, Son Goku. I am Sir Nighteye," he offers the Saiyan a hand.
"Oh...! Nice to meet you, Sir Nighteye!" He shook hands with Nighteye, who gazes him into his eye, watching him. After a little bit, he smiles as he finally lets go.
"Lemillion, would you like to have a spar with him?" Nighteye asked his student, who looked eager to fight.
"Let me see how you fare, Champion of the Sports Festival!" Mirio spoke out. Goku can't help but feel just as eager, getting into a fighting stance.
"I am just as curious as how well you'd fight, Togata," Goku remarked.
"Are you certain about this, Nighteye? I am well aware about how Lemillion fights, and I don't even know if Goku's able to fight at his level yet," Ryukyu asked Nighteye, a bit concerned about how the 1A student will fare. However, he's not too worried.
"I know he isn't yet, but that kid's interesting," Nighteye remarks, looking at Goku's stance. "Besides, he might be one of the few that could actually challenge him."
"You may begin now!" Ryukyu announced. However, Goku isn't moving, he's looking at Mirio, studing his figure. He looks too relaxed.
"Are you worried about hurting me too much? C'mon, don't hold back!" the large 3A student said.
Goku, after having those words go through his ears, charges at Mirio. However, his fast strike goes through Mirio's body, but he feels nothing! What he does feel is an intense blow to his gut, shocking him as it's far more painful than he could have anticipated, flinging him away and causing him to fall onto his knee.
"Yeow, that's smarts...!" Goku said to himself as he got up, looking at Mirio, whose laughing. "I could have sworn I landed a punch on you, though!"
"Oh, my monkey friend, you did! However, I can Permeate through absolutely anything!" Lemillion remarked. "Though perhaps I shouldn't have started with the punch. Are you still good to fight?"
"Yeah..." the Saiyan nodded, his eyes sharpening as he gets back into his stance. "Though it'll take more than just a gut punch to stop me!" Mirio's blood starts pumping.
"Let's do this then, my 1A friend!" The 3A juggernaut goes on the offensive.
Knowing now about the Permeation ability, Goku can only hope to dodge, though when he shoots upward from the underground, he often gets hit with a powerful punch. However, he starts to study his opponent's movement, specifically when he activates his Quirk. And then he comes up with a counterattack. Creating a single afterimage, he baits Mirio into attacking it. Before the 3A student could stop thinking about the afterimage, the one blow that Nighteye had foreseen connects hard with Mirio's solar plexus, causing him to look in shock as he sees Goku at the other end, with a smirk on his face as he retracts his elbow away.
"You... actually... hit me...!" Mirio coughed up as the pain in his gut was real. However, that shock turned into a grin of pride. "I do get hurt a fair bit... but of all the people to land a blow on me... it was by an underclassman..." He soon laughs in an uproar. "You are built different, my friend!"
"Your Quirk is so amazing... Phasing through all my attacks and being able to just hit me from any angle! What a scarily powerful Quirk..." Goku said to himself.
"Ohmigod, that's amazing, both of you!" Nejire spoke loudly.
"Heh... Son Goku's got guts and immense potential. I have no doubt, he is going to go far as a Hero, bringing smiles with that goofy face of his," Nighteye remarks with a smile on his face.
"Wait, you saw this happening with him? That's why you wanted him to spar with Togata?" Ryukyu said, incredulously as the Pro Hero adjusts his glasses.
"Indeed. It was a test for the both of them. I know that Togata would defeat Son in an actual fight, but to see him grow before my eyes the moment he realized Permeation, that is an extraordinary strength to have as a Hero," he clarified.
"Keep on going the way you're going, Son Goku!" Mirio said with a fist out. "You're in good hands with Ryukyu and Nejire-chan training you!"
"Will do, Lemillion!" Goku replies with a fist bump. Soon, Nighteye comes over.
"Not bad for a First Year, Son Goku. Not bad at all. Though you will have to work on your jokes if you ever want to work at my agency in the future. Regardless, I hope to see you grow into a fully capable Hero. Even if I can't, however, I know you will work hard," the Pro Hero said, before he turns to the Dragon Hero. "Thank you again for allowing us time in your schedule."
"Anything for a friend and partner," She said. "Just don't make this into a recurring visit."
"Lemillion, we'll be leaving now," He remarks to his intern.
"Aw, we can't take the monkey home with us?" Mirio joked, Nighteye snickering at the joke.
"As much as I'd love to bring Son with us, he's still on his internship with Ryukyu."
The duo takes their leave.
"Son Goku's future... There's so much variables with him, I can't exactly pinpoint how he'll grow. And yet, no matter which path he'll take, it always seems like he'll flash a brilliant yellow light. That raw, overwhelming energy and power... Perhaps it goes beyond anything the world, or even my Foresight, could ever hope to achieve. The most shocking thing is that none of it's a result of him gaining One For All... It's just that kid's overwhelming potential and determination breaking any kind of limit! He definitely will shine bright even in the darkest of all hours. However, he seems to have some reverence to that same green-haired kid that was taken down during the Quarter-Finals, for what reason I wish I knew. Maybe it'll be clear once I see the boy in the flesh, but that remains to be seen..."
"Is there something bothering you, Sir Nighteye? You seem to be in deep thought about something," Mirio popped his thought train.
"Everything's fine, Lemillion. However, I'm sorry for worrying you. I was just thinking about your sparring match with Son Goku," Nighteye said, a white lie that strove to hide his true thoughts.
"Oh! Yeah, he's gonna grow to be a formidable Hero! I hope I can fight him again when he's my age!" Togata was smirking, the competitive blood pumping again.
"You're always looking to the future, with a smile on your face. That is what I like the most about you. You aren't the type to give up that easily, and you're always giving it all you've got. I have no regrets taking you in when I did, Mirio," The Pro remarked with pride and a smile as the two return to their agency.
Today was an intense day of training! We first started off with a sparring match. During our match, Goku was able to use more of his energy to suddenly change directions and fly at such speeds that I was captured in a full nelson! He said that he tracked me by my life energy. Beforehand, he was a bit on the clumsy side when it comes to flying. This will be something we'll work on. Next was the spar session between him and Mirio! To our complete shock, Goku was able to actually land a blow on Mirio, by somehow going so fast that he created an afterimage of himself! Afterwards, we tested out our energy attacks. Goku's "Kamehameha" beam was surprisingly powerful, but I noticed that he was panting afterwards. Then he mentioned something about trying to heal others...? Is that even possible? Tomorrow will be another patrol day, a small Trigger trade ring was scouted out and we'll be teaching him about the importance of paperwork and covertly taking out these rings before they can use the illicit drug. After we deal with the drug ring, Ryukyu-chan tasked me to help train his flying abilities so that he will be more efficient. -Nejire Hado
AN: For some strange reason, I had a major boost of inspiration. While a part of it can be attributed to getting the Stain Arc volume, part of it's because July is just July and I felt a jolt of life in this dull life. So, I actually had written all of the Stain Arc and I'm touching on the Final Exam Arc, though for when the classmates return from their internships, I wanted to put more emphasis on Classes 1A and 1B having more than just one Joint Class. Just to make this arc a bit more interesting, I decided to mostly keep the Stain Fight as it was (as in having the starting beats play out and leaving it once Midoriya comes in to rescue Iida), while focusing more on Goku's side and having him turn into the Great Ape once more. I am mostly satisfied with how it turned out, though that's mostly also just me indulging in this little side project. I'll admit, I do kinda want to write a bonus chapter that dives in more about the other characters' internships, maybe have Mei find a good way to help Nezu extract the data contained in the Saiyan Pod, or just a fun little adventure of Mirko and Katsuki while thinking about having some kind of cheesy marching band anthem detailing the adventures of the Rabbit Hero and her Explosive Kit.