A/N: Yeahh so this is probably where I'll lose half my readers =( But I hope you're able to stay with me through it. It will all make sense in time.

Opening Song

"The Beginning" by One Ok Rock

"I'm only going to say this once," Endeavor's powerful voice boomed. "Surrender now, or prepare to fight."

"I don't want to fight you, Endeavor!" Gohan yelled, his voice slightly distorted by the scarf. His eyes continued to scan for a way out as the shorter man approached him. Gohan was slightly taller than Endeavor, but the Flame Hero was built like a tank, and he was experienced in combat. The Hero Who Never Lost a Fight, was one of his many titles.

This is bad! Gohan thought to himself. He took a step back and the Flame Hero stepped forward menacingly. His flame-like reddish brown hair swayed with the evening breeze, his white-gloved hands folded across his white chest armor over the dark blue body suit he wore.

"Then you'd be wiser than most," Endeavor said, his lips pursing into a predatory smile. "You'd be surprised how many villains think they can actually stand a chance against me."

With that face, he'd make a pretty convincing villain himself, Gohan allowed himself a moment of humor.

"I'm no villain," he said, stepping to his right, digging the ball of his right foot under the ground, preparing himself to launch into flight the moment he had a chance. "And I'm not your enemy, either. I'm just a guy trying to do the right thing."

"Spare me, please," Endeavor scoffed, continuing his approach towards Gohan. "You vigilantes all have the same tired script-"

There! Gohan pounced on the opportunity while Endeavor was still talking… but suddenly, Endeavor was in front of him. Gohan didn't have an opportunity to blink when three mighty blows crashed against his torso, completely knocking the breath out of him. Right. Left. Right.

With that last punch, Endeavor pushed off Gohan's body and brought his knee up against Gohan's stomach.

"Ahhhghh!" Gohan gagged, but the assault wasn't finished. Endeavor brought his elbow crashing against Gohan's spine, who had doubled over from the last blow. This sent Gohan flying back towards the ground. The force of impact was so great that Gohan's vision blurred. The concrete below cracked and catered under the impact.

Gohan held his stomach and gagged for air. There was no time to think. Endeavor was already flying full speed towards him, his fist charging with glowing energy, aiming at his head. Gohan swung his legs upward and used the motion to roll backwards onto his feet and leap away just as Endeavor landed where he had been a second ago. The explosion sent shards of debris and concrete flying everywhere, and the shock wave caught Gohan, sending him crashing into an empty office building.

It was dark here. Gohan rolled and came to a stop, crashing against the furthest wall. He coughed several times and picked himself up. In just five seconds, Endeavor had reduced him to a stumbling weakling. It didn't help that he was completely exhausted from the grueling First Day of School.

"Okay, big guy," Gohan said, getting to his feet and gritting his teeth. "I'm not trying to pick a fight, but you clearly have no regard for the people who live in your city. I'm not going to let you put them in danger just because you want to have a pissin' contest with me."

Gohan's hands balled into fists and he brought them up, ready for the next round as Endeavor gently floated down to stand at the opposite side of the office.

Again, the wicked smile snaked across his face.

"Are you ready to surrender now, or have you said your prayers already?" he taunted.

Gohan didn't respond.

He shot forward with all of his speed. Endeavor leaped up again to intercept him, but at the last minute, Gohan spun around, bringing his leg into a kick that was easily blocked. Gohan kicked away, jumping back into the air and holding his hands over his head. "Sorry, big guy!" he said. "This is gonna sting a little! Masenko-HAAAAA!" He felt the nausea creeping up his abdomen as he gathered energy for the weaker, yet faster charging ki blast. An oval sphere of energy quickly materialized over his head and shot forward in a single, brilliant beam of golden ki. The blast hit Endeavor's chest plate squarely in the middle and sent him tumbling across the grass.

"Stay down!" Gohan barked. "I don't want to hurt you!"

He turned and blasted off into the sky. At this point, he had very little ki left in his reserves. If he used another big attack, he'd be toast! But at the same time, he doubted that Nimbus would be fast enough to outrun the Flame haired hero.

No choice but to blast my way out of here, Gohan thought with panting breaths. He leaped into the air, a white aura forming around his body. Just then, his phone started ringing. The scouter picked up on the connection and relayed it to the earpiece.

It was Ochaco.

Damn. Talk about bad timing, Uraraka!

Gohan rejected the call and rocketed towards the starless night, thumbing at his scouter.

"Guardian," he said through raspy breaths. Blood trickled down from a cut on his forehead and flooded his left eye, leaving him to depend only on his right eye for guidance. "Guardian!"

"Dragon! I'm here!" Dende's worried voice came over the scouter's earpiece. "What the hell is going on man?!"

"I'm… being chased… in West City. I don't have enough stamina to make it all the way back to Base, but I should have enough to make it at least to Musutafu. I'm gonna need someone to come pick me up."

"Musutafu, huh?" Endeavor's voice boomed over the scouter. Gohan gasped and looked back to see Endeavor rising in the air. The fiery aura that had originally covered his shoulders had now enlarged to cover his entire body.

"What the hell?!" Dende gasped. "How does he have access the scouter channel?"

Endeavor let out a taunting laugh.

"Fools. Children playing heroes," his voice taunted through the transmission. "Where did you steal that device from?"

"We didn't steal anything!" Gohan yelled, turning to fly away as fast as he could.

"The channel is old, but the connection is still secure. It used to belong to a great warrior who fell in battle, and clearly, it's been stolen for illicit activities. There's no running away, boys. You're both going down for this vigilante operation."

Gohan craned his neck in time to see Endeavor almost upon him. Just then, he got an idea.

"Here's something you're not counting on, Endeavor!" Gohan yelled as he threw himself into a spin in midair, just as Endeavor was on him. "My cape isn't a fashion statement!"

With that, Gohan grabbed the side of his cape and swung it full force, catching Endeavor by surprise. The weighted cape struck Endeavor's jaw with a dull thud, sending him flying away into the night sky and into the direct flight of a news chopper. Endeavor crashed through the horizontal tail of the helicopter, sending it spinning out of control towards a nearby building.

By now, the city had gone into a full lockdown. The tubular traffic lanes as well as most of the buildings were now ray shielded. Red beams of light flowed over the surface of the city, acting as a protective barrier between the buildings and the two fighters. Police hovercraft could be seen rushing towards them in the distance. His phone rang through the scouter's earpiece. It was Ochaco again. Again, Gohan redirected the call to voicemail.

Gohan had a chance now to escape, but when he looked back, Endeavor had cratered into the grass and was barely beginning to lift himself up. He wouldn't have time to save the helicopter's passengers.

Gohan couldn't just let those innocent people die. He flipped in midair and flew back towards the spinning chopper. He tore through the shell of the chopper and grabbed the two passengers inside, a reporter, who was piloting the chopper and her cameraman, flew out, gently setting them on the grass below.

"Are you alright?" Gohan asked breathlessly, his face blacked by soot and blood. The reporter's violet eyes widened.

"You're him," she whispered. "You're the Dragon!"

Gohan nodded, patting her arm and motioning towards a nearby building.

"You need to head to safety," he said.

"Kuri, get away from him!" Her cameraman yelled, running towards her. He took her from Gohan's arms and the two ran towards the safety of the shielded building.

Gohan backed away quickly, ready to take to the skies again.

"Get inside-"

He was cut off as Endeavor smashed the burning chopper over his head, causing a massive explosion.

"Nooooo!" Kuri yelled as Taneo pulled her into the building by force.

Endeavor wasn't panting, but his breathing had become slightly labored.

He hovered over the burning wreckage, looking for the body.

"Explosive Dragon WAAAAVE!"

A wide golden beam suddenly burst out from the wreckage, catching Endeavor off guard and sending him flying again. Gohan flew out from the wreckage with a savage roar and tackled Endeavor in midair, flying full speed with him away from the city, punching and punching at Endeavor's face.

"I'm not going to let you put these good people in danger anymoooooore!" he yelled.

The two landed on a farm field far outside the outskirts of West City, where Gohan rose to his feet. He dropped into the fighting stance that Piccolo had taught him.

Endeavor smirked.

"Do you really think those Namekian Martial Arts stand a chance against a warrior like me? My people used to slaughter yours just for the fun of it."

Gohan held his right hand outstretched into a fist and his left arm tucked, protecting his body. The torn and tattered cape flowed down like a protective carapace around his back and sides.

This is it. The final stand.

Endeavor jerked his head to the side, his bones popping loudly.

"Alright, at least make this entertaining for me," he said, bringing his fists up and leaping from foot to foot.

Gohan leaped forward, putting all of his weight into his tucked arm and using his extended arm to keep Endeavor at bay, only to be met by Endeavor's crossed arms. He smiled at him. Gohan shook his head. After all that, Endeavor hadn't even broken a sweat yet. He really was worthy of being the Number Two Hero.

The blows kicked up dust around them as they bounced back away from each other. Not wanting to give him a chance to react, Gohan dove forward again and again, delivering a powerful blow and leaping away, using the spider-web technique that he had used against Kendo Rappa.

But it was no use. Each time he delivered a blow at full power, Endeavor simply blocked or parried it, making Gohan lose focus and energy at the same time. Anger started to creep up Gohan's stomach. This ridiculous fight had gone on for long enough. He had to end it now. His burnt out muscles cried in pain, but Gohan angrily pushed past the pain.

Faster. Faster! FASTER!

Each clash was faster and had more power than the last, until they appeared to be little more than a series of explosions in the night sky.

In the last clash, Gohan leaped up, but his body, finally gave out. The aura around him completely dissipated and his kick went wide, missing Endeavor by miles. Endeavor laughed with delight.

"That's the spirit boy!"

He twisted, bringing his thick white boots over and around, straight into Gohan's face. Gohan's face was instantly bathed in his own blood and his eyes went teary for a second too long.

"Nice trick," Endeavor buried his fingers into Gohan's purple gi and spun him around, throwing him back towards the ground and landing on top of him. "But this is the end of the line!"

A white boot landed on Gohan's left shoulder, shattering it.

Gohan screamed in agony. White hot pain coursed up his arm and his aura finally left his body.

That was it. The last of his ki reserves.

The world was spinning and Gohan's hearing became muffled and distant as the merciless Hero stood proudly over his defeated foe.

"I'll admit it, boy," Endeavor said. "You turned out to be a pretty decent warm up after all. It's been years since anyone's made me tap into ten percent of my power."

Gohan's head rolled, and his consciousness was fleeting.

"If you had only chosen a life outside of villainy then perhaps… well, who knows, you might have made a decent sidekick."

"I would never want to be associated with someone like you, Endeavor," Gohan growled. "I've seen the kind of Hero you are. You endanger innocent lives. Instead of worrying about protecting the city, you care more about winning fights. Is that what a Hero is supposed to be?"

Endeavor laughed at Gohan.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you honestly think I would be so weak so as to bend to the will of politicians and activists? No, in that sense, we're alike, you and I. I, too, do not conform to the meaningless bureaucracies of this so-called Hero Society and for good reason. In the end, strength is all that matters in this world. Everything else is just a delusion for the weak. There is only one certainty in life – a strong man stands above and conquers all!"

"Then why masquerade as a Hero… if you don't care about helping others in need?"

"To prove that I am a true warrior who walks solemnly down the Path of the Mighty."

Endeavor smirked and lifted off to the sky. A sphere of power formed in his hand. Gohan watched from the cratered ground as the ball surged violently in Endeavor's hand, changing color from red to blue to deep purple.

"Don't worry, kid. This won't kill you. But let's just say you'll be needing a wheelchair for a while."

Endeavor shot off the enormous purple ki blast and Gohan could do nothing but close his eyes and accept his fate. The orb shot towards him, bringing with it a bright white light…

FLASHBACK - Aldaran, 8 YEARS AGO

Gohan's vision finally returned from the blinding white light, and his body felt like it was being torn apart. Multiple blasts of pure golden energy were shooting out from different angles of his body, each one burning with excruciating pain and he couldn't stop him.

His eyes came to rest on the red and black tendrils that were embedded into his chest. He followed the tendrils and they lead towards a man in a black tuxedo suit. His hand outstretched towards Gohan, the tendrils were connected to each of his fingers.

"Aww, what's wrong?" The evil villain cooed. "Don't you know that such a delicious Quirk should be shared?"

Gohan tried to speak, but he couldn't. His eight year old body floated in midair, convulsing and contorting from the massive output of power. That's when he noticed that the Man in Black was not talking to him.

He was talking to his father.

Goku stumbled towards him, a large, bleeding black hole in the middle of his chest.

"G-Gohan," he said weakly. "Gohan! Don't… Don't listen to him, son."

"Dad?" Gohan finally said, his voice young and screechy.

"The power within you; it's yours now."

"I… can't control it… Daddy. I can't make it… stop… hurting!"

"Yes you can, I believe in you, and you want to know why? Because you're my son."

All for One laughed maniacally in the back.

"I hate to break it to you, Goku. But now, he's mine!"

Goku gave Gohan a sad, yet reassuring smile. He reached up to him.

"Give me your hand, son."

"Daddy!"

Gohan reached up towards him.

"This power is yours now," Goku repeated. "Use it to defend mankind from evil like him."
Gohan's eyes narrowed, his hand lifting into a palm aimed at All for One.

All for One's gray eyes narrowed in rage.

"Enough. I created you! Bestowed upon you these gifts! You are a Soldier of the Army of Villains and I order you to kill! Kill them all!"

"You can do it, Gohan! Give him everything you've got!"

"AAARGH" All for One lunged at the now Quirkless Goku to finish him off, and suddenly, two enormous, meaty arms wrapped around All for One.

"I got him!" All Might yelled, blood leaking from his lips. "DO IT!"

A ball of pure blue energy formed in Gohan's palm.

"The power within you is yours, now!" Goku yelled. "Give him everything you've got! Scream it, Gohan! Scream it from the depths of your soul!"

The ball of energy doubled in sized… tripled, and continued to grow exponentially.

All for One's eyes widened.

"You fool!" He yelled at All Might, who held onto him. "If he unleashes that attack, he'll kill us both!"

"So be it, but I'm not letting you go!" All Might growled. "Good-bye, All for One!"

"DAMN YOU, ALL MIGHT!"

"KAMEEEEEHAMEEEEEEEEEE-"

PRESENT TIME – WEST CITY, JAPAN

"-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The ground cratered even more as Gohan, holding his one good arm out, unleashed the furious blue wave of destruction, finding the ki from somewhere deep within him. The blast engulfed Endeavor's ki blast that was hurling towards him and Endeavor himself barely had time to dodge as the Kamehameha flew straight past him into the cloudy night sky.

For a moment, Endeavor stared up at the blast until it disappeared past the clouds. He slowly turned back towards the teen on the ground and his eyes widened in realization.

"Well, I should've known it was you. We finally meet again, at last." Endeavor said, his eyes narrowing and the corners of his lips curving up in a wicked smile.

Gohan was barely conscious at this point. He watched in futility as Endeavor floated down to him with his arms crossed and a wicked laugh.

"That display wasn't too bad, for a low-class half-breed."

"What," Gohan could barely whisper. "does that mean?"

Again, Endeavor laughed heartily, as if he had just met an old friend. As if they hadn't been beating each other into a pulp just moments ago.

"It means that I have a gift for you, but it will only be of use to you if you are worthy. Accept this gift, make the best use of it and I will personally take you under my wing and lead you down the Path of the Mighty. I will teach you the true meaning of Saiyan Pride! But if you cannot handle my gift, you should just run back home and cry over the grave of your father, Little Saiyan. As far as your vigilante game, I'm letting it go just this once. But cross me again, and you will experience hell."

Endeavor held his gloved hand up and a tiny blue ball of energy shot out towards Gohan. Gohan felt like the orb enter his body and ricochet within. He felt like his body was going to explode. He convulsed violently on the broken ground, screaming out from the pain, every broken bone and ligament screaming for it all to stop. Just when he thought he couldn't handle any more, his head jerked back and slowly, a black fog began to cover his vision. The cold electric jolts faded into a warm blanket.

The last thing he heard before he slipped into unconsciousness was Endeavor's deep, proud voice.

"This is a new beginning for you, little Saiyan. Maybe one day, you, too, can achieve the Golden Form of Legend. And when we meet again, you will no longer call me by "Endeavor." That is the slave name that society has given me. Remember this name – Vegeta, Prince of All Saiyans."

And then the world was black.

CHAPTER TWELVE – THE POWER WITHIN HEARTS

In his dreams, Gohan was drowning in the sun. No, he was the sun – a shining beacon that dispels darkness. A promise for a golden age of heroism – a promise of Gohan's true potential – a Golden Form of Legend. This was the gift Vegeta had given him. Guidance. A glimpse at his true heritage, and his destiny. Piccolo was right. Gohan had the potential to become the most powerful creature in the cosmos

(…)

"The peaceful night was ruined abruptly by the sudden sighting of the now infamous Dragon of Namek. As you can see in this unedited footage, the vigilante engaged West City's Flame Hero, Endeavor in a fight that knocked out the power grid and left West City completely paralyzed, causing serious accidents along the interstate roads and making it difficult for emergency services to reach those caught in the middle of the superpowered fray. Now, the people of West City are demanding that the Dragon to be hunted down and brought to justice-"

Gohan shook his head, switching the News report off as Dende finished healing him. After Endeavor had knocked him out, he hid the boy until Nail could show up and bring him back to the Lookout. True to his word, the Saiyan Prince did not pursue, though he still claimed victory over the Dragon of Namek.

"This is the second time, Gohan."

"What was I supposed to do, Piccolo?" Gohan threw his hands up in the air. "There was a woman who needed help, and I just happened to run into Endeavor by accident, who, by the way, knows exactly who or what I am. I don't recall you or All Might telling me what a Saiyan is."

"Calm down," Piccolo waved a dismissive hand. "It's not something we considered particularly important at the time."

"Wait," Dende perked up in his chair. "Uncle Piccolo, are you serious? Gohan is really a… a Saiyan?"

Gohan lifted a finger and pointed it at Dende.

"Why's he saying it like that. What the heck is a Saiyan?"

Piccolo sighed deeply.

"So Endeavor told you, did he?" he said, gritting his teeth. "He always was so fond of his own voice during , it's true, Gohan. You're a direct descendant of the Saiyan Race."

Dende gasped.

"But Gohan is kind and pure of heart. How could he possibly be a Saiyan?"

"Saiyans are the sworn enemies of the Ancient Namekians." Piccolo said. "Not much is known about them, because they became extinct long before Japan became a unified nation. According to legend, they were a nomadic tribe of conquerors from distant, unknown lands, and they worshiped the Black Star Shadow Dragon Omega Syn Shenron, sworn enemy of the Dragon of Namek Porunga. Omega Shenron stood for exploitation and destruction, a complete contrast with Porunga. The Saiyans were able to take over Japan and wiped out many of the ancient races, but they were not ready to face the indomitable spirit of the Ancient Namekians. Eventually, the Saiyan's brutish ways brought about their own destruction. Strife and constant in-fighting caused them to wipe themselves out. The Saiyan civil war ended with almost every Saiyan killed.

The handful of Saiyans that did survive passed on their heritage of bloodshed.

One of them was of royal bloodline – Prince Vegeta. But he is a Prince of nothing, as the Saiyans as a Nation, are no more – nothing more than an extinct race, a bloody stain in Japanese history. Whatever Saiyans do exist today, if any, would appear to be nothing more than average Quirk-using humans."

He looked up.

"But you and your father are different than any Saiyan I've ever known. Saiyans are inclined towards spilling innocent blood, obsessed with fighting, obsessed with self-importance and petty pride. But not you, Gohan. Not your father, Goku, the one that Vegeta calls Kakarot. You two have good hearts. And so, that's why we kept this little detail a secret."

"I learn something new every day," Gohan sighed, taking the cup of Ajisa tea that Dende was handing to him.

"But Uncle," Dende said. "If Gohan's a Saiyan, shouldn't we expect the Zenkai Boost?"

"Zenkai?" Gohan sipped on the tea. "What's that?"

"Here, let me try this." Dende pulled out Gohan's scouter and activated it. The scouter lens flashed to life and began to analyze Gohan's power level, a series of beaps and lights flasghing wildly.

Finally, the scouter chirped and Dende paled visibly.

"N-N-Nineteen thousand, in his base form!" Dende shouted. Piccolo and Gohan spat out their tea.

"How is that possible?" Gohan shouted. "I was barely scraping 2,000 when I powered up to full power just a few days ago!"

"That's the power of the Zenkai Boost," Piccolo confirmed. "I've heard legends about it, but have never believed in it. They say it's the key to unlocking a Saiyan's true potential. It allows a Saiyan's power to increase substantially after recovering from near fatal injuries."

Gohan stared at his fist.

"So that's why Endeavor called it a gift. He said that if I used this power correctly, he would help me achieve the Golden Form of Legend." And as I slept, I had a feverish dream of myself, shining gloriously like the sun. Piccolo, could this Golden Form be the epitome of my true potential?"

"No, Gohan," Dende shook his head. "You don't want to get yourself involved in that heartless Path of the Mighty. You're a good person. You don't need to become as cruel as a Saiyan to achieve your goals."

Piccolo clenched his jaw.

"Be that as it may, Endeavor is not a villain. Not anymore."

"Anymore?"

"Look, kid, it's an incredibly long story for another time. Why don't you finish resting up. Don't think for once that you're skipping school on the second day."

"Yes sir," Gohan nodded. He had a lot to think about anyway. The story of how Vegeta became Endeavor would have to wait for a later time.

(…)

"Son!" Iida ran up and hugged Gohan. Gohan was not expecting such a grand gesture, least of all from Iida. "Heyyy, man," he said, patting the slightly taller boy's back.

"When I heard the news about the titanic battle between the Dragon and Endeavor, I feared the worst!"

"We're so relieved to hear you're safe" Midoriya said, hands clenched. "By the way, did you actually get to see him? The Dragon, I mean. A lot of people hate him because he operates outside the law, but I actually think he's kinda cool. Especially considering that he saved so many people in Okinawa, aswellastheapartmentcomplexinNamekCityfromthatfirevillain,andlet'snotevenforgethowfastcrimeinNamekisdroppingbecauseofhisunwaveringallegiancetojustice-"

"Well, I don't think he's very cool at all," Ochaco puffed, angrily.

"Oh, yeah?" Gohan said. That one stung. I guess that's one secret I'll be keeping from her forever.

"Gohan!" Ochaco stomped over to him angrily. Gohan suppressed an amused laugh. He wasn't used to seeing this side from her. No matter how angry she got, it just made her look that much cuter.

"I called you several times and you never picked up, you had me worried sick!"

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," Gohan brushed the back of his head nervously. "You see, once the city went into lockdown, I lost signal and all that…"

Ochaco sighed.

"Well, I'm sorry for blowing up on you. I was just super super worried about you, okay?"

Gohan smiled and ruffled her hair.

"No sweat," he told her. "I really appreciate it."

Ashido leaned over and teasingly jabbed Ochaco's ribs with her arm.

"Ooooh, so you already have his phone number, huhhhh?" she teased. "Who knew our little Ochaco was such a maneater. First day of School and she already's got the hottest guy in class's number."

"I am not a… a… whatever you said!" Ochaco's entire face lit up red.

"Anyway," Iida said, turning back to Gohan. "We should take a moment to talk to Shoto when he does come in. Yaoyorozu said that Shoto's father pulled him out of class for a couple of days, for some reason."

"Why would he do that?" Gohan asked and his classmates shot him an incredulous look. "What?"

"You mean, you didn't know?" Iida said. "Shoto Todoroki's dad is Endeavor."

Endeavor?! Gohan's eyes widened with realization. So that means that Shoto is… a Saiyan, just like me!

He made a mental note of talking to Shoto the next time he saw him.

(…)

Dagoba Sea. The beach was surprisingly empty. Everyone in town was celebrating the Fire Festival in town, leaving the entire beach available for Gohan and Ochaco to train uninterrupted. Ashido and Kirishima were supposed to be joining them in their training, since they were Gohan and Ochaco's respective partners for the Combat Trials.

Unfortunately, they canceled because they were going to meet some friends from their private middle school at the Fire Festival, so they wouldn't be training today. Iida, Melissa and Midoriya also went with them to the festival, so at the end of the day, it was only Gohan and Ochaco.

But honestly, Gohan preferred it this way, anyway.

"So," Ochaco said, reading the first page of the homework that they had received from Aizawa. "It says here that before we can begin any other form of training, we have to work on strengthening the limit of our Quirk's core – the main focus of our powers. Strengthening the core sets the foundation for everything else."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Gohan said, peeling off his jacket. All he wore to train was his sleeveless purple Namekian gi. A bright red sash was tied at his waist, and he sported matching red weighted wristbands.

Ochaco stretched, warming her muscles for the exercises ahead. She wore the same black and white track suit that Gohan had bought her for the Entrance Exams.

"Ochaco, is that…?"

"Yeah," Ochaco waved the wristlock in her right arm; it was the wristlock that they had used in the entrance exam that Gohan had signed. "It's my good luck charm!" she chirped.

After stretching, they began to work on surpassing the limit of their cores.

For Gohan, that involved controlling his Dragon ki in the form of ki blasts. Until now, Gohan was only able to shoot these blasts out, and could only hold them while they charged up. Even in aura form, his power was constantly being burned as fuel, causing a drain on his ki reserves. To strengthen his core, Gohan had to concentrate, visualize his Quirk and form it into a ball and try to contain its power, instead of simply expelling it.

Gohan raised his arms in the air in the shape of a V. A ball of energy appeared and began to spin, to shine violently, to grow right above his hands. The larger the ball grew, the harder it was for Gohan to keep hold of it. He gritted his teeth as the massive energy gathered above rattled dangerously, threatening to explode in any direction.

"AAAAH!" Gohan growled and a white aura engulfed his body. The car-sized ball of energy that he held over his head suddenly became stable and Gohan let out a sigh of relief. He had broken past his limit. But to be able to control a ki blast this size would have been impossible before. This new massive power he was experiencing had to be the result of the zenkai boost he received earlier.

Okay, Gohan thought. Time to test out a new move.

In his mind, he visualized his fingers slicing the ball into ten different pieces, willing each piece of the ki bomb to follow the path set by its respective finger.

"SCATTER BEAM!" He yelled. The glowing orb split into ten separate blasts and they all flew, following the direction in which Gohan had pointed to in a meteor-shower of blasts that peppered the sandy beach around him. When it was done, Gohan leaned over on his knees, panting.

"I did it!" He panted.

"Woo-hoo! Go Gohan!" Uraraka cheered, bringing him a bottle of water. He took it graciously and gulped the water down.

"Okay, Ochaco," he said, catching his breath. "It's your turn now."

Uraraka's Core seemed to be located in her inner ears. She activated her Quirk on herself and pushed off in an attempt to fly like she had in the Apprehension Tests. She got to about five feet off the ground, but could go no higher than that. The higher she got, the dizzier and more nauseous her Quirk made her. In order to work on her core, she needed to practice increasing the height at which she activated her Quirk on herself, as the higher she was, the stronger the gravitational pull that her Quirk had to nullify.

"But I've already practiced leaping from the rooftop of my apartment complex, so what's next? Leaping from skyscrapers?" Ochaco bit her lip apprehensively.

Gohan thought about it for a moment, then he looked up.

"Well, if what it takes to break your core's current limit is to go higher up, then why don't I fly you up while you activate your Quirk?"

"Hmm. That could work," Ochaco rubbed her chin. "Okay, let's try it. Just make sure you don't let me fall."

"Don't worry. I won't let you fall," Gohan laughed, extending his hands and taking Ochaco's. She froze at his touch.

"What?" Gohan said with a smirk. "Don't you trust me?"

Ochaco took a deep breath and nodded.

Slowly, she stepped up on top of Gohan's shoes, and Gohan curled an arm over her waist to prevent her from falling.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Mhm," Ochaco responded, wrapping her arms over Gohan's neck.

"Okay, hold on. We're lifting off!" Gohan said with a childish smile.

"Ahh!" Ochaco laughed, clinging close to Gohan as the pair lifted up from the ground and flew straight up into the afternoon sky.

At first, she had kept her eyes closed with apprehension, but when Ochaco opened them, she gasped.

From up here, she could see the entire city of Musutafu, the people within it bustling about like ants. The afternoon sky shined brightly down on Dagoba Sea, and the crystal clear blue waters looked absolutely breathtaking from the distance.

They floated slowly in the air and the pink aura surrounding Ochaco brightened slightly, as she broke her Core's limits from this new height.

"Feeling okay?" Gohan checked in with her.

Ochaco nodded with a dreamy smile.

"How's your stomach?"

"Fluttering," she whispered, resting her head on his chest.

"Oh, are we a little to high?" he asked, concerned.

"No, that's not what I meant. This is… perfect," she breathed. "You're so lucky, Gohan. To be able to see such a beautiful view like this all the time."

"Yeah, it's amazing," Gohan agreed.

Gohan reached a height that Ochaco was comfortable with, but despite the strain on her Quirk, she insisted on pushing a little further up. A sea breeze from the east suddenly rushed in and Ochaco pressed herself against Gohan's body.

"I've got an idea," she told him.

"What's that?"

"Fly away with me," she smiled at him.

"Y-you want me to…"

"Yeah, fly me closer to the beach the way you normally fly," Ochaco said excitedly. "I want to see what it feels like."

"Oh, okay. Well, it's going to feel a bit nerve-racking at first, but you'll get used to it in now time."

Gohan shifted them in mid-air into a horizontal position and the two flew over the water. At first, Ochaco was terrified of letting go. She dug her nails onto Gohan's neck.

"You okay?" Gohan called over the sound of the rushing wind. "You want us to turn back."

"No, I'm okay," Ochaco called back. "Just grab my hand and don't let go."

Ochaco finally peeled her arms from Gohan's neck and grabbed a hold of Gohan's hand. She stepped off of Gohan's shoes, belly facing the ocean below as the two teens flew across its surface. Ochaco extended her now free left hand out, bringing a knee up and keeping her other foot extended, the way Gohan did when he flew.

As the result of her ki and Gohan's help, Ochaco was effectively flying across the surface of the sea, holding Gohan's hand tightly with her other hand.

"Woo-HOOOOO!" she cried happily. "Look at me, Gohan! I'm flying!"

"That's the idea, Ochaco!" Gohan laughed along, happily. "Do you think you can control the direction of the flight? Just visualize the direction you want to go and aim the output of your Quirk in the opposite direction. Wanna try it?"

"Okay," Ochaco yelled. She closed her eyes and for a moment, the pink aura around her intensified. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

"Come on," she said through gritted teeth. "Come on…!"

Suddenly, the solid pink aura of her Quirk disappeared, replaced by a shimmering aura that left behind a trail of what looked like pink pixie dust behind her.

"Shooting Star!" Ochaco yelled through her teeth and slowly, her body began to rise into the afternoon sky. Slowly, her hand pulled away from Gohan and she began to fly upwards on her own.

"Ochaco, look! You're doing it!" Gohan shouted happily.

Ochaco continued to rise and rise… and rise.

"Oh crap, she can't fully control it yet," Gohan muttered to himself. His aura brightened and he flew up in the direction of Ochaco's flight, catching up to her as her ascent slowed to a stand still. The pink aura sparkled around Ochaco's body and she opened her eyes to see Gohan, arms held out floating towards her. His face was only inches away from hers and she reached out to him, landing on his feet and deactivating her Quirk.

"Ochaco," Gohan said with concern. "Are you crying."

"No. I mean, yes," Ochaco sobbed. "I'm just so happy right now!"

"Me too!" Gohan smiled, wrapping his arms around her. "You're so cool, Ochaco!"

The two teens floated high above the ocean for what seemed like forever. Finally, she looked up proudly at Gohan. He smiled warmly back at her.

The moment was interrupted by a sudden wind from the east.

"Ah!" She giggled as the wind sent her hair flailing wildly over her face. "Aw, great. Now my hair's messed up!"

The two shared a hearty laugh.

"That's why I always keep my hair up and away from my eyes while I'm flying," Gohan said.

"Oh, I don't think the spiky hair would be a good look for me," Ochaco smirked.

"You're right," Gohan said, gently parting her messy hair and tucking the long brown bangs over her ears. "You look perfect just like this."

Maybe it was the exhaustion, or the heat from Ochaco's body against his, or the elation he felt for Ochaco's new ability, or the way the sun made Ochaco's big gorgeous brown eyes sparkle… For some reason, Ochaco looked incredibly beautiful, in such a way that Gohan had never noticed before.

Ochaco herself froze, feeling the heat of Gohan's hand caressing the side of her face. For a long moment, the two teens stared into each others' eyes, and neither of them were able to pull away, trying to read the moment, but lost in it all the same.

Gohan finally realized the charged tension between them and he removed his hand from her face, effectively breaking the moment. Ochaco peeled her gaze away, too, letting go of a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"S-Sorry," he said. "I don't know what came over me."

"Please don't be," Ochaco whispered, leaning her head against his chest.

"Well… the sun will be setting soon. How about we head back down and wrap up for the day?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ochaco agreed. Gohan gently flew them back down to the surface of the beach.

"Release," Ochaco said, bringing her fingertips together. The sparkling pink aura around her dissipated and she let go of another tired breath. There was a momentary silence between the two. They both knew that they had just shared a special moment together, but neither of them was very sure what to do now.

"You know," Ochaco said, changing the subject and wiping the sweat from her forehead with her towel. "I think Mister Aizawa was onto something with these Core exercises. Even though I was higher than I've ever been, I don't feel nauseous at all!"

"No kidding!" Gohan said as he put his jacket back over his sleeveless gi. "A fortress is nothing without a solid foundation."

"Yep, what you said," Ochaco teased, hitting him lightly with her elbow as she unpacked her lunch. She tossed Gohan an apple and the two sat together in front of the Dagoba Rock, a large boulder that had stood watch over Dagoba Sea for centuries.

Ochaco nibbled on her fruit and watched as Gohan wolfed the apple down.

"Want another one?" she offered.

"Is that all you brought?" Gohan teased her.

"Hey, it's all I had at the time. Apples and radishes. Or would you have preferred Radish instead, Mr. Popeye?"

"Popeye eats Spinach," Gohan corrected.

"Ohh, that's right," Ochaco said, taking another bite of her apple. "Well, I never really watched that one. A bit too classic for me."

"It was one of my little brother's favorites…" Gohan smiled, his eyes fogging.

"Oh, really?" Ochaco looked up at him, wiping her face with a napkin. "I didn't know you had a little brother. I actually don't know much about your family – except that you live with your martial artist uncle."

"Well, there's not a whole lot to tell," Gohan said, leaning back against the Rock. He pointed to the tiny little dot in the horizon, far across the Dagoba Sea. "You know that tiny little rock over there?"

"Mount Paozu?"

"Yeah. Well, that's where I was born. My mom and dad had a farm there that I used to help out with when I was kid. We harvested cabbage, carrots and white radishes, ironically. But my dad died when I was still really little. And after my brother was born, my mom just couldn't keep up with the farm by herself, so she sold the farm and moved us here to Musutafu a few years ago."

"Wow," Ochaco leaned forward. "So your mom raised you both all by herself? She sounds like an amazing woman!"

"Yeah," Gohan said, looking down. "She's the best."

"So, does she still live here in Musutafu?"

"I… have no idea," Gohan confessed.

Ochaco's head cocked to the side inquisitively.

"You don't know where your mom lives?"

"Well we used to live in your apartment complex about a year ago, but… I… we… don't really keep in touch anymore. I haven't seen either of them in almost a year…"

"Oh? How come?"

"Well…"

Gohan's eyes fell to the sand below. For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the waves crashing against the beach.

Ochaco noticed Gohan's sinking eyes. She reached out and gently brushed his arm, eyebrows furrowed together in worry and her sweet smile thinned into a line.

"Hey, whatever it is that's going on, you don't have to keep it bottled inside, okay? I'm here, if you want to talk about it. If it's something you've been holding in for almost a year, it might be good to let it out, right?"

Gohan gulped down a lump in his throat and nodded.

"You know how Midoriya's Quirk always hurts him whenever he uses it?" He began, picking up a broken shell from the sand and twirling it in between his fingertips.

"Mhm," Ochaco leaned forward towards him, placing her chin on her hands and supporting her elbows on her knees.

Gohan paused, looking at the broken shell.

"Mine kind of has the opposite effect," he said at last. "Meaning, when I use it, sometimes others get hurt. When I was a little boy, I was kidnapped by a villain who trained me to use my powers as a weapon for his army. To make a long story short, All Might rescued me, and the decision was made to wipe my memories so that I would forget how to use my powers, and because of that, I grew up thinking that I was Quirkless. Well, about a year ago, my powers finally manifested again, but this time, I couldn't control it well. I didn't know that one of the most destructive triggers for my Quirk was rage.

That night, I confronted my mom about why I had grown up being told a lie. I got really angry at her and before I knew it, that rage ignited my Quirk. I wasn't able to contain the explosion of power within me, and my power hurt my mom and my little brother. And you know what gets me the most? It was the look that my mother gave me before she kicked me out of the house. She was absolutely terrified. I turned and I ran out of that house, and I remember running and running until I made it here. This exact spot. And I never looked back, not until it was too late."

His hand tightened around the shell and he looked up at Ochaco. His eyes had watered.

"They were the only family I had, Ochaco. And I couldn't stop myself from hurting them."

"Ohhh, Gohan. You can't punish yourself for that. It wasn't your fault," Ochaco said, soothingly. "You said it yourself, you were barely re-learning how to control these amazing new powers that you never even knew you had. I don't know your Mom, but she sounds a lot like mine. If she kept the truth a secret, I'm willing to bet that it was because she loves you and didn't want to see you get hurt."

Gohan looked down at his hands.

"You're right," he said. "She never wanted me to be a hero. She wanted me to stay in school and get a great education so I could find a high paying professional job. She would always say I'd be the first in the family to bring home a prestigious diploma."

Ochaco smiled again.

"Well, just imagine how proud she'll be when she finds out her son is a top First Year student at UA High! I know I am!"

Gohan looked up at the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"You're… proud of me?"

"Yeah!" Ochaco said. "Think about all the crazy stuff we've been through together already! The mugging, the entrance exams, the eight Quirk Apprehension Tests, this training," she waved a finger back and forth between them. "You've been coming out of every test on top, every single time. And honestly, I feel like a lot of the growth I've experienced is thanks to you being there with me. I promise, once she finds out everything you've accomplished, she's going to be super proud of you."

Gohan sighed, allowing himself a smile.

"Thanks, Ochaco," Gohan smirked and brushed his sleeve over his eyes. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get all emotional about it. It's just that I saw the Rock and started reminiscing, that's all. I must come off as the world's biggest mama's boy, huh?"

"No!" Ochaco said, her fingers curling around her shirt. "Trust me, I totally get it. That's a sentiment that I can relate to. I've been living out here in Musutafu away from my parents for the past three months now, and sometimes it feels incredibly lonely, too. But on the bad days, when I feel extremely lonely, what really helps me is to think about Butterflies."

"Butterflies?" Gohan's eyebrow rose quizzically. "Really?"

"Mhm!" Ochaco smiled. "You know, they're incredibly beautiful, but in order to change and become who they're meant to be, they had to go through a short period of loneliness in their cocoons, right? But it's worth it in the end. So whenever you feel lonely, just remember to use this time to focus on growing into the person you wants to be, the type of hero you want to be and one day, you'll make your family really proud, and it'll all be worth it in the end."

Gohan was stunned by the unexpected level of maturity and wisdom Ochaco had.

"Thanks, Ochaco," he said.

"No sweat," Ochaco smiled up at him. "And hey, if you ever feel lonely, call me and we can hang out somewhere. I'll always make time for you because you're… well, you're special to me."

"I am?" Gohan gulped.

"Uh, yeah! You're not just some guy I go to school with; you're my best friend, right?"

"Right…"

Ochaco giggled and reached into her bag, pulling out her phone and leaning in close to him.

"Come here, you big softie" she said. "I feel like we need a selfie to commemorate our first training session together. The first of many, hopefully."

"Oh, definitely," Gohan laughed.

With the Dagoba Rock behind them, and the setting sun bathing them in hues of yellow and orange, Ochaco leaned her head back against Gohan's chest. Her auburn brown hair brushed softly against Gohan's left cheek and the light, sweet fragrance of her shampoo wafted over his nose. Strawberries.

"Say cheese," she said, smiling sweetly at the camera on her phone, and snapped their first picture together.

"Wow, we look great!"

As her cheek pressed against his chest, Gohan once again felt a new, unfamiliar emotion swell inside him, like a brewing Kamehameha wave shooting out from his heart. What were these new feelings? Why did they intensify every time he was close to Ochaco? And of all people… why Ochaco?

He found that even long after he dropped her off at her apartment, he was still thinking about her. These feelings were new. He had never known what it was to have someone so close, and to want nothing more than to be even closer still.

You're special to me, she'd said. She was special to him, too. Gohan regretted not telling her that. Her presence filled an empty space he'd been carrying for a very long time. But… what would happen if she were to find out that he was the Dragon that everyone was talking about? Would she still look at him the same?

Gohan sighed, shaking the thoughts from his head. This was no time for uncertainty. He had a mission for now.

Ochaco was right. His path had just become a little clearer. He would train as hard as he could to break past this new limit, taking full advantage of the gift that Vegeta had given him – the zenkai boost, with his new aim in mind, to reach the Golden Form of Legend.

Closing Song:

"1,000,000 Times" by My First Story

Kuri Shimamura sat in front of her computer, her fingers tapping away at her chin as Taneo edited through the half hour of footage he had taken during the fight between the Dragon and Endeavor

While many people believed him to be the instigator of the massively brawl that brought the City of Tomorrow to its knees, Kuri knew otherwise. The Dragon had saved her and Taneo's life. And now she had the lead of a lifetime.

Kuri picked up her coffee mug and sipped it, twiddling Gohan's charred UA High pin that he had dropped when he had changed into his Dragon costume. from it as Taneo got to the part of the footage where the Dragon had rescued them.

"Okay, easy," she said as Taneo began to scan frame by frame.

"Okay, stop," Kuri said, putting a hand on Taneo's shoulder. "Go back a few frames."

"Mhm," Taneo backed slowly. Frame-by-frame…

"Back… back… back… stop!"

It was grainy, but clear enough. In a split second, the rushing fires had brushed the Dragon's scarf just enough to show a full shot of Gohan's young face.

"Hello, Dragon of Namek," Kuri said with a victorious smile.

Hi, I'm Ochaco, aka Uravity! It's time for the preview!

Wow! Look at those moves! As the days pass and we get closer to the Combat Trials, Gohan and I up the ante and start working on some attacks.

We both find new ways of using our Quirks, including one where Gohan hardens certain parts of his body. Wait, that's not what you think! Eijiro does the same thing. It's nothing, you hear?!

And finally, the day of the Combat Trial has come.

Next time – Chapter Thirteen – Fated Rivals

Don't miss it, kay? Go beyond – Pluuuus Ultraaaaa!

A/N – Thanks for making it this far again, friends. Crazy chapter huh? The idea to make Vegeta replace Enji Todoroki as Endeavor is one of the oldest ideas I had when this story was just a concept. I love all of Endeavor's Soundtracks, "Just Another Hero", "The Power of Endeavor" and "Kimi no Chikara". When I listened to all of these songs, it was able to visualize Vegeta's character arc in DBZ. In fact, their stories are veeery similar. Both ruthless and hungry for power, but are forced to face their own weaknesses and eventually are redeemed through the love of their family.

Vegeta will have his very own arc when we reach the Endeavor Arc, right after the Sports Festival. It will be intrinsically tied to Bulma, Trunks, Todoroki and Gohan. In it, we will find out where Vegeta came from, who his father is, why he is so abusive to his family, and what happened to the rest of Saiyans. I can't wait for that!

There is a slight change I made to Vegeta for this universe. With the Saiyans, I'm trying to give them a little individuality, at least in their base forms. So Vegeta/Endeavor starts with the fiery red aura that takes on the appearance of Hellfire, just like Endeavor from MHA, but the more power he uses, the more violent his Flame aura becomes, and it changes from red to blue to purple, like Vegeta's base form aura during the Saiyan Saga of DBZ.

Vegeta's family's Aura has more of a blazing appearance, while Goku's family aura is stable, and looks more like pure sunlight.

Another reason for the swap was that, as I was watching Kai, I noticed how Vegeta's hair, which I'd always remembered to be jet black, now had a reddish brown tint to it, almost like Vegito's hair, which reminded me of Shoto's red hair a bit. Because he is Vegeta's son, Shoto's eye color is getting a switch up, where his blue eye is inherited from Rei and his black eye from Vegeta.

Oh, and Shoto doesn't have his famous scar. There's a huuuuuuge reason for this which will be revealed in the Sports Fest. AHHH CANT WAIT FOR YOU ALL TO SEE IT!

And as for Ochaco Uraraka, her pink sparkling aura is inspired by the aura she has when she flies in My Hero One's Justice 2. Actually, a lot of her moves will be coming from that game. I can't wait to make her into a mini battle hero that kicks butt next to Gohan. Until next time!

Review Responses:

Xeno Gohan – Hey there! Thanks so much for your support! Yes, I already wrote out the part where mother and son finally reunite. It's really close, not around the corner, per se, but really close. Gohan made her a promise that he's going to keep. Yes, I'm trying to keep their shipping moments as wholesome as I can, as I'm a huge fan of the sweet falling-in-love anime couples.

I'm trying to strike a chemistry, where Gohan is confident in battle and strengthens Ochaco's confidence in her own power, but Ochaco is the one who faces poverty and hardship with a smile, so she wants to pass that light of hope to Gohan. I hope it works! Thank you so much for your support! It really means a lot to me!

12450ogmdm - YESS! Jealous Ochaco is one of my favorite moments in the anime, next to baby Ochaco and Blushing Ochaco. She's just so wholesome and real and down to earth.

Guest – thanks for your review, I know not everyone's going to like it, but thank you for taking the time to leave me your thoughts regardless.

X3Runner – Yo! When I first wrote that scene with BakuMom, it didn't sound as flirty to me at first, but once I published the chapter and was re-reading, yeahhh haha Okay, I'll throw in some more of those jokes. It's a chance to make Gohan uncomfortable, Ochaco jealous and Bakugo extra pissed off! Hahaha

As for the combat trial, I have two versions, one where he's a hero and the other a villain, but those are against different teams, so I'll really have to think about which lesson I want Gohan to learn. But I've never seen Villain Gohan done, so that might be a good idea, too!

Yeah, the reason I chose flight for Ochaco is because it's a call-back to how Gohan taught Videl to fly, and although Ochaco has an advantage, she still has a lot to learn before she can fly at the speed of Gohan. The more she trains, the stronger she will get and that's why in the AN in the original Chapter 1, when I was talking about the ship, I mentioned in a clue that Goku would like her, it's because she will keep pushing forward to learn new things. I plan on making her a full on Z Warrior. Antigravity powers have surprisingly offensive potential.

But for now, basically, she can float and rise slowly like a balloon, but she can't, say, fly from Musutafu to West City in an hour, like Gohan can.

As for Melissa's fighting style, yep, the inspiration for her Hero costume as well as her fighting style is a mix between Black Widow and Nightwing. Good eye, there. Thanks for all of your ideas man! I'll definitely credit you if I use them!

That's all, take care everyone!