A/N: I just want you all to know that your support means everything to me. Seriously, you guys are the best! I was so sure that nobody was going to like the Vegeta twist, but seeing how everyone is so supportive made me sooo happy I literally teared up. Yeah I'm a huge softie, sorry about that! Thank you very much!
Also, I can't believe the latest update in the manga! The traitor is finally revealed and although it kinda makes sense that it was this person, my heart just wasn't ready to handle the truth. NOOOO! ((No spoilers here, in case somebody isn't keeping up with the Manga side)). Review Responses at the end, as usual. Thanks, everyone!
Opening Song:
"The Beginning" by One OK Rock
KAMINO, YOKOHAMA.
The front door opened and the howling, frigid winds inundated the lobby floor. The two villains that were guarding the lobby looked up, readying their weapons. A lone slender figure entered, closing the door behind him and removing his winter hat. As he stepped into the light, the villains recognized him and lowered their weapons. The silver hair, the thin goatee and that suede purple suit were unmistakable.
"Gentlemen," Kagero Okuta, better known as the villainous underground broker Giran, greeted them with a brief nod.
"Giran," one of the guards said, reaching into his pocket and producing a lighter. Giran pulled out a cigarrete and placed it between his lips, allowing the villain to light it. After three quick puffs, he smiled at him.
"I 'preciate that, AK," he said with a sly smile. "Is the Boss in today?"
"'Course he ain't," AK croaked, his voice cracked by the cold wind. "But his protege is upstairs with the rest of the gang."
"Aw well," Giran shrugged, taking another drag of the cigarette. "Guess I'll just have to give him the good news, then. At least tell me the elevator's workin' this time around…?"
"Nope, sorry. You're gonna have to take the stairs. And be careful not to piss 'im off, or they'll be carrying you outta here in a dustpan."
"Joy," Giran said, dryly. "Welp, thanks for the warm welcome, boys. See y'all around."
He walked past the guards and proceeded to climb the stairs. His footsteps echoed along the dimly lit flights of stairs and stopped when he reached the final floor. From here, a long hallway led to a single door at the very end. This was it, the main hideout for the leadership of the League of Villains. Club Dark Black.
Why the big man decided to set the hideout all the way up in the fifth floor was beyond him. Too many damn stairs, he thought, annoyed.
He inhaled deeply and breathed out the white smoke, steeling his nerves and opening the door. He was instantly inundated by the warmth and music from within. The red-brick bar was illuminated by the bright lights beneath each of the alcohol-lined glass shelves. Smooth jazz played from the jukebox at the end of the bar, adding to the relaxed, retro ambiance.
All twelve booths were filled with laughing and drunken villains that cheered as Giran entered the Dark Black. These were the leaders of the gangs and criminal organizations that had joined forces under the banner of the League of Villains. They weren't as militaristic and disciplined as the old Army of Villains, but they were an army nonetheless. As Giran walked past the booths, he even noticed some familiar faces from way back in the day.
"Giran!" someone from the crowd yelled. "Hey! Welcome back!"
Giran turned and nodded at the villain that had called out to him. Monster Rabbit was the leader of the Rabbit Mob, one of the oldest criminal organizations that had been part of the old Army of Villains. The mutation from his Quirk gave him the appearance of an obese human-sized rabbit. But despite his cuddly appearance, his Quirk was truly terrifying – as it let him transform people into carrots that he would then devour.
"Thanks, MC!" Giran called back, taking another drag of his cigarette. "Boy, does it feel good to be home!"
A few months ago, Giran had been contacted by someone claiming to be Kaito Shigeraki, the All for One, to help form an alliance between several fringe villain gangs to form an army that would ultimately kill the Symbol of Peace.
At first, Giran had his doubts. After all, everyone in the criminal underworld knew that All for One had been killed about eight years ago. But when his astronomical finder's fee was deposited, Giran put his doubts aside and got to work. Now, several months later, the results of his work were starting to show.
The League of Villains now numbered in the hundreds, and by what he heard whispered in the shadows, soon it would be time to strike.
But now, All for One had placed this petulant man-child in charge. There was no doubt that Tomura Shigeraki was powerful. The guy could turn you into ash in seconds with a single touch of his hand. But that temper of his made it unnerving at best to work with. He had to tread carefully here.
If you piss 'im off, they'll be carrying you outta here in a dustpan.
Giran shivered at the thought.
He made his way to an empty seat, and swung his leg over the padded red-cushioned stool, leaning forwards to place his elbows on the bar. The creature tending the bar turned towards him, its face a mist of dark purple shadows flowing out of an elegant gray vest and necktie. Two glowing yellow, pupil-less eyes turned towards him.
"Welcome back to the Black, Kagero Okuta," Kurogiri said, his voice a deep, echoing hiss.
"It's Giran," he corrected with a cocked smile. "Just Giran while I'm workin'."
"My apologies," the mist villain said. "Can I offer you something to drink, Giran?"
"Sure, gimme a glass o' whatever's on tap; in a clean glass."
"Certainly."
Kurogiri filled Giran's glass and placed it on the bar. Giran took a sip of the glass after it had chilled for a few seconds and stretched his free arm over his head.
"Ahhhh, by the way, Smokey, I'm lookin' for Shigeraki. I heard I could find him here today. Is he around? I've got news about the Merc he's been wantin' to hire."
Kurogiri stared at him for a moment, his shadowy face dancing like a dying flame. Okay, what the hell? Giran thought. Why's he starin' at me like that?
"He is in the backroom, tending to some important business matters, but I will let him know you are here. Please, wait a moment," Kurogiri finally said, turning away. Giran let out a sigh, taking another sip of his drink as the villain vanished into a warp gate.
It's not that Giran was afraid of these villains. After all, he was a villain himself, and his services were incredibly valuable to the League. Besides, he had worked directly for All for One himself on several occasions in the past. But there was something about this protege of his that gave him a queasy, unsettling feeling in the middle of his gut.
Giran finished his cigarette and smothered the butt in an ashtray nearby. Wild movement to his left caught his eye, and he turned to see the black-and-white suited villain sitting next to him. The villain was shaking and jerking, deep in conversation with himself. Giran raised a curious eyebrow.
"Another glass!" the villain was yelling. "Kurogiri, wait! Piss off! Get me another glass before you leave! Ugh! This shit's gross! I love it!"
"Twice?" Giran asked with a laugh. Twice froze and cocked his head at him comically.
"Hey, long time no see!" Twice said, brightening up and sticking a finger in Giran's face. "Who the hell are you?"
"Yep, the one 'n only Giran," Giran said, with a friendly pat on Twice's shoulder. "So you're still hangin' around these, uh, esteemed self-made men, huh? After all these years… Tell me, how is the Original? He still around, too?"
"Who, OG? Yeah, he's still around. The Doc's been working on several other Nomu, but none are as strong as OG. You know he's always been the Boss's favorite. So the Doc's been upgrading him to make him even stronger than he ever was – strong enough to kill the Big Guy himself."
Giran almost choked on his glass.
"Y-You're serious? He's stronger than All Might now?"
"Yeah, Duh!… probably?"
"Well, color me impressed. Considerin' he started out as a damn corpse. That doctor o' yours really is somethin' else! How'd he managed to do that, anyway?"
"Shh! It's a secret," Twice whispered, his head craning forward secretively, hands cupped around his mouth. Giran leaned in to listen to Twice's secret.
"ALL FOR ONE BLENDED MULTIPLE QUIRKS TOGETHER WITH OG's ORIGINAL QUIRK!" Twice yelled at the top of his lungs, his arms flailing in the air. "HE'S LIKE A WALKING BUNDLE OF QUIRKS NOW! I'M TALKIN' SUPER STRENGTH, SHOCK ABSORPTION, CELL REGENERATION, SUPER SPEED! All on top of that Fire Breathing Quirk he had. Or was it fire eating? No, it was definitely Fire-farting-"
"So, first he kills the poor kid, brings him back to life, stuffs him full o' Quirks and the poor bastard still lives? That's some freaky Frankenstein shit, if I ever heard any!" Giran said amazed, finishing his glass.
"Of course he lived! He is the Original Nomu after all," Twice said, settling back down. "They asked me to make a few copies of him; the idea was to make an army out of hundreds of Nomu, but because they're just copies, none of them have been able to hold in so many Quirks like OG can, so they all died… well, all except for the one that got away."
"Can't you call it back to you, though? I thought that's how your dolls worked," Giran shrugged.
"I mean, I can't force him to come back, no. But if he doesn't come back so I can reconstruct him in a few weeks, yeah, he's gonna turn into a big fat puddle of mud," Twice clasped his head with both hands dramatically. "Ohhh this is a nightmare! Thank God! They were my masterpieces; creating them was my worst mistake ever!"
"I hope you're not just here to chat, Giran," a slithery, coarse voice said behind them. No matter how long he'd been dealing with him, Tomura Shigeraki's voice still sent a chill down Giran's spine, though he'd never let Shigeraki see it. "I'm a very busy man. You better not be here to waste my time."
"Who, me? 'Course not, Shigeraki," Giran said, turning to the villain covered with hands, flashing him his charming smile. A single tooth in his otherwise impeccable smile was missing. "I just thought I'd stop by to let you know that I made contact with the Merc."
The only part of Shigeraki's face that Giran could see were his eyes, and they widened with excitement.
"Oh, really?" Shigeraki purred, clasping his hands together. Giran could hear a wide smirk forming underneath that grotesque zombified hand covering the villain's face. "You actually made contact with Mercenary Tao? And what does he say?"
"C'mon, Shigeraki. When have I ever let you down?" Giran shrugged casually, as if talking about the weather. "He told me that All Might's gonna cost you double. And he wants half up front. Once you make the deposit, he'll join the raid whenever you're ready."
Shigeraki's shoulders began to tremble and shake into a laugh.
"Ohh good, good, good," his voice went up in pitch. "Don't worry, tell him that money's no problem for the League of Villains. Consider it done. The only thing left to do now is to find the perfect place and time to press 'start' on our little game. With the League's numbers, Nomu's latest upgrades, and now with Mercenary Tao on our side, we'll finally beat this level for sure. The Symbol of Peace will finally die at the hands of the villains he helped create."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN – FATED RIVALS
MUSUTAFU.
Ochaco shivered as she closed the door to her apartment, her hands trembling as she fumbled with the keys to lock her door. It was a little past four in the morning. Gohan should be getting here any moment now to pick her up on their way to their daily morning jog in Dagoba Beach.
Ochaco yawned and brushed the long sleeve of her black and white jacket. There was a single street light on in this part of the apartment complex she lived at, and the light flickered ominously as she walked off the stairs and onto the street.
Hmm? That's strange, she thought to herself. Gohan was supposed to meet me here. I hope he didn't get started without me…
A breeze blew in from around the corner and Ochaco shivered, rubbing her hands on her shoulders for warmth. Jeez! It's supposed to be spring now! Shouldn't it already be warming up, at least a little bit by now?
After a few minutes of waiting, she pulled her phone out of her purse and started dialing Gohan's number. That's when she saw movement from the corner of her eye. The slender teen came running from around the corner, his face concealed by the violet darkness of twilight.
"There you are," Ochaco sighed in relief, her breaths visible in the darkness. "Looks like you already got started, huh? Sorry for making you wait a bit. I'm still a little bit sore from yesterday."
The teen continued running at her at full speed.
"Gohan?" Ochaco took a step bad, her eyes widening and fear coloring her voice at his bizzare behavior. "Hey, knock it off. It's not funny. You're scaring me!"
The shadow ran into the light of the street lamp and Ochaco gasped.
It wasn't Gohan.
The man had Gohan's build, but his receding green hairline and the dark brown circles under his green eyes gave away his age. He was much older than her. Before Ochaco could react, the man swung his hand forward, his index and middle finger drawing a figure-eight in the air, and to Ochaco's horror, a hideous thick vine burst out from the ground beneath her and snaked itself around her foot.
Ochaco screamed and tried her best to get away using her Quirk, but the vine grew longer and thicker, wrapping itself around her legs and arms, binding her and leaving her struggling in mid-air.
"Help!" She cried out. "Gohan! Please helpfffhhh!" The vine wrapped itself over Ochaco's mouth, silencing her. The pervert ran up to her and stuck his disgusting hands on Ochaco's face.
"Shhh," his voice croaked leacherously. "Good job, my babies. We caught us a cute one today. Don't worry cutie, I'm not gonna hurt you. But you're gonna be coming with me."
Ochaco growled, fighting against the vines as the man's trembling hands picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. The instant the underground vine detached itself from the ground, Ochaco took a big chomp off the leafy stem covering her mouth and spat it out, freeing her fingers and activating her Quirk.
"Gravity Cage!" She shouted, implementing one of the new moves she had created with Gohan's help. It was a simple, yet effective move that completely immobilized her opponents by suspending them in mid-air. Whoever was trapped in this "cage" could do nothing but wiggle and flail uselessly in suspended gravity.
The pervert was stunned for a second, taken by surprise as Ochaco pushed herself off the man. Her arms and legs still bound, she activated her Quirk on herself and flew away in the opposite direction. She was almost clear of the buildings when the man, still in suspended gravity, flicked his fingers towards her. Once again, the monstrous vines erupted from underground and tied themselves around Ochaco's ankle, dragging her back down to earth, where she crashed against some trash cans head first.
The blow left Ochaco dizzy and her hearing turned into a muffled echo. She wiggled around and managed to turn around to see two large vines pop out of the ground and wrap themselves around the man's ankles, bringing him back down to solid ground.
"That was such a hot trick, cutie," the man panted. "This was gonna be over quick, but now that you pissed me off, I'm gonna take my sweet time-"
The next instant, something slammed into the man like a white missile, pinning him to the ground. Ochaco's vision was still hazy, but she managed to make out what was happening.
Her savior towered over the pervert, who now laid crumbled at his feet. The Dragon rained ferocious blow after powerful blow on the man. Slowly, the vines that bound Ochaco's limbs to her body snaked out and buried themselves back into the ground, traveling away from her and speeding towards her rescuer.
"Watch out!" Ochaco screamed as the vines burst out of the ground behind the Dragon in the form of one single, vine monster. The Dragon didn't even take his eyes off the beaten man laying at his feet. With a single, fluid move, she swung the white cape around. Its side slapped the vine monster's jaw, stunning it. The monster reeled back as the Dragon turned and charged forward, bringing his boot around in a roundhouse kick that was so powerful it split the monster in half.
The two pieces landed on the ground with a thud and burred themselves again.
"Alright, tough guy," the now toothless pervert growled. "I've got something for ya."
He motioned with both hands and the vines reemerged in ten smaller, piranha-like vine monsters. Their jaws snapped at the Dragon hungrily. His face was covered by a white scarf, but his eyes narrowed into a confident smile. Okay, Gohan thought under the Namekian Scarf. Time to try out a new move. Thanks for the inspiration, Eijiro! This one's for you! He dropped into a squatting stance and brought his hand forward. The wind began to pick up around them violently. The Dragon clutched his right wrist. Sparks of electricity traveled from his wrist up his hands and gathered around his index and middle finger. They glowed with golden electricity and began to vibrate violently.
"Get him, babies!" the perv yelled, pointing at Gohan. "Bite his dick off!"
"Dragon Scale Slaaaash!" the Dragon roared, swinging his hand forward as the vine monsters leaped towards him, jaws snapping in the cold air. His hardened fingertips sliced through two of the vine monsters. They collapsed with a high-pitched shriek, spilling dark green chlorophyll over the sidewalk.
"W-w-what?!" The perv cried. The Dragon brought his fingers back and forth in an arc like a sword, cutting all of the snapping vine monsters to shreds. The last monster managed to bite him in the bicep, drawing blood. The Dragon roared with anger, reaching over and crushing the vine's head with his bare hand.
"My precious babies!" the pervert cried. "Ugh! You'll pay for this!"
He lifted his hands again to activate his vine Quirk, but The Dragon vanished and reappeared in front of him. Without a single word, he reached over and crushed the perv's hands at the wrist.
The man fell backwards and screamed in agony. Ochaco gasped, backing up as the Dragon turned towards her. The Dragon's black hair flowed down over his face, covering his eyes.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't here sooner, miss." Dragon's voice was a shadowy whisper; mysterious but strangely comforting. "But that won't happen again. I'll be here to keep you safe. I promise. And by the way, that was a badass move just now. Don't worry, this asshole won't be hurting you or anybody else anymore."
"Wait!" Ochaco called out, zipping her jacket back up as the Dragon picked up the crying pervert by the collar and lifted up into the sky. "Please don't kill him. Don't let them turn you into a monster."
The wind blew the white cape majestically, revealing the purple Namekian gi below.
"Don't worry, miss," the Dragon said. "I'm not the bad guy. The only people who should fear me are people like him."
"Can you at least tell me your name?" Ochaco asked, stepping closer to him, completely intrigued by her mysterious savior.
"I don't have a name. I am the indomitable spirit of Namek, the vengeful answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am the hope of the helpless and protector of the innocent. Ally to good, and nightmare people like him!"
"Y-y-you're the Dragon of Namek!" The pervert sobbed in fear, soiling himself.
With a smile, the Dragon vanished, taking the perv with him. Ochaco was left standing on the ground, looking around, baffled at what had just happened.
She was still breathing hard, but not from fear. The close encounter with the vigilante had actually been a thrilling experience. The entire affair had taken less than five minutes, and her neighbors had begun to turn the lights on and peek outside the window. Someone had called the police because she could hear the sirens in the distance.
She allowed herself to step back and lean against the building. Footsteps suddenly pounded on the ground, but Ochaco kept looking up at the sky.
"Ochaco!" Gohan called as he rounded the corner in his green track suit. "Ochaco, are you okay?"
"Gohan," she ran towards him and hugged him. His warmth and the familiar scent of his cologne instantly made her feel safe.
"What happened?" Gohan asked her, pulling away from her but keeping his hands on her trembling arms.
"I… I saw him!" Ochaco whispered excitedly, her eyes sparkling in the night. "I just saw the Dragon!"
"Here in Musutafu?" Gohan asked. He noticed the growing red spot on his bicep. Oh crap! Gotta hurry up and clean this wound up before she gets suspicious!
"Yeah! He saved me from some pervert that attacked me while I was waiting for you. You should've seen it, Gohan! He was so cool! I trapped the perv in a gravity cage and the Dragon took care of the rest."
"WHAT?" Gohan feigned outrage. "You were attacked? We have to go to the police and report it."
"Yeah, I think they're on their way right now," Ochaco said.
"Good. Should call a rain check on our training for this morning? It sounds like you put in quite a workout in already."
"What? No way!" Ochaco shook her head, raising a determined fist. "This is the second time I get mugged here, and I'm getting tired of being the damsel in distress all the time. Now I really want to get stronger. So after I file a police report, let's head down to Dagoba Beach and work on our moves like we planned, kay?"
"Well… actually…" Gohan blocked her way. "We can't go to Dagoba right now."
"Huh? How come? Won't Izuku and Melissa be waiting for us?" Ochaco raised her eyebrow at him, leaning her head to the side.
"Um… because…. Because Kirishima wants us to join him… at his… gym!" Gohan lied nervously. "Yeah, that's it. I forgot to tell you last night, but he invited us to go work out with him. Like I say, strengthening your body's a very important part of training your Quirk."
"Oh? Well, okay. Sounds fun," Ochaco smiled sweetly, to Gohan's relief. "He is my Combat Trial partner after all. Some early morning work does sound like a good idea."
Phew! Gohan sighed in relief. As Ochaco talked with the police, he took the time to text Eijiro and force him to get out of bed so he could meet with them at his gym. There was a reason why they couldn't go to Dagoba Beach right now...
(…)
DAGOBA BEACH
"Well…" Midoriya sighed, his voice coming out in puffs. Melissa looked up from the book she was reading on her tablet. "I guess it's just us for today, then."
"Yeah," Melissa smiled at him. "Well, that's okay. We'll have fun together. Right, Deku?"
"Deku?" Midoriya yelped, his heart sinking. You too? He thought sadly.
"Oh, isn't that your nickname? That's what Bakugo calls you, right?"
"Well, yeah," Izuku said, looking down at his hands. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. "Well, actually, that's what he calls me to make fun of me. He says it means that I'm a Quirkless loser…"
"Oh wow, I'm sorry!" Melissa quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay," Izuku assured her, waving his hand dismissively. "You didn't know."
"Hmm, but why would he call you Quirkless? Your powers are amazing, Izuku!"
"Well, yeah," Izuku scratched his head, looking away. "That's because I used to be Quirkless before. That is until I-"
Suddenly, he froze. Oh crap! What the heck am I doing?! I almost spilled the beans about All Might and One for All!
Melissa cocked her head curiously, the moonlight shining off her glasses.
"Hmm? What do you mean, used to be?"
"W-w-well y-yeah, weren't we all Quirkless at some point in our lives?" Izuku stammered nervously. "What I meant was, before my Quirk manifested. Yeah, apparently it's super rare, but I didn't have a Quirk until I hit puberty so all of my childhood, Kacchan would make fun of me for not having any powers until now…"
"Ohh, I see," Melissa slowly nodded. "Well, I hope you don't mind me saying this but… I kinda think you should own it."
"Huh? Own what?"
"The name – Deku. It sounds a lot like Dekiru, which means that you're capable of doing anything. I think it'd make a great Hero Name. Deku just rolls off the tongue, plus saying it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside…"
"Deku it is!" Izuku cried, his voice high pitched and his face turning as red as a tomato. It makes her feel warm and fuzzy inside…!
Melissa giggled.
"Well, that was quick."
"Alright, well, what's your hero name?"
"Miss Might!" Melissa said, seriously. The two stared at each other awkwardly.
After a moment, both teens burst out laughing.
"Corny, huh?"
"No, no… I mean, yes, but I love it!" Izuku wiped a tear from his eye. "Big All Might fan?"
"Oh, you know it!" Melissa cheered excitedly. "Uncle Might's always been in the family, so I'm kind of his number one fan. He told me so himself."
"Oh, that's right," Deku nodded. "I forgot your dad was his sidekick, right?"
"Yup. As I was growing up, my Mama was never around and Papa was always too busy with work, so my baby sitter, believe it or not, was Uncle Might."
"Holy whoa, for real!" gasped. "You're so lucky!"
Melissa allowed herself a laugh and nodded, folding her hands on her lap as she looked up at the fading stars, staring at something far, far away.
"He's the one that encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming a Pro Hero, even when I was ready to give up. You see, when I was a little girl, I always overheard Sam trying to encourage my Papa to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a Pro."
"Sam, as in Samuel Gero, his lifelong assistant, right?" Deku asked. "The creator of the Android Heroes."
"Yep, that's right," Melissa nodded. "You know our family pretty well!"
"Yeah, I'm kind of a fanboy," Deku confessed, blushing. "Sorry, I know it's creepy."
"I don't think it's creepy. I think it's kind of sweet. And I totally understand. It comes with the territory of being the Number One Heroes' sidekick, I guess. Anyway, I would always overhear Sam telling Papa, 'Dave, you've got so much life left in you. Use it to chase after your dreams instead of helping other people achieve theirs.' But… Papa wouldn't listen. He always felt that he could do so much more good for the world as an inventor rather than as a Pro stationed in one place. He would always tell me that sometimes, we have to be honest with ourselves and do what's best for society, even if that means giving up our dreams…"
Melissa paused and gulped, looking down at her hands.
"Oh, I get it now," Deku said, placing a friendly, comforting hand on her shoulder. "So you decided to become a Pro so you could fulfill your Dad's dream, right?"
Melissa looked up at him, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight.
"Yes," she whispered. "My dream is to able to tell him that I made it, that he can live his dream through my eyes, but then we found out that I was… like this," she said, lifting one bare foot up, the beach sand falling from between her toes. "I remember the day the doctor found that damn extra joint on my pinky toe. That was it… I was declared Quirkless. So how was I going to fulfill Papa's dream now? I remember crying all the way home in Sam's arms. But when Uncle Might found out, he took me in his arms and after letting me bawl my eyes out, you know what he said? He said, "Young Lady-"
"-You, too, can be a Hero," Deku finished with a smile. "Right?"
Melissa gasped and stared at Deku in amazement.
"How did you know?"
"Because he told me the same thing, back when I had given up all hope of becoming a Hero," Izuku said. "Back when the only thing I needed to hear was that I could reach my dream, too. He was there for me, and he's been guiding me along the way."
"Well, if he's on your corner, then I will be, too, Deku."
"R-right," Deku smiled at her, his eyes narrowing into a determined smile. "Let's reach our dreams and become Heroes together, Miss Might!"
Deku held a fist out to her and Melissa shook her head.
"Sorry, Deku," she said. "In my family, we don't do handshakes; we believe in hugs."
With that, she stood up and grabbed Deku's arm, pulling him into a tight hug.
Izuku thought he smelled iron rushing in his nose.
So warm and soft and sweet! He sighed to himself.
Finally, Melissa pulled away from the dazed Midoriya and giggled.
"Should we get started on our jog, then?"
"Yeah," Midoriya said, dreamily. "You're probably right."
"Okay, good," Melissa giggled. "Don't look now, but Uncle Might's been spying on us this whole time."
"What?! Where?!"
"I AM HERE!" All Might jumped out from the Rock of Dagoba. "Watching my two finest students sharing a friendly, TOTALLY NON-INTIMATE moment, Amirite? HMMMM?"
"Ahahahahaha," Melissa laughed shyly. "Umm, I dunno what you're talking about, Uncle Might. We were just sharing a... um... a secret! Right, Midoriya?"
"OHHH? What was sooo secret that you had to wrap your arms around each other to tell it, Midoriya? Care to fill me in on the juicy details? I'm so curious!"
"AAAAHHHHHHH!" The next instant, the pervert fell from the heavens and splashed into the middle of the ocean.
"ARGH, TCCHHH! What is it with this city and raining men?!" All Might grunted, rushing off to save the drowning pervert.
"Now's our chance!" Melissa whispered. "Let's bolt!"
"Right behind you!" Deku said and the two students jogged away into waking city.
(…)
Gym Gamma.
The days had passed by rather quickly and now, the second week of school was coming to an end.
Mister Aizawa had everyone report to Gym Gamma for active Quirk training, which was a nice change in pace, since they had spent the last two weeks after the Quirk Assessment Tests studying Hero Laws, Hero History, Quirk Theories and other, more regular academic subjects.
But now, they were finally getting some more in-school Quirk training in preparation for the Combat Trials next week.
Gohan emerged from the boys' locker room wearing the standard blue and white UA gym pants, white training boots and a white long sleeve compression shirt that outlined his lean, yet muscular frame. He opted for leaving the blue jacket in the locker room.
He was wrapping up the blue weighted wristbands when Ochaco jogged over to stand next to him. She had tied her blue gym jacket around her waist, revealing a white sleeveless tank top underneath. She had tied her hair back with a white headband.
"Copycat," Gohan teased.
"What, you don't like my look?" Ochaco teased back. Gohan couldn't stop himself from blushing.
"No, no, that's not what I- I mean…" he stammered, caught off guard. "You look great."
Ochaco giggled.
"Thanks, you too. You wanna know what else looks great?" She asked, her eyes narrowing fiercely as she shot her fists upward. She flexed her arms. "Take a look at these!" She said with a strained voice.
Little muscles had begun to poke out of those tiny arms, barely noticeable, but still there. She and Gohan had been meeting every day after school to work on their Quirks in preparation for the Combat Trials, and sometimes that training involved heavy weight lifting. Luckily for them, Kirishima had been able to get them both discounts for his gym. Ochaco still kicked herself for not thinking of recording Gohan, Mina and Eijiro's reaction at the gym, when she lifted 500 pounds cleanly over her head using her Quirk.
Gohan had been completely stupefied before he realized that she had activated her Quirk on the bar bell and weights. It was something Ochaco wouldn't ever forget. And then came time to seriously workout without using her Quirk. Eijiro had forced Gohan to spot her, to his completely embarassment. Ochaco smiled dreamily to herself as she remembered the heat coming off his body standing right behind her, his arms brushing the sides of her body lightly as he spotted the barbell for her... She slapped her cheeks to get rid of the blush. Stop being weird, Ochaco. You're going to scare him off!
At first, she thought weight training was just not necessary for her. After all, her power was all about making things weightless. But she soon saw the practicality of working out.
"You can't always just rely on your Quirk," Gohan had told her. "Sometimes, you'll need brains and a little bit of brawn to get yourself out of situations. Plus, the stronger and more athletic you become, the easier it's going to be for you to pull off some crazy awesome moves with your Quirk!"
Deep down, she knew he was right. So she put her head down and did the best she could. As the days passed, she did notice that she was getting a little stronger. And even though she was still a bit sore, the hard work was beginning to show results, and that motivated her to keep going forward.
Plus, she enjoyed spending time with Gohan. He was always so enthusiastic and supportive of her progress, and that made Ochaco want to keep pushing past her limits, just like he always did. And plus… seeing him in his workout gear made Ochaco realize that he was kind of… kind of… Oh, boy, not these weird thoughts again! siiiigh… Ochaco smiled and did her best to hide her rosy blush.
"Alright, Ochaco!" Gohan cheered, giving her a high-five. "That's awesome!"
"I know!" she said happily, doing her best to mask her excitement. "We should totally celebrate!"
"Well, it is Friday," Gohan said. "Actually, I was meaning to ask you, if you would like to…"
"Alright, everyone, cut the chatter," Aizawa said in that monotone voice of his, breaking their moment. He rubbed his tired left eye, waiting for the class to quiet down.
"Um… it can wait," Gohan whispered.
"Okay," she whispered back.
"You're all working hard to become society's next great defenders. For the majority of you, Pro Hero work will put you in direct contact with villains who wish to harm you and those around you. It's important to learn how to defend yourself properly in these situations. And as all great Pro Heroes know, the best defense is a good offense. So for today's Heroics lesson, you're going to learn how to use your Quirks to create offensive attacks."
"Hell yeah!" Bakugo growled, a hungry smile forming on his lips. Midoriya stared at him nervously. "Fight training!"
"That's what I'm talking about!" Kirishima quipped. "My Quirk was made for this!"
"Who are we fighting?" Videl's expression narrowed into a determined smile. "Bring 'em on!"
"I'm not finished," Aizawa scolded, and the entire class went silent immediately. "We're splitting you up into four teams of five. You will each be going through a maze that Cementoss is creating and work as a team to defeat the opponents you'll be encountering in there and come out on the other side. Work together, and you'll make it out of the maze just fine."
Aizawa paused to signal the cement-controlling teacher who was kneeling down, eyes closed in concentration, as he poured out and manipulated cement to form an enclosed maze within the giant gymnasium.
"Sir?" Momo asked, raising her hand. "Will the teams be fighting each other?"
"No," Aizawa shook his head. "For this exercise, you'll be fighting these…"
Aizawa pulled out a remote and pressed a red button. Three knee-high blue-horned androids flew over, landing next to Aizawa. Their black, beetle-like wings flapped as they gently hovered to the ground. They blinked curiously at the class through their artificial purple eyes, which almost gave them a child-like appearance.
"Aww," Ochaco couldn't help herself, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. "Look at the little guys. They're sooooo cuuuuute!"
"Oh, are they now?" Aizawa asked dryly, turning to Ochaco and Gohan.
"Gohan," he said. "You're one of the students with the highest endurance. Why don't you try one of your ki blasts on him?"
"Oh? Okay, sure…"
"Gohan!" Melissa yelled. "Be careful! I recognize those. They're-"
Gohan raised his hand and shot out a single, baseball-sized ki blast at the tiny android. The android's eyes widened, scanned the power of the blast barreling towards him and lifted up his left palm with a confident smile. The android caught the blast and absorbed the energy through a red jewel in its palm. The power flowed through the limb of the android, converting into a more potent form of blast that, according to the android's analysis, would be strong enough to stun the young half Saiyan.
All of this happened in less than a second.
The android lifted its right hand and pointed its fingers towards Gohan. They glowed ominously for a moment before it shot off a bolt of electricity so powerful that it brought Gohan to his knees. Gohan growled with pain as the bolt contorted his body and knocked him down.
"Gohan!" Ochaco yelped, dropping to her knees next to him protectively.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" The three adroids pointed and laughed at Gohan. They were like little, taunting brats.
"Ouch!" Gohan growled in pain, doubling over, his hair sticking up with electricity.
"Way to wipe out, Ricebowl," Bakugo laughed.
"No kidding," Gohan grunted, rubbing his sore abdomen. "Holy crap! Those little guys pack a punch!"
"That's right," Aizawa smiled. "State-of-the-art Patrolbot Junior's – courtesy of I-Island's Doctor Gero."
"Yeahhh," Melissa rubbed her hair, shyly. "Sorry, Gohan, I tried to warn you. They're one of Sam's most advanced security androids. They can analyze your battle power and adjust accordingly to bring you down. Sam designed them to be powerful enough to stop Class B Villains."
"But Mr. Aizawa," Asui said. "Don't you think they might pack a little too much punch? Not all of us are as tough as Gohan."
"Yeah, I agree," Videl said, clasping her hands together sarcastically. "If Bakudork gets hit by one of those, he'll die for sure!"
"Pffft! Ahahaha!" Kirishima and Kaminari couldn't contain their laughter.
"Oh, shut up, ya idiots!" Bakugo shouted, stuffing his hands inside his pockets.
"You all heard Melissa," Aizawa said, cutting through the chatter. "The Juniors will react to whatever attacks you throw at them. The stronger the attack, the more ferocious they will become. So you're going to have to think your away around the problem and use your wits as much as your Quirks, alright? Here's the catch. There are going to be four teams. Each team will draw lots. The lots are in numerical order and will decide the order in which the teams will enter the maze. The team that goes in first won't get an opportunity to form much strategy, but the Juniors will be much less powerful. Obviously, whoever gets to go last will have a lot more time to observe and form a strategy, but by then, the Juniors will have absorbed a lot of Quirk information and will be much, much more powerful. That's the challenge today."
Aizawa motioned, and a Junior brought him a box filled with lots.
"Okay," Aizawa said, turning back to the class. "Gohan, Bakugo, Iida and Momo – I've chosen you four to serve as team captains. Step up and grab a number out of the box."
Gohan was the first to step up. His heart leaped with excitement as he reached into the box and pulled out a number and immediately, his heart sank.
Team 4.
Dead last, when the bots would be at their strongest. Of course, he was excited to put the extent of his new powers to the test, but what about his team mates? The rest of the captains stepped up and dug into the box to draw their number.
"If there are no more questions, it's time to divide the groups up," Aizawa said when all four captains had drawn their Number. "Bakugo, you're the team captain of Team 1, and you'll be working with Ashido, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Videl."
Bakugo scoffed.
"You damn extras better not get in my way, Especially you, Pigtails. You've been a thorn on my side for days now."
Videl bared her teeth in anger, but looked away.
"Yaoyorozu," Aizawa continued. "You're the team captain of Team 2. Todoroki, Ojiro, Hagakure and Jiro, you're all working with Yaoyorozu."
"We won't let you down, sir," she promised.
"For Team 3, Iida, you'll be the team captain of your team, comprised of Sato, Koda, Shoji and Tokoyami."
"It's a privilege to work with such a diverse team," Iida bowed to his teammates. "I look forward to seeing your Quirks in action."
"And finally, Gohan. Your the captain of Team 4. You'll be working with Asui, Shield, Uraraka and Midoriya."
"Yesss!" Ochaco whispered excitedly. "Finally! We're a team again!"
"Yeah, but we're going to be facing these little guys at their toughest, though."
"Don't worry too much about them," Melissa told him. "Sure, they're going to be at their strongest, but at least we'll have time to make a plan. Let's win this!"
Gohan stared at her, then nodded.
"Right!"
(…)
Aizawa had the teams gather inside a spacious monitor room to watch the exercise more closely as Team 1 prepared to enter the tunnel that lead into the maze.
"No matter what, just stay outta my way and keep the weaker ones off me," Bakugo was telling his team. "I'm gonna go straight for the biggest one."
"Yeah, yeah," Videl said, bending down to her knees to tighten her shoe laces. "Just make sure you leave some of the big ones for me this time. You can't hog all the fun this time, alright?"
"Yeah, whatever," Bakugo responded, rolling his eyes.
"Don't worry, Videl," Kirishima said with a smile. "If any of the androids attack you, I'll be your human shield. My Quirk was made to be unbreakable!"
"Oh, I'm not worried, Red," Videl crossed her arms with a cocky smile. "Especially if the one that attacks me copies Bakugo's powers. I'll blow it straight to hell!"
"Sheesh," Kaminari whispered with a shiver. "She's really turning into another Bakugo."
"With big beautiful eyes," Kirishima whispered back.
"Yeah," Kaminari agreed. "And a sweet pair of-"
Videl's eyes instantly blazed with rage at Kaminari.
-um, pigtails," he finished with a gulp.
"Keep it up," she threatened. "If the Juniors don't get you, I will."
"S-sorry," Kaminari lowered his head in submission, looking away from the angry shortie's blazing eyes.
"Just get into the damn tunnel," she ordered.
"Yes ma'am," the two spiky haired boys obeyed and started walking towards the entrance.
"Bakugo!" Gohan called, running towards the sandy blonde. The rest of his team wasn't too far behind. "Hey, Bakugo, wait up a sec."
Bakugo looked up at Team Four with narrowed eyes.
"What do you want, Ricebowl?" He purred, his voice filled with icy venom.
"Hey, I just wanted to say good luck – to all of you," he extended a hand out to Bakugo. "I know it's probably a little nerve racking, but you've got a solid team, especially with Mina and Kirishima over there. I'm confident that you guys are gonna make it out of that tunnel just-"
"Get the hell outta here with that bleeding heart bullcrap, Ricebowl!" Bakugo snarled, slapping Gohan's hand away. Ochaco gasped and Gohan's smile immediately melted.
"Kacchan!" Midoriya yelped. "Why do you gotta be so mean?"
"Yeah, Bakugo!" Kirishima yelled. Mina thrust her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, like what the hell is your deal. You were normal a second ago!" She shouted.
"SHUT UP!" Bakugo roared. "You're the one with the team full of useless weaklings, and you wanna wish me good luck?!"
"They aren't weaklings," Gohan's voice dropped, the sweetness fading away. "They're all a lot stronger than you think."
"Please. You've got Quirkless Four Eyes over there, Frog-Face, you've got Deku, of all people, and Pink Cheeks, who's nothing but a skinny, frail little girl that screws around with gravity."
"Guys, I think we better leave," Asui said, pulling Melissa and Midoriya with her. "Bakugo's clearly on edge because he's about to fight the Androids. Let's just let him be."
"I agree," Melissa said, unaffected by Bakugo's remarks. "Good luck, Kaminari. Do your best!"
Kaminari looked up with a brightened expression.
"Dude," he whispered to Kirishima. "I think she's into me!"
"She's not," Kirishima sighed.
"Totally not, sweetie," Mina agreed.
"Tsu's right, Gohan," Ochaco said soothingly, grabbing Gohan's arm. "Let's just go before he gets even more aggressive."
"You're wrong about them," Gohan responded to Bakugo icily. His fists began to tremble and he could feel the temperature in his neck rising. "Tsu has proven her versatility several times over, and no one here is working harder to succeed than Melissa or Midoriya. And there's nothing frail about Ochaco. She's brave and determined and stronger than you know."
"Gohan…" Ochaco said under her breath, looking down at her feet.
"Ha, so the rumors are true. You really do have a boner for Pink Cheeks, don't ya?" Bakugo hissed, his scarlet eyes beaming with realization. "Hey, Pink Cheeks! You better hope you don't end up facing me in the Combat Trials. Because if you do, I'm not holding back. I'm gonna put you in a wheel chair-"
Gohan's hand shot forward and grabbed Bakugo's arm at the wrist, bringing him within inches of his face. The move was so fast that Bakugo was still talking before he even realized what was going on.
"What the hell!?" he yelped.
"Take. It. Back. Now!" Gohan growled through gritted teeth. His eyes were narrowed and he could feel energy starting to flow out of him, triggered by the sudden rise in adrenaline, preparing his body for a fight. Bakugo tried to pull back, but his arm wouldn't budge under Gohan's iron grip. "I swear to you on my father's grave, if you so much as lay a finger on her…"
"Stop," Videl said, placing a commanding hand on Gohan's trembling arm. Her grip was firm, but compassionate. Gohan turned to look at her and she shook her head. "Can't you see he's trying to get a rise out of you, Gohan? Don't give him the satisfaction. Sooner or later, he's gonna realize he's not the immovable object he thinks he is."
Ochaco wrapped her arms around Gohan's free arm.
"He's not worth it, Gohan." she whispered to him. "Let's just go."
Gohan sighed and released Bakugo's hand. He turned and looked at Kirishima, Kaminari and Mina who were standing at the entrance of the tunnel, staring at him.
"I'm sorry," he said to them, turning away from Bakugo and walking with his team back to the monitor room. Mister Aizawa had seen it all unfold and he heaved a heavy sigh, crossing his arms.
Clearly, these two boys couldn't be any more different. They were stark opposites, were night and day, courage versus strength, an unstoppable force barreling towards an immovable object, two fated rivals heading for an ultimate clash.
So much for getting an extra nap in every now and then, Aizawa sighed, rubbing his tired eyes.
Ending Song:
"1,000,000 Times" by My First Story
Tsu:
"Ribbit. Hi, everyone! Asui here, but please, call me Tsu.
It's time for the Preview!
Whatever those little creatures are made of, they sure are durable, not to mention intelligent.
It's almost as if they're learning as they fight!
I've got a bad feeling about this, you guys.
Come watch as Class 1A take on the Patrolbot Juniors and then relax after a long week's work.
Wait. Who's your friend, Gohan?"
Gohan: "Oh, that's Dende. Come on, I'll introduce you to him."
Tsu: "Why are you and Ochaco-chan winking? You're not making fun of me, are you?"
Ochaco: "No! Not at all. Don't mind us. We'll be back later, okay? We're gonna... um...
Gohan: "Plant... some... trees..."
"Ochaco: "That's right! Who knew I had such a green thumb, right? You guys just chill!"
Tsu: "Well, okay then...
Next time: Chapter Fourteen - Strategy! Strategy! Strategy!
Don't miss it! Ribbit! Go Beyond - Plus Ultra!"
A/N: Hey! I hope everyone enjoyed the time off with their families. I sincerely hope everyone is safe and had a happy time together. And I hope you enjoyed this update. Not a lot happened, but it did set up some things to come for the future, including some villain arcs we'll be seeing soon.
It's all a bit messy, but the threads are going to start coming together after the Combat Trials. I did a little bit of character meshing, (mixing Sam into Dr Gero, since I'm planning a certain… saga in the Two Heroes' Arc wink wink) and I wanted to give our two main ships some time to grow together and bond. Also… who might be the Original Nomu's clone that got away? Hmmm….
Does Bakugo seem a bit too… evil? Don't worry, he's one of my favorite characters. I love the BakuGOAT, so all of this is just so he can have a satisfying character arc once he starts to mellow out a bit. But for now, yes, he is making himself a rival with Gohan. Well, I hope you liked this chap! Again, hope everyone is safe and sound and had a great time! Until next time! Here are the Review Responses:
JediGamerX chapter 12 . Nov 8
Great chapter! Can't wait to see how you'll do the Endeavor/Vegeta arc since they're very similar characters (speaking of Kimi no Chikara in your AN, have you seen the video where it's used in Vegeta's sacrifice against Majin Buu? It's an excellent video that's criminally underrated). I'm also (while iffy on the fanboy side) that Gohan lost, it's very much necessary since it shows he still has a ways to go if he wants to become the most powerful hero.
Overall a very solid chapter and good to see characters being fleshed out in between the set story. Can't wait for the next one!
Thank you! Yes, the two characters are sooo similar! And yes, I know exactly what video you're talking about! The tragic music just made it much more emotional, as I envisioned Shoto reaching out to Vegeta as he sacrifices himself for his family… whoa, super emotional. There was also an amazing video that combined Vegeta's Final Flash against Jiren (who btw is voiced by the same guy that voices Endeavor in MHA), and it plays "Just Another Hero." It's so good, I definitely recommend it! And yes very true about Gohan losing to Vegeta. At this point in time, I envisioned Gohan and Vegeta's power to be the earth equivalent of their power in the Namek Saga. So Vegeta is still much stronger than Gohan, but eventually, Gohan will surpass him by miles.
Thank you for your support!
(…)
12450ogmdm chapter 12 . Nov 8
surprising the fact that vegeta is effort ..
PS: I will still support the story :D
Thank you soooo much! I don't deserve such good readers like you guys! You're the best!
(…)
Hamza9236 chapter 12 . Nov 8
See, people can't be mad, because the power they have isn't planetary level so you really don't have a reason to say you'll lose half your readers.
Hey Hamza! Good point. I was more scared of people not liking the fact that Vegeta was Endeavor. I was absolutely terrified, but I took a gamble since I don't think I've seen anybody else do that in a crossover fic yet. Thank you for visiting my fic, though! I really appreciate it and look forward to the next chapter of "Heroes of Any Kind." As a matter of fact, here's a shout out for anybody who reads this. Please go read, "Heroes of Any Kind", and show him some love seriously. It's wholesome AF and written pretty well! Thanks again, Hamza! I appreciate your reviews always!
(…)
Xeno Gohan chapter 12 . Nov 8
Finally a new chapter
I liked the twist where Vegeta is Endeavor, that's some neat plot twist there now I wonder how you'll develop this vegeta though? Just makes me more excited for the enxt chapter ngl
also Gohan and Uraraka are just cute together
Hey, Xeno! I'm so happy that you liked the twist! It's one of my favorite arcs that I've planned out for since it will also show more of Shoto/Bulma/Trunks relationships with each other and with Vegeta. I can't wait for you to read it, when we finally get there. And thanks for the support for the ship. It's definitely a rare!ship, but a wholesome one nonetheless. Thanks again!
(…)
Elchico 64 chapter 12 . Nov 8
Woooaaahh, this chapter was very revealing, didn't expect Endeavor knew how to use Ki or that he's a saiyan. Not gonna lie, I dont usually really show interest when characters like this changes or replace someone else being the other character like you do with Vegeta. BUT, wait let me finish, I'm intrigued for this development for Endeavor and Todoroki.
Also it took me by surprise when Gohan break apart emotionally in front of Uraraka, telling his story and how he become what he was in the day. It was beautiful, maybe a bit hasty even if they met and start a explendid relationship in the beginning, but considering that Gohan isn't someone too keep secrets for far too long, this is really good.
Anyway, this chapter and the previous, was splendid. I hope Gohan meet and know better his friends like Kirishima, Ashido, Midoriya or even Tokoyami and Videl, who is one of his rivals. I also want to know how Gohan will release the Super Saiyan or if its gonna go berserker losing his mind like Broly but in his base form.
That's it for now. I really like this Xover, I'll wait for the next one. See ya, and stay healthy :)
Hey! I'm always looking forward to hearing your reviews each update. They're always so insightful. I wanted to make Gohan display some of the qualities that he had from early in his life. True, he's not a crybaby like he was when he was four and half, at the start of DBZ (that honor goes to my boy Deku. Just kidding! lol) But he's a really sweet boy who just misses his family, and he was bottling that feeling of guilt within for over a year now, so I felt that for someone as sweet and kind as Gohan, it must have hurt him, thinking that he hurt his family somehow.
I agree, it might have been a bit rushed, to be honest. Even though I've been writing this story for half a year now, realistically, they've only known each other for about three months at this point, so not sure if it was time for him to let her see him in such a vulnerable state, but I ended up going with it anyway. The funny thing is the scene was going to be their first kiss, but it just felt wayyyy too early for that. So I pushed that shiz off for much later. There'll be time for that later.
But as for your question about him getting to know more of his friends, yes, he will in this training exercise mini arc, at least he will learn to draw closer to his Team. As for the other boys, I'm planning on giving them more bonding moments especially during the USJ and the Sports Fest., Let's just say that pretty soon, our beloved Ochaco is going to be facing some real competition, if you get what I mean!
And as far as Super Saiyan goes, it will kind of be like when he goes Ssj for the first time in Dragon Ball Z, except this time, Goku isn't there to help him control it… If you remember, from a previous chapter, there seemed to be a certain future vision from a certain sidekick about that moment… hmm… wink wink…
Haha okayyyy, that's as far as I'll say on that. Thanks again for your review! I always enjoy them!
X3runner chapter 12 . Nov 10
Neat chapter , I kinda dug that Aladdin whole new world vibe gohan and uraraka had there it was sweet and I hope we get more of I'm kinda wondering where did trunks come from and is shoto related to him, would be a interesting dynamic especially with the whole dabi now being a sayajin however wouldn't that stronger body nullify the down side of a weaker to fire body. I do wonder how gohan will deal with the emotional issues tied to his mothers here will he go overboard to try and prove her wrong (like a teen normally would ) essentially training so hard it would make goku feel jelly or is he going to be extra emotionally vulnerable Needing those close to him to kinda counterbalance his own building self loathing/melancholy hidden under a happy façade like my boy spike Spiegel good chapter can't wait to see the next one.
X3! Hiiii! You know, it's funny because there's a moment, when Gohan and Ochaco go on their first official date, they miss their ride and are too tired to fly, so Gohan takes her on a magic Nimbussssss riiiiiiide hahaha I actually wrote that future scene while listening to this beautiful song called "Song to the Siren" by Rose Betts, in which the two fly away together on Nimbus and cross the ocean together. Siiigh I love this ship so much!
Anyway, onto the saiyan questions, Yeah, Trunks is still the son of Bulma and Vegeta, concieved when Vegeta (being the asshole he is) cheats on Rei with Bulma (she didn't know the bastard was married). Just goes to show how little Vegeta cared about the people around him. At the start of this arc, people are just tools for him to use whenever he wants. But throughout the arc, he will learn to love his family and that will give him a path to redemption for being such a crap father/person.
Hmm.. I'll save a lot of the answer on Dabi for later, but I will say for now, is that the only reason Vegeta was having kids was to produce an offspring that would achieve what is described in the Path of the Mighty as the "duality", meaning, the child would be able to perfectly control his saiyan genes plus the Quirk he got from his other parent.
Gohan, Goten, Trunks, Shoto and much much later, Mizuko (Gohan and Ochaco's youngest daughter, the baby sister of Pan) are the only ones that achieve true duality, while Toya/Dabi, though immensely powerful, doesn't, and that's why his father discarded him. He has his mother's weakness against fire, and all of that, coupled with being rejected by his father, whom he idolized as a kid, and knowing that he will never be a powerful Saiyan Prince like Shoto is what pushed him to become a villain.
As for Gohan's emotional vulnerability, I think he finally found someone that he feels safe enough to let his emotions out with, as Ochaco is that pillar that supports him. As she said once in the anime, "Who saves the heroes who need saving?" So that's a dynamic that's going to play out a lot in their relationship – Gohan is her rock and defender, always encouraging her to believe in herself, and Ochaco is his pillar of support, his cheerleader, especially when things are going rough for them.
As for Chi-chi, their reunion is close! It's going to be such a happy emotional chapter when Chi chi sees how far Gohan's come!
Also, love the Cowboy Bebop reference! I award you fifteen awesome points for that! Thanks again for your review!
(…)
Guest chapter 12 . Nov 23
Update please
Update complete! Thanks for your review! Your support means a lot to me!
(…)
Guest chapter 12 . Nov 25
So here's what I have to say about this story, love the pairing of Gohan and Ochaco, I always wanted those two together in one story, but part of me didn't want to because of her role in helping Deku, but I see you replace that with Melissa, honestly a really good choice. The fact about Vegeta being Endeavor and Todoroki's father and having a flame quirk is really don't hate it but weird, but I think I'll get used to it. For Gohan's hairstyle as you mentioned before, please change that to Cell Games hairstyle, his hair in the Majin Buu saga and beyond is awful, except when he's in Ultimate Gohan mode, and there's actually a pic of Gohan and Ochaco with the Cell Game's hairstyle and both students showing that their close friends or more, for that timeskip you mention, why not the hair to grow longer to his neck and is tied in a pony tail. I really like this story and hope to see more and Gohan won't be OP right compared to the other students and villains
OMG! Thank you thank you thank you for your kind words! They fill me with inspiration to keep writing! And I agree 100% about Ochaco (now Melissa's) part of Izuku's Hero Journey. Those two are going to have a lot of bonding together, probably more than what Izuku has with Ochaco in canon.
I love Melissa. She's such a relatable character for Izuku, who was also Quirkless and a major All Might fan. Those two are going to share lots of wholesome moments with All Might. And I totally understand the feeling about the Vegeta Endeavor twist. I will do my best to present it in a way that's enjoyable and makes sense.
Onto Gohan's hairstyle, the reason I started him off with the Buu saga hair is going to sound a bit weird at first, but please bear with me lol
So the Cell Saga hairstyle is very similar to Goku's hairstyle. My thought process was to start him off with the Buu Saga hair and then gradually, as he grew into the man Goku was, his hairstyle was going to start reflecting that, so that by the end of his journey, he has the cell saga hairstyle which is like a reflection of Goku. He will have finally become the man his father had meant for him to become.
That was the thinking behind it, anyway hehe. As for the long hair, he sported that at the beginning of the story, as it was inspired by his hair during the Saiyan Saga. Long and tied back with a white Hachimaki. But I might be open to revisit the long hair again in the future! Maybe for an OVA-type episode, or even for an arc. We will have to see hehe.
And even though he's pretty much whooping everyone's butt right now, (like Goku did at the start of Dragon Ball), very soon he's going to come across some villains that he won't be able to take down on his own. Thanks again for your review! I hope to hear from you again!