A/N: So, I absolutely butchered the ending of the previous chapter. It was too stale, and I missed a good chance to let our characters unwind and get to know themselves a little more, so I decided to flesh this one out as best as I could. This chapter will focus on friendships and some fluffy filler to give our character a break from the action (sorta…)

Next chapter, we'll be diving back into the main plot. Hope you like it! Review Responses at the end!

Opening Song:
"The Beginning" by One OK Rock

NURSE'S OFFICE, UA HIGH

ONE DAY AGO…

"MMMMMMMMMUAH!"

With a tender kiss on the forehead, Recovery Girl activated her healing quirk on Gohan. He sighed with content, feeling the warmth of the healing process crawl down his body, gently eating away at his stamina reserves. Slowly, the pain began to fade away and he slumped his head back down on the pillow, exhausted.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while, Son," Recovery Girl commented, reaching for a jar filled with colorful candies. "That means you're either excelling in your Quirk training, or slacking off, so which one is it?"

"Excelling, hopefully," Gohan said with a laugh. Definitely excelling. This new strength is insane!

"Well, good. In that case, keep up the good work. Here, have an extra jelly bean," the elderly woman nodded, reaching into the jar and handing Gohan two jelly beans. She swiftly turned to Midoriya and her mood changed instantly.

"And as for you, Mister!" she said, irritated. Midoriya gasped and held his bandaged arms up defensively against the old woman's fiery gaze. "It's only been two weeks, but you're already becoming one of my regulars. You and All Might are going to have to come up with a better way for you to use your Quirk. I may be able to heal you now, but you're causing real harm to your body that will someday be irreparable."

"Yes, ma'am," Midoriya sighed, looking down at the thin white hospital blanket that covered his lap.

"Well, there's no sense in beating yourself up even more," Recovery Girl huffed, shaking her head. "Please be careful next time, Izuku. If you end up causing permanent damage to your body, you might not be able to continue on the Hero track at all. Now, you two be good boys and take a nap. It will help speed up the healing process. I'll be tending to your classmates next door, but if you need anything, just give me a holler."

"Thank you very much," Gohan said with a nod. Recovery Girl dimmed the lights and left the room, and Gohan laid his head back on the pillow with a big smile on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Midoriya asked, looking over Gohan. "Don't tell me you actually like getting pampered by Recovery Girl."

"Yeahhh, a little," Gohan confessed.

"Really? Didn't you get enough of that sweetness from your Grandmas?"

"Not really. Actually, I never knew any of my grandparents," Gohan said, interlacing his hands behind his head. "Growing up it was just me, my mom and my little brother. So it's kind of nice to experience being pampered like this every once in a while."

Midoriya's eyes widened.

"Oh, sorry to hear that, Gohan. I swear, I didn't mean anything by it."

"Oh, don't worry," Gohan laughed. "I know you didn't."

"So…" Midoriya said, looking up at the ceiling after a brief pause. "You grew up without your Dad, too?"

"Yeah," Gohan said. "My dad died when I was really little, so Mom had to raise me and my little brother Goten all on her own. If I'm being honest, most of what I have left of my dad aren't memories, just stories that people who knew him have told me. Those and this powerful Quirk that I've inherited."

"Wow. It sounds like your Dad was a great man if he touched so many lives."

"Yeah," Gohan sighed. "I think he was. I just wish I could have had more time with him. Or at least more memories to remember him by."

"I can definitely relate to that," Midoriya said.

"Yeah? What happened to your Dad?"

"Well, my Dad worked overseas in America, and only ever came home once or twice a year. Then after a few years, the visits just … stopped."

Gohan turned to look at Midoriya, who had started to trail off.

"I haven't seen him at all since I started Junior High," Midoriya shook his head. "He still sends mom some money through remittance every month, but that's pretty much all we get from him. The few memories I do have are all from when I was very little. The man didn't even leave behind a Quirk for me to inherit."

"Whoa!" Gohan gasped. "So that mighty Quirk came from your Mother?!"

"No! No! That's not what I was trying to say!" Izuku stammered. "Neither of my parents have this kind of Quirk. Actually, I was Quirkless all of my life until just a few months ago, when it started to manifest. Apparently it's rare, but late bloomers are a thing. He he he."

Gohan stared at Izuku for a moment and smiled.

"You know, Izuku, we're very similar, you and I."

"Huh?" Izuku straightened. "No way! You're rich, popular and powerful. If anything, I'd say we were polar opposites."

"HAHAHAHA!" Gohan burst out laughing, and the sharp sting on his side reminded him that he was still recovering. Midoriya stared at him wide-eyed.

"Oww," Gohan groaned, rubbing his side tenderly. "I'm not rich! My uncle is. And I don't really consider myself popular. As a matter of fact, I was still getting bullied in Junior High."

"Seriously?! With a Quirk that strong?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, Izuku. Up until recently, I was Quirkless, too. Sort of…"

Midoriya gasped at the sudden revelation.

"Whoa."

"Yeah, it's a long story. Basically, I inherited my Dad's powers, but I couldn't control them, so I was taken to a doctor who erased my memory so I would forget all about my powers or how to use them. As a result, my body was physically incapable of converting my stamina into Dragon Ki, until I hit my head hard during a robbery. That's when I discovered that I had these amazing gifts. By then, I had given up on my dream of becoming a Pro Hero, until I met someone who believed in me."

Gohan paused for a moment. Look how far this journey has taken me already!

This entire journey had started with him wanting to know the truth about his father and who he really was. But after learning the truth and training with Piccolo, discovering just how powerful his Quirk is, how deep the well of his potential went, his journey had led him to chase his dream of becoming a Pro, to use his powers for good, just like his father had wanted. That journey had also led him down a path of justice outside of the law, where he used his alter ego, The Dragon to combat crime and use his powers to help others now, rather than waiting to get a Hero License in a year.

It all started with Piccolo and Nail and Dende's faith in me. So many people have supported me in this journey, and I will not let them down.

"Sometimes, you just need someone to come along and believe in you." Gohan finished.

"That's exactly what happened to me," Midoriya said, scratching the back of his neck thoughtfully. "Sure, becoming a hero was always my dream, but in the back of my mind there was always that doubt that I could never become a hero. That was until I met All Might. He had faith in me, and told me that I had what it takes to become a Hero. So yeah, my Quirk breaks my body every time I use it. But that's why I have to work way harder than everyone else if I want to succeed. I have had so much support since I came here, and I'm not going to start disappointing them now. I will make this power my own."

"Your own?" Gohan asked, cocking his head to the side. He raised an eyebrow at Midoriya, who paled noticeably, realizing what he had just said. Midoriya seemed to struggle with finding the right words to use. Instead, he simply lowered his head without answering.

Once again, Gohan saw a glimpse of himself within his classmate.

"You see," Gohan said, closing his eyes and the smile returning to his face. "I told you, we're very much alike, you and I."

"Yeah," Izuku returned the smile, cocking his head to the side. "I guess you're right. We both come from nothing, grew up with no fathers, had strong people in our lives that had faith in us, and just found out we have powerful Quirks that we need to work on."

"Izuku, about your Quirk…"

"Yeah?"

"Well," Gohan said. "What if I told you that I knew someone who would be able to help you strengthen your Quirk so that you wouldn't break your body anymore? Would you be willing to meet him?"

Midoriya turned to look at Gohan curiously.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN – A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HEARTBEAT

(Still Flashback)

Class 1A was buzzing with excitement that afternoon, reliving the harrowing maze test they had just faced. Everyone had changed back into their gray, white and green class uniforms and were waiting for the final bell to dismiss them for the weekend.

"UGH! This is all your fault, Sparky!" Mina shouted, her arms flailing accusingly at Kaminari. "If you hadn't turned on the fireworks, we wouldn't have been spotted so easily and we might have been able to pass!"

"What do you mean, it's my fault?!" Kaminari yelped. "At least I put up a fight!"

"Yeah, I'm with Mina," Jiro said, snapping her head in the golden haired boy's direction. "Thanks for giving those little bastards one of their favorite Quirks to use against us."

"Oh, you didn't even fight!" Kaminari whined angrily, sticking a finger in Jiro's direction. "You had the Ice Prince do all the heavy lifting for you."

Shoto looked up at them from the textbook he was reading.

"I didn't lift anything," he said. "I simply froze the maze-"

"Oh, you are so exhausting, Todoroki!" Kaminari huffed and sat on the top of his desk with his arms crossed.

"I see," Todoroki's lowered his gaze back to his textbook.

"Hey now, I thought you were really cool, Kaminari," Tsu tried to encourage her seatmate from her seat next to him. "That indiscriminate shock of yours sure packs a punch!"

"Thank you, Tsu!" Kaminari sighed, flipping his golden bangs away from his eyes with pride.

"Yeah," Jiro laughed. "Too bad you turn stupid for a few minutes afterwards."

Kaminari's body jerked.

"Tch! Why do you have to be so mean to me all the time, Kyoka?"

Jiro rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"Okayyy, you were kinda cool, I guess," she conceded.

"I'll take it!" Kaminari cheered.

Ochaco slowly approached Mina from behind the little ring of students.

"Hey, Mina, do you mind if I ask you something?" Ochaco asked her pink classmate discreetly.

"Sure thing, yo! What's up?" Mina said cheerfully.

"What's a boner?"

The entire class froze and looked at Ochaco.

Ochaco innocently raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused by everyone's reaction.

Mina's mouth dropped.

"I-Ah-Uh, W-Well…" she stammered.

"Hmmm?" Ochaco tilted her head in confusion.

"Ochaco Uraraka!" Momo gasped, placing covering her mouth with her hands, a large red blush forming on her cheeks. "Where did you learn such foul language?"

"From Bakugo," Ochaco said, pointing at the sandy blonde haired boy sitting at the edge of the classroom. "Before his Team went into the maze he told Gohan:

"Ha, so the rumors are true. You really do have a boner for Pink Cheeks, don't ya?"

"Oh crap!" Mina shouted, slapping a pink hand over her mouth with a blush. "He did! I remember now!"

"Bakugooooo!" Iida shouted, leaping in front of the seated student. "That is despicable and demeaning! Gohan's biological reactions are nothing to be made fun of!"

"Why don't you shut up and go have a biological reaction with yourself, four eyes?" Bakugo huffed angrily.

"I am so confused," Ochaco shook her head.

"Here, let me try," Sato said, placing a compassionate hand on Ochaco's shoulder. "Ochaco, you see… sometimes, when two people really like each other, and they spend a lot of time together, certain… things happen to their bodies-"

"You shut your mouth!" Jiro screeched, pointing a finger at Sato and shutting him up instantly.

"He's not wrong though," Melissa added from her seat. "The human body is an engineering marvel, and arousal isn't something dirty, it's a sign that all of Gohan's biological cogs are well tightened and lubricated-"

"And you can shut up, too!" Jiro shouted, angrily. "I don't wanna hear about Gohan's well tightened and lubricated biological cogs, okay?"

"I am surrounded by idiots," Bakugo said to himself, slamming his forehead on his desk.

Momo sighed and took Ochaco's hands in hers.

"Ochaco, sweetie," she said. "What Bakugo said was just a very derogatory, very dirty, way of saying that Gohan really, really likes you."

Likes you…

Likes you…

Likes you…

Likes you…

Likes you…

"KYAAAAAA!" Ochaco yelped, her face lighting up red. "W-W-What do you mean he likes me?"

"Oh, don't give us that!" Mina said, her voice dropping to an insinuating purr. She placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward with a devilish smirk. "We were all watching on the big screen when he gave you the sweet lovers' touch."

"SWEET LOVERS' TOUCH?!" Ochaco yelped, her pupils dilating. She backed up shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh yes you do!" Hagakure joined in, taking Ochaco's hand in her invisible one. "You know, that sweet little move where he caressed your face with his fingers. Ugh! If I had a boyfriend like yours, I swear I'd melt!"

"B-B-BOYFRIEND?!" Ochaco gasped. "You've got it all wrong! Gohan's my best friend, not my… my… a-and besides, I don't even know the first thing about dating!"

"O-cha-CO!" Mina shook her head, taking the shorter girl by the shoulders and giving her a firm shake. "Wake up and smell the coffee, girl! He's obviously into you! Just ask Jiro! She told us she can hear his heartbeat rising every time he sees you."

"Yep, it's true," Jiro nodded with a knowing smirk. "Every time he sees you, I can definitely hear the change his heartbeat with my Quirk. It's a different type of heartbeat."

"Different how?" Ochaco asked.

"Oh, it's hard to explain, but once you accept your feelings for him, you'll feel it to. Ha! You should have seen him on the first day of class. He couldn't stop going on and on about his little Urara-chan."

Ochaco's hand slapped over her mouth as it dropped in horror. They knew!

"AAAAAHHHH" Hagakure and Mina squealed, holding their hands together. "He has a cute little nickname for you, too?! That seals the deal! Now the question is, does Ochaco feel the same way about him?"

"Oooh! Ooh! I know!" Hagakure bounced excitedly. "I bet Videl could tell us what Ochaco truly feels when she sees Gohan."

"Or we could corner Gohan and make him tell!"

"Make me tell what?" Gohan asked innocently as he stepped into the classroom, followed closely by Midoriya.

"No!" Ochaco begged, jumping in between Gohan and the girls. "Please don't! You've got the wrong idea!"

Gohan blinked in confusion.

Just then, the final school bell rang, chiming through the halls of the school. The majority of the class picked up their bags and started to leave.

Phew, Ochaco sighed with relief. Saved by the bell!

"Okay, girls, that's enough," Momo scolded them. "Stop acting like little children and grab your belongings – it's time to go home."

"Yeah," Tsu joined in. "Lay off her, you guys. You're clearly upsetting her. If Ochaco doesn't want to talk about something so private out in the open like that, then let her be."

"Aww!" Mina whined. "But we were just starting to get all the juicy details!"

"Yeah!" Hagakure stomped. "Who died and made you Class Rep, Yaomomo?!"

"Come on," Momo said, sounding like and annoyed mother. "Let's go; you can gossip all you want on the way home. Don't mind them, sweetheart," she told Ochaco. "They're just excited for you is all."

"Excited about what?" Gohan asked.

"Oh they were just really excited about your win at the maze exam today. Isn't that right, ladies?"

Mina scoffed and rolled her eyes, but nodded in defeat.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Gohan beamed proudly. "But I couldn't have done it without my team. If Ochaco hadn't swept me up in her arms, I would probably still be buried under all that rubble."

Ohhh, he's making it worse! Ochaco wanted to cry.

"How sweet!" Mina said, pulling on Ochaco's arm to whisper into her ear. "You see! He's your number one fan!"

"Come on, Mina, cut it out."

"Okay fine, but just remember Ochaco, every girl has a high school story about that one-in-a-million guy that got away because they were too scared to talk to him. Don't let Gohan become your story, okay?"

Mina pulled away from Ochaco, masking her gossip with a wide smile.

"Have a good weekend, Muscles. It sounds to me like you need to reward Ochaco for saving your butt. Maybe you should treat her. Just the two of you. Alone."

"And we're going," Momo said, pulling Mina by the backpack strap. "Have a good weekend, you two!"

"Bye Muscles!" Mina teased as she was dragged out. "Buh-byeeee, Urara-chaaaan."

"What was all that about?" Gohan asked, crossing his arms in amusement.

"Oh, Mina just being Mina," Ochaco shook her head.

"She's right, you know," Gohan said, stretching his arms behind his back with a big smile.

Ochaco gasped.

"She… is?!"

"Yeah! You guys are the reason we passed the exam. I think you do deserve something for your hard work."

"Oh, that," Ochaco sighed.

"Yeah, I was meaning to ask you before the Exam. You see, a few days ago, my Clan relocated to a beautiful mountain village that we just finished building, and well… I was hoping I could invite you to spend the weekend with me there. Midoriya's coming, too and I'm planning on inviting Tsu and Melissa as well. But it just wouldn't be the same without you. Plus, I think you'll love it there. It's away from the major cities and it has a hot spring and a forest we can explore… And I was kind of hoping to introduce you to my Clan, too."

Ochaco's hand slowly lowered from her mouth to her chest, where her heart was beating rapidly.

A different heartbeat? Could it be…?

No, that's not it.

Ochaco gulped and nodded.

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "I'd love to go, Gohan. A weekend at a mountain village might just be what I need to relax after these two weeks!"

Gohan's shoulders relaxed, as if he had been holding a breath in.

"Okay! Great! Well… want me to walk you to your apartment?"

Ochaco nodded at him excitedly.

"Yeah! I'd love that."

"Okay, let me just get my stuff from the locker room. I'll see you outside!"

Ochaco watched Gohan leave the classroom, and she was left alone for a moment.

Sweet lovers' touch, ha! Yeah right. Ochaco thought to herself, as she followed Gohan out. She suddenly stopped in the middle of the empty classroom. It dawned on her, and she finally remembered exactly what the girls were talking about. It had happened back during the maze exam…

When it first happened, she thought nothing of it. That was just a sweet gesture to encourage her to keep going, or possibly to calm her racing nerves. It meant nothing more than that… right?

Ochaco slowly brought her hand up to her face and brushed her fingertips across her chin where Gohan had touched her. Her heart instantly fluttered. Immediately, she dropped the hand and kept walking out of the door.

No. That's definitely not it at all!

Her eyebrows furrowed with confusion.

I don't think!

PRESENT TIME

MOORI'S VILLAGE, NAMEK

Melissa had just stepped out of the shower when she heard a nervous wrap on the door. Wrapping a towel around her soaking body, she went to see how was knocking.

She opened the door to find Midoriya, rubbing his hands nervously.

"Oh, Deku!" she said. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

Midoriya shook his head, still not realizing that Melissa was completely under-dressed in front of him.

"It's Ochaco and Gohan," he was saying. "I'm worried about them. They left after dinner and they still haven't-"

He paused when he looked up, realizing that Melissa was basically naked in front of him.

"Umm… You should probably change before I go on."

"Fine," Melissa giggled, grabbing Midoriya's hand and pulling him inside her room.

"Just keep talking and don't look," she told him.

"O-okay," Izuku face flushed several shades of dark red. As soon as she was sure that Midoriya wasn't looking, Melissa dropped the towel and started changing.

"Okay, so what's up with Gohan and Ochaco?"

"Um," Midoriya gulped, but his throat was suddenly dry. "Well, I've asked around but nobody's seen them. Not even his friend Dende knows where he is, and he seems to be more interested in talking to Tsu anyway."

"But it's been hours since they left!"

"I know," Midoriya said, waving his hands. "That's why I'm worried."

Melissa's barefoot footsteps turned into the clicking of boot heels.

"Okay, you can turn around now," she said, stepping up behind him.

Izuku turned. "Uh, Mel, why do you have your butt-kicking gear on?"

"Because we're going on an adventure," Melissa announced.

"We are?"

"Yep, we're going to find the two lovebirds."

"Lovebirds?! Wait… you're serious? Ochaco and Gohan… Really?"

"Yeah, haven't you been paying attention to their interactions?"

"Not really," Midoriya said, innocently. "I always thought they were related."

Melissa snorted at this and started giggling uncontrollably.

"Oh, stop it Midoriya. Let's go find them."

As soon as they opened the door, they were greeted by a seven and a half foot tall Namekian wearing a sleeveless white vest.

"So…" Nail said with a devilish smile. "Which one of you is Midoriya?"

(…)

Ochaco was drying her hair with a towel as Gohan pulled himself out of the hot springs where the two teens had been swimming together. Time had really gotten away from them, and night had already set in, yet there she was, out here alone with Gohan.

No wonder the others had started to take up rumors. Part of Ochaco told her to apologize to Gohan and to go back to her room with the others, to consider the kinds of rumors that could be spread at seeing the two of them out here alone so late at night.

But she couldn't deny the fact that she was having a lot of fun, and even though the two of them where out here in the middle of nowhere alone, Gohan had never once tried anything funny. He hadn't even looked at her in any certain way. He just smiled widely, like an excited little boy, swimming and splashing around with her in the hot springs.

Ochaco felt completely relaxed now, as she went behind a rock to change out of her dripping wet bathing suit. After drying herself and changing, the two met up again to head back up to the village.

"It's so late now, but the sky is so beautiful," Ochaco commented as she walked beside Gohan, looking up at the starry night.

"Yeahhh sorry about that," he told her, coyly. "Time really got away from us, huh? That's my fault."

"Well, it's the weekend. And besides, who's watching the clock, anyways, right?" Ochaco said, swinging her bag of wet clothes over her shoulder as they reentered the village.

Gohan smiled at her.

"Right."

A commotion caught their attention as they walked into the village.

The sound was coming from the center of the village, where a large bonfire was blazing.

"Gohan, what's going on?" Ochaco asked, drawing closer to him. "It sounds like people are fighting."

"Yeah, they are," Gohan nodded. "But don't worry, it's nothing malicious. Martial Arts are a big deal in Namekian culture. Sparring for a prize is just a regular pastime around here."

"Yeah, except that's not a Namekian…" Ochaco said.

"Oh crap! You're right!" Gohan gasped. "That's Deku!"

The two teens ran towards the bonfire where Izuku was facing off against Nail. Melissa, Tsu and Dende cheered Izuku on as he jumped around the Namekian's obviously pulled punches.

Izuku surged forward and landed a blow on Nail's torso. Nail slid back and brushed the site of the blow.

"Ah, so you do pack some bite, little twerp," he laughed. "Is that all you got?"

"No way!" Izuku barked with a competitive smile, dancing around the grass on his bare feet. "Not by a long shot!"

"Get this guy, Deku!" Melissa cheered from the crowd. "Show him what UA's made of!"
Nail laughed heartily.

"I like you guys," he said to them. "You've got so much potential, and you sure got guts. Now, show me what they look like! Hold nothing back. I want to see you at a hundred percent of your power!"

Izuku shook his head.

"I don't need a hundred percent to beat you!"

Izuku leaped forward, putting all of his weight on the soles of his bare feet in a body drop.

"No, Izuku," Gohan thought through gritted teeth. "That's not going to-"

Nail's arm shot forward like a slithering snake, closing the distance between the two fighters and wrapping around Izuku's body, picking him up and slamming him on the grass.

"...work," Gohan finished. Izuku gasped for air as Nail's iron grip tightened around his body.

"Aww, it looks like you hit your limit, little guy," Nail taunted. "Now either you hit me with a hundred percent of your power, or I strangle you 'till you pass out." The grip continued to constrict Izuku like a serpant, until Izuku started to turn purple.

"Izuku!" Melissa cried, worriedly. "Gohan, help him. He's getting hurt!"

"Nail…" Gohan warned. Nail didn't even look at him.

"Do it, you little punk! Show me a hundred percent of your power!"

"You want to see a hundred percent?" Midoriya grunted, his good arm starting to glow with power.

"Did I stutter, you little wimp?"

"Don't blame me for what happens next," Izuku said. "TEXASSSSS SMASSSSH!"

The next instant, Nail's arm was vaporized in an explosive wave of power.

"ARGH!" Nail stepped back, holding the stump that used to be his arm.

Izuku also cried, having broken his left arm again.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!" Midoriya screamed, looking at Nail's bloody stump. "HIS ARM EXPLODED!"

Nail looked up at him and laughed. With a growl and a flash of power, a new arm emerged from his bloody stump, replacing the arm that had just been obliterated seconds earlier.

"AAAAAAHHHHH! HIS ARM JUST GREW BACK!" Midoriya screamed.

The crowd laughed at the young student's reaction.

Even Nail let out a hearty laugh.

"Dende, heal the kid up. He's got to get ready for Round Two!"

"Sure thing, Dad," Dende said, leaving Asui's side to heal Midoriya.

"So," Nail looked down at Midoriya as he was getting healed. "What did you just learn, young man?"

"Ow…" Midoriya said with an eye closed. "That… you can regrow your arm."

"About yourself, genius!" Nail grunted.

"Nothing that I didn't already know before – that if I use a hundred percent of my power on any part of my body, it'll break me."

"Say it again, louder, and this time, think about what you're saying," Nail instructed.

"What's the point-"

"Dende, break his arm again."

"Okay, okay!" Izuku sighed. "If I use a hundred percent of my power on any part of my body, it'll break me!"

"Again, louder!"

"IF I USE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF MY POWER ON ANY PART OF MY BODY-"

Suddenly, Izuku stopped and looked up at Nail.

"Wait a minute… wait a minute…" realization dawned on Midoriya's face.

Nail allowed proud smile to grow on his face as he looked down at Midoriya.

"Now do you understand why you've been getting hurt by your Quirk all this time?"

Izuku slowly nodded, unblinkingly.

"Uh-huh," he said.

"Are you ready for Round Two?"

Izuku nodded again.

"Uh-huh."

"Good."

Nail extended a hand to the boy and helped him get up to his feet.

"Now show me what you just learned."

"Right!" Izuku nodded, his eyes narrowing into a determined look.

He spread his feet and dropped into a fighting stance.

"If I use a hundred percent of my power on any part of my body, it'll break me."

The wind started to pick up as Izuku activated his power to its full capacity. Streaks of red light began to flow throughout his skin and green electricity sparked around him. Nail shot forward, much faster than before, but this time, Izuku became a blur of green electricity, dodging the charging Namekian with ease.

"But… if I spread my power throughout all of my body evenly, rather than focusing my Quirk on one section of my body at a time… If I just leave the switch on, rather than using my power as a super move…then…"

Nail recovered and shot his arm forward again, intent on grabbing him, but Izuku leaped forward with blinding speed and vanished in mid-air, only to reappear behind Nail. Before Nail could react, Izuku's fist shot forward, connecting with Nail's rib cage. "One for All: Full Cowling!" he shouted. "SMAAAAAAAAASH!"

The explosive hit sent Nail flying out of the makeshift ring, where he knocked over some Namekians who were too slow to react.

"WOO-HOO!" Ochaco cheered. "You did it, Midoriya!"

"Way to go, Deku!" Melissa also cheered. "Look at you go!"

Midoriya walked over to Nail and extended a hand, panting and sobbing with joy.

"Are you seriously crying, you little punk?" Nail laughed, taking Izuku's hand and rising to his feet.

"Thank you!" Midoriya said, bowing profusely. "You have no idea how much you've helped me, Master Nail."

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Nail let out a booming laugh. "Man, you really are Gohan's friend, aren't you. Give yourself some credit kid. You figured it all out on your own. And you beat me fair and square, so… here. Take this."

Nail reached into his pocket and produced a red weighted scarf and wrapped it around Izuku's neck.

"Ooof! This thing weighs a ton!" Izuku said, struggling to keep his balance. "This thing was in your pocket?!"

"This thing is a constant reminder that you have a long way to go, but if you keep striving to surpass all limits, if you forge your soul into an indomitable spirit, you will always succeed. This is what the Symbol of the Dragon Clan stands for. A symbol of hope and self-sacrificing heroism. The Symbol of the Legend of Porunga, the Dragon of Namek."

Izuku's eyes widened and he bowed reverently.

"Thank you, Master Nail. I promise, I won't let you down."

Nail laughed again. "You've gone and found yourself some good friends, Gohan. Lots of guts! Especially this one. And it didn't take him ten months to master a new ability, unlike someone here."

"Ohhh," Gohan shook his head, putting his hands on his hips. "You are still mad that you had to fish for me in Mount Paozu for ten months, aren't you?"

"Alone, in the freezing winter months," Nail muttered, dryly, and all of the Namekians started to laugh.

Gohan held out a fist and bumped it with Midoriya's.

"Come here," he brought Izuku into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you, man. You did great! That punch was amazing. Now that you know how to control you Quirk, it's all going to be different for you now."

"Thank you, Gohan. I guess I know now why you invited me here this weekend."

Gohan shrugged.

"Yeah, Nail's a little harsh, but he's a great teacher. You're always welcome to come here and train with us."

Ochaco was watching the interaction between the two smiling boys from a short distance and once again, seeing Gohan's kindness and compassion made her heart skip a beat. She allowed herself a sigh, as a smile crept across her face.

"Avishta, stranger!"

Ochaco jumped, startled by the new voice. A tall, heavy set Namekian teen was greeting her.

"Hi there," Ochaco said sheepishly. "Sorry, I don't really speak Namekian. My name is Ochaco Uraraka. What's yours?"

"Me… Drum," the towering Namekian said with a smile.

"You are… Drum," Ochaco nodded with a nervous smile. "Well, nice to meet you, Mister Drum. Good night!"

"Wait!" Drum said, stepping forward. "Me… fight… for you…"

"Oh, that's not really necessary," Ochaco shook her head and backed away. Since when did I become so damn desirable?!

"Yes…" Drum repeated with a smile. "Drum fight… you become bride of Drum!"

"Nooo, thanks!" Ochaco said turning to leave.

"Wait!"

"Kado, Kado, Drum, (Hey, Hey, Drum)" Gohan chided as he extended a protective arm over Ochaco. "Butla antu. Onsca ropeca dorigelop crafca monocanco." (It's late now. You should go get some sleep.)

An ugly smile crept across Drum's fat face and he let out a hideous belly laugh.

"Avishta, Porunga. (Hello, Dragon)" he said. He lifted a finger and pointed to Ochaco. "Ne senti. Irra sa pokabo boomsca doblerobe? (She's cute. Care to fight me for her?)"

Gohan's eyes narrowed and his fist tightened. He smiled.

"Sinti. Boomsca na sa pokabo si Ochaco. (Fine. I will fight you for Ochaco.)"

"Aroso? (Is that so?)"

"So, Aroso!(It is so!)" Gohan responded, defiantly. Irrasa pokabo nelya fatuba onesensya! (She means more to me than you'll ever know!)

Behind them, Dende's antennae twitched.

"Really?" he asked in shock.

"What's he saying, Dende?" Tsu asked.

"The big guy's name is Drum. He thinks Ochaco is dating Gohan and challenged him for a chance to court her, a challenge to which Gohan just accepted, because Ochaco means more to him than anyone would ever know."

Ochaco gasped.

Gohan's fighting for a chance to… date me? Her hand came up to her chest. Is it true? Do I really mean that much to him?

The Namekians around them heard the challenge and cheered for the two contestants as they met in front of the bonfire.

"Porunga! Porunga! Porunga!" The Namekians cheered.

"Dende, what's Porunga?" Melissa asked.

Dende chuckled nervously.

"Ahh, that's just Gohan's Clan name, that's all…"

"Well, they certainly have their favorite fighter picked out."

"Yeah, Gohan's… well… let's just say he forged a name here. He's done a lot of good for Namek and for the Dragon Clan, so our people love him. He may not be full blooded Namekian, but he is part of the Dragon Clan."

Gohan stood in front of his opponent, arms crossed as the wind blew against his purple Namekian gi. He stared at Drum with a smirk. Drum was powerful, for sure. But he had no idea much stronger Gohan had gotten with thanks to his training at UA, not to mention the Zenkai Boost. The last time the two had met, Gohan had been fresh out of Mount Paozu.

He was not ready for what he had coming.

As soon as the match started, Drum ran towards Gohan full speed, intent on clobbering him over the head with a double handed fist. Gohan simply lifted a hand, and a soccer ball sized ki blast formed in his hands. The blast shot off towards Drum and the Namekian leaped forward to dodge it.

The ball didn't even graze him. Instead, it flew overhead into the night sky.

Drum looked up from his cover and laughed when he saw that the ki blast had missed.

"he… hehe… hehehehehe!" He laughed. "You miss Drum, oh mighty Drag-"

"Scatterbeam!" Gohan said, closing his hand into a fist and snapping it downwards in the direction of Drum.

Drum looked back up in panic to see that the orb had split into five smaller blasts and were now hurling down towards him like fiery meteors.

"Not… good-"

A few moments later, Drum was being carried away by four Namekians to be healed.

"Wow, Gohan!" Tsu said, admiring Gohan's skill. "That was one heck of a move!"

"It seems like you really wanted to win that one, huh Gohan?" Dende teased.

Gohan ignored them with a loud yawn. He wiped his eyes with one hand

"Well, I've certainly had my fun today," he said, walking up to Ochaco and taking her hand in his. "Come on, Ochaco. Let's go back to the cabin."

"R-right," Ochaco nodded with a smile.

He had won.

Gohan had won.

As the two teens walked back to the cabin where they were staying, she felt something stir in her heart again. It was a new emotion, a different type of heartbeat.

She looked back down at his hand holding hers.

Slowly, she allowed her fingers to close around his.

He had won, she decided with a smile.

Ending Song:

"Lágrima" by ONEPIXCEL

(Dragon Ball Super Ending 11)

The meteors fall like rain drops
Astrological tears from my eyelids

A strong emotion from deep within
Has been awakened,
A spark of possibility
Shines softly like a star in the night sky
A wish from long ago now shoots by
& I'm awakened

A never-ending melody, so enchanting
You're always the one who makes me tremble
The meteors keep falling down
Surging right into my heart

A/N: I hope you liked a little bit of world building and lore in this chapter. I wanted to take this moment and really thank everyone who is still supporting the fic. From the bottom of my heart, your support means the world to me! Yeah my fic may be wacky and weird, but it's unique and if anything, at least it offers something different. No amount of flames are going to stop me from continuing. Speaking of reviews, here are the review responses for all reviews received since the last update.

JediGamerX chapter 14 . Dec 5

Really good chapter! I liked how you made the matches thick with tension and teamwork! The ending was a bit sudden but seeing your pairing blossom more was nice, am I seeing one start between Asui and Dende?

As far as the struggle of writing fight scenes, It can be relatable since describing actions in words is an entirely different level from simply viewing it from a comic panel. Regardless, I think you do very well in the fight scenes! I wish you good luck with those epic action scenes later down the line.

Thanks for the support man! You really made my day with those kind words. Sometimes we get fatigued from all the descriptive writing, but it's super nice to hear some kind words like yours. And I will definitely try to keep improving so I can deliver a good story for you.

And yeah, as for Asui and Dende... there's a little bit of a relationship that will keep growing soon. It'll be an emotional part of an upcoming arc. Thanks so much for your reviews! I enjoy them always and of course, am super excited for the update on your fic as well! Thanks again!

Xeno Gohanchapter 14 . Dec 5

another great chapter eh, and boi Gohan is one hell of a wingman(well to dende and asui heh) eh, also Videl and Kirishima huh, that's a neat pair right there, also I like the fights, its pretty clear to understand on what is going on and the androids are powerful too but in the end most of the 1a prevailed, nice chapter as always

Hey Xeno! Yes, I feel like Gohan is the ultimate wingman, although sometimes he is oblivious to it haha As for the pairing of Videl and Kirishima, I certainly wasn't expecting it to work as much as it did. I felt that Videl might have been turned off by Kirishima, stealing her thunder, but in the end, his sacrifice moved her. So I was pretty happy about how it turned out. And as for the androids... just keep your eye open for them hehe

Thanks as always for your support my boi! And I'm so glad to have readers like you!

Guest chapter 14 . Dec 5

Boi, I am hyped on the sports festival

Yep! Yep! I'm planning some unique matches for the Sports Fest so stay tuned!

Xeno Gohan chapter 14 . Dec 5

Forgot to mention, neat I'm the 100th review here and boi, I'm looking forward for Gohan vs Bakugo

Yep! You're the best man. Thank you so much for your support! Gohan gonna set him straight!

X3runner chapter 14 . Dec 6

Aww videl and Kirishima are going to bond over a moment that would definitely have Kirishima feeling like he's lived up to his manly pride. Really hope bakugo ends up over correcting and becoming like a worried sick mother hen for the team he was with here when he stops Overcompensating so much you'd think mineta was taller then him. Also would be cool to have deku and melisa with there fast knowledge of quirks abd techs help gohan create/recreate the kioken basing it off the consent of dekus usege of his quirk. Also would be cool if melisa asui ochako deku and gohan get turned into like a psudo team kinda like an unofficial version of the while wild pussycats I mean you could use that to reference the genyu force poses jokingly. I dig the chapter abd how you have progressed/ changed the characters

Bro, if I die, I'm leaving the keys of this fic to you because you are so on track to what's developing in this fic soon. And I just died laughing at three in the morning, thinking about how marvelously cursed a taller-than-Bakugo Mineta would be. Or even worse, a smaller-than-mineta Bakugo. LMAOOOO! And yes, gotta give my boy Kirishima some credit for taking those hits like a man.

And as for the idea of the teamup... ohhh it's coming. They're definitely going that route, and all I'll say is, think of a teamup name that exists in the world of Dragon Ball... he he he...

Thanks again for your reviews, X3! I always look forward to them.

Jpx0999 chapter 4 . Dec 10

i hope you dont make the great sayaman a thing here
not only gohan DOES NOT know what a sayan is,but also he never had influence of the ginyu forces in his childhood to act like that

Saiyaman will exist, but not the way you think. He's definitely not going to be Gohan's hero identity, that's for sure!

Jpx0999 chapter 6 . Dec 10

i hate how mina is portrayed in most fanfics

they normally make her a shipper love/gossip obessed girl

and its kinda wrong because from the point of view of the character ,to them its real life
soo therefore,its incredibly wrong to ship real people,and specially try to force them together as how she is despicted in some fanfics

I do not have a ship planned out for Mina at the moment.

Jpx0999 chapter 12 . Dec 11

the moment you said endeavor was vegeta

i fucking droped this

it was suposed to be a mha universe with dragonball elements
not a freaking bizarre fusion of the 2

LMAO, my guy, you ain't seen nothing yet. But in all seriousness, thank you for actually giving the fic a chance. I sincerely mean that. Not everyone is willing to read twelve chapters before deciding the fic isn't for them. So really, thank you for lending me your time and thoughts, and as a fellow fanfic writer, i wish you nothing but the best in your fics!